Fancy folds in pink with green

It's time for another challenge! Actually two challenges, because with this card I'm playing along with Our Creative Corner and Crafter′s Companion UK.

For Our Creative Corner is the challenge fancy folds. Crafter's Companion has a color challenge, namely pink and green.

FromLein I got a CD with all sorts of fun cards(thanks again for that cd!), and for this card I used one of the layouts.
I (still) don't have a scorpal or another tool to score with, so my first attempt went wrong with the folding part. I had used cardstock that was too thick. In my second attempt I used thicker A4 paper, and the layout was for 12 x 12. So I had to change all the measurements, but I succeeded. Here is the result:

 

 

The supplies:

• Distress Ink: shabby shutters, spun sugar, victorian velvet, worn lipstick, peeled paint
• Stamps: French Script and swirls from Tim Holtz, memories from Teresa Collins , eiffel tower and aimer la vie from kaiser craft.
• ribbon

Of course I used my new stamp-and-cut method for this card. You don't have to cut twice using the hinge method, you can also stamp on the first cut out of the stamp. It's less work, but a bit more tricky.

Thanks for stopping by!

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Tutorial: Stamp-and-cut method

Hi everyone

The other day I promised you I would make a tutorial on the stamp-and-cut method. This is my first tutorial!
Due to the fact that I'm not good at neatly cutting things out, I always look for ways to help me with that. That's when I found the print-and-cut method. I've made it into the stamp-and-cut method. I always leave a white border around the images I cut out, because it is easier but mainly because I love it.

The supplies for this method are:

• Stamp
• Scanner
• Electronic cutting machine (in my case the eCraft)
• Make the Cut! software (or other similar software)

Step 1:
Stamp the stamp with black ink (I used jet black archival ink) on white paper. Make sure that the edges are crips and clean.


Step 2:
Open Make the Cut! (or similar software) and use the pixel tracking to import the stamp into the software.


Step 3:
Scan the stamp with your scanner by pressing the "TWAIN" button.
For me it doesn't work for some reason, so I have the image scanned and saved on my computer.

Step 4:
Make sure the outlines are as closely as possible to the original. Changes the "Threshold" for the best results.
Check "Blackout path". This works better with the shadow layer, than we do in the next step.


Step 5:
Make sure the size matches the actual size of the stamp. Adjust if necessary.
Create a shadow layer with the desired thickness of the white border that you want around the stamp.


If there is something to black out, you can click on the "Apply Blackout" button so you get only the outside lines.


Step 6:
Remove the original stamp, so that only the shadow layer remains.


Step 7: Set the shadow layer on the outer edge of the mat where the cutter starts cutting.


Step 8:
eCraft doesn't use cutting mats (whoohoo), but you can use a sheet of cardstock for this. With  the cutting machines that do use cutting mats, grab an old mat, which doesn't stick anymore. That's necessary for this technique.
Take the mat and stick in the same corner as you did in the software a piece of test paper with scotch tape on one side.


Step 9:
Cut the shadow layer. NOTE: leave the cutter as it is and do not move the mat from the machine, because possible that shifts everything.



Step 10:
Remove the cut out, and let the "hinge" where it is! Now take the paper with the stamp and put it under the hinge. Position the stamp. For this tutorial I inked the stamped image up, so you could better see what I'm doing :).


If you've found the right position, stick it onto the mat with scotch tape.

If you do a bulk, fold the hinge back.

Step 11:
Cut the shadow layer again.
 

And you have a beautiful stamp that's perfectly cut out!




And if you have bulk work, then just remove the excess and put you a new stamp under the hinge. As long as the mat stays in place and you don't change anything in the cutting software you can keep repeating this.

Hope you found this tutorial helpfull. If you have any questions about it, please feel free to contact me!

Sandra

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Inspiration journal en use it tuesday challenge

Hi bloggies,

Today it is time for a new challenge. Yesterday I visited the blog of Shelly, who makes incredable and beautiful things (the can of sardines is so cool!). On her blog I saw that there was a super fun challenge at Inspiration Journal. And of course I'm going to enter! This time it's a color theme. And I heard about Use it Tuesday challenge, where they have the same color challenge! Why not combine the two? I knew right away what I wanted to make! I want a box for my loose scraps I have lying around. So I'll make one in those colors.
 I do not own a scor-pal (I'm deeply ashamed) and I thought it was a good idea to buy one today. When I came to the scrap book store, they unfortunately were not in stock. So I had to think of something else to score the lines of the box. In Illustrator I drew the box I wanted to create so I knew what the measurements had to be. After I measured and marked the black sheet of cardstock, I made score lines with a ruler and a hobby knife. You have to  use what you've got...
Then it was time to go make the four sides. I had orange flowers laying around which I thought I never gonna use, the same voor the black feather, but for Use it Tuesday I had to use something I forgot about or rearly use.
For this box, I tried a new method, namely the cutting out a stamped stamp. I'm not good at neatly cutting out images, so I used the print-and-cut method, but now it's the stamp-and-cut method:). I have made pictures of it and will make the tutorial in a couple of days.
Before I go on for another hour, this is the result:

 

 

The supplies:

•  Distress Ink: milled lavender, dusty concord, seedless preserves, black soot, ripe persimmon
•  Perfect pearls: Pewter
•  Paper flowers
•  Stamps: all from Tim Holtz
•  Lace and ribbon
•  Feather and label
•  Split pins

Thanks for visiting my blog!

