Thinking Inking

JustRite Papercrafts: Amazing Paper Grace August Release

Welcome!  I have another Amazing Paper Grace card to share with you today. Becca Feeken has three stamp sets being released this month through JustRite Papercrafts, two of which I have used here:  Vintage Alphabet Soup Background stamp and Vintage Filigree Fancies. (I showed the full sets in this post.)

Patterned papers are from a My Mind's Eye 6" x 6" Be Happy pad. I used Versamark ink to stamp the Vintage Alphabet Soup background and then heat-embossed with Filigree detail white embossing powder over most of the card front. Next I used Tattered Rose Distress Ink to deepen the color around the white letters. For the focal image I used Berry Sorbet, Sweet Blush (stamped off once), and Ripe Avocado inks (PTI). Spellbinders dies that I used were Blossom Tags and Accents, Standard Circles Large, and Back to Basics Tags.  I used a glue pen and glitter over the capital I. The pearl swirl is from Zva Creative, and ribbon is dyed with Copic Various Inks. 

Would you like to see more projects that use Becca's JustRite Amazing Paper Grace stamps? Then be sure to visit these blogs, and have a great day!

JustRite Inspiration

Marisa Job

Darsie Bruno

Eva Dobilas

Kathy Jones

Michele Kovack

Angela Barkhouse

Barb Schram

Sheri Holt

Kazan Clark

Heidi Blankenship

 

Paper Quilt and Tool Tips

I just finished a new little paper quilt hanging for my work space and wanted to share that with you today. I will put it into an 8" x 8" shadowbox frame. I may want to add some tissue flowers later--still deciding on that little detail. For now, it's going in the frame as is. 

I started with two things in mind for my paper quilt: the popular hexagon shape and a 6" x 6" Crate Paper Pretty Party pad. After I cut the hexagons with my Spellbinders S4-368 Hexagon die template, they needed something to make them POP still. Hmmm. . . a thin mat layer? I have just the tool!  In fact, this tool is one that I have used for years to get a thin mat layer.  I first bought a Perfect Layers tool several years ago when Stampin' Up carried them. I haven't mentioned using it lately because I did not know that they were stil available from the original manufacturer until I was in Los Angeles last month for a certification. When one of the ladies in class mentioned working with the Perfect Paper Crafting company and explained what they sell, I knew exactly what she was talking about: "I use that tool almost every day! Mine is starting to get a bit nicked up from years of use, but I rarely mat without it!"  Fast forward: she told me that she would send me another Perfect Layers tool AND share a code that would give my blog readers a discount if they wanted one too. Yay!! (That code at checkout is Olson5%.)

I recorded a short video tonight, but then I discovered that there were much better ones online already, so I will link you to them rather than reinvent the wheel. There is a product review along with video on Splitcoaststampers <<HERE>>, and there are videos on the Perfect Products site <<HERE>>.

So, can you see how the 1/16" mats make the hexagons pop? I use the 1/16" mat layer more than any other. Besides matting my hexagons, I also added stitching to help with the quilt look. Since I had just a 6" x 6" pad of the Crate Paper Pretty Party and needed an 8" square for my frame, I pulled out a retired Girls Paperie pattern for my quilt border and ran a blanket stitch around the perimeter. Buttons are from Papertrey Ink.

Well, that's it for today. I hope you have a fabulous weekend, and if you go Perfect Layers shopping, don't forget that you can use the code Olson5% for a discount. Thanks for stopping by today!

Friendship Nourished

Welcome! I've been trying to wrap up a big project over the past couple of days, but I finally had a chance to make a "just for fun" card tonight using my sweet friend Becca Feeken's JustRite Papercraft sets, Vintage Alphabet Soup Background stamp and Vintage Filigree Fancies. I also used three Spellbinders die template sets, Les Papillions, Labels Eight, and Decorative Labels Eight.

 

Aren't these pretty? They are totally Becca. :-)

The last thing I wanted to explain is how to have the decorative border show and the card base not peek out from underneath. I used a smaller sized Labels Eight die cut as my card base so that only the larger Decorative Labels Eight border would show. It's that simple! Edited to add: (If you need to see a picture, check THIS POST for a similar picture on how to leave that hinge at the top.)

Tomorrow I have a tool post to share with you. I have one simple tool that I have used for years but never mentioned because I didn't know that they were available. Last month I found out that they ARE still available, so I'll show you how it works. Thanks for stopping by today!

Felt Like Coloring. . .

