Paper Crafter's Library – Page 85 – A world of creativity at your fingertips

WOW! Embossing Powder Week Day 2

Welcome to Day 2 of WOW! Embossing Powder week on the Paper Crafter’s Library blog! We’re very excited to be partnering with WOW! to showcase their extensive line of fabulous Embossing Powders. Since discovering Wow! Embossing Powders at Winter CHA 2012 in Anaheim, they’ve rapidly become our favourite line of embossing powders, and we just can’t get enough. We’ve been finding ourselves reaching for them over and over again – our projects really come to life with the addition of our WOW! Embossing Powders.

As part of our collaboration with Wow! Embossing Powder, each day this week, that day’s Wow! Designer is giving away a 3 month membership to Paper Crafter’s Library. Today’s WOW! Designer Erika Taylor – be sure to stop by Erika’s blog and leave a comment in THIS POST for your chance to win a 3 month membership to Paper Crafter’s Library. Winner will be announced on Friday. While you’re there, be sure to browse all her fantastic creations.

WOW! Design Team Project

WOW day 4 Today’s WOW! Designer is Erika Taylor. You can see her project below, but before that, here is a little more about Erika:

Cutting rings of paper to create garland, making ghost gum from glue, and adding a little too much glitter to any heart I drew. The creative bug bit me at a very early age and I’ve never looked back. Hi everyone, I’m Erika Taylor and I’m a craftaholic!!! In 2008, I decided to start paper crafting and one thing led to another. I’m blessed to have been on numerous design teams over the past few years and I’m expanding my own creative muse to include so much more than just cards and scrapbook layouts. I love getting inked up to create mixed media projects and if I can alter something, I will.

I live in Southern Alberta with my loving and supportive husband Mark and our 2 boisterous children age 4 and 7. Anything to do with Vampires and the Fantasy Realm gets my attention, and yes that includes Twilight! I love Italian Sweet Cream in my coffee and there is nothing better than Tiramisu. I’m moved by the colors around me, emotions and the media. Creatively, I embrace change and love to try new things and I’m super excited about being a part of this amazing adventure. Grab your favorite beverage and stop by my blog for a visit http://taylordconcepts.blogspot.com

Decorated Canvas

I love working with canvas and mixed media. They are a perfect match for just letting go and seeing where the creative journey will take me. Working with Wow Embossing Powders on canvas can result in some amazing looks. For this canvas, the entire background has been created using Wow Embossing Powders, a little bit of Molding Paste and a few small sprays of Glimmer Mist. The texture is amazing and everything really pops.

WOW! week day 5

WOW Day 5

First for the canvas, I prepped it sparingly with Gesso. Once dry I applied Versamark to the entire surface and using a spoon, sprinkled Wow Embossing Powders onto the surface itself. I used a combination of Berrylicious, Silver Regular, Angel Wings, Bubble Gum and Pastel Pink. I layered colors over top on one another until I achieved the texture, color and height that I wanted. In certain areas, when the embossing powder was still molten, I sprinkle a combination of water drops and embossing powder to gain even more texture.

WOW day 5

WOW Day 5

The FabScraps Chipboard pieces have been covered with Berrylicious and Angel Wings Embossing powder as well. Overall, a perfect canvas for our little girls bedroom was created using some amazing colors of embossing powders from Wow Embossing Powders.

Paper Crafter’s Library Designer Projects

For today’s Paper Crafter’s Library Projects Tracy shows demonstrates the technique of embossing using a template from Crafter’s Workshop, VersaMark ink and Wow! Embossing Powders as she shows you how to create the For My Friend Card shown below.

Download the pdf handout here

You can watch a video on how Tracy created this card here.

Our last project for today, is a Paper Crafter’s Library exclusive – this Mr. & Mrs. card. This card features both Wow’s embossing powders as well as embossing glitters. Unfortunately the picture is not the best, but Tracy uses the Wow! embossing glitter to create the swirls on the background paper and then the regular Embossing Powder for the greeting.

There is a video tutorial and handout for this project available to our Paper Crafter’s Library members.

So there you have it! Day 2 of our celebration of Wow! Embossing Powders I hope you have enjoyed all the projects that our design team and the Wow! design team have created for you.

A Bit About Paper Crafter’s Library

The world of paper crafting is HUGE! Whether you are a beginner, or you’ve been creating for years, the sheer number of different products, tools, techniques and project ideas can be overwhelming. After spending 6 years helping thousands of paper crafters around the world become more successful in the creative space through her series of kits, digital tutorials and online classes, Andrea Walford began looking for a new approach to education. In 2011 she launched Paper Crafter’s Library – the first, and still to this day, only website that provides an all-in-one learning solution for paper crafters. With almost 800 videos currently in their library and 4-5 new videos added each week, Paper Crafter’s Library offers comprehensive training on products, tools, techniques, and project ideas. From beginner through to advanced, whether your interest is in stamping, card making, scrapbooking, creating 3D items or altered art – you’ll find all the resources you need to navigate the world of paper crafting in ONE place, organized and indexed so that it’s quick and easy to find.

Be sure to sign up for our free email newsletter which features weekly video tutorials. For more information about Paper Crafter’s Library and how we can help you take your paper crafting to the next level, check out the Benefits of Becoming a Member.

Wow! Embossing Powder Give-Away

To enter to a Wow! Embossing Powder prize pack consisting of a variety of different embossing powders please leave your comment below.

Paper Crafter’s Library 3 Month Membership Give-Away

As part of our collaboration with Wow! Embossing Powder, each day this week, that day’s Wow! Designer is giving away a 3 month membership to Paper Crafter’s Library. Today’s WOW! Designer Erika Taylor – be sure to stop by Erika’s blog and leave a comment in THIS POST. Winner will be announced on Friday. While you’re there, be sure to browse all her fantastic creations.

Trendy Tuesday: Doilies Are Everywhere

Doilies Are Everywhere
By: Kathryne Knowles

A new and emerging trend in paper crafting recently are doilies! My first memory of these lacy little items was my Grandmother’s house. She had handmade doilies everywhere! On the arms of chairs and the backs of furniture, on tables holding flower vases, on the dining room table as a trivet, even embroidered pieces in frames on the wall. I found some a modern take on doily decorating , this great linen pillow with a vintage doily sewn on is a great example of the type found in my Grandmother’s home as I grew up.

