Halloween Lilly Accordion Rectangle Card

Made for the ECD Susan Tierney-Cockburn Design Team

I just love Graphic 45 papers, especially the Halloween pads! It was so much fun using the coordinating 6x6 and 8x8 Rare Oddities papers - the colors and designs, oh my! For the front of my card, I created a lily in purple and black (based on the Landini Lily images I found online) using Susan Tierney-Cockburn's beautiful Lily dies; prefect for my Halloween theme.

Copyright Notice: ©Mary Dimercurio Prasad. All rights reserved. Any illegal reproduction of this content, including images, will result in immediate legal action.

Disclaimer:  Please help support my work in this small way - just use my links if you plan to purchase anything - there's no extra cost to you. Here's the official jargon: links, affiliate links, and cookies may be used in this post and on this site. Using this site implies your consent. I participate in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, Share a Sale, and other affiliate programs; these affiliate advertising programs provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to amazon.com and/or other affiliated sites. This helps offset a small portion of my crafting addiction... uh, hobby. I am truly thankful for your kind support! I also receive free products from companies, possibly monetary compensation, and sometimes free products for review. Regardless, all opinions are my own. Google and Blogger use cookies to provide and improve their services. See Notice at the bottom of this blog for a longer description and/or see the full Privacy Policy for even more details.

Making the Card

Note: basic color and word sheets come from 6x6 Graphic 45 - Rare Oddities pad, other decorative papers (books, butterflies, etc.) from the 8x8 pad.

1. From black cardstock, die cut three copies of the main Accordion Rectangle as the card base. Also cut green newspaper print/cream background paper using main Accordion Rectangle. Adhere it to one of the black card bases then cut the connecting tabs and flap off (see instructions in packaging); this will be the last panel of the card. For the first panel, which will be the front of the card, using the decorator die (largest rectangle die), cut the purple with cream words paper from 6x6. Adhere to center (flap to right).

2. Cut leaves and stem of Garden Notes - Lily from green page. Using applicator, shade with green Pan Pastel (I folded the leaves backwards down the middle to chalk the center line). Optional: you may use Distress Ink as shown in the video - Peeled Paint should work. Cut petals and stamen from purple page. Using blending tool to add Dusty Concord Distress Ink covering the side with words and as shading to purple side of petals and stamen. Add Black Soot Distress Ink to top and bottom of both sides of each petal as well as stamen. With a watercolor brush, brush some Black Soot in stripes down the middle of each petal (I used the originally purple side of the paper as the fronts for the stripes, which will form the inside of the petals). Shape flower and assemble as instructed in video below. Note: I used black embossing powder as pollen on the ends of the stamen.

3. Using Katie Flourish Frame Edges, cut 4 long edges and 4 short from purple paper, 2 long edges and 2 short from both orange and green. Adhere purple forming frames on both sides of first panel (step 1). Adhere orange to middle (flap right) and green to last (no flap).

4. Tie two pieces of twine together into a bow. Optional: the white was too bright against the cream in the card so I used Antique Linen Distress Stain and water to antique it. Cut cream tag using small tag on the main Tags Pivot Card; trim to a single tag (note: I used a scrap just larger than the last tag). Stamp October word background with Concord Grape Distress Ink 2nd generation stamping, i.e. stamp first on a scrap then on the tag. I used Cherish the Day CTMH stamp set, but it might be difficult to find; you may substitute it with any Halloween related word stamps. Using blending tool, add some of the same ink to edges. Sand to give it a grunge look, concentrating a bit more where the "Happy Halloween" will go. Stamp "Happy Halloween" in black near bottom of tag. Adhere flower and leaves to front panel as shown - I cut the stem and pieced it so it would go in the direction I needed to put the flower in the corner and have the stem behind the tag. Adhere tag using dimensional tape. Adhere bow as shown.

5. Cut raven, cat, tree, and bats from black cardstock. Add eyes to cat with yellow or green Milky pen (or paint with acrylic). Use cream Pan Pastels to add highlights to backs of raven and cat. Also add some to the tree. Add a dot of black Enamel Accents for raven's eye. Cut pumpkins from orange paper (I also cut stem area from green, trimmed excess, then glued on pumpkins). Use paintbrush to add lines with Rusty Hinge Distress Ink. Trace pumpkins on yellow cardstock. Cut just inside the lines; glue behind pumpkins to make eyes "glow."

6. Cut pieces of 8x8 patterned papers shown on middle card - books, butterfly strip, "Bewitched" strip, and bottle label. To make the pieces fit perfectly, use the main Accordion Rectangle die to cut them: first rough cut each piece larger than where it will be placed, then looking through die, tape with Post-It or other removable tape before cutting. Adhere where shown (I glued in this order, books, bottle label - not overlapped, butterfly strip, "Bewitched" strip. Mask butterfly strip and above then stamp spider in black where shown (I found the spider stamp in the dollar bin at my local craft store - if you can't find one on a web strand, just stamp a small spider and draw a line down using a black pen). Adhere cat and raven as shown.

