Holiday Classes

Christmas is coming before you know it, and it's time for some fun holiday classes.

Winter Foliage Class

These cards are part of the new Winter Foliage class (times/locations listed on the sidebar) featuring a wonderful collection of winter images by Penny Black.

 Winter Berries, Christmas Cheer

A Splash of Winter, Christmas Story, and Christmas Cheer

Shades of White Class

This next image is from the Shades of White Class...a whole class incorporating texture, shine, and lots of subtle details to create a wonderful whitewashed winter wonderland.
You have to see this class sample board in person.  I encourage you to head down one of the stores and check it out.  The first class is full already, but I have scheduled additional classes.

 Delicate Pattern

See you there...

Embossing with Templates Class

 

I just got the board up at Stampin' Cat for a new class called Embossing with Templates.  This is one of 4 cards we will be making in that class.  We will be embossing in a variety of ways, including dry embossing, heat embossing and paste embossing.  This card features the Blazonry template by The Crafters Workshop.
The blazonry shapes were stamped with the Marquise stamp from Impression Obsession.  I just got this stamp and I can tell that it is going to get lots and lots of use.  The butterfly was made using the Wonderful Wings die set by Spellbinders.

Penny Black - and - Vintage Sweetness!

In honor of the wonderful news here, that my talented friend Laura's designs will soon be available at Penny Black, I decided to post a new creation using some of my favorite Penny Black stamps.

The background image is Delicate Pattern, which is one of my favorite backgrounds of all time.  It is a really great one for resist techniques because the pattern isn't really solid.  It's made of lots of tiny little lines, like the threads in a tapestry.  Anyway, for this card I simply stamped it with Chrome Yellow Archival Ink.

The main image is Flamboyant.  I just got this one, so this is it's inaugural project. :)

The lace that I put down the side was cut from an old dresser scarf that my aunt gave me.  I stained it with Antique Linen Distress Stain to give it even more of a distressed feel.

I wish you could see this in person so that you could see the fabulous, shimmery look of the Clear Rock Candy Distress Stickles that I added over the stamped image.  I just wasn't able to capture it with my camera.  It's really pretty in real life though...guess you'll have to take my word for it.  :)

So now...I'm waiting in anticipation of the reveal of more fabulous stamps by Penny Black...

Product List:
Brown Card (5 1/2" x 4 1/4")
Tim Holtz Kraft-Core Nostalgic Collection (Core di'nations cardstock)
Cream Cardstock
Stamps: Delicate Pattern and Flamboyant (Penny Black)
Ink: Chrome Yellow and Coffee Archival Ink (Ranger Industries)
       Scattered Straw, Vintage Photo, and Rusty Hinge Distress Ink (Ranger Industries)
       Antique Linen Distress Stain (Ranger Industries)
Clear Rock Candy Distress Stickles (Ranger Industries)
Oriental Weave Embossing Folder (Cuttlebug)
Sanding Block
Labels 3 Nestabilities Die (Spellbinders)
Flowers (Misc.)
Washers (Ranger Industries)
Twine

Card Patterns #113 and Layers of Color

This week Layers of Color is sponsoring a wonderful challenge blog called Card Patterns.  I had never heard of the Card Patterns blog until I saw it on the Layers of Color blog.  What a pleasant surprise.  They have wonderful sketches and a really great design team.  Here is the sketch for this week.

It's such a great sketch that I just had to participate in this challenge.

This is the card I made, you can click on the card to see the details a little better.  My fun little branch embellishment was created with twigs from my Nandina plant.  I added texture to some tissue paper using an embossing folder, then cut it into strips...wide ones and narrow ones.  I used the narrow ones to create the bow on top and the tiny little "flowers" on the branches, then I added a little bit of Vintage Glass Glitter to the tips of the branches for a little sparkle.  The texture on the paper in the background was created with a metal stencil.

Supplies:
White Card and Background: Ruche Cardstock - WorldWin
Wood Paper
Patterned Paper: Gabrielle 6x6 Paper Pad - BoBunny
Stamps: Acanthus Leaves and Sent With Love - Layers of Color
Ink: Pumice Stone Distress Ink - Ranger Industries
Large Damask Metal Stencil - Dreamweaver
Oriental Weave Embossing Folder - Cuttlebug
Labels Four Nestabilities Dies - Spellbinders
Cuttlebug Machine- ProvoCraft

Antique Silver Vintage Glass Glitter - Art Glitter

Lavender Tissue Paper
Gold Thread
Twigs
Nailheads

Thanks for stopping by!!!

Valonda

First projects of the year!