Doilies

On of course you must have doilies on tables but this one just looks so much more modern maybe it’s the white and the non-plasticized furniture! Do you remember the plasitic covers on furniture?

Doilies

My next Clear doily memory was kindergarten. We added paper doilies to our valentine bags, we also created special valentines for our parents using construction paper and white paper doilies.

Doilies

Jump ahead 35 years and here we are using doilies in paper crafting as adults! I have always loved the look of these cute, lacy, versatile crafting power house pieces. You can use them as accents, as stamped images, as masks, as embellishments and whatever else your creative spirit can come up with Stampin Up came out this year with a Doily stamp which is awesome to use on projects of any kind. This one reminds me Of the doilies my Grandmother use to make.

Doilies

There is also a smaller version that incorporates different shapes and allows for more versatility in your stamping called Delicate Doilies – this set also incorporates matching DSP to add more depth to your creations!

Doilies

Of course Stampin Up is not the only place to get your doily stamp fix! Hero Arts has some great doliy stamps in the cling line:

Doilies

Papertrey Ink also has some cute doily stamps too that match their collection of Dies.

Doilies

I am a huge fan of dies for any cutting machine. And I created this card using one from Stampin UP! Doilies

I made the doily from Cherry Cobbler and then placed it on my card and cut it to fit my image. Another great technique for using a doily is to place the doily on your cardstock with dotto or any repositionable adhesive and sponge the doily leaving a dreamy image behind when you remove the doily mask. And check out the intricate design in this 4” die from Papertrey Ink

Doilies

How beautiful is that? I would love to use this for a scrapbook page and you get to choose the colour to suit your project when you have a die at your finger tips. And you can match it up with the stamps and three piece die collection pictured earlier. Oh the possibilities!

Never fear though colour in our doily selection is not a problem. We can find doilies in varying colours, sizes and patterns from craft stores to dollar stores for your crafting needs and budget.

If pattern paper is your thing than check out this gorgeous selection from the Restoration line at Crate Paper

Doilies

Basic Grey cannot be left out of the mix with their double sided patterned paper.

Doilies

Up next is Basic Greys lines by Pyrus and Curio

Doilies

Can you imagine the possibilities with this laser cut die sheet? You can use the whole sheet or cut it down to fit your project or even use each one individually.

This next set just makes me think of snow projects and making them just so much more pretty with a lacy doily look with glitter

Doiles

Sassafras has some really cute patterned paper that I can see making some pages with really soon! I just love how it already looks layered before you even add your own touches! These will be quick pages for sure!

Doilies

Cards and scrapbooks are not the only things screaming out for some doily love

Here is a stunning Wedding Banner that I found on the Spellbinders Site made by Kazan Clark. You can find the article here

http://spellbinderspaperarts.com/Community/Blog/Post/12-02-11/Romantic_Bridal_Shower_Banner.aspx

Doilies

The Doily image makes a fabulous background for words. To make this banner for any occasion just change up the colours and words and you have a birthday banner, congrats banner, sorry to see you go banner, you name it! You are only limited by your creative mind and your ability to creep the net for inspiration.

Doilies are not just for paper crafting either! Check out this awesome lamp shade made from vintage doilies You can check out all the instructions for this cool project here http://www.countryliving.com/crafts/projects/decorate-with-vintage-doilies-0408#slide-1

Doilies

And of course we cannot forget scrapbook pages I found this lovely page created on Shimelle.com

Doiles

I love how she used doilies not only as a patterned paper but as a back ground for the word happiness and just a decorative element to the page. And the pink is just the prettiest.

Lets not forget out good friend the paper punch, I used the Triple layer punch from Stampin UP ! for this card

Doilies

I started with standard card base and then the Boxed Heart Cuttlebug impressions folder, smooch spritz and then I made a cute baner by layering the doily punch and hearts on Linen thread.

And I used one from EK Success for this Valentines card that I recently created. This is was a wide boarder punch but I cut it in half to suit my card pattern.

Doilies

Of course if you are a boarder punch crafter you will love this punch from Martha Stewart . So pretty and I love all the different sizes and shapes on the border.

Doilies

If you are a digital crafter then you are not left out of this trend either. Martha Stewart actually has a free download for you to play with. Although this next collection is for Valentines day from House of 3 I think it could be utilized year round too

Doilies

Over at Two Peas in a Bucket they offer digital images for your die cutting machine as well.

Doilies

Doilies do not have to be paper. Check out this fabulous card I found at Scrapbooksetc.com

Doilies

This card uses Spellbinders to cut and emboss the floral doily accents and motif images using Copper from the Precious Metal Premium Craft Foil Assortment. The images and copper foil just make this simple design pop. Created by Mona Pendleton.

If you have a copy of Scrapbooks etc. February 2012 check out the article on page 94. There is a great tutorial about folding doilies into cute flowers for your scrapbook page with a pictorial. Here are the instructions found there: 1. Fold Five doilies (the same size) in half 2. Fold each Doily again this time a little more than half. 3. Fold the last fold back again only halfway. 4. Glue the tips of the folded doilies together and adhere a punch cardstock circle to the center to secure.

Another great place to look for pre made doilies is in any cake decorating store or even bulk barn carries the traditional white and sometimes coloured doilies. You can colour these to suit your project with reinkers your favorite ink company, or colour mist sprays such as tattered Angels or Tim Holtz

Be sure to get your hands on some pretty little doilies and expand your creations with these lacy little mulit-taskers!

Welcome to WOW! Embossing Powder Week

Welcome to WOW! Embossing Powder week on the Paper Crafter’s Library blog! We’re very excited to be partnering with WOW! to showcase their extensive line of fabulous embossing powders. Since discovering Wow! Embossing Powders at Winter CHA 2012 in Anaheim, they’ve rapidly become our favourite line of embossing powders, and we just can’t get enough. We’ve been finding ourselves reaching for them over and over again – our projects really come to life with the addition of our WOW! Embossing Powders.

