Category: Impression Obsession

One Sheet Wonder, 15 cards!

4/21/2019

Last week for Demo, Bekah showed us SO MANY wonderful ideas for making cards!! The theme was "one sheet wonder" which is a technique used by card makers where you buy only one sheet of 12" x 12" decorative paper and cut it in a way where there is NO PAPER leftover! Using solid-colored card bases, Bekah created these 15 FANTASTIC cards that I just LOVE!!!

Bekah used ONE SHEET OF DECORATIVE PAPER from the BoBunny paper collection, Harmony

This is the template that she used!

Take note that she wrote the dimensions (in inches) on each of the pieces of paper so you can cut your OWN paper down to size to make these cards! Bekah also put a letter of the alphabet on each section to distinguish which ones go together on the same card

I am going to show you each of the cards she created and I'll organize the cards by the letter of the alphabet so you can easily find the piece that she used on the template.

A. and B.

Here, Bekah used the new sentiment die-cut, For You, from Tonic and the Lawn Fawn die-cut set, Lacy borders

C. and D.

In these 2 cards, Bekah used the Hero Arts collaboration set, Mail Delivery as well as the Creative Expressions die-cut, Mini Shadowed Sentiments, Happy Birthday

E.

Bekah used the Midnight Hare die-cut from Sizzix to make this card and it is SO CUTE. Oh my goodness.. .what a precious card!!

F.

On this card, Bekah used the Triple Layered Hummingbird die-cut from Creative Expressions and added some dots of the new Nuvo Dream Drops, Dragon Scales

On the same card, Bekah also used the new Nuvo Midas Touch Shimmer Pen... just LOOK HOW MAGICAL this is!!!!

G.

I love how sweet this idea is... what a simple card with a big appearance!!

H.

I love this idea... Bekah used the Nuvo Dream Drops , Gold Luxe to OUTLINE the die-cut image from Cottage Cutz, Hello Phrase

I.

I love this one with the sentiment and Dragonfly die-cut from Creative Expressions!!

J.

The card shown below uses 3 different panels... 2 are one size while the middle one is slightly larger..

K.

I love how Bekah used the Nuvo Dream Drops to make centers in her flower die-cuts!!

L.

I LOVE how Bekah used the Medium Butterflies from Impression Obsession here!!!

M.

Bekah again used the Lacy Borders die-cut from Lawn Fawn and I LOVE how she layered the colors together here!!!! The sentiment comes from this set from Taylored Expressions, Friendly Phrases

N.

I love how sweet and simple this idea is!!! Once again, Bekah added some dots using the new Nuvo Dream Drops, Dragon Scales and paired it with this sweet sentiment die-cut, Miss You from Impression Obsession

O.

Once again, Bekah used the Mail Delivery collaboration set from Hero Arts to add a focal point to this card. I love how she also incorporated a piece of vellum here!!

... And there we have it!! 15 cards!!

What a GREAT series of cards, Bekah!! Thank you for making such stunning cards and sharing all of your wonderful ideas... these cards can now be used for a VARIETY of different occasions from birthday to sympathy to anniversary...

If you need ideas for making cards, stop by the store!! We are FULL of inspiration around here!!

See you soon!!
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The Art of Doodling

4/5/2019

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What is doodling? Doodling is drawing lines, swirls, dots, and zig-zags in a fun way with little fore-thought or plan to create designs that you are intrigued by in the moment

So many people get overwhelmed when it comes to putting a pen onto a blank piece of paper.. but I like to think of it as a Project WAITING TO HAPPEN!!!

When it comes to doodling, many of us having been doing it for YEARS! Maybe you used to draw swirls on the side of school papers, maybe you like to add a row of dots and scallops along the edge of your paper... you may be a Doodler and not even know it!!

Wendy was the demonstrator for Demo this week, and she taught us about the "Art of Doodling" .. check out some of these great ideas!!

First, Wendy started out by doodling on a piece of white card stock using her FAVORITE doodling pen... the Black Glaze Pen. She sectioned it out so she had 4 doodles on one piece of paper

Then, Wendy just copied her doodles onto a piece of white card stock AND onto a piece of Vellum

I like that the SAME DOODLE looks different depending on which paper it is copied onto...

Then, Wendy and I HAD SOME FUN!!!!

Wendy took half a sheet and I took half a sheet... and we played around with concepts and ideas on how to USE the doodles to create cards!!

Just LOOK AT THESE IDEAS!!!!

This one was really fun... We started out with this design (Wendy had the one printed on Vellum and I had the one printed on white card stock)

Wendy's Idea:

Wendy colored with Tombow Markers on the Vellum on the BACK SIDE of the doodle design. Then she found this fun stamp from Laurel Burch and colored the image with Prismacolor colored pencils making sure to use the SAME COLOR PALETTE as she colored the background.

When you color on Vellum with markers on the BACK SIDE of the Vellum you get this beautiful, muted effect that I JUST LOVE.

Elli's Idea:

Now, when I saw this image... I thought of ... SHELVES!!!

I used my home-die-cut-machine to cut out the Mini Cats from Impression Obsession so I could have them WALKING ON THE SHELVES

I used an X-acto knife to cut out some of the shapes and spread them apart so I could adhere some Mini Cats on the "shelves" that I created.

Then we played with the next design... Wendy took the one that was printed on Vellum and I took the one that was printed on white card stock

Wendy's Idea:

Wendy took hers (that was printed on Vellum) and watercolored her image using Tombow Markers and her Aqua Shimmer Pen. THEN she backed the piece of Vellum with a piece of Acetate (so the piece of Vellum is more sturdy). She cut out an oval in the front of her card base and the same size oval out of a piece of black card stock. Wendy tucked her image between the card base and the black piece of card stock so that the middle is translucent when you look at it in front of a window. Wendy added MORE DOODLES on the black card stock with a Purple Gel Pen.

Wendy added in the Hello die-cut from Hero Arts on the very front and I JUST LOVE how it turned out!!!

Elli's Idea:

At first glance at the doodle, it looked a little bit like a beach scene! I took Tombow Markers and a Waterbrush and added in some color for the sun, sky, and beach. Then, I took an X-acto Knife and cut just part of the line between the water and sand and added in a couple pop-dots to add dimension. Then I die-cut this Fishing Boat from Taylored Expressions and tucked it in the slit I created to make it look like a boat on water.

I used the same colors to color the boat and to add a little bit of color here and there... I didn't want the image to be too busy so I just added a pop of color rather than coloring the ENTIRE image.

The next design was A LOT OF FUN. Wendy had the one printed on white card stock and I had the one printed on Vellum

Wendy's Idea:

Wendy took Tombow Markers and the Nuvo Aqua Shimmer Pen and watercolored this image. It was such a quick and easy card to put together.. and the Aqua Shimmer Pen is SO IRIDESCENT and beautiful!! It really brings this image to life...

Elli's Idea:

I thought it would be fun to mount mine onto a piece of black card stock. I started out by cutting my image (printed on Vellum) into sections... I just followed the lines Wendy had drawn.. and then used the Nuvo Deluxe Adhesive to adhere my Vellum in place (THIS GLUE IS GREAT FOR VELLUM!!).

When I laid down my sections, I separated them a bit so the black card stock was visible between the images. Then, I went back in with a Uniball White Gel Pen and added some highlights here and there.

I LOVE how this turned out!!!

This was the last design that Wendy and I played with... Wendy had the image printed on white card stock and I had the image that was printed on Vellum...

Wendy's Idea:

Wendy started out by coloring SOME of the image red with a Tombow Marker. THEN she used the Scribble Circles die-cut from Impression Obsession to cut into her image. I LOVE THIS SO MUCH!!!!

The circle pattern on the doodle COMBINED with this Scribble Circles die-cut leads to an AMAZING CARD.

I love the colors, the movement, and just the FUN that this card has... Great design!!!

Elli's Idea:

This image to me had a lot of negative and positive space... and I wanted to make those areas POP!!!

I just used an X-acto Knife and a cutting mat to cut out some of the little circles and sections in the doodle and then used The Ultimate Glue to adhere the Vellum to a piece of Light Purple Glitter Paper.

I LOVE how the pop of glitter draws your eye to focal points without it being too overwhelming.. Of course I LOVE glitter so I wanted that to be my focal point!

Really, Doodling is just the BEGINNING of what you can do!!!

If you want to start doodling, but are not sure where to begin, I suggest you take a piece of nice, white card stock and a black pen that feels comfortable to write with (like a Uniball Pen or a Gel Pen) and just draw. Just draw a line, then draw swirls at the end of the line, add some dots, add some circles, create a zig-zag... don't think, JUST HAVE FUN.

You never know what you can create when you just let the creativity flow!!

If you need more inspiration, or ideas on HOW to use your doodles to make a card, stop by the store!! We would LOVE to help!!

See you soon!
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Handmade Papers Demo

3/15/2019

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Last week for Demo, we learned about the world of Handmade Papers!!

There are SO MANY ideas for using your handmade papers... just check out what you can do!!

We carry SO MANY beautiful handmade papers!!!! They come from ALL OVER THE WORLD!!

