tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48952877057827710612024-03-05T14:02:49.927-06:00Works of HeartA place to share my love of art, from paper crafting to watercolor, ideas, techniques and beyond!Nancy Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15772143337289615173noreply@blogger.comBlogger40125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4895287705782771061.post-77997347427312073842023-08-24T23:43:00.004-05:002023-08-25T00:53:05.861-05:00My Sweet Petunia's new tool!<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQBgV-dupXo0JK06ChBs_kMcf4h1Fxrs4mDRfKFWHWPe-23hiHQLsojGGptIIrym6urT0B3RuimibC-vlpTSf_bYF1BnrTs3Hprnb-ZeW5MVqVb-MyRyEXFefaBHHYFxxNWEDwm9DGrV6GklMeelvFhJQrBa9h1rL6L-2xTX8SLXSLK4YDUnjoY-rxf7s/s3221/20230825_001905.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3221" data-original-width="2793" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQBgV-dupXo0JK06ChBs_kMcf4h1Fxrs4mDRfKFWHWPe-23hiHQLsojGGptIIrym6urT0B3RuimibC-vlpTSf_bYF1BnrTs3Hprnb-ZeW5MVqVb-MyRyEXFefaBHHYFxxNWEDwm9DGrV6GklMeelvFhJQrBa9h1rL6L-2xTX8SLXSLK4YDUnjoY-rxf7s/w173-h200/20230825_001905.jpg" width="173" /></a></div><br /> I opened up the new Precision Glue Press tool from My Sweet Petunia today. Wow...I cannot say enough about this well thought out design! <p></p><p>If you suffer from hand fatigue from squeezing a glue bottle for hours, this tool is for you!</p><p>If you have arthritis in your hands, this tool is for you!</p><p>If you constantly find your glue applicator tip is clogged, this tool is for you! </p><p>If you struggle to get just the right amount of glue onto tiny diecut fonts and other thin or very small items, this tool is for you!</p><p>If you are tired of stopping your project to go wash the excess glue off your fingers while trying to just put a tiny bead of glue onto one of those tiny diecuts, this tool is for you!</p><p>If you have stopped using Ranger's Glossy Accents (and other favorite plastic squeeze bottle products) because you cannot squeeze it hard enough anymore, this tool is for you! </p><p>If you are tired of recapping your favorite glue bottle every time you take a break from your project, this tool is for you!</p><p>I only used it for a few hours this afternoon, and my project was finished in record time, thanks to this tool. My gluing was done with precision (yes, I know that is part of its name), and the glue was always at the tip, ready to squeeze nearly effortlessly...and it never dried up at the tip!</p><p>I am now going to try and find extra bottles and tips for other viscous products I have just let sit and collect dust because of the difficulty of squeezing those little bottles. Thank you, Iliana, for your time, thought, and effort into giving us something that will be as helpful as your first MISTI I am still using!</p>Nancy Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15772143337289615173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4895287705782771061.post-4672100777872605162015-12-08T11:45:00.000-06:002015-12-08T11:45:03.913-06:00A Karen Burniston Gift Card Pop Its Die!<span style="font-size: large;">When Elizabeth Craft Designs came out with Karen Burniston's new die for gift cards, I just knew I would have to teach it at the Tennessee Stamper's Retreat this fall. And without much ado, here it is!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsCZjS5DdPghLpgAsTFFhlcJPmRMMhO3iQAkOu4uY7UIcJMkpQNNvtILCyJYeQPSnjwUkVes_jBvR3uoTT7hixh1tEJ1w3kot7pz3krz27FUwCl7oXUxRn4nh13w4P5xiOaKpVvfGNf4I/s1600/SantaSaysShopInside.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="622" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsCZjS5DdPghLpgAsTFFhlcJPmRMMhO3iQAkOu4uY7UIcJMkpQNNvtILCyJYeQPSnjwUkVes_jBvR3uoTT7hixh1tEJ1w3kot7pz3krz27FUwCl7oXUxRn4nh13w4P5xiOaKpVvfGNf4I/s640/SantaSaysShopInside.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Santa Says Shop Inside</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Santa Says Shop Front</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: large;">1.<span style="font-stretch: normal;"> </span><!--[endif]-->Die
cut all elements and stamp all to prepare for assembly.</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: large;">2.<span style="font-stretch: normal;"> </span><!--[endif]-->Fold
inside working mechanism by working the folds to pop out the main and side
platforms.</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: large;">3.<span style="font-stretch: normal;"> </span><!--[endif]-->Insert
the gift card or another card the same size and slide it in between the 2
little slots above platform, down into the slot so you can see area to tape
when applying backing card.</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: large;">4.<span style="font-stretch: normal;"> </span><!--[endif]-->Using
ScorTape (or similar), tape edges of card on the back, avoiding areas that must
move. Turn it over and do the same on the other side of the card on its back.</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: large;">5.<span style="font-stretch: normal;"> </span><!--[endif]-->Remove
release paper from tape on one side of the card, line up the backing card, tuck
into fold and work exposed tape area onto backing card. Then turn card over, remove release tape from
remaining side, and close the remaining side of the backing card and press
well. </span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: large;">6.<span style="font-stretch: normal;"> </span><!--[endif]-->Fold
the line of the little pole platform (straight red piece) and add tape to the
foot, run pole through slot platform, remove the release paper foot down with
the edge fitting right up against the back of the card.</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: large;">7.<span style="font-stretch: normal;"> </span><!--[endif]-->Using
ScorTape, cover each leg front on all main platforms with tape. Leave tape covered. <b><i>Do not put tape on the smaller
side platform on the right</i></b><i>.</i></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: large;">8.<span style="font-stretch: normal;"> </span><!--[endif]-->Add
some washi tape and bows to little presents and stick one to the front of the
pole platform. Add second present in
front of first present with a pop dot to give it more 3D qualities.</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: large;">9.<span style="font-stretch: normal;"> </span><!--[endif]-->Assemble
the sleigh and add round “Santa Says Shop” to the back part of the sleigh as
seen in photo.</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: large;">10.<span style="font-stretch: normal;"> </span><!--[endif]-->Remove
tape from two center posts on big platform and align the sleigh supports onto
the posts.</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: large;">11.<span style="font-stretch: normal;"> </span><!--[endif]-->Glue
alpine tree above the little side platform.
Add the deer by gluing one of its legs to side platform.</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: large;">12.<span style="font-stretch: normal;"> </span><!--[endif]-->Add
ribbon to plain white tag and glue the scalloped oval sentiment in the center
of the red ornament. Tie silver cord
around neck of ornament and mount on tag.
Adhere tag on bottom of card.</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: large;">13.<span style="font-stretch: normal;"> </span><!--[endif]-->Glue
two small snowflakes on gifts and end of sleigh, and add one large snowflake at
bottom left of blue area below tag.</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: large;">14.<span style="font-stretch: normal;"> </span><!--[endif]-->FOR
FRONT OF CARD: Glue Top Note Die cut in
center of card. Add “Believe” on top of
die cut and decorate with remaining larger snowflake. Your card is
finished. It will fit into an envelope
that a 4 x 6 photo can be mailed in. I found
this size at Staples. Insert the gift
card and watch your recipient be delighted at the way in which you have
presented their gift this year!</span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><div style="text-align: left;">
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<br />Nancy Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15772143337289615173noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4895287705782771061.post-25458932159596591652015-10-18T14:05:00.004-05:002015-10-18T14:05:46.374-05:00Crazy Birds....My Newest Obsession!<h2 style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikxjxKHs0EMBdkQrtyIRPLAZUpcL8fyA0g6f-0e0llXXjlV7iewMJOZQGVc5addv1nz7oTBpN0Va1EXtDbmwOq21yjMZarAIK-pxQhQIlg3op4ofIX9Lyi7CrFnjbgu6mDDj8sNcuRygw/s1600/Props+on+Crazy+Birds.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="494" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikxjxKHs0EMBdkQrtyIRPLAZUpcL8fyA0g6f-0e0llXXjlV7iewMJOZQGVc5addv1nz7oTBpN0Va1EXtDbmwOq21yjMZarAIK-pxQhQIlg3op4ofIX9Lyi7CrFnjbgu6mDDj8sNcuRygw/s640/Props+on+Crazy+Birds.jpg" width="640" /></a></h2>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b>Tim Holtz's Bird Crazy dies are all the rage now. I loved them from the first time I saw them. So I conjured up a big batch of them for birthday cards, congratulations cards, and just for fun cards. Then I was excited that the dies for the accessories were being shipped. Well, I accidentally re-ordered the dies for the birds, and when they came, I was so disappointed. So I grabbed some of the props from my Elizabeth Craft Designs' Critters designed by Karen Burniston, and dressed up these two Crazy Birds with the snorkeling gear. With a little trimming and adjustments, they worked fine! I used clear packaging to cut the mask's clear area, and in person, it looks really cool.</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b>I love how the wings can be cut separately. I used this plus to make the little short bird look like he is holding all the gear underneath his wing. </b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b>I am off to make some more fun cards with these fun little stamps and matching dies now that the accessories dies are in my possession! Watch this blog for more in the future.</b></span></span><br />
<br />Nancy Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15772143337289615173noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4895287705782771061.post-73451092770909530092014-12-12T02:53:00.000-06:002014-12-12T03:02:29.947-06:00Christmas & Winter Cards with Elizabeth Craft Designs!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Winter Mantelscape Project</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">If any of you have been following the Elizabeth Craft Designs blog, you know I have been blogging over there as a guest! I have neglected my own blog...but now I am back here offering some <span style="color: magenta;">BLOG CANDY </span>from Elizabeth Craft Designs! It is my most favorite die set of all, the Fancy Label Accordion Card die set. I have been making what I call "mantelscapes" out of them. The most challenging to date was the Twelve Days of Christmas. You can see it <a href="http://ecraftdesignsblog.com/2014/11/the-twelve-days-of-christmas-mantelscape/" target="_blank">HERE</a>. And be sure to leave a comment on THIS blog for a chance to win the random drawing that will take place on Wednesday, December 17, just in time for Christmas. Some lucky person will win this for their stocking this year!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-size: large;">Now on to the featured mantelscape for this winter. This one can go into January with its snowy scenes. I attended a special retreat to teach this technique in October, and the ladies all loved creating this project. We used Karen Burniston's triple pivot technique in the center of this winter mantelscape. You can go to YouTube and watch her amazing video on how to do this technique <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XiHFQOLS5wQ" target="_blank">HERE</a>. Be sure to scroll down below the simple instructions on this card to see my Christmas version of the card Karen did in this video. It is fun to see how it looks in other papers and colors!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-size: large;">To do this project, you will need some coordinating winter/snow cardstock, watercolor paper, Distress inks, and several stamps with winter scenes on them. I used some that were much too large for the panels, but each one had an area that could be cut down and used. </span><br />
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<ol>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Stamp four winter images on watercolor paper (I like Fabriano Hot Press 140 lb.) and die cut with the largest Fancy Frame. It is the one slightly smaller than the pivoting area inside the frame. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Stamp two more with winter sayings or a title. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Color all images monochromatically with Ranger Distress inks and the Distress ink application tool in shades of the lighter blues from Tim Holtz's Distress ink collection. Ink the edges of these stamped images and adhere to the center panel of the accordion card. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Stamp something for the front of the card when it is closed and adhere to the center of the panel. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Now following Karen's instructions for making the triple pivot card that goes in the center of this </span>mantelscape<span style="font-size: large;">, make a coordinating piece for your own card. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Cover all frames with the coordinating snowflake frame sold separately. Cut a frame for each panel from the same die. Trim it down as shown in the Twelve Days of Christmas tutorial and adhere to the back of each panel to firm up the piece.</span></li>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">First few panels Close up</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-size: large;"> Evergreen Triple Pivot card</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />7. Accent frame edges using snowflake frames that coordinate with the Fancy Label die set. Decorate the little trees with Elizabeth Craft Designs Glitter Dots or rhinestones or sequins. Take great care when handling this delicately cut grouping of trees. They tend to come unglued to their neighbors and/or they can break easily at their pivot points. I have gotten in the habit of reinforcing the frames from behind, extending the pivot point areas into a basic reinforcement to help keep the pivots strong and in good working order. </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Last panels (far right)</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">So try this fun technique during some of the days around Christmas and beyond to help cheer your household up from the let-down of the holidays! This is a fun project, and it will give your family something to do--watch you create! Or enlist them in the project for a fun family time. Make several and display them all together on the mantel, or on a table in a prominent place.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfcA6bWoFOln-iEeG5WgufZaqLP0R5bqFDnoy4GuUkC8y9NGrLI0ZCBIW2ri-LoZOLvQyzatKU3If3zZd6wODLgvgoE-J9BUl9IeTEWWhaokJwdv9yzKVU1dX2HEIlVpij77Aso2WnNX4/s1600/MantelscapeWinter1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfcA6bWoFOln-iEeG5WgufZaqLP0R5bqFDnoy4GuUkC8y9NGrLI0ZCBIW2ri-LoZOLvQyzatKU3If3zZd6wODLgvgoE-J9BUl9IeTEWWhaokJwdv9yzKVU1dX2HEIlVpij77Aso2WnNX4/s1600/MantelscapeWinter1.jpg" height="250" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Finished!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-size: large;">Here is a photo of the original Evergreen Triple Pivot Accordion Card constructed after watching Karen's video:</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfU9Vu7CDLYMKkjvnNTiKITkJLpB72lPzQxzOMANwSVWUjl8uHUBtQt8HZR5VQdtu_NsBKbo0g95cqUWTSBf70TTn4QGAFH1b9XBPt88q6Rs7uRcfPgMF263puzFQO9QQYYVNAqh2XPDc/s1600/Christmas+triple+pivot+card+front.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfU9Vu7CDLYMKkjvnNTiKITkJLpB72lPzQxzOMANwSVWUjl8uHUBtQt8HZR5VQdtu_NsBKbo0g95cqUWTSBf70TTn4QGAFH1b9XBPt88q6Rs7uRcfPgMF263puzFQO9QQYYVNAqh2XPDc/s1600/Christmas+triple+pivot+card+front.jpg" height="355" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Christmas--Evergreen Triple Pivot Accordion Fold Card on display</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwg5esKXLIJwfS5YHZsynK5lfwbnMZdLX41F4bKbJMKmYCJRDnLCGM-ZXQoBiqjWbC8xQBK3IJmRcDgSGEay8h7Ix84FOa48hbo_yaDpZ3ikKMYZllluucNBF7Fq9e1CFVYuGkbkyECTg/s1600/FrontWinterscape2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwg5esKXLIJwfS5YHZsynK5lfwbnMZdLX41F4bKbJMKmYCJRDnLCGM-ZXQoBiqjWbC8xQBK3IJmRcDgSGEay8h7Ix84FOa48hbo_yaDpZ3ikKMYZllluucNBF7Fq9e1CFVYuGkbkyECTg/s1600/FrontWinterscape2.jpg" height="640" width="632" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Front of closed card</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-size: large;">...and now for your comment for a chance to win this Fancy Label Accordion Die set from Elizabeth Craft Designs!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnPCtJhbPXkhGMUEQJpuTSZc2RcogBJEK9nihr_QRWFPvDkuPlbrHJ0FZ0CmkbQGTX7yT8JWnnNQIoN6BADuzn8HEFiKnjOHDJ_RoAy2z-1pmvt05N5zs7BtfYlrg__xVOtkL8ksFC4To/s1600/771---Accordion-Fancy-Label---KB_large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnPCtJhbPXkhGMUEQJpuTSZc2RcogBJEK9nihr_QRWFPvDkuPlbrHJ0FZ0CmkbQGTX7yT8JWnnNQIoN6BADuzn8HEFiKnjOHDJ_RoAy2z-1pmvt05N5zs7BtfYlrg__xVOtkL8ksFC4To/s1600/771---Accordion-Fancy-Label---KB_large.jpg" height="640" width="404" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-size: large;">Thanks for coming today! Good luck on the drawing!</span><br />
