Category: Tips and Tricks

Distress Ink Techniques, Stenciled Background, Thank Yous, Tips and Tricks, Watercolor

Easy Distress Backgrounds (Part 2): Let’s Make Cards

kittieslovecrafting

Hello friends. In part 1 of this post I showed how I created six backgrounds using distress inks, markers, and crayons. It’s time to make some cards with these. I kept them pretty simple to show that you don’t need to always make complicated cards (even though I tend to).

For the first set of backgrounds, I started the cutting a piece of Stampin’ Up! Crumb Cake 8-1/2″ X 11″ Cardstock and a piece of Simon Says Stamp 100# Black Cardstock to 5-1/2 x 8-1/2″ and scored at 4-1/4″ to create the two card bases. I cut the watercolor paper panel down to 4 x 5-1/4″ and left the Strathmore Bristol Smooth Paper one 4-1/4 x 5-1/2″.

Watercolor Paper Panel

For this card I decided to make a shaker card. I diecut a stitched rectangle from the center with the Catherine Pooler Scallops & Dots Dies. Then added a piece of acetate and 3M Foam Tape behind it, added some pink, black and white sequins from my stash (I tried to pick flat ones) and adhered the panel to the card. I diecut the sentiment from Neenah 110lb Classic Crest Cardstock 8.5 X 11″ and the shadow from Simon Says Stamp 100# Black Cardstock using the Honey Bee Stamps Thanks Die (this is an older die and I don’t think it’s been retired). I finished it off by adding some additional black sequins.

On the inside, I cut a piece of Neenah 110lb Classic Crest Cardstock 8.5 X 11″ to 4 x 5-1/4″ and stamped another sentiment from the Lawn Fawn Thanks Thanks Thanks stampset with Catherine Pooler Designs Midnight Ink.

Strathmore Bristol Smooth Paper

I diecut the sentiment from the panel using the same die and a second two more from Simon Says Stamp 100# Black Cardstock and stacked them. (If you do this diecut technique make sure to save the pieces from the insides of the letters to add back. I just used put some post it tape over the whole sentiment before popping it out from the panel.) I stamped the rest of the sentiment onto some Simon Says Stamp 100# Black Cardstock with Versamark Ink using the Lawn Fawn Thanks Thanks Thanks stampset, embossed it with WOW Embossing Powder Opaque Bright White Super Fine, and cut it down to 7/16 x 2-5/8″. I finished it off by adding some Tonic Ebony Black Nuvo Crystal Drops.

On the inside, I stamped another sentiment from the Lawn Fawn Thanks Thanks Thanks stampset with Catherine Pooler Designs Midnight Ink.

Dimensions

For the second set of backgrounds, I started the cutting a piece of Neenah 110lb Classic Crest Cardstock 8.5 X 11″ and a piece of Simon Says Stamp 100# Black Cardstock to 5-1/2 x 8-1/2″ and scored at 4-1/4″ to create the two card bases. I cut both panels down to 4 x 5-1/4″.

Watercolor Paper Panel

I diecut one set of letters from the Honey Bee Bold Alphabet Dies from Tim Holtz Idea-ology 8 x 8 Paper Stash Metallic Jewels Kraft Stock (the dark gray or black) and two sets from Simon Says Stamp 100# Black Cardstock and stacked them. I stamped the rest of the sentiment onto some Simon Says Stamp 100# Black Cardstock with Versamark Ink using the Lawn Fawn Thanks Thanks Thanks stampset, embossed it with WOW Embossing Powder Opaque Bright White Super Fine, and cut it down to 1/4 x 3-3/4″. I finished it off by adding some Tonic Ebony Black Nuvo Crystal Drops.

On the inside, I cut a piece of Neenah 110lb Classic Crest Cardstock 8.5 X 11″ to 4 x 5-1/4″ and stamped another sentiment from the Lawn Fawn Thanks Thanks Thanks stampset with Catherine Pooler Designs Midnight Ink.

Strathmore Bristol Smooth Paper

I started by diecutting the sentiment from the panel using Honey Bee Stamps Thanks Die which turned out to be an epiq fail because I ran it through two times becuase it wasn’t cutting and it shifted so then I had to cover it so I cut a piece of purple metallic cardstock from Tim Holtz Idea-ology 8 x 8 Paper Stash Metallic Jewels Kraft Stock to 2-1/8 x 4″ and added some Love From Lizi Black GlitterPeel-offs. Then diecut the 2x from Simon Says Stamp 100# Black Cardstock with the Honey Bee Stamps Thanks Die and the shadow from Vellum. Then stamped the rest of the sentiment onto some Simon Says Stamp 100# Black Cardstock with Versamark Ink using the Lawn Fawn Thanks Thanks Thanks stampset, embossed it with WOW Embossing Powder Opaque Bright White Super Fine, and cut it down to 1/4 x 2-3/8″.