Here it is...my very first project of the year! This one was dreamed up while I was driving from here to there one day, and I was just waiting for the right opportunity to give it a try. My opportunity came last weekend when I was privileged to go spend the weekend at the coast with some wonderfully talented friends. I can't even tell you how wonderful it was to have time to focus on creating some of those things that have been in my mind begging to be made...un-interrupted time...well...interrupted only by the occasional meal, snack or nap.

Anyway, for this project I stamped this Holly Berry House Medallion onto Ten Seconds Studios metal, then hand embossed portions of the design before cutting, layering it together, and sanding it to give it it's well-worn look. The background was created using a Fiskars Texture Plate and a Ten Seconds Studios mold. I have to say, I love Ten Seconds Studios more every time I use their products (and I used them a lot this weekend).

And now...my most anticipated project of the weekend. I have been planning to make a copper framed mirror for my sister for her birthday (hope she doesn't read this). So this was my chance. I antiqued the copper using Liver of Sulfer, then buffed, embossed, sanded, assembled...you get the idea. Three of the panels were embossed using Ten Seconds Studios molds, and the rest were embossed with Cuttlebug Embossing Folders. I love copper, and my sister loves it even more, so I am so excited to give this to her.

I have much more to share, but I have to re-photograph some of the items when the sun decides to shine again here in the Willamette Valley.

Hero Arts Woodgrain Stamp

I've been playing with the new Woodgrain Pattern stamp by Hero Arts...SO FUN! Here I used Distress Inks to create this great "wood panel". I was very impressed with how realistic this looked.

The additional elements were both die cut out of Core'dinations Cardstock with Spellbinders dies.

This post is going to be short and sweet (as most of mine are) because I have a ton of things to do today, but I just wanted to share this with you.

Matthew 11:28

I love this verse, what a great word of encouragement. The design of todays card was formed by the words of the verse itself. When I think of calming, relaxing, and restful colors and designs, for me the delicate simplicity of Asian design is what comes to mind. So I chose a muted blue for the cardstock color, embossed the one end with a simple twig design, then stamped the Asian floral image with VersaMark ink before adding the verse.

Supplies:
Stamps - Scripture Essentials 1 set (Cornish Heritage Farms) , Kamon clear stamp set (Kodomo Inc.)
Ink - VersaMark
Cardstock - Black Linen, Gulf (Bazzill)
Other - Forest Branches Cuttlebug Embossing Folder (ProvoCraft), Black Distress Embossing Powder (Ranger Industries), Black Ribbon, Black Brad

Butterfly Card

I recently came across this wonderful stuff, copper fabric. The coolest stuff ever. I had just purchased the Nesting Butterflies Die set by Spellbinders, and it looked like a match made in heaven. So I cut the copper fabric using the medium sized Nested butterfly, and then used the Floral Screen Cuttlebug Embossing Folder to add some texture to it. I love the airy, sort of ethereal, look it has. I used some thin copper wire to attach it to a piece of copper sheeting and turn it into a bookmark.

Some extra copper sheeting was used to create the “Flights of Fancy” embellishment using the top part of the Curved Rectangle die by Spellbinders. The wording is stamped with a saying from the Vintage Butterflies set by Cornish Heritage Farms, and is embossed with copper embossing powder.

I used the same "Flights of Fancy" sentiment as well as another stamp from the same set, "Effortless Beauty", to create the embossed background.

I cut out two Curved Rectangles and tore the top off of one of them to create a pocket for the bookmark to rest in...a card and a little gift all at the same time.

Supplies:
Spellbinders Dies: Curved Rectangles (Mega Nestabilities)
Nested Butterflies (Shapeabilities)
Cardstock: Textured Cayenne (Paper Accents)
Destination London (Bazzill)
white (unknown)
Copper Mesh Fabric - Amaco
copper wire
copper sheet metal
Antique Glass Beads - Mill Hill
Cuttlebug Folders - Floral Screen, Swiss Dots
Red Lace (Rusty Pickle)
Decorative Brad (JoAnns)
Stamps: Vintage Butterflies set (The Saturday Evening Post) - Cornish Heritage Farms
VersaMark Ink (Tsukineko)
Copper Detail Embossing Powder
Crop-a-Dile

It's officially my first project of 2009

I am an earring girl, and since I had some scraps of copper left over from a project, I decided to make them into earrings. The shape of the metal was die cut with the Tiny Tags set by ProvoCraft. The leaf design was embossed into them with the Stylized Flowers Embossing Folder by Cuttlebug. I added some black paint to bring out the design, then applied Glossy Accents to both sides.