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Nancy Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15772143337289615173noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4895287705782771061.post-66367762367985573792014-10-09T14:04:00.000-05:002014-10-09T14:04:10.868-05:00More Fall Cards with Distress!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhff7Rg-93K9UwV8OZMQ8cxLCyxHt4UyipISLoEBuoT6jqDqomFZIsbW_QYgq7nzO5cX-2lXy2VM0RRgOYSZSgnne3zjOaaYIYYYLAyPUWaVVr6hCmI3YMcwGOnX4l96NWPjmIgh_YMPMs/s1600/Leaf2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhff7Rg-93K9UwV8OZMQ8cxLCyxHt4UyipISLoEBuoT6jqDqomFZIsbW_QYgq7nzO5cX-2lXy2VM0RRgOYSZSgnne3zjOaaYIYYYLAyPUWaVVr6hCmI3YMcwGOnX4l96NWPjmIgh_YMPMs/s1600/Leaf2.jpg" height="234" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Use both Positive and Negative Space from Die Cutting!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Last weekend <a href="http://www.simonsaysstamp.com/product.aspx?id=305015&c=933" target="_blank">Tim Holtz's BigZ Leaf Die and Texture Fades Embossing Folde</a>r arrived in my mailbox, just in time for the fall cards I like to send to my family and friends. When <b>Simon Says Stamp's Wednesday blog challenge</b>r arrived in my mailbox, just in time for the fall cards I like to send to my family and friends. When Simon Says Stamp's Wednesday blog challenge was to use watercolor this week, including Distress, I jumped at the chance. So I sat down to make a few cards. Well, a few more than a few! When I got started, I couldn't seem to quit until 1 AM. Of all the leaf dies, this one has become my favorite one. It is so fun to see what my scribbles on the paper reveal when the leaf is die cut. Each one, like in nature, is different.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">I quartered two pieces of cardstock, one sort of orangey-gold, the other ivory, and then proceeded to color them randomly with Distress stains. The darker cardstock I used the Distress daubers and applied random squiggles and dots with Festive Berries, Crushed Olive, Spiced Marmalade, and Wild Honey. The ivory cardstock received only a spritz of Distress stains mixed with water, using the following colors: Fired Brick, Forest Moss, and Mustard Seed. While I was spritzing, I also spritzed a little on the first batch. I wasn't impressed with the first batch until I die cut the leaves. Wow. What an amazing thing! These leaves resemble turning leaves more than any I have ever made! And the negative space that is left demanded to be used on a card as well! The second batch was just about perfect to me!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">So I took another <a href="http://shop.rangerink.com/default.aspx?PageID=7&CategoryID=5&ProductID=744&RootCatCode=01000" target="_blank">Tim Holtz Texture Fades with small leaves </a>on it and ran that negative space through my <a href="http://shop.rangerink.com/default.aspx?PageID=7&CategoryID=5&ProductID=417&RootCatCode=01000" target="_blank">Vagabond</a>. After all the embossing was finished, I applied Brushed Corduroy Distress Ink with the <a href="http://shop.rangerink.com/default.aspx?PageID=7&CategoryID=26&ProductID=64&RootCatCode=02000" target="_blank">Inkssentials Blending Tool</a> on the raised areas. Next step, I spritzed the leaves and the negative spaces with gold spray mist to give them all a warm shimmer. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">I have an old Hero Arts stamp with fall-related words on it, so using a stamp positioner, I was able to stamp those words repeatedly on the backing card, revealing them through the hole left behind from die cutting the leaf. I love this! Above you can see one of each card I made with these magnificent leaves and their negative spaces. Other items used on these cards are some corrugated cardstock rubbed with<a href="http://shop.rangerink.com/default.aspx?PageID=7&CategoryID=21&ProductID=13&RootCatCode=02000" target="_blank"> Distress ink</a> to blend with the card, patterned paper cut on the diagonal, cardstock, ribbon, magic mesh, and orange goosebumps.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">The photo below shows the results from one long evening spent in my studio! The first row shows the negative space from the leaves that were just spritzed onto cream cardstock. The second row was the orangey-gold cardstock with the Distress Stain Daubers and Distress spritzing. The third and fourth rows show the various leaves obtained with both methods. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSitWZk9mVEP0KVQfsCTQs0wxMn2BRFAtfhZ75woIiupnnT8BgOym8IYtmEttqwaE6PB1jN5Q31HZFh_BYt3vTFeAZxoYyLFm13JjE-20wbRqnQHE_yK6bC92MpQtSmbyAVCQYLCbF5bM/s1600/Leaf1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSitWZk9mVEP0KVQfsCTQs0wxMn2BRFAtfhZ75woIiupnnT8BgOym8IYtmEttqwaE6PB1jN5Q31HZFh_BYt3vTFeAZxoYyLFm13JjE-20wbRqnQHE_yK6bC92MpQtSmbyAVCQYLCbF5bM/s1600/Leaf1.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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<br />Nancy Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15772143337289615173noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4895287705782771061.post-56931344959806002712014-10-08T09:46:00.000-05:002014-10-08T09:46:53.548-05:00Fall Color...........Coming Your Way in the Mail!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHfFOqFPLw0iGD-r7ddQHFZnneVILxqpXCprS1Vj6JzFF8rval_QgtocXl_v3MulBsDhOgPpJoMGDL9-9QG4LO3r7b7E0iAIXY7zuMJEPVPxFhey-1TK9ahRMRYaRuf4HnOUqmKhQm230/s1600/20140923_205514.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHfFOqFPLw0iGD-r7ddQHFZnneVILxqpXCprS1Vj6JzFF8rval_QgtocXl_v3MulBsDhOgPpJoMGDL9-9QG4LO3r7b7E0iAIXY7zuMJEPVPxFhey-1TK9ahRMRYaRuf4HnOUqmKhQm230/s1600/20140923_205514.jpg" height="640" width="514" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Fall Bench from Great Products</span><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Fall is absolutely one of my favorite times of year because of nature's colors. They are my favorites! So I am finding myself drawn to making fall cards more than I ever used to do. So some of my friends and family are being treated with a seasonal card before Thanksgiving and in place of a Christmas card. Well, maybe. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">The new wafer-thin dies are incredible, and it seems that every company out there has picked up on the concept that many stampers dislike cutting out with scissors and craft knives! Personally, I would love to buy a die for every stamp I own! The new <a href="http://www.simonsaysstamp.com/product.aspx?id=308449" target="_blank">Impression Obsession leaf and rake</a>, the <a href="http://www.simonsaysstamp.com/product.aspx?id=308475" target="_blank"> Impression Obsession pumpkin</a> die, and the <a href="http://www.simonsaysstamp.com/product.aspx?id=308455" target="_blank">Impression Obsession apple basket</a> dies for fall are so cute, and they go perfectly well with the <a href="http://www.ecraftdesigns.com/products/garden-bench" target="_blank">Elizabeth Craft Designs Garden Bench</a></span><span style="font-size: small;"> that has become my favorite Karen Burniston Pop It Up die by far. It is so versatile, and I have all these ideas floating around in my head for it. The tree in the background is another Elizabeth Craft Designs wafer-thin die, <a href="http://www.ecraftdesigns.com/collections/dies/products/all-season-tree" target="_blank">All Seasons Tree.</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">This card is the one I mentioned in my previous post. And I am submitting it to <a href="http://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/mondaychallenge/" target="_blank">Simon Says Stamp's Monday Challenge</a> whis is to be a fall-themed card--"Falling in Love With...".</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">I love how the Elizabeth Craft Design Pop It Ups dies allow the resulting card to be bigger than normal. This gives so much room to make a scene. I love little scenes in my cards. So do my little granddaughters. I tend to design with them in mind. If a child loves it, than an adult will, too!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">I used the great<a href="http://www.sizzix.com/catalog#q=tim%20holtz%20crescent%20moon%20and%20stars" target="_blank"> Crescent Moon and Stars die by Tim Holtz and Sizzix </a> in the background. I love its large size, and if you have been watching the moon lately, you realize that a harvest moon sometimes looks bigger than normal. I love that this die lends itself to this "harvest moon" concept, even though it is crescent-shaped instead of a full moon. Love the "man in the moon" face on this die! I kept thinking of the old song, "Shine On Harvest Moon" as I was making this card, and the music paper was the perfect touch to carry out that theme. The "rug" in front of the garden bench is patterned paper (which I also used on the front of the card--this paper is double sided, which is great for these cards). It is embossed with a Sizzix embossing folder from the Textured Impressions Foyer set, which you can see on sale now <a href="http://www.sizzix.com/catalog#q=rug%20embossing%20folder" target="_blank">HERE</a>. I then just cut around the embossed shape to give me a sentiment and an accent in front of the bench.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Watch for more fall-themed cards in tomorrow's blog. I am on a roll!</span></div>
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<br />Nancy Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15772143337289615173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4895287705782771061.post-52866483372845895572014-10-07T00:54:00.000-05:002014-10-07T10:26:09.560-05:00Halloween Mantelpiece with Elizabeth Craft Design Dies!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCFtDOfDlwYcurwmzSiRAZLKIDZJrraSP-aSB32gAFLAg6UP3l6V_AglWyLQK7p_F9gry0293OdfXdDP5yoDPlGPN9PGrQjWN6GEv6KmkDvrFpeSPd2UcnTibnfv_4rzBX5U-WLuLJE0c/s1600/Mantal+Piece1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCFtDOfDlwYcurwmzSiRAZLKIDZJrraSP-aSB32gAFLAg6UP3l6V_AglWyLQK7p_F9gry0293OdfXdDP5yoDPlGPN9PGrQjWN6GEv6KmkDvrFpeSPd2UcnTibnfv_4rzBX5U-WLuLJE0c/s1600/Mantal+Piece1.jpg" height="244" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Recently I have been brainstorming to share some projects with a small retreat gathering at the end of this month using <a href="http://www.ecraftdesigns.com/collections/pop-it-ups" target="_blank">Elizabeth Craft Design Pop It Ups </a>designed by Karen Burniston. <a href="http://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/mondaychallenge/" target="_blank">Simon Says Stamp</a> has a fall-themed challenge this week, too, so this will be an entry there as well! There is so much potential with these wonderful wafer-thin dies. No size limits here, either! So making a fun scene inside a card has few restraints. Some of the manipulations that are available by the way the dies are positioned and cut make them very versatile, and it makes my head spin to think of ways to decorate these wonderful cards and decorative projects. These are called triple pivot cards made with all of the Elizabeth Craft Design's pivot dies designed also by Karen, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Z8HkmGUaoY" target="_blank">double Lorna Label platforms</a>, etc. Check out some of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/karenburniston1/videos" target="_blank">Karen Burniston's YouTube videos</a> for ideas and instructions for these amazing adaptations to her dies.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBBM2ryHqGceD1U8lf50nXtgtK3b44b_lKSDIGS8DfvFRTmHunVyG3QeHf0p7VVN53kBgwYVzPAK0bjXmyDsQP3ylKdqdFRiEws-g0f-iaWuorqKIEw5xD0Eoen8dCvu-OC-aXP3PX-Wg/s1600/Closeup3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBBM2ryHqGceD1U8lf50nXtgtK3b44b_lKSDIGS8DfvFRTmHunVyG3QeHf0p7VVN53kBgwYVzPAK0bjXmyDsQP3ylKdqdFRiEws-g0f-iaWuorqKIEw5xD0Eoen8dCvu-OC-aXP3PX-Wg/s1600/Closeup3.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">This decorative project for the mantel is all ready to delight my grandchildren with its spooky silhouette stamps from </span><a href="http://www.simonsaysstamp.com/product.aspx?id=101201" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;" target="_blank">Tim Holtz's Stampers Anonymous </a><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">stamps. I used stamps in three different sets from a couple of years ago. There are many sets in Tim's collection that can be used with this project. The mantelpiece is adaptable to any size mantel. I chose to use eight panels for this one since I could get eight panels from two sheets of 12 x 12 double-sided cardstock. Rather than try to give you written instructions for assembling an accordion album, I have included the link to Karen Burniston's </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVXyu7M2Mqw" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;" target="_blank">YouTube</a><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> video. She tells you all you need to know about the basics of assembly in her videos.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span> <span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">To reinforce the panels, it is advisable to cut panels out of a heavy cardstock and trim off the center portions, leaving only the exterior frame. Attach the frame to the back of the panel with tape runner or a fast-drying glue. This frame can be made from a heavy cardstock or my favorite--hot pressed 140 lb. studio watercolor paper in a pad. I love this for stamping images to color with Copics, too, so I keep a supply on hand. My favorite brand for this is </span><a href="http://www.jerrysartarama.com/discount-art-supplies/paper/watercolor-paper-and-boards/fabriano-studio-sheets-rolls-and-blocks/pads.htm" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;" target="_blank">Fabriano</a><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">. These frames can be left white or colored as you wish with Distress inks or spray them with ink spray and let it dry before you cut them.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">After all your panels are cut and reinforced, stamp your images onto white cardstock and cut with one of the decorative panels that will fit onto the center area containing the movement mechanism. Mine have three smaller panels matted with the largest one in my color choices and the remainder are not matted. Some of the stamped images will be too big for the panels, but that's okay. The open style of these wafer-thin dies will allow optimum placement of the die on the stamped image. the parts that are cropped away will not be missed. The brain automatically ignores things with only a small visual suggestion--re: the ends of the branch the owl is sitting on, the tip of the cat's tail and the bat wing, or the bristles on the end of the broom I know, you are now looking at the close-ups to see what I didn't fit into the panels, aren't you?</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCRV_F8b5e-BWGqdD0Gx-DUgQN8EXJrlbT7OtfJIEdH-f4zhqErXJ2KC2Mba1775yuBczOEyyAOo-7Vpzxp5SVzYv8wLgIDrhd1di0fRxTu6o_KTMXPFlXFchx4c7u7NjPwBDgc1XoXdk/s1600/Closeup2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCRV_F8b5e-BWGqdD0Gx-DUgQN8EXJrlbT7OtfJIEdH-f4zhqErXJ2KC2Mba1775yuBczOEyyAOo-7Vpzxp5SVzYv8wLgIDrhd1di0fRxTu6o_KTMXPFlXFchx4c7u7NjPwBDgc1XoXdk/s1600/Closeup2.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Close-up of middle portion of mantelpiece</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span> <span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span> <span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Next step: using Tim Holtz's Distress Inks and his foam applicator tool, color the backgrounds of the stamped images as desired. For the moon in some of my images, I punched a 3/4" circle from the sticky part of a post-it note to make a mask. I then placed the mask where I wanted the yellow moon and sponged the purple Seedless Preserve Distress ink all over the image. Then remove the mask and distress the moon with the golden Wild Honey Distress ink. Hint: use the remainder of the post-it note over the area (with the circle centered over the moon) to keep the purple sky area free from the ink you use to color the moon. Next decorate your album panels with the stamped pieces and mats. </span>Embellish these images with googly eyes, colored gems, buttons, glitter, foam ghosts, and whatever appropriate embellies you may have<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> in your stash. Finally, assemble the album as </span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">seen in the</span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">video. (Click here on</span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVXyu7M2Mqw" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;" target="_blank">YouTube</a><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">to go see it again!)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span> <span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The Trick or Treat title at the top of the piece shown in the close-up above is stamped and cut out with a Tim Holtz's Sizzix die. Then it is sponged with Wild Honey Distress behind the title and edged with Seedless Preserves Distress ink. To mount it on top of the album while displaying it, I used two of the larger discarded pieces cut from areas of the panel cards. I glued two parenthesis-looking pieces together to make them stronger (make two of these), folded them in half, and attached them to the back of the title. To make the title sit on top, merely spread apart the "legs" and have them straddle the card as shown in the close-up above. Later it can be removed and the entire mantelpiece can be stored safely in a closed position.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">We plan to make a similar project at our gathering, except we will do one with a Christmas/Winter theme. Watch for a blog on this next project a little closer to winter.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Another project we plan to do at the retreat is a fall card that will be appropriate for harvest time or Thanksgiving, using Elizabeth Craft Design's Garden Bench. You have already seen one card made with the bench on this blog, so I want to show the versatility of this amazing die. This will be the subject of my next blog.</span></div>