On the inside, I stamped another sentiment from the Lawn Fawn Thanks Thanks Thanks stampset with Catherine Pooler Designs Midnight Ink.

Dimensions

For the third set of backgrounds, I started the cutting two pieces of Stampin’ Up! Early Espresso 8-1/2″ X 11″ Cardstocktock 5-1/2 x 8-1/2″ and scored at 4-1/4″ to create the two card bases. I cut both panels down to 4 x 5-1/4″.

Watercolor Paper Panel

I diecut a scalloped circle (measuring 2-1/2″) from the center with the Stampin’ Up! Layering Circles Dies. (Just a note about these layering circles as well as the other layering dies from SU!. I never thought I would get so much use out of them but I actually have so they kinda paid for themselves by now, And that’s crafty win in my book!).

Then added a piece of acetate and 3M Foam Tape behind it, added the Catherine Pooler {Portland Sequin Mix as well as some larger green sequins from my stash (I tried to pick flat ones) and adhered the panel to the card.

I stamped the sentiment from Lawn Fawn Thanks Thanks Thanks stampset with Tim Holtz Mermaid Lagoon Distress Oxide Ink onto Neenah 110lb Classic Crest Cardstock 8.5 X 11″ and then die cut it using the coordinating word dies. I also stamped the rest of the sentiment from the same stampset onto some Stampin’ Up! Early Espresso 8-1/2″ X 11″ Cardstock with Versamark Ink, embossed it with WOW Embossing Powder Opaque Bright White Super Fine, and cut it down to 9/16 x 3-3/16″. I finished it off by adding some Tonic Dark Walnut Nuvo Crystal Drops.

On the inside, I cut a piece of Neenah 110lb Classic Crest Cardstock 8.5 X 11″ to 4 x 5-1/4″ and stamped another sentiment from the Lawn Fawn Thanks Thanks Thanks stampset with Tim Holtz Mermaid Lagoon Distress Oxide Ink. I also added two pieces of the leftover scalloped cirlce from the front.

Strathmore Bristol Smooth Paper

I started by stamping the sentiment from Lawn Fawn Thanks Thanks Thanks stampset onto some Stampin’ Up! Early Espresso 8-1/2″ X 11″ Cardstock with Versamark Ink, embossed it with WOW Embossing Powder Opaque Bright White Super Fine, and then die cut it using the coordinating word dies. I stamped the rest of the sentiment onto the card panel with Versamark Ink and embossed it with WOW Embossing Powder Opaque Bright White Super Fine. I finished it off by adding some Tonic Caribbean Ocean Nuvo Crystal Drops.

On the inside, I cut a piece of Neenah 110lb Classic Crest Cardstock 8.5 X 11″ to 4 x 5-1/4″ and stamped another sentiment from the Lawn Fawn Thanks Thanks Thanks stampset with Stampin’ Up! Early Espresso Ink.

Dimensions

Supplies

Thanks for reading this post. I hope you enjoyed and I’ve inspired you to give these easy cards a try for yourself. Leave comments or questions below or feel free to email.

Distress Ink Techniques, Tips and Tricks, Watercolor

Creating Easy Distress Backgrounds…(Part 1)

kittieslovecrafting

Hello friends. I had some fun playing with my distress inks and other products and created several backgrounds. Sometimes it’s nice just to play with mediums and not think too much. I love distress inks because they create cool effects when water or other mediums are combined with them. I ended up with 6 backgrounds I will later turn into cards. Stay tuned for that post…

For these backgrounds I decided to test out the reaction Distress Oxides and Distress Crayons had with water and also salt plus white vinegar. I also tested Cold Press Watercolor Paper and Strathmore Bristol Smooth Multimedia Paper. I was actually surprised at the reaction of the watercolor paper to the salt and vinegar.

For the first set of backgrounds, I started the process by ink blending on both the Cold Press Watercolor Paper and Strathmore Bristol Smooth Multimedia Paper. I used Kitsch Flamingo, Worn Lipstick, Wild Honey, Spiced Marmalade, and Walnut Stain Distress Oxide Inks. I sprayed water onto both panels with the Tim Holtz Distress Sprayer, let it sit for a few minutes and pat dry with a paper towel.

I then used Abandoned Coral, Carved Pumpkin, and Worn Lipstick Distress Crayons and smeared them with my finger (Tip: Wet your finger a little to smooth). Then sprayed more water again.

Left = Strathmore Bristol Smooth Paper; Right = Watercolor Paper

Observations: One thing I noticed is that the distress crayons are much harder to move and blend out on the watercolor paper. They require a lot more water then on the Strathmore Bristol Smooth Multimedia Paper. But the colors look more saturated and vibrant on the watercolor paper.

