Altered Composition Book - HSS167

Pin It Now! Hello, crafty friend!  Homeschool is getting started around here, so I used the sketch from Hand Stamped Sentiments to alter a $0.50 composition book from WalMart.

Here's the sketch.

It's so easy to make!  Just trace your background paper and glue to the front and back.

 I used the Canvas Creations #129375 for the spine, it comes in a 12" x 12" sheet, and cuts wonderfully with a rotary trimmer. It adhered really nicely with Snail.  I tucked a layer of Baked Brown Sugar Stretch Ruffle Trim down the side.

Here you can see the trim.  The corset body form from this Etcetera DSP is cut from its second sheet and popped up.  One doily behind, one scrunched on top with a Frosted Finished Designer Embellishment (Holiday 2013).  A few small rhinestones along the left side.

 "Smile" is from Happy Day, and is stamped on 7/8" Natural ribbon in Calypso Coral, pleated and placed over the popped up body form.  A little linen thread and Designer Faceted button finishes it off!

This composition book will be used as my attendance book for homeschool, so there's a little added meaning on the front.  My boys are in 4th and 7th grades, so I placed the 4 and 7 on either side of the form.  And SMILE is something I like to remind myself to do every day, especially when teaching my children!  

I hope you're inspired to alter something that will bring you a SMILE, and that you might check out HSS and all the inspiring projects these ladies have to share!

Have a blessed and creative day ~ Erika

SUPPLIES:

STAMPS: Happy Day

INK: Calypso Coral Stampin' Write Marker

PAPER: Etcetera DSP

EMBELLISHMENTS:  Basic Rhinestones, Frosted Finishes Designer Embellishment, White Tea Lace Paper Doilies, Baked Brown Sugar Stretch Ruffle Trim, Canvas Creations, 7/8" Natural ribbon, Linen Thread.  

Lil' Raccoon Punch Art Birthday Card

Pin It Now! Here's a cutie that I put together for my nephew's birthday, who is an avid raccoon hunter as of late.  Seems we have an abundance of these little guys around here. Including on my craft room desk!

Don't worry, this one's pretty tame. I created him using a couple of others for inspiration, THIS ONE by Rachel Ricks, and THIS VIDEO by Kimberly Morris.  Added my own flair and a little chevron tail. 

He's holding his own little birthday greeting, and his hands are punched from the Artisan Label Punch used for the Label Love greeting, cut on an angle.  I just love his bright, "cutie eyes", as my son calls them!

I only made one small mistake...I angled his chevron tail out too far, and he wouldn't quite fit in the envelope. So I simply slit a hole in it to let it poke out!  It was a hand delivered card, so you can imagine everyone guessing what was in it, and the curious looks at the party!

Have a blessed and creative day ~Erika

Something Old & Something New

Pin It Now! Here are a couple of Christmas card samples that I made with new stamps from the 2013 holiday mini, using some retired embellishments from the 2012 mini. I never get rid of Christmas themed SU products, so I'm often mixing & matching. 

The first one has lots of bright Real Red and Very Vanilla!  The deer stamp from Very Merry Tags is a clean, fun one.  The DSP is last year's Festival of Prints stack. This paper is so versatile that I've kept it nearby all year long.  

This one features the Mistletoe image from the Very Merry Tags set, and last year's Holiday Frame textured embossing folder.  Crumb Cake CS, Cherry Cobbler seam binding ribbon, and the Piercing Pack.  I added a little Real Red Dazzling Details on the mistletoe berries, and that just finished it right!

It's time to organize your Christmas supplies and think about making some holiday greetings!  

Have fun!

Cigar Punch Art Card with Masking Tape Ink Technique

Pin It Now!

My day's birthday is this weekend, so I needed to make a nice, manly card for my poppa!  He likes two things that many men like...cars and cigars. I've made him a lot of car cards (tongue twister) in the past (check out my other masculine cards here) , so I decided on the latter this time. Which worked out nicely to add a cigar gift card inside! 

