Tag Archives: Handmade

How to Make a Gingerbread House Garland

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by Jennifer Vanderbeek

How to Make a Gingerbread House Garland

Die cuts and a few choice supplies combine to create this darling little gingerbread house garland. Not only is it perfect for the holidays, it’s an ideal craft to let kids help decorate (after the embossing is done!) and it would also look super sweet at a fairy tale themed event—think Hansel and Gretel and the witch’s house in the woods. A fun technique used in this project is layering the StazOn Studio Glaze while still wet. Drawing the tip of the Claret StazOn Studio Glaze bottle over the Cotton White made for near-seamless candy cane stripes once dried. Also, I’ve found it helps to be very generous with the Cotton White, especially on darker papers or backgrounds, if you want it to retain some opacity.

Skill: Advanced
Time: 15 minutes per house

Directions

Supplies

Imagine
Other
  • Cardstock – Craft
  • Die-Versions – Tall Victorian Home die
  • Sizzix – Big Shot Plus
  • 1/8” Hole Punch
  • Darice – Heat Tool
  • Baker’s Twine
  • Clear Tape

Create An Inspiring Design To Help Free Your Mind

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by Iris Rodriguez

Create An Inspiring Design To Help Free Your Mind

Do you ever think about things too much when you know it’s not necessary? A great way to break up this thinking pattern is to turn to creative endeavors, to “free your mind” and create what the muse wants instead. This month we have the fun challenge of creating projects with Rinea foils. There are so many funs things you can do with these foils; you can stamp on it, paint, use with mediums or create 3D decorative projects. For my card I have used foils as an embellishment, check it out.

Skill: Beginner
Time: 1 hour

Directions

Fireworks! Shimmery Craft Sprays in Lady Bug, Grape Jelly and Bamboo Leaves
Step 1

Spray water onto watercolor paper, then spray Fireworks! Shimmery Craft Sprays in Lady Bug, Grape Jelly and Bamboo Leaves in different areas. The water will help these inks spread and blend on the paper.

Jet Black StazOn ink
Step 2

Stamp the girl image with Jet Black StazOn ink. I decided to color with Prismacolor Marker Light Peach to color in the face. I colored the mouth and cheeks with Love Letter Memento Luxe ink. For the eyes, I used All-Purpose Ink in Sky Blue, for hair used Real Black and Thyme for the dress. Once all the ink is dry next fussy cut the image.

Cut out the butterflies from Rinea foil paper
Step 3

Cut out the butterflies from Rinea foil paper in various colors with either a die or a punch.

Adhere the girl image onto the card with On Point Glue. On Point Glue is perfect for these small pieces
Step 4

Adhere the girl image onto the card with On Point Glue. On Point Glue is perfect for these small pieces. Glue the butterflies to the top of her hair and forehead.

Stamp the sentiment "Free Your Mind"
Step 5

Stamp the sentiment “Free Your Mind”. Assemble card and add any additional personal touches.

Supplies

Imagine
Other
  • Watercolor paper
  • Cardstock – white
  • Rinea Foils – Jolly Variety pack; green, silver, gold, red
  • Martha Stewart – Classic and Monarch butterflies punch
  • Sentiment stamp
  • Prismacolor Premier Marker – Light Peach

See How to Create a Beautiful Autumn Nature ATC Card Set

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by Elina Stromberg

See How to Create a Beautiful Autumn Nature ATC Card Set

Artist Trading Cards aka ATC’s are wonderful little pieces of art. Their small 3.5” x 2.5” size doesn’t require too many materials nor too much time. Using just one single sheet of mixed media or watercolor paper you can create a pile of cards on one go. This set of ATC’s was inspired by the beautiful autumn nature. Bright, bold colors, and wilted garden flowers getting ready for winter. Simple but elegant, and so fun to create!

Skill: Beginner
Time: 1 hour

Directions


Step 1

Apply purple, pink, and orange Memento DewDrops on a white mixed media paper with Jumbo Daubers. Sprinkle water on the inked paper, letting the colors to mix. Let dry or dry with a heat gun.