Strathmore Bristol Smooth Paper
Watercolor Paper

Once all the ink was dry, I mixed some Perfect Copper Perfect Pearls by Ranger with water and randomly added splashed and went around the edges of one of the panels.

Once all dry, I used the Stampers Anonymous – Tim Holtz – Ledger Script Stamp with Ranger Archival JET BLACK Ink to both panels. I used the Stampin’ Up! Timeless Textures Rubber Stampset (retired) with Spiced Marmalade and Picked Raspberry Distress Oxide Inks on the watercolor paper panel and stamped using the Tim Holtz® Stampers Anonymous Wildflower Layering Stencils (THS035) with Ranger Archival JET BLACK Ink on the Strathmore Bristol Smooth Paper panel.

Left = Watercolor Paper; Right = Strathmore Bristol Smooth Paper

Finished the panels by adding splashes with watered down white Gesso on both and black ink on the watercolor paper panel.

Watercolor Paper
Strathmore Bristol Smooth Paper

For the second set of backgrounds, I started the process by ink blending on both the Cold Press Watercolor Paper and Strathmore Bristol Smooth Multimedia Paper. I used Scattered Straw, Mermaid Lagoon, Mowed Lawn and Walnut Stain Distress Oxide Inks. I sprayed water onto both panels with the Tim Holtz Distress Sprayer and sprinkled Coarse Salt, let it sit for a few minutes and pat dry with a paper towel and rubbed off the salt. Be very gentle with this because you can tear you paper if it’s still wet.

I then used Salty Ocean, Blueprint Sketch, Mustard Seed, and Vintage Photo Distress Crayons and smeared them with my finger (Tip: Wet your finger a little to smooth). I reinked the panels with Mermaid Lagoon and Mowed Lawn Distress Oxide Inks to brighten them up a bit. Then, added more salt and water to see if it would react again.

Left = Strathmore Bristol Smooth Paper; Right = Watercolor Paper

Observations: I didn’t see much of a reaction to the salt on either papers. Not sure if I didn’t leave it on a sufficient amount of time or if only the regular distress inks react to the salt. Again, the distress crayons are much harder to move and blend out on the watercolor paper and the colors are more vibrant on the watercolor paper.

Strathmore Bristol Smooth Paper
Watercolor Paper

Once all the ink was dry, I mixed some Heirloom Gold Perfect Pearls Pigment Powder by Ranger with water and randomly added splashed and went around the edges of one of the panels.

I used the Kaisercraft Postmarks Background Stamp with Ground Espresso Distress Oxide Ink and Stampin’ Up! Timeless Textures Rubber Stampset (retired) with Mermaid Lagoon Distress Oxide Ink on the Strathmore Bristol Smooth Paper panel and Stampers Anonymous – Tim Holtz – Ledger Script Stamp with Mermaid Lagoon Distress Oxide Ink and Tim Holtz® Stampers Anonymous Wildflower Layering Stencils (THS035) with Ground Espresso Distress Oxide Ink on the watercolor paper panel.

Left = Watercolor Paper; Right = Strathmore Bristol Smooth Paper

Finished the panels by adding splashes with watered down white Gesso and Ground Espresso Distress Oxide Ink on both panels.

Watercolor Paper
Strathmore Bristol Smooth Paper

For the third set of backgrounds, I started the process by ink blending on both the Cold Press Watercolor Paper and Strathmore Bristol Smooth Multimedia Paper. I used Milled Lavender, Seedless Preserves, Wilted Violet, Chipped Sapphire, Cracked Pistachio and Walnut Stain Distress Oxide Inks. I sprayed water and white vinegar onto both panels with the Tim Holtz Distress Sprayer and sprinkled Iodized Table Salt (fine grain), let it sit for a few minutes and pat dry with a paper towel and gently rubbed off the salt.

Left = Strathmore Bristol Smooth Paper; Right = Watercolor Paper

Then I did some ink smooshing with a few of the colors above, added water, white vinegar and salt again and let it sit for a few minutes.

Observations: Again very little reaction to the salt on either papers, But when rubbing off the salt from the watercolor paper panel, some of the areas of the paper pilled and rubbed off. Not a big deal; it just adds to the texture.

Strathmore Bristol Smooth Paper
Watercolor Paper

Once all the ink was dry, I used some Lindy’s Magical Shakers in Alpine Ice Rose, Magnolia Magenta Gold, and Time Teal Travel with water and added to some areas of the panels.

I used Stampin’ Up! Timeless Textures Rubber Stampset (retired) with Seedless Preserves, and Chipped Sapphire Distress Oxide Inks and the Stampers Anonymous – Tim Holtz – Ledger Script Stamp with Ranger Archival JET BLACK Ink on the watercolor panel. Then, on the Strathmore Bristol Smooth Paper panel, I used the Stampin’ Up! Timeless Textures Rubber Stampset (retired) and the Kaisercraft Postmarks Background Stamp with Chipped Sapphire Distress Oxide Inks and the Tim Holtz® Stampers Anonymous Wildflower Layering Stencils (THS035) with Ranger Archival JET BLACK Ink.

