for the love of birds

I love birdies - all kinds! Even the male cardinal that keeps pecking my transom windows - he has for the last three years... he pecks at the all the shiny silver parts on my neighbor's car, he pecks at the solar lights along the path out back...but, I do respect what he thinks he is doing (com'mon - after three years you'd think he would know it is his reflection!!) and appreciate him being there, although not at six in the morning... :) I teased him one year and put a fake cardinal bird from Michaels in my front door wreath - he pecked the fake eyes out and pulled it OUT from the wreath - I found the fake bird on the ground! LOL! I've tried putting beanie babies in the transoms (it really made guests ask funny questions - ha ha!....nothing works....I'm going to have to fashion fake cobwebs on the window insides somehow I think.... :) Anyhow, Memory Box has a line of paper just out called Aerial. Size and scale is perfect for a wide range of ideas....well, it arrived and I saw the cover of the 6x6 pad, and I started drooling! I saw these finished ornaments in my mind right away! These finished ornaments are heavy - too heavy to be worn as pendants. So I decided to liven up my door handle of my studio (the rub on 'inspiring' was from an Uppercase Living party). They use two 2" x 3" pieces of beveled glass. I collaged the birdie Aerial paper with 7gypsies papers, vintage dictionary snippets and white mulberry paper. The chandelier pieces are vintage and from an estate auction over in Pennsylvania. May Arts and Martha Stewart ribbon, Swarovski crystals and all sterling silver wire and components. The middle ornament has a Swarovski crystal adhered to the outside of the piece with Glossy Accents. The pendant on the left uses 1" x 1-7/8" pieces of glass. All pieces were created by sandwiching collaged art between two panes of glass, taping, soldering, attaching jumprings. Soldering is addictive for me - I think I could solder for days and never get over how amazing the transformation is. It's like heat embossing! LOL! Thank you for stopping by!

bandana technique

Ellen Hutson told me about a stamping method called a 'bandana technique'. I googled it, and found Robin Beam's blog that detailed how she developed this technique. These monogrammed pendants were created as gifts utilizing this technique. Ellen stated this technique was a hit at the Ranger booth at CHA last week, as they utilized Ranger's new White Opaque Pen (StarLitStudio will be carrying this as soon as it ships!). Using a white gel pen I had here from Signo, I mimicked the technique. The dots were difficult to do with the Signo pen, and the coverage was not consistent. My hopes are Ranger is going to answer wishes for a 'quality, reliable, white opaque pen!'. We'll see once it gets here. I created background paper by dragging the glass droppers from various Distress reinkers (Peeled Paint, Dusty Concord and Scattered Straw) on a non-stick craft sheet, then misting generously with water. Holding a 4-1/4" x 5-1/2" piece of white cardstock (papertreyink.com) I pressed the cardstock down onto the inked craft sheet, and spun the cardstock ninety degrees. Messy? YES! But fun..... :) Next, I lifted the cardstock off and hung on my studio clothesline to dry. I did this three times with three sheets of white cardstock before all the ink was used up. Once dry I ironed them flat. You could iron them immediately or use a heat tool, and not wait to air dry, but it was after one o'clock in the morning when I did these, so I hung them to dry and started again in the morning... ;) I chose Lockhart's Millinery Rose stamp, because I think it is a nice, flowing, whimsical flourish. The rose flourish was stamped with Archival Ink in Jet Black (Ranger), then I outlined parts of the stamped images with the opaque pen: doodling, adding hearts, dots and generally being silly and non-conforming - it was fun, and the effect...dramatic! The monogram (Hero Arts) was stamped with the same ink, then centering the monogram I punched it out using a square punch. I sandwiched the monogram square along with another decorated square for the back (Prima flower and vintage dictionary snippet, and one of the rose flourishes for the Prima center!) between two panes of glass, taped, soldered and added jump ring and crystal embellishments. Soldering how to post here. Thank you for stopping by!

