Apologies & Drippy Goo

Hello dear crafters! If it seems I've done a disappearing act, I must apologize. It's been a long time (too long) since my last entry. There are many reasons for that, but suffice to say that I've been busy crafting in my absence. I have to--it helps to keep me sane!

I've been busy working on many different swaps that I've signed up for via the Cricut Message Board. I've been making ATC cards, greeting cards and layouts (yes, you've read correctly) for various groups I joined. I have to say that I really enjoy working on these themed based projects. For one thing, it forces you to keep crafting and to come up with (hopefully) new and original ideas. I cautiously started in one or two swaps--and now I'm in so many I have to keep a written schedule of when things are due and who they are due to. Yes, like many other things, swaps are highly addictive.

I do have to comment on one swap in particular. For the first time, I signed up for a recipe swap. I actually do like to cook. It's the clean-up I have a problem with. But nonetheless, this particular swap was a major challenge for me. It required a dip recipe layout in 8"x8" size for fifteen participants. I can't even remember what the last layout I did was. I've been so consumed with cardmaking and other papercrafting avenues, I really haven't done a "real" scrapbook layout in some time. So this was a challenging--and in many ways daunting--task for me. I have to say I think the end product came out well (and I will share some photos of it after my swap deadline passes). It was just an amazing amount of work. I used my Cricut for my page titles. But, the finished project involved some hand-cut embellishment pieces, stamping, construction and a lot of journaling. I have to admit, I was a bit rusty getting started. After about eight or nine layouts, the groove started returning. I just didn't realize it would be so much work to do fifteen of the same layout. Not that I'm complaining mind you. I had a lot of fun doing them and it was a good refresher--just very time consuming.

Anyhow, I felt I should drop in and update my blog and apologize for my MIA status. I hope to be more consistent in the future about posting on a frequent basis. Please hang in there with me.

Recently, I added the Martha Stewart Crafts "Drippy Goo" punch to my ever growing collection of her delightful tools. I have to say that this one is quite addictive. Obviously, it was designed for the Halloween season--but its uses are really only limited by your imagination. It's terrific for stylized grass, rain splatter, fringes--and so many other things.

Here are a couple of recent Halloween cardmaking projects that use the Drippy Goo punch. I think it's very eye-catching.

Create--and keep crafting!

Card Spotlight: Air Male

It's interesting to note that many paper crafters have a hard time when it comes to designing and constructing projects for a male recipient. I think it's safe to say that many of the leaders in the crafting industry cater to a mainly female clientele. As such, many of the designers collections are specifically created with that demographic in mind.

Of course, there are male crafters out there (obviously). It stands to reason that the larger the market share (customer demand), the more companies start to offer alternative lines and color palettes. I am very pleased with some of the new product lines being introduced for Fall/Winter 2008 and beyond.

I think the largest stumbling block some crafters face is the idea of avoiding certain colors (pink, pastels, etc.) and themes (florals, intricate patterns,etc.) when planning a male-oriented project. As a male crafter (and perhaps because of my own personal aesthetics), I do not have a problem receiving cards and projects made with florals or bright colors. However, right or wrong, there is a concern that a project be "masculine" enough. I hope such narrow thinking one day becomes the exception instead of the rule.

Oops, I guess that's enought of that rant...at least for a while. What brought the subject up for me was that I recently set out to make cards for a few of my friends that definitely skew toward the "manly men" end of the spectrum, lol. I thought I would share one of the cards I created in this card spotlight.

An interesting thing about this project is that it was all inspired by a piece of scrap paper from a DCWV paper stack: High School. The inspiration was this bit of design left over from another project. (I'm generally not very good about saving or using scraps, so this was a breakthrough for me.)



When I saw this flourish pattern, I was immediately drawn to the theme of flight and birds (wings) specifically. With that thought in mind, I hit my supplies and rounded up a few things.