Some of them are from Italy....

We carry others that are made from 100% Recycled Cotton Fibers from India...

We have a large selection of hand-silk-screened Chiyogami Papers from Japan.. these are some of our favorites because they are SO BEAUTIFUL!

We LOVE these printed ones from Nepal... these images are always popular around here!!

We also carry these fantastic papers made from the Mulberry Plant.. These papers are great for creating Privacy Windows at home because they are a little bit translucent

I love the idea of using some of these papers as overlays... Take these papers, for example, that look a little bit like lace. They are GREAT for laying on top of patterned papers to create a *totally different* effect!!

You can also use these textured papers to cut out die-cuts!!

These handmade ones that are slightly translucent are great for overlays because they pick up the color of paper behind it.. which works GREAT for layering!

You can take one of the patterned handmade papers and put a translucent piece of Mulberry paper on top to soften the pattern. THEN you can fussy-cut some of the images to lay on top of the overlay... this makes it so the focal point matches in color to the background.

You can also take a piece of handmade paper and cut out some of the images... like the marbled pattern in a paper... and you can use pop dots and mounting tape to add dimension

You can "enhance" the handmade papers by simply adding a little bit of shimmer... it is easy to do with the Nuvo Aqua Shimmer Pen!!

You can also make mottled-looking paper by using PVA to adhere pieces of wrinkled Tissue Paper onto a piece of card stock.

If you stamp an image with Versafine Clair Nocturne ink onto the tissue paper and THEN adhere it, your stamped image will be waterproof and won't move when you glue the tissue paper in place with the wet glue.

... when I made this card some of the tissue paper ripped... but I actually like the look!!!

You can also colorize tissue paper with Distress Inks and the Picket Fence Blending Brushes so you get this beautiful ombre effect...

I decided to use this die-cut from Impression Obsession (I trimmed off the doe and buck) to make a beautiful serene scene with just the tissue-paper overlay... what an easy and gorgeous effect!!

You can make your own decorative handmade papers with inclusions by using a piece of white card stock, some leaves or feathers, PVA, and a very sheer piece of the translucent Mulberry Paper

I love how we used fresh pieces of Pine and it smells SO GOOD even after being in the paper for a couple days.

Brush on a VERY thin coat of PVA onto a piece of card stock (a foam brush works great)
Next, lay down a feather, dried flower petals, or fresh pines onto the glue
Now, take a piece of VERY thin Mulberry Paper and lay it on top of the inclusions
Place a clean paper towel down on top of the Mulberry paper and press firmly making sure to fully press on the Mulberry paper so it adheres evenly.
Trim your paper down to size using a paper cutter and some scissors

You can take an image from one of the Italian papers and make little squares (folded in half) to add dimension to an image!!

Some of these papers are textured.. you can change the color by using your Versamark clear ink pad and embossing powder to make it look like dragon skin!!

And, the easiest way to use your translucent handmade papers is to make a sweet little lantern (like this one below using the new Hero Arts Fairy Window) and back the frames with your handmade paper!! It has a great appearance and looks beautiful even if there are no tea-lights on inside!

Stop by the store to see all the ideas in person!! We would love to show you ideas to help you feel inspired!!

See you soon!!

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Tuesday with Wendy, March 5th

3/9/2019

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Check out the 3 wonderful cards from card making class last week!!

You can really tell Wendy is in the mood for creativity!!

The cards this week were really fun!!

The first card was created with a bit of Wendy Pizzazz!!! She was inspired by this new Washi Tape from Dylusions, these 2 colors of Dylusions Spray inks (Vibrant Turquoise and Funky Fuchsia), and this new stamp set from Seth Apter, Grunge Grids

To make the card:

Start out with a half-sheet of a piece of white card stock. Stamp the Grunge Grids stamp with Versafine Clair Inks Warm Breeze, Nocturne, and Morning Mist over the outside of the card base (front of the card and the back side of the card)
Next, use a piece of pop-tone 100# card stock to apply a FEW SPRITZ' of ink of each color of the Spray Ink.
Now take a small piece of white card stock and apply 3 different widths of Washi Tape.. Wendy chose these funky ones!! **we used white card stock so you can clearly see the images on the Washi Tape since the Washi Tape is slightly transluscent**
Now cut a piece of black/white patterned paper to add interest. Wendy liked to cut hers into little squares and strips
Back the piece of paper with Spray Inks on it with a piece of black card stock and adhere it to the card base using double-sided tape
Also back the piece of paper with Washi Tape on it with a piece of black card stock and adhere that down using double-sided tape
Use Nuvo Deluxe Adhesive to paste down the black/white patterned paper strips

Look how fun these cards turned out!!

I think we can all agree... this is a very "Wendy Style" card... it is SO FUN!!

The next card that Wendy designed was a Shaker Card!! She was inspired by this Monsters Stamp from BoBunny

To make the card:

Stamp your Monster Stamp (with a circle for the tummy) on a piece of white card stock using Versafine Onyx Black ink.
Fold your card base in half. Use your Home Die-cut Machine and a circle die-cut to cut out the stomach of the monster image AND the front of your card base.
Next, cut a piece of chipboard ( 2" x 4") and cut out 2 holes that are slightly larger than the hole you just cut out of your card base. **You may need to use the die-cut machine here at the store to do this because most die-cut blades will not cut through chip board** . Once you have cut 2 holes in your piece of chipboard, cut the piece of chipboard in half. You should now have 2 small squares of chipboard with a hole in each one measuring about 1 1/2 inches.
On the front of the card, where you cut out your hole, adhere a piece of Acetate using double-sided tape.
Now place BOTH PIECES of chipboard down and adhere them to each other using Nuvo Deluxe Adhesive. The holes of the chipboard should line up nicely with the hole in the card base
Now FILL YOUR SHAKER CARD!! Wendy used Blue Ombre Sequins from Hero Arts. Once you have filled it (NOT FULL) place a piece of Acetate on the front and adhere it with double-sided tape. This will hold your shaker bits.
Then, adhere your Monster in place!! Remember to line up the holes so the shaker card makes sense!
Wendy chose a piece of fun "cartoon" looking paper and cut out an oval using her Home Die-cut Machine and laid the cut-out on the front of her card base to finish off the front of the card.
Next, stamp 2 little Monster images on the INSIDE of the card... and if you can.. arrange one so he is peeking through the stomach!!
Now close your card and look in awe and have fun with such an ADORABLE card!!!

Check out this fun idea.... One of the students used her oval cut-out to make a secret flap for the inside of her card!! How fun!!

The last card that Wendy designed was MY FAVORITE!!! It is SO CUTE!!

Wendy was inspired by the new Lawn Fawn Mushroom Border and the Gentle Bunny from Memory Box

To make the card:

Start out by using a light green card base. Take a piece of floral-patterned paper and cut out an oval using your Home Die-cut Machine.
Use the Lawn Fawn Mushroom Border to cut out some mushrooms and grass for the front of the card.. Wendy used a mottled, flesh colored card stock for the mushroom base and a bright red card stock for the mushroom tops.
Arrange your mushrooms and grass in the oval cut-out for the front of the card. Use pop-dots to give dimension to your mushrooms.
Lastly, cut out the Gentle Bunny from white card stock. Use the skinny brush from the Small Picket Fence Blending Brush Set and apply a tiny bit of ink from the Distress Oxide Worn Lipstick ink pad to colorize the ears, tail, and nose of the bunny. Use a pop-dot to adhere the bunny to the front of the card

This card is SO CUTE!!!! I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it!!

Join us for the next Card Making class!!
Tuesday, March 19th

Give us a call to sign up!! You MUST sign up by the Saturday before class to reserve a spot!!

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Sprays: Ink, Oxide, Resist

2/24/2019

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Last week for Demo, we learned about the world of SPRAYS!!!

Most of us are familiar with the Ink Sprays. Here at the store, we also carry the Distress Resist Spray and the NEW Distress Oxide Sprays. Did you know you can also create your own sprays?!

Check out some of these great ideas!!

For those of you who are unfamiliar with Sprays, traditionally most ink sprays are a dye-based ink. The ink in a spray is meant to allow large coverage of a surface with minimal effort..

Here, I stamped and heat-embossed a stamp from Impression Obsession that says, "7 billion smiles and yours is my favorite" in clear ink and clear embossing powder. When I heat-set the image and spritz Ink Spray onto the paper, the stamped image acts like a resist and the words magically appear!

If you have a home die-cut machine, you can use Spray Inks on your Embossing Folders!!

Here, I used the Flourish embossing folder from Sizzix. If you spray ink down and just PRESS a piece of paper onto the design, you will transfer the design! (like a mono-print)

Or, you can spray ink on your Embossing Folder and then put a piece of paper in the folder and run it through your home die-cut machine! When you do this, the ink transfers AND the texture of the embossing folder transfers too!!

** Make sure when you run your embossing folder in your home die-cut machine that you cover your embossing folder with a piece of paper towel. This will help keep ink off of your die-cut machine!!**

*Always wash/rinse your embossing folder AS SOON as you are done so that the ink doesn't stain your folder!*

Another idea is to cut out a die-cut image (like this Butterfly from Hero Arts) and lay it on a piece of card stock, then spritz the ink and remove the die-cut... a great way to create your own "stencil" or "mask" !!