peachy paperweight

What a peach of a paperweight! A detailed how-to for this simple but delightful gift is in this post. Lockhart Stamp Company offers various fruit images - the cherries and peaches are two of my favorites! They are not only fun to color but easy to color - use a lighter marker for the whole peach than a slightly darker to accent each peach - done. :) To create, simply stamp image, color with non-bleeding markers (I used Copic), then dispense a layer of Glossy Accents or other similar adhesive onto the glass disc back. Using your finger smear adhesive completely over back of glass disc and adhere stamped image. I use an old, plastic card (or an old credit card) to squeegie/swipe out any air bubbles between the glass disc and the piece of cardstock, or use your fingers and keep an eye on the image for any bubbles. Use baby wipes to periodically clean your fingers of the adhesive and to wipe the glass. Adhere cork or felt to the back with Glossy Accents or the same adhesive used previously. Done! These also make excellent magnets - Adhere four classic-style magnets (Michael's Craft Store).

Source for jumbo glass discs - www.wholesalersusainc.com.

dragonflies love flowers

This idea idea will be part of a Mother's Day class of mine in April. This idea of a pen with a faux silk flower was inspired from the book Pretty Little Things by Sally Jean Alexander. I adapted her idea to suit clear plastic tubing from Home Depot or any similar store. The size tubing I used, located in the plumbing department, is 3/8" x 1/4". This measurement means the outside of the tubing is 3/8" in diameter and the inside is 1/4". The bundle of tubing was 10 feet total for around $5. I cut the tubing to 5-1/2" - just long enough for a nice, graceful pen. This size tubing allows a Bic stick pen to fit perfectly - nice and snug - into the tube! The beauty of this is, if you are in love with your pen when the ink dries up you can remove the old ink barrel and insert a new one! :) Here's my steps: After cutting the tubing I stamped the adorable Lockhart dragonfly randomly onto white paper - roughly 1-1/4" x 5-1/2". The paper I used was the white backing of a printed decorative paper - not cardstock. Cardstock is too thick and too heavy to curl nicely into a tiny tube. I colored in the little dragonflies with markers, then rolled up the stamped paper nice and tight around a skinny dowel (you could try a paintbrush too) and inserted it into the plastic tubing. Using wirecutters I removed the ink barrel and nib from a Bic Stick pen, and inserted the barrel & nib into the plastic tubing. No need to glue - the fit is perfect. The nib will push a bit of the stamped paper out the opposite end of the tubing. Trim paper flush with tubing using scissors. Next I put a dollop of E-6000 adhesive (you could use any strong industrial cement/adhesive) into the opposite tube opening and inserted a faux flower with stem trimmed to about 1/2". Allow to dry, then stamp the flower petals and add vintage silver glass glitter. Again, the idea for dressing up the petals is from Sally Jean Alexander. I am going to try varying the length - making my next pens longer or shorter, or use plain text weight (think computer printer paper weight) patterned paper like the rose pen below! Thank you for stopping by!

gift ensemble

It's been a while since I played with Stampin' Up!'s stamps. Their images held a back burner for me for years, due to their restrictive angel policy - which was lifted a few months back. Yippie! This gift set was created for my husband's co-worker who fell and broke her leg and can't return to the office for a few more weeks. Although I would not mind being caged in my house for a few months, I can completely understand how this would annoy others who like to get out and about. I'm telling you all now - I'm going to be one of those grey-haired ladies that never, ever, leaves her house. Give me delivery service and the UPS man. I'm good. LOL! The gift box with clear lid - this gives your handmade cards a very professional presentation they deserve. The boxes fit seven envelopes and six cards (love giving an extra envelope for potential mistakes in addressing). I found these gift boxes at Nashville Wraps. They do not arrive flat, so prepare a big spot to store them - lol... For the interior of the box I created an elongated rectangle spacer from a piece of white cardstock. This stabilizes the cards and envelopes inside the box and allows for a custom fit of the contents. The bookmark featured in this photo is from this post. Thank you for stopping by! flower stamps - SU, thanks sentiment - A Muse, interior verse - Verses Rubber Stamps; Memory Box pre-scored cards, envelopes and paper, SU decorative paper, dimensionals and scallop circle punch; Adirondack inks (Ranger); May Arts satin ribbon; brads; Prima flowers.

