Tag Archives: Handmade

See How to Create a Family Tree Wall Hanging

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by Iris Rodriguez

See How to Create a Family Tree Wall Hanging using Tsukineko All-Purpose Ink and VersaFine Clair

This month we have the pleasure of working with Joy Clair stamps. Today, I am using the Love Tree stamp set which made me think of the strong bond that exists amongst family. I created a wall hanging as an ode to family and the love that binds us and keeps us together. For this project, I stamped the sentiment “Love Blossoms Here” onto watercolor paper, personalized it with alphabet stamps, added wire hanging and added a book paper backing to represent the family stories that get created along the way and then passed on. Keep reading to see how I created this lovely home decor piece.

Skill: Intermediate
Time: 1.5 hours

Directions


Step 1

Spray the watercolor paper with water. Then brush on the Tropical Lagoon All-Purpose ink. Dry the paper. This will become the background.


Step 2

Stamp the tree and sentiment with Acorn Versafine Clair ink. Add Imagine’s Embossing Powder in Clear and heat set. Then continue to stamp the rest of elements.


Step 3

Color in the tree with the Chocolate All-Purpose ink and water. Dry the paper.


Step 4

Measure a piece of discarded cardboard to fit behind your main tree image.


Step 5

Adhere the book paper onto the cardboard with Matte Medium. Add the Matte Medium on the cardboard, on the book paper. Burnish with your fingers or brayer to ensure bubbles do not develop under the book paper. Brush on Matte Medium over the paper. Then adhere to the back of the wall hanging. This also helps give weight to the watercolor paper, which keeps the paper straight.


Step 6

Paint the dowels with Terra Cotta Walnut ink with a brush and water. Dry the dowels with the heating tool.


Step 7

Punch holes on the top and the bottom of wall hanging using the hole punch.


Step 8

Add the eyelets with the eyelet setter. Wrap wire in the hole and around the dowel several times. Ensure to leave a loop in the center to hang on the wall.

And, this is it! A new art piece for your home or a great gift for a family member or friend. I hope you give it a try.

Supplies

Imagine
Other
  • Joy Clair Stamps – The Love Tree set
  • Eyelets
  • Eyelet Setter
  • 20 gauge Steel Wire
  • Wooden Dowel
  • Watercolor paper
  • Cardboard
  • Book Paper
  • Matte Medium or Mod Podge
  • 1/16 hole punch

How to Blend Different Stamps in the Same Mermaid Card Project

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by Jennifer Vanderbeek

How to Blend Different Stamps in the Same Mermaid Card Project with VersaFine Clair

This Fintastic Mermaid card is one of those examples of how a color and a single image can inspire a whole project. This month’s color challenge is Sea Breeze, so I immediately reached for VersaFine Clair in Warm Breeze—a favorite from the first time I stamped it. That plus the Lovely Swirl background (which, when turned on its side, reminds me of waves) gave me a clear direction for this delightful little mermaid card.

One of my favorite parts of the process was mixing various stamps from different manufacturers but tying them together seamlessly by keeping the same non-traditional outline color throughout. Try it next time and see how it works for you!

Supplies

Imagine
Other
  • Cardstock – White, Blue
  • Joy Clair Stamps – Lovely Swirl Background Stamp
  • Santoro – No 31 Awashed Stamp
  • Waffle Flower – Little Mermaids Stamp Set
  • Darice – Heat Tool
  • Water Brush
  • Acrylic Blocks
  • Tweezers
  • American Crafts – Paper Trimmer
  • Fiskars – Scissors
  • Craft Knife
  • Helmar – Liquid Scrap Dots, Zap Dots

Make a Cute “Gnome is Where the Heart is” Card

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by Steph Ackerman

Make a Cute "Gnome is Where the Heart is" Card. Joy Clair Stamps.

In today’s project, I created two cards with a fun garden gnome themes with Tsukineko inks. This month we had the opportunity of creating with Joy Clair stamps and I chose a woodgrain background and a whimsical stamp set. Who doesn’t love mushroom houses and gnomes?

Skill: Intermediate
Time: 1 hour + dry time

Directions


Step 1

Stamp houses with VersaFine Clair in Nocturne on white cardstock.


Step 2

Color images with Memento Markers.


Step 3

To achieve color variations, ink the woodgrain stamp with Brilliance in Pearlescent Beige and Coffee Bean Inks and stamp onto white cardstock.


Step 4

Ink the woodgrain stamp with VersaFine Clair in Pinecone and stamp onto brown cardstock.


