Origami Shirt Card

Father's Day is quickly approaching so I thought I'd share a fun origami card that will be perfect for all the Fathers on your list.    Now I've seen this card made from dollar bills and it is just darling.  I added and cut a few bits here and there which you definitely wouldn't want to do with real money.  I'll let you know which parts are added/cut so if you'd like to use it with money you can.  It would be the perfect way to tuck some $'s into a graduation card for all of the lucky 2011 graduates!

Origami Shirt Card

Since origami is a bit confusing at times with all the folds, open, refold, etc. I am making these directions very specific so they are easier to follow... 

Hope it helps :)

Supplies:

8 1/2 x 11" thin pattern paper*
scrap white cardstock (optional)
Scissors (optional - for paper only)

*Note - I like to use really thin pattern paper for this technique.  You can use cardstock but after several folds it gets tough to make sharp creases. 

Instructions:
1. Fold the paper in half lengthwise.

2. Open.

3. Fold the left edge of the paper towards the center fold line.

4. Fold the right edge of the paper towards the center fold line.

5. Flip the paper over so the joint lines are face down.

6. Fold approximately 1" from the top down.

7. (OPTIONAL - Paper Only) - Since this folded down piece will become the collar I like to add a strip of white cardstock to this part.  I just use a bit of white scrap cardstock and glue it down with my ATG.  You can snip off any excess paper that sticks past the edges.

8. Flip the paper over (the joint lines should now be up).

9. Fold the left upper corner towards the center line so it hits approximately 1 1/4" from the top of the paper.

10.  Fold the right upper corner towards the center to match the left corner fold.  

Your shirt now has a collar!

11. Fold the bottom half of the paper up until you can tuck it under the collar.  Crease this fold line.

12. Open this fold back up.

13. At the bottom of the paper, take hold of the left hand flap of paper; fold it open to create a triangle.

14.  Repeat step 13 for the right hand side...  These will become your sleeves.

15. Fold the shirt body back up and tuck under the collar.

16. (OPTIONAL - Paper Only) - To help make the sleeves a bit more realistic I like to snip a tiny triangle at the bottoms of each sleeve fold. 

And here is what your Shirt Card will look like.....

Tomorrow I will offer a few suggestions on how to finish this card off including buttons, stitches, a tie and more!

more May Winners...

Hi Everyone!

Whew...I don't know about you but this weekend was a whirl-wind of activity!  I'm glad it's Tuesday (feels like Monday) so we can get back onto a regular schedule...how sad is that - LOL!!  Seriously though I hope you all had a fun time this long weekend for those of you celebrating Memorial Day this weekend. 

I have some winners to announce so here goes....

The winner of May's Get Inked ~ *Vintage Paris* ~ Stamp set is....

NANI!!!!

Nani said...

The Eiffel Tower of course! And a man with a black and white striped shirt, a red ascot, and a beret(I know its probably a stereotype compliments of the cartoons I watched as a kid, but when I think of Paris, that's always part of the mental scenery! LOL)

May 12, 2011 10:17 AM

and

The winner of the Stampers Best Mounting Foam is....

Micupoftea!!!

Micupoftea~ said...

cool technique! will share with my Voila, Ink! inking/stamping Group over at bella creations :)

May 18, 2011 9:17 PM

 

and...

 

Mina!!!!

 

Anonymous said...

Great tips! I've been using EZ Mount to organize my stamps, but it IS pricey... I agree with those who say it gets stickier as it ages. Mounting small stamps using EZ Mount is almost impossible! (Although the new, thinner EZ Mount foam sheets--made out of black foam instead of gray--work better for me than the old ones!) Conclusion: Kind-of-sort-of looking for a replacement product, soooo... most interested in Stamper's Best mounting foam!

--Mina

May 20, 2011 10:51 AM

Congratulations Everyone!!

(please e-mail me your snail mail addy so I can get your goodies in the mail.)

