Did You Know? Stellar Products for Organization!
Hello crafters, it’s Shari Carroll here with you! I have a new edition of our popular Did You Know series today!
If it’s your first time seeing this feature, each month, we bring you fun facts, creative tips, and even crafty hacks about your favorite supplies and brands; you can then use these awesome tips that you learn in your next crafting projects! Are you ready to learn some fun tricks? Keep on reading!
PAWSITIVELY EVERYTHING 9.5×12 SLEEVES FOR YOUR CRAFT TACKY MATS
Did you know that you can store your Craft Tacky Mats in our Pawsitively Everything cardstock sleeves? These sleeves are sturdy and can be simply modified into a folder. I like to cut the right side to create an opening to place my mat inside. The back (inside) of the sleeve has a matte finish which makes it easy to place and remove them.
Tip: Place the transparent grid or clear sheet onto the front of your mat before storing.
PAWSITIVELY EVERYTHING HALF SHEET and PAWSITIVELY EVERYTHING CLEAR POCKETS
We have been producing more and more embossing folders that have coordinating dies. I usually don’t keep my original packaging and have tried to stick my die to the outside of the folder to keep them together, but it never fails that they get separated. I found that putting them together in a Half Sheet sleeve is a quick and easy solution. I love the smaller Clear Pockets which are perfect for my dies with their secure fold over flap.
To keep your folders with dies together in one place, THIS acrylic crate is a great option.
PAWSITIVELY EVERYTHING STORAGE BOXES
Have you been collecting the Tim Holtz Spritzes? I found they fit nicely into our Pawsitively Everything Storage Box. Each box can hold 8 spray bottles which is a manageable number when working on your projects. They can also lay on their side to help keep the mica spread throughout the length of the bottle. These are also easy to see what colors is in each box which is handy in a pinch!
Oh boy, small items can be hard to organize. I found this packet organizer fits so many different things that I use on a daily basis. It’s a stackable drawers system where the bottom of one fits right into the top of another. I was thrilled to find how well my re-inkers fit in each section. I have them stacked on a shelf and love that I can see thru the drawers and I have quick access to what I need.
I hope these tips have helped you learn a few tricks for your organizing… Thanks for tuning in today and spending some time with me!
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Modern and Graphic Graduation Card: 2 Ways
My oldest daughter graduated from college with a Master’s Degree in Graphic Design this month, so when I saw the amazing new Grad Basics set, I couldn’t wait to break it out and create a card for her! Because of her degree choice, I wanted to make something with a nod to that, so I opted for a modern and graphic card design. I love the results!
I started off by die cutting a circle from a panel of white cardstock using one of the mid sized Basic Shapes Circles dies. I used this as a stencil, and ink blended overlapping circles on a panel of white cardstock. I used Butter and Cheeky for one, and Surf and Sprout for the other. Then, I stamped my sentiments in the center of those panels. Next, I stamped all 3 sizes of the tiny grad hats several times, die cut them out, and popped them up with foam adhesive around it.
I trimmed the panel down slightly on the bottom, and added a little strip of white cardstock die cut with one of the two smallest Scallop Stitches die, then added a strip of coordinating Gina K cardstock to my cardbases at the bottom in Sunkissed Coral and Emerald Coast. I adhered those panels to my cardbases, using sturdy adhesive at the top, and popping one foam strip along the bottom to add a touch of dimension there.
Finally, I rounded off one corner of the cards, and embellished with coordinating Dazzling Gems in Surf, Sprout, Butter, Bubblegum, and Clear! I love how the sparkle sets of the designs!
I love giving graduation cards – it’s so great to acknowledge all the hard work that they have put in, and celebrate their accomplishment! Do you have a graduate this year that you need to create a card for?
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Thanks so much for stopping by, and thanks to Heather for being our guest!
Stay Curious and Explore Etcetera Panel by Emma Williams Reprise
Hi friends! Happy Sunday! I’m delighted to welcome back special guest Emma Williams with this stunning mixed media project to reshare in case you missed it the first time! Read on for all the details and enjoy!
Hello everyone! I’m so happy to be back on the SSS blog today and can’t wait to share my latest project with you! On this post, I will guide you through all the details of how I made this dimensional, layered home decor panel using some new Tim Holtz products from Sizzix, and the new Curiosity Shop stamp set from Stampers Anonymous, that coordinates with SSS dies ~ so, no more fussy cutting!
Also, the ideas I’m sharing with you today, can also be used in so many different ways, so whether you use them for masculine cards, or for home decor pieces. I’d be really excited to see what you make.
So, let’s get started and here’s how I made this project…
For this make, I used a square Etcetera Panel. These flat panels come in a pack of 4, two small and two large, and I began by painting the surface of the smaller panel with Scorched Timber Distress Paint. Allow the paint to dry.
Around the edges of the panel, I applied Design Trim Tape, adding a little Matte Collage Medium to secure the tape in position.
To create the tiled background on the panel, I used a combination of the large square Etcetera Tiles, and the rectangular shaped tile from the Mosaic Tiles pack. I covered each tile with papers from the Backdrops packs ~ this is such a fabulous way to use up the scraps that we all store because we can’t bear to part with them. I covered 4 large square tiles, and 4 rectangular with a selection of the papers, all in the same neutral tones and adhered the paper with Matte Collage Medium, applying a coat of the medium over the top of each covered tile. Set the tiles to one side for the medium to dry whilst moving onto the next stage.
