Cathy's Favorite Projects of 2013

Happy Friday!  It's Cathy here. My turn to share my favorite projects from 2013.  As I went back through the year to find my fav's, I could really see that I did far less creating in 2013. I've got to work on that! I'm a much happier person when I get to create!

Wanted: Lost Socks

Wedding Favor Tic-Tac covers for my niece's wedding. (Apparently I never posted this to my blog!)

Spring Bouquet Box

Never a Dull Moment

Sketching with Silhouette

A Little Hello Card

Mixed Media Journal

Silent Night Canvas

They are each linked back to the original blog posts so you scan see the details on how they were made. Except for the wedding favors, which I apparently never shared. Ooops!

Pam shared her favorite pages from 2013 HERE. Over the next week or so many of the other Contributing Artists will also be sharing their favorite pages and projects too.  We hope this gets you inspired to create!

VISIT THE CONTRIBUTOR'S BLOGS/GALLERIES
Cathy Dippolito
Dolores Schaeffer
Cindy deRosier
Lesley Walker
Gael Spence
Sarah Routledge
Sharon Fritchman
Tanya Ham
Sheila Burns
Pam Callaghan

Photo Memorial Ornament

This is by far the most precious gift that I gave this Christmas. I created this for my mother-in-law.  My father-in-law passed away several years ago. He is greatly missed by all who knew him.  When the gift is this special, it really is a treat to create. The more work involved, the more time I got to spend reflecting on what made this man such a special part of the lives he touched.

You may be wondering how I got his photo on the ornament. I have a beautiful portrait of my in-laws. I scanned it into Photoshop. Next I created a black and white, high contrast image.  I then worked to get just him isolated.

I brought that photo into my Silhouette Design Studio software and traced the image. I then worked to smooth out all the little dots and such to create a usable image. I cut the image from black vinyl and applied it to a glass ornament. I had already glittered the inside of the glass ornament before applying the vinyl pieces.

On the other side of the ornament I placed the "Little bit of Heaven" phrase that I also cut from vinyl. Applying the itty-bitty-tiny letters was a bit tricky. Even using transfer paper, many still needed to be placed individually.  To be sure that this will last a while, I sprayed it with a coat of decoupage sealing spray.

Ribbons helped to finish off the cap and dress up the ornament a bit.

To present this gift, I made a special box. I used a box shape available in the Silhouette online store by Samantha Walker. I modified it to make it large enough to fit the ornament with the bows attached.  I used an acetate sheet for the window, some Christmas paper cut with a lace border punch and more ribbons on top to dress up the box.

This was the one gift I was really excited to give this year. I think she liked it!

Silent Night Canvas from a Digital Stamp

Would you believe this canvas was created using a digital stamp? It was!  Seriously!  The digital stamp that inspired me is Silent Night Digital Stamp from Arty Pants Digital Stamps and is available at The DigiChick. It just released today!!! So it's on sale right now!  Hurry to grab it for yourself!

The wonderful designer created these stamps in several sizes so they can easily be used for cards, scrapbooking or even to create wall art. She also provides layered versions of each stamp, so you can easily clip digital papers to them!

The canvas I used is a 9x12, it was already stretched on the wood base.  I mixed a few paints to get a blue color that I was happy with, then painted a few layers on the canvas.  While that was drying, I used the 8x10 version of the stamp. I brought it into Silhouette Studio and traced it to create cut lines.  I cut it from matte white Oracal vinyl (outdoor).  The stars are from 2 different Silhouette shapes available from Silhouette. Nativity (shape 52103) and Wise men still seek him (shape 35315). I cut the stars from gold vinyl.

I wanted the canvas to have a slight aged/primitive look to it. So I took some white ink and dabbed it around the edges to give it an aged effect.  I then layered the vinyl, the gold stars first then the white letters on top.

Now I've got a beautiful holiday wall art to help us stay focused on the true meaning of Christmas!

Etching Glass

This isn't a scrapbooking craft, but I did use some of my scrapbooking tools to do this. I've seen so many wonderful glass etching projects and had really been wanted to try it myself.  Then along cam an opportunity. My sister was getting married this past summer and I wanted to make something special for her shower gift. The shower theme was to stock the pantry. I decided to make her a customized casserole dish. This way when she makes all her yummy food to share at parties and gatherings, everyone will know which dish is hers!

I didn't think to take photos as I was doing this. So I just have a few that I took with my cell phone.  I bought a glass casserole dish that had a fairly flat bottom with not much writing or impressions on it. Then I took a measurement of the space I had to work with on the bottom of the dish.

I used my Silhouette Cameo for this project.I laid out my design in the software, being certain to constrain myself to the measurement of the casserole dish bottom. 

 Before cutting the design, I mirrored it in the Silhouette software. I then cut it out of vinyl. And weeded out the portions where I wanted the glass etching to take place.  This part can trip you up. Typically you weed out the waste areas and keep the design. But for this type of project you'll actually weed out the design elements so that those areas of the glass are exposed.

