Archive for Techniques

Merry Christmas & Vintage Distressed Holiday Card

Sunday, December 26th, 2010

I apologize for Feedburner ‘kicking out’ two old posts from October yesterday–that’s not the first time, I know.

I hope you all enjoyed your Christmas and as a gift to my loyal followers, I am sharing a step-by-step PDF on how to make this lovely vintage distressed Christmas card (click on the graphic below to download the directions sheet).

I’ve had a LOT of fun with the new Distressing Kit that we carry! And it lent itself well to the awesome ‘Christmas Collage’ background stamp (#121279).

Stampin Up! Christmas Collage Stamp

And you can’t tell from looking at the card, but after coloring and distressing, I spritzed it with the shimmer mist we now sell.

I have attached the step-by-step instructions PDF on how I did this card and it includes all the supplies that were used as well.

Paper Pin Step-by-Step Instructions

Tuesday, November 16th, 2010

Bells & Boughs Paper Pin TechniqueFor the first time I have done a photo step-by-step on how to make these pins.

In the past I have done a video (seen here) which is about 20 minutes long, but it you need a ‘quicker fix’ feel free to download the step by step (click on the graphic below).

The bells and ‘holly & berry’ images are from the ‘Bells & Boughs‘ stamp set from Stampin’ Up!’s Holiday Mini Catalog which is only available for a limited time!

The materials I used for this project include:

Four 2 ½ x 2 inch Vanilla cardstock  (for stamping the bells)
Four 2 x 3 inch Vanilla cardstock (for stamping holly leaves)
Black StazOn (#101406)
Stampin’ Write Markers:  Real Red, So Saffron, Marina Mist, Sahara Sand, Certainly Celery, Old Olive
3 ¼ x 2 ½ inch Artichoke cardstock
2 ¾ x 2 inch Designer paper ‘Deck the Halls’ #120810
Basic Rhinestone “Jewels” (#119246), Basic Pearls ‘Jewels’ (#119247)
12 x 2 inch Very Vanilla cardstock (for die cutting the snowflakes)
Sizzix Big Shot, Sizzix Snowflake Decorative Strip (#120901)
Decorative Strip Spacer Platform #113477
Decorative Strip cutting pads (#113479)
Sticky Strip (#104294)
OTHER:
Mod Podge, 1 ¼ inch pin backs, Rectangle punch, Sponge brushes

Peaceful Season Debossed Christmas Card

Wednesday, November 10th, 2010

Peaceful Season Christmas Card

I am TRULY sorry that this awesome Level 2 hostess set ‘Peaceful Season’ from the Holiday Mini Catalog will likely not be back again (hostess sets usually aren’t).  I would take this as your excuse to go nuts and spend $300 in Stampin’ Up! products just to get it (don’t worry, your husband told me it’s okay, remember he did that ‘weekend’ thing with the guys so fair is fair, LOL!).

'Engraved Debossed' techniqueThis is actually ‘my take’ on a photo of a swap that I didn’t get at the Baltimore regional–my girlfriend got it.  I would have TOTALLY knocked people over to get it, as it is, I was just happy to get a photo of it.

To get that background, I took a white crafters ink and pressed it to the ‘relief’ textured side of the Vintage Wallpaper embossing folder Crumb Cake cardstock rectangle through it.  Try not to get too much white on the background, but if you do it just adds to the almost ‘pewter’ look of the Crumb Cake cardstock with the white crafter’s ink.

Stampin' Up!'s Peaceful Season Level 2 Hostess SetI made the ‘debossed’ cardstock as a layer to make the card was more sturdy.  And just a warning that the Antique brad holding the ribbon in place is beautiful but between the two, it will totally cost you more to mail… this is the type of card that I would put on top of a gift (without even an envelope).  I’m such a showoff!

Video – Paper Pin Technique

Friday, May 1st, 2009

Video not viewable to subscribers via email, click here to view the video on my website.

Rose Paper Pin Butterfly Paper Pin

Click on any photo to start a slideshow.

Last month I received a gift of a lovely butterfly paper pin and scalloped circle book from Kelli Purkey and I just *HAD* to make that butterfly myself.

THANK YOU Kelli!  You all must go to her site and subscribe immediately (so I get brownie points and therefore more handstamped gifts…).

I completely devoured every detail of her finished pin… the butterfly from God’s Beauty (Level 1 Hostess Set) complete with rhinestone and wire embellishments on a pale plum cardstock (see below).

I decided to make my butterfly look like a ‘monarch’ butterfly and my daughter came down and picked up Kelli’s (purple butterfly, see below) and said “MOM! This is awesome, did you make it?!” to which I replied, “no, I made ALL the other ones… oh, go clean your room!”