7. For the last panel, temporarily place tree and trim branches as desired - if any stick off the left side, cut them off (I did this after gluing). Adhere tree but don't put glue where large pumpkin will be placed; adhere pumpkin slightly under tree. Adhere small pumpkin with dimensional tape. Adhere bats where shown. For a little dimension, I bent a couple bat wings up (you could do a double layer of bats with top set of wings bent up if desired). Adhere enamel dots where shown. Assemble card as per instructions on packaging.

Supplies

Elizabeth Craft Designs

• 972 Accordion Rectangle (updated to Karen Burniston's new versions)
• 995 Garden Notes - Lily
• 989 CountryScapes - Country Critters 1 (Raven, Cat)
• 1078 CountryScapes - Backyard 3 Apple Orchard (Tree)
• 1080 CountryScapes - Build a Scarecrow (Pumpkins)
• 1082 CountryScapes - Critters 4 (Bats)
• 973 Tags Pivot Card (updated to Karen Burniston's new versions)
• 977 Katie Flourish Frame Edges
• 808 Susan's Garden 4pcs. All metal Tool Set in Luxury Case
• 810 Large Molding Pad
• Pan Pastels: Susan's Garden PanPastel Flower Coloring Kit 3 - 30117 (Green, Cream)
• Double Sided Adhesive

Other Supplies

• Cardstock: Black, Cream, Yellow
• Graphic 45 Paper: Rare Oddities 6x6 and 8x8 Pads
• Distress Inks: Dusty Concord, Black Soot, Rusty Hinge
• Embossing Powder: black
• Optional: Antique Linen Distress Stain
• Twine: White/Light Purple/Dark Purple (Tricolor)
• Happy Halloween Stamp
• CTMH Stamps: Cherish the Day #S1111 (Stamp of the Month November 2011), Just to Say from Artfully Sent Cricut Collection #D1629
• Milky: Yellow or Green OR Acrylic Paint
• Enamel Accents: Black
• Spider Stamp
• Dimensional Tape

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Bunny Easter Card with Xyron Adhesive and Doodlebug

This is my first post for the Xyron Design Team! I love Xyron adhesives (and lamination!). I have a 9 inch Creative Station that also accepts 5 inch cartridges. I have an old 9 inch Xyron as well - still in working condition - my husband uses it a lot to make player aids and other stuff for board gaming. The new design is much more compact - great for a craft room!

I like to add permanent adhesive to cardstock and paper before die cutting, or add it to die cuts that I cut using my electronic cutters (Silhouette Cameo, Cricut Maker). Instant stickers! This makes it easier to assemble, especially when there are lots of pieces.

The theme for this card is Spring/Easter. I chose to use Doodlebug Design Bunnyville paper (6x6 pad). This formed the color palette for my card. I used Karen Burniston's Twist Panel Pop-up dies for the inside of the card - a fun surprise when opened!

Copyright Notice: ©Mary Dimercurio Prasad. All rights reserved. Any illegal reproduction of this content, including images, will result in immediate legal action.

Disclaimer:  Please help support my work in this small way - just use my links if you plan to purchase anything - there's no extra cost to you. Here's the official jargon: links, affiliate links, and cookies may be used in this post and on this site. Using this site implies your consent. I participate in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, Share a Sale, and other affiliate programs; these affiliate advertising programs provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to amazon.com and/or other affiliated sites. This helps offset a small portion of my crafting addiction... uh, hobby. I am truly thankful for your kind support! I also receive free products from companies, possibly monetary compensation, and sometimes free products for review. Regardless, all opinions are my own. Google and Blogger use cookies to provide and improve their services. See Notice at the bottom of this blog for a longer description and/or see the full Privacy Policy for even more details.

Making the Card

1. I looked through my library of SVG files to find a bunny that closely matched the one in the Doodlebug Design Bunnyville paper pad. I chose to use the Easter Bunny from Miss Kate Cutables. I didn't want the cheeks, mouth, or shading though. I also wanted to add a bow and outfit to more closely resemble one of the bunnies in the paper pad designs. I used the "easter bunny-apart" SVG file and cut it with my Silhouette Cameo.

Used the Silhouette software to edit the file. First resize the image (I think I used 3 inches in height - just use the grid to measure one of the bunnies as you drag one corner until you have the size you want), then ungroup the image to separate the images. I deleted all images I didn't want (i.e. remove all but the simple eggs and delete bunnies 3, 4, and 5 counting from the left). Note: in my screen shot further below, you will see an extra white bunny layer, without a face but with ears cut out, on the right - I didn't end up using it; my original intention was to use it for filling in the eyes and nose but the pink bunny layer worked well enough for this, as you will see. Just cut the white bunny (ears filled in) on the right with pink cardstock (you can change the fill to pink if you like).

