Tag Archives: stamping

Easy Birthday Card with a Scrap of Patterned Paper

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A card inspired by a scrap of paper from the Chalk It Up paper pack.

A card inspired by a scrap of paper from the Chalk It Up paper pack.

Often we’d like to make a birthday card, but really don’t have a lot of time. This birthday card went together rather quickly! The whole idea came from a scrap of paper! I knew the recipient liked orange and I saw this scrap of paper on my desk and thought it was close enough to orange. It is from the Chalk It Up Close to My Heart paper pack. I liked it because it already had some other colors and it would make my color choices fast and easy. The color along the left side is the decorative “zip strip” I told you about the other day. It is the extra 1/2 inch on one side of a patterned 12×12″ paper, which is a bonus decorative strip that coordinates with the paper pack.

Since I was in a hurry (and maybe a bit lazy), my plan was to just use this scrap and try to get as much mileage from it as possible. So I cut it into strips and then arranged them across the width of the card, and adhered them.

One thing I like about using clear acrylic stamps is the fact that you can pull them off the backing sheets and arrange them before you ever stamp them. If you don’t like the look you can move them around until you are happy, or entirely swap out the stamps. When you begin to accumulate stamp sets, it’s fun to mix and match. I decided to use the cupcake and candle from the Birthday set from the CTMH Cricut Artiste collection, and the Happy Birthday sentiment is from the Build A Cake set.

D1618 Build a Cake

CTMH – Build a Cake, # D1618

CTMH D1529 Birthday_Artiste

CTMH, Birthday – Cricut Artiste Collection

I stamped the “Happy Birthday” on white card stock, in Lagoon ink to match the color at the left side. This helped pull the Lagoon color across the entire card. The white card stock was matted with at piece of Sorbet card stock to coordinate with the color from the scrap of paper I started with. The cupcake and candle stamp were stamped in `black and were colored with the Touch Twin alcohol markers in Peacock Green, Barely Beige, and Golden Yellow. Then I added some glue to the cupcake to and sprinkled with glitter to make the icing look like it had been dusted with sugar.

Glitter was added for a little sparkle

Glitter was added for a little sparkle!

I was happy with the way it turned out, and extra happy that it didn’t take too long! Isn’t it funny how inspiration comes in many ways? This was simply because I only wanted to use one scrap of paper I found on my desk! What inspiration will you find today? Come over and share it with us on our Facebook Group! Cheers to YOUR Artful Adventures! KS       If you are in the US, please feel free to shop in my online Close To My Heart store. Here are handy links for the products in this featured project.

Creating a Background Effect with Handwriting

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handwriting background techniqueWelcome to the Make It Monday blog hop. If you’ve come from Gina Zee’s site, you’re in the right place! She always has clever up-cycling/recycling ideas for crafting! I’ll give you info on all the sites in this week’s blog hop at the end of this post so you don’t miss anything you may be interested in!

Have you ever thought about creating your own background paper with your own handwriting? Now before you tune me out, I don’t want to hear any, “My handwriting is awful!” because it doesn’t even matter for the technique I’m going to show you. This can actually be a way to do some disguised journaling. Or you can just use words that relate to a certain theme. You don’t even have to use full sentences. The choice is yours, and there is no right or wrong way to do this.

First you’ll need to decide what you’ll use for your background. This technique could easily be used for scrapbooking, art journaling, mixed media, card making, or whatever else you can think of to use it for. Then you’ll need something to write with that is a water soluble medium. Today I’m just going to use water color pencils. They are readily available and not too expensive, and hopefully you already have some on hand.

I took a couple of water color pencils in colors I wanted to coordinate with the fall theme I had in mind and I just randomly wrote about the fall season. See, I don’t have great handwriting, and I didn’t even try to be neat.
handwriting-background-1

Even though I had already written on card stock, instead of just jumping in, I decided to first try this on water color paper. I did more “journaling” about fall with watercolor pencils and on the top of the page I brushed on water to activate the water color pencils. On the bottom, I simply used a baby wipe, with no additional water. The bottom created the look I was after!

Testing in watercolor paper journal

Testing the method in a water color paper journal. The top was brushed with water, the bottom buffed with a baby wipe.

Since the look I liked didn’t use water, I knew it would work on card stock without treating the card stock in any special way.  I decided to create a scrapbook layout with a photo I had taken, so I grabbed out a sheet of off-white card stock to make the background. This time I added a bit of a third color to the writing, a bit of yellow over some of the brown and the orange. Then I used a baby wipe and buffed in a circular motion. You can blend as much as desired. You don’t need to be able to read any of the words to realize that it is handwriting. If the wipe becomes too dry, grab another one, or dampen it ever so slightly.