Sandra

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Grungy Monday 24: Perfect distress

Hi everyone,

It's time for Monday Grungy Studio L3 and that means working with Tim Holtz products. Which I love to do! This time the challenge is perfect distress and we were referred to a video of Tim doing that technique. The theme for this challenge is free, and I chose for a Halloween meets Christmas theme. I like to make a sort of combination.
I already had seen the video and I've used the technique in my smashbook, but I wanted to practice a little more. Despite the practice I still wasted a tag because it wasn't completly dry. Duhh.... lol.

Here the result:

 

 For this tag I used the following:

•  Perfect pearls:  pewter and heirloom gold
•  Distress Ink: Seemless preserves, Dusty Concord, milled lavender
•  Archival Ink: Jet Black
•  Distress stains: dusty concord
•  Stamps: pine trees and script

 As alwaysI had a blast doing this challenge!!

Sandra

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Birthday card for my sister

Hi Bloggies!

Today I made ​​a card for my sister's 38th birthday! My sister's birthday is tomorrow and I wanted to make her a nice cheerful card. The last few days I'd used a lot of dark autumn colors and I wanted to work with fresh colors again. Besides, my sister loves bright colors.


I love the idea of  attaching buttons with paint. This idea comes from mycraftchannel.com. This site is a on-line craft TV network, and started broadcoasting just two weeks ago. It's full with great tips and lots of inspiration. Go check it out!
But now back to the card that I made:). I used the same colors from the front for the inside of the card. The stamp is from KaiserCraft, the Bonjour collection. Lately I have a thing for Paris. I've been there a few times and it's a very beautiful city and the atmosphere is so great.
I rambling again ... So it would be better to show you the whole card now;).




Hope you like it, and especially my sister :).

Sandra

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Smashbook day 17: Tim Holtz

Hi bloggies,

My theme today is the grunge king himself Tim Holtz! Hihihi. Because of Lein I knew of distress inkpads and decided to buy them when I started making cards and after I'd seen video's with all different techniques. I also ordered stains with it and I started working. I like the grunge and vintage look very much, and find his products are also very cool. In the past few months I have purchased quite some products of Tim (also ranger, stampers anonymous, etc.) such as 22 distress inkpads (eventually I would like them all, including the limited ones), 7 distress stains, mini mister, mister bottle, grunge board, crackle paint, Stickles, perfect pearls, archival ink blending tool, paper distresser, paint dabbers, embossing powder, non stick craft sheet, and lots of stamps. Only the embellishments are missing in my collection. Here are  the first tags and first cards that I made with distress:
  
  
I love the style and the techniques where Tim stands for and I have applied some of it for this smashbook. Love it,love it, love it!!

On the left page I used distress ink for the background, and for the tags stains and distress. The right ticket I just got yesterday. And of course I had to use it for this book immediately.



On the right page of course a picture of Tim, with his crown above his head that I've embossed. And over the photo, I did his logo of vinyl and gone over it with gun metal stickles.



Tomorrow is the last theme of my smashbook. But my smashbook isn't full yet, so when I discover something new and fun to smash, I will post a message about it.

See you tomorrow!
Sandra

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Smashbook day 16: card making

Hi bloggies,

The theme of today is making cards. I honestly didn't like card making, even when I bought my Cricut. I thought it was a little corney. Sorry folks! Despite I often recieved  beautiful handmade cards  form Lein , she couldn't change my mind about it. But with the arrival of my eCraft and in combination with MTC, I changed my mind and I immediately started to make cards. These are my first cards that I made.

 

On the left page, I glued four pictures of cards that I made with the eCraft.


On the right page I stamped with paint dabber! Very fun to do! A few of my paint dabbers are slightly dehydrated. Too bad. The letters I distressed with ink and the tags too.



The theme for tomorrow is the king of grunge! No, I don't mean Kurt Cobain;).

See you tomorrow!