To edit the points, first select the layer to edit then click the tool below the move tool - if you hover over it, it says "Edit Points." Now you can click on points and drag to move, remove them (delete), or change the curves (by moving attached handles). I deleted all points for mouth and cheeks. Holding the control key while clicking brings up a menu (I used a Mac; this is the same as a right click). In hindsight, I wish I had made the eye holes bigger and moved the face further down. The eyes are not as big as they look in the original image above. Note: the colors do not matter - the cardstock that you cut does. I changed the fill (color) to match what I wanted in the final cuts. Again, you really only need three bunnies, the one with the face, the outline, and the white one (which I made pink).

Optional: to make a girl bunny, I found a file with a bow and edited/resized it. If you don't have one, just skip this and make a boy bunny with blue clothes. My file before cutting looks like the one below (you may want to save the file before proceeding to cut).

2. On your Silhouette cutting mat, arrange the cardstock and patterned papers. I cut each piece a little bigger than necessary to give me some wiggle room. Place each piece on the physical mat to match its corresponding image placement on the software mat grid. For example, the grass is between 4 and 5 1/2 inches vertically and between 0 and 3 inches horizontally. I added green patterned paper in this area. Your cursor should have lines going in each direction so you can read the positions on the rulers easily.

Cardstock and Papers Used

• White bunny: white cardstock
• Gray outline: light gray cardstock
• Pink bunny: pink cardstock
• Grass and ground: Gingham-Linen Rainbow Petite Prints
• Blue and orange eggs: Gingham-Linen Rainbow Petite Prints
• Yellow and pink eggs: Dot-grid-daisy-stripe Rainbow Petite Prints
• Girl bunny clothes: Dot-grid-daisy-stripe Rainbow Petite Prints

Silhouette mat with cardstock and patterned paper (don't need right white piece)

After cutting and removing most of the scrap parts

3. After cutting all the pieces, run them through the Xyron 9" Creative Station with Permanent Adhesive (you could use a 5" cartridge instead). If I have a lot of pieces, even small ones, I put them through my larger machine - I just use something like a bone folder to scoot them in so they touch the adhesive area before rolling them through. Alternatively, you may use the Xyron 1.5" Sticker Maker for small items.

Put pieces into Xyron 9" Creative Station

Use a bone folder or other tool to push small pieces further in

Die cuts after going through Xyron Creative Station plus Xyron Sticker Maker with blue egg

4. To make the card base, cut yellow cardstock 4 1/4 x 11 inches; fold in half to form a 4 1/4 x 5 1/2 inch top folding card base. Cut light blue cardstock 3 3/4 x 5 inches. Cut bunny/chick/sun patterned paper from Bunnyville 6x6 pad to 3 1/2 x 4 3/4 inches; adhere to light blue using Xyron Mega Runner. Adhere to front of card with Mega Runner.

5. Using rectangle die from Twist Panel Pop-up, die cut light blue cardstock; adhere to card front near center bottom as shown. Assemble Easter Bunny as follows:

Cut the body off the pink bunny at the chin, rounding from one side to the other with the shape of the head. You will use the body for the bunny clothes. On the white bunny, line up the light gray outline at the ears - only stick down the ears, leave the rest up. Line up the pink body with the feet and arms but do not press down. Gently put the gray outline over this and trace inside arms and legs (try not to get any pencil on the gray outline).

Pencil in lines as guides for cutting clothes

Remove the pink body and trim inside the lines to make clothes that fit over the bunny's belly. Check your cutting and retrim if necessary.

Trimmed down pink clothes

Line up ears of white bunny on pink head but do not press down yet. Use a pencil to lightly mark the eye locations (I marked it darker in the photo so it would show up). Use a brown alcohol marker (I used First Edition Graphic Markers 51 Chestnut; you could use Copic Sepia E37) to color where eyes will be. Be careful not to get any in the nose area. Adhere white layer over pink. Adhere bow where shown if desired.

Add brown marker behind eye area

Optional: once I had a template, I used it to cut the pink flowered pattern from Dot-grid-daisy-stripe Rainbow Petite Prints - you could leave it pink cardstock or trace it on blue if you want to make a boy bunny. Stick down the clothes then the outline.

Use template to cut flower pattern paper

Bunny with new clothes

6. Adhere grass ground (long oval) at bottom of blue frame on card front. Adhere grass where shown, then eggs and finally bunny.

7. Cut out "hippity, hoppity, Easter's on it's way!" label from Bunnyville 6x6 pad. Trim sides so dots are about 1/8 inch all the way around. Use 1/4 inch Corner Chomper to round the corners. Use foam tape to pop up label on card; see video below.

8. Create the inside card using Twist Panel Pop-up dies. Cut light blue cardstock 3 3/4 x 11 inches; fold in half. This will be the inside liner on which the pop-up mechanism (die cut) will go. Watch the video below before assembling. The cardstock and papers I used are listed below the video.