Filled page with journaling about the fall season

Filled page with journaling about the fall season.

Now I created my layout. The leaves and tiny “title” were stamped with pigment ink, heat embossed, and the leaves cut out. The stamp set is “Fall Harvest, #C1504” from Close to My Heart. Bronze Shimmer Trim was added for a bit more pizazz. The outer edges were inked and buffed, as well.

The finished layout

The finished layout.

The yellow leaf was raised up a bit with foam squares to add just a bit more dimension.

Foam squares were used to raise the yellow leaf

Foam squares were used to raise the yellow leaf.

Overall, I was pleased with the outcome. I would use the handwriting effect again. I think it would be perfect for art journaling, and I can’t wait to try in on a mixed media piece with a different water soluble medium to write with!

Visit the other Make it Monday sites below and please feel free to shop my Close to My Heart online store if you live in the US.

Make It Monday blog hop participants this week.

Cheers to YOUR Artful Adventures!

KS

Watercolor Background Effect Using Ink

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make it monday kristie sloan artful adventuresWelcome to another Make It Monday blog hop project! You can check out the list of participants later in this post.

In today’s project, we’ll learn how to create a watercolor background using water soluble dye based ink pads that you may have on hand for stamping. Creating this effect uses very few items.

All we need are:

  • Ink colors
  • Acrylic stamp block
  • Tiny mister for water
  • Card stock or other paper
watercolor ink background tools

Very few items are needed for this technique.

A quick and easy way to apply the ink to your block is to just rub the corner of your ink pad onto the center of the block.

Rub ink into the center of the acrylic block.

Rub ink into the center of the acrylic block.

Mist the ink with your sprayer and let it mingle for a moment before applying it to your paper. I just used a piece of card stock for this project, but you could certainly use watercolor or a mixed media paper. If using card stock, make sure to not over saturate your paper with water. Wipe the block off between colors, or even between applications. Baby wipes are a great item to have in your craft room! Continue to randomly stamp the colors until you are happy with the results. Don’t worry about leaving white spaces, they can work well into your finished piece.

Stamp the ink from the acrylic block randomly on the paper, changing colors as desired

Stamp the ink from the acrylic block randomly on the paper, changing colors as desired.

Now you have a background piece to use as you wish. I cut a piece to use as a card front, however you can use this technique in selected spots on a scrapbook page background for a nice artsy feel. Since the background has so much going on, I wanted to just create a simple card by only using black to stamp any designs or greetings. Here is the finished card, using a black card base (with white liner), backed  with a piece of CTMH Thistle card stock.

Design and greeting stamped in black

Design and greeting stamped in black.

For a finishing touch, I added a rhinestone for the head of the butterfly on the right.

I’m happy with the way the card turned out, and I have enough paper to use for another card. These are not colors I would normally use, but I’m glad I gave them a try!

Be sure to visit the next stop on the Make It Monday hop, Jen Wright. She’s got some ideas for a scrapbook template and a challenge. Here is the whole list this week:

Connie Hanks: Layers on scrapbook layouts

      You’re Here — Kristie Sloan: Watercolor Effects Using Ink

Jen Wright: Scrapbook template ideas and challenge

Alice Boll: Capture the beauty of fall on a ‘WonderFALL’ scrapbook layout

Gina Zee: Make a school themed tag from a cereal box

 

Until our next Artful Adventure,

KS

 

 

Here are some handy links to some of the products in this project. When you use these links to purchase these items, I receive a commission. Yes, shameless promotion!


Halloween Magic Potions Decor

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Add a little decorative element to your home for Halloween by creating some “magic potions!” I know many of you enjoy doing your own lettering and drawing, and you can use this idea as you like. However, when pressed for time, or if you just want to use the get it done version, here’s how to make it happen. When I saw these cute little label stamps, I knew I had to do something fun with them!

C1509 Magic Potions

Magic Potions Stamp Set, #C1509

Each of these label shapes can be cut with a Cricut die cut machine from the CTMH Cricut Artiste Collection cartridge, #Z1790. You can see that the page of the accompanying booklet and the cutting size are marked right along side the stamps. Since they are clear, they are easy to see exactly where to place your stamp on the label.

