Plaid Leaves

As promised I'm back with an "October Plaid" post. Today I'm sharing a fun fall plaid that has no white space in it. Instead of using it as a background, I die cut it into beautiful autumn leaves.

To create this background I:

• laid down wide stripes in orange, burgundy, and yellow
• turned my paper and added wide brown, green, and yellow stripes
• added a few dark brown thin stripes as accents

Note: Using a ruler and graph paper helps to keep the lines straighter than trying to free-hand them

Supplies used on this card:

• Spellbinders Circle Nestabilities
• Fall Foliage Thinlits (Sizzix -- Tim Holtz Alterations)
• Woodgrain Embossing Folder (Darice)
• Walnut Stain Distress Ink
• Versamark watermark Ink
• Primary Bark Embossing Powder (Wow!)
• Harvest Expressions (Inkadinkado)
• Ranger Clear Ultra Thick Embossing Enamel (UTEE)
• Burlap String
• Button
• ATG gun

Fun tip: To achieve the look of  morning dew on your leaves: Stamp your versamark watermark ink pad on the leaf, add UTEE, lightly rub most of it off with your finger, and heat set.

I'd love to see your take on plaid, so stop by the current link party and showoff any creation that includes a product or two from one of the companies carried in the Cropstop store.

3D Sunflower

Fall weather hasn't arrived yet (where I live), but maybe this autumn themed card I created with a beautiful 3D sunflower on it will get things moving in that direction! (smile!) I used one of the old Heartfelt Creations stamps sets to create it, and I have a mini tutorial to show you how it's done.

Step One: Stamp and cut out three different sizes of flowers (the photo shows only one large one -- I actually used two)
Step Two: Ink your flowers with coordinating ink making the centers darkest
Step Three: Cut between each petal of your flowers
Step Four: Spritz the reverse side of your flowers with water

Step Five: Crumple each flower into a tiny ball
Step Six: Unflold and twist and crumple your petals
Step Seven: Heat Set
Step Eight: For sunflowers - add some glue and instant coffee to the center

Note: If you don't want the coffee to dissolve in your glue use perk coffee instead of instant. (You can check out the other look by visiting this post.)

Supplies and Tools used on this card:

• Neutrals Cardstock (Core'dinations) 
• Wood Planks Embossing Folder (Sizzix)
• Sandpaper (or Sand-It Gadget)
• Sunflower Stamps (Heartfelt Creations)
• Instant Coffee
• Fall Foliage Thinlits (Tim Holtz)
• Sponge Daubers
• These colors of Distress Ink (Ranger)
• Gathered Twigs
• Mustard Seed
• Fossilized Amber
• Spiced Marmalade 
• Mowed Lawn
• Cuttlebug
• ATG gun

Have you been working on fall cards? If so I'd love to see your work! Stop by the current link party and showoff any project that includes a product or two from one of the companies Cropstop carries in the store.

Distress Spray Stain

Today's card features Antique Linen Distress Spray Stain on nearly all the elements. You can see by the different shades on this card that I started with several different paper colors (white, cream, manila) and applied more or less to achieve different tones.The background (manila) has a heavier layer and looks vintage and stained while the the tag is lightly spritzed white paper and looks totally different! Click here to check out the Distress Stains Cropstop currently has in stock!

 To create the background I:

• spritzed a piece of manila card stock with Antique Linen Distress Spray Stain and heat set
• stamped the Music Notes Background Stamp (Heidi Swapp) in Ground Espresso Distress Ink (Ranger)
• inked the edges with Ground Espresso using Sponge Daubers

The front panel is another take on Coloring Gesso with Distress Crayons (picture tutorial here)

• I added White Gesso through the  Floral Stencil (Tim Holtz) using the Dina Wakley Pallet Knife
• Then I removed the stencil and washed it
• I heat set my panel and then laid the stencil back over it adding Distress Crayons (Spun Sugar/Festive Berries/Twisted Citron/Pine Needles)
• I removed the stencil and spritzed over the panel with Antique Linen Distress Spray Stain
• I cut it into 3/4 inch strips and distressed the edges before adhering them to a piece of cardstock and adding a lace border punched with the Eyelet Lace border punch (Martha Stewart)

To finish of the card I:

•  Die cut a paper doily from Brown Card Stock using the Hello Doily Die set from Sizzix
• Cut a tag from White Card Stock, Spritzed it with Antique Linen Distress Spray Stain and stamped a sentiment from the All Things Are Possible Stamp Set (Heartfelt)
• added a bit of natural burlap string to the tag 