bookmarks - simple to exotic

Bookmarks make great gifts - and if you have soldering materials, great! If not - that's great too! Check this out: use those metal rimmed tags to create unique embellishments and simply wire them onto a shepherd's hook bookmark. Add some beads if you like! The butterfly image (Hero Arts) was stamped onto a piece of white cardstock scrap in black waterproof ink. I smeared a layer of Glossy Accents onto a small, clear, flat-backed marble and mashed it down onto the stamped butterfly. Allow to dry (Glossy Accents dries FAST - like seconds) then cut around the glass marble. Next I used copper tape and taped around the marble, sealing the cardstock backing. I added more tape on the back of the marble, so when I added solder the whole back looks nice and shiny! I added a jumpring when I added the solder. For the monogram L: This piece is what started all of this bookmark business. My husband's co-worker fell and broke her leg, and he asked if I would make her something and send it to her. So I figured a box of thank you notes and a bookmark - her name begins with L, so I stamped an uppercase L (Papertrey Ink - Trajan Alphabet) on a piece of 1" square white cardstock scrap in black waterproof ink, and sandwiched it between two 1" square pieces of glass. Taped edges and soldered, adding a jumpring. Now, if you are asking, "Hey Cindy! I don't solder but like the general idea!" Well, I came up with an idea for using one of the million metal rimmed tags I have (OK it is really not a million, it just looks like a million tags to anyone of the male species that sees them and does not stamp - lol). I love this tiny cupcake image (Lockhart Stamp Company) but wanted it to have a three-dimensional cherry - so sandwiching it between glass was not an option. Stamped cupcake image onto white cardstock scrap, and punched out using a circle punch so it would fit neatly inside the metal rimmed tag. Adhere inside metal rimmed tag and punch attachment hole. Colored in using Copic markers, then used the Copic markers to color a pearl embellishment. Note how I used my fave B31 pale lavender to make the whole stamped image pop. I glued the tiny colored pearl over the stamped cherry using Glossy Accents. I didn't want to rely on the adhesive backing of the pearl knowing this bookmark was going to get knocked around and probably knocked off. So, by using Glossy Accents, it would take a 5yr old a few seconds to peel it off. lol... Thank you for stopping by!

more lavender...a clip this time!

The closest Target store to me is about 35-40 minutes, so I don't go very often...but when I do I have a looooong list! The first thing I hit is their dollar spot - I found a package of two big plastic clips with a nice magnet backing for $1. I'm always looking for nice yet easy and inexpensive gift ideas for teachers, neighbors, friends... and I saw potential to collage the front of these big clips! Lavender image was stamped and colored, edges distressed & inked. A small strip of lavender cardstock was stamped with just the word 'lavender', trimmed with scissors, distressed & inked. The entire stamped image was outlined heavily with Copic marker BV31 to make the image 'pop' (just like the soldered piece in the previous post). Each layer of this collage was distressed with a Tim Holtz paper distresser. It gives a wonderful, raw, aged look to your projects, especially if you ink the edges afterwards! The colored image was matted on a piece of lavender cardstock (edges distressed too). The clip was traced on a piece of taupey-olive cardstock, then cut out. Edges were sanded, distressed, then I crumpled the whole thing up in my hands. Flattened out, then swiped the surface with a Distress pad (Vintage Photo) then blended with Tim Holtz's ink blending tool. Taupey-olive layer was adhered to the clip, then the matted image was adhered with dimensionals. Since I distressed the edges of the taupey-olive layer, the 'fit' of my clip pattern was much more forgiving than if I had left the edges plain and untouched. It looks like a perfect fit when in reality it was not such a neat job before I distressed the edges! :) Olive ribbon was tied into a bow around the clip, then the bow and tails were hit with a heat tool to shrivel the ribbon and give it that nice, vintage look! Thank you for stopping by! Lockhart Lavender image; Palette Noir Black, Distress Vintage Photo; white cardstock - Papertrey Ink, taupe/olive and lavender cardstock - Stampin' up; Target big clip; Copic markers; olive sheer ribbon; heat tool; Tim Holtz distresser; Tim Holtz ink blending tool.

