May 16, 2018

Mixed Media Planked Wood Tutorial for PaperArtsy Stamps


Hi friends!  I'm overjoyed to be sharing a fun new tutorial on the PaperArtsy blog today for this mixed media faux planked wood background.  I've used my PaperArtsy Fresco Acrylics for both the planks and some of the paper backgrounds for my stamping collage.  These stamps were released this year as part of the PaperArtsy Eclectica³ {Scrapcosy} Collection (ESC11 & ESC12).  I am CRAZY over them and long to use them more.  I do hope you'll hop on over for a closer look.  Make sure to check out the current topic, Vintage Neutrals, for more inspiration and a fabulous challenge.  Thanks so much!


Pick up these gorgeous PaperArtsy stamps today!



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May 9, 2018

Tim Holtz Beach Vignette and GIVEAWAY!!!


It's time for a new challenge at Frilly and Funkie and our hostess Kathy has chosen the theme Surf's Up!  She says, "Who's ready for a little sand, a little sun, a little surf? Let's take a little stroll beside the shore and create a vintage or shabby chic project with a beachy theme.  Use ocean colors or beach images to add a fun seaside feel to your project."  I built my beachy collage inside of a Tim Holtz Vignette box with lots of vintage stamped, die cut, and embossed details.  Since I live quite far from the beach, my photo is set amongst the trees - lol!  Just pretend there's a roaring ocean in the background!  :)

BUT FIRST - A GIVEAWAY!!!


To thank you for your support, encouraging comments, pins and visits, I'd love to give one of my followers a Tim Holtz Sea Life stamp set.  If you'd like to win, please leave me a comment on this post.  I will select one random winner on May 23.  


I based my entire project around this sweet seahorse from Tim's Sea Life stamp set.  I made a pale inky background with Cracked Pistachio and Iced Spruce Distress Oxides, then stamped the image in Chipped Sapphire DI.  I used a Versamark pad and clear embossing to emboss the fussy cut image.


I layered with a Prima St. Tropez flower, seam binding, vintage crocheted trims and added Art Stones with Mod Podge randomly onto my finished collage.


The background paper is from the Prima Lavender A4 pad.  I die cut an inky background made with Pumice Stone DI and Faded Jeans DOX using Tim's Mixed Media #4 Thinlet dies when I was with Sara Emily a few months ago.  We had a background making - die cutting party on the lake!  :)


The "Sea" embellishment was made (halfway) following the tutorial by Brenda Brown found HERE.  I don't have the  numbers and made the bases as she said.  When I tried to cut out the words it just left an imprint and pulled up some of the embossing powder.  I love it anyway.  I added Tim's Tiny Attachers, a sentiment sticker and made a jump ring for my turtle charm.


The tags were cut from Sizzix dies from backgrounds I had made with Sara Emily.  The beautiful patterned one was embossed with Tim's new Botanical and Batik stamp set.  The lovely ladies are from the Found Relatives pack.  I sponged a little white gesso on the Bronze Filigree.


I die cut one of the Wildflowers #2 and sponged it with DOX for an ombre effect, then clear embossed the entire piece to coordinate with the sea horse.


I made a white "half flower" to coordinate with my Prima blossom.  I added a few snips of Tim's Bouquet flowers too.


To make the half flowers, I cut a few of the larger flowers from the Tattered Florals die.  I spritzed them generously then pleated the petals with my fingernails.  I scrunched the ends inward, then rolled the petals in my hands, opened carefully and let dry.


I folded them in half and stapled.  The one on the left is only one flower and is a different scrap of white cardstock than the one on the right, which has two flowers.


As I mounted my layers, I left plenty of room to tuck and glue the flower inside.  Notice, I cut off the corner of the photo to make my Prima flower fit better.  I get a lot of comments about my layering style, so I hope these tips are helpful.


I also hope you've been inspired by this (loooong) post.  :)  We would love to have you come play along with our current challenge.  One lucky winner will receive a $25 gift certificate to The Funkie Junkie Boutique.  Thanks for visiting today!


Find these incredible collage elements below:




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May 1, 2018

4x6 Photo Graphic 45 Nature Sketchbook Mini Album Tutorial


Today we launch a new challenge at Mini Album Makers!  Last October I designed this album to be your "go to" for 4x6 photo storage.  You could make this book as simple or complex as you want to.  It could be filled to the brim with 4x6 photos or embellished as desired (or to the max like I have done!)  Either way, I hope you will find it useful and will pin this post to remember.  :)  We're also having a Design Team call through May 15, so hop on over and check out those details too.



The pages are envelope style and have two-sided photo pull outs.  Since I made this book six months ago, honestly I forgot why I added the ribbon to one side only (closure I guess?), so I decided to use it to wrap a twig for extra interest.  LOL!


I filled my album with family photos from our various mountain/hiking trips.  You can see how easily the photos fit the pages and pullouts.  They are straight from the photo center, not cropped at all.


I mixed lots of fussy cut images from the Graphic 45 Nature Sketchbook collection with die cuts, paper flowers and Tim Holtz Botanical Ephemera cutouts for embellishments.









Prepare your nestled/stacked binding using the following measurements (see THIS post for a more detailed explanation):
4 3/16 x 1 1/4"
4 3/16 x 1 3/4"
4 3/16 x 2 1/4"
Score each piece 1/2" from each side.  Adhere by stacking from smallest to largest, leaving the 1/2" flaps free.

Cut the your paper for the envelopes to 7 x 9 3/4" strip (pattern up and down).  Score this piece at 1" and 5 3/16".  Then glue the 1" section to the inside like shown above.


This will leave you with cylinder shaped pieces.  Apply red line tape to both sides of the flaps on your signature.  Snip off the corners of the flaps to miter them and make it easier to slide your cylindrical pages onto.  Remove tape on one side and slide your page down flush with the spine, then remove the tape on the other side.  It is easier than trying to attach with both sides sticky.


Mark the center of each envelope and punch a 1 1/4" circle punch half way to make the openings for the pull outs.  Cut the mats for your photo pull outs.  The mats will be 4 1/4 x 6 1/4" for 4x6" photos.


Cut your covers and spine from chipboard.  Wrap the front and back covers with patterned paper by mitering the corners and wrapping on all four sides (photo not shown).  The covers are  4 5/8 x 7 1/4".  Your paper wrap should be 6 1/4 x 8 1/2".

Treat the spine differently.  Tape it to the dead center of your spine wrap.  The spine should be cut to 1 3/4 x 4 5/8'.  The spine wrap should be 5 1/2 x 6 1/4'.  Add extra tape as shown above.


Carefully adhere your wrapped front and back cover to the spine wrap, allowing for a 1/8" gap between the covers and the spine.  Fold the top and bottom of the spine wrap around your spine and covers .  Mount a lining (the yellowish paper above) of 4 1/2 x 7" to the front and back covers.  Next add a center lining (the black pattern) of 4 1/2 x 4 3/4" over your spine.  Burnish the area between the covers and spine carefully to allow the paper to give for folding.  

Next, simply adhere the back of your signature piece, with the envelopes attached to the center of your spine.  Viola!


And now some closeups of each page collage.  I'm thinking these would each be beautiful card ideas and I may make some square cards with my leftovers.  :)










I hope you're inspired and will play along with our challenge at Mini Album Makers for a chance to win a $25 gift certificate to the Lindy's Stamp Gang shop!    Don't forget to pin this tutorial and visit our other incredible designers at Mini Album Makers for more inspiration!


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