Left = Watercolor Paper; Right = Strathmore Bristol Smooth Paper
Watercolor Paper
Strathmore Bristol Smooth Paper

Finished the panels by adding splashes with watered down white Gesso and black ink on on both panels.

Stay tuned for another post creating some quick and easy cards with these panels in the near future.

Supplies

Thanks for reading this post. I hope you enjoyed and I’ve inspired you to give these backgrounds a try for yourself. They are lots of fun to make! Leave comments or questions below or feel free to email.

Custom Planner Inserts, Covers, Dividers, Dashboards and Diecuts, DIY Projects, Fourth of July, Tips and Tricks

How to Use Up Old 12 x 12 Paper Pads

kittieslovecrafting

Are you like me… You’ve been buying 12 x 12 paper pads for years and years and years and now have so many you don’t know what to do with it? Well here are just a few ways I like to use my paper pads up.

1. Use them in your junk journal.
My new obsession is creating junk journals. I started watching videos on them and quickly became hooked. What is a junk journal, you ask??? It’s a journal you create using old papers, cardboards, receipts, tickets, magazine pages, junk mail. Then you can decorate it with embellishments, tags, anything you want really. Then you write in, use it as a planner or for memory keeping. If you want to learn more about it, check out this link. There are tons of videos on junk journaling.


I like to coffee dye pattern papers to age them before using them in my junk journal. Then I use them for the main pages, tags, pockets, fold outs and many, many more. It’s super easy to coffee dye paper. Mix instant coffee with hot water and either spray it onto the paper or use a metal or plastic tub/pan and dip it into coffee. Check out this video for more info.

2. Organization. Another great use for pattern paper is for organization. I used pattern papers to make dividers for my 6 x 6 paper pads. I keep mine in clear fridge bins; this one measures 8W x 14.5L x 4”H and I got this it from Amazon. I created these using old white 3 ring binder dividers I had purchased ions ago and then adding the pattern paper to the front of it. I cut the white dividers to 6-1/2”w x 7”h and the paper to 6”w x 7”h. Glue them together, add a label and you have cute dividers.

3. Make sticker books. Since I am a planner girl, I have a descent amount of stickers. And before the Happy Planner came out with their sticker books, I created my own after watching several videos on how to do this. It’s easy. You need card stock, some discs, a Happy Planner Punch or any Arc Disc Punch and extra planner pages or other paper to adhere the sticker sheets to. You can laminate your covers or leave them as is and add a sheet of clear acetate over it as I did with these since at the time I didn’t have a laminator.

For this sticker book, I cut 2 pieces of paper to 6-1/4 x 9”. You can also make dividers to organize your sticker book.

4. Make custom cover, dividers, dashboards for your planners and notebooks. Another thing I love is my planner and customizing it for the holidays. I’m a planner girl who loves to make it pretty and I found that it was easier to make my own once I bought a laminator machine. The easiest way to customize your planner is to use a paper pad that has cut aparts, stickers or other things you can use to add to your planner but no worries if you don’t. You can easily use colors from different paper pads that coordinate.

I used a paper pad from Authentique called Liberty to make my Fourth of July theme. I made mine for a Classic Happy Planner so my measurements will fit that planner. For my cover I cut the paper to 7-1/2 x 9-1/2, rounded the corners (important so you don’t stab yourself later), then I laminated it and trimmed it, leaving a 1/8″ border around it so the sides do not open so the final measures 7-3/4 x 9-3/4. Once cut, I punched the mushroom holes with my Arc Disc Punch.

For the dividers, I used dividers from my original Classic Happy Planner as a template. I find this is the easiest way to do this because they already have tabs. This will work with any size planner. But you can also just cut the paper down to the same size of your cover and then add a shape (like a star-for July 4th) as your tab. Adhere it in place before you laminate your dividers. Again, I rounded the corners before laminating then again once I trimmed them down. These measure 7-1/2 x 9-1/4″ before lamination and 7-5/8 x 9-1/4″ once laminated and trimmed.

I also cut out some of the cut aparts and laminating them to add into the pockets of my planner cover. These make great diecuts. You can also cut out images that appear on these cut aparts for a more customized diecut (i.e, cut around the liberty bell in the diecut shown below),

Another thing you can make is a bookmark or dashboard. Choose a width (I usually do half the width of my page and then use the dividers to trace a tab at the top of your bookmark. Laminate and cut it and you have a cute bookmark to mark your week or month or whatever you need.

Thanks for reading this post. I hope you enjoyed and I’ve inspired you to give these find some uses for all that paper you have in your stash. Leave comments or questions below or feel free to email.