You can even die-cut a larger image and THEN spray ink on an Embossing Folder and THEN pur your die-cut in the folder!!

The stark-white paper now looks mottled and interesting!!

I LOVE this next idea using the Distress Resist Spray!

Resist spray is basically a spray-resin. MAKE SURE YOUR NOZZLE IS CLEAN before starting!! AND make sure you spray inside a box... because wherever the spray gets will dry and is impossible to clean up!!

To make this AMAZING galaxy background:

Use a piece of white card stock
Die-cut a starry background using your home die-cut machine and the die-cut from Sizzix, Snowy Stars
IN A BOX, lay down your paper and spritz some of the Distress Resist Spray. Use a heat-gun to heat-set it.
Now, use your Spray Inks and coat the paper in color!!
Mount the design on a piece of white card stock to bring out the stars!!

Isn't this effect WONDERFUL?!!? I LOVE how it looks like nebulas! And texture is WONDERFUL!

Ok, now THE FUN STUFF!!

NEW Distress Oxide Sprays!!

Oxide inks are WONDERFUL because they show up on dark papers AND light papers!! Just look how fantastic this effect is when you use a stencil!!

The Oxide ink sprays are great because you can spray them are darker patterned papers.. like here we took a dotted paper and then added some Oxide Spray Inks to make a more Galaxy-themed appearance!

You can even create your OWN INKS!!!

Here, I took a tiny dab of Bleed Proof White ink and mixed it in a Ranger Mini-Mister and used the new Wave Stencil from The Crafter's Workshop..

I love how soft the Bleed Proof White spray is!!! I recommend mixing some spray, and to make it more vibrant you can add a little more ink.

You can even use your spray on Suede Paper!!

You can also put some fresh bleach into a Ranger Mini-Mister and use that!!

Bleach REMOVES COLOR from paper... and every paper reacts differently to bleach! Some papers DON'T REACT to bleach.. so recommend doing a test piece of paper first by swiping some bleach on with your finger or synthetic paint brush.. the bleach takes about 3 minutes to create the FULL EFFECT so don't be surprised if you test a piece of paper and nothing happens right away!!

Many of you have probably used your spray inks for "Shaving Cream Marbling" ...Did you know you can create that same effect on BLACK PAPER using the new Distress Oxide Sprays?!!?

There are SO MANY THINGS you can do with sprays.. .we would love to show you these ideas in person!!

Stop by to see us 7 days a week to get inspired!!

Give us a call if you have any questions
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Tuesday with Wendy, February 5th

2/5/2019

GREAT cards this week for Wendy's card making class!! As always, Wendy likes to teach new techniques in her Card Making classes. This grouping of cards is just FANTASTIC!!

The first card Wendy designed was made using the Scribble Circles die-cut from Impression Obsession as well as the Embossing Folder from KaiserCraft, Distressed Dots

To make the card:

Start out by first taking a piece of black card stock and embossing it using the Distress Dot Embossing Folder in your Home Die-cut Machine
Then use a little bit of Nuvo Mousse, Indian Gold, and rub some on the black card stock you just embossed. We just used our fingers to apply the mousse to the paper. Doing this really brings out the texture from the Embossing Folder!
Attach the textured paper to the front of your card base using double-sided tape. Apply some red mesh ribbon along the left side of the card and adhere it with a little bit of The Ultimate Glue
Next, Wendy took a piece of Handmade Paper and cut a small piece that has an embossed swirl design in it. She cut 2 small pieces and put one on the outside and one on the inside of her card.
Wendy cut out the die-cut Scribble Circles out of Red Mirricard card stock and used the shapes, bits and pieces to make an interesting design and art piece on the FRONT of her card and then opened up the card and made ANOTHER art piece on the INSIDE of her card. Wendy adhered the pieces of Red Mirricard using Nuvo Deluxe Adhesive
Wendy finished off the card by added the Bright Gold Nuvo Crystal Drops occasionally on the front of the card

I LOVE THIS CARD!!!

It not only is FUN AND VIBRANT it also makes for a really great card that can be used for ANY OCCASION

... and even better?? EVERYONE'S CARD WAS DIFFERENT!!!

The next card that Wendy designed was made using this BEAUTIFUL Row of Trees from Stampotique, the Picket Fence Blending Brushes, as well as 4 colors of Distress Ink (Weathered Wood, Stormy Sky, Chipped Sapphire, and Black Soot)

To make the card:

Start out by first stamping the Row of Trees image on a piece of Solar White card stock using Versafine Clair Nocturne Ink and Detail Black Embossing Powder
Use a LARGE BRUSH from the Picket Fence Blending Brushes set and apply a VERY LIGHT LAYER of Distress Ink Weathered Wood to the entire surface of the white card stock
Next, cut out a circle and apply a Removable Glue Dot to the back of it. Stick the circle down in the area above the Row of Trees where a moon would sit in the sky
Now use the Large Picket Fence Blending Brush to apply Distress Ink Stormy Sky, Chipped Sapphire, and finally Black Soot
Remove the circle and watch as the MOON APPEARS IN THE SKY above the Row of Trees
Layer the scene onto a white card stock base

Isn't this card SO BEAUTIFUL?!?! I love how easy it is to create and really has a gorgeous effect... once again this card is great for ANY occasion!

The last card that Wendy designed was made using this STUNNING floral set from Altenew, Wispy Begonia

To make the card:

Start with placing your flower stamp on your Tim Holtz Stamp Platform
Apply the leaf stamps to a Clear Acrylic Block
Use a piece of black card stock and stamp the floral image and the 2 leaf images with Versafine Onyx Black ink (Yes, stamp black ink on black card stock)
Now, use Prismacolor Pencils to color the floral image and leaves, taking your time to add shadows and monochromatic tones for the flower.
Now, stamp the floral stamp AGAIN in the EXACT SAME PLACE with the Versafine Onyx Black ink and use Detail Clear Embossing Powder over the ink. Heat-set the image with a Heat Gun
Next, stamp the sentiment, "You are in my thoughts" with Hero Arts Unicorn White ink and apply Pearlustre Rubellite Embossing Powder to the ink and Heat-set (By using the WHITE INK here, the color of the Embossing Powder really pops on the black card stock!! )

SUCH A GREAT CARD!! And perfect for the upcoming Spring season!!

Once again, EVERYONE'S card was a little different!! I love these florals!!

Thank you to all who joined us for class this week!!

The NEXT card making class will be on February 19th! Please register ahead of time by calling the store!

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Life Changing Blending Brushes

1/11/2019

This week for Demo, we learned all about the AMAZING new Picket Fence Life Changing Blending Brushes!!

Picket Fence Blending Brushes are for blending your Dye-based or Pigment-based inks. The bristles are SUPER SOFT and are made from synthetic, plastic fibers. DO NOT GET THESE NEAR YOUR HEAT GUN!!! (otherwise those super soft bristles will melt!!)

There is SO MUCH you can do with these brushes!! There is a nice video up that really helps show how these brushes work.. and if you haven't played with the brushes yet, I highly recommend watching it!!

Now, at first glance the brushes look like foam... but they are actually brushes with SUPER DENSE bristles so you can really blend those colors together!!

Did I mention yet that these brushes are HEAVENLY SOFT?!!? Because they are. I mean it feels like FUR!!

Right off the bat, we talked about blending with Distress Inks. I LOVE Distress Inks because you get the BEAUTIFUL gradation of color!!

Here, we blended from Olive tones to Yellow tones using one of the brushes from the LARGE SET... just look how beautiful that blend is!!

Look how easy it is to cover a piece of paper!! Here we just used a few colors to show how a sunset background might be created...

Here is another fun way to use your brushes!

Just stamp an image with Versamark ink and heat emboss with detail white embossing powder.

Then brush your inks over the top to reveal the image you stamped!! In the sample below, see how we stamped and embossed the image "Yes, but no, but yes" from Impression Obsession. Then, we used 4 colors of Distress Inks to go over the image

In the Small Set, there are these skinny blending brushes... which I love to use for creating shadows!!

We used the Distress Ink, Weathered Wood as the background color and used the 2 sizes of skinny blending brushes to add in the Distress Inks Stormy Sky and Chipped Sapphire around the banner image below... just look how you can really get in the corners of the image!!

You can also blend with your pigment inks!! Here, I used the new Versafine Clair Inks to show how EASY it is to blend them together!!!

First, we stamped and embossed an image with detail black embossing powder.
Then, we brushed in some inks.. starting with the Versafine Clair Warm Breeze, then Twilight, and finally Nocturne at the top.
Next, we took a little bit of Brush Kleener on the end of a blending brush and buffed-out a Moon!!
We "flicked" a little bit of Brush Kleener across the image to look like a night sky.
Finally, we took the Nuvo Aqua Shimmer Pen and made the Moon look iridescent!!

Isn't this SO COOL?!?!

