A Little Art: Scrunched and Distressed Leaves
I have decided that I absolutely LOVE altering letters! Here’s a fun little project that I made to hang on the walls of my new studio…. I bought the paper so long ago and created this rather quickly and tossed out the little edge that says who makes it…. so I apologize for not being able to tell you right off who made it. {Click on photos for larger views} The E is a hardboard letter that I picked up at Robert’s Crafts. The rhinestones are from Me&My Big Ideas (MAMBI), the ribbon is Papertrey Ink. I clipped the flower from a 99c bushel of flowers from WalMart. The leaves are created using a scrunch and distress technique. Scrunched and Distressed “Leaves” Materials:ScissorsInks for distressingCardstock (I used a textured one from Archivers on my original E & I liked the effect.)* Baby Wipes (optional) 1.) Cut out your leaves… make random looking shapes.2.) Make a center “crease” for the center vein of the leaf and ink up.3.) Use all of your pent up frustrations and scrunch up the paper leaf. Seriously, scrunch it up like you’re smashing it into oblivion… you want all sorts of funky creases. 4.) Open up your leaf and begin smooshing it all over your ink pad to start adding life to the veins. Warning: your fingers will get extremely messy. Baby wipes come in handy at this point. (Scrolling on up to add Baby Wipes to the materials list.) 5.) Scrunch up your leaf again and ink up. Repeat until you get the desired effect.6.) Open up your leaf again and add some final touches… add additional ink colors for more fun effects! Experiment and have fun with your leaf! This is a fun technique to use for making fall leaves for cards, scrapbook pages, etc. Here are some oldies from my CTMH days…
Where The Rubber Hits The … errr…. Acrylic Block! A Tutorial
Better late than never…. I DID tell you I was working on a tutorial last week… 🙂 As I type this, I am relishing in the sound of plaster being sawed off the walls and am giddy with excitement to hear the sound of the saw riiiiiiiiiiippppppppppppppppping through the nasty acrylic bathtub and surround that currently makes up my master bath “oasis”. Hehe! We are waiting for the floor trip and stair bullnose to show up so that we can continue on with the woodfloor install. With any luck it should be here the first of next week and then the BIG mess begins. Once all the floors are in I can start REALLY sorting out my stuff and rebuilding my space. (Plus, B will might have time to build my new piece o’ furniture for the studio…. eventually.. lol!) *Deep Breath* For the longest time I simply could not get off the “clear acrylic stamps only” wagon… I LOVE clear acrylic stamps! I love being able to see exactly where I stamp on my artwork and not have to get a “crick” in my neck laying my head down on the desk trying to line up a stamp. I have found some marvelous stamped images that are manufactured in red rubber and have been “hohumming” about buying them because I really just don’t like using wooden blocks and/or not being able to “see” where I am stamping… SO…. I peeked around on the web and saw this idea and decided to try it out. I have seen the light! My eyes have been opened to a whole new RED {& grey} world !!! It works for me, so I thought I’d share it with you. I snapped these photos AGES ago, right before “The Great Flood”, which explains the InkStak in the background. 🙂 So without further rambling…. Where The Rubber Hits The …. errr….. Acrylic Block! You will need:* A sheet of uncut rubber images* Sharp pair of scissors* EZ Mount foam stuff* StazOn ink {& cleaner}* Scrap paper The rubber stamps that I am showing in this tutorial are from Missy B Designs. Missy is the daughter of a friend of mine and has some way cute {and way *snort* cheeky} designs. *All stamp images in this tutorial are Copyright Missy B Designs. Step 1:First things first, this red rubber stuff comes in a sheet that is flimsy and floppy {and a bit stinky, too}… it helps to do a rough cut around the images for easier handling. Onward and upward…. The REAL Step 1:Once you have a manageable piece of rubber stamp to work with, cut a little closer to the images and trim them up how you like your stamps. I try to trim mine with nice sharp solid edges as close to the image as possible so that I have limited “oops” stamping areas on the rubber. Toss out the scraps. Step 2:There is a {really, extremely, horribly) sticky side of the EZ Mount Foam stuff and there is a “static” side. For this step, you need to determine which side is the sticky side. (DO NOT PEEL OFF THE PROTECTIVE PAPER YET (please, cuz you will regret it, I promise… see it totally pulling at my skin? It’s not worth the hassle, leave the paper on… ok… moving on.. hehe…) Step 4:Place your stamp image with the IMAGE side facing UP and the flat side (back) facing DOWN on the EZ Mount Foam and trace it out with a Sharpie marker. Step 5:Cut the image out of the EZ Mount Foam with sharp scissors. You will most likely need to clean them with an anti gunk cleaner. It’s some nasty sticky stuff! Steps 6, 7, & 8: Peel the paper off of the STATIC side of the EZ Mount Foam and lay STATIC side UP on the workspace. Ink up the stamp with black StazOn ink, careful not to get ink on the edges {or your fingers – Black Finger Club here we come….} GENTLY press the image onto the STATIC side of the EZ Mount Foam. Place it on the EZ Mount EXACTLY to fit how it was cut out. Let the ink dry for a few minutes or you will end up a member of the Black Finger Club. Step 9:Remove the paper from the sticky side and adhere the rubber stamp, image side UP. See pics below. You should be able to see images on both sides of the stamp. That’s it! Now you have an image that you will be able to see AND line up through the clear acrylic block. If you’re careful about making sure all your edges match you will be able to get a nice lined up image even without being able to see through to the paper. This what you will end up with. You can see in the first photo why I know about the Black Finger Club… EDITED: if it’s not a square stamp (above far right picture), cut out as close to the image as possible using nice straight lines and just sort of cut around the image. It helps to match up the image to the EZ Mount if you cut in a way that it can only match up one way. (See the crown?) Also, I have not noticed that the ink inhibits clinging to the block.
Photo Blocks x Six (in lieu of Thoughts for Thursday this week)
It’s been a super long day (as usual). I worked today and then came home and went swimming…. not in MY pool (cuz it’s still filtering and sanitizing) but the brand spankin’ new Payson City Pool! It’s an AWESOME pool complex with a lap pool, kiddie – zero entry pool with kiddie slides and games, spill buckets, water fountains, 2 speed slides, a lazy river, bubble couch and vortex pool (whirlpool). We’ve been anxiously awaiting the completion of this pool and tonight it was open for a trial run with city employees and their families. Since Brent is on the city council, that makes him an “employee” and I got to go and brought Trish and the Mini C’s as my guests. It was so much fun and we were so exhausted after just 2.5 hours. SO much fun! SO anyway, I did promise a tutorial today for something fun and SIMPLE… so here ya go! The youngest Mini C turned FIVE a couple of weeks ago… Last year I gave Mini C #3 a set of these blocks with Sadie pics on it and Mini C #4 was all sorts of “all over them”. Since MC#3’s bday, MC#4 has been telling mom, “Gosh, I sure hope Erin gives me some blocks for my birthday”, “I like those blocks, I hope Erin makes me some blocks” LOL! Sooooooo, one day MC#4 came to spend an afternoon with me and Sadie while mom and dad attended a funeral and I quickly snapped some photos of MC#4 and Sadie playing in the yard. We had a blast! (I’m using photos of my original block set as I did not take photos of MC#4’s set before it was wrapped and taken to the party.) Here’s a couple of pics of the original set of photo blocks that stays at “Aunt Erin’s” house. (These are pretty hammered because they get played with quite a bit.) These are SUPER easy to make and you can make them even while all your crafting stuff is hidden away in your former guest room. You just have to beg your sweet husband (see photo #1) to crawl up and over everything to fetch your CM photo cutter and your Xyron 500 and hope that the Mod Podge is where it’s supposed to be in the closet. 🙂 Here we go: 1.) Locate CM Cutter, Xyron 500, and SIX of your favorite photos and pray you have some clear space on a counter or table. (Or if you’re like me, you push your keyboard aside and do it on the tiny dresser top that is a temporary home to your monitor and printer.) 