Four Ways Friday #68 - Simply Scored Scoring Tool

Thanks for your patience!  It took me awhile to wake up and get the day going this morning, but I have to admit that spending the day in the craft room was perfect :)  This weeks Four Ways Friday provides you with four different ways to use your Simply Scored Scoring Tool!

Let's start with the basics!  Of course you can use your scoring tool to score your base card.  It's quick and easy!  Those same score lines can look great on other parts of your card too!  Here I took a smaller piece of Very Vanilla card stock and scored it one way every 1/2" and then turned it and scored it in the other direction every 1/2" to create this grid.  I then cut the prongs off of the brads and adhered them to the intersections using glue dots.  Next I used the flower from the punch trio and punched the flowers and added adhesive pearls.  They were attached to the grid using glue.  The greeting is from Teeny Tiny wishes and stamped using Jet Black Staz-On.

 If you like making score lines, you will love using your scoring tool for making paper rosettes!  I made the rosette by scoring a piece of designer series paper every 1/4".  I then folded the paper accordian style and glued the end pieces together to form a circular shape.  Once that is done, you can push down on the middle of the circle and use hot glue to adhere the ends together and make the rosette.  Next, I took a vintage tag and scored it every 1/4".  I then sponged the entire tag, first with River Rock ink and then with Old Olive ink.  This helps the score lines stand out!  I then stamped the Medallion background stamp (one of my ultimate all-time favorites!) using Crumb Cake ink.  The rosette was attached to the tag using glue.  I then stamped the greeting from Upsy Daisy onto a piece of Very Vanilla card stock, after coloring the stamp directly with both Chocolate Chip and Old Olive markers.  The ends were cut to look like a banner and then the banner was attached to the rosette using dimensionals.

You can make all kinds of accordion books using your scoring tool!  Here I made an adorable little 2"x2" book.  I cut a piece of 2"x10" piece of Very Vanilla card stock and scored it every 2 inches.  I then accordion folded the card stock.  Next I began masking each "page" and sponging and stamping :)  The letters are from Calendar Alphabet & Numbers and Rough Type Alphabet (retired...I had to use this set since I can't find my letter "r" in my Calendar set...hopefully it will turn up!) stamped with Jet Black Staz-On.  I created a belly band for the book with a small strip of Very Vanilla card stock that is held together with two glue dots.  The heart was punched using the Heart To Heart punch and a piece of scrap Regal Rose card stock that I had stamped.

 

Here's a look at the inside:

I used stamps from Every Little Bit, Extreme Elements, Elements of Style and Heart to Heart.  I just couldn't help myself :)  I also did a bit of coloring using markers and added a touch of super nova old olive glitter and some dazzling diamonds.

Can you guess how I used the scoring tool on this card????  Yes, there is the easy answer that I used it to create the score lines to fold this pocket card...but there's more!!!!!  You see that pattern that almost looks like snake skin?  I created that using the scoring tool and the wax candle emboss resist technique (I have a video on wax candle emboss resist - just check out the link to the left on my blog).  The scoring tool is a textured surface so, I put a piece of Very Vanilla card stock that I had sponged with Pear Pizazz ink on the surface of the tool - a little bit slanted.  Next, I rubbed a candle all over the surface of the card stock.  The next step was to then sponge the entire piece with Marina Mist ink - you will immediately see the waxed areas resisting the ink when you do this.  To remove the wax once you are satisfied with the amount of color you have on the card stock, you need to heat up an iron and cover the card stock with a piece of scrap copy paper.  Iron the piece and the wax will lift from the card stock and get soaked into the scrap paper.  It's a ton of fun and very addicting!  Of course, you can choose to layer more wax on and then add more color - the possibilities and patterns are endless!
I hope you've enjoyed this week's Four Ways Friday - it was fun to make these projects today and I'm looking forward to spending more time in the craft room this weekend!  Hope you have a creative and peaceful weekend!

Four Ways Friday will be here...hopefully later today!

It's been a long day!  It is after 11:30 pm Thursday night as I am typing this and I just got back from a trip and I'm pooped!  I am already looking forward to sleeping late and then to spending much of the day tomorrow in the craft room.  I think of the craft room almost like a womb for myself - does that sound weird?!  It's a place where I am so comforted and "at home."  It is my peace.  I hope to put together a few things to share with you by later in the day on Friday.  Thanks so much for stopping by and I hope to see you again in a little bit :)

More Chipboard Shapes & Sizes :)

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  We Are Not Sent Into This World To Do Anything Into Which We Cannot Put Our Hearts