Welcome! Today I felt like coloring something, and having been inspired by my friend Colleen Schaan's amazing hair coloring at CHA, I decided it was time to tackle a long, flowing hair image.  This sweet image is a digital stamp from Saturated Canary, Butterfly Princess. I printed it with a Canon MG5220 Ink Jet Printer on X-Press It Blending Card.

Shown above are the Copic markers that I used for hair colors. I did not leave the white of the paper for highlights since the base color was pretty dark, but it still has enough contrast to look shiny.

These are the colors that I used for skin and eyes. That E04 was for her lips, and the B's and W2 were for her eyes. (You can click to get a larger image, as usual.)

I think the dress took me as long to color as the hair did (markers shown above). I haven't colored images with this many folds before--it was a learning experience! 

For the background layer I used PTI's Berry Sorbet cardstock, impressed with a Spellbinders Asian Embossabilities folder which will be available in mid-August. I used a Grand Rectangles die template to cut and emboss the focal image. The ribbon is some seam binding, dyed with a Copic R22 Various Ink. I used a glue pen to attach some glitter to the princess's butterflies. That's it for today--thank you for stopping in!

Happy Hexagons Hello

Welcome! It's good to be back home again. I had a little traveling drama when I lost my driver's license in Chicago. For a while I wondered how I would get back on the plane, my DL being the only photo ID that I carried. If you ever find yourself in that situation, go to a police station. They can help you out. :-)

While I am not participating in Papertrey Ink's Stamp-a-Faire 2012 festivities today, I wanted to make sure that everyone knows what is going on over there, from challenges to prizes, tutorials, and more--it's a fabulous place to be.

For this card I used Happy Hexagons along with its coordinating cover plate die, as well as Vintage Picnic Sentiments for the sentiment on the banner. I placed the main cover plate template on the white cardstock and either glued my stamped pieces into place, or stamped the lined hexagons before removing the large frame piece. Ink colors are Blueberry Sky, Spring Rain, and Harvest Gold--good Swede colors.

Buttons are also from Papertrey Ink, threaded with a white cotton crochet thread. It's a clean and crsip look--fun for a change of pace occasionally. Again, be sure to check out the Stamp-a-Faire festivities if you get a chance, and have a fabulous day!

CHA Tidbits

Good morning! I am headed home today from CHA. I took a few pictures on Day 1, and I didn't have a chance to upload them until I was already at the airport to leave. I apologize for the picture quality; I had only a small camera with me, and lighting in the convention center isn't best with my little camera. Enjoy!

First, a shout out to Saturated Canary and Some Odd Girl! Both Krista and Kristy (artists for the two lines) have been in my Copic Certification classes, though I'm can tell you that that they both already had their mad skills well before coming! ;-D I've got some stamps from both lines on my radar, and I wish both of them great success.

Next, my sweet blogging friend Becca Feeken's new line was shown at JustRite Papercrafts--congratulations, Becca--well done!

Loved this Glitz line and will order some as soon as I find it available. It reminds me of patterns that my grandmother might have quilted. . .

As always, Kaisercraft had some gorgeous alterables.

Speaking of alterables, look at this Melissa Frances beauty--I think I need to add this to my Christmas decoration stash!

The only thing prettier than a booth full of ribbon may be little girls in Easter dresses, but it's close. . . 

Loved this fresh Carta Bella Christmas line too.

Tough to choose, but I think Farm Girl as my favorite October Afternoon line this time! Well, I need to pack up to catch my next flight. Thanks for stopping by.

July Papertrey Ink Release in Review

It's Papertrey Ink release day again! I have only four cards to share with you this month because I've been swamped with work lately, but I am sure that I will be playing with several of this month's other sets when the CHA pressure is off. Since the sets used in this post are from the July release,they will be available tonight at 10pm, EST, at Papertrey Ink. All of the new products used in this post can be seen HERE on Nichole's blog. I have listed all supplies under each project.

First up is a card using the Floral Foliage set. Isn't this a sweet set?  

A Friend Like You

Stamps: Floral Foliage
Cardstock: Rustic Cream, Enchanted Evening, Pure Poppy
Ink: Pure Poppy, New Leaf, Kraft, Chamomile Distress Cube
Patterned Papers: Simple Stories Summer Fresh 6" x 6" pad
Tools: Spiral Notebook die, Floral Foliage Die, Chevron die, sewing machine, 
Accessories: Rustic Twine, Enchanted Evening Vintage Button, red glitter, glue pen

Next I have a Shutterbug Special card. I needed a card for our upcoming anniversary, which I will miss since I'm in Chicago. So, I guess the question is whether a pretty card makes up for an absentee wife? :-) I put my pull-out part in upside down, but I rigged a stopping system for it so that it won't pull all of the way out. I used foam tape to construct a sliding path for it. The camera is in three different layers, the first being cut with the coordinating die, and the other two being cut by hand.

