Four Ways Friday #87 - First Edition Specialty Designer Series Paper

I had the First Edition Specialty Designer Series Paper out on the craft table and when I saw it I knew it had to be the focus of this week's Four Ways Friday!  I am in LOVE with this paper and was so happy that I did not see it on the retiring list!!!!! :)  I'm hoping that wasn't an oversight and that it will actually continue to be with us in the new catalog.  It is such a versatile paper!

This paper needs very little embellishment to create a very gorgeous card!  Here I just punched nine circles from the paper using my 1" circle punch.  I then adhered the circles to a Whisper White card base with glue.  The butterflies from Kindness Matters were stamped with Staz-On onto Very Vanilla card stock and then cut out.  Finally, I stamped the sentiment from Just Believe with Jet Black Staz-On onto Very Vanilla card stock and cut it out with banner ends.  The greeting was adhered to the card with dimensionals and the butterflies with glue.

This paper makes a wonderful background too!  I began by stamping the typewriter from Established Elegance onto a square of transparency using Jet Black Staz-On ink.  I then added the letters for "hello" from the Calendar Alphabet & Numbers stamp set (so sad this stamp set is retiring!) also with Staz-On.  I then cut a square of the First Edition paper to layer underneath the transparency and I sewed the transparency and paper together on my sewing machine.  I then backed that piece with a piece of Basic Black card stock and popped the whole thing up on dimensionals on a Confetti card base.

The First Edition paper also has some great images incorporate into it!  I fell in love with this little typewriter (can you tell I like typewriters?!).  I decided to cut it out and adhere it to a piece of masonite/hardboard (you could use a Scrabble tile too) using matte gel medium.  Once that dried, I covered the entire front with Crystal Effects.  I let that dry and covered it again with Crystal Effects.  Finally, I added a bail to the piece using Crystal Effects and put it on a ball chain.  Can't wait to wear it!!!!!  You can make these cute necklaces with any of your designer series papers :)

You don't have to leave this First Edition paper looking black and cream!  For this card I sponged a piece of the paper with Pretty In Pink ink.  Then I ran the piece through my paper crimper and then cut it into very thin strips.  I stamped the dress form image from Established Elegance onto Whisper White card stock with Jet Black Staz-On and then began adding the little paper strips with glue.  Some adhesive pearls create a great waistband and the machine stitching around the edges of the panel reinforces the seamstress look :)  Finally, I added the greeting from Loving Thoughts (no, I will not stop using this set just because it is retired - I love it way too much!!!!!  How can I stop using a stamp that says "wonderful you?!?!")(OOOOHHHH!  I just found out that this stamp set will be carried over into the new catalog along with Apothecary Art and a few other favorites!!!!  Yippppeeeee!!!!!!).  This card has really fun dimension in person.
I hope you've enjoyed this week's Four Ways Friday!  I had a lot of fun playing with this paper and I hope these ideas inspire you to create some fun projects of your own!  May you have a wonderful, creative and love-filled weekend!!!!!

On A Roll...Literally :)

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Listen To The Whispers

If you joined me yesterday, you know that toilet paper rolls have started speaking to me!  (I had the funniest comment from Doris on my blog yesterday - totally made me smile - thank you Doris!!!!)  Well, once I started listening to what those toilet paper rolls were telling me, they decided that they needed to tell me more!  So this afternoon, when I found myself back in the bathroom and another toilet paper roll came to its end, it whispered to me, "Hey!  Don't recycle me!  You can use me too!!!!  You can treat me like fabric if you want!!!!"  How could I not listen???  So off we went into the craft room - that roll and I - and we began to play!  I cut open the roll and cut it into pieces and then crimped, crimped, crimped!  I think the roll thought it was in a beauty salon because it then said to me, "Hey!  A crimped style isn't enough!  I need a color too!"  So out came the Soft Suede ink and a sponge and we did a bit of coloring.  Well then that darn roll wanted a weave too!  The best I could do was take it over to the sewing machine and start weaving all the pieces together with thread.  I added a few corners of hand-sewn twine for an added touch.  The greeting is from Loving Thoughts (I know it just retired, but I love this set and its sentiments, so I'm keeping it around :)  I added some eyelets and then added it to the sewn panel with dimensionals.  The whole panel was then popped up onto a Crumb Cake card base with dimensionals and I added a bit of Soft Suede spritz with the spritzer tool.  My advice from this whole experience?  Listen to the whispers...especially if they are coming from your toilet paper rolls ;)

Out On A Whim Wednesday: Mystery Material Tag

Today's Question From The Craft Room:  What Do You Have On Hand That You Can Create With?