For this project, you will need:

--one sheet of white cardstock cut to 8 1/2" x 5 1/2"
--one strip of textured cardstock cut to 5 1/2" x 2 1/8"
--one strip of decorative paper cut to 5 1/2" x 1 3/8"
--Tsukineko VersaMagic Chalk Ink Pad (Jumbo Java)
--Marvy Stippling Brush
--rubber or clear acrylic stamps
--Sakura Metallic Gel Pen
--adhesive (Xyron 510)
--Scor-Pal (or other scoring tool)

To begin, I took the white cardstock piece and scored it at 4 1/4" to create the card fold.



I chose to work in a brown palette for this card. For visual and color interest, I used a VersaMagic chalk ink pad and a stippling brush to create a textured background on the white cardstock.



Using the Jumbo Java chalk ink, I inked my stippling brush directly on the ink pad surface and pounced both the front and back sides of the card. After the initial application of ink in a circular motion, I used a few diagonal sweeps of the brush on the card face to muss the stippling effect slightly. I also inked all of the card edges using the VersaMagic pad.



Once you've achieved the desire color depth and texture on your card, allow the chalk ink to set before proceeding to adhere your decorative elements to the card. For my card, I chose a piece of textured Bazzill cardstock in Chocolate as the base mat for my decorative strip. As mentioned, the decorative strip for this project was a scrap from a DCWV High School paper stack.



This textured cardstock was trimmed to 5 1/2" x 2 1/8" and the edges were inked with the VersaMagic pad. Then it was run through a Xyron 510 and attached to the card face. The decorative paper was trimmed to 5 1/2" x 1 3/8", inked, run through the Xyron and centered on top of the textured cardstock.

To go with my theme of flight and wings, I used two stamps to finish the look of my card. The first was a rubber stamp (SeeD's) for the greeting that said "Air Mail". The second was a clear acrylic stamp (Autumn Leaves) from Rhonna Farrar's "Gypsy 2" collection of a bird in mid-flight. I used the same color chalk ink and stamped the greeting in the bottom right-hand corner and strategically placed the bird in the center of my decorative paper strip.



I like the symbolism on this card. The freedom of flight expressed by the bird juxtaposed with the wink-and-a-nod "Air Mail" greeting made me smile. I also think the bird picks up on the free-flowing airiness of the swirls from the flourish design.

As a final touch, I took a Sakura metallic gel pen in Galaxy Bronze and put in a few accent lines along the borders of the paper strips to add a bit more definition and visual interest. All-in-all, it was a fun and relatively creative project to put together.



Create--and keep crafting!

Card Spotlight: Boo!

There's something in the air. Fall, thankfully, approaches...and so do the ghosts and goblins. This weekend, I was inspired by pumpkins.

This quick and fun card is made from a 4 1/2" x 6 1/2" piece of DCWV textured chipboard in a yellow-orange color. (If you haven't tried working with DCWV versatile chipboard stacks, I highly recommend them.) The jack-o'-lantern is cut from a piece of Bazzill corduroy texture white cardstock. The die-cut is a Cricut cut from the "Stretch Your Imagination" cartridge cut at 4" on my Expression. The backing paper for the reverse side of the card is from the DCWV Old World paper stack.



I used Gamsol and Prismacolor pencils to handcolor the jack-o'-lantern. I used a black Sharpie pen to outline the image after coloring. The "Boo" greeting is done with black Making Memories alphabet rub-ons.



On the reverse side, I used a 4 1/2" x 6 1/2" piece of DCWV decorative paper adhered with my ATG 714. The decorative journaling sheet is by K & Co.

Artist Trading Cards (ATCs)

I'm by no means an expert on the whole phenomenon of Artist Trading Cards or ATCs, as they are often referred to in shorthand. However, it is a form of paper crafting that does appeal immensely to me. I think the intriguing thing about ATCs is tied to the size of the final project. The only die-hard rule of ATCs is that finished size of your project must be 2.5" x 3.5" (64mm x 89mm). Other than that, the design and materials to be used are as endless as your imagination. While, it is obviously a temptation to go crazy with the dimensionality, the key to a good ATC design is that it be "portable art", that is a trading card that is easy to store or take with you.

You can explore stamping, textures, paints, inks, sketching, stitching, papers, found objects, and so many other techniques with ATCs. ATCs can be modern or vintage, bold or subtle, themed or free-form. I've used my own sketched images, pieced collages, Cricut die-cuts, and various objets d' art in my own ATC collection. Of course, much of the fun in ATCs is trading with other budding artists and sharing your inspirations/works.