You and I Just Click

Stamps: Shutterbug Special
Cardstock: Scarlet Jewel, Rustic White
Ink: Smokey Shadow, Scarlet Jewel, and Chamomile Distress Cube
Patterned Paper: Carta Bella Beautiful Moments 6" x 6" pad
Tools: Shutterbug Special die, Tiny Tags die, sewing machine
Accessories: Vintage Cream Vintage Buttons, foam tape, seam binding dyed with Copic R89 reinker

I made a child's birthday card with the Little Hot Rod set. Loved this sweet little set too!

Happy Birthday Choo Choo 

Stamps: Little Hot Rod
Cardstock: Rustic White, Hawaiian Shores
Ink: Aqua Mist, Berry Sorbet, Simply Chartreuse
Patterned Paper: Echo Park So Happy Together 6" x 6" pad
Tools: Hot Rod dies, Mat Stack 4 die, sewing machine
Accessories: Rustic Twine, foam tape, glitter, glue pen

Finally, I used Framed Out #6 for a simple masculine card.

Happiest Birthday Wishes

Stamps: Framed Out #6
Cardstock: Rustic Cream, Ocean Tides
Ink: Ocean Tides, Dark Chocolate, Chamomile Distress Cube
Patterned Paper: My Mind's Eye Lost and Found Portobello Road
Tools: Framed Out #6 die, sewing machine
Accessories: Ocean Tides Grosgrain, Ocean Tides Vintage Button

Would you like to see more of the design team's work with the July Papertrey Ink products? Then be sure to visit these blogs! Again, since the sets used in this post are from the July release,they will be available for purchase tonight at 10pm, EST, at Papertrey Ink. Thanks for stopping by!

Nichole Heady

Ashley Cannon Newell

Betsy Veldman

Cristina Kowalczyk

Danielle Flanders

Dawn McVey

Debbie Olson (here)

Erin Lincoln

Heather Nichols

Jessica Witty

Maile Belles

Melissa Phillips

Cosmo Cricket Release

Were you thinking that I had disappeared? I've been trying to get some work done for CHA before I leave for Chicago Saturday morning.  I just finished up a few cards using some of Cosmo Cricket's new products that will be available for retailers to order at Summer CHA, and I have permission to post those here. You can see the complete lines pictured at the Cosmo Cricket blog on THIS blog post. Did I mention PRIZES there? Oh yeah. . .

First up is a card using the Art Angel line. Paper, sticker sentiment, AND the stamp are from the Art Angel line. Of course I had to color it with my Copic markers--a whole handful too, shown below. 

I pulled out my Papertrey Ink Hexagons Cover Plate die to use with Art Angel here; it was just begging to be a quilt! 

From S'More Love, I used paper from the 8" x 8" pad, chipboard, and the Element Deck. If you are a camper or outdoors-person, you will love S'More Love! I need more time to play with this line. . . after CHA. The little camera and the sentiment are from PTI's Summer Camp stamp set, and the mini safety pin is a Tim Holtz product. 

 

Retro and fun is the name of the game for the Jolly Days line! Here I have used both papers from the 8" x 8" Jolly Days pad as well as chipboard elements from the Jolly Days line. 

But retro can also be elegant! Here I used the same Jolly Days paper pad combined with a focal image from the coordinating Element Deck. A little bit of sanding, stitching, and some pretty gold ribbon, and I have another Jolly {Days} card. Remember that you can see the three new Cosmo Cricket lines in their entirety HERE on the Cosmo Cricket blog. Don't forget to sign up for prizes. You may want to look at other posts there too, because I think I saw more than one post with attached prizes. Good luck, and thanks for stopping by today!

Happy {Hexagons} Birthday!

Just a quick note before I start my regular blog post: If I have any readers in the Kansas City, Missouri area who are interested in attending a Copic Intermediate Certification on Saturday, August 18, I would LOVE to hear from you! I have a certification scheduled already, but we have only four people signed up so far. I'm hoping for at least six to eight more people. Any takers? See this page for details. Thanks! 
_______________

Woohoo! I saw that the Papertrey Ink Cover Plate Hexagon die is back in stock now, so I can finally post this birthday card that has been queued up for a couple of weeks now. It's a simple one, but I was pleased with how it turned out nevertheless.  I die cut two Hexagon Cover Plate shapes, one in Aqua Mist and One in Rustic White. I trimmed the edges of the Aqua Mist frame slightly so that I would have a bit of the white edge of the card base showing, and then I stamped images from the Happy Hexagons stamp set in Pure Poppy, Hawaiian Shores, Aqua Mist, and Simply Chartreuse. 

