Take 6 Tuesday - 6 Ways To Distress Paper

Happy Tuesday and welcome to this week's edition to Take 6 Tuesday!

This week, I want to share some ideas on paper distressing with you. The simplest way to explain paper distressing is adding an aged/well worn look to your paper. Close To My Heart sells an awesome Distressing Kit for just $35.95 and it includes almost everything you need to distress your paper in so many ways! The kit includes:

• 6 Texture Tools (2 foam, 2 stipple, 1 sea sponge, 1 stubble)
• 6 4 x 4 sheets of sandpaper
• 1 Sanding block
• 1 Emery board
• 3 Paint brushes (1" flat, 1" foam, 1" fan)
• 2 Distressing inks (black, chocolate)
• 1 2oz Delta Creamcoat Paint
• 1 Edge distresser
• 1 Paint tray with mixing sticks
• 1 Carrying Box

Now let me tell you what you can do with such a great little kit!

6. Add Color With Ink.

There are a TON of ways to distress by adding color with your inks!

• Swipe your paper with ink and a sponge/stipple tool. When doing this, you can swipe a sponge inward toward the center of the paper, off the edge of the paper, or down the edge of the paper. There are also several different types of sponges that you can use to obtain different looks. The round sponge and sponge daubers are not included in the distressing kit but they are also very reasonably priced. Tools in the kit used for this technique are the foam texture tool, sea foam texture tool, tool, and stubble tool.
• Direct to paper. The direct to paper technique simply adds ink straight from your ink pad directly to your paper. To accomplish this, hold your paper in one hand and your ink pad in the other and swipe your ink pad across your paper as desired.

5. Distressing Inks.

The distressing kit comes with two distressing inks: black and chocolate. These mini-inks are about 1" squares and are great for small projects.

4. Paint and re-inkers.

Adding paint to your projects gives your art another look. To do this just add a couple drops of the re-inker to the white paint in your distressing kit and mix it together. If you want a darker color, continue to add drops of re-inkers.

There are different paint brushes in your kit:

• Foam brush
• Flat brush
• Fan brush

Don't forget that you can paint on your dimensional elements too!

3. Sanding.

Sanding is a great way to remove color. Since the Close To My Heart papers have the white core, sanding the paper has a great affect. When you are sanding to distress, you can sand your edges or your entire cardstock. You can also make plaid patterns in your cardstock by sanding in one direction and then switching directions. Don't forget that you can also sand the edges of your photos to make them looked aged as well.

2. Edge Distresser.

The edge distresser that comes in the distressing kit is a great way to distress the edges of your cardstock, pattern papers, and photos.

1. Wet & Wrinkle.

Wet and wrinkle paper is a way to make your cardstock look very old or even leather-like. I use a heave spray bottle of water to saturate my cardstock. Once it is wet on both sides, I carefully wrinkle it up into a tight ball like I'm throwing the paper away. Be careful with this step as you don't want to tear the paper. Some small tears may help the paper look aged but you don't want them to get out of control. Then unfold the paper and flatten it out and let it dry. Once it is dry again, you can even stamp on it.

I hope you are ready to try some new distressing techniques. Don't be afraid to experiment a little and see what you like. Play around and let me know how it goes! If you don't already have these tools, mention this blog post to me and I will give you a 15% discount your your purchase of the distressing kit.

Take 6 Tuesday - 6 Things I am Thankful For This Year

Welcome to this week's edition to Take 6 Tuesday!

In just a few days we will all be sitting around a big table eating Turkey (or some other yummy favorite) with family and friends enjoying the day off from work. Naturally, Thanksgiving is the time of year that we sit back and reflect on the things in our lives that we are thankful for. I'd like to share my list with you this week. Of coarse noting in my life would be possible without God so my list consists of not just 6 things that I'm thankful for but also 6 ways in which God has touched my life.

1. Family

As many of you know, my baby sister passed away just 4 months ago. This was very much a surprise to everyone. Lisa was only 37 years old but left 3 children and 2 darling grandchildren behind. Words cannot express how thankful I am for my family! I have a wonderful, supportive husband and two great kids that always keep me on my toes!