I recently joined a "Your Choice" ATC Swap through the Cricut Message Boards. The three (3) themes I selected to participate in were: "Love", "Asian", and "Black & White". Here is a peek at the designs I came up with.

For the Love theme, my design is called "Without End". It combines a Marah Johnson image stamped with Tsukineko Brilliance Rocket Red Glare and an accent paper from DCWV Rock Star paper stack. The edges are inked with StazOn Jet Black ink and the cards are accented with Sakura Gelly Roll Metallic pens.



The Asian theme is called "Asian Lamp". The base paper is from DCWV Far East collection. The card edges were inked with a crimson pigment. I used some kanji characters and a layered die-cuts of an oriental paper lantern as focal points. Kanji are originally Chinese characters that are used in the modern Japanese logographic writing system. Each card in the set, showcases a different lamp and kanji character combination.



The final set was an interesting challenge. Black and white is a restraint in that it means there is a lack of color. I decided the images should be stark and visually interesting. The card design is called "Life". The wording is done with a ransom styled alphabet stamped with StazOn Jet Black ink. The fingerprint (which is my own thumbprint) is also inked with StazOn. I used Sakura Glaze Pen in Black for the accents. The "messy" smudges were intentional--as Life is never without its messes. The thumbprint represents the "touch" of someone in your life.



I urge you to try your hand at ATCs. All you need is a stiff cardstock or chipboard base, your imagination and whatever embellishments strike your fancy. You can spend minutes--or hours on your designs. The finished projects look wonderful in frames, in cards, stored on a rolodex turnstile or cataloged in baseball card trading sleeves. Consider them mini-art projects for the soul.

Create--and keep crafting!

Card Spotlight: Stamping

For this card project, I wanted to use a couple of new stamp sets I recently acquired. It's a simple card with a bit of bling.

I used an A2 sized piece of smooth white DCWV cardstock. The images and sentiment are stamped using Tsukineko VersaMagic Chalk Pigment Ink in Jumbo Java. The crown stamp is from an Autumn Leaves clear acrylic set called "Gypsy Style" by artist Rhonna Farrar. The "Live With Intention" sentiment is from a limited edition Hampton Arts clear acrylic set entitled "Intention" by artist Marah Johnson. The border stamp I used is from Sassafras Lass and it was stamped with Tsukineko Brilliance Ink in Coffee Bean.



For a bit of bling and visual interest, I used a Sakura Quickie Glue Pen and some Doodlebug Sugar Coating in bronze to highlight a portion of the swirl below the crown. I also used a Sakura Gelly Roll Glitter Pen in Clear to highlight the crown.



As a final touch, I used the same border stamp to stamp the inside of the card.




This was a quick and easy card project that took on a bit more sophistication with the addition of the glitter touches and double border stamping. Don't forget to use your stamps on the insides of your cards--as well as the outsides.

Create--and keep crafting!

Card Spotlight: Bear Hug

I wanted to use a gatefold design for a card--but I wanted to do something "different". My difference turned out to be adding an embroidered applique to the gatefold design.

For this project, the materials list is:

--Bazzill textured cardstock (one 12" x 12" sheet in Burnt Orange)
--embroidered applique
--decorative paper
--white cardstock
--Tsukineko Dew Drop Ink in Pearlescent Orchid
--Tsukineko VersaMagic Chalk Ink in Jumbo Java
--Colorbox Queue Ink in Black
--adhesive

For the gatefold card, I trimmed a piece of 12" x 12" Bazzill cardstock down to a 6" x 8" piece.



Using my Scor-Pal, I scored the cardstock at 2" and 6" to create the two flaps that will make up the gatefold card.




I made the teddy bear embroidery applique using my Brother E-100 Applique Station. After the bear was complete, I used an iron-on adhesive backing so that the threads would not unravel.