Step 5

Die cut house with circle dies. Ink around edges with Brilliance in Pearlescent Beige. Stamp fences with VersaFine Clair in Pinecone Ink.


Step 6

Mat die cut house with yellow cardstock and add to the background. Stamp “Hello” with VersaFine Clair in Nocturne. Mat with cardstock and add to the card. Stamp mushroom images along the bottom edge of an envelope.


Step 7

Die cut trellis from brown cardstock. Ink with VersaFine Clair Pinecone and spritz with Ink Potion No. 9.


Step 8

Mat woodgrain panel with brown cardstock. Fussy cut house and mat with brown cardstock. Add to card. Stamp “Gnome is where the heart is” phrase with Brilliance in Coffee Bean. Die cut and mat with larger die. Add trellis to the card, adhering sentiment on top. Add leaves, tiny flowers, and dew drops.

Supplies

Imagine
Other
  • Joy Clair Stamps – Gnome is Where the Heart Is
  • Heartfelt Creations – Leaves die
  • Cheery Lynn – Trellis die
  • Spellbinders – Circles, Ovals die
  • Prima Marketing – Flowers
  • The Robin’s Nest – Gold Dew Drops
  • Cardstock – white, brown, yellow, green

See How to Make a Glass Pebble Votive with StazOn Studio Glaze

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by Roni Johnson

See How to Make a Glass Pebble Votive with StazOn Studio Glaze

When I saw the Color of the Month for June was Seabreeze, my first thought was beach glass being tossed around deposited on land by the endless waves. Sadly I live in a landlocked state so I don’t have the opportunity to find or collect on the beach myself so I decided to improvise. Flattened glass marbles are easily found at many retailers so they were an easy choice to create this faux beach glass votive holder.

Skill: Beginner
Time: 45 minutes + dry time

Directions


Step 1

Gather about 50 or so flattened glass marbles, and StazOn Studio Glaze in Blue Hawaii and Emerald City.


Step 2

Dispense a dot of Studio Glaze onto one of the marbles and spread the medium over the top and sides of the marble with a paintbrush or your fingertip. Vary the application of the medium so there are areas with thinner and thicker coats which will produce a number of color variations.


Step 3

Repeat until you have roughly one-third of the marbles covered with Blue Hawaii. Let these marbles dry naturally.


Step 4

Apply Emerald City Studio Glaze to approximately one-third of the marbles as in steps 2 and 3. Leave the remaining third of the flattened marbles uncolored.


Step 5

While the flattened marbles are drying, cover a mason jar lid with Rinea Silver Starstruck foiled paper.


Step 6

Adhere a piece of cork to the bottom of the lid. This will become the base for the candle holder.


Step 7

Place a votive candle in the center of the lid base to use as a guide for placement of the flattened marbles.


Step 8

Use a hot glue gun to adhere the marbles to the base.


Step 9

Continue to build layers of flattened marbles until the walls reach their desired height. There are 6 layers of 8 marbles used in this example. Adhere decorative jute ribbon around the edge of the base of the votive holder. Enjoy!

Supplies

Imagine
Other
  • Flattened Marbles
  • Mason Jar Lid
  • Rinea – Silver/Silver Starstruck Foiled Paper
  • Cork
  • May Arts – Jute Ribbon
  • Battery Operated Votive Candle
  • Hot Glue Gun

Project Swap: Create a “You Are a Superstar” Lime-ade Card

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Welcome to another set for our Artist Project Swap with Iris and Jowilna. For the Month of May, we challenged our artists to exchange tutorials and create each other’s designs in order to see how each of our artists interprets style and choices. The receiving artist did not know who designed the project, nor did they receive any images! In today’s post, Jowilna gives the directions and recommended supplies list and Iris created the project.

Create a “You Are a Super Star” Lime-ade Card by Iris Rodriguez

I had the pleasure of creating Jowilna Nolte’s project. It’s a lime and black colored star card, which I found unique and fun to make. I learned new ways of using StazOn Studio Glaze on paper. Jowilna’s project calls for real or faux stitching. I always found stitching on mixed media and cards to look awesome but I can’t sew. I found that hand-drawn stitching created a fun whimsical look in its place. I can’t believe I never tried it before, but will from now on!

I like the “You’re a Superstar” sentiment for this card. I think it can be suitable for a graduate. It also makes for a great mother’s or father’s day card as well. Many of us think one or both parents are superstars; for raising us, being supportive and cheerleaders in our lives. I hope you consider making this card for the superstars in your life.

Directions


Step 1

Use smooth white cardstock and attach an alphabet stencil to the cardstock piece using washi tape or masking tape.