Here is a recent picture of my family taken at a wedding this summer. Look closely! That IS Jordan in a dress!!

2. Job(s)

In an economy where you can't open the newspaper or turn on the TV without hearing about more layoffs or unemployment rates, I have become very thankful that Rob and I have both been able to keep our jobs this year. I'm also thankful that Nick was able to find a permanent job working security at Harrah's just as his seasonal job at Worlds of Fun came to an end!

3. Freedom

Most of you that know me well know that I am very passionate about our country and our freedom! I am so thankful for the freedoms we have (and often take for granted) as Americans. I am thankful for all the men and women who serve our country to protect those freedoms as well.

2. Health

I'm thankful that God has provided me with the health that I need to do the things that I am able to do! As long as Rob and I have our health and our kids stay healthy, there really isn't too much more we can ask for.

1. Friends

I am so blessed to have so many different circles of friends! I have friends from work, high school, customers that are friends, Close To My Heart consultants that are friends, friends from fan clubs (you know who you are), friends from professional organizations, and on and on! I love my friends!

I'm sure you will also be reflecting on some of the things you are thankful for this week. I would love to hear from each of you if you are willing to share! Drop me a note and I'll drop you some blog candy!

Happy Thanksgiving and if you are reading this, I am thankful for YOU TOO!!

Take 6 Tuesday - 6 Ways to Use Buttons

Happy Tuesday and welcome to this week's edition to Take 6 Tuesday's!

This week I want to share some ways to use your craft buttons. As you know, there are always many more ways but I am limiting my list to just 6 this week.

Here we go.....

6. Place in the center of a flower.

5. Hang your title or die cut from the button.

4. Use as the center of title letters.

3. Use the buttons to make an object such as apples, grapes, holly berries, balls, etc.

2. Put a button on a vellum envelope.

1. Add buttons to accent stickers.

Let me know of some ways you have used buttons on your projects and I'll send you some blog candy this week.

Have a great week!

Take 6 Tuesday - 12 Christmas Gifts For Under $20!

OMG!! There are only 47 days left until Christmas!

If you haven't already started crafting your home-made Christmas gifts, it is time to get started! There are so many people that we often want to give a little something to for Christmas but can't always spend unlimited amounts of money on, like teachers, grandparents, neighbors, co-workers, etc.

Close To My Heart has several items that can be made as gifts for under $20 and most even cheaper than that! Because there are so many options, I've decided to make this a bonus week and give you not 6, but 12 ideas this week!!

I also have sample pictures of many of the projects but as you look at the samples keep in mind that they are projects I've made in the past so try to imagine them in your favorite papers, ones that you might use for a Christmas gift.

Hang on tight and here we go!!!!!!!

12. Photo Wallet. This adorable little photo wallet is a great little gift or even a stocking stuffer. It is made with just cardstock and patterned paper and folds up to fit right inside your purse. It uses very little paper and therefore would make a very inexpensive gift.

11. Display Album. Display albums can be decorated to just hold pictures or they can also be used as a desk calendar. Decorated in your favorite papers they are an adorable desk item! The My Creations Display Album can be purchased for only $7.95.

10. Board Book. These books are great gifts for just about anyone. They can be made as a children's book or a theme book for any event. I think this particular item makes a great coffee table book as well. I made the one below using the "You Rock" paper packet. The My Creations Board Book only runs $6.95 and you can usually decorate it with less than 1/2 of a level 2 paper packet.

9. 3-Ring Binders. The 3-Ring Binders also make great theme books as well. They come about 5 1/2 x 8 1/2 and are adorable when decorated. These binders make a great "Baby's First Year" book and other themes as well. Last summer I made a Disney binder using the characters and their autographs. The My Creations 3-Ring Binder is only $5.95!

8. Mix & Mingle Album. I love these! What more is there to say? These adorable mix & mingle albums come with 8 different panels to decorate. You can see in my sample below how I decorated it and used it to display in the accordion style. But the great thing about these albums is that you can also make wall hangings and other projects with them. You can also divide you 8 panels and make more than one project per package! Can you say Adorable?!

