Hi, friends. It's Sarah bloggin' today. Hope all of you had a fantastic, warm weekend.
As promised, we're here to announce a winner for the punch challenge that Mary issued last week. She challenged you to get out those punches and use them on a project.
We had TWO fabulous entries into the challenge.
((NOTE: Feel free to click on the images for a larger view of the projects.))
 Above, one of our awesome customers, Ann, shared a beautiful layout where she used a circle punch to create her very own background design. How creative and clever! Plus, the stitching adds a unique touch to her project. For more details on this particular layout and a brief how to, check out her blog.
 To the right is our second entry! This beauty was created by April. What a fantastic design! ...and of course, we loved how she used both her scallop and circle punches! Fore more details and more of April's work, visit her blog here.
Thank you to both gals for playing along with us! ...but as promised, we need to announce a winner.
*drum roll please* Ann and April We appreciate both of you for taking the time to submit your creations with the shop, so both of you are winners! Please contact the shop via our contact form on our website to claim your prize.For those of you who missed out on this challenge, no fret! We've got another one coming your way in the near future that will have another awesome giveaway....and as always, happy creating!
 Hi Crafters!
It's Mary, dropping in with a quick tag share. Tags are fun to make when you're feeling creative, but don't have a ton of time to work on a project. You can get your creative fix, and create something fun on a smaller scale (and you can use the tags later on cards or layouts).
Just a few of the supplies that I used are shown to the right.
I used heat embossing, distress inks, and a few stickers.
First, I used the Wild Honey Distress ink to ink the entire tag using a blending tool. Next, I stamped the Radiant Banner Cling Stamp (Hero Arts) using Versamark Watermark ink onto the tag. I heat embossed the stamped image with clear embossing powder.
 I wanted the yellow/orange color to show through the embossed area of the stamp. I made sure to stamp only the top part of the stamp on the tag, leaving the banner part off of my tag since I wanted the tag to give the impression of a sun. I went over the entire tag with Barn Door Distress Ink, adding more and more color to make the red very bright. I used a paper towel to lightly wipe off the embossed areas (which resist the ink) and was left with a brilliant sunrise/sunset looking image.
 To dress up my tag, I added a sentiment from the Jillibean Soup label stickers (Soup Labels) from the Game Day Chili collection. I chose "Be amazingly awesome today" and then added in a few butterfly stickers from Studio Calico. The butterflies are normally a woodgrain/graph print, but I had used them as a mask in an earlier project, so mine are green (Leaf Green Mister Huey's spray mist).
 After staring at my tag for a few minutes, I decided it was too flat, so I cut a pop dot in half and raised one of the smaller butterflies up. It was a slight change, but I think the tag looks much better with just the one alteration.
Hope everyone enjoyed the quick look at this tag.
You can alter tags in so many ways and add more embellishments or different sentiments to fit your creative needs. Pick up a box of manila or white shipping tags at your local craft store, and spend a few minutes making something creative. Tags are a great way to jump start your creativity!
Don't forget: you still have until Sunday at 8pm to complete a layout using punches and add it to our comments section (or email the store the link/picture). The winner will be announced Monday morning and will win a $10 gift card from Our Paper Place.
Looking forward to seeing all those great layouts.
...and as always, happy creating!
Hello crafters! This is Mary, finally back with that challenge I mentioned in the previous post. Sarah and I each made samples for this particular challenge, and we hope you'll play along too!
Ready to hear about this challenge?
This week we're encouraging you to pull out your paper punches and make good use of them. They are tools that most of us have, and often times end up sitting in a basket or a drawer for a while in between uses.
Submit a layout (any size and it can be a single layout or a two-page spread) that showcases your punches. You can use your punches on the background, as embellishments, as borders, etc. This challenge is definitely wide open to possibilities. We just want to see how creative you can be with those punches.
Post a link of your layout to this post, so that we'll be able to check it out!
The challenge will be open starting now, and will close Sunday (4/29/12) at 8 pm. Any entries received after 8 pm will not be entered. Winner will be announced here on the blog on Monday, April 30th, and will win a $10 gift card to Our Paper Place.