Sandra

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Smashbook day 15: eCraft

Hi bloggies,

Today's theme is the eCraft! Since I know of the existence of the eCraft, I wanted to have it immediately. Luckily I waited to buy one, because there were some problems with the first batch. By my knowledge  the eCraft is still the only cutter that does not need cutting mat and because the Cricut is not working on MTC I had decided after a long time to buy the eCraft. I give it myself as a present because I had a new job! Haha.


There's always a reason to treat yourself something nice.
I am so happy with my eCraft! It's in my opinion better than the Cricut, especially small circles (for rhinestones) where not really circles when I cutted them with my cricut, which my eCraft cuts them perfectly. Perhaps my Cricut didn't work as well as it should have. I don't mean to offend any Cricut owners!

On the left page the edges are done with walnut stain and modified vintage photo, the flowers in the middle are cut out with eCraft and were some of the first things I cut out with my eCraft. The brown flower is finished with walnut stain stains several times and the lighter floral with vintage photo. The letters eCraft are also done with walnut stain stains . I did Golden Rod Stickles around the edges of the photograph.



On the right page the tag is done with tea dye, walnut stain and vintage photo.


The theme of tomorrow is making cards.

See you tomorrow!
Sandra

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Smashbook day 14: Biaisband maker and serger

Hi bloggies,

Today I have two themes for you, once again! The bias tape maker and my serger. For those who do not know what a bias tape maker is, it is a device that makes bias tape. Duhh ;). Sorry! Bias  tape is what can you use for finishing garments, bags or other products of textile/fabric. What the device does is fold the outer edges inward. The pictures will give you probably a better idea of what I'm trying to say;):
Manual bias tape maker with iron:


Biastape maker machine from Simplicity:
 

The other theme of today is the serger. You use it to finish the edges of clothing / fabric so it will not fray.
 When I started sewing, I wanted above all to make the clothes and I put no time or effort into the neat of finishing the garments, which resulted that the clothes when they came out of the washing machine they started to fray. That's when I decided to had to have a serger. I chosen for the Lewenstein 700DE. Yippy!

On the left page, the bias tape maker page, I've done the edges with broken china and glass tumbled distress ink. To show the bias tape, I put some of it in the upper left corner. The tag is decorated with faded jeans and picket fence stains



The right page, the egdes of the tag are done with lipstick worn, broken china and glass tumbled distress ink and done the edges with the paper distresser.



Tomorrow's theme is the eCraft!
See you tomorrow!
Sandra

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Smashbook day 12: Knipmode & sewing lessons

Hi bloggies!

Today I have two themes, Knipmode (magazine for making clothes) and sewing lessons.
For my birthday I got a Magazine Coupon from my job and I used it for a subscription to Knipmode and around the same time I also started sewing lessons with Lein. I had to get use to the sewing lessons, it was not like we both expected. It was more a gathering and not lessons at all. I wanted to make a new winter coat, so I had a lot of supplies with me, but it soon became clear that I had to learn other things first before I could even attempt the winter coat again.
During that time I got the Knipmode and noticed that there were very nice patterns in it. Unfortunately I do not always understood the explanation, but if I had the chance I asked the questions during the sewing lessons. At home I drew and cut out the patterns and during sewing lessons, I put them together. My fabric stock soon became very big.

On the left page, I cut the letters out of vinyl. I left the page very basic.


On the right page, I cut the letters and tags out with the eCraft. And the upper tag I decorated with distress ink.


Day after tomorrow I'm back again with a new theme, namely Yudu!

See you tomorrow!
Sandra

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Smashbook day 11: Made by Sannie

Made by Sannie is the name I came up with for my logo. I've now made quite a bit with the logo, namely screen prints, textile labels, jewelry tags, labels and a stamp (got that from a friend for my birthday). I have screen prints used for mybags, applications and other ornaments. I have a little website/webdevelopment company and I've made myself a personal blog for all my creative things. I have also taken options to show what I bought (where and for how much), a wish list, and a few other features. The reason I joined blogspot is that it's better accessable and more known. I'll keep my other blog, that's in Dutch (which is my language) and it has the feature to create a book from al my messages and projects and stuff. I plan to make a book of my blog every year. I love that idea :).

Okay, back to business. On the left of the page, I have disstressed the edges once again. I think it gives such a nice effect that I can't resist not to distress it. Last week I bought those cute pink flowers so I used them immediately. I have an example of my logo screen printed on fabric that I've done the graphics workplace. I put a chain to the binding and  I've attached jewelry labels to it. These labels where engraved in Hong Kong at my request. How cool! Took a while because of the mail, but they're just so cool! Custom made for me! Yippee.



On the right page I have cut out  the shadow layer with the eCraft and distressed it and then printed the letters. I have some screenshots of my homemade blog in the middle. And on the right a textile label underneath a picture with a little bow in the middle!


Tomorrow I have two themes once again!

See you tomorrow!
Sandra

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