Using transfer tape, I applied the vinyl to the bottom of the casserole. I used a squeegee to make sure the vinyl was tightly adhered. The bubbles in the vinyl are fine. The vinyl will not be staying on the dish. It is just acting as a stencil.

Once the vinyl is in place, you apply the glass etching cream. There are a few on the market. I used Etchall. I only had a small jar and it was more than enough for this project. Plus you can gather the excess and put it back in the jar to be reused.

Spread the cream liberally to cover ONLY the areas that you want etched.  Be very careful to not get it on any other areas.

Now you just wait.  15 minutes. Then you can scrape the cream off the project and put it back in the jar.  Then remove the adhesive vinyl under running water.  And enjoy your permanently etched glass!

The vinyl left a bit of residue on the glass. I used some Goo-Gone to take that off.

I was so happy with the results. Especially since this was my very first time using this technique. Now I'm thinking of lots ideas for using etching cream!

Designer Showcase: Non-layout projects

Hi everyone. Pam here again for a non-layout edition of designer showcase. I know we feature lots of pages here and I thought is would be nice to have a post again with just projects (altered, home decor etc). Let's see what the contributors have in store for us ;) ;)


Wow. Lesley created this mixed- media canvas. I can't help thinking this would look so good in my scrap room. *wink wink . So many cool things to look out here. Let's hear how Lesley made this, "Started with putting a coast of Gesso over the entire surface, when dry I've used some of the metallic based paints I purchased when doing the class with Finnibair, they are really shimmery and beautiful, then applied water and let some of it run.  A bit of stamping, some lace and very fine tulle, then more paint.  Finished with one of my fav things to do at the moment and thats playing with my Julie Nutting Prima doll stamps, then added a couple of die cuts to finish it off."

Here is a super cool project Sharon made for Halloween a few years ago. This is so creative with the boo coming from the chimney and all of the "spooky" elements. I also love the polka dots throughout the project!

I adore what Sheila made here. How many if us having a ton of crayons sitting around not being used. What a great way to make art out of these crayons!!! Sheila got her idea from pinterest and did a great job making it her own ;).

Tanya created our last project.This would be great as home decor don't you think??? Love her creativity here. This is what Tanya said about her project," I saw this saying in the Silhouette Store awhile back, and thought it would be a perfect addition to the decor in my in-laws new lake cabin.  My FIL is an avid fisherman, and I found an adorable SVG shape to use with the saying.  I cut the saying out of brown adhesive vinyl, and it went on the background paper so easily!  I used lots of complimentary colors from a DCWV stack to paper-piece the fisherman.  I put it all together in an 8x8 frame.  They loved it, and it is now at the cabin!"

I hope you loved these projects as much as me today!!!!

VISIT THE CONTRIBUTOR'S BLOGS/GALLERIES
Cathy Dippolito
Dolores Schaeffer
Cindy deRosier
Marlene Murphy
Lesley Walker
Gael Spence
Sarah Routledge
Sharon Fritchman
Tanya Ham
Sheila Burns
Pam Callaghan
 

Tile Coasters

Looking for a quick, easy, but personalized project that you can do as a gift? Or maybe to help spruce up your own home?  Try making some tile coasters using your digital or traditional paper crafting supplies.

Hey there! It's Cathy here, I'm going to share a tutorial for making tile coasters. Now, I made these back in the Fall to give as a Christmas gift. So I'm using some holiday motifs on mine. You can use anything that you like. You could make a set for everyday use or a set for various holidays, or maybe themed for using when celebrating a birthday.  

You can pick up the tiles at any home improvement store. You might even have some lying around from a leftover home project. Stock up on a few and you can make several sets at once. The only hard part will be picking out which ones to give and which ones to keep!

Supplies you will need:

Decoupage adhesive

Decoupage sealer (optional)

Scissors

Scrapbook paper (digital or traditional)

4"x4" Square Ceramic or Stone Tiles

Bristle paint brush

Felt
** If using digital scrapbook kit you'll also need:

Photo editing software

Inkjet paper 

Printer

I used Beacon Adhesive Fast Finish Decoupage and Decoupage Glass Sealer for this. You could also use Mod Podge or your favorite brand of decoupage medium.

1. Clean square tiles using a damp cloth. Allow to dry completely.

2. Select elements or paper to use.  If using digital scrapbook kit, resize them to fit on tile, if necessary, in photo editing software. Print.  

3. Cut out the elements, or trim the paper to fit on the tile. Cut the papers slightly smaller than the tile.

4. Using slightly damp bristle brush, apply a coat of decoupage medium to tile. 

5. While decoupage medium is still wet, adhere cut out element/paper to tile. Smooth over surface to remove any bubbles.

6. Apply thin coat of decoupage medium over top of element/paper on tile using bristle brush. Allow to dry.

7. Apply additional 2-3 coats of decoupage medium to tile and allow to dry thoroughly between coats.

8. Protect the work surface with a craft mat or waxed paper. Spray decoupaged tile with gloss sealer to seal. Hold bottle about 6 inches from tile and spray top coat. Allow to dry. (Optional)

9. Cut felt to fit the bottom of the tile. And adhere.  

10. Wrap them up in a pretty bow for gift giving.

Here are the supplies that I used: 

Digital Kit: "Penguin Pals Digital Kit Bundle" by Paper Garden Projects

Paper: Epson Premium Presentation Matte

Adhesive: Beacon Adhesives 3-in-1 Advanced Craft Glue, Decoupage Gloss Sealer, Fast Finish Decoupage Glue

The tiles were left over from a home improvement project that we did. If you have some, this is a great way to "upcycle" them.

