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.

Embossing Fun

Hello friends! I'm back today to share some embossing fun with you. Today I have a "peachy-pink" card that features both dry and wet embossing.  Let's get to it....

To create this card I:

• Inked up one side of my Tim Holtz Alterations Roses embossing folder (Sizzix) with Versamark Watermark Ink
• Placed a piece of light pink card stock in the folder and ran it through my Cuttlebug
• Sprinkled Brilliant Sparkle Gold Embossing Powder (Cosmic Shimmer) over the card stock and heat set
• I matted the pink piece on kraft card stock and set it aside
• Next I, cut three Small Billow Flowers (Memory Box) from white card stock
• I inked these with Versamark Watermark Ink, dipped them in Brilliant Sparkle Gold Embossing Powder (Cosmic Shimmer), and heat set them
• I added a piece of pink card stock behind two of them and left one see through

• Using the Hello Doily die set (Sizzix) I cut a paper doily from white card stock
• I also cut a kraft sentiment using a Stamplorations die
• To create my crinkle ribbon, I inked up some Hug Snug seam binding with Tattered Rose Distress Oxide (Ranger), spritzed it with water, balled it up, and dried it with my heat gun
• Inside I added a strip of punched lace (Martha Stewart border punch) and one more billow flower 

Now it's your turn to share the projects you've been working on. Please stop by our CURRENT CHALLENGE and link up any project that includes a product or two from companies Cropstop carries in the store. I hope to see you there!

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!

My favorite punch

We all have them, haven't we?

Favorite punches, that is. Mine is this one by Martha Stewart, Deep Edge Daisy Fan. Besides punching paper and cards, I frequently use it as a mask with Distress Inks or Glimmer Mists.


I have one long strip readily available, punched in a thin plastic material.

Come see more of our creations on the message board!

Elisabeth

More uses for your border punches

I thought that since we all have them why not use them to their full capacity, right? Here in this close up you can see how we used the corner punch "LOOP EDGE" by Martha Stewart to punch around a circle to create a doily or medallion. In the completed card you see that we also used the corner punch as intended too but only in the corners to bring a little detail and more cohesiveness to the card.

On this next image you can see different samples of medallion/doilies and some of little sentiment or journaling tags.


I put out some simple steps to achieve the medallions or doilies look.

TUTORIAL

1. Cut out your 4 inch circle
2. Turn your punch over (so you are looking at the back of your punch. I find it easier to do all the steps w/ the little wings of the punch closed up.
3. For the Martha Stewart punch you will see they kind of look like a diamond shape. Line up the bottom corner w/ the border of the circle and punch.
4. To align the next one, just align again w/ the border of the circle but also align it so the left corner of the diamond is touching the right corner of the first punch you did in the circle (this is true for right hand people, for left hand people align the right corner of your punch w/ your left hand punch image on the circle).
5. Keep punching around and around... until you are done.

Negative FuN with your punches!

Elisabeth's brain started spinning while punching a border with her new MS punch - the negatives were so nice! So she ended up with a pile of negatives on her table. Wanna see what she came up with... it is gorgeous, so join us in our Message Board to take a peek!

Xmas is around the corner...

Have you started your christmas cards yet? Here to inspire is one of Vicki's card using some of the available punches and nestabilities at CropStop.com.

Supplies: Spellbinders Nestabilities Label 8; Martha Stewart Ornament Edge Punch

EK Success and Martha's PRE-ORDER

Hi everyone! New Pre-ORDERS in the store. The New products sections is filled to the rim w/ just gorgeous punches, border punches, corner punches, shape punches... Here are some of my favorites. Go and pre-order yours most of them shipping in October as of last news from the manufacturer.

EK SUCCESS FRINGE

Martha's Three dot set

Martha's Star Edge

Martha's Snow Fall

Martha's Round lattice