Step 2

Decorate paper by stamping random text patterns on the paper. Use only one pattern stamp, but two ink colors (orange Memento Tangelo and dark purple VersaFine Clair Fantasia). Cut several cards from the inked and stamped sheet. The standard size of ATC is 2.3” x 3.5”. If you want to mat the cards on a solid color cardstock, trim these foreground cards slightly smaller than ATC. Mix white acrylic paint with water, and sprinkle paint drops on the cards. Let dry.


Step 3

Cut ATC backgrounds from dark red cardstock. Attach card fronts on the backgrounds with two-sided tape. Stamp flower shapes on the cards using black VersaFine Clair. Decorate ATC’s with word stickers that express sentiments such as “friends,” “treasure,” and “inspiration.”

Supplies

Imagine
Other
  • White mixed media paper
  • Cardstock – Dark Red
  • Acrylic paint
  • Stamps – Text stamp (‘Tekst’ by Wycinanka); Flower stem stamps (Artemio)
  • Word stickers
  • Double-sided tape

Make a “Sending You Autumn Blessings” Greeting Card

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by Roni Johnson

Make a "Sending You Autumn Blessings" Greeting Card

Autumn is my favorite time of the year so when I saw these fun stamps from Honey Bee I knew I had to have them. The pick-up is perfect for all sorts of fun scene cards. Rinea foiled papers make it that much more special. The foiled paper is so easy to stamp on using StazOn inks and can be torn, die-cut or trimmed with scissors as you see here. It’s just so much fun to add a bit of zing to your projects with Rinea Foiled Paper.

Skill: Beginner
Time: 30 minutes

Directions


Step 1

Stamp the truck onto Ruby/Gold Glossy Foiled Paper using Jet Black StazOn Ink. Fussy cut the truck; die-cut the tires from Mocha/Mocha Starstruck Foiled Paper and window detailing from Silver/Gold Glossy Foiled Paper. Adhere these accents to the pickup truck.


Step 2

Stamp pumpkin pile and individual pumpkins on Marigold/Gold Glossy Foiled Paper; fussy cut. Adhere the pumpkin pile to the truck and set the pumpkins aside. Tear a “dirt road” from Mocha/Gold Glossy Foiled Paper. Die-cut grass and hills from Emerald/Gold Glossy Foiled Paper. Adhere hills, grass and road pieces to a white card panel; affix the truck and pumpkins.


Step 3

Stamp “Sending you” with VersaFine Clair Nocturne and “Autumn Blessings” with VersaFine Clair Acorn inks on the card panel. Affix the card panel to a dark brown card blank.

Supplies

Imagine
Other
  • Rinea Foiled Paper – Autumn Variety Pack; Emerald/Gold Glossy Foiled Paper; Silver/Gold Glossy Foiled Paper
  • Honey Bee Stamps – Sending You Sentiments; Little Pick Up Stamps; Little Pick Up Dies
  • White Cardstock
  • Dark Brown
  • Card Blank
  • Adhesive

November Color of the Month is Gingerbread

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November Color of the Month is Gingerbread

Color of the Month for November is Gingerbread. We love this toasty burnt orange-brown color that reminds us of the all the yummy treats and eats that are created for the holidays. For papercrafting, we have a collection of ink colors that perfectly compliment the Gingerbread color. Some of these inks include VersaMagic in (ready for it…) Gingerbread, Memento in Peanut Brittle, and VersaMagic in Pumpkin Spice. These dark orange colors are a great addition to your ink collection.

To start us out for the month of November, we have a super cute cardmaking tutorial by Elina Stromberg. Enjoy!

Cute Birthday Card by Elina Stromberg

As a scrapbooker and card maker, I have lots and lots of beautiful patterned papers. However, very often I prefer using just plain white mixed media papers and creating the background patterns myself. That way I can both enjoy the creative process of inking, stamping, and stenciling but also create patterned papers that have exactly my needed colors. This cute birthday card was inspired by our November color ‘Gingerbread’. Even if I used only a limited color palette I think the card doesn’t look boring at all. Several layers of eye-catching patterns and cute stamped and colored images were a perfect combo!

Skill: Beginner
Time: 1 hour

Directions


Step 1

Stamp and fuzzy-cut the main images.


Step 2

Apply Memento in Desert Sand (light brown) on a piece of mixed media cardstock/watercolor paper. Do not cover the entire sheet but leave some areas white.