Just a reminder -

The Stampers Best 10% off coupon code:  "inkstains" is still valid on all first orders when you join the free Premium Membership club!!  It hasn't ended just because the contest is over.  Feel free to use it anytime you'd like.  I am leaving the link up in the right hand column just in case.

Have a wonderful day!!

I Hit the Mother-load!

I am so excited...dh and I went to an antique tractor show & swap meet (flea market) at Wapakoneta Ohio today and man oh man did I hit the mother load!  I am so stinkin' excited...  

You know how much I love old "stuff" well I found a box full of vintage jewelry...the lady had marked it parts & pieces but there are LOTS of great pieces in there.  It was only $10.00!!!!  There are many rhinestone pins, earrings and necklaces (I have a thing for sparklie vintage jewels).   There are several pairs of  ???  ~ not sure what you call them but I've seen them worn two ways...you can clip them onto a plain pair of shoes to dress them up or worn in the corners of a square neckline.  Do you know what I mean?  They look like over-grown clip on earrings.  Anyway, those are awesome!  Lots of multi-strand necklaces/bracelets (I love putting various pieces of chain together to create an interesting new necklace) and so much more.   Just lots of incredible goodies that I will use in altered arts, collages or charms.  I so can't wait to start playing....

And I found a stash of wonderful tiny bottles....  I asked the guy if he'd give me a deal if I took several and he did...I got $15.00 worth of bottles for $8.00!  Can't beat a deal like that!

and finally I found a great Websters Dictionary (50's) for $ 0.25!!! 

I am just so tickled...

I LOVE to shop for a good bargain!

Just For Fun Friday - White Cardstock Challenge!

Hi All!

I hope you've had a wonderful week!  Today is of course Just For Fun Friday and normally I have a card sketch to go along with my JFF cards.  Well, not today ~ it's more of a challenge ~ a fun one at that.

My challenge to you is to use White Cardstock to create your entire card...well, you can use colored cardstock to mat the card but the card it's self must be made from white cardstock! 

Check it out...both of these cards were made using only white cardstock...

Coffee Father's Day ~

The background for this card was created by using the Ticking Sample stamp and two colors of Archival Ink.  I stamped the blue in one direction and went back over it and stamped the green in another direction.  I then added a sprinkle of coffee beans around the sentiment.  The coffee cup w/heart was stamped on a separate sheet of paper, colored and mounted on the card with Pop Dots (double stick foam).

Daddy-O Diner Card ~

The diner in the background was stamped on white cardstock using Archival Ink.  I filled in the background by using my Niji watercolor brush and Distress Inks to paint in a sky, grass and parking lot.  I stamped my roller skating waitress on white cardstock again using Archival Ink and colored her with a combo of my Bic Markers and Distress Inks.  You can't tell from the photo but she's cut out and mounted on the card with Pop Dots.

So, there you go...

a bit of inspiration to get you started.

Now it's your turn to put away the pattern paper, pull out your white cardstock and give it a try!

Hope you have a fun and safe Memorial Day Weekend!

Glassine & Distress Inks

Wow, several people e-mailed about the Glassine and AI's....  Looks like the glassine is a tough product to incorporate cause some people have asked for more ways to use it.  So here you go....

Glassine + Embossing Folders + Sandpaper + Distress Inks =

The Perfect Combination!

Supplies:

Kraft Glassine
Embossing Folder & Die Cutting Machine
Sandpaper
Distress Ink

Instructions:

1. Emboss the Glassine using whatever embossing fold & die-cutting machine you happen to own (or can beg or borrow).  If you don't have a machine/folders ava. you can still play by simply dry embossing with a template and embossing tool!

2. Gently sand the tops of the embossed images....you can't get too rough during this step or you'll remove the coating from unembossed areas as well.

NOTE: You can see in the photo how the embossed areas take on a white cast while the untouched areas remain a darker color.