Now, traditionally, once the Versafine Clair inks are dry, they are waterproof. But one of our customers at Demo suggested using Stamp Cleaner (Brush Kleener) to remove some ink and IT WORKED!!!

I love the effect... Thanks for the idea Joanne!!

You can also use die-cuts as a mask for creating interesting scenes and backgrounds on a piece of card stock.. here we cut out the Fresh Pine Forest Landscape die-cut from Memory Box and used it as a mask. Then we used the Blending Brushes to apply inks over the top.

You can even use the reverse image as a mask!! Great for creating rows of trees!!

When using the Blending Brushes, I found using a paper that has a coating on it is the BEST because you have more work-time with the inks! Below, I used a Rainbow Ink Pad (Kaleidacolor ink pad) to blend inks across the surface. The inks blend and move BEAUTIFULLY on both Kromkote and Stardream papers

On the Kromokote paper, the inks float on the surface just long enough to blend the inks across the full sheet of paper... and then the inks dry immediately and remain just as vibrant as when you blended them!!

Here, we showed the EXACT same technique on Ice Gold Stardream paper.. and as you can see the colors are more pastel because the ink FALLS BELOW THE METALLIC FINISH of the paper. Because of this metallic coating, the inks stay wet long enough for you to blend them.. and the results are WONDERFUL

A SUPER FAST way to use your Blending Brushes is to apply Pearl-Ex Powders.

Start by first stamping an image with Versamark Ink (clear ink) and then use the Blending Brushes to brush on a SMALL amount of Pearl-Ex powders and become AMAZED as the stamped image appears before your eyes!!

There are SO MANY THINGS you can do with these Life Changing Blending Brushes...

The Blending Brushes come in 2 sets.. Large Set and the Small Set.

If you would like to order your very own set, give us a call today!!

360-647-9663

Accordion Book Tutorial, Wedding/Anniversary

12/30/2018

For MANY years, we have been creating our own Accordion Books using products we carry here at the store!!

Check out this Tutorial on how to make your VERY OWN Accordion Book!

For this book, I chose a BEAUTIFUL Black/Gold/White color palette and this paper line from Simple Stories, 2018 and this sheet from ColorPlay from their Hello New Year line

You will need:

3 or 4 sheets of 12" x 12" patterned paper
2 sheets of 12" x 12" Chipboard (Kraft color)
4 sheets of black card stock (or other solid color)
3 to 4 sheets of other solid card stock to layer with (I chose a Stardream Gold Leaf and an Ivory card stock with a fleck in it)
Gold Ink Pad
Ranger Ink Blending Tool
Paper cutter
Score board
Scissors
Double-sided tape, mounting tape, and pop-dots
Nuvo Deluxe Adhesive
1 yard of ribbon (I chose a black satin ribbon)
Die-cuts, stamps, or other sentiments that you like

To make the Accordion Book:

Start by first taking the 2 pieces of Chipboard and cutting the pieces down to size using a paper cutter. You will need 6 pieces of chipboard that each measure 4 1/2" x 6 1/2"

Then, using the Ranger Ink Blending Tool and a Gold Ink Pad, ink the edges of each piece of chipboard

Next, take a piece of the Stardream Gold Leaf colored card stock and cut it up to get 5 pieces that measure 2" x 5 1/2"

Score each piece of the card stock at 1" so the pieces will each fold in half lengthwise

Then, use Double-Sided Tape to adhere the "hinges" to the pieces of chipboard MAKING SURE to alternate sides that the hinge is adhered so that the book creates the "Accordion" look

When you lay it flat on the counter it should look like this:

Next, cut your pieces of black card stock so that they create nice pages for your chipboard base. You will need a total of 12 pieces that each measure 4 1/4" x 6 1/4"

On the BACK page, adhere the piece of Black Satin Ribbon to the Kraft Chipboard piece using Double-Sided Tape. THEN lay down the last piece of black card stock and adhere it in place so the ribbon is secure.

Then, use decorative and patterned card stock to decorate the book!!!

Once you decorate ONE SIDE, flip the book over and decorate the OTHER SIDE!!

The front of the book can be as basic or as exciting as you'd like!! REMEMBER that the front of the book will be the page that opens up LIKE A BOOK. You don't want your Accordion Book to be backwards!!

We used these BEAUTIFUL die-cuts to decorate the front of the book!! Since this will be a wedding or Anniversary themed book, I used the Mr. and Mrs. die-cut from Impression Obsession and this Mini-Frame Circle from Jeanine's Art

I love having a nice, big sentiment at the back of the book.. and this "Pop, Fizz, Clink" cut-out from the patterned paper is just PERFECT!!

I also used these fun heart die-cuts to use in the book... The Hearts and Flourish Heart are both from Impression Obsession. I cut them out of Glitter Paper and the Stardream Gold Leaf color of card stock

I used both the inside cut-out of the Flourish Heart so I had embellishments for 2 pages!!

As you can see... with an Accordion Book, you can open it like a book page-by-page OR lay it out on the counter for all to see!!

Stop by to see it in person!! Accordion Books are not only FUN TO MAKE they also make a great gift idea!!! Great for Anniversaries or a Wedding... or even for displaying Graduation Photos!!

Stop by to get inspired to build your very own Accordion Book today!!

See you soon!
360-647-9663

Tuesday with Wendy, Dec 4th

12/4/2018

This week's Tuesday with Wendy cards are SO MUCH FUN for this time of year!!

Check out how exciting they are!!!

The first card that Wendy designed was inspired from this Paper Rose Stamp Set, Cozy Christmas as well as this die-cut from Taylored Expressions, Birch Tree Border

To make the card:

Use your home die-cut machine to cut out the Birch Tree Border from ivory card stock and cut a snow drift (for the bottom of the card) using a pair of scissors to cut a nice snow drift
Use Nuvo Deluxe Adhesive to adhere the tree and snow drift in place
Use the Versafine Clair ink, Nocturne, to stamp the little animals from the Paper Rose stamp set. Wendy arranged the animals in a cute way... I LOVE how she perched the little bird on the hat of the little bear!!
Stamp the little Snowflake image with Hero Arts White Ink around the tree.
Use Prismacolor colored pencils to color in the little images from the stamp set, like the little bears, birds, and owl
Finish off the card by applying Marvy Liquid Applique along the branches of the tree. Use a heat gun to dry the Liquid Applique and watch as it raises and puffs.. making it look JUST LIKE SNOW!

LOOK HOW CUTE this card is!!!!

Not only are the little animals so cute, but this card is great for the Winter Season!!

Check out how one of the gals colored their images... I LOVE IT!!!

The next card Wendy designed was inspired from this tree design from Penny Black, Christmas Foliage and this ADORABLE die-cut set from Impression Obsession, small birds

To make the card:

Wendy used the Tim Holtz Stamp Platform to apply the Versafine Clair inks to the Tree image.. She applied the Rain Forest ink to the foliage part of the tree and the Pinecone ink to the trunk of the tree.
Stamp the image onto ivory card stock
Cut out the Little Birds die-cut (from Impression Obsession) out of black card stock and arrange the birds on your tree in an appealing way. Use Nuvo Deluxe Adhesive to adhere the birds to the tree

The last card that Wendy designed was inspired from this new stencil from Kaisercraft, Sea Urchins and this Sea Urchin stamp from Fred B. Mullett

To make the card:

Use the new Seashell Wide Washi Tape from Altenew and adhere a strip along the left side of the card base
Wendy cut out a piece of background paper for the right side of the card (she chose a paper from the Kiasercraft Deep Sea Collection, Anemone) and stamped the Sea Urchin Stamp using the Versafine Clair ink, Monarch. Wendy stamped the Sea Urchin image several times on the background paper. Use double-sided tape to adhere the paper down.
Next, take a piece of white card stock and rip the edges to make it look distressed. Use the new Picket Fence Large Blending Brushes to apply Distress Ink to the piece of card stock. Wendy used Distress ink colors Wilted Violet and Broken China. The new Blending Brushes are SO SOFT and work great for applying a soft layer of ink.
Use a Palette Knife to apply some Light Molding Paste to the Silicone Craft Mat to create 2 piles of paste... one is colored with Violet ColorBurst and the other is colored with Ultramarine Blue ColorBurst
Use the Light Molding Paste and the Sea Urchins stencil to apply a thin layer of the Light Molding Paste to the SAME piece of ripped card stock.
Sprinkle some Multi Crystal Glitter Mix to the Sea Urchin-stenciled paste while it is still wet.
Put a piece of the the Gold Mesh Ribbon in the middle of the card and use The Ultimate Glue to adhere the ripped strip of paper on top of everything.
Stamp the Sea Urchin stamp onto teal card stock and heat emboss with Detail Gold Embossing Powder. Fussy-cut the Sea Urchin image and use Mounting Tape to adhere the Sea Urchin image so it adds dimension

Just look HOW FUN this card is!!! We love how artistic it is... and the movement of the Sea Urchin throughout the card is just PERFECT!

One of the gals in class decided to sprinkle on the Detail Gold Embossing Powder on top of the wet Molding Paste and used a Heat Gun to heat-set it. The effect that is created is called the "Molten Lava" effect... and although this technique was not taught in class... it still looks SO COOL for this card!!!