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Nancy Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15772143337289615173noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4895287705782771061.post-45824982546537906022014-09-25T11:29:00.000-05:002014-09-25T11:29:05.799-05:00More Painting with BLACK INK Papers!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdUYXauTMuV8akcSJ0c-hfLuVtxCaTfU_xxj8pBdUEEuPJVPnYJ7gy_wULtxjdcNnESPlERYDIW8OP1-QNrDV5SG_k-UZGg76sfgk1CysMzLurfF2qBDcH_dZFMBdYt7oMnKQlHeSk_Dk/s1600/Lotus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdUYXauTMuV8akcSJ0c-hfLuVtxCaTfU_xxj8pBdUEEuPJVPnYJ7gy_wULtxjdcNnESPlERYDIW8OP1-QNrDV5SG_k-UZGg76sfgk1CysMzLurfF2qBDcH_dZFMBdYt7oMnKQlHeSk_Dk/s1600/Lotus.jpg" height="640" width="634" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large; font-weight: bold;">Lotus</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Since the summer of 1985 we have had a small water garden next to our patio. Recently it has been neglected, however the Mrs. Perry D. Slocum Empyreal Lotus (not a typo--that was its name from the supplier) in my garden remains healthy. And in fact, it has taken over the pond, as it will do in any body of still water. The growing season for lotus begins with a few leaves floating on top of the water. As warm weather ensues, the leaves begin to shoot above the surface of the water and open like a big umbrella. Then, in June, the flower buds rise above the umbrella leaves and begin to open. The first day, they are at their most vibrant color--a peach striated bloom. Each successive day, the bloom changes in color and seems larger, until it is dinner plate size. And the day before losing its petals, the blossom is pale yellow with very few peach striations in the petals. But this plant isn't finished yet. As it matures, it reveals a small greenish pod in the center, and after the petals fall, it continues to mature into the typical brown lotus pod you see in floral arrangements, with big brownish seeds in the holes. Then they begin to lose their seeds, and the pods become fodder for floral arrangers.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">So in the past, I have recreated Mrs. Perry D. Slocum in watercolor, oil, and an etched zinc plate, which led to many signed and numbered hand-pulled prints back in the early 1990's. Now she is displayed in my latest creation in 3-D constructed with <a href="http://www.gpcpapers.com/products/category/black-ink-papers-by-country/" target="_blank">Black Ink handmade papers from Graphic Products Corporation.</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Thanks go out to <a href="http://bethgrubbcreative.com/" target="_blank">Beth Grubb</a>, the amazing artist who introduced me to Black Ink papers last year when I got my fingers all messy with Mod Podge and those wonderful papers and made some art with them! She inspired me to again do a floral piece. She had a class last weekend at our local PlazaArt store, and she brought in some of Black Ink's newest papers. These papers jumped out at me and screamed "Lotus in a pond!!!" So we were given a square canvas, upon which I began the re-creation of a lotus blossom. I would have loved to show the umbrella-like blooms floating above the water, but it would have had to be displayed lying on a table, not hanging on a wall! So instead, I applied a portion of a leaf three times around the edges, giving the illusion of 3-D leaves.</span></div>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIITziFdSfqx3ae8hg1irovy-TCj0v-6oT2ty10wZZMNH82J7mMbjvX9_Pq9e7yepFOTCsOlC3OcVcS3jZBWHOMvqppGMpseL6sGjRNtc09OMMI2ekFIUb09imufrXh8ql1YmivMKZoFo/s1600/LotusSideView.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIITziFdSfqx3ae8hg1irovy-TCj0v-6oT2ty10wZZMNH82J7mMbjvX9_Pq9e7yepFOTCsOlC3OcVcS3jZBWHOMvqppGMpseL6sGjRNtc09OMMI2ekFIUb09imufrXh8ql1YmivMKZoFo/s1600/LotusSideView.jpg" height="368" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Side View Showing Leaves on Canvas Edges</b></span><br /><div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The new papers are so luscious. Tools needed for this project were a pair of scissors, a jar of Mod Podge, and a disposable foam brush. Each piece going onto the canvas is covered on top and bottom with the Mod Podge and carefully placed and shaped as it dries. This was the method used to suggest the shapes of the leaves, the stem, and the petals. As I added the final petals to the bloom, I used a bamboo skewer to coax them into shape. The canvas is covered and wrapped in one of the new papers that suggested water to me. I love the <a href="http://www.gpcpapers.com/products/momi-limeturquoisesilver-TMP-2476/" target="_blank">turquoise, yellow and greens</a> in this paper. Two different <a href="http://www.gpcpapers.com/products/banana-green-TN-2737/" target="_blank">kinds</a> of <a href="http://www.gpcpapers.com/products/kozo-fibers-lime-olive/" target="_blank">green</a> papers represent the lotus pads floating on the water.The <a href="http://www.gpcpapers.com/products/momi-tsunami-TMP-2486/" target="_blank">blue and purple</a> papers under the blossom are glued flat to represent a shadow on the water. The papers used for the blossom are from the same style of papers as the water. To create the bloom, I used two of the available papers in this style with the colors of <a href="http://www.gpcpapers.com/products/momi-peachyellowsilver-TMP-2477/" target="_blank">orange and yellow</a> on one and <a href="http://www.gpcpapers.com/products/momi-pinkpeachgold-TMP-2479/" target="_blank">pink and orange</a> on the other. All papers are highlighted with a metallic gold or silver. This inclusion really adds depth to the papers AND the project!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The center of the lotus depicts the pod with some of the papers folded and crinkled to build up the center so the pod has a little height to it. The top of the pod is made from a piece of packing paper that was scored to make it similar to honeycomb. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFT0FxkkMiU-_67SDAvXCGxEfZlgPz9WR07X5_7oa9kvra1QoryflI0JPUgISdvosi0JQFnu1gifH1Ok7qvaqGaHwcrYK6hSjaKNu_8D94QiYNcC8CS10wWKgxA08Ba6Z39LNSs-Imekg/s1600/PackignPaper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFT0FxkkMiU-_67SDAvXCGxEfZlgPz9WR07X5_7oa9kvra1QoryflI0JPUgISdvosi0JQFnu1gifH1Ok7qvaqGaHwcrYK6hSjaKNu_8D94QiYNcC8CS10wWKgxA08Ba6Z39LNSs-Imekg/s1600/PackignPaper.jpg" height="132" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><b>HONEYCOMB PACKING MATERIAL<br /></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> This paper reminded me of the lotus pod, so I cut a piece and glued it on top, keeping the openings a little flexible so I could glue pearlized beads into them. The beads represent the seeds in the pod. To imitate stamens around the pod, I used some eyelash yarn from my stash. I have decided I like this lotus art better than any done in previous years! Now I need to create two more close-up flower blooms so I can create a pleasing arrangement of canvases on a wall! So what's next? I am thinking a magnolia (since there are so many here in the South); and an iris, our state flower in Tennessee, will make nice additions to the lotus and the sunflower shown in a previous post here on the blog.</span></div>
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<br />Nancy Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15772143337289615173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4895287705782771061.post-81505094525893164212014-08-30T22:06:00.000-05:002014-08-30T22:06:09.085-05:00More Cards from Elizabeth Craft Design Dies!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Front of the Garden Bench Die Card</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">There is no end to the possibilities of cards and projects one can make using Karen Burniston's Pop-It Up dies from <a href="http://www.ecraftdesigns.com/" target="_blank">Elizabeth Craft Designs</a>. She is on a roll! And as a pop-up card lover, I am delighted. Now if someone would also design some sentiments for these dies, it would make it a lot easier on me! I search and search for the perfect thing to say on a card. I had to resort to the internet to find something for this one. I think it works okay, and thank goodness I have a computer that I can use to print what I want to say.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">This little garden bench die is rapidly becoming my favorite die. I keep thinking of fun things to do with it. And so do my friends! Ann Cumbie plans to make a Halloween bench, complete with a spooky street lamp behind the bench. I have some ideas for Halloween, too, and I will post when I get one made. In the meantime, here is a great one for your friends who are gung-ho exercisers.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Inside of Garden Bench card</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I love the little accessory die that is the tree behind the bench. It can be so versatile--with or without leaves and flowers, and it can be used for any season. Plus, the shapes that make us the leafy sections can also be used for clouds. Woodgrain embossed paper makes a great bench, too. I used white woodgrain paper here. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The paved section under the bench is from an old stash of paper from <a href="http://www.clubscrapcommunity.com/" target="_blank">Club Scrap</a>. The grass-printed paper is also from my stash of paper, and I think it probably came from Michael's long ago. I hope it is still being printed, since I plan on searching for more. It works great on pop-up cards that need to be little scenes.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Triple Pivot Butterfly Card</span></h2>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_2c9R2hdc8GnIWCHgQlgiQWVewedWvIhXVV4xGdbYnPaPdUpHWPWB9hv76Asau1S6ruQBhCyjkybaOV1HjdYP_-BjgmfPc7VN9pm0omSdp7J33Cz6ErQeGdlGCwED62GFf61dmM7pMPI/s1600/ButterflyCardFront.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_2c9R2hdc8GnIWCHgQlgiQWVewedWvIhXVV4xGdbYnPaPdUpHWPWB9hv76Asau1S6ruQBhCyjkybaOV1HjdYP_-BjgmfPc7VN9pm0omSdp7J33Cz6ErQeGdlGCwED62GFf61dmM7pMPI/s1600/ButterflyCardFront.jpg" height="532" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Above is my interpretation of Karen Burniston's Triple Pivot Card. Why make a simple pivot card when you can do a special manipulation with the pivot card die and make a triple pivot card? It is far more interesting. Of course, it is also very labor intensive, so I recommend once you have this technique mastered, make several cards at a time, using assembly line methods. Each step will get easier if you do it this way. Plus it will really groove the technique into your brain so you won't have to re-run the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWAWdvfYunc" target="_blank">YouTube video</a> again and again like I did! And here is the inside of the card:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfODT8Z507pesblbrs_FBAgTpQez9Q-zMdIby7K5l_FLuQDrEbPtM72p6KxXFRxHjK9lE7TSsFMmPbK94as0jpi4JotolNyVDn3R8eoP_bpVhrt9jvy-Fyc1ZvlffZT2SClsyeC8JSng0/s1600/ButterflyCardInside.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfODT8Z507pesblbrs_FBAgTpQez9Q-zMdIby7K5l_FLuQDrEbPtM72p6KxXFRxHjK9lE7TSsFMmPbK94as0jpi4JotolNyVDn3R8eoP_bpVhrt9jvy-Fyc1ZvlffZT2SClsyeC8JSng0/s1600/ButterflyCardInside.jpg" height="462" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Thank you, Karen Burniston, for all your inspiration using Elizabeth Craft Design dies and other products!</span>Nancy Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15772143337289615173noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4895287705782771061.post-68219167807987906132014-08-26T14:35:00.001-05:002014-08-26T15:01:37.072-05:00Art Journaling for ME?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq1r4f3D2od61Te-X0MdG2dBnSckvKer5eqVSYu1E_zkYyeeDrn6PUMPFjsXLvlk1MYVyQ_Ntbefq0uofvvMRi4L75tu0h7_lHbvJ_o5tRUEic1OX4SVkwfGQi9oeiMbkyP_Kqsd5aWTs/s1600/CoverDLP.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq1r4f3D2od61Te-X0MdG2dBnSckvKer5eqVSYu1E_zkYyeeDrn6PUMPFjsXLvlk1MYVyQ_Ntbefq0uofvvMRi4L75tu0h7_lHbvJ_o5tRUEic1OX4SVkwfGQi9oeiMbkyP_Kqsd5aWTs/s1600/CoverDLP.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-size: large;">Entire Cover of the Documented Life Project Art Journal</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I have often thought of doing an art journal. I even read a book about doing one and the positive influence it can be in your artistic life. But, frankly, I didn't know where to begin. By just experimenting on each page, it bares your soul to whoever is looking at it, and I just didn't feel comfortable doing that. I guess my mother's voice will always be in the back of my mind as she laughs at a portrait I painted of my brother--my first attempt at one </span><span style="font-size: large;">(when I was 19)</span><span style="font-size: large;">, and as I look back at the one photo I have of it, I see that I didn't do a bad job--in fact, it actually looked like him! She was just highly critical of everything, and somehow I cannot free myself of the feeling that I have never quite made it as an artist. But the critical side of me is beginning to be overshadowed by my right brain's non-logical way of thinking. I AM an artist! And I am beginning to be proud of whatever I do...whether it pleases others or not. Maybe that is due to my age, but who knows? I have also come to the realization that it is the process of creating that pleases me when I finish. It is the actual doing of it that is most important...not the finished product!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">Although I am late coming to the table, I joined Documented Life Project, an art journal journey that presents a challenge each week to participants. It is up to us how to interpret that challenge and convert it to art in our Moleskine Daily Journal. A friend of mine, who was also interested in jumping on board, found a Moleskine Daily Journal that was an 18-month one, beginning with the first week of July 2014. So we ordered them and started our art journal journey. I did the first week of mine, and then decided to go ahead and do the cover and all the tip-in pages, which are mostly watercolor paper added to the second page of each week with Washi tapes of all colors and prints. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-size: large;">Frankly, I am quite proud of the cover. I began with gesso on the leather cover...oh, how I hated to cover that leather! But as I got into stamping, adding Jacquard's Lumiere paint with a stencil, doodling, adding Tim Holtz's tissue paper, and then coating it all with <a href="http://www.goldenpaints.com/technicaldata/mattemed.php" target="_blank">Golden matte medium</a> and allowed to dry for 24 hours or more. I then hand-rubbed a coat of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004M5B3NM/?tag=googhydr-20&hvadid=35015900964&hvpos=1t1&hvexid=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=35115584142121584&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=e&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_7yljuxhnso_e" target="_blank">Judikins' Microglaze</a> to protect it from moisture and soil and then buffed it to a soft shine with a paper towel. I have since covered it with plastic sleeves to protect it as I journal along this next year, since I am very messy at times. I am not fond of art products on my fingers, so this is a challenge to me. I find myself peeling off matte medium all day after working with it. Where does it all come from? I am convinced my fingers are manufacturing it.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhup1-baW3WbMOMX3PnClYSQDkr7SaeECGS0SFLk6x-WcLv5RoHJuCiiJZ6sMJ_RYC1vzybBe2sJgfb0ws4a9ZrR1ujeud3Uhg1zfpwz-DzQPCVcOV-skkf-TMDgEQEF8NfsEEvTVMtyhE/s1600/Tip-ins.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhup1-baW3WbMOMX3PnClYSQDkr7SaeECGS0SFLk6x-WcLv5RoHJuCiiJZ6sMJ_RYC1vzybBe2sJgfb0ws4a9ZrR1ujeud3Uhg1zfpwz-DzQPCVcOV-skkf-TMDgEQEF8NfsEEvTVMtyhE/s1600/Tip-ins.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">So here is the book standing up on its bottom edge, showcasing all the pretty washi taped edges where the tip-in pages are taped to the book. Yes, this book is going to be a "fat book" when it is all finished. That adds to its charm, in my opinion!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-size: large;">I might add that each page of the Moleskine is first coated with a light coat of gesso. That helps to protect whatever medium you are using from bleeding through to the back of the page, which is the first page of your next layout! We were instructed to add monthly tabs to the top of the book, too. I used the wonderful rounded tab punch made by Stampin' Up several years ago. I wish they had never retired that punch. It makes a very cute and sturdy tab. These tabs are all laminated, too, since they will get lots of use.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">With all the amazing art supplies and techniques I have learned through the years, and also some I learned in <a href="https://www.facebook.com/jean.parker.9847" target="_blank">Jean Parker's</a> Mixed Media classes at PlazaArts in Nashville, Tennessee, I am having fun with this art journal. Thank you, Jean! And thank you to my journaling friends--</span><span style="font-size: large;">Ann</span><span style="font-size: large;">, Boo, Kathie, Robin, Lori, </span><span style="font-size: large;">and</span><span style="font-size: large;">Teresa--for encouraging me to do this project.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-size: large;">So our first week in July's challenge was to use a crossword, sudoku, word search, or another puzzle on your layout. I chose a crossword, since I actually do solve one every day at lunch. But on this layout I also wanted to give a nod to our country's birthday and one of my favorite holidays, the Fourth of July!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAvNqE6pgGYayRlLHgA7LZasA-AVLJXL2WeC-01HdiYCUVN19n0xcAe6yzjy8UAEL3_TOU0j66kkodBJYxpoqiRfK1BCkc-GVhNLabGiIlrSkbkrGHiK_QcNpSu8zASfQBtlpWB83dAPE/s1600/Crossword.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAvNqE6pgGYayRlLHgA7LZasA-AVLJXL2WeC-01HdiYCUVN19n0xcAe6yzjy8UAEL3_TOU0j66kkodBJYxpoqiRfK1BCkc-GVhNLabGiIlrSkbkrGHiK_QcNpSu8zASfQBtlpWB83dAPE/s1600/Crossword.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">This page incorporates a couple of paper napkin layers...the watermelon and the large black dots. In Jean's classes, we always bring decorative paper napkins to swap. Mixed media artists love all things paper that can be glued to projects, and paper napkins spark many creative endeavors. Some of the pages have the days of the week with the date of the month showing. I choose to either write over mine or cover them with paint, depending on how much I actually want to journal on that week. Some people emphasize those days and journal them faithfully. I try to add a few things that will spark memories as I look back over the past weeks of 2014.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I will show you one more layout, and then I will stop this Art Journal journey for today. This next one shows the challenge of incorporating an Instagram or a small photo into your layout. I chose photos of sunflowers from our garden, since they are in full bloom right now, and just looking out at them nodding their heavy seedheads with little goldfinches clinging to every one of them is a heart-warming picture to me. I love those big, cheerful blooms topped with the cute little hungry birds!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1jkVCVi6o43hjJqgguVBRkQDId-z0PgtCnSIacWkYocuhtJVA-Ed_5Vc3rgPHvg1d6kOVO61cksc5Vo75Ck8CJ8rR5b1gvuYTo8OCzEhJhcVii0goKRXpmmVMLsgkgshq0FuKp33Q-ME/s1600/Instagramlayoutlclosed.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1jkVCVi6o43hjJqgguVBRkQDId-z0PgtCnSIacWkYocuhtJVA-Ed_5Vc3rgPHvg1d6kOVO61cksc5Vo75Ck8CJ8rR5b1gvuYTo8OCzEhJhcVii0goKRXpmmVMLsgkgshq0FuKp33Q-ME/s1600/Instagramlayoutlclosed.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Small Photo Layout with the tip-in page in closed position</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUYr3cOzLrOV-ZHddyYrxnGBhc1FDedh7OiB8vugVxEzFXO8u5a5t71gdzDNktChuOlanOklSk4LTgZHfalBH0zG587d7OxH9t2xOtdv6LyLVTxxGzFAWuyLupAqPVcp9w3fJT__HnQmg/s1600/InstagramLayoutOpen.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUYr3cOzLrOV-ZHddyYrxnGBhc1FDedh7OiB8vugVxEzFXO8u5a5t71gdzDNktChuOlanOklSk4LTgZHfalBH0zG587d7OxH9t2xOtdv6LyLVTxxGzFAWuyLupAqPVcp9w3fJT__HnQmg/s1600/InstagramLayoutOpen.JPG" height="480" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">This layout has lots of layers of Golden fluid acrylics, a grass die cut, Washi tape, a sun ray stencil from Tim Holtz, a sunflower stamp stamped with a stamp pad made especially for it and then cut out and glued on with matte medium, more pen doodling, and the cross-hatching, which is kind of making an appearance on all my pages. It is done with a piece of corrugated cardboard and gesso applied haphazardly to the ridges with my finger, then pressed down on the pages horizontally and then at right angles to the first stamped area. Then it was slightly shaded with a black pen to give a little depth to the cross-hatching.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I will continue working in my art journal, but I won't share every little detail with you. There are other art things happening in my life, and I will share a little bit of these things the next time I blog!