June 2009 Great Impressions Stamps Extra cards

These are the two cards we created this month with the June '09 Great Impressions stamps.

See the 6 original cards from Great Impressions.

Save 50% on the Seaweed stamp this month. It is the June stamp of the month. Only $4.99.

It was used on both of these cards and the 6 created by Great Impressions.

Graduation Card

Melanie has been planing a graduation party for her middle son all week. Adam graduated from Pike Central High School last Friday and will be heading to IU in the fall.

Of course I waited until the last minute to make his card, there's always something else that needs done. I thought I would give you all a sneak peek before the party tomorrow. I got my inspiration from a card created by: Jackie Gallager, featured on the Card-A-Licious blog.

Chatterbox Botanico 12x12 layout

Gina created this beautiful page at the NSD crop. Admittedly, she started with some great photos, then used these Botanica papers from Chatterbox.

Distress crackle paint around the edges and she distressed the edges of the paper for her layers.

Added felt embellishments...

Then she made this layout to coordinate with it across the page in her scrapbook.

This one includes chipboard letters and accents.

Check back soon to find out more about Gina. She has agreed to be one of our first Featured Scrapper's here in the blog.

We want to know how you got started, why you do it and what some of your favorite projects/layouts have been. If you are willing to share your story with us, just bring in, or e-mail pictures of, 5 to 10 of your favorite layouts, projects, cards, etc and we have a few questions for you to answer.

Flower Soft

We've heard your requests, and are so excited to finally carry FlowerSoft.

Flowersoft makes your stamped images of flowers 3-dimensional.

See a card tutorial here.

Create a mini-bouquet.

See it used on a wedding page layout.

Ivory flowersoft on clothing accents. The brown would make a great teddy bear too!

There are several videos on YouTube showing how to use it. Here is one, but you can easily search for more once you're there.

2 page layout with Melissa Frances papers

It started with this shimmery flower that LaDonna made the other day. (We have these available in the store for just $1.79). I knew I wanted to use it on a layout, so I started looking for coordinating paper, then appropriate photos. It doesn't always start with the photos for me.

I knew I was going for a distressed look on these pages,

so I started by sanding the edges of the photos.

After double matting the photo, I used the

Heidi Swapp edge distressor to grunge up the matting.

Then inked the edges with the Colorbox chalk ink in Chestnut Roan.

I peeled the backing off the felt fusion strip and used two pieces in the corner, slightly overlapping the photo.


I ran some burgandy Distressed Stickles along the torn edge of the matting background.

Then added this My Mind'e Eye rub-on to the Tim Holtz journaling ticket that was just the right size.
I like the large chipboard letters and decided to cover them with coordinating paper.

I sprayed the back of the paper for strong, even coverage.
Adhered the paper to the back of the chipboard letters

and trimmed then filed around the edges.

Sometimes I ink around the edges of covered chipboard, but with the small center openings, I decided to use a tombow marker. I strongly recommend holding the marker behind the letter and running the tip around the edges from the back side. That way when the pen slips, (and it occasionally will) you will only leave a mark on the back of the letter.

The rest of the letters were cut with the Cricut from coordinating paper.

The papers were too similar and the letters really faded into the background.

So, I traced around them with our favorite white pen (Signo).

I attached the clear butterflies with brads and added self adhesive pearls to their wings.

Used a Cuttlebug embossing folder on the tickets and added

my favorite Maya Road sequined ribbon.

After all of that I took the photo and realized that the letters still didn't show up enough.

I got out the green glaze pen and colored in each letter.

See how the design of the paper still shows through the green.

To finish the layout dark green tags from the Melissa Frances line were added and a couple of those butterfly rubons from Chatterbox.

Looking back at the steps, it kind of seems like a lot for just one layout, but I wasn't in any kind of hurry, just having fun along the way.

More Beautiful Flowers

I took a few hours the other night to make some more specialty flowers. I always have so much fun putting these together. I used several different Lumin Arte shimmer mist colors to create unique flowers.I even customized some glitter brads to complete the look.