Every day this week we’ll be sharing fantastic projects featuring WOW! Embossing Powders created by both the WOW! Design Team as well as the Paper Crafter’s Library Designers/Educators. At the end of this week, two lucky winners will receive a Wow! Embossing Powder Prize Pack consisting of 12 different Wow! Embossing Powders. One winner will be drawn from all the comments left either here on the Paper Crafter’s Library blog or the Paper Crafter’s Library Facebook page , and one winner will be drawn from all the comments left either on the WOW! blog or the WOW! Facebook page. Remember, each comment you leave is one entry, so be sure to visit every day not only for the great project ideas, but also to enter your name into our give-away.

About Wow! Embossing Powder

WOW! Embossing Powder has been established as a brand since May 2006 and has grown dramatically since then. We are a UK based company and we are rapidly becoming very well-known and respected within the craft industry. Wow! takes pride in our fast and friendly customer service, and personal touch with each of our customers’ orders. We are the largest manufacturers of embossing powder in the world, and therefore are very proud to offer crafters what we believe is the best embossing product available at a very competitive price.

WOW! Embossing Powder successfully launched 51 of our embossing powders at CHA Winter 2012 Show along with a selection of stamps and stamping accessories. All our powders are specially treated to be static free to give a clear, crisp image everytime so there is no need for any anti-static bags to get that perfect result.

Basics of Heat Embossing

For those of you that are either unfamiliar or have limited experience with heat embossing, we’ve put together a two part video that covers everything you need to know about heat embossing. In our video Basics of Heat Embossing Part 1 we talk about what heat embossing is, what kinds of projects you can use it for (way more than simply cards), what kinds of surfaces you can heat emboss on (just about anything you can imagine), and what basic supplies you need to get started heat embossing.

In the video Basics of Heat Embossing Part 2, we cover the three main ways of heat embossing. The most common way of heat embossing is using stamps and ink, but if you watched Part 1 of the video you’ll have learned that stamps are actually a “nice-to-have” supply rather than an essential for heat embossing. You can use templates for heat embossing or you don’t need anything except your medium. You can check out how it’s done here:

So the basic techniques you learned in the video above are essentially everything you need to know to heat emboss, regardless of what surface or what type of embossing powder you’re using. As the week progresses, we’ll share more information about the different types of embossing powders that Wow! Embossing Powder offers as part of their extensive line.

So next, let’s take a look at the project created by one of the talented members of the Wow@ Embossing Powder Design Team.

WOW! Design Team Project

WOW week day 1 To start off the week, we have WOW! Designer Patti Hamil. You will find her beautiful project below, but first here is a little bit about Patti:

My name is Patti Hamil and I’ve been scrapping for over 15 years now! I’ve been lucky enough to be on Design Teams, attend CHA, teach CKC classes and lots of other fun things through my hobby. The best thing about it is the lasting friends that I have made! I am the Mom to 3 grown children,a wife to a wonderful husband and also mom to an adorable English Bulldog, a 150 pound Rottweiler, a mut and a 15 year old Tomcat! I love scrapbooking, and also spending time with my family and doing anything that has to do with water!

LOVE Scrapbook Layout

Hi! I was asked by Suzy West to do a special “WOW” project for Paper Crafter’s Library. I was honored to do it. I wanted to feature a technique for embossing so I thought I would share one of my favorite things to do with the Susy West WOW embossing powders and stamps.

This is a layout where I used the powders and one of the stamp sets. I also used the powder on the title letters.

Wow day 1

One of my very favorite things to do with embossing is to emboss on vellum. If you have a thicker vellum like the vellum from WorldWin papers, it won’t curl when you heat it. Here is a close up of the leaves. I first use am embossing pen and draw the leaves. On these I used the Earthtone Olive for the leaves. The gorgeous blooms are from ManorHouse Creations and the paper is Anna Griffin. WOW Day 1

On this, you can see the butterflies. For these, I use two different colors, I use one color for the solid outline stamp, and then a different color for the center that I choose. I cut them both out and layer them together, Then I add some pearls for the body of the butterfly. I curl the wings on the top layer slightly.

WOW Day 1

Here you can see the detail on the butterfly and on the title letters. Also one of the little leaves.

WOW Day 1

This is just another view of the butterfly, shows the dimension of them. These are so easy, and so much fun to play with the different color combos!!!

WOW day 1

Suzy West WOW products used:

Build AButterfly Stamp Set

Pantry Collection – Olive

Candy Counter Collection – Berrylicious and BubbleGum

WOW – regular Grape

Other products:

Manorhouse Creations blooms

WorldWin Papers vellum

Anna Griffin Inc. patterned paper

Paper Crafter’s Library Design Team Projects

One of our goals during our manufacturer spotlight weeks is not just to introduce you to fantastic product lines that we’ve tried and loved, but to share with you a variety of different styles and differing levels of difficulty. Embossing is one of those techniques that can be either as elaborate as you’d like, or as simple as you can like. You can incorporate embossing into a variety of different elements in your projects, or you can simply add little touches here and there. As the week progresses, you’ll notice that the projects from the talented Wow! embossing powder team are very intricate and absolutely stunning, so we decided to balance their projects with simpler projects of our own that focus on one, at the most two techniques at a time.

In our first card, a Happy Anniversary Card, Tracy uses the Wow! Embossing Powder Pearlescent Finish to create a gorgeous background on her card. She uses that same powder to create the outline on her label, and then a black embossing powder for the greeting. You can watch the video tutorial for this and download the pdf handout below.

Download the PDF Handout HERE

In our second card for today, our Paper Crafter’s Library member exclusive project, Tracy takes this simple background technique one step further by created a mulit-colored background behind it using a combination of different Ranger Distress Inks.

There is a video tutorial and handout for this project available to our Paper Crafter’s Library members.

So there you have it! Day 1 of our celebration of Wow! Embossing Powders I hope you have enjoyed all the projects that our design team and the Wow! design team have created for you.

A Bit About Paper Crafter’s Library

Wow! Embossing Powder Give-Away

To enter to a Wow! Embossing Powder prize pack consisting of a variety different embossing powders please leave your comment below. Please take a minute to also stop by the WOW! blog or the WOW! Facebook page for a second opportunity to win. Please note that they are in a different time zone than us so their post may not be up until later today.