Pop-up arms: light blue cardstock
Pop-up panels: yellow cardstock
Panels are all decorated with patterned paper from Bunnyville
1st Panel: sunshine paper cut with rectangle die, square house scene with 1/4 inch rounded corners
2nd Panel: Easter words cut with rectangle die
3rd Panel: animal stack with 1/2 inch rounded corners
4th Panel: jelly beans cut with rectangle die, square "Happy Easter" (trim excess)
Top decoration: bunny family with 1/2 inch rounded corners
Banner flags: triangle - flower, chick, girl bunny; fishtail - boy bunny, flowers, sunshines

I used my Mega Runner for most of the adhesive and liquid glue for the rest (e.g. to glue twine behind panels). To sting the banners, cut a small slit in the middle of the curves, top left 1st panel, top right 2nd panel, top left 3rd panel, top right 4th panel. String the banner flags along the pink/white twine before securing. Once you are happy with how it is strung, glue twine from behind and trim of any excess.

Supplies

• Xyron 9" Creative Station and Permanent Adhesive
• Optional: Xyron 1.5" Sticker Maker
• Xyron Mega Runner
• Silhouette Cameo Cutting Machine (or Cricut Cutting Machine)
• Karen Burniston in Cahoots with Riley and Company Dies: Twist Panel Pop-up (1009)
• Miss Kate Cuttables SVG: Easter Bunny
• Doodlebug Design 6x6 Paper Pads: Bunnyville, Gingham-Linen Rainbow Petite Prints, Dot-grid-daisy-stripe Rainbow Petite Prints
• Cardstock: White, Pink, Dark Pink, Light Gray, Yellow, Light Blue
• Brown Alcohol Marker: First Edition Graphic Markers 51 Chestnut (you could also use Copic Sepia E37)
• Bone Folder (Burnishing Bone)
• We R Memory Keepers 1/4" and 1/2" Corner Chomper
• Twine: Pink/White

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Grunge Vintage Old World Maps Tim Holtz Distress Ink & Oxide

I'm enamored with old and vintage maps. I've collected a few world map stamps but haven't done much with them so I decided to make some old maps to use on cards, journals, etc. I Googled vintage map images (click Images at the top) to see what colors of ink were used and how they looked aged. I made some of mine super grungy but made others with a much less. I also added watercolor pencils on a couple.

Copyright Notice: ©Mary Dimercurio Prasad. All rights reserved. Any illegal reproduction of this content, including images, will result in immediate legal action.

Disclaimer:  Please help support my work in this small way - just use my links if you plan to purchase anything - there's no extra cost to you. Here's the official jargon: links, affiliate links, and cookies may be used in this post and on this site. Using this site implies your consent. I participate in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, Share a Sale, and other affiliate programs; these affiliate advertising programs provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to amazon.com and/or other affiliated sites. This helps offset a small portion of my crafting addiction... uh, hobby. I am truly thankful for your kind support! I also receive free products from companies, possibly monetary compensation, and sometimes free products for review. Regardless, all opinions are my own. Google and Blogger use cookies to provide and improve their services. See Notice at the bottom of this blog for a longer description and/or see the full Privacy Policy for even more details.

Making the Maps

1. Start with smooth ivory/cream or white cardstock - it's easier to get an aged look with cream. I was able to use some of my larger scrap pieces; they varied in thickness and surface. Use a blending brush to apply Old Paper Distress Ink all over. Don't worry if it's patchy - this just adds to the effect. To add more texture and patchiness, use a blending tool with domed foam in a twisting motion; this creates darker areas.

2a. Use a blending brush (I used a small one) with Vintage Photo Distress Oxide Ink on a craft mat or Glass Media Mat (blending area) - rub brush in ink, tap off on mat, then blend in areas of paper where you want even darker areas.

2b. Optional: if you want a very grungy look, you can add drips/splats by spraying Distress Spray Stain onto a craft mat, adding water, breaking it up with your fingers (or tool, like end of a paintbrush), then tapping paper into it. Use a heat tool between dips to add layers and also to dry final result before stamping.

3. Stamp maps. I listed three map stamps I used in Supplies, further below. The fourth was a very old previously wood mounted stamp; I don't know the manufacturer. I also listed two I didn't use but would recommend; one is the Winnie the Pooh Hundred Acre Woods stamp - so cute! The other, Antique Hero Map, reminds me of a pirate map. To get best results, use a stamping tool, such as Stamp Platform or Misti. Use VersaFine Clair ink for fine detail plus waterproof coloring. On some, I used various brown Distress Inks or Distress Oxide Inks if I didn't plan to watercolor after. These inks may stamp light so definitely best used with stamping tool unless you like that look. Note: you may use a waterbrush with Distress stamped images to add water effects, such as blurred lines. For an even bolder effect, drip of water on the image. Use a heat tool to set and dry ink. I recommend a Lawn Fawn Stamp Shammy to clean stamps.