Very important tip to remember!!! You should wear gloves if you intend on spraying a brad with several coats of mist while holding it in your hand. Don't think it will wash right off, even if you wash your hands immediately. I was stained like this for 2 days.

Tips for decorating your mini purse albums

Everyone who attended our NSD Crop May 2nd received a Bare Elements Mini Purse Album in their goody bag. I know I posted a picture of how I decorated the outside, but several people asked to see the inside also. So I thought I would post pictures of each page and pass along a few tips to remember when decorating your own.

You will need to select the paper line of your choice and 3 Bazzill cardstock colors to match that line. I used the Airy Fairy line from KaiserCraft.

I started by using shimmer mist and spayed each page. I used a Paper towel to spread an even coat across the whole page, including the handle. You can also use a foam make-up sponge.

While the mist was drying I used my Cricut Expressions to cut four 5 inch circles out of each Bazzill color cardstock and four 5 inch circles out of one patterned paper. Then cut the bottom of the circle off (1 inch from the edge) for a perfect fit with a slight border of the misted background showing. For the front and back cover I also cut two 4 inch circles out of patterned paper to layer on top of the CS after I attached the ribbon all the way around.

On the inside I started with two of the patterned papers. Remember to leave a border all the way around the edge. If you place your paper all the way in the crease, by the time you are finished with every page your album will barely close. You will also want to remember to place your photos towards the handles to avoid to much thickness in the folds.
On the next page I used two of the Bazzill cardstock circles. To avoid thickness in the album I used mostly pens and stamping for my embellishments. Rub-ons would work great also.On the next page I used another Bazzill cardstock color. Notice I used some Magic Mesh behind a few of the photos, but always placed it toward the outside edge of the album.

On these pages I repeated the last Bazzill color I used.Then for these pages I went back to the darker Bazzill cardstock.
I ended the album with patterned paper. It's hard to tell in this photo, but I used a glitter pen to accent the design in the paper.
I know I told you to select 3 Bazzill colors and you only see two colors on my album. I used two sheets of the same color. Later I thought it would have looked better with a different background color on the front and back covers.

If you didn't attend the crop but would still like to buy one of these mini albums, we still have a few left.

Thinking of you card

I just finished this quick card for a class we're offering at the

Knox County Public Library on June 11th.

I got the basic layout from the fifth card down in this post at Card-a-licious.

Pink Paislee Pop Fashion page layout

I was eager to use that Pop Fashion paper from Pink Paislee, but with three boys I don't get to use much pink. Then, I remembered these pictures that have just been waiting for some pink.

I cut the small frames out of the transparency because the photos I was working with did not fit.

I adherred it to the paper at an angle then flipped it over and trimmed off the excess.

I love those silvery metallic rub-ons, so I started adding them. They are not kidding when they call these press-ons. Light rubbing is all that is needed and they tranfer easily.

In this close-up you can see how silvery the clear overlay is that I trimmed down. It was a full 12x12 sheet. I'll probably use the rest on the page that will go across from this one in my album.

I took a bright pink felt flower and added stickles for dimension.
I punched out a scalloped circle from the remains of pink pink cardstock and ran it through the Sizzix big Shot in the Cuttlebug embossing folder, then inked it to layer under the felt flower.

I used the Cricut to cut out this butterfly accent from the Storybook cartridge.

Then curled the wings around a Tombow Marker and added small self adhesive pearls to the center of the butterfly.

The butterfly doesn't show up very well in the photo of the layout, but it's there.

12x12 page layout

On Tuesday nights I like to scrap since the shop is open until 8pm. I got the chance to use the Clear Prima Paintable overlay that Carole painted for me at the crop the other day.

I love this diecut paper from Making Memories. This was not what I had originally planned to do with this paper, but you know how that goes sometimes once you start on a project. I pulled out scraps from the pink and green files to put behind the openings, added the Prima flowers and used a slickwriter to journal on the clear overlay.