This John Ruskin quote began as the inspiration for this art piece that is still "under construction."  I truly believe that we are each sent to this planet to do that which speaks to our hearts and I wanted to make a piece of art that I can hang in the craft room that will continually remind me of this truth.  What a wonderful measure for us to test if we are doing what we are meant to do - to ask ourselves if we can put our heart into it.
I began by taping strips of copper tape to a large piece of chipboard.  I then used metal stamps to stamp into the copper tape to create the quote.  I cut out the chipboard pieces and coated each of them with black acrylic paint and then wiped most of the paint off.  The heart was created like the crown I made yesterday - relying on my ability to draw a heart :)  I drew the heart on a piece of scrap chipboard and cut it out and then covered it with aluminum hardware tape and a few piece of copper tape before embossing it and covering it with black acrylic paint (and then wiping the paint off).  These pieces will be joining the crown and this canvas:

I covered this canvas with hardware tape - I believe this tape is used for backing tiles (but I could be wrong about that...I was attracted to all the little squares, not the intended hardware use :).  The tape is adhesive on one side, but I still used matte medium to adhere it to try to prevent any lifting.  I then covered the entire canvas with gesso.  Yes, this is another project where, so far, the only Stampin' Up! product has been the chipboard.  It really is amazing what you can do with that chipboard!!!!!  Just think what you can do with the backing from your designer series paper packs and decor elements and stencil packaging!!! :)  The possibilities are endless!!!! :)  Stay tuned for more photos as this project progresses.  I keep wondering which will reach completion first...this one or the "fly" canvas!  What do you think? :)

Playing With Chipboard

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Trust In Your Ability!

I'm not sure when it started, but I began to believe that I couldn't draw/create shapes on my own :(  Somehow the Big Shot, and the amazing shapes it creates, had an impact on me I hadn't expected.  I began to believe that if I wanted to add a shape to a card or paper project I needed just the right die to do it!  This came to light when I started to play with today's project and I wanted a crown made out of chipboard.  But, lo and behold, I don't have a crown die for the Big Shot and I thought I was sunk.  Then I remembered...I can draw a crown!!!!  (I know, not a miraculous thought...but at that moment it really was miraculous since I had forgotten about my own abilities).  So I pulled out a piece of chipboard and I drew a crown on it with a pen.  I then cut it out with scissors and ta-da - I had the shape I needed.  I then covered the crown with aluminum tape from the hardware store and started to decorate the crown with various metal working & embossing tools that I had on the craft table.  Here is the crown in progress:

This is another project that I am working on step-by-step.  I'll share with you another little part...another shape I created...can you guess what it is?

If you start to believe that you need just the right tool or product, remember to trust in your own abilities!!!!  Oh, and in case you are wondering, I did use one Stampin' Up! product for this project...the chipboard was actually the backing sheet from a Stampin' Up! product :)  Don't throw those chipboard backings away - you can definitely put them to good use!!!!  Tomorrow I'll share a bit more of this project with you :)

Beautiful Butterflies and Simple Alphabet Sign

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Some Days You Can See So Clearly!

It was amazingly clear yesterday.  On our walk, Buddy and I could see forever and the mountains were vivid and sharp in the distance!  Creativity is like those mountains for me.  Some days I sit down to create and in my mind I know exactly what I want to do.  I sit down and start to bring to life the image that is in my head and heart.  And then there are those days when you can't see so clearly.  You still show up to create - you just don't know what is going to appear!  This sign has been like that for me.  Last week I shared with you where I began - it looked like this:

Since the last photo I showed you last week, I added color with alcohol inks (non SU!) and some other bronzing paints and wax.  I also added some glitter glue and spread it around with my finger on the butterfly - the sparkle in person is wonderful!  Now the sign is sitting on my craft table - on top of a piece of butterfly tissue paper that I know will somehow become a part of this art-in-progress.  I will keep sharing as this unfolds - right now I can't see clearly where I'm headed, but I'm going to move forward with the confidence that something incredible will appear!  I hope you like it!

Bigz Beautiful Butterflies Masked Card

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  If You Make It With Your Heart, Whatever You Create Has Significance

I truly believe that whatever an artist creates is imbued with the spirit of the artist.  We can be so hard on our creations sometimes - judging them, critiquing them.  We need to be kind to the works we create - recognizing that our heart and spirit are a part of that creation.  In this way, everything we create has significance - it has us.
Today's card began as a desire to use a butterfly as a mask.  I die cut a piece of chipboard using the Beautiful Butterflies Bigz die and the Big Shot.  I then put temporary adhesive on the back of the butterfly and placed it on the Very Vanilla card.  I sponged around the butterfly with So Saffron ink and some champagne.  Next I repeated these steps over and over until I was happy with the base of the card.  By now, the chipboard butterfly was inky and sparkly and I decided I couldn't let it go to waste!  So, I stamped the greeting from Charming using Jet Black Staz-On and then stamped the butterfly with an image from Friends 24-7.  I stamped the Charming words on a scrap piece of paper and cut some of them out and sponged the edges with So Saffron ink.  I added a few to the card with dimensional pieces and also added a word as the butterfly body.  The butterfly was adhered to the card with dimensionals.  I hope you like it :)