4. Once heat set, cut out images using scissors, paper trimmer, or even dies if you have any that would work (e.g. rectangle dies). Use a Corner Chomper to round corners as desired. You may add more shading/distressing after stamping. On some I added Vintage Photo Distress Oxide Ink with a blending brush, either in spots or in a sort of frame around the edges. For the edges themselves, I used blending tool with domed foam and Walnut Stain Distress Ink, just coming in a little, then finally Scorched Timer Distress Ink where I wanted the very darkest parts, mainly in the corners.

5. Optional: distress edges by tearing, bending, sanding, or using a Paper Distressing blade. Add wrinkles by bending and inking the bent edge before flattening. For more wrinkles, crumple, flatten, then lightly ink over top to catch the peaks of the crumples.

6. Optional: use watercolor pencils to go around areas of the map then use waterbrush to extend and blend watercolor. I only did this on maps with waterproof ink but you may experiment with Distress stamped images for more grungy look. I tried Arteza watercolor pencils first - they were OK but waxy and not so easy to blend, especially on cheaper cardstock. I had a much easier time using Fabel-Castell Albrecht Dürer watercolor pencils; they blended like a dream in comparison.

Hint: keep your scraps and strips of paper, including inky ones. I'll be posting about how to take those scraps and make ephemera out of them.

Supplies

• Tim Holtz Stampers Anonymous Air Travel CMS102
• Deep Red Stamps Olde World Map SKU 5X705724
• Darkroom Door Background Stamp World Map DDBS025
• Recommended: Hero Arts Antique Hero map Bold Prints
• Recommended: Echo Park - Winnie the Pooh Hundred Acre Woods Map
• Tim Holtz Ranger Distress Inks (Old Paper, Walnut Stain, Scorched Timber)
• Tim Holtz Ranger Distress Oxide Inks (Vintage Photo)
• Optional: Tim Holtz Ranger Distress Spray Stain (Antique Linen, Old Paper, Vintage Photo)
• Optional: Tim Holtz Stamp Platform or Misti
• Waterbrush
• Heat Tool
• VersaFine Clair Inks (Nocturne)
• Smooth Ivory/Cream or White Cardstock
• Tim Holtz Ink Blending Tools
• Domed Foam Applicator
• Blending Brushes
• Craft Mat or Glass Media Mat
• Corner Chomper
• Optional: Paper Distressing Blade
• Optional: Tim Holtz Ranger Sanding Disks (for Mini Ink Blending Tool)
• Watercolor Pencils (I recommend Fabel-Castell Albrecht Dürer instead of Arteza if not on a budget)
• Recommended: Lawn Fawn Stamp Shammy to clean stamps

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Tim Holtz, Grunge Labels, and a Lot of Inky Fun

I've been creating my own ephemera, and other grungy items, for use at a later date. In this post I'm showing how I made sticker labels. This is a great way to use your stamp stash. I even pulled out a few holiday sets with stamps that could be used generically. Most of the stamps I used are still available, but a few are long out of print, including ones where I no longer have the original packaging (this was before I had a blog!). I have two butterfly/moth stamps, one from an old Sizzix set with four figures vertically on it, but the other, with three figures horizontally, was a single in my collection. It looks like Stampers Anonymous but I have no idea where I got it, or if it was part of a set or not. However I have seen similar butterfly/moths in other current Stampers Anonymous sets.

To isolate the single figures (butterfly or moth), I masked parts of the stamp using Post-it Notes or just inked carefully (using a stamp shammy if I got some where I didn't want it). For the small labels (photo further below), I used a stamp platform and home-made positioner from clear recycled plastic packaging.

Check out the glorious mess I made while creating these labels.

Copyright Notice: ©Mary Dimercurio Prasad. All rights reserved. Any illegal reproduction of this content, including images, will result in immediate legal action.

Disclaimer:  Please help support my work in this small way - just use my links if you plan to purchase anything - there's no extra cost to you. Here's the official jargon: links, affiliate links, and cookies may be used in this post and on this site. Using this site implies your consent. I participate in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, Share a Sale, and other affiliate programs; these affiliate advertising programs provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to amazon.com and/or other affiliated sites. This helps offset a small portion of my crafting addiction... uh, hobby. I am truly thankful for your kind support! I also receive free products from companies, possibly monetary compensation, and sometimes free products for review. Regardless, all opinions are my own. Google and Blogger use cookies to provide and improve their services. See Notice at the bottom of this blog for a longer description and/or see the full Privacy Policy for even more details.

Making the Labels

1. Start with a large sticker sheet (I'll discuss the small labels further below). Use an ink blending brush or blending tool (preferably with a domed applicator) to cover the page with Old Paper Distress Ink or other light ink that will give the paper an aged look. I used a blending brush first then dabbed and blended heavier areas using a blending tool and domed foam.