Project Newsletter Makeover Challenge – Glittered Butterfly

Welcome to the Makeover Monday challenge. Every Monday, as part of our project ideas newsletter we’re going to make over one of our own older cards, showing you how easy it is to use existing designs (your own OR someone else’s) as inspiration. This week Tracy has designed this “Glittered Butterfly” card.

Your challenge – as with our previous Makeover Monday Challenges – is to use our piece as inspiration and make it into a card, scrapbook page, or other project. You can use the layout, the colors, an element you like…it can look like our piece, or nothing at all like our piece. We want to see where YOU take this. This challenge is strictly a “work from your stash” challenge.

As a newsletter subscriber you will have received a link to a private web page, from which you can watch the video tutorial. If you didn’t receive the video tutorial link then please be sure to email us at customerservice@papercrafterslibrary.com. In order to ensure you don’t miss any more of our Makeover Monday Challenge video tutorials, please be sure you sign up for our FREE email newsletter from the top right sidebar of this blog. Please note that the video tutorial will be available for general viewing for one week only – and then will be moved into our library for our members only

Every Monday, here on the blog, we’re going to post the original picture, and the made over picture. You will have ONE week to upload your challenge piece. Instead of a weekly prize though, we’re going to award a prize monthly. So for each week you participate and each project you submit – you will get one entry into our monthly draw. On the first Monday of each month – we will announce one challenge winner, who will be featured as a guest designer on the Paper Crafter’s Library blog as well as our Facebook page. As a guest designer, we’ll feature your biography, some of your favorite paper crafting projects and we’ll link to your blog.

Our inspiration piece, shown below, is an archived project from the Andrea Walford blog.

Here are the details on how you can participate in the Makeover Monday Challenge:

A new Makeover Monday Challenge video tutorial will be emailed out to newsletter subscribers every Monday (so make sure you are signed up). Then, here on the blog, we will post a picture of our inspiration piece and made-over project along with an Inlinkz button for you to enter your project. Here are the details:

Work from your own stash to create a project based on the inspiration project provided – you can use any products you would like, and make any type of project you like – card, scrapbook page, album, 3D item etc.
Post your project on your blog, in your gallery or on any other photo-hosting site (such as photobucket or flickr).
Click on our inLinkz button below to add a link to your project for our challenge
You will have until 7am, Monday, May 28th to add your link to the list to be eligible to win. And you can enter as many times as you like.
For each project you submit, your name will be entered into our monthly draw. The winner will be announced on Monday, June 4th.

Good luck to everyone and we look forward to seeing your projects!

Winner of May Arts Give-away!

I can’t believe we’ve reached the end of May Arts Week on PCL. We’ve had so much fun working with their ribbons and working with their fabulous designers as well. We’d like to extend a warm thank you to May Arts for providing us with the ribbon we’ve used in the creation of all these projects, as well as for their generous give-away! We’d also like to extend a thank you to Bethany from May Arts (our contact) and the May Arts design team for their gorgeous projects. It’s so nice to see different creative styles!

So now…..the moment you’ve all been waiting for……the winner of the May Arts Prize Pack which is 4 rolls of ribbon of YOUR choice, is…….

Congratulations Maureen! Please email us at customerservice@papercrafterslibrary.com to claim your prize. Be sure to put “May Arts Winner” in the subject line. In the body of your email please include your four choices and your full shipping address with phone number.

Remember, May Arts is also announcing a winner on their blog, so be sure stop by the May Arts Blog to see if you are the lucky one!

May Arts Week: Day 5

Welcome to Day 5 – our final day of May Arts Week on the Paper Crafter’s Library Blog! We’re so excited to partnering with May Arts to showcase their stunning ribbons. I don’t know about you, but here at Paper Crafter’s Library we’re ribbon lovers – you’ll find ribbon on almost all of our projects – which is why we’re so thrilled to have May Arts as an Invited Sponsor. You haven’t seen ribbon until you’ve seen May Arts Ribbon – they offer a multitude of different colors and styles of ribbon to suit any preference and taste – and all of it, top quality!

Every day this week we’ll be sharing fantastic projects featuring May Arts ribbons created by both the May Arts Design Team as well as the Paper Crafter’s Library Designers/Educators. At the end of this week, two lucky winners will receive their choice of FOUR rolls of ribbon from the May Arts website. One winner will be drawn from all the comments left either here on the Paper Crafter’s Library blog or the Paper Crafter’s Library Facebook page , and one winner will be drawn from all the comments left either on the May Arts Blog or the May Arts Facebook Page. Remember, each comment you leave is one entry, so be sure to visit every day not only for the great project ideas, but also to enter your name into our give-away.

About May Arts

May Arts Ribbon was founded in the early 1980’s in Riverside, Connecticut. The original products were high-end silk flowers imported from Taiwan, which were decorated using quality ribbons. The decorative ribbons proved so popular among customers that the business gradually evolved into a dedicated ribbon wholesaler.

As a family-owned and operated business, May Arts began a long-standing tradition of quality, affordability and exceptional customer service. We are dedicated to carrying on this same tradition by offering high quality products at competitive prices. Our friendly, knowledgeable staff is always happy to answer your questions or to assist you in placing your order.

May Arts carries a wide selection of quality ribbons to choose from; such as grosgrain, silk, satin, burlap and a variety of prints and patterns. All inventory is held in stock, so we can ship orders out right away—typically the same day.

Where to Buy May Arts Ribbons

The May Arts website is their wholesale site for online and brink and mortar retailers. We’ve linked to it so that you can easily view their entire product line in one place. There are numerous places where you can purchase May Arts Ribbons including many local scrapbook stores as well as online stores. Two of the online stores that carry the biggest selections that we are aware of include Amazon, who carry the complete May Arts Ribbon Line (plus you can qualify for free shipping). Click on the link we provided and it will take you to our May Arts Ribbon Search Results. To find a particular ribbon, go to the May Arts website, find the name of the ribbon and color and then enter that into your Amazon search results. Please note that through Amazon you’re buying by the roll. Most other online and local scrapbook stores sell May Arts Ribbon by the yard. One of the online stores that carries a great selection is Ribbon Carousel.

