Bauble Blossoms

Hello friends! It's time for another "Inspiration Monday" post. Today I'm sharing a bright and happy card I created using some new Cropstop supplies I recently acquired!

Here's how I put this card together:

• embossed a piece of blue card stock with the Holly Flourish Embossing Folder from Ultimate Crafts
• inked the embossing with Mermaid Lagoon Distress Ink (Ranger)
• stamped a sentiment from All Things Are Possible (Heartfelt Creations) in mermaid lagoon distress ink
• highlighted the sentiment with a blue colored pencil
• die cut my sentiment using the Beaded Oval Nestabilities (Spellbinders)
• added White Opal Liquid Pearls around the edges
• popped up my sentiment using Scotch Foam Mounting Tape
• die cut three flowers using the Bauble Blossoms Two Dies from Spellbinders
• inked their edges with mermaid lagoon distress ink

Now it's your turn....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.

Guest Designer - Kim Klinkovsky

We're back for week number two with our talented guest designer Kim Klinkovsky of My Kraft Kloset. This week Kim created another fabulous card using an embossing folder I've owned for quite a while, but never quite knew what to do with it! She totally rocked the color burst on this card, and created yet another unique and lovely card to share with us today. Awesome work, Kim!

Here's what Kim says about creating this awesome card:

"Hi everybody! Kim here from My Kraft Kloset  and I'm honored to be back as your guest designer this month! Today I'm sharing a couple of techniques to get more out of your embossing folders and how to make amazing backgrounds with products from the Crop Stop Store.

I started with a 12x12 green cardstock, cut 8.5x11" and folded in half to create a card base. Cut a piece of patterned paper and adhere to card base. This next part is very messy, so make sure you put an old cloth or newspaper under you to protect your table, use a craft mat, wear an apron to protect your clothes, and gloves, because it can stain.

Placed a pastel pink piece of cardstock on a craft mat, sprinkled a few drops of powder from 3-4 color burst colors onto the cardstock, mist with water and watch the magic begin. It's a powder, so it will blow a little, so protect whats around you. With a little water it's bright and vibrant and gets lighter as you add more water. Feel free to tip/move your paper and move the color around or dab with a sponge or paper towel. Or add more drops if you think you need too. I let it dry over night, but you could use a heat tool for faster drying.

Tip: Use water color paper to avoid any rippling of the paper, but I wanted some of the pink of the cardstock to show through. If your paper does ripple, you can iron it lightly or press with a big book.

Once dry place the background image in an emossing folder and run through a die cut machine. And take the sanding tool and in a circular motion sand off some of the cardstock to reveal the white core of the cardstock. Which brightens your embossed images and make it stand out more. That's the fun part about any Cordinations cardstock, they are made for sanding. Trim your embossed image to fit card. Cut a piece of black cardstock to mat behind, adhere them together, and adhere panel to card base.

Then add a drop of metallic liquid pearls to the birds eye for dimention and a sticker sentiment to complete. And there you have another way to use your embossing folders and make several unique cards for many occasions. The finished bird card is 5" x 6 1/4" (cut 12x12" green cardstock down to 10" x 6 1/4" and fold) Now it's your turn....stop by our CURRENT LINK PARTY and link up any project that includes a product or two that Cropstop carries in the store. Hope to see you there!"

Crop Stop Supplies:

• CraftSheet - Inkssentials
• Brights -Color Burst by Ken Oliver - 6 pack
• Core'dinations- Pastels - (4.25 x 5.5 )-Pink
• Core'dinations- Neutrals - (4.25 x 5.5 )-Black
• Bazzill Basics Paper - Blossom - 12 x 12 Cardstock-Green
• 723258 Royal, Fine Designs Collection (A2) LIMITED EDITION!
• Cuttlebug Machine (FREE SHIPPING USA ONLY)
• Core'dinations- Sand It Gadget Tool
• Ranger Liquid Pearls, Metallic
• Watercolor Paper - 8.5 x 11 inch - 10 sheets
• Other Supplies: water mister/spray bottle, metallic stickers, Reverse Confetti patterned paper, Scor-tape 1/4"

Guest Designer - Kim Klinkovsky

Time for another guest design spot here on the Cropstop blog. Today we're sharing the talents of Kim Klinkovsky of My Kraft Kloset. Kim not only created two awesome cards for us, but she also included a fun tutorial with pictures!! I absolutely LOVE the super fun background she created with her embossing folder from Cropstop, color burst, and some gold metallic embossing powder! What a creative gal! 