2. On a craft mat or plastic packaging, spray Distress Stain one color at a time, mixing with some water if desired (I wanted the colors to be lighter so I did add water). I used Speckled Egg, Antique Linen, and Vintage Photo. Break up ink by running your fingers or other tool through it. I used the end of a paint brush. Dab stickers into the droplets, creating splatters over the labels - quickly dry with heat tool. If you do not dry between dabs, the stains may interact with each other and/or bleed; this happened to me with Speckled Egg, creating undesirable color rings and bleeds.

3. Stamp! Note: more specific supplies are listed at the bottom of the post. Use butterflies, moths, other bugs, mushrooms, numbers, signatures, labels, seals, text for background, etc. I mostly used Tim Holtz/Stampers Anonymous stamps but also used a variety of my other stamps. It was fun digging through my stash for little treasures! On some labels, I first stamped background text using Distress Oxide Vintage Photo, on others I didn't. I wanted a variety of looks. Sometimes I stamped words or numbers up the sides of labels. When using my larger stamps, I often masked off the label edges using Post-it Notes, although you can allow stamps to go over two labels if you like that look (I only did this with a label stamp; I then stamped numbers inside each half). I also used Post-it Notes to mask parts of a stamp I didn't want inked or I used a corner of the ink pad to selectively ink the stamp, removing any excess with a stamp shammy. For most of the stamping I used either VersaFine or VersaFine Clair ink to get the cleanest images but when I wanted the stamp to fade more into the background, I used Distress Oxide Vintage Photo. Note: VersaFine ink is being replaced by VersaFine Clair ink. I still have some of the older VersaFine ink pads - I will replace them as they wear out.

To create the smaller labels (above), I used similar techniques. I didn't add the splats though; I may go back and add them later but for now I've left them off. I used a stamp platform (e.g. Tim Holtz, Misti) with a positioner I made using recycled plastic packaging. I cut the packaging to fit the platform. I put the top of a label sheet near the bottom of the stamp platform, up against the side, then lined up the stamps on a row of labels and picked them up with the door of the stamp platform. I did 4 at a time since there are 4 labels in each row, changing them out once in a while.

I put the plastic packaging in the top corner of the positioner, inked up the stamps and stamped on the packaging, being careful not to touch the images once stamped. I aligned the labels underneath to make sure the images were centered; if not, I repositioned the stamp, wiped off the ink from the positioner, and tried again. Once aligned, remove the positioner (careful not to touch the inked images), re-inked the stamps, then stamped.

To do the next row, replace the positioner and move up the labels so they align. You can change colors of ink as desired. When replacing a stamp, you will have to clean its image from the positioner and re-stamp it. Use masking and other techniques as mentioned above as desired.

Here's a look at the finished large sheet of labels. There's another close up at the bottom of this post.

Supplies

• Avery Address Labels 1 x 2-5/8" (e.g. 5160, 8160)
• Avery Labels 1/2 x 3/4" 5418
• Tim Holtz/Ranger Ink Blending Tool, Domed Foam
• Ink Blending Brush
• Tim Holtz Ranger Distress Inks (Old Paper, Walnut Stain)
• Tim Holtz Ranger Distress Oxide Inks (Vintage Photo)
• Tim Holtz Ranger Distress Stains (Speckled Egg, Antique Linen, Vintage Photo)
• Heat Tool
• Tim Holtz Stampers Anonymous Field Notes CMS396
• Tim Holtz Stampers Anonymous Correspondence CMS225
• Tim Holtz Stampers Anonymous Tiny Toadstools CMS377
• Tim Holtz Stampers Anonymous Examination CMS412
• Tim Holtz Stampers Anonymous Rest in Peace CMS435
• Tim Holtz Stampers Anonymous Mini Worn Text THJ007
• Hero Arts Bold Prints Cling Stamp Novel Prose CG839
• Tim Holtz Sizzix French Flight 659884
• VersaFine Clair Inks (Nocturne)
• VersaFine Inks (Majestic Blue, Satin Red) - use VersaFine Clair Inks instead, newer version
• Lawn Fawn Stamp Shammy
• Post-it Notes
• Stamp Platform (e.g. Tim Holtz, Misti)

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Bella's Birthday Card by Wild Rose Studio

I have several Wild Rose Studio stamps but haven't really made much with them yet. This one is an image of Bella, a sweet little elephant. The company also makes matching papers. I used one of the patterned sheets for this card but they have a couple sheets featuring Bella as well (I can easily see myself hoarding these). I am also trying out my QOR watercolors for the first time (other than just making swatches). The colors are very intense. They tended to stain the paper (Arches Hot Press) so lifting was difficult - not sure if this was due to the watercolor, the paper itself, or the combo. I'll be doing some more testing!