This card was so fun and easy to make!  I watched a new video by Lisa Curcio on Stampin' Connection which teaches an inking technique using masking tape. You can view Lisa's video below.

Here's how it looked when creating the ink layers for the cigar.  I used three browns for the cigar-Baked Brown Sugar, Crumb Cake, & Early Espresso. Then the metallic gold ink pad (ADD LINK) from the holiday mini for the band & the end of the cigar, as well as inking the striped embossing folder. 

doesn't this technique work well to show the layers of the cigar?  

I slid a scrap piece of paper in the punching portion (center)
of the punch so my "cigar" would slide easily
in thru the underside of the punch.

 The cigar is 7/8" wide by 3-3/4" long, and I slipped one end into the 1" circle punch to neatly round off one end.

The letters are punched from Etcetera DSP with Bigz Alphabet Typeset and popped up, some single and others double.  "Wish" is from the retired Word Play, layered with That's the Ticket and punched with Ticket Builder Punch.

The band is made using the same masking tape technique, with gold ink, and stamped randomly with "Happy Birthday" from Teeny Tiny Wishes.  

Inside, with Label Love.

I'm playing along with SUO Challenges, which is doing birthday cards this week!  Check them out for fabulous inspiration!  

Have a blessed and creative day! ~ Erika

SUPPLY LIST:

STAMPS:  That's the Ticket, Label Love, Word Play (retired)

INK: Baked Brown Sugar, Crumb Cake, Early Espresso, Night of Navy, Encore Gold Metallic Pad

PAPER: Etcetera DSP, Night of Navy, Very Vanilla

EMBELLISHMENTS: Stylish Stripes Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Bigz Typeset Alphabet Dies, Ticket Builder punch, Early Espresso stitched grosgrain ribbon

OTHER:  Blue painters masking tape

Perfectly You HSS166

Pin It Now! There's a great color challenge this week at Hand Stamped Sentiments that'll get you in the mood for autumn. This warm color palette of Crushed Curry, Pear Pizzazz, and Early Espresso is perfect for masculine cards, too, but mine - while I had planned on going a bit manly - turned out to be for a girl friend.

This card is pretty much CASEd from page 38 of the Holiday SU Catalog.  Lesson here is that even if you're pressed for time, you can knock out a cute card in no time, because Stampin' Up! is so full of great inspiration that you do NOT have to reinvent the wheel every time you want to get crafty.  I've changed colors and embellishments, but the layout of the card caught my eye, so I went for it!  It took me about 20 minutes to make this.

Some details:

- The little "friend" banner is popped up from the original image (Perfectly You hostess set #131877).  I trimmed it nice and narrow, and used the 1" square punch to flag the ends.  

- The Crushed Curry patterned paper (Afternoon Picnic DSP #131390) was a little too bright for my taste when I cut the strip, so I sponged it evenly all over with Classic Ink. Not so much to make it look distressed, but to just warm it up.  

- The gold splatters are created with Gold Lame' Smooch, which is still available on the clearance rack.  I have a big stockpile of this stuff, it's so pretty, and I think it really complements Crushed Curry.

- Layer EVERYTHING possible with Stampin' Dimensionals.  I think pop ups make a simple card look more complex and interesting.  Yes, it might cost you 20 cents extra to mail, but what cost is fabulous, anyway?! Haha.

So head on over to Hand Stamped Sentiments - this challenge is good for 2 weeks.  I'd love to see what you're inspired to create!

SUPPLY LIST:

STAMPS:  Perfectly You

INK: Crushed Curry, Pear Pizzazz, Early Espresso, Strawberry Slush

PAPER: Pear Pizzazz, Whisper White, Afternoon Picnic DSP

EMBELLISHMENTS:  Button-Designer Neutrals Collection, Gold Lame' Smooch, Sponge, Pear Pizzazz Chevron Ribbon