Join us for the next Tuesday with Wendy!! It will be offered on December 18th.

Give us a call to sign up!! 360-647-9663

Paper Lanterns!!

12/1/2018

Last week for Demo we learned about making Paper Lanterns!!

Check out these fun ideas!!

With each of the lanterns that has Vellum, you can use a battery-operated tea-light to light them up. We were able to find several at our local dollar store

This first idea was SO MUCH FUN to create!!!

Using the new Picket Fence Blending Brushes, we applied a light coat of Distress Ink to this piece of Vellum... then we stamped the Skaters stamp from Impression Obsession on the bottom part of the lantern and made.. this LITTLE TENT LANTERN!!!! It turned out *so cute* and is even better when you light it up at night!!

This next idea was SO EASY to put together.. and although this Paper Lantern does not light up, it is great for celebrating the Chinese New Year or for hanging up multiple lanterns outside for a garden party... just some strips of paper, twine, and a few embellishments make for a nice, easy decoration!!

You can make your own tassel by wrapping a bit of twine, creating a knot, and fraying the end

This next idea is inspired from the new Mushroom Paper we just got in from Renke Designs.. we fussy-cut the little mushrooms and used the Distress Ink, Walnut Stain to add a distressed look to the Paper Lantern.

We used a die-cut machine to cut out the ovals and backed the open ovals with Vellum. The bottom of the lantern is open so it can be set on top of a votive

If you are looking for a quick way to make holiday Paper Lanterns, look no further than the new Tim Holtz / Sizzix Tree Light die-cut. The die-cut comes with 2 sizes of trees with little cut-out holes at the bottom so you can easily set it on top of a battery-operated tea-light.. and they are just SO SWEET!!!!

You can make quick Paper Lanterns by stamping a strip of Vellum with Stampscapes stamps... adhere the strip of Vellum to the backside of a strip of card stock (using Nuvo Deluxe Adhesive) and score it in 4 places to create the box-shape of a lantern..

In the samples below, the lantern on the left has stamped images on the inside of the Vellum and the lantern on the right has the images stamped on the outside of the Vellum.

Just look HOW BEAUTIFUL this turned out!!!

This next idea fits into a standard envelope size... and is easy enough to stand up on a desk!

We embossed the Vellum with the Tiny Dots Embossing Folder from Sizzix and used nature image die-cuts from Memory Box and Impression Obsession.. the black silhouettes look SO GOOD on the embossed Vellum!! Especially when the Paper Lantern is lit up!!

There is always a lot around here to get inspired by... stop by to see us 7 days a week to see what's new!!

360-647-9663

Tuesday with Wendy, Nov 6th

11/10/2018

Check out how wonderful the cards are this week!!! Wendy decided to make Winter/Christmas cards for this series.. and I just LOVE them as a set!!

The first card Wendy designed was inspired by this die-cut image from Impression Obsession, Deer Frame

To make the card:

Use your home die-cut machine to cut out the Deer Frame from Brown Stardream card stock
Mount the image onto patterned paper (Wendy used the paper that had a Holly pattern on it)
Use a couple pop-dots behind the deer's head to add dimension. To adhere the rest of the Deer Frame, use Nuvo Deluxe Adhesive
Layer the image with a bit of red card stock and mount it all on to your card base (ivory card stock)
Use a bit of decorative ribbon and tie a little ribbon around the neck of the Deer. Wendy used a nice green and red gingham ribbon
Lastly, use Nuvo Crystal Drops, Red Berry, to add a nose onto the deer!! Now your Deer is Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer!!

What a fun card!! I love the addition of he red nose!

This die-cut is such a stunning image.. could be used for a variety of different cards!

The next card Wendy designed was made using this absolutely GORGEOUS stamp set from Hero Arts, Color- Layering Poinsettia

To make the card:

Start out by stamping the Poinsettia. This is a color-layering stamp set, meaning you will stamp the images in a "layering" fashion to achieve a desired effect. Stamp the poinsettias onto Solar White card stock
Stamp the BOLD images first in light colored ink and the detail images last in darker colored ink
Use the color Pallet Listed Below
- Poinsettia: Distress Oxide Worn Lipstick, Versafine Clair Galmorous, Versafine Clair Chianti
- Leaves: Distress Oxide Peeled Paint, Versafine Clair Rain Forest
Once you have stamped-out the Poinsettias, fussy cut along one edge to make them stand out a little more
Use double-sided tape to adhere the stamped poinsettia images to the right side of your card base (red card stock)
On the left side of your card, adhere a piece of decorative holiday paper. Wendy chose this paper that has poinsettias in it to replicate the movement and theme of the Poinsettia Stamp we used.
Add a bit of red ribbon down the middle of the card, giving separation between the decorative paper and the stamped poinsettia images
On a brown tag shape, stamp out a nice sentiment, Wendy stamped "Merry Christmas" with Versafine Clair Rain Forest ink
Tie a bit of green twine through the tag and tie it around the red ribbon on the card
Use a pop-dot to adhere the tag to the front of the card

What a BEAUTIFUL Holiday Card!! This is so sweet and the paper really ties in with the Poinsettia Stamp!!

The last card from this series was designed using this Snowflake Turnabout Stamp from Concord & 9th

The idea with "Turnabout" stamps is that you can stamp the same image 4 times with a different color ink each time... just turning your paper 90 degrees after each stamp.

Below you can see the idea and effect of using a Turnabout Stamp:

To make the card:

Wendy used the Tim Holtz Stamp Platform and placed the Turnabout Snowflake Stamp onto the platform
Wendy created a template for this stamp. The template below shows where you lay your square piece of card stock (4" x 4" white card stock)
Create a template by lining out a 6" x 6" area that the stamp takes up
Measure out a nice 4 1/2" x 4 1/2" square in the middle of the 6" x 6" template
In the middle of the 4 1/2 x 4 1/2" template, that is where you will lay your card stock to stamp
Ink up the Snowflake Turnabout Stamp and stamp it on your paper using Versafine Clair Warm Breeze ink
Lift up the stamp platform and ink up your stamp again with Versafine Clair Twilight ink, and rotate your paper 90 degrees MAKING SURE to keep it in the middle of your template
Continue to stamp and rotate until you have coated the entire piece of card stock in snowflakes

Then, take the paper you just stamped and mount it onto the front of a blue card base, leaving space at the bottom of the card
Stamp out a sentiment (Wendy chose "Snowflake kisses and Holiday wishes" from the Concord & 9th clear Turnabout Stamp set. She stamped the sentiment in Versafine Clair Twilight ink onto white card stock and mounted it onto blue card stock for color contrast
Mount the sentiment onto the snowflake background image at a slight angle and adhere with pop-dots
Take a piece of white card stock that measures 8 1/2" x 3" and cut a wavy edge along one of the long sides. Then cut the paper in half. You just created 2 snow drifts
Place the snow drifts along the bottom of the card, using pop-dots to add dimension to the snow drift on the very bottom of the card
To finish off the card, Wendy used Star Dust and Crystal Stickles along the edge of each snow drift
Lastly, Wendy used patterned paper with bears on it and fussy-cut a few polar bears. She used pop-dots to adhere them to the snow drifts and made it look like they were playing in the snow!!

I just LOVE how fun this card is!! What a fun idea!

Join us for the NEXT Tuesday with Wendy class!!

SIGN UP AHEAD OF TIME by calling the store!!

Tuesday, November 20th

360-647-9663

Tuesday with Wendy, Oct 23rd

10/26/2018

We have been busy creating new things here at the store! Check out the newest cards Wendy designed for her last card making class!!!

The first card that Wendy designed was made using this snowflake die-cut from Penny Black, Crystalline as well as this stamp set from Lawn Fawn, Winter Scripty Sentiments

To make the card:

Start out with a white card stock card base. Select a piece of Handmade Paper 4" x 4" (Wendy used this iridescent blue/green paper that looks like ice!). Use double-sided tape to adhere the paper to the front of the card base.
Next, cut a piece of navy card stock that measures 3" x 3" and adhere that to the front of the Handmade Paper
Take 2 pieces of Stardream TEXT WEIGHT paper that both measure 3" x 3". Wendy used Stardream Ice Gold paper. Stack the 2 Stardream papers together and die-cut the Crystalline Snowflake out of the papers at the same time
Then, use Nuvo Deluxe Adhesive to adhere ONE of the snowflakes completely to the front of the navy card stock
With the second snowflake, press the Versamark ink pad to the snowflake until it has clear ink all over the snowflake. Sprinkle on Star Dust Embossing Powder and heat-set it with a heat gun
Use Nuvo Deluxe Adhesive to adhere the CENTER ONLY to the other snowflake and curl up the ends of the snowflake to add dimension
Then, take 6 strips of paper (1/4" x 8 1/2" for each strip) and curl each strip into a little circle.. this is called Quilling. When you have completed your curl, use Nuvo Deluxe Adhesive to hold the curl in place.
Then attach the coils to the center of the snowflake on your card and adhere the coils with Nuvo Deluxe Adhesive
Finish off the card by stamping a sentiment from the Winter Scripty Sentiments along the bottom of the card using Versafine Clair ink, Twilight

I LOVE how this card turned out!! Just look at this DETAIL!!!!