7. Star Album. Here is a project that makes an awesome teacher gift! It only requires cardstock and pattern paper so there is no base product to purchase. I love these because you can display it on a table or hang it as a decoration. And when you are done for the season, simply close it up to a 6 x 6 book and it is easily stored until the next time you want to pull it out! Here is a picture of one I made in the spring. I also have a Christmas workshop coming up on this one if you want to check out the current workshops tab.

6. Accordion Album. Accordion Albums (Memory Showcase) come in 6 x 6 and 9 x 9 sizes. These are fun to decorate and can also be used for a variety of themes. Some examples may include wedding, baby, graduation, Christmas, or vacations. The My Creations Memory Showcase are very reasonably priced also at $3.95 for the 6 x 6 and $5.95 for the 9 x 9.

Half way there..... Are you still with me?

5. Recipe/photo box. There are so many ways to decorate and use these boxes. I actually use the one I've decorated below to keep postcards in. I love to buy postcards when I travel and never knew what to do with them until I made my box. Another great feature about these boxes is that you can add a variety of 3-d embellishments to them and really get creative! The My Creations Recipe/Photo Box is only $6.95.

4. Photo Cube. I like the photo cube because it can also be decorated with lots of 3-D embellishments. It can also be used as a gift box for various occasions (baby shower, bridal shower, etc.). This item also makes a great desk decoration for the office. The My Creations Cube can be purchased for just $4.95!

3. Journal Books. The journal books make great gifts for teachers and students! They can be decorated with any papers of your choice and make a classy, inexpensive gift. The My Creations Journal can be purchased for $7.95 and holds 75 unlined pages.

2. Calendars. Calendars always make great Christmas gifts as we approach a new year. And nothing is better than a home-made calendar. There are two kinds of calendars that I find to be great Christmas gifts: 1) the event calendar and 2) the 12 x 12 Monthly Calendar. The Event Calendar is only $8.50 and the Monthly Calendar is just $7.95.

1. All-Sorts Mini Album or Acrylic Mini Album. The All-Sorts Mini Album is probably one of my favorites. Both of these albums are very unique in their design which leaves a lot to your creativity. When decorated, they are nothing but stunning! I can't imagine anyone that wouldn't appreciate either one of these gifts! The My Creations Acrylic Mini Album can be purchased for a reduced price of $9.95 and the My Creations All-Sorts Mini Album is only $5.95 - a deal that can't be beat!

I hope you have enjoyed some of my Christmas gift ideas as much as I have enjoyed sharing them with you. If you have any questions regarding any particular project or need more detailed instructions, feel free to email me at danaterry4@comcast.net. Naturally, if you need to order any supplies for your Christmas gifts, you can do so on my website by clicking the link to the right or by emailing me.

Thanks for hanging with me and have a fantastic week!

Take 6 Tuesday - 6 Solid Stamp Techniques

Welcome to this weeks edition to Take 6 Tuesday! I hope you enjoyed your outline stamping tips from last week and have played around a little. As promised, this week I’m going to give some tips on how to use your solid stamps. Some people really prefer the solid stamps over the outline stamps because they simply don’t like to color in their images. There are different techniques that can be done with solid stamps that can also add different colors to your art without the “coloring in” work.

Here are some solid stamping techniques for you:

6. Second generation stamping. This is a very basic technique. To get this look, you will stamp your image once (usually on scrap paper) and then again without re-inking. This gives your image a lighter version of the color you inked your stamp with. As you can see from the ornaments on the layout below, I first stamped them in second generation stamping and then came back on top of the ornament with a first generation stamp of the decoration.

6. Masking. Create a “mask” for the stamp. This can be done by stamping your image on scrap paper and cutting it out. Use your cut out scrap as your mask. Cover your stamped image with the “mask” and stamp your next images overlapping the original.

5. Chalk popping. Stamp solid image using either white daisy, versamark, or grey flannel inkpad. Color on top of your image using chalks. As you cover your image with the chalk, it will “pop.”

