Covered Composition Journal Tutorial

Covered Composition Journal Tutorial

Supplies Needed

Composition Notebook

Designer Paper

Stamps: MFP Christmas Poinsettias

Ink

Scor-Tape or other double sided tape

Paper Trimmer

Scissors

Instructions:

1.  Cover edges of composition book with Scor-Tape, or other double sided tape.

  

2.  Remove non-stick surface, cover composition book with designer paper.

 3.  Using scissors, trim designer paper down to size.

4.  Apply Scor-Tape, or other double stick tape, to black strip of composition book.

 5.  Remove non-stick surface and apply scrap,  put matching designer paper,  over the exposed Scor-Tape.

6.  Repeat steps 1-5 as needed to cover the back-side of your composition book, trimming designer paper as needed.

7.  Add Scor-Tape, or other double stick tape, to the front inside panel of book, remove non-stick surface and add matching card stock to cover the front inside panel.

 8.  Trim card stock down to size.

 9.  Repeat steps 7-8 for back inside panel as well.

10.  Stamp images, color, and add them to the front side of your journal.  Finish embellishing as desired.

Harvest/Halloween Treat Bag Tutorial

Harvest/Halloween Treat Bag

Stamps: All Mark's Finest Papers, a Heinrich Company

Autumn Splendor

What A Scream

Celebrate Mini (inside card)

Scenic Selections

Tree Greetings

Tree Selections

Halloween Selections Mini

Birthday Mini 

Supplies:

Cellophane Bags

Ink

Card Stock

Stipple Brush

When fall comes around everyone usually starts getting excited for the upcoming holidays, so why not turn the fall season into its own holiday by creating little treat bags for Halloween (class parties or trick/treat), or if you don't celebrate Halloween, to celebrate the fall Harvest season.  All you need is a clear cellophane bag, card stock, stamps, and something to fill your bag with. 

With recycling, or upcycling, being all the rage now, I've even re-used the clear cellophane bags my stamp sets have come in and have cut off the section of the bag that allows the bag to hang.

Once you have your supplies gathered, assembly is easy peasy.  For the sake of this tutorial, I will be showing how to make a Halloween treat bag, then showing a completed project for those that do not celebrate Halloween so the tutorial can be adapted for churches, school parties (mindful of food allergies), birthdays, etc.

1.  Stamp desired image onto white card stock in non water based black ink (memento, pallet noir, etc), color with markers or pencils then set aside.

2.  Take desired size bag and measure to create a folded bag topper.  Make sure to flip your bag over to mark where you want the topper to end on the back side. and give yourself 1/4 inch for folding in the middle.

3. Trim card stock to desired size.

4. Hold down cut card stock on top of bag and measure 1/4 inch on each side of bag for decorative overage.

5. Lay next layer of card stock underneath trimmed first layer and trim down to size.

6. Now stamp your background, tone on tone, onto both layers of card stock.  I even stamp the black layer, since the entire project  looks more complete when finished in my opinion.

7. Adhere both layers, and score where you want your fold to be.  Make sure to score on both sides of the layered bag topper.

8. This is what your finished topper should look like.

9. Fill your treat bag, and then using double sided tape (I prefer scotch since it holds better) adhere the topper to your treat bag.

10. Now take a stapler and staple the outer edges together to make sure no small pieces fall out.  Example: Skittles, M&M's, crumbs, etc.

11.  Take the colored image you sat aside and cut it out.

12. Using glue dots, adhere the cut out image to the bag topper.  It's ok if part of the image touches the filled bag as long as glue dots are holding that part down as well.

13. Here is our completed Halloween treat bag.

For those that do not celebrate Halloween, here's a sample of another option.  My step-sister doesn't celebrate Halloween, however, her birthday IS on Halloween itself, so I've combined Fall, Harvest, Halloween and Birthday sets to create a treat bag (filled with coffee/creamer samples) and matching card for her birthday.  I've included close-ups of the treat bag and card.

I hope you enjoyed the tutorial.  If you make something using it, leave me a post with a link in the comment section so I can check your project out.  Thanks.

Tutorial - Stamping On Photos

This week I am the Featured Designer for Mark's Finest Papers, a Heinrich Company over on the company blog and will be posting a tutorial on how to stamp on photographs easily.