Can you tell what mystery material this tag was made from?????  It struck me this morning when I... hmmm...that might be a bit too personal to share...oh, what the heck...it struck me this morning when I was in the bathroom (some of you may call it the "loo" or the "dunny").  Anyway, there I was when I ran out of toilet paper and had to replace the roll.  So off came the cardboard roll and on went another full roll of toilet paper.  Now normally, all of the old cardboard rolls go straight into the recycling bin.  But since I had Out On A Whim Wednesday on my mind I decided to carry that roll straight into the craft room! :)  It waited for me until this afternoon (I'm typing this on Tuesday afternoon) and then I sat down with the roll to figure out what it wanted to be.  I actually had 3 rolls to play with.  I decided to cut one open and flatten it out...

Once the flattened out piece was in front of me I could hear it whispering, "Crimp me!  Crimp me!"  So, I followed that little voice and grabbed the crimper and started running the piece through the crimper - first one way, then the other - until the cardboard felt soft and flexible.  Then that whisper came back again, "Punch me!  Punch me!"  So I did...well not literally - there is no cardboard abuse allowed in this house!  I pulled out my 5-petal flower punch and began to punch flowers...

I layered five flowers, one on top of the other, with glue and then started scrunching them.  Next I sprayed them with a mix of alcohol and champagne shimmer paint.  Then I scrunched again.  Next came the Soft Suede ink and sponge and I sponged the flower until I liked the look.  Some Crystal Effects was then put in the center and I sprinkled some champagne glass glitter and some micro beads in the center.  Then I sat there wondering what to do with my new flower.  And those other toilet paper rolls just stared at me and whispered, "Hey!  What about us?!"  So out came the scissors again.  I cut up another roll and cut it down to tag size.  I then ran it through the crimper - one way and another - until I liked the textured look.  I then cut the top to look like a tag and added a large eyelet with the crop-a-dile.  Next came some sponging.  I also played a bit with the last roll - trying to tear one layer of the cardboard off of the surface.  So I ended up with a thinner scrap and it whispered, "Stamp me!"  So I did :)  I took out the sentiment from the Just Believe set and stamped with Soft Suede ink.  I then sewed that paper onto the tag base.  The hemp twine was the final touch.  Who knew that a lonely toilet paper roll could become a beautiful gift tag with just a little imagination?!  So I ask you, "What do you have on hand that you can create with????"

A To Z Baby Card

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  A Lifetime of Possibility Is Waiting For Me!

This past weekend I was once again struck by the fact that it would take multiple lifetimes for me to try to unleash the creative possibility in everything that already exists in my craft room (and the overflow craft storage I have in the basement...and garage...oops!).  If I did not purchase another item, I could keep myself busy with what I have for as long as I live.  That's not to say that I won't want to purchase something else.  It is to say that I really don't need to.  So how long can I go with just utilizing what I have?  That is the true question.  Can I look at everything in my life and think about how I can repurpose it into a piece of art?  As I mentioned yesterday I was very inspired by Daniella Woolf and her use of her shredded journal pages in her art.  It got me thinking about old notebooks I have from my years of education.  Somehow I have never been able to throw them away - they took so much time to put together and represent so many hours of my life.  However, after seeing her video I have begun thinking about ways I might incorporate them into art pieces - this could prove to be interesting! :)  As for my craft purchases, I know that I will allow myself to buy more things.  Saying I won't is not something I am ready to do (yes, it is a bit of an addiction and a way that I "reward" myself for doing some other things in my life that don't create as much pleasure for me).  I do want those purchase decisions to be very conscious choices though.  And I want to make sure I am unleashing some of the creative potential that is waiting for me here at home!!!!
Today's card was created to accompany the sign I made for my new cousin Maxwell :)  I used the soon-to-be retired A to Z background stamp and the "baby" greeting from Tiny Tags.  I used Bashful Blue ink and added some punched brushed silver card stock stars.  The adhesive rhinestones add a touch of shine.  I hope he likes it :)

First Edition Thank You Card

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Watch A Video Of Someone Enjoying Their Creative Process

I spent part of the weekend watching a video by encaustic artist Daniella Woolf.  Wow!  I was totally inspired!!!!!  I can't wait to start playing with melted wax again - I just need for the weather to be a bit warmer so that I can keep the window open in the craft room to allow for proper ventilation.  Watching her enjoy her own creative process was amazing!  She just went with the flow - going wherever the projects were taking her.  One of the pieces she created was the inspiration for this card.  She used strips of journal pages which I interpreted with strips of First Edition designer series paper.  I die cut a few circles of red mesh with the Circles #2 die and the Big Shot.  I used gel medium to adhere the paper strips and the fabric.  The greeting is from Fabulous Phrases.  If you have seen a video by another artist that has inspired you, please let me know.  The two hours I shared watching Daniella were a pure pleasure!  You can click here to learn more about her and to see some of her work.  If you have the slightest interest in encaustic, I totally recommend her video - Encaustic With A Textile Sensibility!
Just a reminder - today is the last day to order from the Occasions Mini Catalog and also the last day to order from the special Summer Smooches promotion!  Click HERE if there are some items you can't live without :)