As the bear is going to be the focal point of the card--as well as serving as the opening/closing tab, I decided to use a piece of the same colored cardstock to make a backing mat for the applique. This serves two purposes: (1) It keeps any of the unsightly backing threads and stitches from being exposed; and (2) It adds another layer of stiffness and durability to the card closure. I simply traced around the embroidered applique shape with a pencil to create a mat backing. Then that outline is cut out with a pair of scissors. I then ran the applique through my Xyron 510 to apply a layer of adhesive to the back and adhered it to cardstock mat.




I used a set of alphabet stamps called "Ransom" to stamp the greeting on the front of my cardface. I used an overstamping technique. First, taking a Tsukineko Dew Drop ink in Pearlescent Orchid and stamping the greeting with the gatefolds held closed. Then I went back in with a slight off-set on the same stamp block and used some Colorbox black ink to re-stamp my greeting. I used my ATG714 to apply adhesive to half of the back of the embroidered applique cardstock backing and adhered it to the left side of the gatefold centering the bear at the center line of where the two gatefolds meet.




To complete the inner card, I used a piece of decorative paper from the DCWV Once Upon A Time Mat Stack, trimmed slightly smaller than the 4" x 6" card middle. I inked the edges of the paper with some Tsukineko VersaMagic Chalk Ink in Jumbo Java. Then I took a piece of smooth white cardstock and inked the edges with the same chalk ink. I used my ATG714 to adhere both papers to my card base.




I really like the combination of an embroidered element with cardmaking. It adds visual and textural interest. Don't be afraid to explore adding other craft elements (e.g., embroidery, needlepoint, tatting, mosaics, woodcrafts, etc.) to your cards.

Create--and keep crafting!

Card Spotlight: Vintage Surfboard Inspiration

For this card project, I was inspired by a design pattern from a vintage surfboard. It combines the techniques of masking (which we explored in an earlier project) and the Gamsol colored pencil technique. Again, we play with color and texture to create visual and tactile appeal.

This project uses the following materials:

--white cardstock
--Nick Bantock Vermillion Lacquer
--Sakura Glaze Pen in Black
--Heidi Swapp hibiscus flower mask
--Prismacolor pencils
--Gamsol
--Wooden stick cotton swab applicators
--Kleenex

For the base of this card, I chose a piece of smooth Bazzill white cardstock cut to an A2 size. I used a piece of a Heidi Swapp mask in the shape of a hibiscus flower and leaves. I chose to use a vermillion lacquer from the Nick Bantock Collection by Ranger. For those unfamiliar with this line, the Nick Bantock lacquers are brilliant dye based, acid-free, fade resistant and embossable ink. This was my first time experimenting with them and I was impressed with strong color hues.



After you've picked your masking shape, figure out your placement on the card front.



Once your mask is firmly engaged, make sure your work surface is covered with a sheet of scrap paper to prevent ink seepage. Then begin the process of dabbing your ink pad against the card front and go for maximum saturation. The coverage doesn't have to be complete because some bleed-through from the white surface adds an element of visual interest. To make sure that your color gets into the nooks and crannies of your mask, you can dab a Kleenex (or other tissue/applicator) on your ink pad and rub-on color into those cut-out areas. You can use the same Kleenex to rub down the back of your card to give it a lighter depth of color than the card front.




Allow your ink to set for a couple of minutes before removing your mask and exposing the white surface we will use the Gamsol technique on.



Prior to beginning the coloring of the image, I used a Sakura Glaze pen in black to outline the image to be colored. Not only does this define your coloring area, it creates a tactile border around your image (which is not affected by the Gamsol).



For coloring the hibiscus flower, I chose to use a layer of two colors. Closest to the black edging of the Glaze pen I used a thin layer of Prismacolor PC928 Blush Pink. Inside of the pink, I used a thicker layer of PC1002 Yellowed Orange.




Using the Gamsol and a 6" wooden stick cotton swab applicator, I blended the two pencil colors to provide a differential shading on the petals of the hibiscus flower. The stamen of the hibiscus were colored in using the black Sakura Glaze pen. I freehanded a few more smaller stamen and pistles to flesh out the outgrowth. For the leaves and stalk of the flower, I used a combination of PC909 Grass Green and PC910 True Green Prismacolor pencils.