The next card was SO STUNNING and is absolutely perfect for a Thanksgiving card... It was made using these stamps:
Winter Still by Penny Black
Grateful Hearts by Impression Obsession

To make the card:

Wendy started out by taking a piece of ivory card stock and stamping out the Grateful Hearts sentiment using Versafine Clair ink, Chianti
Then, Wendy inked up the Winter Still leaf image by tapping on the different colors of ink. Use Distress Ink starting with Rusty Hinge, then Aged Mahogany, then Peeled Paint.. making sure to tap and gently massage the ink into the stamp
Then, stamp out the Winter Still leaf image onto the ivory card stock, overlapping the leaf image with the sentiment just slightly.
Then, layer the ivory card stock onto a card base.. Wendy chose this beautiful fall-tones color that matched with the Rusty Hinge ink color PERFECTLY

I love how this card turned out! Such a quick technique with BEAUTIFUL results!!!

Mary McClary (one of the gals from class) said she accidentally messed up on her card!! But, clever as she is.. she used some of the quilling papers to make it BETTER!!!

Well, I just LOVE that!!

The last card of the series was inspired by this STUNNING image from Impression Obsession, Deployed

To make the card:

Stamp out the image in Versafine Clair ink, Medieval Blue onto white card stock
Use a Blue Tombow Marker to color onto a craft mat and use a Waterbrush to pick up some of the color. Watercolor your image giving light and dark tones to create depth
Use a pair of scissors to fussy-cut around the image.. cut around the head and around the feet so that it looks like the soldier is walking away
Mount the image on a piece of red card stock and apply mounting tape on the back
On your card base, use red-white-blue decorative card stock and put one pattern on the left and a corresponding pattern on the right
Adhere the soldier image onto the card front using the mounting tape so it has a little bit of dimension

This card is GREAT for anyone who may be Serving our Country or a Veteran of War... it is just a FANTASTIC card

I love how this card has the idea of a 3D card without having to do a lot of extra fussy-cutting

What a GREAT series of cards this week!!!

If you would like any of the items listed above, please give us a call at the store!

To sign up for the NEXT card making class on November 6th, give us a call!
You only need to bring double-sided tape and scissors to class, but you MUST register by the Saturday before class!!

360-647-9663

Tuesday with Wendy, Oct 2nd

10/7/2018

This week for card making class, Wendy was inspired by Fall images!!!

Check out this week's grouping of cards!! Aren't they WONDERFUL?!!?

The first card Wendy designed was made using this Spiderweb Stencil from Taylored Expressions and the Spider Trio die-cut and Happy stamp both from Impression Obsession

To make the card:

On a piece of black card stock, lay the Spiderweb stencil in place and use Versamark ink (ink pad side down on the stencil) and apply the ink across the entire spiderweb image
Lift away the stencil and apply Detail Black embossing powder across the entire piece of black card stock, coating the spiderweb image in embossing powder. Heat-set the image
On a smaller piece of black card stock, stamp the Happy stamp with Versamark Ink and heat emboss with Detail Black embossing powder. Layer a piece of silver paper behind this image too and mount that on top of the spiderweb image
Next, die-cut one of the spiders from the Spider Trio (Wendy picked the biggest one!) out of Black Glitter card stock
Pick out a fun-colored sequin to embellish the spider and use Nuvo Deluxe Adhesive to adhere the sequin to the spider.
Place a pop dot on the underside of the spider, then place a piece of small silver twine underneath the pop dot and THEN adhere the spider to the front of the spiderweb image.. you can have the spider crawling over the sentiment if you want!
Then, tuck the silver twine behind the black card stock and use some double-sided tape to hold it in place.
The card base is a piece of ivory card stock. Layer the spiderweb image with a piece of text weight silver paper and mount it on the card base using double-sided tape

EEEE!!!! What a FUN CARD!!!!

The NEXT 2 CARDS are made using the new Tim Holtz Lift Ink and this beautiful image, Windswept Leaves from Impression Obsession

Now, I know I have posted this video before, but for those of you who are unfamiliar with how the new Lift Ink works, I highly recommend watching this video!!

Tim Holtz begins to explain about the new Lift Ink at minute 26:00

To make the cards:

USE GLOVES and GRUBBY CLOTHING when doing Alcohol Inks because they can be messy!!!
Take a little bit of Alcohol Blending Solution and float it on a small piece of YUPO paper
Use a few Alcohol Ink colors and apply just a drop or 2 of each color onto the YUPO.. watch as the vibrant colors flow and move across the paper.. WOW!!
Use a heat-gun to heat-set the Alcohol Ink colors

Then, once your alcohol ink image is COMPLETELY DRY, apply the Lift Ink onto the Windswept Leaves image.. (your stamp should be VERY CLEAN before you start because you don't want to transfer any old ink into your Lift Ink Pad)
Stamp the Windswept Leaves image with Lift Ink directly onto the YUPO paper right on top of the Alcohol Ink background you created.
THEN stamp directly onto a piece of white card stock.. and watch as the color of the Alcohol Ink background is now the color your Windswept Leaves are!!!
NOW take a CLEAN piece of paper towel and DAB the ink off the Alcohol Ink background.
Once you have dabbed off the Lift Ink, take a clean piece of paper towel and BUFF out the Windswept Leaves image.. and don't gasp too loud because the effect is REALLY AMAZING!!!

You will now have 2 separate Windswept Leaves images.
One of the images is layered with a bit of green card stock and some bright purple handmade paper and mounted onto a soft green card stock base
The other Windswept Leaves image is layered with a bit of ivory card stock, dark brown card stock, and mounted onto a light brown card base. Wendy added a touch of textured ribbon on the side of the card to add some interest.

Aren't these cards STUNNING?! I just love how they compliment each other!!

If you want to join in all the fun by participating in the NEXT Tuesday with Wendy class, give us a call!!

Tuesday, October 23rd

Choose the time that works best for you!
11am -- 1:30pm -- 6pm

PLEASE SIGN UP BY THE SATURDAY BEFORE CLASS!!!
360-647-9663

No-Line Watercolors

9/25/2018

Last week for Demo, Bekah was the demonstrator and she showed us all how to do No-Line Watercoloring... and the technique is pretty impressive!!

The key to No-Line Watercoloring is to stamp an image with a stamp ink that actually disappears when you use watercolors over it.. the best ink for this project is a light color of Distress Ink

As you can see, When Bekah began to watercolor, the lines from the stamp ink DISAPPEAR!!!

Check out this idea where Bekah stamped out the Fluffy Bird stamp from Impression Obsession and then used the Nuvo Aqua Shimmer Pen to watercolor the image... I LOVE IT!!

Here, Bekah stamped out this floral image and watercolored the entire image.. I LOVE IT!

Now this last idea is SO CUTE!!!

Bekah made a shadow box using a couple Lawn Fawn stamp sets, Winter Skies and Upon a Star.. LOOK HOW ADORABLE THIS IS!!!

We offer FREE DEMOS on Wednesdays from Noon to 1pm! Come Join the fun! No need to sign up, just stop by and see what we're doing!

See you for next demo on Wednesday, September 26th while we explore the world of Vellum Overlays!

Tuesday with Wendy, Sept 11th

9/21/2018

The last Tuesday with Wendy was a LOT of fun! Wendy showed me her cards as she was creating them and I fell in love with EACH CARD they are so beautiful!!!

And the best part is, these cards can be used for the upcoming Winter holidays because the color palettes are just perfect!!

The first card Wendy designed was made using two new stamps.. Halo Bird and Abstract Circles by Impression Obsession

To make the card:

Stamp out the Abstract Circles stamp using Twilight Versafine Clair and Detail Black Embossing Powder onto Solar White card stock and heat-set the image.
Color in the Abstract Circles with purple and blue watercolors and a Waterbrush
Stamp out the Halo Bird stamp using Twilight Versafine Clair and Detail Black Embossing Powder onto Wet Media Dura-Lar and heat-set the image.
Use Mounting Tape around the edges of the Halo Bird image and mount it on the front of the card, lining up the Abstract Circles Background and the center of the Halo Bird image
Mount the image onto a purple card base
Finish off the card with a bit of metallic purple ribbon and wrap it around the front of the card and tie a bow

Isn't this card so beautiful?! I LOVE this color palette and the movement of the card..

The next card Wendy designed was made using the SAME Halo Bird image as well as this Snowflake stamp from Penny Black and the Penguin Pair stamp from Impression Obsession.

To make the card:

Ink up the Halo Bird stamp JUST THE HALO PART using the Twilight Versafine Clair
Next, ink up the Snowflake Stamp also with Twilight Versafine Clair and stamp the image INSIDE the Halo we just stamped.
Layer the image with silver paper and navy card stock and mount it all onto a white card base.
Next, stamp out the Penguin Pair stamp and watercolor the penguins with blues and yellows
Fussy-cut the Penguins and then tape them down onto the card base using double-sided tape UNDER THE FEET ONLY and pop-dots under their heads to give dimension

Add a bit of Stickles underneath the feet of the Penguins to give a little sparkle!