2.) Don’t forget your 2″ square wooden blocks. A friend of mine bought these online in major bulk for a Super Saturday project we did last year. I don’t remember where, but I am sure you can find these at various craft stores, too. Or, if your dh is handy, you can beg him to do the tedious job of cutting down 2×4’s to 2×2 blocks. Good luck. 😛 3.) Cut each 4×6″ photo into 2×2″ squares. I found that the guillotine style paper cutters like CM’s works the best for precision cuts. 4.) Place each photo piece on the Xryon platform thingy and line up and run through the machine, several pieces at a time, be careful not to overlap the photo pieces as they go through the machine. Notice I figured that tidbit out after the fact??? 5.) Ok these instructions are taking longer to type than it took to make the dang set of photo blocks. LOL. Let’s see if I can speed this up and wrap up this post so I can go shower and wash the stinky sunscreen off me and hit the sack! So once your pics are all glued up, you simply peel n stick to each block. You will probably end up trimming a few of the photo pieces because the wooden blocks are not always perfectly 2″. No big deal, just simply pull out your craft knife and slice away on a cutting mat. 6.) Make sure that your photo actually works and that there is only ONE piece of each photo on each block. (Don’t ask me how I know this. LOL!) Sometimes it also helps to stack them by photo while gluing them onto the blocks or move your blocks to a separate pile after you glue one piece of each photo to each block. I found this out the hard way and ended up peeling off several pieces because I had two pieces from the same photo on one block. Not fun and you usually end up reprinting photos. Aren’t you glad I made the mistakes first so you don’t have to? LOL! 7.) Your final steps are to Mod Podge (a couple of coats, dry between coats) with a small foam brush over the photos and edges of the blocks to seal the photos. You may also want to paint or spray a varnish over the Mod Podge to seal it all in. I usually let my blocks dry really well if I am going to varnish them. As long as you don’t have itty bitties chewing and slobbering on the photo blocks you should be fine to just coat them with Mod Podge. Voila! You have a fun photo block puzzle for all to enjoy! (MC#4 and Sadie hanging out in the photo to the right.)
Multi Fold {Flip, Flap, Fold} Card Tutorial
As promised, here’s the tutorial for the Multi Fold Card I posted with the Sketch Challenge…. Adore Stacked Flower Card(aka Flip, Flap, Fold Card)by Erin Grotegut 2008web: www.inkysmiles.blogspot.com {Click on any photo to view larger} Materials Needed:• 2 pieces of coordinating patterned paper (I used My Mind’s Eye- Adore)• Coordinating solid cardstock (1 dark and a couple of lights)• Nesting circle dies (I used Quickutz) and a die cut machine (I used Cuttlebug)• Glitter, glitter glue or other sparkly embellishments• 1 Photo clip with brad, 4 regular brads, 1 Jumbo Brad, 11” grosgrain ribbon• Adhesive tape, craft glue• Crop O DileInstructions:1. Cut your CS #1 4.25 x 8”2. Score at 2.75” from the LEFT. 3. Cut CS #2 8.5 x 3”4. Score at 4.25” (middle) 5. Adhere CS #2 to CS #1 as shown.6. Flip the whole thing over and lay face down. 7. Cut patterned paper #1 to 3 x 4.25”8. Cut patterned paper #2 to 2.75 x 4.25”9. Adhere to card as shown to the left. 10. Flip back over and fold as shown to right. 11. Cut solid dark CS to 3 3/16 x2 7/8”12. Cut solid light CS to 2 3/16×2 15/16”13. Mount light CS on dark CS as shown to left. 14. Create a small sentiment as shown: 15. Adhere parts as shown below. Adhere the ribbon only to the front of the card. The ribbon will wrap around the back of the card and will tie at the end. 16. Layer your nesting dies upside down on red cardstock for flower.(You can save time by arranging them as shown and running them through your diecut machine at the same time. Run through your machine and then pop out of the dies.) 17. Lightly sand the scalloped edges of the circles. 18. Use cropodile to attach large brad to smallest flower.19. Stack up and arrange flowers. Adhere with foam adhesive for dimension. 20. Glam it up with glitter, etc, put a sentiment on the inside, and, “VOILA!” , you’re finished. I used Martha Stewart glitter glue on the brad and then sprinkled Sugar Coating glitter by Doodlebug Designs on the glue. I used Stickles to doodle around the flower petals. Be sure to let dry thoroughly.