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13px;"><br /></span>Nancy Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15772143337289615173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4895287705782771061.post-17771380453185724092014-07-18T23:30:00.000-05:002014-07-19T00:01:39.403-05:00Paint with Paper!<span style="font-size: large;">The direction of my journey in art changed after a class at <a href="http://www.plazaart.com/stores/nashville/" target="_blank">PlazaArt in Nashville, Tennessee </a>with <a href="http://bethgrubbcreative.com/" target="_blank">Beth Grubb</a>, an amazing artist who uses interesting handmade papers to create gorgeous works of art. For a year now, I have been trying to come up with a large "something" to go above the headboard of our bed. Nothing came to me until after taking Beth's class! The free child in me was unleashed. You may also see these creations on the Graphic Products Facebook page <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Graphic-Products-Corporation-Black-Ink-Papers/263443953721180?sk=timeline" target="_blank">here</a> </span><span style="font-size: large;">(the sunflower is there now).</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Working with <a href="http://www.gpcpapers.com/products/category/black-ink-papers-by-country/" target="_blank">Black Ink</a> fine art papers, we tore, cut, Mod Podged, and designed works of art. In this class, a small canvas was covered with the papers, some cardstock, and a little gold paint. One of the papers I chose had some string that pulled out of the paper easily, adding another collage element to the design. Our guest room, now mostly used by two little granddaughters, had recently been painted and redecorated in purples and a touch of muted teal. So this canvas became inspiration to do three different ones with similar abstract qualities. A decorative pillow (see photo below) gave me an idea to tie these elements together, since it had the word "SMILE" on it. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWPhR2rTMTML-_HYQa0aainZ0D1QoZCWAGUikOsYQVFb_ua0VVg71cvNf6t6auU5cSDuMNS8MO3_dJ2dz20w1-Bg-nJMkBXRIVfAbWpJaDs-EXWvnxVR8Ufy_rCEysHsjlaua97IoLDMY/s1600/IMG_0651%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWPhR2rTMTML-_HYQa0aainZ0D1QoZCWAGUikOsYQVFb_ua0VVg71cvNf6t6auU5cSDuMNS8MO3_dJ2dz20w1-Bg-nJMkBXRIVfAbWpJaDs-EXWvnxVR8Ufy_rCEysHsjlaua97IoLDMY/s1600/IMG_0651%5B1%5D.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I added die cut letters to each canvas to carry out the theme--Grin, Giggle, Laugh, --all things little girls do without restraint. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf6BKIUv26hg2KIQrU1kX6YCPn2BumkhxGajwZYUUouvra5t-kPVih0m36WyI7wp5XxSLlzqrJpQVHILqrUArJ9XNjcnvpzR_BlW1BfqJOaVbduArcj-grq4O7XtKlYs3B55exX1OJOY8/s1600/GGL2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf6BKIUv26hg2KIQrU1kX6YCPn2BumkhxGajwZYUUouvra5t-kPVih0m36WyI7wp5XxSLlzqrJpQVHILqrUArJ9XNjcnvpzR_BlW1BfqJOaVbduArcj-grq4O7XtKlYs3B55exX1OJOY8/s1600/GGL2.jpg" height="298" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">What fun it was to create something for the sheer pleasure of combining textures and colors to make something pleasing to the eye. Here are the three canvases a little bigger so you can see the incredible Black Ink papers a little bit better.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiplD-7jM7HDnsw9A5uWf5_KdtTq7szzc-DVcm3uzq3yehQq0XQFgCHs2GRU_kUPlMiJNlf0BDFML8xAMT7uxAENmwbi0i0Qo-7VZdKYlUL4bhl3DDFJHQumOSUq67M8eky2cIzTUXotvo/s1600/Grin1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiplD-7jM7HDnsw9A5uWf5_KdtTq7szzc-DVcm3uzq3yehQq0XQFgCHs2GRU_kUPlMiJNlf0BDFML8xAMT7uxAENmwbi0i0Qo-7VZdKYlUL4bhl3DDFJHQumOSUq67M8eky2cIzTUXotvo/s1600/Grin1.jpg" height="627" width="640" /></a></div>
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The Giggle painting (above) is shown smaller than the two square ones that surround it in the wall arrangement. It is actually larger than Grin and Laugh, but making it larger here made it lose the edges, so I kept it smaller. The textures in all three are very similar.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">Back to the class:</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The class lasted long enough to design a second canvas and even a third one. So I played around with a more graphic look inspired by some more of Black Ink's wonderful papers. Here is the result of that second experiment.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Hu1Rt-jDTtweROmMiMdAzJ7kJtXlxFhhhuQMEY9-ud8JoMF7OY7nkXt1Htn-MwkbuYiqkkLeaVbWGKx8JBoSyl9ROFkd4XJCfsQICguLu8ceVwgGZln6BVA7o39CI_55Z7Dh8khyphenhyphenXjg/s1600/IMG_0465.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Hu1Rt-jDTtweROmMiMdAzJ7kJtXlxFhhhuQMEY9-ud8JoMF7OY7nkXt1Htn-MwkbuYiqkkLeaVbWGKx8JBoSyl9ROFkd4XJCfsQICguLu8ceVwgGZln6BVA7o39CI_55Z7Dh8khyphenhyphenXjg/s640/IMG_0465.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Thanks to the generosity of Black Ink, </span><span style="font-size: large;">Beth let us pick and choose extra papers from the class to take home and make more magic, so I did the third canvas at home ("Laugh" shown above). There was enough paper left to do another graphic canvas similar to the one to the left with the gold leaves. I used music images on another one for my daughter's newly decorated entertainment room.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">It was during this class that the long awaited inspiration for the other bedroom wall was born. Each year our garden yields massive amounts of sunflowers. Only planted in rows for two years, they freely have scattered seed, with help from the goldfinches and other feathered sunflower connoisseurs. My husband takes care to keep many seedlings growing inside other garden produce rows just for the sheer enjoyment they give us. Sometimes I think they are more important than the food we grow. They are food for the spirit! And my idea is born! A giant sunflower on a big square canvas, using these wonderful papers and maybe some other media has become my goal. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzzeKDcaLmx7uER6GrGL4kc5Zxtm82Sl7fBouiy9UIwiC04sxSOz-KDZRMQbdpszeucftpaZwroogfsJgfnueBfP30eUAa0RWZKaqmXG1EKpvaN9TpMeS-DnLbntMS6vi8gEIXIDtl3pA/s1600/Sunflower+study.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzzeKDcaLmx7uER6GrGL4kc5Zxtm82Sl7fBouiy9UIwiC04sxSOz-KDZRMQbdpszeucftpaZwroogfsJgfnueBfP30eUAa0RWZKaqmXG1EKpvaN9TpMeS-DnLbntMS6vi8gEIXIDtl3pA/s400/Sunflower+study.jpg" height="382" width="400" /></span></a><span style="font-size: large;">Beth was excited to hear about the <a href="http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/TennesseeStampers/info" target="_blank">Tennessee Stampers</a>' Annual Retreat after several of us had "played" in her class, and she agreed to come and teach her unique techniques to the rest of the group. We were so lucky to have her there, and she inspired many others to branch out and add handmade papers to our projects (now those of us who have stamped for years already love our paper!) . So I decided ahead of time to begin to plan the long-awaited project for the master bedroom wall by producing a miniature version...just to work out any kinks or problems I may have trying to achieve my goal. I loved how it began to look as I was gluing and cutting and tearing leaves and petals. I used a piece of paper that had a very textural reptilian hide look to it for the big center, cutting it out with a large round scalloped die. It was mounted on chipboard before cutting, then it was elevated off the canvas with some heavy-bodied E-6000 craft glue.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I was unsatisfied with the center of the sunflower, although it was pretty fine as it was. It just needed more. It needed to have beads added to make the center resemble the seed head in its immature state. Besides, I just love a little "bling!" After a couple of weeks studying this canvas, I decided to work on the center. So using <a href="http://rangerink.com/?product=inkssentials%E2%84%A2-glossy-accents%E2%84%A2" target="_blank">Ranger's Glossy Accents</a>, I built up the outer edge with a variety of added textural products, including larger amber colored clear beads and some other glittery additives to resemble the stamens on the outer edge of the sunflower's center and then added more of the Glossy Accents to the center after the edge was nearly dry. On the center, I poured a generous helping of little tiny black glass beads from my stash of beads that have been in my craft room from my early teaching days. After these were nearly dry, more Glossy Accents and black beads helped to raise the edge of the black area to resemble a sunflower. Success! Now, the challenge will be trying to figure out what to use on a canvas three times the size of this one! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">THE FINISHED SUNFLOWER STUDY</span></h2>
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Nancy Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15772143337289615173noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4895287705782771061.post-6733131610508564602014-06-19T00:37:00.001-05:002014-06-19T08:28:27.546-05:00Loving Karen Burniston's New Dies at Elizabeth Craft Design!<span style="font-size: large;">Since the first pop-up card I received for a childhood birthday, I have been crazy about anything that moves, pops-up, surprises me, and makes me smile when I open a card or a pop-up book. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large; font-weight: normal;">When I began scrapbooking, I engineered my own pop-up pages, but I admit, there was a lot of trial and error before figuring out how to make something pop up on a layout. Karen and Sizzix made this stuff all possible for card-making....but I find they can be used in scrapbooks and altered books, too!</span></h3>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Here are three of my feeble little attempts back in 1999 and 2000 before pop-ups were being used in scrapbooks. Don't laugh at all the photos on the pages...I learned better design as I studied and experimented while exploring this area of art that was so new! (At least it was new to me!)</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCxbAxFud5NPnmlpE-VIhQeYnX-sUD1Y9D3nu9AZsOtjRDXvEq1jygGpWXzX2kdJZ9Bjxkm-uMEyqj2zF2S5UEuoU3FMKuq40JTC1Qisipv9g152MJHNEDRrqKM2XsHfT1or5kiGMy09Q/s1600/IMG_0652%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCxbAxFud5NPnmlpE-VIhQeYnX-sUD1Y9D3nu9AZsOtjRDXvEq1jygGpWXzX2kdJZ9Bjxkm-uMEyqj2zF2S5UEuoU3FMKuq40JTC1Qisipv9g152MJHNEDRrqKM2XsHfT1or5kiGMy09Q/s1600/IMG_0652%5B1%5D.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">This page is from a Christmas album. The house is a replica of a dollhouse we made for our daughter one Christmas.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The page with the Christmas tree pop-up is from the same album that spans the first 30 years of family Christmases.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio5c8Ex_2eBH1jeZRiu2wcU6HGDboJVvqjjHvhE6n-mWAE9b78UpaJWTyDoT-2BN9o5ytBEr08RYAJ1vc6emK4QYVJIj7TraOU5260PljN5ixQwpeoFd07Uelp_PP2hu08Fa60jR_Y2zE/s1600/IMG_0654%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio5c8Ex_2eBH1jeZRiu2wcU6HGDboJVvqjjHvhE6n-mWAE9b78UpaJWTyDoT-2BN9o5ytBEr08RYAJ1vc6emK4QYVJIj7TraOU5260PljN5ixQwpeoFd07Uelp_PP2hu08Fa60jR_Y2zE/s1600/IMG_0654%5B1%5D.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">This page (above) is the first pop-up page I ever did. It won an award at a local scrapbook store, too! I actually used photographs of the football stadium to have the pop-up look like a real stadium during a football game. This was fun to splice the photos so they lined up perfectly. As you can see, these pop-ups were very limited by my lack of knowledge and good tools!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">...and now, back to more about the great tools from ECraft Design and Karen Burniston's fantastic dies:</span></h3>
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<span style="font-size: large; font-weight: normal;">When Karen Burniston began designing pop-up cards for Sizzix, I was so amazed and happy that someone finally designed dies that would do that. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">Now Karen has joined forces with <span style="color: #444444; font-family: Lato; line-height: 23.040000915527344px; text-transform: uppercase;">ELS VAN DE BURGT </span>at <a href="http://www.ecraftdesigns.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Elizabeth Craft Designs</span></a>. I am simply crazy about the <a href="http://www.ecraftdesigns.com/collections/pop-it-ups/products/garden-bench" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">garden bench</span></a>, and all the others she has designed. The dies are the wafer thin ones, not limited to a certain card size, since you choose whatever size you wish to cut the design into. Also, I admit that I am delighted with the new <span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://www.sizzix.com/product/656499/sizzix-accessory-magnetic-platform-for-wafer-thin-dies" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">magnetic platform</span></a> </span>Sizzix has manufactured, making these and other similar dies easy to cut, and it is a cinch to center patterns or stamped images inside the dies. I like the way Elizabeth Craft Designs has put so many dies into a set! Most of the time there are dies for the card itself plus embellishment dies to match--all in one great set.</span></span></h3>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I recently decided to invest in a few of the <a href="http://www.ecraftdesigns.com/collections/pop-it-ups/products/accordion-oval-card" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">accordion album</span></a>/card designs. These are so versatile! From only two pages to as many as you wish to add, the dies enable us to make a card for a friend or an album with photos for our family. Coupled with ECD's <a href="http://www.ecraftdesigns.com/collections/peeloff/products/daisies-in-oval" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Peel Off Stickers </span></a>and/or <a href="http://www.ecraftdesigns.com/collections/shimmer-sheetz" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Shimmer Sheetz</span></a>, their ultra fine <a href="http://www.ecraftdesigns.com/collections/silk-microfine-glitter/products/warm-diamond-silk-microfine-glitter" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">glitter</span></a> in Warm or Cool Diamond, a little coloring with <a href="http://store.copicmarker.com/pages/products-markers" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Copic</span></a> markers, and you have a card that is really beautiful and different from the cards I have made for years. I am enjoying the variety of choices. There just isn't enough time to make all that is running through my head now!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Here is a sample of one, both front and back, and closeups of a couple of the panels using the peel-off stickers, positive and negative of the designs, using Els' fantastic how-to directions on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6Fp7GgH0L4&list=UUBtf0eTeqF5p3mSC4yQGurA" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">video</span></a>:</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">There will be more to come in the near future. So be sure to check back soon for a sample of Karen's amazing triple flip-it card! The link to her YouTube video demonstrating her triple flip-it card is <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWAWdvfYunc" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">here</span></a>.</span>Nancy Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15772143337289615173noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4895287705782771061.post-11525642893048765972014-04-30T09:28:00.000-05:002014-04-30T09:28:16.681-05:00Easy Oatmeal Cake with Broiled Coconut-Pecan Frosting!<h2>
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<span style="font-size: large;">After a long break from posting to my blog, I am back with a recipe that is sure to please a small family! This makes a small 9 x 9 inch cake, perfect for a last minute dessert tonight after supper! I serve it hot, so after broiling the frosting wait about 10-15 minutes to make it easier to serve, if you can wait that long.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Easy Oatmeal Cake with Broiled Coconut-Pecan Frosting<br />
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<b><span style="color: #171717;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">Oatmeal Cake with Broiled Frosting<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #171717;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">1/2 c quick cooking
oatmeal <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #171717;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">3/4 c boiling water <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #171717;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">1/2 c sugar <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #171717;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">1/2 c brown sugar<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #171717;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"> 2/3 c flour <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #171717;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">1/2 tsp salt<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #171717;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">1/2 tsp baking soda <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #171717;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">1 egg<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #171717;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">1/4 cup shortening<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #171717;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">Mix oatmeal with
boiling water, stir, and cover for a few minutes. Stir in shortening while it is still
hot. Mix remaining ingredients stir in
oatmeal mixture. Grease & flour 9×9 pan. Pour batter into pan bake 350° for
23-25 minutes. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #171717;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">Frosting:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #171717;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">3 T melted butter <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #171717;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">1/3 c brown sugar <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #171717;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">1/2 c sweetened
shredded coconut <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #171717;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">1/2 c chopped nuts<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #171717;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"> 2 T milk <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #171717;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">1/2 tsp vanilla<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #171717;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">Combine ingredients.