Copyright Notice: ©Mary Dimercurio Prasad. All rights reserved. Any illegal reproduction of this content, including images, will result in immediate legal action.

Disclaimer: Please help support my work in this small way - just use my links if you plan to purchase anything - there's no extra cost to you. Here's the official jargon: links, affiliate links, and cookies may be used in this post and on this site. Using this site implies your consent. I participate in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, Share a Sale, and other affiliate programs; these affiliate advertising programs provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to amazon.com and/or other affiliated sites. This helps offset a small portion of my crafting addiction... uh, hobby. I am truly thankful for your kind support! I also receive free products from my design team companies, possibly monetary compensation, and sometimes free products for review. Regardless, all opinions are my own. Google and Blogger use cookies to provide and improve their services. See Notice at bottom of blog for a longer description and/or see the full Privacy Policy for even more details.

Making the Card

1. Cut pink cardstock to 7 x 10 inches; fold in half to form a 5 x 7 card base.

2. Cut watercolor paper to about 4 1/2 inch square. Stamp Bella's Birthday in the center with VersaFine Onyx Black ink. Let dry completely and/or heat set. Watercolor image. I used QOR watercolors.

3. Die cut watercolored image using largest MFT Inside/Out Stitched Square (or other stitched square die... be sure to measure it for mat). Cut blue cardstock mats: 4 3/4 x 6 1/8 inches and 4 x 4 inches (i.e. 1/8 inch larger than your stitched die). Cut Bella's Birthday patterned paper with dotted circles 4 5/8 x 6 inches. Adhere patterned paper to 4 3/4 x 6 1/8 inch blue cardstock. Adhere watercolored image to other (be sure to use strong tape, especially if the image warped). Hint: if the paper warped a lot, you may lightly mist on the back, place face down on a craft mat, and place weights on the back (I used my acrylic block and a book on top of that). Cover balloon in Glossy Accents. Add Wink of Stella to butterfly wings.

4. Punch butterfly from white cardstock. Watercolor in same colors as butterfly in watercolored image. Use a black marker (e.g. Memento Tuxedo Black) to add details as shown. Be sure to go around the edges from the back side with the brush tip. Color wing areas with Wink of Stella.

5. From pink cardstock, die cut two copies of "happy birthday" using Sizzix Celebration Words: Script dies. You may cut more if you would like a thicker stack. Line up and glue the like words together in a stack. Ink the bottoms using Memento Rose Bud ink and an ink blending tool. Follow up with VersaColor Baby Blue at the bottoms of the letters.  Cover with Wink of Stella. Coat with Glossy Accents.

6. Adhere red satin ribbon around matted patterned paper where shown. Adhere to card base. Adhere matted watercolored image to card base, using dimensional tape, as shown. Glue letters to ribbon as shown. Carefully bend each side butterfly wing slightly up (try to leave the body flat). Glue butterfly where shown.

Supplies

• Cardstock: Blue, Pink, White
• Patterned Paper: Bella's Birthday 6x6 Paper Pack (Wild Rose Studio PP035)
• Stamp: Bella's Birthday
• Ink: VersaFine Onyx Black, Memento Rose Bud, VersaColor Baby Blue
• Ink Blending Tool
• Marker: Memento Tuxedo Black
• Watercolors: QOR (Phthalo Blue - Green Shade, Ultramarine Blue, Dioxazine Purple, Quincridone Magenta, Permanent Alizarin Crimson, Purrole Red Light, Transparent Pyrrole Orange, Indigo, Paynes Gray), Winsor & Newton Gouache Ivory Black
• Brushes: 2 (Travel), 4, 8 Black Velvet by Silver Brush Ltd.
• Watercolor Paper: Arches Hot Press
• Dies: Die-Namics Inside/Out Stitched Squares (My Favorite Things MFT-850) or other stitched square dies, Sizzix Celebration Words: Script (660223)
• Punch: Martha Stewart 3-in-1 Butterfly
• Glossy Accents
• Wink of Stella
• Red Satin Ribbon
• Dimensional Tape

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Tim Holtz Distress Bloom Cards with Texture Paste

I love the light textures and soft distressed look of these cards. Be sure to check out the photos below to see more of the texture paste, which shows much better when the light is coming from above. I was inspired by some of the makers from the Tim Holtz team as well as the man himself. I haven't had much time to create in the past year or so. I finally tried breaking up creating into shorter sessions. On one day I made some of my own distressed cardstock in different colors - red, green, yellow - to have on hand for die cutting at a later date. On another day I sat in front of the TV and did some die cutting and gluing. Finally, I spent some time in my craft room creating the backgrounds above, then put together my cards!

Copyright Notice: ©Mary Dimercurio Prasad. All rights reserved. Any illegal reproduction of this content, including images, will result in immediate legal action. 