May Arts Designer Project

Our Designer Today is Vera Wirianta Yates. You can see her picture below, but first, here is a little more about Vera:

Vera Yates May Arts Day 5 Hi, my name is Vera Wirianta Yates. I was born and raised in Indonesia but been calling Texas home for the past 17 years. I am married to a wonderful man who understands & supports my obsession with papers & stamping and I am mommy to 2 spoiled pugs. I fell in love with paper crafting not long after I moved to the States. Started with scrapbooking and branched out to card making soon after. I love teaching scrapbooking and card making classes whenever I get the chance. In the serious world, I work in accounts payable, and in the fun world, you can find me crafting in my room whenever I can. I’ve been very blessed and lucky to have my works published numerous times in Paper Crafts magazine and recently won their 2012 Stamping Royalty. You can check out my works on my blog: Ling’s Design Studio.

Apron Card

Hi everyone. This is Vera from Ling’s Design Studio. I am so excited to be a guest here today to share my project as a May Arts team member.

My project for today is a shaped card and as much as I love using my Silhouette machine to make shaped cards, this time I want to show how you can make a shaped card without using a die-cut machine and using ribbons to dress up the card. Here’s a look at my apron card.

May Arts day 5

You can use this card just like this or you can also use the pocket of the apron to tuck in a gift card.

To create this card, here’s the supply list:
– White cardstock
– Patterned paper (I used The Paper Studio Tiny Polka in Yellow & Lime Tonal. I’m sorry, I cannot recall the maker of the green white polka dot paper, as I was grabbing it from my scrap stash).
– Bazzill Basics Clover Leaf Dotted Cardstock
– May Arts Sheer Dots Ribbon JD46
– May Arts Cotton Stripes Ribbon 385-58-46
– The circle stamp is from Papertrey Ink Tag Its # 1 Set)

And, here’s the step-by-step instruction:
1. I started with a regular folded card and then I used my oval cutter as a template to draw two curves on the card. You can use a regular oval template or plate as well for the curve. Cut along the curve line.

May Arts Day 5

2. Adhere patterned paper to the front of the card and cut following the shape of the card. Note: if you want to add the neck wrap for the apron, adhere the ribbon to card first before adhering the patterned paper to the card.
3. Cut a rectangle from patterned paper measured 3” x 2.75” and cut a curve at one end of the rectangle using a circle cutter. Adhere ribbon to the back and fold the ribbon every quarter of an inch to create the pleat look.

May Art Day 5

4. Cut a strip of ribbon and adhere to the top of the card. I cut it where it’s long enough to be tied on the back of the card.
5. Cut a small square measured 1.25” x 1.25”. Corner round the two bottom corner.
May Art Day 5

6. Stamp image and adhere ribbon to the back of the square, just like on step 3. Adhere square to card.
7. Punch a strip of patterned paper with scallop punch and adhere to the top of the card.

And that’s it you’re done and you’ll have this apron card. Here’s a pic of the finished card again, this time with a gift card tucked in.

May Art Day 5

I hope you enjoy this tutorial. Thank you so much for stopping by here and have a blessed day. J

Vera

Paper Crafter’s Library Designer Projects

Today’s free video tutorial once again showcases how much a pretty ribbon can add to a card. In today’s card I paired the Pink Twill/Stripes Ribbon (Chevron pattern) with the gorgeous Doodle Deux product line from Prima. The chipboard letters for the greeting were embossed with Black Twinkle Embossing Glitter from Wow! Embossing Powders (next week’s spotlight company).

Download the pdf handout here.

You can watch a video on how Andrea created this Glittery Hi card here.

In addition to the card above, I’ve also created a Paper Crafter’s Library member exclusive mixed-media project – a set of three mixed-media canvases I’ve called the “Bloom Canvas Trio” (original isn’t it? LOL). In the first picture below you can see the three canvases together, the remaining pictures show you a close up of each individual canvas. The stems of each of the flowers are the May Arts green Leaf Ribbon, while the largest of the flowers come from the May Arts Wired Flower Ribbon, which I either left plain (the cream colored ones) or dyed using dye-based inks and stains. All the papers, flowers and butterflies (both large and small) are Prima Products, the crystal swirls are from Zva Creative and I once again embossed the chipboard letters this time using the Black Glint Embossing Glitter from Wow! Embossing Powders.

There is a video tutorial and handout for this project available to our Paper Crafter’s Library members.

So there you have it! Day 5 of our celebration of May Arts! I hope you have enjoyed all the projects that our design team and May Arts design team have created for you.

A Bit About Paper Crafter’s Library

May Arts Ribbon Give-Away

To enter to win 4 rolls of May Arts Ribbon of your choice, please leave your comment below. Also, be sure to stop by the May Arts Blog when you see the Paper Crafter’s Library post published for another chance to win, and tell them Paper Crafter’s Library sent you! Winner will be announced today at 4pm EST!

May Arts Week: Day 4

Welcome to Day 4 of May Arts Week on the Paper Crafter’s Library Blog! We’re so excited to partnering with May Arts to showcase their stunning ribbons. I don’t know about you, but here at Paper Crafter’s Library we’re ribbon lovers – you’ll find ribbon on almost all of our projects – which is why we’re so thrilled to have May Arts as an Invited Sponsor. You haven’t seen ribbon until you’ve seen May Arts Ribbon – they offer a multitude of different colors and styles of ribbon to suit any preference and taste – and all of it, top quality!

About May Arts

Where to Buy May Arts Ribbons

May Arts Designer Project

Our May Arts Designer today is Jen Shears. You can see her project below but for now, here is a little more about Jen:

My name is Jen Shears and I’m thrilled to be a Prima Ribbonista on the May Arts blog team!!! Working on the May Arts blog has been an amazing experience! I’ve been ‘crafty’ as long as I can remember- card making, scrapbooking, sewing- a little bit of everything! I’m married to a wonderfully supportive man, Cory, who encourages me in my creative outlets. I have a 7 year old daughter, Hadley, who enjoys creating right alongside me! I am mainly a stay-at-home-mom; although I do work one day/week as a dental hygienist. Besides crafting I enjoy gardening, photography, boating and anything resembling play!

