Sunday, April 3, 2011

Distressing Technique

Okay, so here is an ink to paper distressing technique that some of you may not be familiar with.  It is pretty neat...especially in scrapbook frames that you first distress and then place a photo in the center.

Here it is shown on a piece of scrap paper:

 It is very simple actually.  Pick up the paper that you want to distress in one hand.  Pick up your ink pad in the other and turn it over to face the paper.


Now lightly swipe the ink pad over the paper.  You can swipe it one way and then the opposite direction to give a criss-cross effect.

These little ink pads shown below are actually great for this as they are so easy to hold and work with when doing a technique like this.


Here is a photo of a tag that has been distressed using this method:


I hope you enjoyed this quick tutorial.  Thanks for visiting and join me again soon for a new technique or project idea!

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Cute Little Blue Jean Cards

So, I have a Blue Jeans Stamp Set from Close To My Heart.  I wanted to put it to use.  It would make for a great scrapbook layout, but I decided to make some cute little tags or cards.  What I ended up with is sort of a....tag card!  See it here:

Here is how I did it:

First, I stamped the image of the pocket on cardstock:


Next, I cut it out, and then cut out another piece of cardstock of the same shape:
                                                                                    
The backside of the second piece should be stamped 'jeans' also, but you need to sort of 'wing' it and match it up as close as possible as the sides aren't symmetrical and so it is a tad off on the backside; but, seriously, close enough to do well:

Then, take the two pocket pieces and "brad" them together.  If you do the awesome scrapbook stitching, then that would be great also!  But, here I am just using the brads.  I think they work swell:


If you were to put in a card or tag such as the heart below, then brads on each corner would be sufficient (even though the one pictured has the fifth one in at the bottom):

But to do the skinnier tags like I am doing, you need to have that fifth brad in place.  Otherwise the card or tag will slip out the bottom.


I then took a manilla tag and traced it so that it was like two of them side-by-side.  This was so that I could make a "tag-shaped" card.  The idea is that you cut around the double-tag shape but leave the middle (between the two) uncut. This is so I can fold there to make it a card.  Do I make sense?  See photo...:)
 

Then I hole-punched two holes on either side at top.  This will be to string the cute ribbon through at the end.

I inked the sides of the tag/card to give depth/texture/color....whatever you think it adds!

Next, I took a heart stamp from the Love Language Stamp Set by Close To My Heart and stamped the image to the front of the card.  This time, I was a little lazy and so used the same stamp block that I had already been using.  Too big for the stamp, but used it anyway.  I recommend normally using the proper sized block as it really is easier to handle.  I love smaller blocks when I can use them, but as I said....laziness out won this time.

Isn't it a pretty stamp?

Again, finished project below:


Other variations:



Or with Sassy String looped tag-style:


See them on Etsy.com HERE!

If you want to see my NEW Online Home Gathering for Close To My Heart check it out HERE!


Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Cards I have made with Close To My Heart products!


This same card can be turned and be used to flip open upwards also:



Again, this card can be positioned to open upwards:



I love Close To My Heart!  If you want to learn more, let me know!  Contact me and I will let you in on some great CTMH resources and products to get you going!