Kelli Purkey Paper PinSo, you can see how beautiful Kelli’s pin is right down to the twisted wire antennae with rhinestones set (yeah, thanks Kelli… I’ll never get the Crystal Effects off my fingers!).

Enjoy the video that I made in ‘real time’… you are seeing the actual process as I was coming up with my May ‘Technique Freak’ club project for tonight (nothing like the last minute).  The video was shot with my new Sony Handycam and edited with Sony Vegas Studio Pro (which I taught myself yesterday)!

Video – Polished Stone

Wednesday, April 29th, 2009

I believe that I have officially entered the video age!

(Click on thumbnails for bigger detail)

Always Polished Stone BackgroundAlways Polished Stone detailPolished Stone Close UpThis technique is an ‘oldie’ called Polished Stone that I have seen less and less these days, so I dusted it off and shared it at my ‘Technique Freak’ club in January.

Polished stone is a technique that is better ‘shown than described’ so I present to you my first ever video (actually made back in January) that is being published after a lot of tears, blood (and ooops, maybe some mild swearing).

Details on materials:  91% Rubbing Alcohol, dye re-inkers, glossy cardstock, gold embossing powder, Versamark pad, Always stamp set (#113620), and the background stamp is Gratituitous Graffiti (#111636). Read More→

Mirror Image ‘Technique to Go’

Wednesday, March 11th, 2009

Mirror Image Embossing Technique

mirrorimageMaterials:  Inspired By Nature stamp set (on the dormant list), More Mustard, Old Olive & Close to Cocoa Crafter’s Inks, Versamark, Crystal Clear Embossing powder, sponge daubers, dry (dead) blender pen, Vanilla cardstock.

I could say it was a new take on emboss resist, but it’s been around for years.  Ironing off the embossing powder onto newsprint or other scrap paper to get rid of the shiny ‘resist’ layer is an old trick, but when you use Crafter’s ink, it doesn’t really ‘resist’ like it should so you have no choice but to iron off the excess.

EXCEPT that if you iron it off onto good cardstock, you end up with a mirror image of just the ink you sponged onto the flower on the first…

Below are a few step-by-step photos but you can download the project ‘to go’ (left).

Inspired By Nature Emboss Resist 1

Inspired By Nature Emboss Resist 2

First the flowers were stamped in Versamark on Vanilla cardstock and embossed with clear embossing powder.  I used a sponge dauber and crafters ink to color to the entire card.  I wiped off the excess ink on the embossed areas (but it leaves a residue).

Inspired By Nature Emboss Resist 3

This is what it looks like immediately after ironing the two together. You have to pull it apart while it is hot.

The BEST part is that the embossing powder is half on each project and you can actually color it directly with a ‘dead’ blender (yes, I keep old dry blender pens) and some Crafter’s ink on both of them to give them definition.

Inspired By Nature Emboss Resist 4

Heat set the entire project and the clear embossing powder melt again and set the color for good.

This was very easy… and one of my October 08 Stamp Festival projects!  So, how’d I do?

Holiday Lineup Paper Pin — treasure from trash

Monday, November 10th, 2008

You can make this from scraps of cardstock!  View my video on making paper pins HERE.

Holiday Lineup Paper Pin

So, don’t throw out your scraps (you’ll never look at them the same again)!

The basic ‘pin’ is 4 layers of white paper glued together with ModPodge, a ‘lone’ snowman (the center one) is also 4 layers and added with a Dimensional.  You can see my full tutorial here.

All hats and scarves are a single layer of cardstock added on top before lacquering (with Crystal Effects).

Paper Pin in the making

And good news… if you missed the previous classes, I have planned a “Holiday Extravaganza” day on Saturday, December 6th where you can take this class again, or take a 25 quick Christmas Card class.

Click here for more details… hope to see you there!

Cardinal Christmas Paper Pin

Friday, October 31st, 2008

This is one of the paper pins we made on Monday night at my "Paper Porcelain Pin" making class.  See my entire tutorial on making these pins here.  I’ll be publishing the date of this class (I’m going to do it again) soon.

You can see from the side view (shown left) that I made a second wing in 3 layers of Riding Hood Red paper and then adhered it with a Dimensional.

The face (noteably the eye) lacked clear definition, so I added one layer of the head/beak/neck stamped on white and colored in with marker (Ruby Red & More Mustard)–see last photo below, and then Crystal Effects over the entire thing. The branch and rhinestones were added last.

 

Okay, so, how did I do?