joy of lavender

A window ornament features Karen Lockhart's lovely lavender bouquet. Image was stamped and colored, edges distressed & inked. A small strip of lavender cardstock was stamped with just the word 'lavender', trimmed with scissors, distressed & inked. The entire stamped image was outlined heavily with Copic marker BV31 to make the image 'pop'. Sandwich layered paper art between glass panes, tape and solder. More info on soldering in this post. For soldering inspiration, I recommend Pretty Little Things by Sally Jean Alexander. Glass treasure bottle was partially filled with dried lavender blossoms then capped with a cork featuring a handy screw eye. Swarovski crystals were strung on sterling silver wire, serving as a sparkling detail while connecting the glass vial to the soldered art piece. More sterling wire was constructed into a hanger and soldered into place. Sheer olive ribbon was tied into a bow around the bottle neck and the wire hanger unit, then zapped with a heat tool to create a vintage look. May the beautiful scent of lavender fields fill your world! Thank you for stopping by! Lavender image - Lockhart Stamp Company; Palette Noir and Distress Vintage Photo pads; Copic markers; white cardstock - Papertrey Ink, other cardstock - Memory Box Papers; glass bottle, ribbon, austrian crystals, sterling wire, Silvergleem solder; soldering tools, wire tools; heat tool.

cherries paperweight

Functional and sweet! 2-1/4" diameter, clear, flat-backed, glass discs were found online here. If you are going to create a bunch of these having a 2-1/4" circle punch on hand makes these stress-free. But you can always trim the cardstock and cork easily by hand. Assemble materials. I punched the cork sheet too (or, you could use felt). Color in stamped image with markers. I added a touch of glitter with Atyou glitter pens from Copic. The whole image is outlined in BV31 to make the image 'pop'. If you use water-based markers or stamping ink for this technique they will bleed. Copic markers are alcohol based. Dispense a layer of Glossy Accents or other similar adhesive onto the glass disc back and using your finger smear completely over back of glass disc and adhere stamped image. I use an old, plastic card (or an old credit card) to squeegie/swipe out any air bubbles between the glass disc and the piece of cardstock. Finish sealing cardstock edges to glass disc using your fingers, and keep a few baby wipes handy to periodically clean your fingers and the glass. Adhere cork to the back with Glossy Accents and presto ~ instant gift! These also make excellent giant magnets - Adhere four classic-style magnets (Michael's Craft Store). Lockhart Cherries; white cardstock - Papertrey's Stampers Select; Copic markers & glitter pens; paperweight kit; Glossy Accents - Ranger; cork sheet (Michael's Craft Store).

Pear Pen

t!m Holtz outlines this tutorial in his book, distressables 2. Using strips of cardstock around toy block beads, then gluing into a stack and inserting a bic stick pen...viola! A clever gift you won't want to give away! Step 1: assemble materials.

Step 2: Stamp Lockhart Pear repeatedly on a piece of white cardstock.

Step 3: Color in some pears with the gold leafing pen, layer others with brown Copic markers.

Step 4: Continue coloring using the green Copic markers. Outline all pears in BV31 (pale lavender) to make them 'pop'. Step 5: Cut colored, stamped cardstock into 2-1/2" wide pieces by approx. 5/8". Fold around blocks, adhering with a strong adhesive, leaving drilled holes open. I used Crafter's Pick Ultimate! glue - it is a waterbased superglue. You could use Mod Podge or Elmers too. Ink all edges of covered blocks with a Distress pad. I alternated two Distress pad colors here (Antique Linen & Peeled Paint). Step 6: Adhere all covered blocks together with adhesive, aligning holes, and allow to dry. Use a pair of wire snips to carefully remove the ink barrel from the Bic Stic pen. Use the wire snips to remove the open end (about 1/4") of the barrel without ink. This will allow the pen to fit nicely into the altered block sheath.

Step 7: Cut a square of stamped, colored cardstock to approx. 5/8" square to cover the hole in the top of the pen and ink edges. Affix with glue.

Step 8: Stand pen upright and ink wood opening with Distress pad. Paint inside open hole with glue and insert pen barrel, pushing firmly into glue and allow to dry.