I stamped a sentiment from the Happy Hexagons Mini Set on a PTI Double Ended Banner die cut, then trimmed it to fit my card front. How simple is that? I love Happy Hexagons and that Hexagon Cover Plate! It reminds me of quilting, except without the huge time commitment. :-) That's it for today--thank you for stopping by.

Supply List

Stamps: Happy Hexagons

Cardstock: Rustic White, Aqua Mist

Ink: Pure Poppy, Aqua Mist, Hawaiian Shores, Simply Chartreuse

Dies: Cover Plate: Hexagon Die, Double Ended Banners die

Lovely Layers Notecards

Welcome! It's starting to cool off a bit here, thankfully. Lucky for me that my studio is in the basement, the coolest place in our house. Today I have a set of note cards to share. I used Papertrey Ink's Lovely Layers stamp set, as well as Framed Out #2. Using Ripe Avocado, Aqua Mist, Ocean Tides, and Kraft inks, I stamped a sheets of background images on Guide Lines 1 Grid Sheets, and then cut strips to mount on my card fronts. 

For the backgrounds, I used Papertrey's Simple Stripes Impression Plate. I wanted to keep these note cards simple and suitable for masculine cards, and the stripe gave me some texture without being overly ornate. That's it for today; thanks for stopping by!

Praying for You: With Gratitude Antique Labels One

Welcome! I've busier than a bee playing with new stamps, dies, and patterned papers. For the last day of the JustRite Papercraft July release blog hop, I have a card to share using the new With Gratitude Antique Labels One stamp set. I needed this card for a special couple, so I didn't want it to be too pink and overtly girl-y. 

On the left is the full With Gratitude Labels One stamp set. I love that largest label shape--it has an Art Noveau feel to me, and it coordinates with the JustRite Antique Labels One Custom Dies. (I hand-trimmed the stamped label and used the die to mat it.) On the right is the new 2012 JustRite Summer Catalog Supplement --chock full of lovely projects!

In addition to the the JustRite Antique Labels One Custom Dies, I also used a new Spellbinders die that will be released at Summer CHA, Majestic Elements Resplendent Rectangles. Paper are from Melissa Frances (Ledger Dot and Hope Chest from Attic Treasures). I dyed white seam binding with Copic B91 and then dripped some E41 randomly for a vintage look. Inks are PTI Enchanted Evening and Chamomile Distress Cube, as well as Adirondack Mushroom and Cloudy Sky. I colored in the newsprint background with a Copic E41. Button is from Papertrey Ink, while pearls are from Zva Creative. Would you like to see some beautiful projects with the With Gratitude Labels One set? Then be sure to check these out, and thanks for stopping by!

JustRite Inspiration

Marisa Job

Heidi Blankenship 

Darsie Bruno

Kathy Jones 

Eva Dobilas

Michele Kovack 

Sheri Holt 

Barb Schram

Angela Barkhouse

Thinking of You Pocket Card: Just Because Vintage Labels

Welcome! Today I have a pocket card for you using several JustRite Papercraft sets, one of them being the newly released Just Because Vintage Labels, shown below.

I was almost finished coloring that pretty label shape at the top when I saw a Splitcoast Stampers gallery and tutorial on Flower Pot Pocket cards. . .Hmmmm--seemed like a fun thing to try! (I'll finish my top label card later.) To cut and emboss the sentiment I used a JustRite custom die set, Vintage Label and Banner Dies.

These are the Copic markers that I used to color the floral images on the bottom part of the pot shape. (I stamped them in Memento Rich Cocoa ink.) By the way, before someone asks, there is no special reason that I have a G82 in a Copic Original rather than a Copic Sketch. I think they were out of this color in Copic Sketch when I ordered it.

I had used the largest Spellbinders Flower Pots die template to cut the card pocket, so I used the next size down for the card insert. The sentiment is from JustRite's Seeds of Summer set. On the top part of the flower pot I stamped JustRite's Ticking Stripe Background in PTI's Sweet Blush ink.

For the flowers I used the Spellbinders Rose Creations die templates, along with Foliage for the leaves. I airbrushed the leaves with a Copic YG63 and Copic Airbrush System. 

Could I interest you in seeing more Just Because Vintage Labels and Ever After Antique Labels projects? Here's a list, and thank you for stopping by today!

Just Rite Inspiration

Marisa Job

Michele Kovack 

Darsie Bruno

Sharon Harnist 

Eva Dobilas

Barb Schram

Angela Barkhouse

Sheri Holt