I LOVE this!! What a beautiful card.. and perfect for the Winter Holidays!!

The last card that Wendy designed was inspired from the Poppy image, Seed Snowflake die-cut and the same Penny Black Snowflake stamp from the card above.

To make the card:

Die-cut the Seed Snowflake image out of Dark Blue Suede Paper AND Stardream Lagoon card stock.
On Kraft card stock, stamp the Snowflake image using Twilight Versafine Clair ink.
Wrap a little bit of brown twine around the Kraft card stock and knot it in an interesting way.
Mount the Kraft card stock onto the dark brown card base and adhere it using double-sided tape
Use a piece of decorative paper (with the blue and brown tones in it) and adhere a strip of it onto the card on TOP of part of the snowflake image.
Finish off the card by adhering the Seed Snowflake die-cuts onto the front of the card using the Nuvo Deluxe Adhesive. Offset the two snowflakes so you can see both the Suede paper and the Stardream paper

I just LOVE this card design!! It is just a perfect masculine card for the holidays..

If you would like to sign up for the next Tuesday with Wendy class, give us a call!

Tuesday
October 2nd
11am , 1:30pm , OR 6pm!

Give us a call to sign up!
360-647-9663

Tuesday with Wendy, August 28th

9/1/2018

What a fun class this week!! These cards are all SO MUCH FUN and the students learned new techniques ... Check out these fantastic cards and fall in love!!

The first card Wendy designed was made using this stamp set from Darkroom Door, Grevilleas, this STUNNING Handmade Paper with this metallic flourish, and this Peace Script stamp from Impression Obsession.

To make the card:

Use an metallic ivory card stock as your card base.
On the left side of the card, layer a piece of Handmade Metallic Flourish Paper on top of a piece of text weight Gold Leaf metallic paper, leaving a nice border of gold on 2 sides of the metallic flourish. Use double sided tape to adhere the papers together
Use Morning Mist Versafine Clair Ink to stamp out the Grevilleas stamp.. Wendy chose the image that looks like a pine sprig. She stamped the image so it partially stamped where the metallic flourish paper is so that it looks like it is coming out of the paper. She stamped this image twice.
Wendy then stamped the Peace Script stamp, also in Morning Mist Versafine Clair ink.
Then, she applied Detail Gold embossing powder over the 3 stamped images and heat-set it.
To finish off the card, Wendy used a bit of fiberous gold twine and tied it around the edge of the card... I LOVE how the fiberous twine mimics the movement of the pine sprig stamp!!

This is such a BEAUTIFUL card for the holidays!!!!

The next card was ALSO inspired from the Darkroom Door, Grevilleas stamp set, as well as this Carabelle Studio stencil, Mask with Wires, and this Avery Elle stamp set, Grateful

To make the card:

Start with a piece of cardstock 4" x 5 1/2". Wendy chose a very soft, light colored brown paper
On the smooth side of the paper, stencil the image Mask with Wires
Use the Versafine Clair inks Charming Pink, Verdant, and Golden Meadow with the Nuvo Blending Sponges to apply inks over the stencil
Stamp the sentiment, Grateful, in Black Versafine Clair ink
Stamp the native plant sprig along the bottom edge of the card, also in Black Versafine Clair ink
Apply Detail Clear Embossing Powder across the entire piece of card stock and heat-set
Use a narrow piece of black card stock (1/8") on either side to frame out the image on the front of a Speckletone Kraft card stock base

This card is SO FANTASTIC!! It is even more amazing in person!!! It also makes for a great Thanksgiving card!!

The last card is actually a Shadow Box Card!!! Wendy was inspired by this adorable House Mouse image, Acorn Cap from Stampendous, and the Avery Elle stamp set, Grateful

To make the card:

Your card base is going to be the base of the Shadow Box
Cut your card stock so it is 4" x 11" . Wendy used Astroparche card stock
Score your card stock at the following points: 1/2" , 1 3/4" , 5 3/4", and 7" (look at the score guide below)

Then, using double-sided tape, adhere a piece of decorative card stock on to the large panel in the middle of the card base. ONLY USE TAPE AROUND THE EDGE. The decorative card stock measures 4" x 4"
Use the Hero Arts Rounded Rectangle die-set to cut out a window through the decorative piece of paper you just put on. This will cut through the front of the shadow box as well.
The piece of decorative card stock that cut out from the die-cut can be taped down on the far side of the shadow box.
On the piece of Astroparche card stock that cut out from the die-cut, stamp the sentiment Thankful with the leaves and acorns in Versafine Clair Inks Chianti and Rain Forest. Watercolor the leaves and acorns using Tombow Markers and water brushes. Adhere this to the far side of the shadow box as well, just off-set from the Decorative Paper that is already there. Use Pop-dots to adhere the sentiment down.
Stamp the House Mouse image, Acorn Cap, in Versafine Clair ink Pinecone, and emboss with Detail Crystal Embossing Powder. Watercolor the mice and acorns using Tombow Markers and water brushes. Fussy-cut the image
Next, cut a narrow piece of Astroparche paper. The strip should measure 1/2" x 5".
Score the strip at the 1/2" mark on both sides of the strip so you can put it in the shadow box.
Tape the Acorn Cap image onto the strip so it will sit upright in the shadow box. THEN tape the strip in place by applying tape to the 1/2" tabs ONLY and adhere it inside the shadow box.

I LOVE this Fall Shadow Box!!!

And the best part about Shadow Boxes... They fit nicely into an envelope!!

If you would like to join us for the next Tuesday with Wendy class, it will be offered on Tuesday, September 11th

Give us a call here at the store if you'd like to sign up!! 360-647-9663

Glitter and Metallic Papers

8/28/2018

It is really fun to use a bit of metallic or glitter paper in your card making or gift wrapping... heck, a little bit of bling can really bring ANYTHING to the next level!!

There are so many WONDERFUL Glitter and metallic papers here at the store...

My personal FAVORITE way to use the glitter and metallic papers is for Gifts!!

You can use the Handmade Glittery papers for wrapping boxes because the paper is light weight and wraps around the packages without creasing.
You can use the double-sided shimmer papers to create small boxes!! The little boxes are actually pretty sturdy! I used a score board to create a nice, crisp box that holds up over time!!

Another fun way to use the metallic papers is with die-cuts! I like to pick an image that make look good if it was cut out in something that looks like metal.. Here I used the Pewter Mirri Card paper and this Watering Can die-cut from Sizzix

We paired The die-cut with this beautiful floral paper and this *PERFECT* stamp that says, "I wet my plants" ... aw I LOVE IT!!

This Scribble Circles die-cut from Impression Obsession is great for creating a focal point on a card.. I cut out the circles in Gold Mirri Card and Red Mirri Card and stamped this sentiment from the new Hero Arts set, Home for the Holidays

I LOVE THIS IDEA!! You can take any shimmer or metallic paper and run it through a Home Die-Cut Machine and emboss it...

This effect is so fantastic! Just a piece of Silver Mirri Card paper with the Diamond Plate Embossing Folder from Darice makes this STUNNING effect! It looks like *real* diamond plate!!!

You can also make an asian-inspired card using this Cuttlebug Embossing Folder, Mary Anne and this fantastic die-cut from Amy Design, Happy Buddha

I love the combination of the Red Mirri Card for the image and the Gold Shimmer paper for the background .. it embosses so beautfully!!

One of our regular customers, Diana Ramsey, played with Alcohol Inks on Silver Mirri Card paper.. you HAVE TO STOP BY the store to see this in person!! This effect is just FANTASTIC!!

Diana used the Sharpie White Paint Pen to create the flowers and a Black Glaze Pen to add the dots in the center

This Nesting Teacups set from Hero Arts is perfect for making a tea-inspired card!!! I cut the tea cups out of Silver Mirri Card so they look more realistic!!

Wendy has shown this technique before, and it is REALLY easy to create.. just die-cut a solid image and tuck a piece of the Handmade Glitter Paper behind the image to bring it to life!!! We used this Memory Box die-cut, Tisdale Snowflake Collage

This is a new Wing Set from Stampendous is really sweet.. and there are SO MANY wing shapes!!!

I cut out the wings in the Silver Mirri-Card and used the same die-cut to cut out the other side so they match!!

There is SO MUCH you can do with Mirri Card and Glitter Papers.. stop by to get inspired 7 days a week!!

Tuesday with Wendy, July 24th

7/24/2018

We're in the heat of the summer here at Stampadoodle... but that hasn't stunted our creativity!!

Wendy has been busy designing cards! Check out what she made for Tuesday with Wendy card making class this week...