EWE… a Pop Up Tutorial
That’s Ewe as in Ewe, not “ewwwww”… LOL! 😛 Here’s my most recent contribution as guest designer for Sweet n Sassy Stamps…. This is a fun pop up card that I made using Sweet n’ Sassy’s “Adoption Day” & “Funny Farm” stamp sets. I love these little sheep! If I had some “puffy stuff” to paint on them, they’d be even more darling! Every family has an “oddball” in their family or has welcomed a new person such as an “in law” to their family, or just has someone they appreciate in their family. I thought I’d try being punny with some foam Thickers from American Crafts and the darling sheep from SnS. Materials list:Adoption Day *& Funny Farm Stamps –Sweet ‘n Sassy StampsPatterned paper & Foam Thickers- American CraftsWhite & Chocolate brown CS, Ink, Pewter Photo Hanger, & Twill Ribbon – CTMHWatercolor pencils – SU & CTMHBlender Pen – CTMHStickles – RangerCircle Nesting Dies – QuickutzATG Gun & Martha Stewart Glitter Glue (for ribbon) I’ve also never done a pop out card before and thought I would try my hand at that, too. After several sheets of cardstock “oops’ ” I finally got it right. LOL! (Hint: If you’re new to pop out cards, practice cutting out the pop up part on scrap paper until you get it how you want it.) Pictured here is template for cutting the pop out part of the card & a side view. For my card, I popped out patterned cardstock that I cut 1/4″ smaller than the white cardstock base. (Click on the photos for a larger view.)
“Faux Chipboard” Mini Accordian Album {With Tutorial} Warning Dial Up Users… Gobs of Photos!
Hey friends! I woke up sick as a dog this morning and just feel like lying around sleeping all day, but I wanted to share this fun project with you. I survived my birthday on Sunday… woo hooo .. 34 years young! The cute pink mat you see under the project was one of my bday presents from my sweetheart! (I’ll share the other later in the week when I get the pics off my camera.) I am a guest designer over at Sweet n Sassy Stamps this month and this is “Faux Chipboard” Mini Accordian album is one of my projects! It was super fun to do and super, super easy! This Sweet n’ Sassy Adoption set does not limit itself to just adoption! It’s perfect to use for FAMILY projects as well. This project is a mini “faux chipboard” album that I made to show off my sister’s twins, Sidney & Isaac. My sister had a difficult time achieving and keeping a pregnancy, so when these two came along, it was a dream come true times two! If you’re hankering for a chipboard feel album but don’t have any chipboard on hand, here’s an easy way to get the feel and weight of chipboard with regular cardstock! For this project you will need: (I tried to make this simple… use what you have and order the stamps!) *4 strips of 4×8 cardstock *Misc coordinating patterned paper or cardstock (I used My Mind’s Eye “Adore”) *Miscellaneous brads, photohangers, & embellishments (I used CTMH metals, *Doodlebug Designs Glitter) *12″ of coordinating ribbon *Bazzill Basics Paper Flower *Bonefolder, Paper Piercer, Craft Knife, Trimmer, Adhesive*Two or more photos in B&W or Sepia For the glittery center of the flower, I used a plain old button and covered it with Liquid Glass (CTMH) and then generously sprinkled Doodlebug Glitter all over the button and set it out to dry so that it would be ready to stick on when I was finished with the album. You may want to do the glitter part outside away from your “nice space” because you may end up COVERED in glitter 🙂 I left a blank piece of patterned cardstock on the back of the book for a little private journaling. I’ve printed the instructions on the photos for easy following. If you have any questions, please email me at inkysmiles@gmail.com and I will be glad to help you with this project. Now, read the tutorial and then get off the computer and start CREATING 🙂