Scrapbook Page

Jen here from May Arts and I’m excited to share a couple of projects with you today! My first project is a scrapbook page- and a current one at that!

may arts day 4

I started with Core’dinations cardstock (the Jenni Bowlin red & black line) as my base. I sanded it to reveal the big polka dots & then picked out a rainbow of ribbon! I’ve used the following May Art ribbons (from left to right):

–sheer box pleat in red
–1/2” solid/wrinkle in red
–3/8” grosgrain in red
–5/8” sheer ruffle edge in orange
–1/2” solid/wrinkle in orange
-1/2” woven burlap in yellow
–3/8” double faced satin in yellow
–3/4” twill stripes in yellow
–1/2” solid/wrinkle in parrot green
–5/8” satin scallop edge in parrot green
–1” satin grosgrain edge in olive
–1/2” solid/wrinkle in olive
–3/4” twill stripes in light blue
–1/2” solid/wrinkle in light blue
–1/2” woven burlap in navy
–5/8” sheer ruffle edge in navy
–5/8” textured lines in lavender/light blue
–1/8” velvet in purple

may arts day 4

For my title I used American Craft Thickers- and that bit of rainbow paper is from the Core’dinations paper stack cover! The stamp is from Pink Paislee with grey ink. I’ve also used some of the new DCWV chalkboard paper for my journaling area. Using a light colored prisma pencil, it really looks like a chalkboard! I tied some ivory burlap string around the whole strip.

may arts day 4

I started with a little over 6” of each, ran a bit of adhesive across my page to lightly tack them down, and then followed with machine stitching. For some added detail & security I machine stitched around the whole border.

After I trimmed my ribbon off the bottom of the page I had a rainbow of scraps, so I put those to work for a quick card!

may arts day 4

I didn’t have room for all of them on the card base, so I chose enough for a fun rainbow. I machine stitched them in place & tied some black burlap string around the panel. A stamped sentiment finishes it off!

may arts day 4

Thank you to Papercrafter’s Library for inviting us today! And thank you for your time! I hope you’ve been inspired!

Paper Crafter’s Library Designer Projects

Now you can see a few projects created by Tracy here at Paper Crafter’s Library. First off we have a video tutorial for a beautiful ribbon key chain Tracy created using May Arts Polka Dot Grosgrain ribbon. With the simple addition of a ribbon clasp and some charms and crystals you have a quick, easy but gorgeous little gift you can give someone.

Download the pdf handout here.

You can view a video on how to create this ribbon key chain here.

We also have a video tutorial on this adorable pair of dollar store flip flops which Tracy turned from ordinary to extraordinary using May Arts Ruffled Ribbon and Wired Flower Ribbon. Such an easy way to dress up a plain pair of flip flops for that special little girl.

Download the pdf handout here.

You can watch a video on how Tracy created the embellished flip flops here.

Our last project – a Paper Crafter’s Library Member exclusive is this stunning Embellished Throw Pillow shown below. Tracy embellished a simple white pillow using the May Arts brown Leaf Ribbon to create the vines, and then an assortment of Prima Flowers in earth tones on the vines.

There is a video tutorial and handout for this project available to our Paper Crafter’s Library members.

So there you have it! Day 4 of our celebration of May Arts! Be sure to stay tuned for tomorrow’s post with more great projects and another free video tutorial!

A Bit About Paper Crafter’s Library

May Arts Ribbon Give-Away

May Arts Week: Day 3

Welcome to Day 3 of May Arts Week on the Paper Crafter’s Library Blog! We’re so excited to partnering with May Arts to showcase their stunning ribbons. I don’t know about you, but here at Paper Crafter’s Library we’re ribbon lovers – you’ll find ribbon on almost all of our projects – which is why we’re so thrilled to have May Arts as an Invited Sponsor. You haven’t seen ribbon until you’ve seen May Arts Ribbon – they offer a multitude of different colors and styles of ribbon to suit any preference and taste – and all of it, top quality!

About May Arts

Where to Buy May Arts Ribbons

May Arts Design Team Project

Karen Baker May Arts Week day 3 Our next May Arts Designer with her lovely project is Karen Baker. You can see the fabulous project below but in the meantime, here is a little bit about Karen:

My name is Karen Baker and I’m a graphic designer by trade, wife, mama to two energetic young boys, and always a crafter at heart.

I like to expand my boundaries by experimenting and showcasing the capabilities of each stamp set I pick up. I’m quite fond of the clean and simple design style, which you can see on my blog The Bald Dragonfly.

I’m lucky to have the title of stamp illustrator as well! I hope you enjoy the project created below especially for Paper Crafter’s Library.

Father’s Day Ties

may arts day 3

Chevrons are really on trend these days in fashion and the crafting industry. May Arts offers a variety of fresh and cool colors in their 382 collection: striped twill that features the chevron pattern. I teamed up the citrus green color (382-34-46) with a paper cutting die in the shape of a tie (I used this one from Wplus9) to create a fun, 3-D card perfect for any man in your life.

I started by adhering ~2.5 inch length of ribbon to the same size piece of double sided adhesive, being careful to only remove the secure backing from one side of the adhesive. Then I ran that through my die cutting machine, as well as a piece of cardstock. I also ran a small piece of ribbon through the machine, utilizing the top portion of the die only, as well as making sure that my ribbon laid in the opposite direction.

Once I had the pieces cut, I took a carefully took a lighter to the edges of the die cut ribbon to remove any frayed edges. I then adhered the larger portion of the die cut ribbon to the cardstock after removing the backing from the adhesive-this gave the die cut ribbon more stability. Then, I formed the 3-D portion of the tie by adhering the small portion of the die cut ribbon to the larger portion with a 3-D foam square.

I finished the card by attaching the tie to a trimmed length of May Art’s black twill (FN10) and then securing that to a trimmed piece of cardstock. Here’s a quick tip to get even angles on both your pieces: cut the ribbon and cardstock at the same time! I secured both pieces to an embossed card stock panel, stamped a sentiment, and then glued that all to my card base. may arts day 3

I plan on making a few of these cards in different color schemes and giving them as a set. You could even mix and match solid ties with patterned ties, as May Arts offers a wide selection of solid colored twill as well!

Paper Crafter’s Library Designer Projects

Today we’ve got a number of different projects created by our Paper Crafter’s Library Designers featuring several different kinds of May Arts Ribbon.