3. Apply the desired color(s) of  Distress Ink.  For this example I used Forest Moss, Crushed Olive and Peeled Paint DI's.  I applied them directly from the pad.  You could use the IBT but it would take a bit longer that way.

Note: You can use Distress Stain but it is more difficult to control.

4. Use a tissue to wipe away any excess ink as it will take forever to dry on the glassine.

Your way cool Distress Inked Embossed glassine is ready to use!!

Pretty awesome isn't it?

And LOTS of fun!

Kraft Glassine & Alcohol Inks

Whew...we've been having some nasty thunderstorms here today...lots and lots of lightening pretty close by.  I'm just glad we haven't had the tornadoes that they've been having further south.  Very very sad...

Recently I've been experimenting a bit with the new Kraft Glassine Tim Holtz has in his product line just to see what I could do with it.  I thought I'd share my experiments with you.  I read somewhere that you "can't" use Alcohol Inks on it because of the wax coating.... 

You know me...don't tell me it "can't" be done cause you know I'll run right off and give it a try ;)  LOL!!  Sooooo, today I wanted to show you what glassine paper looks like paired with Alcohol Inks.

Supplies:

Kraft Glassine

Adirondack Alcohol Inks - Ranger

Ink Blending Solution - Ranger

Ink Applicator & Felts

Instructions:

1. Apply desired color(s) of Alcohol Ink to your felt.  Keep in mind the kraft glassine is pretty dark so you'll want to stay away from the really dark inks.  I find that the brights work best - dark enough to show up but still light enough to show through the paper.

2. Add a few drops of the Ink Blending Solution and pounce on the inks covering your sheet of glassine.

3. Allow the inks to dry before you handle it. 

As you can see here the paper takes on a beautiful color....

Held up to my window (of course)

Over white cardstock

and over Ranger's new Foil Tape Sheets...

I also thought it might be fun to crumble the glassine to see how the inks migrated into the creases.  I REALLY love this look....

So, go ahead and dig out those inks and give the glassine a try!

I'm sure you'll love the results and have fun playing at the same time.

Pearl Metal Mixative Wedding Card

Today I wanted to share the technique I used to create this classic, elegant Wedding Card.

Usually the only time you see Adirondack Metal Mixatives being used it is paired with one or more colors of Adirondack Alcohol Ink.  While this is a great way to give your project a beautiful metallic flair it's not the only way these mixatives can be used.  

I used the Pearl Metal Mixative to create an ethereal background for the stamped image on this angelic wedding card.  This technique is quick, easy and yields stunning results every time!

NOTE: Please keep in mind that I am using black glossy cardstock from Ranger.  You of course can use other types of glossy black cardstock but I can't guarantee you'll get the same results.  Various manufactures finish their glossy cardstock with a variety of coatings; all react differently to the Alcohol Inks/Metal Mixatives.

Supplies:

Metal Mixative - Pearl - Ranger
Ink Applicator & Felt - Ranger
Black Glossy Cardstock - Ranger
Embossing Ink - Ranger
Queen's Gold Embossing Powder - Ranger
Dress Stamp - Hero Arts
Sentiment - TAC
Specialty Gold Paper - Unknown
Flowers - Jolee's
Heat It Craft Tool - Ranger

Instructions:

1. Cut a 4x4 square from the black glossy cardstock. 

2. Apply 1-2 dots of Metal Mixative to your felt.  Pounce the ink on the cardstock without overlapping too much.  Gently blow on the ink to speed drying as you pounce.  I like to work from the center outward for the initial coating.

3. You should have a very light coating of the Pearl mixative on the cardstock.  If desired go back and add a second (or third) coating of ink over the first, again blowing to speed drying.     Stop adding ink when you are satisfied with the look.   I like to leave a bit of the black cardstock peeking through the ink for a bit of faux texture and depth.

4.  Let the inks dry completely!!!!  I know these inks dry quickly but you've got to be absolutely sure that they are dry before you move onto the stamping stage.  If the inks aren't completely dry you'll end up with a giant golden blob....trust me on this.... I speak from experience - LOL!!