Step 9: Coat pen with a thin coating of MicroGlaze. MicroGlaze makes the entire pen (both wood and cardstock) waterproof, impervious to fingerprints and so forth! Find a spot for the pen to dry - the inside of a ribbon spool works great - once dry buff with a clean, soft cloth. I had a bit of leftover stamped & colored cardstock, so I created a card to match (see pic at top of this post). This pear image from Lockhart is one of my favorites. I created an oval mask from cardstock and used a Copic airbrush system to create the lime halo. Stamped image, colored with Copic markers. Gift and card? check! :) Thank you for stopping by!

Lockhart Pear image; white cardstock (Papertrey Ink); Archival Ink in Jet Black (Ranger), Distress ink pads in Antique Linen and Peeled Paint (Ranger); card uses Pears in bowl image from Lockhart, Memory Box card in Granny Smith, black cardstock (SU), Nestabilities dies, black brads, Copic airbrush system.

inchies - as magnets

You've seen these inchies solo in this post back in November. I've adapted them for a practical purpose - magnets - the card can be sent, and the receiver can remove the inchies for their own use! For this card, I used a Memory Box card front, and adhered a piece of decorative script paper, edges distressed, inked with a Distress pad, and an eyelet. Don't throw away your boxes! I found this tiny corrugated cardboard by peeling apart the layers of a little box that was shipped to me. What a wonderful texture! I tore the edges, and inked the edges and surface with a Distress pad and adhered over the script paper.

I mounted the inchies onto chipboard, then adhered a ProMAG magnet to each back. ProMAG makes a magnet that is intensely strong, and is sold in packs of 4 at Michaels Craft Stores and other craft/hobby stores. They are about 1/4" thick. On the corrugated cardboard I adhered smaller magnets (Basic Grey) to keep the height of the inchies projecting away from the card down.

I would ship a card like this in an envelope, then place the card/envelope unit inside a bubble wrap shipping envelope. Thank you for stopping by!

Pear image - Lockhart Stamp Company, French script - A Country Welcome; Memory Box card/envelope in Moss; patterned script paper - 7gypsies 6x6 classic paperie pad, found corrugated cardboard; Distress pad in Antique Linen - Ranger; ProMAG magnets; Basic Grey magnetic snaps.

Madison's notebook

Birthday gift notebook (see this post for directions) with quick purse card. The purse card holds a Borders gift card (held in place with a mini Glue Dot); this gift is from my 5yr old daughter to a schoolmate for her birthday. Directions for Purse card:

1. I used this template from Stampington, and cut the cardstock or decorative paper at 4-1/4" x 8", then scored at 3" and 6". I omitted the explosion interior feature of this template.
2. For the measurements of the side cuts or angles, looking at the template, I marked in 3/4" on each side along the top.
3. Fold up 2" section and fold down 3" section, and cut from top corner to mark, both sides, through all 3 layers.
4. Open purse, hold purse according to template. Mark in 1" along each side along the bottom and cut to score line - aligning the first angle cut up with your cutter. The cut angle will meet up perfectly.
5. Looking at the template, trim a scant 1/16" from the top of the purse so it lays nicely.
6. Add ribbon, beads strung on wire, and so forth for the handle; adhere under flap.

I used a 1/2 piece of a velcro circle as a closure. Thank you for stopping by! Oval stamp and monogram - PaperTrey Ink; My Mind's Eye patterned paper, white cardstock - Stampers Select, bunny strip - source unknown; Olive and Rose ink pads - Stampin' Up; Swarovski crystals; faceted crystals - Michaels Craft Store; ribbon - Stampin Up.

5x8 notepad portfolio - directions

This post contains detailed directions for creating the 5x8 notepad portfolio in today's post as well as this post 2 days ago. The template can be found here. File has been updated to a .pdf - hope this one is better for everyone to view. :) Step by step instructions are detailed here. I'm using a sheet of double sided cardstock paper from Stampin' Up. Stampin Up brand cardstock is the lightest weight double sided cardstock I would use; I prefer a thicker cardstock weight for these portfolios. Directions will also include how to create the pen loop. The depth of this template is 1/4" - the depth of the Staples 5x8 notepad. Sometimes you can find notepads in thicker depths; if that is the case just adjust the 1/4" in the template to suit your need. Step 1: using the template as your guide, cut along solid lines, and score on dotted lines.