Our first few projects feature the Netted Ribbon – I absolutely LOVE this stuff as it can be used for SO many different things.

First up, we have a video tutorial for this “Mom” card created by Tracy – Senior Designer/Educator for Paper Crafter’s Library which features both May Arts Netted Ribbon and Ruffled Ribbon to create the focal strip across the front of the card.

Download the pdf handout here.

You can view a video on how to create this Mom card here.

Part 1

Part 2

The next two projects are both mixed-media pieces which I created. The first one is this Just Be You Canvas. In mixed-media, texture is key – with any art journal page or mixed-media canvas you see there are always tons of textural elements incorporated into the piece. In the canvas below I started by covering the entire canvas with Tim Holtz Terminology Tissue Paper using my Claudine Hellmuth Multi-Medium Matte. I then used that same medium to apply my May Arts Champagne Netted Ribbon over the entire canvas, directly over the Tissue Paper. Because the netting has so many wide open holes, you can see the tissue paper beneath, giving it a really dimensional effect. I’ve included two close up shots below as well so that you can see what the netting looks like on the surface of the canvas.

In addition to the May Arts netted ribbon, I also used May Arts Black Baker’s Twine as an accent around my focal point greeting – this was also adhered using my Claudine Hellmuth Multi-Medium Matte.

The second mixed-media project I created, which I do have a video tutorial for you is for this “Soar” Art Journal Page. I followed the same process for creating my background as in the canvas above – I started by covering my pages with the Tim Holtz Terminology Tissue Paper, and then used a May Arts Turquoise Netted Ribbon over the entire 2 page spread. Other fun details on this page include the embossed edge on the page which uses the Wow! Verdigris Embossing Powder.

For details on my thoughts behind this page, please visit my blog: http://andreawalford.com/art-journaling-soar-art-journal-page-video-tutorial

Here are a couple of close-ups of the page:

As I mentioned above, I have a video tutorial for this art journal page – I just want to warn you though – it’s long – about 40 minutes, broken up into two parts. Art Journaling is NOT a fast process, or at least I am not a fast art journaler. I do talk you through the creation of my whole page rather than simply fast-forwarding and dubbing in music simply because I remember when I was trying to learn how to art journal, I wanted all the details I could get.

Part 1

Part 2

Our last project for today is a Paper Crafter’s Library member exclusive created by Tracy featuring the May Arts Black Ruffled Ribbon. In this project, Tracy uses the ruffled ribbon to create intersecting sections of ribbon in order to hold photos or other memento’s on the board.

There is a video tutorial and handout for this project available to our Paper Crafter’s Library members.

So there you have it! Day 3 of our celebration of May Arts! Be sure to stay tuned for tomorrow’s post with more great projects and another free video tutorial!

A Bit About Paper Crafter’s Library

May Arts Ribbon Give-Away

May Arts Week: Day 2

Welcome to Day 2 of May Arts Week on the Paper Crafter’s Library Blog! We’re so excited to partnering with May Arts to showcase their stunning ribbons. I don’t know about you, but here at Paper Crafter’s Library we’re ribbon lovers – you’ll find ribbon on almost all of our projects – which is why we’re so thrilled to have May Arts as an Invited Sponsor. You haven’t seen ribbon until you’ve seen May Arts Ribbon – they offer a multitude of different colors and styles of ribbon to suit any preference and taste – and all of it, top quality!

About May Arts

Where to Buy May Arts Ribbons

May Arts Designer Project

Our May Arts Designer today is Leah Farrar-White. You can see her project below, but before that, here is a little more about Leah:

Leah Day 2 May Arts Hello, I’m Leah. I recently moved back to my hometown after 20 years. My husband, Howard, is a Senior Pastor for the United Methodist Church –we live right across the street. Absolutely no commute what-so-ever. We have two children, 9 year old Sophie, and 7year old Dow. They are both idea filled and very creative! I have always been an all around artsy person. As a girl my main focus was Drama, Dance and Music. In the past I have worked for Theaters, taught Drama and Speech and creative workshops of all types. I actually met my husband at an audition for a musical. I have participated in or taught many a swing choir class! Yes, soooo Glee!

Then came the Visual Art. Like a lot of people, I didn’t connect to this side of Art until later in life. It started with Sophie’s birth and scrapbooking. It then bloomed to all sorts of creative outlets. I love to quilt, knit, stitch, make cards, scrapbook and alter items. (etc.etc.etc) When I create, I love to use repurposed items and vintage-Antiquey-barginy-finds in my projects. Buttons, paper and fabric? Yes!!! and YES!!! and yes, again!!! oh and Ribbon. It makes me giddy. I have not met a May Arts ribbon that I did not LOVE. I am looking forward to sharing my ideas and videos with you!

Cards Galore

may arts day 2

Let’s make a card…or 2, or 3…

Everybody loves the ease of a card sketch, with the outline of the card in front of you, you can just glue and go! Well today is your lucky day, here is a card sketch along with a few card samples and a video for inspiration.

may art day 2

This sketch is versatile; adapt anyway you want or keep it as is! Drop everything and go create!!!

may arts day 2

May Art Day 2

Here is a video to show you how to create the first card….Enjoy!

Paper Crafter’s Library Designer Project

Now, below you can see some projects created by Tracy- Senior Educator/Designer here at Paper Crafter’s Library.

In the card below Tracy used some of the gorgeous May Arts Chevron Patterned Ribbon (called Twill/Stripes) to create an award ribbon as her focal point, on the card shown below. We’ve filmed a free video tutorial on how to create the card which you can watch below.

Download the pdf handout here.

You can watch a video on how to create this Way To Go card here.

Part 1

Part 2

In the scrapbook page below, Tracy uses May Arts Chevron Patterned Ribbon (called Twill/Stripes) to create the ribbon border on the bottom of her page.

There is a video tutorial and handout for this project available to our Paper Crafter’s Library members.

So there you have it! Day 2 of our celebration of May Arts! Be sure to stay tuned for tomorrow’s post with more great projects and another free video tutorial!