5. After your inks have dried, stamp the desired image on the cardstock using embossing ink. 

6. Sprinkle with embossing powder, shake off excess & heat to melt the powder.

7. Stamp the sentiment on a separate piece of black glossy cardstock; sprinkle with ep's; shake off excess & heat to melt.

8. Mount the dress, sentiment and card base on specialty gold cardstock.

9.  Assemble the card and add flowers.

Steampunk Frame for Dad

Hi All... 

It's not long till Father's Day so I thought I'd share a few fun projects with a masculine flair in the next couple weeks. 

Today's project is a Steampunk flavored altered collage frame that I incorporated lots of fun bits and bobs I had laying around.  Of course you can substitute any masculine goodies you have in your stash....  actually, I thought about making two more of these with a similar base and incorporating other items I have in my stash to make a nice grouping.  

Here you go...

Supplies:

Frame (wide frames work best but any will do)
Vintage Dictionary Pages (or pattern paper)
Studio Multi Medium (Ranger) or other Collage Glue
Distress Stain - Vintage Photo & Walnut Stain - Ranger
Misc Parts...wire, clock parts, tubes, keys, buttons, switches, etc.  (anything rusty, grungy, metal, etc...)
Chipboard
Pattern Paper (Graphic45)

Instructions:

1. Tear up several pages from a dictionary into small pieces approx 1"x2".  Set aside any pictures or diagrams that you particularly like.  

2. Glue the torn pieces to the frame using your favorite collage glue.  Reserve the images for the next step.

NOTE: For this particular project I applied the glue only to the backs of each piece...  I wanted to be able to apply and blend in the Distress Inks which won't work if you apply the glue as a top-coat.   If you're not wanting to add color with the inks you can cover both sides of each dictionary page fragment with the glue.

3. After you have covered the frame with the page bits, determine general locations where you will be adding your lumpy embellishments.  Now apply the images torn from the dictionary pages that you held back in the last step to the areas that will be left exposed.  That way your nice pictures won't go to waste ;)

Let the glue dry completely.

 

4. (optional) After the glue has dried if desired, you can ink up the edges of the frame with Distress Stain.  For the edges I applied it directly from the bottle.  For a more controlled way to apply the ink, I tapped my finger on the bottle foam and rubbed the ink around with my finger.  You can apply it however you find works best for you. 

Set the frame aside to dry.

5. Since I was going for a lumpy collage I used the glass piece as a template to cut my chipboard.  You can keep the glass for a future project!

6. Cut and glue a piece of pattern paper, cardstock or other paper to the chipboard.  This will be your foundation for the collage that you will add to your frame.

7. Embellish the frame and inside as desired.  I used a combination of wire, super glue and super thick & tacky glue to affix my goodies to the frame and chipboard.  You can use whatever you like best.

And here is my Steampunk Frame for Dad...

This is a really fun project that can be customized for any guy on your list... 
If desired, you could leave the center collage out and use it as a photo frame too.

Happy May WInner!!!

Hi Everyone...

I had this post scheduled to post last week but as I was scrolling through my posts today I realized that it wasn't there... sure enough it was in my list as a draft.  (GRRRRR!)  I don't know why it keeps making posts that are scheduled and turning them into drafts.  It seems others are experiencing it as well but it's not on a consistent basis so I'm not sure what is causing it.

Anyway, here is the winner of the Happy May goodies....(drawn with the help of Random.org)....

Cynthia Schelzig!!!

Cynthia Schelzig said...

A cool vacation would be somewhere where you don´t have to do any work...no cooking, no cleaning, etc. and just be pampered and given some time off from the pressures of everyday life.....take an art workshop...hike in the mountains,,,

have a wellness week and just relax.

May 4, 2011 5:58 PM

Congratulations Cynthia!!

please e-mail me your snail mail addy.