Stamping On Photos

Supplies:
Mark's Finest Papers, a Heinrich Company Stamps
Scenic Selections
Tree Greetings
Silhouette Mini Selections
Tree Selections Mini
Hey Cowboy
Pallet Noir Burnt Umber Ink
Memento Tuxedo Black Ink
Brads
Computer
Scanner
Photos
Glue Dots
Photocopy paper
Card Stock

Have you ever wanted to try your hand stamping images onto photographs?  I know I have, especially having had a grandfather who was an amateur photographer.  Stamping on photos is really easy, you just have to remember a few simple things.  First, you need to select some photos appropriate for your project, then scan them into your computer, and print out onto photocopy paper.  I have found that working with photocopy paper is easier, and the stamped images come out crisper and much easier to see.  Also, using photocopy paper allows your stamped ink to be absorbed more easily instead of using glossy or matte photo paper or also when using card stocks.  Otherwise, your stamp will remove the printer ink directly from the photo.  For this tutorial, I am using a photograph taken by my grandfather in the foothills of California's Sierra Nevada mountains.

*TIP: I have found it easier to work with 3x5 photographs instead of larger or smaller ones due to stamp sizes.

Once you have printed out your photos, stamp your foreground images in memento or pallet inks directly onto the photograph. 

 

 Then stamp the background images using the same type of ink.

 

Once you are done stamping, layer your photo onto matching card stock.

 

Stamp a matching border directly onto the card for added effect.

 

Now add your layered photograph and add any additional elements to your card.

 

Now add your saying.

I hope you will give stamping on photographs a try.  It is really easy and not as intimidating as it looks.  Below I've attached some additional samples.

 

 

 

 

Stamping Using Basic School Supplies

Today I am the Featured Designer over on the Mark's Finest Papers, a Heinrich Company blog and have been asked to create a tutorial for the week.  So I decided to pull out some the extra school supplies I happen to have around the house and had some fun.

Stamping Using Basic School Supplies

Supplies:

Mark's Finest Papers, a Heinrich Company Lesson Learned

Rose Art Colored Pencils
Mini Composition Books
Mini Note Books
Bookmarks & Bookmark Inserts
Die Cuts With a View Designer Paper
Scor-Tape
Mono Adhesive
Memento Tuxedo Black Ink
Tim Holtz Distress Inks: Wild Honey, Brushed Corduroy
White Gel Pen

 

Why should the kids get all of the new stuff during the Back To School sales?  Every year, while buying for my two kids, I always try to make sure "mom" gets something new too - especially new colored pencils.  So pull up a chair, or a desk, and let's see how some basic back to school supplies can make great gifts.  Let's get started.

Start by stamping your selected images in memento black.

 

Using the Rose Art Colored Pencils, color stamped images; adding additional "coats", or layers, of color as needed.

 

Once you are finished with your coloring, lightly stipple Tim Holtz Brushed Corduroy distress ink around the edges of the bookmark until you are satisfied with the color layer.  Lightly stipple Wild Honey ink over the top of entire stamped bookmark to "age" a bit.

 

Slide completed bookmarks into plastic inserts and trim before adding a small amount of ribbon at the top making sure to tie the ribbon off into a knot.

 

Take mini composition books and lay them out on the backside of the DCWV designer paper, trace and cut to size before adhering to the outsides of the books using scor-tape.

Take some of the colored images, cut them out and adhere using mono adhesive to the outsides of the covered composition books.  Using a white gel pen, write "passwords" onto the chalkboard images.
 

Next, take one of the mini notebooks, lay out onto the remaining designer paper and adhere using the scor-tape.

 

 

Take a strip of ribbon and staple to both sides of your notebook.

Once stapled, tie ribbon ends into a bow and trim.

 

Take remaining colored images, cut them out and adhere using mono adhesive.

Using a white gel pen, write "notes" just above the ribbon.

Here's all of the completed projects together.

 

I hope you enjoyed today's tutorial and received some inspiration.  So hit those sale and clearance aisles, or the dollar stores, to pick up your own set of back to school stamping supplies.  Why should the kids have all of the fun? ;)