Here's what Kim says about putting these wonderful cards together: "Hi everybody! Kim here from My Kraft Kloset  and I'm honored to be your guest designer this month! Today I'm sharing a couple of unique and amazing backgrounds created with products from the Crop Stop Store.

I started with an 5.5x11" yellow cardstock, cut in half to create two A2 (5.5x4.25") card bases. This next part is very messy, so make sure you put an old cloth or newspaper under you to protect your table, use a craft mat, wear an apron to protect your clothes, and gloves, because it can stain.

Placed a pastel pink piece of cardstock on a craft mat, sprinkled a few drops of powder from 3-4 color burst colors onto the cardstock, mist with water and watch the magic begin. It's a powder, so it will blow a little, so protect whats around you. With a little water it's bright and vibrant and gets lighter as you add more water. Feel free to tip/move your paper and move the color around or dab with a sponge or paper towel. Or add more drops if you think you need too. I let it dry over night, but you could use a heat tool for faster drying.

Tip: Use water color paper to avoid any rippling of the paper, but I wanted some of the pink of the cardstock to show through. If your paper does ripple, you can iron it lightly or press with a big book.

Once dry place the background image in an embossing folder and run through a die cut machine. Which looks stunning just like that too.

But I took it another step further and ran a brayer over a clear embossing ink pad and made it good and inky, then lightly ran the brayer over the raised images from the embossing folder. You will get some ink in between the images and thats ok or you can brush some off with a thin paint brush. Sprinkle with gold metallic embossing powder, tap off the excess, and set with a heat tool. Trim to fit and adhere to card base.

Tip: If you don't have a brayer, you can run the pad dirctly over the raised image, but you may get more ink on your panel and cover up too much of the background colors.

Cut a strip of black cardstock, cut and tie a double ribbon around one end, cut a banner tail on the other end and adhere to card with foam tape. Add a few scattered metallic liquid pearls for dimention to complete.

And there you have another way to use your embossing folders and make several unique cards with beautiful backgrounds for many occasions. Now it's your turn....stop by our Current Link Party and link up any project that includes a product or two that Cropstop carries in the store. Hope to see you there!"

Crop Stop Supplies:

• CraftSheet - Inkssentials
• Brights -Color Burst by Ken Oliver - 6 pack
• Core'dinations- Pastels - (4.25 x 5.5 )-Pink
• Core'dinations- Neutrals - (4.25 x 5.5 )-Black
• 723156Chiaro, Serenity Collection (5x7) LIMITED EDITION!
• Cuttlebug Machine (FREE SHIPPING USA ONLY)
• Ranger embossing ink: Clear for Embossing - Distress PAD
• Ranger Liquid Pearls, Metallic
• Pink on Pink Organdy Swirls Ribbon
• Mustard on Mustard Organdy Swirls Ribbon
• Scotch Foam Mounting Tape
• WatercolorPaper - 8.5 x 11 inch - 10 sheet
• Other Supplies: brayer, water mister/spray bottle, heat tool, metallic stickers, yellow 8.5x11" cardstock for card base, Ranger Gold Metallic Embossing Powder, Scor-tape 1/4"

Coloring Gesso

Today I'm sharing a fun new technique I learned for coloring over top of white gesso! It's super easy, a little messy, and lots of fun!

Here are the steps I used to create the pretty panel on my card:

1. Lay a stencil over a piece of black card stock (I used the Watercolor stencil from Tim Holtz)
2. Apply White Gesso (Art Basics) over your entire panel
3. Remove stencil and wash the gesso off
4. Allow your gesso to dry (or help it along with a heat gun)
5. Once the gesso is dry, apply your choice of colors using Distress Crayons (Ranger) ~~ [I used Tumbled Glass - Mermaid Lagoon - Shaded Lilac]
6. Rub the colors in with your finger - apply more in areas you see need it
7. Remove your stencil and - wa-la - a colorful-textured background!

To create my card I:

• embossed a piece of lavender card stock with the Lattice embossing folder from Creative Expressions
• attached my gesso panel to the left side with my ATG gun
• Die cut a Circle (Spellbinders Nestabilities) in white and a scallop circle (Spellbinders Nestabilities) in black
• stamped a sentiment from Praying For You (Stampin' Up) in Tuxedo Black ink (Tsukineko)
• added some die cuts using the Romantic Vines Die set from Spellbinders
• added two tiny pearls with Ocean Blue Liquid Pearls  
• Added a baker's twine bow
• Die cut two flowers using the Tim Holtz Tattered Florals Die
• inked up my flowers with Mermaid Lagoon Distress Ink (Ranger)
• stamped the crackle background (Stampin' Up) over them in Blueprint Sketch Distress Ink
• die cut a rose using the 3D flowers Sizzix die and added it to the center of my tattered floral
• popped the circular element up with mounting tape

I would love to see your take on this fun technique, so after you've finished creating - stop by the CURRENT CHALLENGE and link up!! Hope to see you there!