The first card that Wendy designed was made using this new 3D Embossing Folder, Pretty Florals and this stamp from Impression Obsession, Ready to Fly

To make the card:

Your card base will be a half sheet of white card stock paper (it should measure 8 1/2" x 5 1/2"). Score your card at 2 1/8" on either side of the card base so you create a Gate Fold Card
Lay 2 pieces of Light Blue Stardream Paper in the Pretty Florals Embossing Folder and run it through your Home Die-Cut Machine. These pieces will go on the front of your Gate Fold Card... but don't tape them yet!!
Wrap your white/silver ribbon around to the front of the card and hold it in place while you tape down the Light Blue Stardream papers you just embossed so they hold the piece of ribbon in place.
Next, take a piece of white card stock (this piece will be on the inside of your card) and emboss this paper with the SAME embossing folder.
Stamp your sentiment, Ready to Fly, on a piece of Vellum and emboss with Detail Silver Embossing Powder.
Line up where you want the piece of Vellum to sit on the embossed piece of card stock. Once you've placed it where you like, take a 1/16" Punch and punch a hole on the top 2 corners of the Vellum AND punch through the white card stock at the same time.
Place a Silver Brad into each of the 2 holes you just punched in the Vellum and push it through the embossed white card stock as well and splay-out the brad, securing the Vellum in place.
NOW tape the embossed white card stock to the inside of your card base using double-sided tape
Close your Gate Fold Card and tie it closed with your white/silver ribbon and finish it off by tying a bow

What a STUNNING card!!!! We absolutely LOVE this embossing folder!!

The next card that she designed was made using this Laurel Burch image, Cat and Feathered Friend from Stampendous as well as this Handmade Paper from Italy

To make the card:

Stamp the Cat and Feathered Friend image TWICE onto white card stock and color the cat images with Tombow Markers
Wendy used Pop-dots to add dimension.. To do this, cut the head off of one of the cat images AND the little birdie, and "pop" them up on top of the second cat image with pop dots... lining up the cat heads and birds from the second image.
Now, it's time to work on the Flower Pot! Pick 2 flower pot images that look the same from the Handmade Paper from Italy
Use ONE of the images to cut out tiny little flowers and cut out a flower pot base
Use Mounting Tape to "pop up" the flower pot image on top of the SECOND flower pot image.
Use Nuvo Deluxe Adhesive to adhere some of the flowers to the SECOND flower pot image.. .Wendy glued down the centers but left some of the flower petals raised up to give the idea of dimension.
Use Pop-Dots to layer the ENTIRE cat image next to the flower pot image.. Wendy placed the curled cat tail up against the flower pot so the images look cohesive.
Wendy layered the card with rustic colored paper, plaid background paper, and a yellow card base

This is SUCH A CUTE CARD!!!

I love how Wendy used the same colors that were in the flower pot as she used to color the cat.. and it is adorable!!

The last card that Wendy designed was this AMAZING card using this Handmade Paper from Nepal

To make the Card:

Wendy used an ivory card stock as the card base and cut out a 3-square x 3-square piece of the geometric Handmade Paper
Using a 3/4" circle punch, Wendy popped out circles and mixed and matched the shapes to create and interesting design
Wendy used solid colors: grey, gold, and black to mix and match the designs.
She used a bit of Polka Dot Ribbon at the bottom of the card to finish it off

I LOVE this card!!

The funky design of this card made it look SO COOL!!

It was REALLY fun to see other ideas some of the gals came up with!!!

The next card making class will be offered on Tuesday, August 7th

Give us a call to sign up!!

360-647-9663

Tuesday with Wendy, July 10th

7/9/2018

Class this week was a whole lot of fun!! Wendy has been enjoying the new stamps and die-cuts we've been getting in.. and you can really see why by looking at the cards this week!!

The first card she designed is this using this BEAUTIFUL new image from Impression Obsession, Shore Heron. She combined it with the Stampscapes water image, Shimmering

:To make the card

Apply ink to the Shore Heron image using the new Versafine Clair inks Morning Mist, Twilight, Rain Forest, and Warm Breeze
Stamp the image onto the Blue Silicone Craft Mat
Do a "mono-print" of the image by taking your card stock and pressing it down onto the Blue Silicone Craft Mat, this will pull the image up onto your paper but in REVERSE of the original image.
Stamp the Shimmering stamp across the image-- this makes it look like it is in water-- and finish it off by applying Detail Clear Embossing Powder and heat-setting it.
Use your watercolors to color the water, making sure to go in a swiping-motion with the paints so they match the direction of the water movement
NOW apply ink to your stamp again, using the same colors as before, but this time you will be stamping directly onto the card stock, being aware to line up the images so it appears to be a reflection.
Let the ink dry
Take Nuvo Blending Sponges and create a modeled background for the sky using Versafine Clair inks Twilight and Warm Breeze

What a BEAUTIFUL card this turned out to be!!!!

This next card was made using this stunning Japanese Chiyogami Paper and this new die-cut image from Timeless Flowers, Clematis Border

To make the card:

Using a half-sheet of paper, score your paper at 2" and 6" to create a Gate-Fold Card
Die-cut the Clematis Border image out of text weight purple Stardream paper and layer it on the front of your card with black and gold papers. BE SURE to attach your ribbon underneath the flower image before you glue it down. We used the Nuvo Deluxe Adhesive to attach the image to one side of the Gate Fold.
Use a piece of the Japanese Chiyogami paper on the other side of the Gate Fold. Notice how the colors are replicated in solid papers on the left and the design matches the Chiyogami on the right.
Use the Nuvo Crystal Drops, Ivory Seashell to add a bit of color into each flower center
The gold ribbon is so beautiful and really ties the card together! (ha! no Pun intended!)

What a FANTASTIC card!!! So elegant...

The last card was made using this die-cut, Scrolls Half Edger from Penny Black and these 2 new stamps from Impression Obsession, Unicorn Head and Powerful

To make the card:

Start with a half sheet of Ice Gold Stardream Paper. Score it at the 4" mark
BE CAREFUL HERE-- Score it at the TOP AND BOTTOM ONLY at the 6 1/4" mark
Stamp the Unicorn Head image in Versafine Onyx Black in between the 2 score marks you just made and use Crystal Embossing Powder and heat-set it.
Use an X-acto Knife to cut around the Unicorn Head image on the LEFT SIDE ONLY
Fold your card in half, then at the score line fold it back. This will make a nice tri-fold card
Stamp the Powerful sentiment in Versafine Clair ink, Monarch and use Crystal Embossing Powder again and heat-set
On the Left side of the card, layer the turquoise card stock and Purple Glitter Paper.. before you tape it down, tuck the Scrolls Half Edger die-cut in between the 2 pieces of paper and use the Deluxe Adhesive to hold it in place
Finish off the card by coloring with Gel Pens.. Wendy used Purple and Gold gel pens... as well as the Crystal Stickles on the Unicorn mane and swirls of the die-cut

What an *AMAZING* card!!!

Join us for the next Tuesday with Wendy class, it will be offered on July 24th

Give us a call to sign up!

360-647-9663

Reflections

6/25/2018

It seems like we are always looking for fun, new ways to use our rubber stamps!! Last week for Demo, we learned all about making cards with Reflections

Denise was the demonstrator and she had some FANTASTIC ideas for making Reflections using her rubber stamps!!

Now... I have to say.. I was blown away by these cards!! I had *no idea* how they were made... until Denise told me the *secret ingredient*...

The Blue Silicone Craft Mat!!!

To make a Reflection of a Rubber Stamp:

Stamp your image on your Silicone Craft Mat with a Dye or Pigment Ink
Do a "mono-print" using a piece of card stock and transfer the image onto your paper
NOW stamp the image again, with the same color ink as before, on your card stock paper, making sure to match up the images so it looks like a true reflection...
Watch as your card is transformed from a basic image to a whole new design!!

This one here with the Elephant Scene from Impression Obsession is just STUNNING!!!! Denise used a Kaleidacolor stamp pad to colorize the background..

Check out this fun idea!!!

Denise used Versafine Onyx Black ink on her Silicone Craft Mat, did a mono-print onto Silver Mirri Card paper, and embossed with Detail Clear embossing powder!!!

*you can color on Mirri Card paper with your Alcohol Inks and Alcohol Blending Solution*

Check out this adorable idea!!! Again with the Mirri Card Paper .. This time she used Archival Ink....

I LOVE this one with the Skaters stamp from Impression Obsession.. it makes such a sweet winter card!!!

Don't forget to join us for Demo every week on Wednesdays!!
Noon to 1pm
No need to sign up! See you Wednesday!!

<<Previous

One Sheet Wonder, 15 cards!

The Art of Doodling

Handmade Papers Demo

Tuesday with Wendy, March 5th

Sprays: Ink, Oxide, Resist

Tuesday with Wendy, February 5th

Life Changing Blending Brushes

Accordion Book Tutorial, Wedding/Anniversary

Tuesday with Wendy, Dec 4th

Paper Lanterns!!

Tuesday with Wendy, Nov 6th

Tuesday with Wendy, Oct 23rd

Tuesday with Wendy, Oct 2nd

No-Line Watercolors

Tuesday with Wendy, Sept 11th

Tuesday with Wendy, August 28th

Glitter and Metallic Papers

Tuesday with Wendy, July 24th

Tuesday with Wendy, July 10th

Reflections

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