 

Vintage Postcard Sunday...Let's go to a Museum...

Yes, today I thought we'd take a little journey to Grasse, France ~ a little community on the French Riviera not far from Cannes & Nice.  This town is considered the worlds capital of perfume!    Now these postcards come from the Musee Fragonard ~ one of the oldest perfume factories in the town and is still there!!  (if you click on the link you will be taken to their current web-site.)

Now, there are no dates on these postcards ~ I'm guessing they are from the 30's due to their condition and the coloration of the images.  There is a bit of information on one of the cards that is a bit curious.  It states that Mille Gerard worked with Mister Fragonard - Her Pictures appeared by Vidal - Paris... (not sure what that means) but anyway her pictures are on the reverse of this postcard.

The rest are additional views of the Fragonard Mansion....

So there you go...a quick little trip to the south of France for a stop at the perfume capital of the world!

Hope you enjoyed the journey :)

Have a wonderful day!

Just For Fun Friday - Filmstrip Fun Card Sketch

Happy Friday!!!

Woo Hoo...made it through another wild week :)  I hope you've all had a great week and have some fun and relaxing stuff planned for the coming weekend. 

Today is of course Just For Fun Friday and I've got another card sketch to share with you as well.

The card sketch I have for you today focuses around a great new Film Strip stamp offered at Just For Fun rubber stamps.   No worries if you don't have the stamp though...you can achieve virtually the same look by mounting three smaller photos on black cardstock and punching square or rectangle holes on each side of the images.  It won't be quite the same but very close.

and here are the two cards I came up with....both geared towards Father's Day which is less than a month away!!

Things Dad Likes....

Pin-Ups for Dad....

(my 18yr old ds thought this was too racy to be used as a father's day card...he thought it would be better for someone who wasn't a father yet - LOL!!!)

Be sure to check out the Just For Fun Blog to see what the rest of the team has been up to this week!

Have a wonderful weekend friends!!

Rainbow Tiles - Distress Ink & Stains!

Hey there everyone!  I hope you're having a wonderful day today...it's a bit dreary here in IN...cloudy, a bit of fog and a little drizzle.   I don't know if it's as a result of the weather or not but I'm feeling even more crafty than usual today.  I am trying to come up with some fun Father's Day projects to share with you cause you know ~ those guys are so hard to make/buy things for!  Hopefully it will be a very fruitful day and I can share lots of fun things with you next week to make for that special guy in your life :)

I thought I'd share another project with you using some of my new Stampers Best stamps paired with Distress Inks and Stains! 

Supplies:

Distress Inks (Fired Brick, Wild Honey, Peeled Paint, Faded Jeans & Dusty Concord) - Ranger
Distress Stains (same colors as above) - Ranger
Black Embossing Ink - Ranger
Black Embossing Powder - Ranger
Summer Tiles - Stampers Best
Cardstock - DCWV
Ribbon

Instructions:

1. Stamp and emboss a row of 4 tiles tilted on a corner so they are similar to diamonds connected at their points.  

2. Begin on one end and dab a bit of Fired Brick Distress Stain covering about half of the first tile.  Next, dab on a bit of Wild Honey overlapping a bit of the Fired Brick and carrying over to half of the next tile.  Continue overlapping and adding more ink until you've colored all of the tiles in a rainbow fashion.  Let these tiles dry completely.

3. Cut the tiles out and mat with black cardstock.

4. Adhere these tiles to a white cardstock panel. 

5. Stamp the cardstock surrounding the embossed & stained tiles with matching Distress Ink Colors.  To add interest I stamped each of the tiles multiple times with different colors of ink each time.  It really adds faux texture to the overall feel of the piece. 

6. Mount on your card base and add a bit of ribbon for a nice accent.

and here you go....



here is a close up of the tiled section...



You don't have to use this technique with just squares.  You could use virtually any image that you really wanted to duplicate.  Think of the Grateful Dead Bears....  Then surround the main, embossed & stained images with plain stamped images.  Really makes a great finished card with quite a colorful impact.