Carefully spread frosting on hot cake, place under broiler for 5 or more
minutes, watching carefully, until the coconut begins to brown. Watch carefully, or you will burn the
frosting. Cool and serve. Makes 9 servings.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br />Nancy Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15772143337289615173noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4895287705782771061.post-12980240239246794212013-12-16T12:32:00.004-06:002013-12-16T12:32:58.277-06:00Christmas Lunch & Learn 2013Two fabulous artists hosted a Christmas Lunch and Learn event this past weekend at <a href="http://www.portraitcreations.com/" target="_blank">Christine Pilkinton Studio</a>, just in time to get us all in the mood for Christmas. I never thought about making art on canvas for Christmas, and this class has inspired me to do more! But first, I must frame the two I did from the class and hang them for the holidays! <br />
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The day began with fruit, muffins, hot tea and coffee and conversation. Then Jean Parker, an amazing mixed media teacher, directed us in making the first of our two projects for the day. We made a mixed media/collage with O Tannenbaum (the old song) as the inspiration. Jean makes it easy to become a great collage artist. She shares many insights in to what NOT to do, along with the many tips and techniques she has in her repertoire. She also brought "goodie bags" with samples and color charts and many other fun things.<br />
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Lunch was served following Jean's class. What an amazing spread it was, and we all enjoyed the festive table, set with Christmas dishes and lots of red and white decor. At lunch, Jean asked some fun art questions in exchange for our Christmas gift from them. That was a nice extra we hadn't planned on! <br />
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Following lunch, Christine Pilkinton, who hosted the event in her brightly lit studio, initiated a project of painting Christmas ball ornaments suspended on pine boughs. It was a fun project, and she showed us several examples of Christmas art for inspiration. She had a setup with ornaments lit so we could see how the reflective surfaces would look, making it easier to observe and paint. To speed the class along, we used acrylic paints because of their rapid drying characteristics. The final photo in the video is of me holding my ornament painting, and the video only lasts three and a half minutes. This well-done video (excellently photographed and put together by Christy Pilkinton) shows it all.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/sflvaINK8qk" width="480"></iframe>Nancy Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15772143337289615173noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4895287705782771061.post-29139466672440685012013-03-29T00:58:00.000-05:002013-03-29T01:06:06.026-05:00Easter Pop-up Cards<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwimXmG4hvkCkzjMdK5vl0QzvfHL-DnQ5m0qeG0r9umhr2JII3Nz0VVqXbn7vNrjCtZnjbt2RFw7-gQAE8QD2A1DB4vcbvMfoEno-YQPdFcZbNtdvPPXajEIu9dlDApERBSAyclJWyBrI/s1600/2Easter.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5ujvoBWCt11r7o9b4NIb9edkiDvySceM_tUU4jsqVBnM5ZJwI3nOll9i0qYu8xCg6mMdT3J78Uj3usICAc-qqZcum5eQXkR1HOyg4P5GsAN1yPwRgfM2kIzekUztoaINV5lGqbBJHH3Y/s1600/1+Bluebird.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5ujvoBWCt11r7o9b4NIb9edkiDvySceM_tUU4jsqVBnM5ZJwI3nOll9i0qYu8xCg6mMdT3J78Uj3usICAc-qqZcum5eQXkR1HOyg4P5GsAN1yPwRgfM2kIzekUztoaINV5lGqbBJHH3Y/s640/1+Bluebird.JPG" width="536" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Bluebird Easter Card Front<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> A recent Stampin' Up card club order contained the new<a href="http://www.stampinup.com/ECWeb/ProductDetails.aspx?productID=130099" target="_blank"> Karen Burniston's Pop 'n Cuts base die</a> for Sizzix's Stampin' Up exclusive release. I just had to cut a few cards and make some fun pop-up cards for my kids and their families. This die is going to be so versatile!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The card itself uses the same K & Company paper from a big pad--I just love all the subtle patterns and colors in this collection! The birdhouse is cut from heavy 110# cardstock with a Cricut (same cartridge was used on the birdhouses in the previous blog), and then it is embossed with a wood grain embossing folder from Sizzix for Tim Holtz, the raised areas are rubbed with Worn Lipstick Distress Ink. The bird and branch is stamped and punched with Stampin' Up's coordinating stamp and punch. The bluebird quote is from Artistic Outpost and is stamped on a Stampin' Up Apothecary label.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The great thing about this card base is that it has a nice decorative edge that <span style="font-size: large;">tucks into slots that are cut <span style="font-size: large;">into the corners of the back of the card. M<span style="font-size: large;">akes a neat package! I cut another card for the inside pop-up mechanism. I used the <span style="font-size: large;">Pop<span style="font-size: large;"> 'n Cuts <a href="http://www.sizzix.com/product/657798/sizzix-pop-n-cuts-magnetic-insert-die-label-3-d-pop-up" target="_blank">Magnetic </a><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.sizzix.com/product/657798/sizzix-pop-n-cuts-magnetic-insert-die-label-3-d-pop-up" target="_blank">Label</a> die inser<span style="font-size: large;">t</span> from Karen Burniston</span><span style="font-size: large;">. Y<span style="font-size: large;">es, all the inserts for her Pop<span style="font-size: large;"> 'n Cuts <span style="font-size: large;">are interchangeable!<span style="font-size: large;"> Imagine the possibilities!</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheVLg8AX55mio3t4qRM-NHmqr4exztzMBlwBwlqgNfiOmMTupQX9ofIf72ybuztSEUBjLDuJUp_bTQu0dAZ5VdbPlboBR4pV2C4eUaMm6OQtjyZkOaZ03zojrB8lc6LwWbku9FLZPZ3zE/s1600/2+BluebirdInside.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheVLg8AX55mio3t4qRM-NHmqr4exztzMBlwBwlqgNfiOmMTupQX9ofIf72ybuztSEUBjLDuJUp_bTQu0dAZ5VdbPlboBR4pV2C4eUaMm6OQtjyZkOaZ03zojrB8lc6LwWbku9FLZPZ3zE/s640/2+BluebirdInside.JPG" width="458" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Bluebird Easter Card Inside</span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">The inside of the card has the normal pop up mechanism<span style="font-size: large;">, but I also added a trimmed mechanism from the <a href="http://www.sizzix.com/product/657131/sizzix-bigz-die-card-zig-zag-3-d-pop-up" target="_blank">Zig Zag</a> p<span style="font-size: large;">op up die. <span style="font-size: large;">To the zig zag pop up mechanism, I</span> gl<span style="font-size: large;">ued two eggs cut with Sizzix's <a href="http://www.sizzix.com/product/658691/sizzix-framelits-die-set-10pk-egg" target="_blank">Framelets nesting egg dies</a>. So when the card is opened, t<span style="font-size: large;">here is action that opens the <span style="font-size: large;">pop up lab<span style="font-size: large;">el as well as <span style="font-size: large;">bringing the eggs up from behind into the action! I added several other eggs to the card, some decorated with W<span style="font-size: large;">ashi tape<span style="font-size: large;"> and t<span style="font-size: large;">he rest cut from the printed paper pad. The sentiment tag is fro<span style="font-size: large;">m Stampin' Up. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbELs8t32yK59WPJGvd1mH7t7UcKNsJO7QE8dVY4eWUrcKk_BIm6251r0ZQWzVpKjX8roIAM5Jn3tSKDr0xNnkDplh2WBGDO78tG4U3tNUFl2OMtUVe0KI3WybNivhn-A_w_a88ZfQkEQ/s1600/1Easter.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbELs8t32yK59WPJGvd1mH7t7UcKNsJO7QE8dVY4eWUrcKk_BIm6251r0ZQWzVpKjX8roIAM5Jn3tSKDr0xNnkDplh2WBGDO78tG4U3tNUFl2OMtUVe0KI3WybNivhn-A_w_a88ZfQkEQ/s640/1Easter.JPG" width="572" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Easter Egg Card Front</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJs5XusUabUT_BInK4Q7JfyRE1vImyHFkvBjMNgYt7gpDyV76BVKfzsedVqX9G562LkuZTuHveQGJE2daKLZTUFsSLuFX5dmw3ogYTdV9kDd9G2tWx817V3_hlyJ3u2KB_wTARIgMLM28/s1600/2Easter.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJs5XusUabUT_BInK4Q7JfyRE1vImyHFkvBjMNgYt7gpDyV76BVKfzsedVqX9G562LkuZTuHveQGJE2daKLZTUFsSLuFX5dmw3ogYTdV9kDd9G2tWx817V3_hlyJ3u2KB_wTARIgMLM28/s640/2Easter.JPG" width="563" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Front with egg open</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1DkFYanasqzNSiY8aillf3Ff10jPgxSehTSriZct7yW2aiK8hrXwpshwVHC92r6ovy4kFowl4nmEbN6JtELQidRKvYgPPhbjgNWYZdS4nSRiLTW2mOVD-BGt9J9rS1Al4LN1uAvYFKS0/s1600/6ZigZag.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1DkFYanasqzNSiY8aillf3Ff10jPgxSehTSriZct7yW2aiK8hrXwpshwVHC92r6ovy4kFowl4nmEbN6JtELQidRKvYgPPhbjgNWYZdS4nSRiLTW2mOVD-BGt9J9rS1Al4LN1uAvYFKS0/s320/6ZigZag.JPG" width="274" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Trimmed Zig Zag Mechanism</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">After trim<span style="font-size: large;">ming the Zig Zag pop up mechanis<span style="font-size: large;">m so that it fits neatly on the platform behind the label<span style="font-size: large;">, fold it for<span style="font-size: large;">ward, folding the little platforms along the score lines, open it back up and pop out the little platforms as shown. Th<span style="font-size: large;">is is where you attach the die <span style="font-size: large;">cut you want to pop up fro<span style="font-size: large;">m behind the <span style="font-size: large;">label.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZR4fNiyFZxvmnlS49_wm6hgXyEKN0eiV8YMv7A38eMIBdy2ZR4u1pbn5WL1HwcQdS9jv6b1v46YbjalsBiPMBw80ksDLjChPgXpteh1GqR1W_esk_l8XmTGviZPZGaNZX3WJ6f-awxiA/s1600/4EasterDetails.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZR4fNiyFZxvmnlS49_wm6hgXyEKN0eiV8YMv7A38eMIBdy2ZR4u1pbn5WL1HwcQdS9jv6b1v46YbjalsBiPMBw80ksDLjChPgXpteh1GqR1W_esk_l8XmTGviZPZGaNZX3WJ6f-awxiA/s640/4EasterDetails.JPG" width="564" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"> Here are a couple of close up photos of the ins<span style="font-size: large;">ide of the card with the <span style="font-size: large;">Easter basket on the pop up la<span style="font-size: large;">bel. Note the location of the platform and the Zi<span style="font-size: large;">g Zag insert mechanism install<span style="font-size: large;">ed on top of the origin<span style="font-size: large;">a<span style="font-size: large;">l <span style="font-size: large;">platform.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcstOreRNTHeZTMO9rKlfLpeWZUt1QVz0PyvvHRhwpCwCTQZD2T130qqYPXWqv43eYHe-cckMEM9d3FzEH_Mz0MysspsYrHtqHVxHi6EyHZWDGCipKqwhzwjHe9sQ4vbcSdtVx0kEMp0A/s1600/7TopViewEaster2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcstOreRNTHeZTMO9rKlfLpeWZUt1QVz0PyvvHRhwpCwCTQZD2T130qqYPXWqv43eYHe-cckMEM9d3FzEH_Mz0MysspsYrHtqHVxHi6EyHZWDGCipKqwhzwjHe9sQ4vbcSdtVx0kEMp0A/s400/7TopViewEaster2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMxSZLFvs5uttIF9JJkgTHYFyZ_20sviI3ni3-ZdwRHIsP4s-BHtaizsovlMkEDrWVow1sr7y1FCMiU6tOR7UIdHkS16dKpOC94MQuvldQIo3yV11N1b0JtO50iBdrI2Q35Y2nqXi1y00/s1600/8SideViewEaster.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMxSZLFvs5uttIF9JJkgTHYFyZ_20sviI3ni3-ZdwRHIsP4s-BHtaizsovlMkEDrWVow1sr7y1FCMiU6tOR7UIdHkS16dKpOC94MQuvldQIo3yV11N1b0JtO50iBdrI2Q35Y2nqXi1y00/s400/8SideViewEaster.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br />Nancy Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15772143337289615173noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4895287705782771061.post-63881866847152255012013-03-23T23:04:00.000-05:002013-03-23T23:08:15.474-05:00For the Birds!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBmKc3wxOITF5GpFAQ3__LTBnAY0O-mCVCaaHIFWBYtsxZL525CAee2FEub_HZMCBPCL9eegqh_YaZc5gdTHaUaojWxrZ6Tg6GayiSmbb_uuBCwqpdOIo_VkhY5wcnTIDsaTkgjjxYlmg/s1600/For+JudyK+from+Nancy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBmKc3wxOITF5GpFAQ3__LTBnAY0O-mCVCaaHIFWBYtsxZL525CAee2FEub_HZMCBPCL9eegqh_YaZc5gdTHaUaojWxrZ6Tg6GayiSmbb_uuBCwqpdOIo_VkhY5wcnTIDsaTkgjjxYlmg/s640/For+JudyK+from+Nancy.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Tip-In Pages for an Altered Book</span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">It's the end of the month again, and time to show another set of tip-in pages done for the Tip-In Swap for Altered Books in the Tennessee Stampers' Yahoo Group. This friend's book is all about barns, outhouses, birdhouses, and nature. The birdhouse theme spoke to me, since the birds are actively building nests in birdhouses around my house. We even have a wren's nest built <u>underneath</u> a decorative birdhouse on a tall, skinny metal pedestal sitting in the middle of a big square pot of English ivy beside our back door. She sits in her <span style="font-size: large;">partially enclosed </span>nest even when we are coming and going. Amazing! I thought we would probably scare her off the nest for good, but she is persistent. So I am refraining from watering the plant right now. It is still dormant anyway.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I used some K & Company two-sided paper from a large pad for the background and birds. The background is over-stamped with shades of <a href="http://rangerink.com/?product=archival%E2%84%A2-0-pads-2" target="_blank">Ranger Archival</a> greens--Olive, Sap, Emerald, and Library. I wanted the background to look like it was inside a deep copse of trees, so I used a subtle stamp from Stampin' Up, used for the second step in one of the two-step stampin' floral sets. Then a leaf stamp shaped like a branch of oak leaves was stamped over all in places that makes it look like branches in the trees. The birds were cut with Sizzix's Sizzlets Decorative Strip Die, <a href="http://www.sizzix.com/product/657791/sizzix-sizzlits-decorative-strip-die-birds-on-a-wire" target="_blank">Birds on a Wire</a>. <a href="http://rangerink.com/?product=tim-holtz%C2%AE-distress-ink-pads" target="_blank">Ranger Distress</a> ink in Peacock Feathers and Worn Lipstick give more dimension and color to the birds. Black Soot accents the wire.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The birdhouses are cut with a Cricut and are from the cartridge Stretch Your Imagination. I used 110 pound white cardstock and covered it with <a href="http://compare.ebay.com/like/281081127945?var=lv&ltyp=AllFixedPriceItemTypes&var=sbar" target="_blank">Tim Holtz's Tissue Wrap</a> that had been wadded up to wrinkle it before gluing it to the cardstock. Distress Inks applied with the foam ink applicators in Worn Lipstick, Peacock Feathers, and Shabby Shutters gives the houses some fun Spring color! The houses are perched on tree trunks cut from<span style="font-size: large;"> a <a href="http://www.ellenhutson.com/servlet/the-14890/Memory-Box-Dies%2C-Tall/Detail" target="_blank">Tall Birch</a> die made by Memory Box.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The sentiment is from Artistic Outpost, stamped with Ranger Archival Ink in Manganese Blue, and it is cut with a die from the Apothecary Labels set by Stampin' Up. Worn Lipstick Distress ink is used to shade the die cut while it is still in the die. A feather is used to accent the layout.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">This swap is one of the best swaps for Altered Books. The book is protected from damage since it never leaves the house, and the cost to mail the pages is only a fraction of the amount that would be charged to mail a book. I love the fact that I have control where the pages are going in my book, and that I can install them my way--with little or no warping, since I am cranky about how I glue pages into an altered book. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I don't like the warping, ripples and buckling that comes from using adhesive that is too wet. I realize sometimes it is unavoidable, but I try my best prevent it by clamping the book on the edges with waxed paper protecting other pages from accidentally being glued at the same time. My favorite glue for gluing pages together to make a sturdy foundation for a layout in an altered book is still Uhu Glue Stick. It is wet enough to grab and hold if the application is heavy and covers all areas. I always use a brayer to smooth it before gluing the next page. Immediately after gluing, I clamp the book closed with a series of <a href="http://www.staples.com/Staples-Large-Metal-Binder-Clips-Black-2-inch-Size-with-1-inch/product_831610" target="_blank">large black binder clips</a> and let the pages dry overnight. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">If the book is full of embellishments and cannot be clamped, I will isolate only the section I am gluing and weight it down. You can get really creative here. I have employed my Vagabond on top of the platform that comes with the machine as a quick weight. It works pretty well. At the same time, I have propped the portion of the book I am NOT weighing down against the desk, which is higher than the chest <span style="font-size: large;">supporting</span></span><span style="font-size: large;"> the Vagabond<span style="font-size: large;">,</span> so the book won't break at the spine. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">If an opportunity arises for you to join a tip-in swap, give it a go! It is the best way to do an altered book swap, in my opinion!</span>Nancy Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15772143337289615173noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4895287705782771061.post-60639233867770047982013-03-15T08:52:00.001-05:002013-03-15T09:34:10.574-05:00Review--We R Memory Keepers Envelope Punch Board<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJOr1Wb48pCPMa-aIQUDn89cgpAyBK6EECMUSYptSMpOpB7RNmenmGsvQc-3GK-VI2I-m3OwCkDEliskKlP7EngN4J3zv6USyl1KprVJTDyoB6DsusiEIi41lVFSobsD8Ug8W9Jj8TMxI/s1600/envelopepunchboard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJOr1Wb48pCPMa-aIQUDn89cgpAyBK6EECMUSYptSMpOpB7RNmenmGsvQc-3GK-VI2I-m3OwCkDEliskKlP7EngN4J3zv6USyl1KprVJTDyoB6DsusiEIi41lVFSobsD8Ug8W9Jj8TMxI/s1600/envelopepunchboard.jpg" /></a></div>