In the centre of the panel, I used the shield shape facade from the Etcetera Facade pack. Without removing the circular piece in the centre in the facade, I covered the surface with a piece of paper from Backdrops Vol 4, again keeping the color as neutral as possible.
Sand the edges of the facade and then apply a coat of the medium over the top. Once dry, run the Walnut Stain and Gathered Twigs Distress Crayons around the edge, blending out any harsh lines with your fingertips, or using a semi dry wipe.
I attached the covered square tiles and the mosaic tiles, onto the panel with Collage Medium, placing the four larger squares in each corner and the remaining tiles in between. There will be a slight gap in the centre, but this won’t show. After running the Walnut Stain Distress Crayon around the edges of each of the tiles, I then attached the facade onto the centre of the panel, allowing the top to slightly overhang the edge.
For the word “EXPLORE” that curves around the top of the globe, I cut three layers of each letter from black kraft card, using the alpha die in the Sizzix World Travel Die Set by Tim Holtz. I then layered them over the top of one another to form letters resembling the thickness of chipboard. Set to one side.
Moving onto the globe, which again is die cut using the Sizzix Vault World Travel Die Set by Tim Holtz. I cut each of my pieces from a combination of Metallic Card, and Watercolour Distress cardstock which I coloured with the following Distress Spray Stains;
- BLUE SEA: Speckled Egg, Uncharted Mariner, Tumbled Glass
- EARTH: Peeled Paint, Bundled Sage, Rustic Wilderness
- LONGITUDE/LATITUDE LINES: Die cut this piece from silver metallic kraft card before inking the surface with Rust Alcohol Ink applied to an alcohol blending tool.
I assembled all the die cut pieces to form the globe and used foam pads on the green earth layer to add dimension. Attach the globe directly to the facade using Collage Medium and then attach the alpha letters, arranging them at the top to curve around the edge of the circle.
Stamp the image of the typewriter from the Tim Holtz/Stampers Anonymous Curiosity Shop stamp set onto Mixed media Heavystock card using Black Onyx Versafine Ink. I sprinkled clear embossing powder over the image, heat embossed until shiny and then lightly coloured the image with Polychromos pencils, again keeping to neutral tones. To cut the image, I used the co-ordinating Simon Says Stamp Curiosity Shop die set from the bundle and then inked the edges of the die cut with Walnut Stain Distress Ink.
Attach the typewriter to the facade using foam pads, placing it underneath the globe, and slightly overlapping the bottom edge.
Using Black Soot Archival Ink, stamp the pointy fingers, in both directions and the note to fit into the typewriter onto a piece of Mixed Media Heavystock card. At this stage, also stamp the message, ‘stay curious’, onto the note using Barn Door Archival Ink.
Once again, die cut each of the images with the SSS die set before inking the edges with Walnut Stain Distress Ink and coloring the images with Polychromos Pencils.
Underneath the typewriter, I used the perfect ephemera strip from the Memoirs Ephemera pack ~ “Smith Premier Typewriter” and after mounting the strip onto a piece of chipboard to strengthen it, I attached it to my project, tucking the top edge underneath the typewriter. Attach the two pointy fingers to either side of the strip and place the “Stay Curious” note into the typewriter.
To add more interest to the tiles around the outside, I used more of the Ephemera pieces from the Memoir pack and adhered them directly onto the surface with Matte Collage Medium, before adding some shadowing around the edges with the Walnut Stain Distress Crayon, blended out with my fingertip.
I also added a Type Chip, cut in half and adhered to the top right hand tile, again adding shadowing around the edge of the chip with Walnut Stain Distress crayon.
On either side of the word EXPLORE, I placed a red die cut star. For each star I used the Tim Holtz/Sizzix Falling Stars Die set to cut four layers from Mixed Media Heavystock card. I then layered the individual die cuts together to form the star and repeated this to make a second star. I painted the stars using a combination of Candied Apple and Black Soot Distress Paint.
Once dry, I placed them either side of the wording.
To complete the piece, I added some idea-ology metal hardware pieces, including a pen nib from the Odds and Ends pack, some Hardware Heads and Long Fasteners. I altered each of the metal pieces using a combination of Burnt Sienna Art Alchemy Acrylic Paint and Black Soot Distress Paint, applying each layer of paint separately, and allowing to dry in between the paint layers.
Once dry, I lightly sanded the surface of the metal to create more of a worn, vintage feel and then attached the fasteners, and hardware heads onto my panel. To attach the large fasteners to the project I used my Tim Holtz Scissors to snip of the legs of each one and then attached them direct to the panel with a dot of medium.
Finally, I attached the pen nib in the bottom left hand corner of the project, placing it underneath one of the ephemera pieces I adhered to the tile, in step 15.
So, that’s my project complete and I really hope you’ve enjoyed this tutorial and been inspired by the techniques.
I’ll leave you all with a few close ups of all the details of my project….
Thanks so much for stopping by today and see you again soon… –Emma x
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Thanks so much for stopping by, and thanks to Emma for being our guest!