I grabbed some random bottles and decorated them! You can see I did a very basic version of dressing these bottles. There is so much more you could do, but I wanted you to see that just doing something simple can be very effective!  These would look cute with candy in them. Since these bottles are rather tall, I filled them with water and added food coloring to the water to create the colors I wanted in each one.

CTMH Scaredy Cat papers with the Magic Potions stamps

CTMH Scaredy Cat papers with the Magic Potions stamps.

I love the Black Shimmer Trim! It was perfect for this project to add a little zip to the top of each bottle. All you have to do is pull off the backing tape, and it’s ready to adhere to your project!

Paper rosettes make a nice backing to the labels, or just use some of the coordinating papers from the Scaredy Cat collection, #X7185B.

Magic Potion Stamps with paper rosette

Magic Potion stamp with paper rosette from Scaredy Cat paper collection.

Cutting the labels with the die cut machine makes easy work of decorative labels. Inking the edges finishes this label nicely.

CTMH Magic Potions stamped label with inked edges.

Magic Potions stamped label with inked edges.

Coordinating decorative papers, as well as plain colored card stock make it easy to create projects have a cohesive look when doing a grouping of items.

magic potions stamps and scaredy cat papers

Coordinating papers make the perfect background to add even more interest.

There are so many possibilities for these label stamps. Wouldn’t they look adorable on treat bags? What do you think you’d make with them, my little pretty?

Here’s a peek at the Scaredy Cat printed paper. There are also pieces of coordinating card stock not shown.

CTMH scaredy cat paper pack

CTMH scaredy cat paper pack

914 SOTM KS  


Travel Theme Scrapbook Page – Wanderful

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Whether traveling near or far, travel themed pages are nothing new. However, the Wanderful paper pack and accompanying items are new as of August 1st!  I used this paper pack to create a layout as one of the inspiration pieces for the Take Heart Idea sketch challenge.

Here is the sketch along side my layout. You can see I followed the sketch very closely.

Take-Heart-Ideas-2014-8-SketchTake Heart Ideas ctmh august challenge Kristie Sloan

When I saw this paper pack I had a great idea for the photos I would use. Although I have not been a world traveler, my husband has. I had several photos in mind that I planned to use for a layout. However, when it came time to get this done, they were nowhere to be found. I’m sure none of you have ever had that happen! Well, I found a couple of other photos to use. They aren’t all that far from home, not even out of the state, but it was a fun adventurous weekend that just the two of us had!  I’m sure I’ll find the photos and there is plenty of time to use the paper again. It will be in the new CTMH Idea book until July 2015.  Here is a closer look.

Take Heart Ideas ctmh august challenge Kristie Sloan

Travel themed layout featuring Close to My Heart “Wanderful” papers

The blue polka dot paper is the reverse side of the black passport print. The stamps I used were from the following sets: World Traveler #C1592, True to Life #C1575, and Take Note – #D1574 from the Cricut Artbooking Bundle.

Circles 814 THI Scetch

White pigment ink stamped on black card stock, with faux stitching in white.

A bit of baker’s twine was used for the pennant banner, with glue dots securing each of the little triangles. Faux stitching was done with a White Signo Uniball pen.

Pennant 814 THI Sketch

Triangles cut to make a pennant banner. Mounted to baker’s twine with glue dots.

A journaling spot was created by stamping on white card stock and using a punch on the side. The edges were scruffed up a bit to add a bit more dimension.

814 sketch journal square

Journaling square stamped and edge punched.

Here are items that go with the Wanderful product line that will be available August 1st.

Wanderful WOTG -G1088

Wanderful Workshop on the Go. Includes exclusive stamp set.

 

Wanderful Paper Pack

Wanderful Paper Pack, plus card stock.

World Traveler Stamp Set, #C1592

World Traveler Stamp Set, #C1592

Here We Go SS-D1600

Here We Go Stamp Set – #D1600

Wanderful Assortment, #Z3010

Wanderful Assortment, #Z3010

Wanderful Complements, #X7191C

Wanderful Complements, #X7191C

 

Not only are these cards perfect for pocket page scrapping, they can be used in many other ways! You can use them on a traditional scrapbook page, are card, or whatever your little desires!

Wanderful PML, #Z2019

Wanderful Picture My Life, for pocket page scrapbooking and more! #Z2019

Remember that there are many current CTMH items retiring, and July 31st is the last day to pick up what’s still available. The new Idea Book is available on Friday, August 1st!

CTMH 2014 July SOTM-framed

Click on this image to shop at the Close to My Heart online store.

KS