T<span style="font-size: large;">his is one of the most anticipated tools that ever came along, and I was so excited when my local Archiver's advertised that they had gotten them in stock. I called as soon as the store opened and had them hold one for me. Yes, I was on a waiting list somewhere else, so I also had to cancel that order. I opted not to wait! And I thought, after using it, my readers deserved another review, as if you haven't already read them all!<span style="background-color: white;"><span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Also, since I am left-handed, I wanted to speak to the 15% of you who share that characteristic! Yes, you can turn the board upside down and use it--most lefties are able to read upside down, so that isn't a problem. BUT--since 50% of us lefties work our mouse right handed (including me), I discovered I can work a bone folder right handed as well! (Some people say this will help strengthen the brain to challenge it this way!)</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">All of the other reviews stress accuracy in scoring and in choosing the first measurement. That is correct. Be dead-on with your measurement, punch that corner, and then score along the raised scoring edge. Turn counterclockwise and line up the marker<span style="font-size: large;"> on the punch</span> directly in the middle of that score line. <b> </b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>GREAT TIP: </b> <b><u><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="font-size: large;">Some people say it is hard to see the score line!</span></span></u><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></span>True, if you are using printed paper for your envelope, but I overcame that problem by just <i><u>turning the paper over</u></i> so the white side is exposed!</b> </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The score line is very visible this way. Make sure the little marker (seen on the punch at the bottom left--looks like the tail of a comma, kind of) is <b><i>completely centered</i></b> on your first score line. Punch and score again. Turn counterclockwise, line up the marker in the center of the last score line and repeat until all four lines are scored. Then remove and round the corners at the back of the punch with the built in corner rounder--also operated with the same turquoise punch. Fold and crease with your bone folder, add adhesive and your envelope is finished! I do like to either fold an glue down the insi<span style="font-size: large;">d<span style="font-size: large;">e corner that is from the bottom fla<span style="font-size: large;">p </span>where it sticks above the side flaps. You could also trim it off, which would be easier. Line up the si<span style="font-size: large;">de flaps (which will be on an angle) and mark the place the bottom flap crosses those lines and trim before <span style="font-size: large;">glu<span style="font-size: large;">ing. This is optional<span style="font-size: large;">, of course, and isn't necessary, unless you just want that particular look to your envelope!</span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I was a little hesitant to buy this tool, in case it didn't have the latest measurements printed on it (the first shipment had 8 errors in mea<span style="font-size: large;">surements)</span>, so I asked if mine had the latest update on <span style="font-size: large;">it</span>. Archiver's provided me with the correct measurements printed out on cardstock, in case it wa<span style="font-size: large;">s that first version</span>. When I got home, I checked them, and the ones on my board were correct. But it is handy to keep the extra printed chart near my paper cutter. I understand th<span style="font-size: large;">at all the boards coming out now will be correct.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">As I figured, <span style="color: magenta;"><b>I love this new tool!</b></span> The measurement for the<b> </b>A-2 card envelope is a little larger in the height than we are used to using, but I didn't buy this for the standard card, since I buy those envelopes by the hundred. But the card fits inside just fine, and that is better than it being too small! This is for that occasional card that needs to be bigger (or smaller). Sometimes I feel limited by the 4 1/4" x 5 1/2" constraints, don't you? Not anymore! Thank you, <i><b>We R Memory Keepers</b></i>!</span><br />
<br />Nancy Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15772143337289615173noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4895287705782771061.post-28222004692144579792013-02-22T09:35:00.000-06:002013-02-22T09:35:27.598-06:00Another Flip-Its Card and a New Tip-In<span style="font-size: large;">My daughter just finished her last round of chemotherapy, and she is all done with radiation, so here is a card I made to send her and let her know I am proud of her courage and strength through this past year of fighting breast cancer. If you know someone who is fighting this disease, don't hesitate to send them cards of encouragement all along the way. Ultimately, the cancer patient spends most of the fighting time in treatment, surgery, and doctor visits--many hours just waiting alone or with other newly-made friends undergoing similar treatment.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxlsGSztGrCxGFwrBplXZxly0yvxyk3PFCo1F4rLbu3OXlIn28vG5_0RLZzFtCOePpuiY9COpd3wmQKZTIl3GvfxRE3uwuiOZQafVSc6lClLK7ATa-mDmJOsalOeB5cNlFCVnmgdLbmcU/s1600/FrontBlessings.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="630" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxlsGSztGrCxGFwrBplXZxly0yvxyk3PFCo1F4rLbu3OXlIn28vG5_0RLZzFtCOePpuiY9COpd3wmQKZTIl3GvfxRE3uwuiOZQafVSc6lClLK7ATa-mDmJOsalOeB5cNlFCVnmgdLbmcU/s640/FrontBlessings.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Here is the front of the card cut from the Flip-Its cards from Sizzix. I used some wonderful coordinating papers and epoxy stickers from S.E.I. They were in a great collection of fall-themed papers offered in a bargain packet at Creating Keepsakes Convention held at Opryland Hotel in Nashville this past fall. If you get a chance to pick up a $20 bag full of S.E.I products at a convention, do not hesitate! It was more than worth the money. Big bang for a 20-spot!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The bird in the center was cut from some of my stash of old NRN Design papers left from some of the convention classes I used to teach for the company. I embossed the vertical "Blessings" stamp and added a Memory Box die cut leaf and tendril to the edge of the "flip" part of the card so the tendril will show when the card is opened. </span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyZFEB-UueGNkvWKTcxSXmy_q8oQjF58lOOKE0Kk-PmBtKGGC37YMdwAYovOLZUz5xx7kKkdb6gz7CMbmzmLpbXD1edtEcXrPOt_47b2WNSvuphG9oSJcNJQs_oMgFD3MvQZ_wb5nZEeo/s1600/InsideBlessings.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyZFEB-UueGNkvWKTcxSXmy_q8oQjF58lOOKE0Kk-PmBtKGGC37YMdwAYovOLZUz5xx7kKkdb6gz7CMbmzmLpbXD1edtEcXrPOt_47b2WNSvuphG9oSJcNJQs_oMgFD3MvQZ_wb5nZEeo/s640/InsideBlessings.JPG" width="640" /></a><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Inside, the stamped sentiment "May life always allow you to fly high" is surrounded by more leafy-looking f<span style="font-size: large;">lourish</span> die cuts. More epoxy stickers that go with this paper collection are seen on the flip circle and on the edge of the card, visible both on the closed card and also when it is opened. The stamped sentiment and embellishments are mounted on a Nestabilities Circle die cut with inverted scallops. A scalloped trim from the coordinating paper trims the sides of the card.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">This card is a square card, like the last Flip-Its I published, but I didn't mail it in a half sheet size envelope with my fun technique. Instead I sprung for the required extra postage of 20 cents and made a square envelope with the Martha Stewart Scoring Board and envelope triangle that goes with it. Although I love this way to make envelopes, I personally am excited to be waiting on the new Envelope Punch Board from We R Memory Keepers--just ordered it from Marco's Paper at a great price with free shipping if one orders before they get their first order. <a href="http://www.marcopaper.com/categories.php?category=Accessories/Envelope-Punch-Board" target="_blank">Here is a link to their site.</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Valentine Card Tip-In for Swap</span></span></h2>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt6CTeEUJe5FeC8pB1b0SxfD7aNdzeWf1KqKcaWNpLME6QC53c6XJrhOgYBrQtQ8q-V1WMclWGTiOia_dEMlBdMmxeIfx6TRhr3bXpi2nu0yYtL30hbjr6qpk5CJzH88-JmjvVem2-C8A/s1600/IMG_0375.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="401" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt6CTeEUJe5FeC8pB1b0SxfD7aNdzeWf1KqKcaWNpLME6QC53c6XJrhOgYBrQtQ8q-V1WMclWGTiOia_dEMlBdMmxeIfx6TRhr3bXpi2nu0yYtL30hbjr6qpk5CJzH88-JmjvVem2-C8A/s640/IMG_0375.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">And now to the tip-in two-page spread. This is the tip-in swap I am hosting on the Tennessee Stampers' Yahoo group board. We have two groups of participants, nine in each group. That should give us all nine nice tip-ins for our books. I love the fact that everyone has a different theme. It makes it challenging and fun to work in another person's book without actually having to handle it with care, worry about buckling the delicate book paper with too much wet glue or paint, spending priority mail prices to mail the book to the next person, praying that it won't be lost in the mail or damaged somehow. Mailing an altered book is a scary thing! AND costly, especially if your book is large or thick and heavy.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">This friend's theme is the "Hallmark of Caring". She is re-purposing a book that was all about Hallmark Cards, so she is using the book's <span style="font-size: large;">subject matter</span> as stimulus for her theme. I chose to use Valentines' Day cards for my tip-in. I made two actual Valentines, one from <a href="http://www.artisticoutpost.com/cutiepie1.html" target="_blank">Artistic Outpost's Cutie Pie</a> plate for the "Then" card and one for the "Now" card from the humorous collection of funny old ladies made by <a href="http://www.artimpressions.com/" target="_blank">Art Impressions</a>. Both images are colored with <a href="http://www.copicmarker.com/" target="_blank">Co</a><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.copicmarker.com/" target="_blank">pic</a> markers.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">These are on facing pages, heart doilies behind the cards. The doily behind the AE stamped card is tinted with Ranger's Distress inks. Tim Holtz's new embossed Kraft-backed Core'dinations Seasonal Impressions papers--Valentine's Day red one--is cut up and placed on the page in various spots. <span style="font-size: large;">T</span>he <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/113030434/stampin-up-by-definition-stamp" target="_blank">"By Definition"</a> (now retired) typewritten background stamp on love is from <a href="http://www.stampinup.com/ECWeb/default.aspx?cid=34" target="_blank">Stampin' Up</a>. Wooden hearts painted pink and red are palettes for little sayings found on conversation hearts. Inside the "Then" card is a history of the Valentine Card. Click <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R52GPmt-js4" target="_blank">here</a> for a vid<span style="font-size: large;">eo by Tim Holtz showing his collection of Core'dinations Seasonal Impressions </span></span><br />