• Die cut flowers using the Tattered Florals (Tim Holtz)
• Added Spun Sugar/Festive Berries Distress Crayon to the flowers, and rubbed it in with a slightly damp finger
•  lightly prayed the flowers with  Antique Linen Distress Spray Stain and crumpled them to give them a more distressed look
• created a 3D rose using the 3D flower die from Sizzix, spritzed it heavily with Antique Linen Distress Spray Stain and added a large pearl to the center before gluing it to the center of my large daisy

• die cut a swirl from the Romantic Vines die set (Spellbinders), and some foliage from Tim Holtz's Fall Foliage die set

 I would love to see the ways you use Distress Stains so stop by the current link party and showoff any creation that includes a product or two from one of the companies Cropstop carries in the store.

June Link Party - #40

It's time for another link party here on the Cropstop blog! Today I'm sharing a different kind of inspiration with you -- it's a page out of my new art journal! I've been admiring the work of several ladies on different design teams with me, and finally took the plunge and started an Art Journal myself.

Here's how I created my page:

• I started by painting my page with a layer of clear Gesso
• Using Sponge Daubers,  I added some distress oxide in the following colors:
• Broken China ~ Faded Jeans ~ Peeled Paint ~ Frayed Burlap ~ Walnut Stain
•  I wet my ink, moved it around with a paint brush, and reapplied ink till I reach a desired color pattern
• I spritzed the ink with water and heat set
• In the upper right corner I added a torn piece of an old sewing pattern using  clear Gesso as my adhesive
• To the right I applied white Gesso through the Measured stencil from Tim Holtz and heat set
• I stamped the Seamstress stamp from Prima in Tuxedo Black ink (Tsukineko)
• I stamped one of the Julie Nutting dolls (from Holiday Bliss) on an old dictionary page in Tuxedo Black ink (Tsukineko)
• I restamped her dress, hair, and shoes on various pieces of card stock, fussy cut them, and added them over the original doll
• I colored her flesh with a Touch Five marker
• Behind the doll I added some Prairie Thistle die cuts from Memory Box/Poppystamps

• I added some Washi Tape strips along the bottom center of my page
• To the left I stamped the plaid background stamp from Impression Obsession in Faded Jeans Distress Oxide
• Over top I added two Repeat Impressions flowers, stamped on watercolor paper in Versamark Watermark ink and embossed with black embossing powder
• They were colored with Sonnet Watercolors and fussy cut
•  I also added a piece of greenery cut with the Fall Folliage dies (Sizzix) and a tiny wire hanger from my stash
• The sentiment was computer generated, printed on white card stock, inked with  distress oxides, and stamped with the plaid background stamp from Impression Obsessionin Brilliance Moonlight White Ink from Tsukineko
• I die cut an embroidery hoop from Waffle Flower and added it around the largest word 

Now it’s your turn to share the projects you’ve been working on! As always our link party is "Anything Goes" with these few simple rules:

1. Create ANY new project using a product or two from one of the companies CropStop carries in the store. (It’s ok if you didn’t buy it from us, and also fine if it’s a product we don’t currently have it in stock as long as it’s from one of the companies we carry!)
2. Please, no back-linking old projects
3. Limit 5 entries per challenge
4. Link your project here, link back to this post, and mention the CropStop Challenge in your post.

We’ll choose one random Winner who will receive a prize from the CropStop Store! (100 or more links = two winners and two prizes!) Thanks so much for linking up with us, we look forward to seeing all your great entries this month. Grab our badge and help us spread the word that CropStop is a great place to play along!

OPTIONAL TWIST FOR JUNE:

If you enter an ART JOURNAL PAGE this month,  I'll enter your name twice (for each project linked) in the random draw!

Stamping Collage Cards #1

Today I'm sharing the first two cards I created around the ticket embellishments I shared last week. These cards all feature a lot of stamp layering - a style that I'm fairly new at, but had a lot of fun with!