I'll be back later this afternoon with the winners of a couple of give-a-ways so be sure to check back then!

Stamping Beveled Borders

Hi All!

Sorry I missed you all yesterday but it was for a very good reason... I got a new computer yesterday!!! We have only ever had one pc that everyone in our house shares.  We used it for our business, my blog and everything else that you might want a computer for.   It was getting a bit tired...it actually just shuts it's self off sometimes...even when you're typing away :S  Soooo, dh being the sweetie he is took me yesterday to get a brand spankin' new fire-breathin' computer for my very own!  I spent all yesterday evening setting it up and this a.m. was spent transferring things over.

He is a bit worried thought...he said I might never leave my craft room now ;)  LOL!!  (If I had a small fridge for my diet coke & a bathroom he might just be right!)

So, I do have a project to share with you today...

((Sorry about the mini photos in the original post... I added Flickr for the first time on this computer and it reset my photo size to 75x75 tiny square!  I just see the code when I'm adding it to my post and didn't even realize they were so small.  Should be all better now.  You can put away your magnifying glasses ;)  lol!!))

Stamped Beveled Borders

Supplies:

Dragonflies & Friends Borders (BSL067) – Stampers Best
Summer Tiles (SCW086) – Stampers Best
Archival Ink (Black) - Ranger
Embossing Ink (Black) - Ranger
Fine Detail Embossing Powder (Black) - Ranger
Distress Stains (Peeled Paint, Wild Honey, Fired Brick, Dusty Concord) - Ranger
Heat It Craft Tool - Ranger
Pop-It Double Stick Foam – Ranger
Cardstock & Pattern Paper – Die Cuts With A View
Dresden Trim – Alpha Stamps
Gemstone Brad – Making Memories
Masking Paper – JudiKins

Instructions:

1. Cut a sheet of pattern paper to 4.5x6.5”.


2. To create the stamped beveled border around the card you will need to stamp one edge of the card at a time. Begin by placing a strip of masking paper diagonally from one corner towards the center. Place a second strip of masking paper on the other end again one end in the corner pointing towards the center as shown in the photo

3. Stamp edge with your desired images...I am using border stamps but you could use single small images as well.

4. Remove the masking paper; turn the pattern paper a quarter turn, affix the strips of masking paper in the same fashion as you did in step #2.

5. Stamp the borders in the same fashion as you did in step #3.

6. Repeat steps 2 & 3 for the remaining two sides. Set the pattern paper aside to dry.

7. On a scrap sheet of white cardstock, stamp the large flower Summer Tile x4 using black embossing ink. Sprinkle black Fine Detail embossing powder over all of the images and heat to melt.

8. After the embossed images have cooled, ink with desired color(s) of Distress Stain(s). Card Example: Wild Honey, Fired Brick & Dusty Concord = Base Tile; 2nd layer = Peeled Paint; 3rd layer = Dusty Concord; 4th Layer = Wild Honey.

9. Trim one complete Summer Tile; this will be your flower foundation. Cut various sections of the center flower medallion from each of the remaining tiles. Adhere each of the 2nd – 4th layers of the trimmed flowers to the base tile using double stick foam tape adding a gemstone brad to the upper most layer. Mat this finished tile on gold and black cardstock.

10. Mat the insect border on desired color of cardstock. Glue bits of Dresden Trim to the insect border to cover the intersecting lines where the border images were beveled.


11. Affix the completed Summer Flower Tile to the card.

And here is the finished example...

Pretty cool results huh?

I have to tell you, this was the first project that I used the Distress Stains in other than just messing around.  I LOVE how intense they are and how easy it is to blend them.  I of course did end up very ink stained fingers because I was doing part of the blending with my fingertips ;)  LOL!!  It was fun though and I think the final results are amazing.

Hope you have a wonderful day everyone!