And now for the samples:  Sarah created this lovely layout featuring her circle punch. I love how she punched circles out of the background, and layered patterned paper behind the punched out circles. A fun way to display just a tiny bit of a favorite patterned paper, or to add in a nice pop of color to your layout.
 I created this layout featuring some of the many places I have visited here in the Golden State. I used my Silhouette to cut out the state of California, and then used three different sized circle punches to punch out my various photos. Some of the photos are raised up on foam dots for added dimension.
 Here's one more sample I created. This on shows a great way to use up lots of scraps in your scrap basket. I punched out a bunch of small hearts from a variety of patterned papers. I then started in one corner and worked my way across and down, attaching each heart with a glue dot (mini).
I hope this has inspired you to pull out your paper punches and play along with us. We look forward to seeing all of your wonderful layouts.
...and as always, happy creating!
 close up of sentiment Hi everyone! This is Mary, dropping in with a quick card share. It's a very simple card, but rather striking in person.
The card base is made from a piece of patterned paper from the new Story Teller collection from Crate Paper (it is an orange wood grain pattern called Yesterday).
I took the new Studio Calico Huey's Masks (the chevron mask) and misted over the patterned paper using Mister Huey's in Overdue (red) and Calico Shine (clear sparkle). After it dried, I adhered a piece of yellow ribbon (something I no longer have the packaging to) and a piece of red baker's twine to the front of the card, about an inch from the bottom.
I stamped the medal stamp with Versamark watermark ink and heat embossed the image with Mustard Zing! embossing powder from American Crafts. The medal stamp (and greeting) are from an older Studio Calico/Hero Arts set called You Are the Best. After the embossing cooled, I stamped the sentiment using Memento Tuxedo Black ink. I cut out the image and then adhered it to the card using foam dots.
The great thing about a card like this is that you can send it to someone as is for a simple card, or dress it up as much as you like since there is plenty of space for other embellishment.
Hope you enjoyed the card.
Remember to look for a fun challenge coming later this week here on the blog. There will be a prize for one lucky participant.
...and as always, happy creating!
If you haven't already heard, the shop will be hosting its very first summer carnival! It will be an all day event, and all ages (that includes children) are more than welcome to join us for a day of fun. There will be make and takes, carnival games, prizes, giveaways, and delicious carnival food, so make sure to save the date on July 21st! This will be an event that you don't want to miss!
...and as always, happy creating!
 Hello! This is Mary, dropping in with another card share. Today I'll show you how to use those Distress Inks to create a vivid sunset card.
You will need some supplies to get started:
*Distress Inks (Scattered Straw, Mustard Seed, Wild Honey and Ban Door - or any combination you like to create a variegated scene + Vintage Photo for the paper edges)
*Foam applicator tool & foam pieces
*White cardstock base (cut to 4.25" x 11" and then scored and folded in half o form a card 4.25" x 5.5")
*White cardstock (smooth paper) piece cut to 3.25" x 4.5"
*Stamp (I used a bare tree stamp from Inkadinkado)
*Black embossing powder ( I like Zing! by American Crafts)
*Heating tool
*Tsukineko Versamark watermark ink (or embossing ink of choice)
*patterned paper to match your Distress Inks
*button
*Dry adhesive
*Glossy Accents or other quick dry wet glue
First, take your stamp and stamp on the small white cardstock piece using the Versamark ink. Cover the stamped image with your black embossing powder. Shake off excess powder (and pour it back into your jar).
Melt the embossing powder with your heat tool - it should have a glossy shine once it is melted. Let it sit for a few seconds to cool - if you touch it right after heating it will burn you.
Take your foam applicator tool and press it into the first ink (scattered straw) to pick up some color. Starting off of your paper (I use a craft sheet to protect my table) move in a circular motion and pull the ink color onto the paper. This may take a bit of practice. If you use the circular motion, you will end up with smooth color coverage on your project. Cover the entire paper with the Scattered Straw Distress Ink.