Pounced Stenciled Pearls Tutorial – Last Leaf Card
UPDATED: February 17th, 2008 We interrupt this post for an important message: I’m gonna be PUBLISHED…. well.. at least this TECHNIQUE will be! I submitted the idea to Pat Huntoon, owner and publisher of the Technique Junkies Newsletter, and she wants to use it. The catch is, I had to take this tutorial down permanently. Soooooo, if you want the instructions for this tutorial, head on over to TechniqueJunkies.com and pick up a subscription to this FABULOUS newsletter! I guarantee you will love it. There’s something in it for everyone, no matter what your stamping style is!Inky Smiles! Erin
Card Organizer -Made With Bind It All Machine
World Card Making Day is tomorrow, October 6th. I haven’t really been in the mood (ie had a whole lot of/any time) to make cards this week, but I saw an organizer like this on the blog of a fellow SCS girl. I just HAD to make one!! Here’s my note card organizer & a “tutorial”. I made this very quickly this morning and part of last evening with some leftover paper from a CTMH Level 2 Kit: Just Chillin a 1″ Owire from BIA and some pieces of leftover mat board. (Click on any photo for a larger view.) Based on my example, you will need:BIA MachineAdhesive* 4 pieces 12×12 cardstock* 5-6 pieces of 12×12 patterned paper* 1 – 12″ length of 1″ dia. OWire from Zutter (You will use 6.5″.)* 2 pieces of 6 1/4″ x 8 3/4″ Chipboard or Matboard* Miscellaneous ribbons, embellishements and extra CS to decorate the cover and/or insides. Step 1 – Score at 3 1/4″ Step 2 -Score at 6″ Step 3 – Cut off 1/4″ ** ** Repeat this on each of your 4 pieces of cardstock and then: Step 4 – Cut 4 – 3 1/2×12″ strips of pattern paper to coordinate with your cardstock. – Adhere to the front of the folded up flap as shown in the picture and fold excess over the top. This gives the edge a cleaner look and decreases the likelyhood of you snagging the paper when removing or adding cards to the pocket. **** Step 5 Cover your chipboard or matboard pieces with patterned paper and decorate as you see fit. I wrapped my covers and added a bookplate type covering on the insides. You can see this in the left photo. This photo also shows the finished measurements of the covers and pocket pages. Step 6 – We’re ready to punch some holes!– Set up your Bind It All – make sure the extension arm is pulled out. – Set your paper stop guide to C for the cover.Align the cover in the BIA and press handle, flip the cover over and do the other side. – Set your paper stop guide to D for the inner pages. – Align the inner pages in the BIA and press handle, flip over and do the other side. DO NOT PUNCH THE FOLDED SIDE! Step 7 – Bind your book!– Select the Owire that matches your book and snip off the appropriate length. For my book, I used 6 rings on each length (6 holes). – Face your covers to each other and load on the OWire. ** – Set your dial on the BIA machine to 1″ and place the wires and book in the machine and pressthe handle. Be gentle, don’t smash the wires. VOILA!! Tie some ribbon on those wires, load it up with the cards you’ve made and you’re done! (thank you for the idea – Lisa S @ Splendiforous Creations!) **I am working on the tutorial in PDF form and should have it in a couple of days. Please email me at inkysmiles@gmail.com and put “BIA Card Organizer Instructions, Please” in the subject line.” **