Step 3

Stencil VersaMagic in Gingerbread on top of.


Step 4

Stamp circle patterns with VersaFine Clair in Acorn.


Step 5

Add the final layer of patterns by stamping small dots with Memento in Potter’s Clay.


Step 6

Apply a thin layer of white gesso on those areas where the main images will be placed. This will highlight the fuzzy cut images, preventing them from blending into the busy background. Let dry.


Step 7

Glue main images on the card front. Mat card on brown cardstock and attach to white card base. I used the very same techniques for creating a matching ATC. I think it looks quite nice, too!

Supplies

Imagine
Other
  • White mixed media paper
  • Brown cardstock, white card base
  • White gesso
  • Carabelle Studio: ‘Les Mini OUF 2’ Stamp, Mini Textures
  • VivaLasVegaStamps! – Doodle Dots
  • Ranger Dyulusions – Fresh Dots Small Stencil
  • Promarkers for coloring the images
  • American Crafts – Number stickers

Create Paper Dresses With Stazon And Creative Medium

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by Iris Rodriguez

Create Paper Dresses With Stazon And Creative Medium

I enjoy drinking tea. There is something so zen about it. The enjoyment does not have to end after tea time. Keep the tea bags to make art. You can paint and stamp on them, sew into them, and even create sculptural projects, such as these little dresses. These dresses can be used on cards, art projects, place in a shadowbox, which makes for a great home décor for young girl/lady’s bedroom or simply make for yourself.

Skill: Advanced
Time: 30 minutes per dress 

Directions


Step 1

Begin by allowing your tea bags to fully dry. I placed my tea bags on a ceramic plate with a paper towel and allowed them to dry for several days. The color of your tea bag will be determined by the type of tea you use. On this project, I started with a light color tea bag because it is Ginger tea.


Step 2

The tea bags are very delicate so a soft touch will be required to take them apart. Remove the tag by pulling it off. Remove the tiny staple with your nails. Rip open the seams. Take out the dried leaves by sloughing it off. Tear off the seams, otherwise, you’ll see it in your art. Do so, by tearing off the edges on the long side of the rectangle.


Step 3

The dresses will be made by using two dress patterns and gluing them at the seam, kind of like how real dresses are made. We will create one big sheet made of individual tea bags. This will be our “fabric”. One side of the tea bags will be rough, that’s where the tea leaves reside. The sheet will have one smooth side, this side is ideal for stamping. Lay the tea bags, rough side up, on a nonstick surface; wax paper or Freezer paper. Please note, in order to get one smooth side, Freezer or wax papers work the best. Brush on Creative medium and adhere the bags together by slightly overlapping them.


Step 4

Make a sheet of tea bags to the desired size. Adhere the second layer of tea bags in the exact location as the first layer. Ensure that your sheet is big enough to make two dress patterns per dress. If you want a thicker dress, add more than two layers of tea bags.


Step 5

Allow the tea bags to dry. Now you will have one single sheet of tea bags. Carefully, separate the sheet from the nonstick paper. Do this slowly, so that you don’t risk ripping the sheet. The bottom side of the sheet will be very smooth, yet you’ll still make out the tiny tea leaves granules, which look awesome. The other side will have a rough texture.


Step 6

Draw out a dress shape, or download a pattern from the internet.


Step 7

Fold the sheet in half. Using tracing paper, trace the dress on the tea bag sheet on the smooth side.


Step 8

Cut out the dress. Spray the dress with the Fireworks! Shimmery Craft Spray in Lady Bug on the smooth side.

Step 9

Stamp images on your dresses using a variety of StazOn inks.

Step 10

Glue the seams together with the On Point Glue.


Step 11

In order to give the dress dimension, strengthen the paper with Clear Creative Medium. Add saran wrap to inside to give the dress volume and brush on Creative Medium.


Step 12

Create a hanger for the dress. Measure desired hanger size against the dress. Bend the two ends of the wire at about 45 degrees. On one end, bend the wire to 90 degrees, wrap the other end around it, and bend the wire into a hook shape. Hang your dress on the hanger.

 

Supplies

Imagine
Other
  • Used teabags
  • Rubber Stamps
  • Freezer or wax paper
  • 16 or 18 gauge aluminum wire
  • Plyers
  • Scissors