Here are the layers I used on this first card:

• Using the Flourish Stencil (Tim Holtz) I applied Tattered Rose and Worn Lipstick Distress Oxide (Ranger) on cream card stock
•  Stamped Music Notes Stamp (Heidi Swapp) over the top in Frayed Burlap Distress Oxide (Ranger)
• Inked all the edges with sponge daubers in  Frayed Burlap Distress Oxide (Ranger)
• punched a border with Embroidered Lace punch (Martha Stewart) and glued a piece of ribbon trim over top
• stamped the ticket from The Journey (Tim Holtz) in Frayed Burlap Distress Oxide (Ranger) and adhered it to the left side adding the ticket over the punched border
• stamped the flower stem (on watercolor paper) from Blossom (Tim Holtz) in Peeled Paint Distress Oxide (Ranger), inked it up and re-stamped it in Frayed Burlap Distress Oxide (Ranger)

• stamped the flower (on watercolor paper)  from Blossom (Tim Holtz), inked it in Worn Lipstick Distress Oxide (Ranger) and Wild Honey Distress Oxide (Ranger) and re-stamped it in Frayed Burlap Distress Oxide (Ranger)
• I popped the flower up using mounting tape
• inked up watercolor paper with Seedless Preserves Distress Oxide (Ranger) and punched it with the Monarch Butterfly Trim punch from Martha Stewart
• cut out a couple little butterflies, added pearls to the center of the largest, added to my collage

Here are the layers I used on the second card:

• starting with a piece of cream colored card stock I swiped three colors of Distress Oxide inks (Ranger) down them -- Broken China, Faded Jeans, Peeled Paint
• spritzed it with water and heat set
• Using the Burlap stencil (Tim Holtz) I added another layer in Frayed Burlap Distress Oxide (Ranger)
• Inked all the edges with sponge daubers in  Frayed Burlap Distress Oxide (Ranger)
• Stamped two images from French Market (Tim Holtz) in the corners using Tuxedo Black Ink (Tsukineko)
• Added a corner decoration die cut with the Hello Doily die set (Sizzix) -- inked with Frayed Burlap Distress Oxide (Ranger)
• Added a few stamped pieces from the Air Travel Set (Tim Holtz)
• created a floral embellishment using the Tattered Florals Die (Tim Holtz)
• underneath are a burlap string bow and a punched frond (Martha Stewart punch) 

I hope you'll come back next Monday when I'll share the last two cards created in this style. Meanwhile, we want to see what you've been creating of late! Stop by the CURRENT LINK PARTY and showoff your projects that include a few products from the companies Cropstop carries in the store!

Guest Designer - Darlene Pavlick

Time for our Friday Guest Designer spot.....Today we're sharing the work of Darlene Pavlick of Dars Crafty Creations. Darlene created a fun see themed card for us and shares her inspiration behind the project as well as a fabulous tutorial for creating her masterpiece!

Darlene says: "Today I have an ocean themed card to share with you.  Hubby & I are planning a trip to the islands in May so that's what is on my mind at the present time.  

This card all began with the background panel which I created using Tim Holtz Distress Oxide Reinkers and watercolor paper.   Of course, where would I be without my Craft Sheet ... I have one designated strictly for this type of project as you will see in the photos below. 

 I wanted to have a water bubble affect in the water so I spritzed it with  water being careful to have both little and big water droplets.  The longer the water sits on the panel, the more color it will pull up when you blot it with a paper towel.

Now comes the fun of pulling the other elements together for this underwater adventure.

For that I chose the Memory Box Graceful Branch Oval and  Memory Box Petal Ribbon dies.

It was only after I adhered my ribbon die panel that I decided to enclose this element with clear panels cut from die cut packaging. 

 I find so many uses for this packaging material and this is one of them.  

So I adhered a clear panel to the back and another to the front then placed 3M dimension tape to the back.  I positioned my Angel Fish onto my 'water' background then placed my 'Graceful Branch Panel' over top.

Glue Dots were used to adhere the front clear panel so I simply snipped the flowers from another Petal Ribbon panel and glued them over top.  This coordinated the piece and hid the glue dots perfectly.

Here's another look at the finished card . . ."

Crop Stop Product Used:  

Tim Holtz Distress Oxide Reinkers 

 Memory Box Graceful Branch Oval 

 Memory Box Petal Ribbon 

Craft sheet 

Watercolor Paper 

Scor Tape 

 Zots

 Thanks for sharing your talent with us, Darlene! 

Now it's your turn....stop by our CURRENT LINK PARTY and showoff any projects that include a few products from companies Cropstop carries in the store! 

I'll look forward to seeing your work appear in the gallery!

CropStop's Class Schedule

The school is in session ladies!  Go check out what you have been missing.

• Jan.5th - Magnetic calendar
  

• Jan.12th - Adding texture to your pages
  
• Jan. 19th - Stuck on stickles
  
• Jan. 26th - Mini class, Post It Notes/Q&A Session
  
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• Feb. 2nd - Stamping with baby wipes
  
• Feb. 9th - Stamping/embossing on flowers
  
• Feb. 16th - Date Reminder Flip Book
  
• Feb. 23rd - Mini Class, Restaurant Survival Kit/Q&A Session