The little green "beads" were made with UTEE (Ultra Thick Embossing Enamel), Alcohol Ink (Lettuce) by Ranger Industries, and Gold Pearl Ex. I am really pleased with how they turned out, I have the perfect outfit to wear them with. They would even look great with a simple seed bead instead of the UTEE bead that I used.

Shabby Deer

I made this card with one of Tim Holtz' new stamp sets, Reindeer Flight. Swirl is stamped in Gold Embossing Powder, then I ran the top part of the card through the Cuttlebug machine in the Swiss Dots embossing folder before applying several colors of Adirondack Paint Dabbers.
Also used:
VersaMark Ink and clear embossing powder
Lace by Rusty Pickle (I think)
Grungeboard hinge

Bind-It-All

Ever need more ribbon storage? I made this ribbon holder by cutting thick chipboard in varying lengths and punching holes in both ends with my Bind-It-All Machine. I made it pretty by spraying each piece with Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist, running them through the Cuttlebug, then embellishing the spine with ribbon. I cut out the sections between some of the holes to make wide spaces enough to accomodate all widths of ribbon without wrinkling them. Oh, and I bent one of the wire sections upward to use it as a hanger.

Bind-It-All

Here are some fun little notebooks that I made. I made this first one for myself, to replace a little notebook that I have that is almost all used up. I made this one with some fun pockets for receipts, list, business cards...you know, the little papers that manage to collect in the bottom of your purse with semi-important information on them. Ok, maybe it's just me. Anyway, here is what I used on this one-
Supplies:
Bind-It-All Machine and 3/4" Black Binding Wire
Thick Chipboard for covers
Brown Cardstock
White Computer Paper
Cuttlebug Machine, the Argyle Embossing Folder, and the Polka Dot folder from the new Everyday Greetings set
Paint Dabbers (Ranger Industries) Espresso, Shell Pink, and Cranberry
Grungeboard
Patterned Paper (Making Memories)
Hitch Fastener (Tim Holtz Idea-ology)

This one was made much the same as the previous one with a few exceptions.
I used Juniper and Shell Pink Paint Dabbers, and I added the self-adhesive tab clips by Making Memories. I took the image off of the one in the center and punched out a little circle from the patterned paper that I used and added Glossy Accents (Ranger) to make it match the others.

Glimmer Mists

I had lots of things to do today that didn't get done. Guess what I did instead...played with some new supplies that I've had sitting here for a couple of weeks tempting me. Now lest you think that all I did all day was play, I only sat down long enough to make one card then got back to the business of my day, but it was still a good feeling to create something without a deadline or an agenda driving me. Sometimes I have to make things just for me, not for a class or a submission.

I wish you could see the incredible shine that this whole card has, but it is hard to capture it in a photograph. The background was created with distress inks, glimmer mists, and a glimmer screen. The Tattered Angel Glimmer Mists are so much fun. I especially love how some of the more neutral colors look over dark paper.

Project Supplies:

Brown Cardstock
White Cardstock
Distress Inks (Walnut Stain, Spiced Marmalade, Aged Mahogany)
Glimmer Mist (Antique Brass)
Glimmer Screens (Fanciful)
Nestabilities Dies (Spellbinders)
Cuttlebug Embossing Folder (Forest Branches)
Everyday Greetings Die (Provocraft)
Drop Pearl and Black Pinwheel (Lost Art Treasures)
Lace Ribbon (Prima)

Still with me? My sister posted a really neat poem on her blog about her daughter Dominic. You can follow the link on the left that says "my sister Birdie" if you are interested in reading it.

Cuttlebug Embossing Techniques

Get ready for a new class coming soon to a store near you (if you live in the Wilamette Valley *smile*). The new Cuttlebug Embossing Techniques class is currently being scheduled for the fall. The first ones will be in September. I will post the dates as soon as they are confirmed. Sooo...you have some time to save up for a Cuttlebug if you don't have one yet. Each class participant will need to bring their own Cuttlebug machine, and you will receive an embossing folder as part of the class. The class will include 10 different techniques and variations on those techniques. There are so many different looks you can get with these folders...SO much fun to play with.

I've been having a great time in the last week, with friends and family visiting from out of state, and out of the country too. My sister is here visiting from Mexico right now. She and her husband are pastors in the mountains of Creel. It is great to have her around for a little bit. We are hoping that all of us will be able to be together this fall. We haven't all been together since my dad died almost 4 years ago. In any case, having her here us a blessing, and we are thankful for each and every bit of time that we get to spend together. With that said, I need to go pack up my stuff and head to my moms house for a little more time with her before she has to leave.
Have a great day!