4. Color customizing. This is a great way to get multiple colors on one image. Use markers or sponge daubers to apply color directly on your stamp. Huff and puff to remoisten the ink and stamp.

3. Kissing. This is a great way to give texture or design to a solid stamp. First ink up your solid stamp, then take another stamp with a design image (or texture stamp) and “kiss” the two together, stamp-to-stamp. The design image will remove ink from your solid image so once stamped on paper, it will texture. I used this technique in the layout below in the title word “Dad.”

1. Rolling. This is one of my favorite techniques because it is quick and easy! First, ink your solid stamp in your base color. Stamp your first generation of the stamp on scrap paper. Then roll the edges of your stamp into the sam inkpad. You can also roll your image into a different color of ink, but just be careful when mixing ink colors. Always ink first with your lighter color and roll in the darker color. In the family layout below, I used the rolling technique on the hearts. And in the “Our Hero” layout, I used the technique on the leaves with different colors.

There are so many great solid stamping techniques, I’m even going to give you a bonus this week! Here are a few more:

White on white embossing. Emboss a solid image in white on white paper. Then sponge over the image with the desired color if ink or chalks. This gives your paper a patterned look as the sponging ink will not stick to the embossed images.

Highlighting/Shading. Stamp a solid image as usual. Then shade using colored pencils or use the white daisy inkpad applied with sponge applicators to highlight.

Sponge edges. Stamp and cut out your image. Then use the same color of ink or a darker color to sponge the edges to help outline your image. The card below provides an example of this technique on the hearts.

So do you have a favorite stamping technique yet? Let me know which one is your favorite over the past two weeks and I'll send you a little something.

See you next week!

A LITTLE MORE THANKS!

Free stamps to say thank you in November!

During November We're expressing our gratitude to you by helping you earn two fabulous My Acrylix® stamp sets for FREE! When you place a minimum order of $100, you will not only receive the November Stamp of the Month set, A Little Thanks, for FREE, you will also receive one stamp set of your choosing from the 2010 Autumn/Winter Idea Book for FREE! This means you can increase the value of your purchase by up to $45.90—that’s almost 50 percent more in value! It’s just our way of imparting A Little MORE Thanks to you for being a great customer.

Call or email me today for details!

Take 6 Tuesday - 6 Outline Stamp Techniques

Welcome to this weeks edition to Take 6 Tuesday!

This week I want to share with you some stamping techniques for outline stamps. An outline stamp is one that only provides outline of the image of the stamp whereas a solid stamp is typically one solid color. The first layout below provides examples of both outline stamps (the title word "Time") and solid stamps (the various colored ladies).

So in no particular order, 6 outline stamp techniques are:

6. Stamp the outline stamp on background and texture paper and then cut it out. In the example below, I stamped the title word "Time" with an outline stamp on B & T paper and then cut it out for an added patterned look.

5. Markers. You can always fill in an outline stamp with markers. When you use this technique, it is important to be sure to stamp your outline stamp in an archival ink so your markers do not bleed into the ink.

4. Color pull out. Color pull out is when you stamp your outline image in a particular color and then you use your waterbrush to "pull out" the color. The layout below provides an example of the color pull out technique. It may be difficult to see in the photo but look closely at the random stamping row toward the bottom of the layout.

3. Chalking. Coloring in your outline stamp image with chalks gives your artwork a very nice, soft look.

2. Blending with ink. This technique is also used with the archival ink so when you blend in your ink colors, the colors do not bleed with your black ink. In this example, I have stamped my image in black and then used the waterbrush and ink pads to color in the image.

1. Water-colored pencils. Like markers, colored pencils are another way to color in your images. What I like about using water color pencils is that I can also use my waterbrush to blend in the color so the pencil lines do not show and you have more blending opportunities than you do with markers.

Remember that this is only a few ways to use your outline stamps. There are certainly many more ways to use them. Do you have a favorite or do you have some additional outline stamping techniques that you would like to share? Post your thoughts and I'll get some blog candy out your way!

And stay tuned next week for some solid stamping techniques!

Have a great week!