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Nancy Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15772143337289615173noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4895287705782771061.post-31937192845678288512013-02-13T00:07:00.000-06:002013-02-13T00:07:43.360-06:00A Contest From Ranger!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit6vZwU776JfCHbCOHp__4_W8mPiQEOt7hpdeoq7jTh0wf2Iza03yH61D681lF19T9MJ1lFstEERiBqu4JqabItMItazH3H7p839hZKgrS4tn4_w-L5Aa88_jZnjM3tWKPRHD1J7YKRF4/s1600/RangerChallenge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit6vZwU776JfCHbCOHp__4_W8mPiQEOt7hpdeoq7jTh0wf2Iza03yH61D681lF19T9MJ1lFstEERiBqu4JqabItMItazH3H7p839hZKgrS4tn4_w-L5Aa88_jZnjM3tWKPRHD1J7YKRF4/s640/RangerChallenge.jpg" width="488" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Ranger C<span style="font-size: x-large;">olor Palette Inspiration</span></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Time to enter a contest. Range is sponsoring a <a href="http://rangerink.com/february-color-palette-inspiration-contest/#more-11261" target="_blank">February Color Palette Inspiration & Contest</a> for a great giveaway of the colors they have chosen. To enter, you must create something using colors from the chosen palette. Not all the colors have to be used, so I chose ones that work with this Valentine card. The stamped image is from Tim Holtz's new Blueprint Mini stamp collection. It is colored in and then enhanced with Ranger's Stickles Glitter Glue. The background uses one of Tim's embossing folders with the harlequin pattern and Co'ordination cardstock sanded to emphasize the pattern. Then Ranger Distress inks in Festive Berries and Black Soot are applied with Tim's foam application tool. The sentiment is done with a label maker and glitter heart accents are from EKSuccess.</span>Nancy Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15772143337289615173noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4895287705782771061.post-11428636634869841352013-02-10T23:15:00.000-06:002013-02-10T23:15:16.368-06:00Winter Cards for Snowy Weather!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG5rl8rZS8n1sIFgUnzyqbqQ_A8U9-FQrAhFxlelcnZEJMzw8ycxLP3W0FiDYf6ZFRbvj9H5IvqXvM6q5kJcOxy3TqUubtrGka-BreIW6Bj2FxtMBRqvWx7JMICIxR8gAGS0DNnw0EGoU/s1600/EnvWithCard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="601" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG5rl8rZS8n1sIFgUnzyqbqQ_A8U9-FQrAhFxlelcnZEJMzw8ycxLP3W0FiDYf6ZFRbvj9H5IvqXvM6q5kJcOxy3TqUubtrGka-BreIW6Bj2FxtMBRqvWx7JMICIxR8gAGS0DNnw0EGoU/s640/EnvWithCard.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Winter is still raging in America, and with the northeast digging out from under the recent storm, it is time to show a "Welcome to Winter" card! Using <a href="http://www.sizzix.com/product/657586/sizzix-movers-shapers-l-die-card-circle-flip-its" target="_blank">Stephanie Barnard's Circle Flip-Its</a> card, I want to begin by showing how to mail a square card without the extra postage required by a square envelope. Simply use a larger rectangular envelope (6" x 9") that will go with one stamp--the size for mailing an 8 1/2" x 11" sheet folded in half . Punch some small shapes out of the envelope on the left side so it will not interfere with the stamped side, leaving some room for your return address. Then cut a piece of cardstock (good to <span style="font-size: large;">have it coordinate with your card) </span>to fill in the holes left by the punches and to take up extra room in the card. Adhere this to the inside of the card by tape runner or glue stick. If you run <span style="font-size: large;">the insertion piece</span> through a Xyron<span style="font-size: large;">, making the front side <span style="font-size: large;">the sticky side</span></span>, it will leave a sticky area where the punched shapes are if you want to add some glitter, pearlescent powders, or gold or silver leaf for a little pizazz on the mail art. Just be certain to glue the edges of your punched shapes down well so they will not catch on the mail equipment. If you prefer to NOT punch holes in your envelope, just glue a piece of cardstock into that end of the card so the square card will not be floating around inside a huge envelope, but will occupy <span style="font-size: large;">its own space inside.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqRhPKQIetEx5xYouh4NbIb5Hzf8ZPWbzFK6w8cDbuqOT7A3IyPkFXI6zIbnSH5qMEgh8Qjah8YEu8EjRhirCgazx_Bn5n3HxjgtfiNH1vtGSBWagxYYIpV7iCZXPJhXrPExqIy5U-Xaw/s1600/Flip-itCardFront.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="388" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqRhPKQIetEx5xYouh4NbIb5Hzf8ZPWbzFK6w8cDbuqOT7A3IyPkFXI6zIbnSH5qMEgh8Qjah8YEu8EjRhirCgazx_Bn5n3HxjgtfiNH1vtGSBWagxYYIpV7iCZXPJhXrPExqIy5U-Xaw/s400/Flip-itCardFront.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Card Front</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Now for the card. Using the round Flip-Its Sizzix die, cut the card from a heavy printed cardstock--the one I used was foiled, so the silver areas<span style="font-size: large;"> are reflecting other colors in the p<span style="font-size: large;">hotos</span></span>. The back was stamped with a variety of blues and a couple of Stampin' Up stamps that look like snow. If you have a two-sided cardstock, the stamping will not be necessary. The large snowflake is cut from silver-glittered cardstock and with the <a href="http://www.sizzix.com/product/657055/sizzix-bigz-die-snowflake-3" target="_blank">Sizzix Basic Grey Snowflake #3</a>, trimmed to fit the circle in the Flip-Its card. The center is punched from a recycled Christmas card because of its foiled snowy looking pattern. A little bling is a<span style="font-size: large;">dded to the center of the <span style="font-size: large;">punched snowflake. </span></span><a href="https://www.magentastyle.com/store/product_info.php?cPath=306_28_29&products_id=14159&osCsid=ocgrvifegd48l5um248o2avrv1" target="_blank">Magenta's self adhesive peel-offs</a> in silver grace the outside edges of the card and help to reinforce the folded area.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The inside of the card shows the stamped sentiment trimmed with the <span style="font-size: large;">same <span style="font-size: large;">Magenta trim and another punched snowfla<span style="font-size: large;">ke from th</span></span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">e recycled card.</span></span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDGV8e6a80FDXaHCGT8BSgHnrMehu6Q4HBn4igrZw4Vxeth3j_q3UlVD0ynjpwLocky1kZsmqsWzig_OPqSusfVmDhBjfT-tGyZ_JT-xypAwitDPVGLk8dJp5baAqb4H8Os5ImLovJHe4/s1600/Flip-itCardInside.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDGV8e6a80FDXaHCGT8BSgHnrMehu6Q4HBn4igrZw4Vxeth3j_q3UlVD0ynjpwLocky1kZsmqsWzig_OPqSusfVmDhBjfT-tGyZ_JT-xypAwitDPVGLk8dJp5baAqb4H8Os5ImLovJHe4/s640/Flip-itCardInside.jpg" width="579" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Card Inside</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Here is another view of the envelope ready to deliver this fun wintry card to one of my friends for a Card of the Month swap on the Tennessee Stampers' Yahoo Group.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjKHuMH_VRjcQjm821XP7FJkIsDys9Yt5-VFGNgEOwqz8icIW2dVnIod1soHlNW3FheTvGsWdGGBX_O30cRPtT8wFXFmS4Fx6Vnr5GiuVJK4M7DIcoZ2MoyMLO74oTbMaDw4ajVmF3pjE/s1600/IMG_0334.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjKHuMH_VRjcQjm821XP7FJkIsDys9Yt5-VFGNgEOwqz8icIW2dVnIod1soHlNW3FheTvGsWdGGBX_O30cRPtT8wFXFmS4Fx6Vnr5GiuVJK4M7DIcoZ2MoyMLO74oTbMaDw4ajVmF3pjE/s640/IMG_0334.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Front <span style="font-size: large;">view o<span style="font-size: large;">f envelope <span style="font-size: large;">and card</span></span></span></span></td></tr>
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<br />Nancy Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15772143337289615173noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4895287705782771061.post-8463590486302664472013-01-09T00:25:00.000-06:002013-01-09T00:28:24.164-06:00Mostly Blue Twinchie Swap<span style="font-size: large;">The holidays have ended, winter has set in, and besides dealing with the traditional five pound weight gain from all the sweets I have consumed, I am continuing to make some cards for next Christmas. When our notable moderator on Tennessee Stampers decided we needed a swap to break us from the doldrums and get us creating without using red and green, it was a breath of fresh air! She chose "Mostly Blue" as the theme for her diminutive "twinchie" swap. For those of you scratchin<span style="font-size: large;">g <span style="font-size: large;">your head<span style="font-size: large;">s now, or if yo<span style="font-size: large;">u are n<span style="font-size: large;">ew to stamping and paper arts, </span></span>a "twin<span style="font-size: large;">chie" is twice the size of an "inchie," so it is 2 inches sq<span style="font-size: large;">uare. </span></span></span></span></span>It was hard NOT to make snow the center of this theme, since <span style="color: blue;"><i><b>winter + blue=snow</b></i></span>. At least in my book. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">So trying hard not to just cover the little art piece with snowflakes, I opted for a snowflake cardstock with some silver accents. This was an "after Christmas" sale find at Michael's for $5.99--a whole book of blue glossy printed cardstock, accented with shiny silver. Perfect for this swap...and for my card of the month assignment, too! So I managed to get 10 twinchies and two cards from on<span style="font-size: large;">ly </span>one of those sheets of cardstock. The card will be shown another day. I wanted to mail it to my assigned person and let her see it in person before showing it here. </span><br />
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<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">Four Little Twinchies</span> </span></h2>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTeqN9f3CcOS2CPbG97IqVIpPCGI0TWJ0iHFNAVrs5eIJroEdef07A8E4vCs2Qjo1FetDRXkVkKMSbdHKEpl6tbCMCPRPXSvF8z-E6RG9cCC0RQAOhQGDBz2xyuZuc9dYiJQnLSntZW1w/s1600/Blue+Twinchies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTeqN9f3CcOS2CPbG97IqVIpPCGI0TWJ0iHFNAVrs5eIJroEdef07A8E4vCs2Qjo1FetDRXkVkKMSbdHKEpl6tbCMCPRPXSvF8z-E6RG9cCC0RQAOhQGDBz2xyuZuc9dYiJQnLSntZW1w/s640/Blue+Twinchies.jpg" width="630" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">So instead of just snow, snow globe<span style="font-size: large;">s are the objects on my mostly blue twinchies. I stamped a miniature Eiffel tower on <span style="font-size: large;">white card stock, added a little s<span style="font-size: large;">now flurry stamp from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Inkadinkado-Inchies-Clear-Stamps-Flourishes/dp/B001MUDJ0K" target="_blank">Inkadinkado's Flourishes for Inchies</a><span style="font-size: large;">. Then some <a href="http://www.simonsaysstamp.com/servlet/the-9619/tim-holtz-ranger-adirondack/Detail" target="_blank">Ranger Snowcap dabber</a> was added to a piece of clear pla<span style="font-size: large;">stic packag<span style="font-size: large;">ing punched out the same size as the circle with the <span style="font-size: large;">stamping. (How many of you are saving your plastic packaging now? I am finding so many uses for it, a<span style="font-size: large;">fter watching Tim Holtz start using it a few years ago<span style="font-size: large;">.) </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span>After that dried, I added some <a href="http://www.rangerink.com/snb0412.htm" target="_blank">Ice Stickles</a> to the very bottom of the white circle, around the <span style="font-size: large;">tower, and also to the bottom of the snow flurry on the clear circle. <span style="font-size: large;">It wasn't until a little bleeding started at the base of the t<span style="font-size: large;">ower, that <span style="font-size: large;">I realized I <span style="font-size: large;">hadn't used Ranger Archival Ink to stamp. Sigh. So I had to spray the circles with <span style="font-size: large;">acrylic sealer, which did<span style="font-size: large;"> NOT work! </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">I was up late, and decided it was too late to stamp them all over again<span style="font-size: large;"> and wait on the <span style="font-size: large;">Stickles to dry<span style="font-size: large;"> again. So I grabbed some<span style="font-size: large;"> clear nail polish and brushed on a hea<span style="font-size: large;">vy coat. Without waiting on it to dry, I plopped the clear "globe" on top and began working out the bubbles. It was perfect, but a little bit mess<span style="font-size: large;">y when some of the excess po<span style="font-size: large;">lish worked i<span style="font-size: large;">ts way out of the sandwic<span style="font-size: large;">h. <span style="font-size: large;">The effect I was seeking was actually accomplished. I wanted the little globes to look like someone h<span style="font-size: large;">ad shaken the<span style="font-size: large;">m, and the snow was moving back towards the bottom. The glitter in the bottom of the globe doesn't show up in the <span style="font-size: large;">scan--sorry! <span style="font-size: large;">But it does when you <span style="font-size: large;">see it in person!</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">The base was <span style="font-size: large;">punched from that elusive tab punch that <span style="font-size: large;">Stampi<span style="font-size: large;">n' Up decided to retire. Now everyone wants it! It made a perfect <span style="font-size: large;">base for my little globe. I punched one, <span style="font-size: large;">trimmed the e<span style="font-size: large;">dge from one end, cut it at the fold lin<span style="font-size: large;">e, <span style="font-size: large;">glued that little edge on the bottom of the other end so it <span style="font-size: large;">gives the base some dimension. The<span style="font-size: large;">n I made 2013 labels with <span style="font-size: large;">my Dymo label maker<span style="font-size: large;"> and affixed them on the base. The little silver accents are made by <a href="https://www.magentastyle.com/store/index.php?cPath=306_28&osCsid=ocgrvifegd48l5um248o2avrv1" target="_blank">Magenta</a>. They are those wonderfu<span style="font-size: large;">l accents you just peel off<span style="font-size: large;">, trim and use. I love these, because every<span style="font-size: large;">thing on the sheet can be used for accenting<span style="font-size: large;">.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">I have b<span style="font-size: large;">een inspired by <a href="http://www.jennifermcguireink.com/2013/01/another-winter-thank-you-and-links.html" target="_blank">Jennifer Mc</a><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.jennifermcguireink.com/2013/01/another-winter-thank-you-and-links.html" target="_blank">Guire and her winter thank you cards</a>,<span style="font-size: large;"> (click <a href="http://www.jennifermcguireink.com/2013/01/winter-thank-you-cards.html" target="_blank">this link</a> for the first batch she did) </span>using the more wintry stamps instead of hiding t<span style="font-size: large;">hem away until next C<span style="font-size: large;">hrist<span style="font-size: large;">mas. <span style="font-size: large;">I will share some I have been making in the next blog!</span></span></span></span></span></span> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<br />Nancy Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15772143337289615173noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4895287705782771061.post-35887509479461159752012-12-26T00:31:00.000-06:002012-12-26T00:31:51.804-06:00Recycle Christmas Cards Now!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6gO1epWIdC-H2iFuuLManBVTvXwEatCsW4dCb7pDcYAnlfN4DBYc3po0ttMrxcHM-G3R2x32oOh9mDU6M8ITcGG0luJfwsMFMjejDABtnqsxhybr4Ousw9baJW9GwP5myr4dw0BA4P3M/s1600/Recycled+cards1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6gO1epWIdC-H2iFuuLManBVTvXwEatCsW4dCb7pDcYAnlfN4DBYc3po0ttMrxcHM-G3R2x32oOh9mDU6M8ITcGG0luJfwsMFMjejDABtnqsxhybr4Ousw9baJW9GwP5myr4dw0BA4P3M/s640/Recycled+cards1.jpg" width="494" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Samples of Recycled Card <span style="font-size: x-large;">Scenes</span></span></td></tr>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">In</span> this day of recycling and reusing, we all try to do our
part to save the trees by recycling our paper trash. Why not reuse your Christmas cards from this
year? While you are still in the spirit
of card-making, make a few from some of the scenic card fronts you got from
friends. Afraid you might mail back one
of the cards to the person who sent it?
Fear not. If you do, they will
either forget what their card from this year looked like a year later, or they
will be impressed that you have taken their store-bought card and made it your
own!</span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Since it is obviously impossible to use the entire card
front, it is possible to get one or two new cards from the scenic ones. I have scanned in eight cards I made two days
ago from card fronts I cut off and saved last year and just got around to using
them for next year’s cards or for late cards that have New Year’s wishes
inside. Receiving a couple of very great
scenic cards this year inspired me to remember the ones I had saved last year,
too.</span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Using a window die, and there are several manufacturers
making great windows now, cut a window
out of the framing color you want to use and move it around the front of a
scenic card to find the best spot to use for this purpose. Draw lines on the scene to indicate the
outer edge of the window and cut the dimensions inside the lines. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Prepare a card so the front looks like the
inside of a room looking out the <span style="font-size: large;">window <span style="font-size: large;">i</span></span>nto the scene.