 Take your second color (Mustard Seed - and a clean foam piece) and add a line about halfway down the paper with the Mustard Seed ink. You still want to work in a circular motion and start off the edge of the page. Continue adding your color in a band until it is as wide as you like and as dark. You can go back in to the top section with the Scattered Straw color and blend the two colors a little bit to make the layers look more continuous.
Repeat this step with the remaining two colors (Wild Honey and Barn Door) with bands underneath the Mustard Seed. After each color, you can go back in with the previous color to blend the lines. The Barn Door (red color) should only show at the very base of the tree stamp and then continue down the rest of the card.
 Cut your patterned papers to the following dimensions:Yellow: 3.5" x 4.75"
Orange: 3.75" x 5"
Red: 4" x 5.25"
Take your Vintage Photo Distress Ink and apply to the edges of all three of your papers. You can also distress the edges of your stamped image, but that is your choice.
Adhere the stamped image to the yellow paper, the yellow paper to the orange paper and the orange paper to the red paper.This will be the front of your card.
 Take your button and run a piece of the twine through the holes. Tie a bow on the front, leaving a tail on either side of the button. Run a thin line of dry adhesive on the back of the red paper, and fold the twine around the back of the card to stick on the adhesive. Repeat on the other side of the card. I also added a dot of glossy accents underneath the button to hold it in place and a dot on top of the bow to hold that together.
Adhere your matted stack to the front of your card and you are finished! I think this would look fabulous with a palm tree silhouette stamp for a beautiful tropical card.
Hope you enjoyed this tutorial.
...and as always, happy creating!
Hello everyone!
This is Mary with a quick and easy card for Easter, or just a spring card in general. There is a free PDF printable of the card template at the bottom of the post for your personal use. I do apologize for the coloring on some of the pictures - the lighting in my room is not the best at night.
Supplies Needed: Scissors, bone folder/stylus for scoring, ruler, black permanent marker, glossy accents or any quick dry adhesive, pink mist or paint, ribbon, white smooth cardstock, paintbrush, inks for stamping, letter stickers to add sentiment, ribbon
 Step 1: Print the PDF file onto a piece of smooth cardstock.
Step 2: Cut out the bunny card (or better yet, cut the bunny template in half, place it along the fold in your cardstock and trace one bunny with the feet along the folded edge of the cardstock. Cut out bunny, making sure to leave the folded edge in tact along the bunny's feet.)
 score card along feet Step 3: If you cut out the whole bunny card, score along the middle line of the feet so that your bunny will fold to make a card. Fold over firmly, using the bone folder to make your crease along the bunny's feet.
 card interior Step 4: Put your greeting on the inside of the card. Stamp an image also using the Jenni Bowlin ink or another ink you have handy. Here I used letter stickers and a phrase sticker from the Jillibean Soup Chicken Dumpling Cardstock Stickers set. The stamp is one I've had for a very long time, and was stamped using Jenni Bowling for Ranger ink in Soap Powder. You could of course stamp a greeting instead of using letter stickers.
 Step 5: Take the Mister Huey's/spray mist and shake well. Open the bottle and dip a paintbrush into the mist. Paint on a nose for your bunny. Since the mists are so thin, be sure to only pick up a little bit of the paint on your brush. You will only need a tiny amount of the spray mist.
Step 6: Attach a candy dot/googly eye to the front of your card. If using a plain white candy dot or pearl gem, take your black permanent marker and draw in a pupil. Let this sit to dry for at least ten minutes (or you'll smear the ink - you would think after three tries I would have gotten the hint ...)
 Step 7: Add a ribbon around the bunny's neck and tie into a bow. Use glossy accents or liquid glue to put a small dot behind the bow to hold in place. Glossy accents along the cut edges of the ribbon will prevent fraying as well.
And that's it! You have yourself a very simple Easter card. You can add more embellishments in any way that you like and add on a pom-pom for the tail.
Hope you enjoyed the cad. We would love to see what you come up with using the template.
...and as always, happy creating!
Amy and Kelly sent over some sneak peeks to their workshops this weekend. Yes, all spots are filled; however, if you're interested in their kits, there will be a limited amount of kits for you to purchase. Contact the shop for details
...and as always, happy creating!
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