Step 2

Ink with Memento Dye Ink in Pear Tart and Inkblushers.


Step 3

Carefully remove the stencil and leave the ink to dry thoroughly.


Step 4

Add a few drops of StazOn Studio Glaze in Cactus Green onto the stenciled sheet. Let Dry.


Step 5

Use StazOn black ink and stamp a star image onto the background as a focal point. Did not have the star stencil, so I cut out my stencil with using a precision knife and card stock paper.


Step 6

Add sewing machine stitched detail around the star or add fake stitches using a permanent marker. Here I used a gel pen in white.


Step 8

Use Memento in Cottage Ivy and Pear Tart and an ink blusher and add ink around the outside edge of the star to highlight it.


Step 9

Once the ink is dry add graphite pencil scribbles over those highlights.


Step 10

Use a gold glitter star (or die cut one from glitter paper) and add a layer of StazOn Studio Glaze to add a green tint to the glitter. Add a glitter star to the center of your stamped star. Stamp a happy sentiment onto a scrap of cardstock and place below concentric stars. I hand cut a cardstock star, used gold glitter and glue. The glaze seals the glitter nicely.


Step 11

Trim the background to fit onto a folded card and adhere to the front of the card.

Supplies

Imagine
Other
  • Cardstock – white
  • Alphabet Stencil
  • Dina Wakely – Star Stamp
  • Sizzix – Star die-cut
  • Glitter cardstock or pre-cut glitter star
  • “You Are A Superstar” sentiment stamp
  • Graphite pencil
  • Sewing machine or permanent marker

Original Design by Jowilna Nolte

What did you think of Iris’s interpretation of Jowilna’s design?

Comment below!

Project Swap: Create a “Dear Friend” Greeting Card

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Welcome back for another Artist Project Swap with Martha and Steph.

Welcome back for another Artist Project Swap with Martha and Steph. For the Month of May, we challenged our artists to exchange tutorials and create each other’s designs in order to see how each of our artists interprets style and choices. The receiving artist did not know who designed the project, nor did they receive any images! In today’s post, Steph writes the directions and recommended supplies list and Martha created the project.

Create a “Dear Friend” Greeting Card by Martha Lucia Gomez

This month the Artist in Residence team made a wonderful exercise or swap project challenge. Each designer created a project and send the instructions and photo to our coordinator. Then we received another project to follow the instructions, without a photo or who exactly created it. This is the swap project I received and can you believe that after made the card I discovered who was the author of the instructions…I recognize the style!

Skill: Intermediate
Time: 30 minutes + dry time

Directions


Step 1

Create the base of the card using olive card stock. The size of my card is a regular size 4-1/4″ x 11″ with a score at 5-1/2″ for the centerfold. Cut a white cardstock of 4″x 5-1/4″. Place a background pattern stencil on the white panel and ink with Brilliance in Pearlescent Lime.


Step 2

Ink sheer ribbon with lime ink. When dry, wrap around the matted panel. Knot with twine on the right side of the panel. Added the panel to the card with foam adhesives.


Step 3

Using a stamp positioning tool and a flower stamp, ink the steam and leaves with the Brilliance in Pearlescent Lime. Ink the flower with the Memento Marker in Angel Pink. Stamp image onto white cardstock. Re-stamp the flower using the Memento Marker in Rose Bud around the edges. Fussy cut the flower.


Step 4

Die cut brown and white cardstock shapes with graduating sized dies. Adhere together with Tear It Tape. Place on left side of the card with foam adhesives, overlapping the ribbon. Trim shapes as needed to align with a patterned piece on the left edge. Adhere the stamped flower on top. I used square cross stitched die cuts from Gina Marie Designs. Stamp “Just For You” sentiment. Ink edges and mat with brown cardstock. Add near the top of the card with foam adhesives. Reading through Steph’s instructions I realized I didn’t have a “Just For You” sentiment so I replaced with “Dear Friend” which is just as nice.

Definitely, it was a very good experience to swap projects and the best part that was I could replace materials and give to the project my personal touch.

Supplies

Imagine
Other
  • Cardstock – Whisper White, Old Olive, Early Espresso
  • Hero Arts – Honeycomb Stencil
  • Stampin Up – Birthday Blossom Stamp set
  • Gina Marie Designs – Square Cross Stitched dies
  • Big Shot die cut machine
  • Sheer ribbon
  • MISTI or Stamparatus stamping tool
  • Double sided foam tape or Dimensionals

Original Design by Steph

What did you think of Martha’s interpretation of Steph’s design?

Comment below!