Step 2: Trim the pen insert piece to fit inside a clear pen barrel. I am using a RSVP pen from Pentel, purchased by the box at Staples. Score and adhere the top flap cover of the notepad (see lower right in photo above). You'll need to measure how much to cover of the notepad front; the notepads from Staples are 1" and 1/4" thick and 5" in width, so I scored at 1" and 1-1/4" and adhered. Cut away the areas around the bottom flap that creates the inside pocket, as shown. Angle the cuts and you'll have a neater look. Step 3: Cut strips for the left front flap using the triangle piece. I like to use a 3/4" width but this is strictly personal preference. Step 4: Adhere bottom flap of pocket to inside of right front flap. I'm using a Scotch ATG 714 tape gun here. It contains 1/4" wide tape. I purchased mine and the refill tapes from http://www.framingsupplies.com/. Step 5: Apply adhesive to the 1" flap of right front flap/pocket. Step 6: Firmly adhere 1" flap of right front flap/pocket to back of notepad, aligning cardstock with bottom of notepad. Step 7: Apply adhesive to 1" wide area of left front flap. I'm using a Scotch ATG 700 here - it holds a 1/2" width tape - source for gun & tape: http://www.framingsupplies.com/. Step 8: Firmly adhere 1" flap of left front flap/pocket to back of notepad, aligning cardstock with bottom of notepad. Step 9: Use a piece of 5x8 cardstock in a complementary color for the back & adhere in place. Align solid cardstock piece with bottom of notepad. Step 10: Go back to the 3/4" wide paper strips from step 3. I prefer to use the reverse paper to show contrast. Apply adhesive to the back and adhere to left front flap edge. Trim flush.

Step 11: These following steps will explain how to create a pen holder - these steps are purely optional. If you wish to omit these, proceed to step 14. Create a 'closure cardstock unit' that will serve as the focal point for the journal front. You can use scrap cardstock that coordinates with the notepad, or you can use the upper right cardstock segment from step 1. I did here, using a piece of medium weight chipboard coaster, followed by a piece of dark brown cardstock, then the patterned paper piece, trimmed to the size I wanted. When the time comes, you will only be adhering the left back side of the closure cardstock unit to the front of the left front flap. Step 12: Select ribbon for the pen holder - I am using a 1.5" wide twill. Apply adhesive to the back of the left side of the closure cardstock unit, apply ribbon, and lay pen on top of ribbon to measure the barrel for a nice fit. Then place more adhesive on top of the ribbon (this step is shown in photo). Step 13: Hug ribbon around pen barrel, and adhere firmly to adhesive. Remove pen and apply a generous amount of adhesive on one side of closure cardstock unit. Adhere to left front flap only. Step 14: Basic Grey magnets - awesome closure for this style notepad! You'll need two - a positive and a negative. Step 15: Peel off liner on one magnet, exposing adhesive. I like to reinforce these magnets, so I placed a drop of Glossy Accents on the back of the closure cardstock unit and adhered magnet, sticky side down.

Step 16: A tip: to avoid waiting for the glue to dry, place a scrap piece of paper over the first magnet, then click the second magnet into place. Peel off protective paper from second magnet, apply a drop of Glossy Accents to sticky side.

Step 17: Slowly close left front flap and push second magnet into place wherever it lands. Gently lift paper scrap with left front flap. Discard scrap and push both magnets down to ensure bond. Allow Glossy Accents to dry (a few minutes) with portfolio open (magnets not touching).

Step 18: Embellish closure cardstock unit on front, insert pen and viola! There are tons of variations for these - think outside the box: use a post-it holder for the closure cardstock unit, or a metal tin like I did in the previous post mentioned at the beginning of this toot. Happy New Year & thank you for stopping by! ornate bird: Hero Arts; SU olive ink & paper.