I like to either make my own “walls” or to use paper that harmonizes
with the scene. Small stripes work well
for a room’s “wallpaper.” Then mount the window with the scene secured behind it on the "wall" you created. I used
<a href="http://www.ellenhutson.com/servlet/the-Die-Domain-cln-Dies-cln-Memory-Box-fdsh-Poppystamps/start/361/total/443/Categories" target="_blank">Poppystamps’</a> Grand Madison window for most scenes, and their new Gothic window
with the Stained Glass Gothic insert for one of them. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Bear in mind that once you have cut out the
scene, you may have to adjust it more for the crossbar that will obscure parts
of the scene. I try to never have it
cross a face or something that needs to be shown to indicate Christmas
decorations or other important elements in the scene. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">Another fun idea is to look for a scene that may work for <span style="font-size: large;">an interior room of a house. Then the card front can be <span style="font-size: large;">the outside of the house looking in to the homey scene, complete with shutters, window box, wall siding <span style="font-size: large;">like brick or boards<span style="font-size: large;">, using Distress inks to color and shade the house wall.</span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwF65njWuAR5oy_9FYV0oTsv81YFZTcwzy9d1o4-yNe6svMD94EoZ-R2fXa21eZRlUFD3ZZ8rMwvJv2_3jwA7qrSuxySrPu-Yg4u4ffFTZtjpGgh3wZAyleuGZLJNoHHBWxEPRT8tHGo0/s1600/Recycled+cards2_0002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwF65njWuAR5oy_9FYV0oTsv81YFZTcwzy9d1o4-yNe6svMD94EoZ-R2fXa21eZRlUFD3ZZ8rMwvJv2_3jwA7qrSuxySrPu-Yg4u4ffFTZtjpGgh3wZAyleuGZLJNoHHBWxEPRT8tHGo0/s640/Recycled+cards2_0002.jpg" width="494" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">More Samples</span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">These cards' greetings were stamped with a Stampin' Up Christmas stamp set that contains some nice greetings. The "Happy Christmas" greeting will be great to send to my friends in England, since they tend to say that more than they say "Merry Christmas." The greeting is punched out with Stampin' Up's Modern Label punch and a small oval punch. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The "Peace" greeting on the Gothic window card was actually cut from the original card front. Make use of some of the words that are already there! Turn them into tags or labels with your punches.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Enjoy your holidays and be sure to check out those cards before putting them into the recycle bin! You may have some treasured scene awaiting your creativity. One more thing worth noting: the stock used in manufactured Christmas cards is usually thicker than the card stock we buy, so use some of the white parts for stamping your own images. You will be pleased with the results!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Now back to the studio to create more for this blog. I have an altered book in the wings awaiting my contribution to its pages. If I think it worthy of sharing, it will be the subject of my next post.</span></div>
<br />
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">HAPPY NEW YEAR!</span></h2>
Nancy Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15772143337289615173noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4895287705782771061.post-20370295053238326332012-12-24T03:10:00.001-06:002012-12-24T03:10:12.297-06:00A 3-D Christmas--Part 3<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWSsgkSGYTmj2RAewaQKYsR0T9C4PqgsRvFrDX2Tv0el0YahrfhP-XR8xXB2YUvoXjB9du4ISf1CEBHDDKYB4gI6MYXf93tPpfdAOLI-JTohgSdB-CGLjkA_3WezH1BH8OVyFJSU3q_LE/s1600/DoorCardFront2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWSsgkSGYTmj2RAewaQKYsR0T9C4PqgsRvFrDX2Tv0el0YahrfhP-XR8xXB2YUvoXjB9du4ISf1CEBHDDKYB4gI6MYXf93tPpfdAOLI-JTohgSdB-CGLjkA_3WezH1BH8OVyFJSU3q_LE/s640/DoorCardFront2.jpg" width="640" /> </a></td><td style="text-align: center;"> </td><td style="text-align: center;"> </td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">The <span style="font-size: x-large;">Door from Sizzix</span></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: large;">When I saw this door on Shelly Hickox's <span style="font-size: large;">blog, I just knew I had to have this die! I am kind of into the doors and windows right now, and I have some fun things to show you this week after <span style="font-size: large;">Christmas has come and gone. </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">As you can see in the above photo, I am still working fro<span style="font-size: large;">m the W<span style="font-size: large;">e R Memory Keepers' Yuletide stack. I love this paper, but I think you already figure<span style="font-size: large;">d that out! I liked the faux boi<span style="font-size: large;">s side of this paper for the <span style="font-size: large;">door. A <span style="font-size: large;">little Distress ink applied with the blender too<span style="font-size: large;">l gives dimen<span style="font-size: large;">sion to this door. And here they are with the door open.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">The stamped sentiment inside the door was cut with a Spellbinders' die<span style="font-size: large;">, and the sentiment is from a new<span style="font-size: large;"> </span>Stampin' Up set from the Christmas mini. I make so many cards <span style="font-size: large;">each year that it is refreshing to see more wor<span style="font-size: large;">ds to add to my cards at Christmas.</span></span></span> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span> </span></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYZMZXF_cKQhEWr9R7-4K6GpuBOn8GoaeoyZU67m7AenGMf2biGqDawu2k5VZx-yBv3BmUa1vCGOcUPbzOhUnBiN9ApDCV3TszEloaD99RC2d_LdlgvQhny_FdG_K51MRS5YJB_FAV7cg/s1600/DoorCardOpenFront.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYZMZXF_cKQhEWr9R7-4K6GpuBOn8GoaeoyZU67m7AenGMf2biGqDawu2k5VZx-yBv3BmUa1vCGOcUPbzOhUnBiN9ApDCV3TszEloaD99RC2d_LdlgvQhny_FdG_K51MRS5YJB_FAV7cg/s640/DoorCardOpenFront.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHVmUCBtPav95mr4yK_ZbYyURgfwYza3wI_YhhDNSNjRK9ijHSlPRE_-zsPby0My59o9uzqqNqrWWeq4ECB9WSHLFOXAi4AEuDylfiopT86NVPaJxS7wjsxHal8XnSOIzs8vVQ3ZXQxx0/s1600/DoorCardInside.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHVmUCBtPav95mr4yK_ZbYyURgfwYza3wI_YhhDNSNjRK9ijHSlPRE_-zsPby0My59o9uzqqNqrWWeq4ECB9WSHLFOXAi4AEuDylfiopT86NVPaJxS7wjsxHal8XnSOIzs8vVQ3ZXQxx0/s640/DoorCardInside.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">This paper is so wonderful. When the card is opened, the other side of th<span style="font-size: large;">e green faux boi<span style="font-size: large;">s is<span style="font-size: large;"> a subtle aspen forest in pale gray and white...a perfect background for the Christmas tree pop-up die cut from the green cardstock with snowflakes<span style="font-size: large;">.</span> <span style="font-size: large;">The other card (on the left) is <span style="font-size: large;">red<span style="font-size: large;">, white<span style="font-size: large;">, and green houndstoo<span style="font-size: large;">th <span style="font-size: large;">check with a nice red faux bois on the inside <span style="font-size: large;">of the card. the sentiment inside is again a sta<span style="font-size: large;">mp from Stampin' Up.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">Stay tuned to this blog for more in a couple of days. I am on a roll here! I can't wait to show you one way to recycle some of your Christmas cards yo<span style="font-size: large;">u usually toss in<span style="font-size: large;">to the trash after the holidays. I have <span style="font-size: large;">begun looking at <span style="font-size: large;">the <span style="font-size: large;">cards we are <span style="font-size: large;">getting in a differ<span style="font-size: large;">ent light now!</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">Don't forget to leave a comment--I love seeing that someone is actually looking at my blog! </span></span></span></span></span></span></span> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />Nancy Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15772143337289615173noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4895287705782771061.post-65213025570269059012012-12-19T23:03:00.001-06:002012-12-19T23:15:55.626-06:00A 3-D Christmas--Part 2<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9gV_8D3Vq4gOESu8n3IiBPuBfvww4eA_Sl5WwQkKFKuCqVq5OUH-MRI85co6oOO5A3UyN9mzBRMlN15sa-ss35v9drAkO9cl2H3COv8YLQehm6d2OXr_9GKyvybHg7aqE3qgJyhp6GUQ/s1600/AllTreatBagsFront.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9gV_8D3Vq4gOESu8n3IiBPuBfvww4eA_Sl5WwQkKFKuCqVq5OUH-MRI85co6oOO5A3UyN9mzBRMlN15sa-ss35v9drAkO9cl2H3COv8YLQehm6d2OXr_9GKyvybHg7aqE3qgJyhp6GUQ/s640/AllTreatBagsFront.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><h4>
TREAT BAGS!</h4>
<h3>
Front View</h3>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Each Christmas the Stampin' Up Card Club <span style="font-size: large;">to which I bel<span style="font-size: large;">ong has a Christmas gathering in December. We all love to treat one another with something we have made--either the packaging or the item it<span style="font-size: large;">self. This year<span style="font-size: large;"> my gift to them was contained in these little handmade treat bags. Years ag<span style="font-size: large;">o, I obtained a big stash of these little red bags. I<span style="font-size: large;"> was still teaching<span style="font-size: large;"> at that point, and I thought I would use them for a <span style="font-size: large;">paper <span style="font-size: large;">bag album class. But it never materialized. The bags were a little small for it, I always thought. So now I am putting them to good use.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">So each year, my card club friends are getting treats ins<span style="font-size: large;">ide these bags<span style="font-size: large;">. <span style="font-size: large;">The die<span style="font-size: large;"> cu<span style="font-size: large;">ts were cut</span></span> from the <a href="http://store.scrapbook.com/wr-61807-2.html?utm_source=google-shopping-feed&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=google-free-shopping-feed&utm_content=wr-61807-2&kw=wr-61807-2&cmp=GSHOP&gclid=CJaXiY3JoLQCFQGvnQodPSUAbQ" target="_blank">"</a><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://store.scrapbook.com/wr-61807-2.html?utm_source=google-shopping-feed&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=google-free-shopping-feed&utm_content=wr-61807-2&kw=wr-61807-2&cmp=GSHOP&gclid=CJaXiY3JoLQCFQGvnQodPSUAbQ" target="_blank">Yule</a><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://store.scrapbook.com/wr-61807-2.html?utm_source=google-shopping-feed&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=google-free-shopping-feed&utm_content=wr-61807-2&kw=wr-61807-2&cmp=GSHOP&gclid=CJaXiY3JoLQCFQGvnQodPSUAbQ" target="_blank">tide"</a> p<span style="font-size: large;">a<span style="font-size: large;">per stack </span></span>by We R Memory Keepers<span style="font-size: large;">.</span> (The same papers are <span style="font-size: large;">used in all of th<span style="font-size: large;">is<span style="font-size: large;"> 3-D </span></span>series<span style="font-size: large;">.) The tree is cut with</span></span></span></span> the <a href="http://www.sizzix.com/product/658043/sizzix-bigz-die-tree-evergreen-3-d-pop-up" target="_blank">Sizzix Tree, Evergreen 3-D Pop-up</a></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span> <span style="font-size: large;">tree. It is topped with a star punch, and old standby in my stash of <span style="font-size: large;">old thumb punches-- a Paper Shaper by EK Success. The topper on the bag is made <span style="font-size: large;">with a Spellbinder Label die, stamped with a Stampin'<span style="font-size: large;"> Up sentiment. </span></span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSmh9Iht55_bJymBhY2NI5Na71GbGa6jMucuzTSwzRFjcUICCvyyhMs0lXvn1EUBrjKIP9KwNfhmxPlolVJCQK-MqGZyGna5IC1YZb85apjcDrZJRxQB7fNgfI9Hx6HRJ0DSs5Sm0apdI/s1600/AllTreatBags3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSmh9Iht55_bJymBhY2NI5Na71GbGa6jMucuzTSwzRFjcUICCvyyhMs0lXvn1EUBrjKIP9KwNfhmxPlolVJCQK-MqGZyGna5IC1YZb85apjcDrZJRxQB7fNgfI9Hx6HRJ0DSs5Sm0apdI/s640/AllTreatBags3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFOmtFNagtTPj6Rgc9opu2W7mI6P1O0Ze_VM_VuEoZmbFIBzPynoKylkV2nkGo4tiRcpYVDfYoK7l_ZhTKRsirm5Td2JBR2xeYBHl-iruqgHOPC6G1XhSlf6l9kuwu0SuRhPcLDGZXveQ/s1600/AllTreatBagsBack.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFOmtFNagtTPj6Rgc9opu2W7mI6P1O0Ze_VM_VuEoZmbFIBzPynoKylkV2nkGo4tiRcpYVDfYoK7l_ZhTKRsirm5Td2JBR2xeYBHl-iruqgHOPC6G1XhSlf6l9kuwu0SuRhPcLDGZXveQ/s640/AllTreatBagsBack.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"> <span style="font-size: large;">B<span style="font-size: large;">ag Back</span></span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></h4>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><span style="font-weight: normal;">The back of the bag has my name on the topper, and "Noel" is a die cut from Sizzix--from the <a href="http://www.sizzix.com/product/658033/sizzix-sizzlits-die-set-3pk-noel-set" target="_blank">Sizzlet </a><a href="http://www.sizzix.com/product/658033/sizzix-sizzlits-die-set-3pk-noel-set" target="_blank">3 Pack Noel</a> set. The topper is edged with Distress Ink and a blender tool to bring the green from the tree onto the topper. </span></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">I plan to use this same design for the gift cards/checks we give to the older grandchildren. They seem to enjoy the packaging I design each year for them. It sure makes me feel like I have actually done something for them besides write a check or buy a gift card. The older kids love to shop for themselves! </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Be sure to check back in a couple of days for A 3-D Christmas--Part 3!</span> </b></span></span></div>
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Nancy Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15772143337289615173noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4895287705782771061.post-89348569294396715422012-12-16T23:36:00.001-06:002012-12-16T23:36:18.711-06:00A 3-D Christmas--Part One<br /><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNL-mOW9PFZAmSASnAVKk096973z6FhnZ6RRUC6B2t3qs5n-4_LwXomuPGNntFL2KdBlBXYqydXwpJL3VQ37pHBavZFEn02P-at2FGkpJwFpASTDwc3qCUBDQGR6o5__t89Og-Fy92CAs/s1600/25FireplaceCard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNL-mOW9PFZAmSASnAVKk096973z6FhnZ6RRUC6B2t3qs5n-4_LwXomuPGNntFL2KdBlBXYqydXwpJL3VQ37pHBavZFEn02P-at2FGkpJwFpASTDwc3qCUBDQGR6o5__t89Og-Fy92CAs/s640/25FireplaceCard.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
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25 Fireplace Card</h2>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The busiest season of the year is upon us, and finding time to finish making cards for the last people on my list has been difficult. There are so many choices this year with all the great new Sizzix dies! From the Tim Holtz Tattered Poinsettia (used on the card shown above) to the new Pop 'n Cuts system from Karen Burniston, it is the most exciting year for card-making--especially if you love three dimensional elements as much as I do! This will be the first of three blog posts showing a few ideas using some of the new seasonal dies from this year.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The first card shown above uses the <a href="http://www.sizzix.com/product/658261/sizzix-bigz-die-tattered-poinsettia" target="_blank">Tattered Poinsettia</a> die and the coordinating <a href="http://www.sizzix.com/product/658270/sizzix-texture-fades-embossing-folders-2pk-textured-poinsettia-pattern-set" target="_blank">Texture Fades</a> embossing folder to add texture and dimension to the petals. I found a great packet of holiday paper called <a href="http://store.scrapbook.com/wr-61807-2.html?utm_source=google-shopping-feed&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=google-free-shopping-feed&utm_content=wr-61807-2&kw=wr-61807-2&cmp=GSHOP&gclid=CJaXiY3JoLQCFQGvnQodPSUAbQ" target="_blank">"Yuletide"</a> by We R Memory Keepers. It came in a labeled reusable hard plastic paper holder. The colors are vibrant and modern, keeping the traditional red and green. I really enjoyed the use of the 'faux bois' (or false wood) pattern on several pieces of this excellent two-sided cardstock. Nearly all the papers in this project are constructed from this packet. The "25" is from the Sizzix Decorative Strip Die <a href="http://www.sizzix.com/product/658257/sizzix-sizzlits-decorative-strip-die-stacked-words-christmas" target="_blank">Stacked Words: Christmas</a>. Now let's journey to the inside of this fun 3-D card!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWZmjleGKiPBiRm_vKaAoSa_TXGiGawYDCU_n2UtO56d4EUBiFq03arn7fNLsCKbA-hmglcbxYLBpNzF8zFLtUmgOQgnsiW4luEa9RuAdGiLZHitYiXKTkXl-5wxaqiAVi_3g5o9LfoYk/s1600/25FireplaceCardInside.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWZmjleGKiPBiRm_vKaAoSa_TXGiGawYDCU_n2UtO56d4EUBiFq03arn7fNLsCKbA-hmglcbxYLBpNzF8zFLtUmgOQgnsiW4luEa9RuAdGiLZHitYiXKTkXl-5wxaqiAVi_3g5o9LfoYk/s640/25FireplaceCardInside.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">When the Pop 'n Cuts Noel insert and the coordinating Sizzlets arrived (I was a winner of these on Karen Burniston's blog), I decided it would make a perfect fireplace scene and deliver a holiday greeting, too. After cutting the Noel pop-up for the inside of the card from the plain red cardstock in the kit, using Tim Holtz's Texture Fades embossing folder with the brick pattern, I ran the top section of the cut pop-up card mechanism through the Vagabond inside the embossing folder to give it a brick pattern. Color was added to the red brick with Distress Inks: Mahogany, Brick Red, and Black. This makes the bricks pop! I drew a fireplace shape on copy paper and used it as a template to cut the top part of the fireplace into a fireplace shape.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu8xCqVkFC7YU_1QDI0aQVD4vqfO6rZLVF70moaoNzx9uj1NFa_yoG_K8kEyHFYNsqorOHHdiXzTB2GYAIAWsMtXH8cOFrXcYSLoGuDsuYfgeBoXXrT73XHBWpopV5uh99Ar3DdTbtyNY/s1600/25FireplaceCardInsideDetail.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu8xCqVkFC7YU_1QDI0aQVD4vqfO6rZLVF70moaoNzx9uj1NFa_yoG_K8kEyHFYNsqorOHHdiXzTB2GYAIAWsMtXH8cOFrXcYSLoGuDsuYfgeBoXXrT73XHBWpopV5uh99Ar3DdTbtyNY/s640/25FireplaceCardInsideDetail.jpg" title="" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">View from the top</span></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Next, the polka dot paper with the brown faux bois print on the other side became the outside of the card. After folding the pop-up mechanism, I trimmed the bottom part off, leaving about 2 inches beneath the "Noel" to secure to the outer card. The inside pop-up was then adhered to the outer card after folding the Noel into the pop-up shape. I loved the look of the faux bois on the inside. It makes the fireplace look like it is in a room with paneling on the wall and hardwood on the floors. But it needed a hearth rug, so I cut a piece of cardstock from scraps. The one on the right is from the Yuletide collection, and the one on the left is from an old scrap of cardstock from my scrap drawer. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The top of the pop-up looks kind of like a mantel, so I added a piece of scrap from the same faux bois pattern. I really wanted to add some things to the mantel, but I decided it would impede the closing of the pop-up, so I did the next best thing and added two little matted photos to the "wall" behind it. The wreath is the <a href="http://www.sizzix.com/catalog#q=mini%20wreath%20tim%20holtz" target="_blank">Tim Holtz Movers and Shapers Wreath and Bow</a>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I <span style="font-size: large;">u</span>sed some Smooch Ink to put berries on the wreath after shading it with Distress Inks and the blender tool. <a href="http://www.clearsnap.com/products.cfm/141/Smooch-Glitz" target="_blank">Smooch Glitz</a> was added to the bow to give it some sparkle.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The green "Noel" accent over the pop-up are<span style="font-size: large;"> <span style="font-size: large;">i</span></span>s cut from the green faux bois pattern from the Yuletide collection using the <a href="http://www.sizzix.com/product/658033/sizzix-sizzlits-die-set-3pk-noel-set" target="_blank">Sizzlet 3 Pack Noel set</a> that coordinates with the Pop 'n Cuts Noel insert die and the double pop-up tree card. The poinsettia from this set can also be used with the original Pop 'n Cuts round insert.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The fireplace needed a little fire, so an old Sizzix original die, Blazing Sun, was cut from orange and yellow gold card stock, cut in half and mounted to the area under the mantel and behind the Noel pop-up. See details below. Come back in a <span style="font-size: large;">couple of days to see another fun card using Sizzix and t<span style="font-size: large;">he fun pop-up elements now av<span style="font-size: large;">ailable. The third <span style="font-size: large;">installment in this series will be a treat bag treatment wi<span style="font-size: large;">th on<span style="font-size: large;">e of these fun dies. Don't forget to lea<span style="font-size: large;">ve a comment! <span style="font-size: large;">I love all yo<span style="font-size: large;">ur feedback.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt8_IO5j-w1Uc2rh9akzRhwQekToUMspFp0Hqa2UHWB_AMfW9cAChkm7jvkjb-pWR59CXwpJV3Vru5UlGYQ8oDvjHo72dr6ZGuaHh_eo0-ciBHSncWpCwaT8NcPZbOZ-NxuilyHryXohs/s1600/CloseupFireplace.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt8_IO5j-w1Uc2rh9akzRhwQekToUMspFp0Hqa2UHWB_AMfW9cAChkm7jvkjb-pWR59CXwpJV3Vru5UlGYQ8oDvjHo72dr6ZGuaHh_eo0-ciBHSncWpCwaT8NcPZbOZ-NxuilyHryXohs/s640/CloseupFireplace.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Close up details of the fire in the fireplace</span></h2>
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Nancy Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15772143337289615173noreply@blogger.com8