For a final touch--and to emphasize the vintage look I was going for--I used two file boards from my Basic Grey tool set to distress some of the card surface and color. I had a bit of the vermillion lacquer smear into part of the leaves and one of the petals during the distressing. It was not intentional, but I think it adds to the vintage feel I was striving for.



Here are a couple of closer looks at the finished design:




Look for inspiration for your card and layout designs from the everyday world around you. You don't have to choose a large element to be inspired by--a small piece of a design can be interpolated into a beautiful layout. Don't be afraid to experiment with color. There is a time and place for muted colors. But, don't shy away from exploring with bright, vivid, loud color. The world needs more color!

Create--and keep crafting!

Card Spotlight: Textures

I recently received my first sets of Spellbinders Nestabilities Embossing and Cutting Dies. I chose the classic oval and scalloped oval sets as my first purchases. I hadn't had a chance to try them until last night, when I felt the urge to make a card. Though this is the first project I've used the Nestabilities on, my main focus for this card spotlight was showcasing layered textures on a card.



The base for this card is plain white cardstock scored into a standard horizontal bi-fold shape. I used a piece of woven textured DCWV printed cardstock as the mat for the card. I was drawn to the contrast of the powder blue background and the printed creme floral image. Before adhering my mat to the card base, I wrapped a piece of baby blue grosgrain ribbon from Pebbles around the mat.

I used the Nestabilities dies to cut the scalloped oval from the DCWV Luxury Mat Stack. The plain oval was cut from the DCWV Once Upon A Time Mat Stack. They were adhered with my Xyron 510. I used two Studio G clear acrylic stamps for the greeting. They were stamped using Tsukineko Brilliance in Pearlescent Sky Blue. I also used the same color to ink the edge of the plain oval. It's a terrific color and ink and it adds a subtle bling to your stamped images. The final step was adhering the scalloped plaquette to the card base. Here I decided I wanted to go with an offset for two reasons: 1) I didn't want to take away from the beauty of the floral portion of the mat; and 2) I think straying from the obvious placement (dead-center of the card) creates its own visual interest. There's just a hint of ribbon on the left side of the plaquette, then a larger piece running across the other visual element of the card.



The purposeful layering in the construction of the card creates several layers of eye-pleasing texture: from the mat woven texture, the ribbon texture, the plaquette texture and implied texture, and finally, from the depth created by the chosen stamping ink.



When working on your projects, always consider adding layered elements and create contrasting textures. Not only does it creat visual appeal, it also provides a tactile appeal as well.

Create--and keep crafting!

Word Books: Cricut Cut Files

A while back, I tried my hand at designing a couple of word books using my Cricut Expression, Cricut Design Studio and the Alphalicious cartridge.

Each letter of each book is laid out on a separate 12" x 12" mat in the cut file. I made the base cuts using Bazzill textured cardstock in Raven. I highly recommend you cut these images from a heavier cardstock and then apply decorative papers to give your books a bit more sturdiness (unless of course, you've used chipboard for your base). The embellishments can be up to your heart's desire. I used DCWV decorative papers, eyelets, and cuts from a few other Cricut Solutions cartridges to decorate mine. I thought I'd share the CUT files for these two projects, so that you can explore your creativity.


Download CUT file for LOVE book


Download CUT file for FRIEND book

Create--and keep crafting!

Further Adventures In Gamsol

I've continued to practice with the fabled Gamsol technique. The more I use my Prismacolor pencils and Gamsol, the more comfortable I become with the technique. I think I'm getting better with the application and blending. I'm still have some troubles getting the shadowing and perspective down...but I'm assuming that will come with time and more practice.

I started using blending stumps and then I came across some 6" wooden stick cotton swab applicators that I really like. They come two to a package, so you can use a new stick with each color range and avoid cross-contamination. The longer applicator also gives you more range of motion and freedom in coloring, I think.

Here are some of the latest images I practiced on this weekend. If you haven't tried this colored pencil technique, I'd highly recommend you check it out. The results are quite astonishing. It does take some investment on the front-end, but the dividends are very satisfying.






The stamps used: owl (Inkadinkado), butterfly (Autumn Leaves), bunnies (a RAK from AMKs_Mom), heart (Marah Johnson), poppy (Rhonna Farrar).