Disclaimer:  Please help support my work in this small way - just use my links if you plan to purchase anything - there's no extra cost to you. Here's the official jargon: links, affiliate links, and cookies may be used in this post and on this site. Using this site implies your consent. I participate in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, Share a Sale, and other affiliate programs; these affiliate advertising programs provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to amazon.com and/or other affiliated sites. This helps offset a small portion of my crafting addiction... uh, hobby. I am truly thankful for your kind support! I also receive free products from companies, possibly monetary compensation, and sometimes free products for review. Regardless, all opinions are my own. Google and Blogger use cookies to provide and improve their services. See Notice at the bottom of this blog for a longer description and/or see the full Privacy Policy for even more details.

Making the Cards

I created two cards at the same time. Although they are similar, the do have slight differences - the biggest difference being how I did the sentiment on each card. I cut out the word "THANKS" from the label for one sentiment and used the letters themselves as the sentiment on the other card.

1. You will create three distress backgrounds for the flowers, one each in red, green, and yellow. Be sure to vary each one across its sheet so you may die cut different shades in the next step. To do this, start by using a blending tool to ink up 3 half sheets of White Heavystock with various shades of red, green, or yellow Distress Inks - one sheet per color but several ink colors per sheet (or just vary the amount so you get lighter and darker shades). Splatter each with water, dab with paper towel to create lighter splats. Using one color at a time, tap ink pad(s) on craft sheet, spray with water, break up by running your fingers through it to create droplets, then tap paper into it. Dry with heat tool and repeat. You may do each step again until you get a very distress background with varied areas of each color.

2. Using Bloom Colorize dies, cut two sets of roses from different areas of the red distressed background. I used the lighter areas for the upper layers on everything. Similarly, die cut two sets of flower buds from yellow and leaves from green. Assemble as shown then set aside.

3. Cut light pink cardstock into two 5 1/2 x 8 1/2 inch pieces (I actually used two different shades of light pink because I had scraps); fold in half to create two 4 1/4 x 5 1/2 inch card bases. Set these aside for now. For the backgrounds, cut two pieces of light pink cardstock to 4 1/4 x 5 1/2 inches (these will be cut down another 1/4 inch later, although you can start with the smaller size if you don't want to cut them down after inking, etc.).

4. Optional: stamp backgrounds with Picket Fence Distress Ink using Stampers Anonymous Scrollwork stamps. Dry with heat tool. This will give it a very subtle pattern below the stenciling.

5. Using a blending brush, lightly ink over opposite areas with a light pink Distress Ink or Distress Oxide Ink such as Tattered Rose or Spun Sugar. See photos. Do the same on the reverse areas with a light blue ink such as Tumbled Glass or Speckled Egg. You are just creating a light color as the base for the next step.

6. Using a blending brush, ink small random sections through Mini Set 49 Layering Stencil THMS148 in similar pink and blue colors but in slightly darker shades (or heavier application). Note: I extended the blue area over to where I planned to put the die cut "THANKS" later. Optional: splatter same color Distress Stains across the backgrounds.

7. Using Field Notes stamps, stamp in various areas using contrasting or slightly darker Distress Inks.

8. Apply texture paste through Gothic Layering Stencil to random sections. Set aside to dry.

9. Using oval label from Vintage Labels, apply Speckled Egg Distress Archival Ink by tapping gently over label die (cutting side), making sure to cover it well. Place a piece of pink cardstock, larger than label die, onto cutting pad. Carefully place inked die on pink cardstock making sure ink only touches once and does not shift; temporarily tape in place, then die cut. Arrange the letters THANKS from Alphanumeric Label dies onto the edge of a Post-it note or washi tape, cutting side up, making sure they are straight. I only put the bottom half on the tape to make it easier to center on the label. Line up on die cut label and run through die cutting machine, making sure to keep the letters.

10. Trim backgrounds to 4 1/8 x 5 3/8 inches. Adhere to card bases. Adhere flowers and label to one card as shown. Adhere flowers and letters to other card as shown.

Supplies

• Ranger - Tim Holtz - White Heavystock
• Sizzix - Tim Holtz - Bloom Colorize Die Set 665208
• Stampers Anonymous - Tim Holtz - Scrollwork Stamps CMS367
• Ranger - Tim Holtz - Distress Ink, Picket Fence
• Blending Brushes
• Ranger - Tim Holtz - Distress Inks
• Ranger - Tim Holtz - Distress Oxide Inks
• Stampers Anonymous - Tim Holtz - Layering Stencils Mini Set 49, THMS148
• Ranger - Tim Holtz - Distress Stains
• Stampers Anonymous - Tim Holtz - Field Notes Stamps CMS396
• Stampers Anonymous - Tim Holtz - Layering Stencils Gothic
• Sizzix - Tim Holtz - Thinlits Dies, Vintage Labels 665929
• Sizzix - Tim Holtz - Thinlits Dies, Alphanumeric Label 664177
• Speckled Egg Distress Archival Ink
• Post-it Notes
• Washi Tape

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