Prairie Thistle

Hello Everyone! Welcome back to the Cropstop blog! Today I'm sharing a card that features a layered die cut image (Prairie Thistle) and a fun way to use your embossing spacers. I've had a lot of fun experimenting with different mixed media products this month, and this card features a few of those as well.

To create my card I:

• brushed some Clear Gesso (Art Basics) over a piece of white card stock
• applied some Seedless Preserved Distress Oxide (Ranger) to the center, spritzed with water, and spread the ink around with a small paintbrush
• using Sponge Daubers, I applied Seedless Preserved Distress Oxide (Ranger) through the Mini North Star Stencil from TCW
• taped my piece of cardstock to the Oval Embossing Spacer and painted through the opening with Platinum Inka Gold  diluted with water

Next I:

• removed the panel and used a Sharpie marker and created faux stitching lines around the inside of the oval 
• die cut the flowers using the Prairie Thistle Die from Memory Box - Poppy Stamps  
• I  cut three from white card stock and one from purple
• I layered the three white one on top of the other and added the purple underneath leaving the petals intact
• the petals were painted with diluted Seedless Preserved Distress Oxide (Ranger)
• die cut two sentiments from phrase one Spellbinders dies - layering one on the other for extra thickness
• last of all I added some pearl centers to my stars using White Opal Liquid Pearls

 The photo below shows the shimmer that the Inka Gold adds to the card.

 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!

Guest Designer - Marsha Drain

Time for another guest design spot here on the Cropstop blog. Today we're sharing another lovely card created by Marsha Drain of Gramma's Room. This time Marsha created a bright and cheery birthday card in pinks using designer paper as one of her main elements.

Marsha says: "The sparkly embossed flowers are part of the designer paper but I added Liquid Pearl centers. I added Stickles to the little bow die cuts on either side of the paper flower.  I used scor tape to adhere the two papers (embossed spots and dots and the designer paper) together as well as under the ribbon. I used Bow Easy, to create the bow and the  Cuttlebug Spots and Dots Embossing Folder for the embossed top." 

 Thanks for sharing your talent with us, Marsha!

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 hope to see YOU there!

Guest Designer - Marsha Drain

It's Guest Design Friday and today we're sharing the talents of Marsha Drain of Gramma's Room. Marsha has created an adorably fun card featuring a cute frog and punny sentiment.

Here's what Marsha says: "

It is fun to make extra special cards for my little grands and this was a fun card to make.  The background is made with designer paper for the sky, Darice Woodgrain embossing folder for the water (inked with Tim Holtz Tumbled Glass Distress Ink), and  die cuts for grass and flowers.  The grass is YNS and the flowers are Cuttlebug.  Cantaloupe Liquid Pearls  were used for the flower centers.  The frog (and sentiment) are by Gina K Designs.  After stamping and coloring the frog, I cut him out with a Spellbinders circle then attached it to the card with a Action Wobble Spring. Also added some Glossy Accents to give him shine."

 Thanks for sharing your talent with us, Marsha!

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!

 

Liquid Pearls - Review

Product Review
Liquid Pearls™ from Ranger Ink
By Gloria Stengel

Does anyone remember using fabric paints? Scribbles® dimensional paints, I think they were called, and they came in every color under the sun? Well, Liquid Pearls™ from Ranger Ink are a waterproof pearl medium, very similar to fabric paints. The difference I noted is that the fabric paints tend to get “rubbery” and to pull away from paper projects. They also tend to crack over time. You can use Liquid Pearls as an embellishment in much the same way as you would use glitter glue or liquid appliqué and they are designed to work on paper AND fabric.

WANT TO HEAR MORE ABOUT LIQUID PEARLS AND HOW TO USE THEM?  CHECK OUT OUR CROPSTOP'S FORUM!

It's Touchy-Feely Friday at 365 cards

The challenge is to incorporate 3 different methods of adding texture to a card. Using products like Stickles or Liquid Pearls will be perfect, since those definitely add texture/dimension. People have until midnight on Saturday the 28th to complete the challenge. Everyone who enters the challenge will be entered into a random drawing for a CROP STOP Gift Certificate (woohoooo!!!), which will take place on Sunday.

Wanna play? Follow the link to 365 cards Challenge blog!!!!