A Bit About Paper Crafter’s Library

May Arts Ribbon Give-Away

Trendy Tuesday – Denim

Trendy Tuesday – Denim
By Colleen Harshaw

This week I have chosen to focus on projects using denim. Denim is one of those themes that I have noticed pop up here and there, without really coming to the forefront of the ‘trends’ list. When I began doing my research, I realized how many denim products there really are available in the crafting market, and I became convinced that we are going to be seeing more denim inspired projects. The manufacturers wouldn’t be making these products if nobody was buying them, right?

Denim lends itself to many different themes. It can be used for western, shabby chic, masculine or vintage themed projects. It gives a great sense of texture to projects, and let’s admit, who doesn’t have a favorite pair of comfy, beat-up, ripped denim jeans? Don’t you just think of happy, cozy things when you see faded and frayed denim? These types of associations evoke feelings that can really add to the experience of the recipient when they are given one of your creations.

I have selected some projects from blogs and online galleries to share in order to show you how you can use the denim products that are available to you.

This first card shows a piece of denim that has been cut into a heart. Fabric papers, usually available in 12 x 12 sheets, are becoming more and more common. These fabric papers are a lighter weight than traditional fabrics used in sewing, and they can be cut with many of the ‘crank’ type die cut machines that are out there (for example, the Cuttlebug). See the list of products towards the end of this article to learn where you can purchase fabric paper.

An alternate to fabric paper, is plain and simple fabric. Use an old pair of worn out jeans (my 10 year old son has a pair that are going to make their way to my scrap room….SOON) and manually cut out the shapes you need using a template. Your template could be made using a die cut or a punch. Then just trace the shape onto the denim and cut it out with fabric scissors.

Card by Debbie Carriere for mftstamps.com
Photo courtesy of splitcoaststampers.com

In this card below, Julie has used old denim scraps to create rolled flowers and trim.

Card design by Julie Masse of stampinwithjulie.blogspot.com

In this card, the denim has been cut into shapes to mat the main image and to create heart shaped trim. The denim paper used is from a My Mind’s Eye paper pad called On the Bright Side.

Card by Julie Masse for The Cat’s Pajamas

In this sample, narrow denim ribbon is used to create a clever woven border along the bottom of the card. Don’t those colors just scream ‘summer’?

Card created by Ann
Photo courtesy of splitcoaststampers.com

In this sample (below), the denim was used on a school themed card. Rather appropriate, wouldn’t you say? This is the same paper used above, from My Mind’s Eye……it’s called On The Bright Side.

Card by Joanne Basile for mftstamps.com

Next, I have a couple of scrapbook layouts to share with you……

Layout created by ‘motherload’
Photo courtesy of splitcoaststampers.com

Created by ‘skrapaddict’
Photo courtesy of scrapbook.com

This wearable ribbon was created as a Father’s Day gift.

Joanne Basile for mftstamps.com

I love this next project. This is a great example of how you can decorate a journal or a smash book. Smash books are another really popular trend right now. We will talk about them another day!

Created by ‘scrapgoo’ of scrapgoo.blogspot.com
Photo courtesy of scrapbook.com

OK, after seeing all of those adorable samples, you want to know where you can buy these products, right?! Well, here comes the list!

Now, I don’t have any photos for these products, but I do want to mention some products from Close to My Heart (CTMH). They have a paper packet called the Pemberley Paper Packet which contains an assortment of patterned papers, including one called Outdoor Denim. They also carry Outdoor Denim ink pads and matching cardstock too. If you happen to have a CTMH consultant, this is another option for your denim themed purchases.

Next, we have ribbon, available from Stampin’ Up! I would guess that you could find some denim inspired ribbon or seam binding at your local fabric store too. I don’t have a fabric store located close to me (sigh), so I have not hit the pavement to search it out myself….

3/8 inch denim jean ribbon from Stampin’ Up!

Next, I have some paper lines to share with you. Once I began really looking, I was shocked at how many manufacturers are producing denim themed papers! The choices are endless. I found many good options on the websites scrapbook.com and twopeasinabucket.com.

Genuine 12 x 12 Collection Pack – By Authentique Paper
Photo courtesy of twopeasinabucket.com

Genuine Bundle 6 x 6 Paper Pack – By Authentique Paper
Photo courtesy of twopeasinabucket.com

Simple Stories – Summer Fresh Collection – 12 x 12 double sided paper – denim
Photo courtesy of scrapbook.com

Echo Park – Little Boy Collection – 12 x 12 double sided paper – Denim and Lizard
Photo courtesy of scrapbook.com

Bo Bunny Press – Double Dot Designs Collection – 12 x 12 double sided paper
Photo courtesy of scrapbook.com

Now, here is an example of the fabric paper that I mentioned above. As I said, it is becoming increasingly popular, and I have purchased it at Michael’s, although not in a denim pattern. This denim fabric paper is available at scrapbook.com.

Canvas Corp – 12 x 12 Fabric Paper
Photo courtesy of scrapbook.com

Next, I have an example of denim ribbon. You could always make this yourself with denim scraps from an old pair of jeans.

Maya Road – Trim – Frayed Edge Pleated – Denim
Photo courtesy of scrapbook.com

I also found some denim embellishments to share with you. These embellishments are available in several different shapes besides the rectangles shown below. You can also purchase square, circle and flower shapes.

FabScraps – Metal Embellishments – Mini Frames – Denim Rectangles
Photo courtesy of scrapbook.com

I even found denim colored embossing powder!

Clearsnap – Donna Salazar – Embossing Powder – Denim
Photo courtesy of scrapbook.com

…..and denim color wash spray……

Ranger Ink – Tim Holtz – Adirondack Color Wash Spray – Denim
Photo courtesy of scrapbook.com

Below, you will see some denim and wood buttons available on both twopeasinabucket.com and scrapbook.com.

Indigo Bleu Boutique Flair – By Pink Paislee
Photo courtesy of twopeasinabucket.com

Lastly, I have a couple of examples of letter stickers.

Denim Clear ABC Let Freedom Ring Stickers – By Pebbles
Photo courtesy of twopeasinabucket.com

Fresh Goods Denim ABC Stickers – By Pebbles
Photo courtesy of twopeasinabucket.com

So, as you can see…there are a lot of denim options out there. You don’t have to be experienced with a sewing machine to use denim. There are many faux denim and denim paper choices as listed above. I really like this trend, and I can’t wait until I can sneak those old jeans out of my son’s room and get crafting!