Where Do Lost Socks Go?

If you're looking for our 1,000 Post Party and Give-away, you can scroll down one post or click here.  Don't miss out on all the fun!!

In my house, we have this increasing set of socks that have lost their mates.  They have taken up real estate on my dresser. I wanted to find a more appropriate place for them to hang out while they wait for their match. So I created this missing sock board/sign to hang in my laundry room.

This started out as a plain unfinished wooden plaque.  I found some scrapbook paper that I really like. I'd say that it goes with my laundry room decor, but my laundry "room" isn't so much a room as it is the stairway landing to the basement! Not much "decor" going on there!  The paper is My Mind's Eye: Lost & Found Two - Sunshine: Memories "Sweet".  I also got some acrylic paint to match. I painted the board with 2 coats of the paint to be certain it was covered.

I then cut the paper to fit and rounded the corners. I inked the paper edges with Ranger Distress Ink Vintage Photo.  I also inked the edges of the wood to give it a more distressed and "old west" look. After all, it is a "wanted" sign!  I decoupaged the paper to the wood using some Mod Podge.

I cut the "WANTED" from brown vinyl using my Silhouette Cameo and adhered it to the sign.  I then gave everything a light coat of Mod Podge (hoping that helps to keep it in tip top shape for years to come!).

The clothes pins got a bit of the distress ink on the edges too. They are hot glued in place.  Now they hold the unmatched socks in need of a mate. Even the ones that are a bit worn and stained!  Talk about airing my dirty laundry! :)

Dress up a Tin Box

Hi there, it's Cathy here with a hybrid project for you today.  What's hybrid? It's the combination of digital and tradition crafting. You may think that it requires an extra step of getting the digital products out of the computer and into your hands, but there are some great benefits to hybrid. The one I like best is that I can re-use digital papers over and over again!

The project I'm sharing today is dressing up a tin box. You could use this for presenting a special gift, or keep some cherished items in.

The digital papers that I used are from the digital Kit "Cherries Jubilee" by Kristin Cronin Barrow.
Here's how I made this box:
1. Select two digital papers to use for flowers and one for leaves.

2. Open digital paper selections in photo editing software and prepare for printing.

  3. Print selected digital papers on inkjet cardstock ( I used Red River Linen 60lb)

4. Use large and medium flower punch (Paper Shapers Retro Flower)to punch required number of petals to create flowers. For the twisted rose, punch three large flowers and one medium flower. For a rose, punch three large flowers. For the open rose, punch one large flower and two medium flowers. For the small rose, punch three medium flowers.

5.Work on a soft surface such as the back of a foam mouse pad. Create two twisted rose flowers. Use three large and one medium punched flower for each of these. Spritz the flowers lightly with water to make them easy to manipulate. Using tweezers, hold the middle of a petal and twist it about 90 percent.

 
6. Push the twisted petal in towards the middle of the flower. Repeat for the remaining petals on all three large punched flowers.

7. Using your fingers, scrunch medium punched flower in to a ball. The image below shows one punched medium flower and one that has been scrunched.

8. Lay one of the large punched twisted flowers on the work surface. Place a drop of liquid adhesive in the center (I used Beacon Adhesives 3-IN-1 Advanced Craft Glue). Layer another large punched twisted flower on top, alternating the petals. Use the handle of a small paint brush to push the center of the flower into the foam work surface to shape and adhere the flower. Repeat with third large punched twisted flower.

9. Add a drop of liquid adhesive in the center. Using tweezers, place the scrunched medium punched flower in the center to complete the twisted rose. Set aside to dry.

 

10. Create three rosettes. Use three medium punched flowers for each. Push the center of one of the flowers into the foam surface using the handle of a small paint brush.

11. Repeat step 10 for the two remaining medium punched flowers, making them each slightly tighter than the previous flower. There will be three shaped flowers pieces of varying openness as shown in the image below.

12. Layer the three shaped flower pieces starting with the most open on the bottom. Add a drop of liquid adhesive in the center and layer the middle open flower piece on top. Add a drop of liquid adhesive to the bottom of the tightest flower piece. Using tweezers, insert it into the middle of the two layered flowers to complete the rosette. Set aside to dry.

13. Create one rose. Use three large punched flowers. Use the handle of a small paint brush or stylus to curl the petals on one punched flower under.

14. Using the handle of a small paint brush, push the center of the remaining two large punched flowers into the foam surface.

 
15. Make one of the flowers tighter by squeezing it against the handle of the paint brush.

16. Layer the three shaped flower pieces using the same technique that was used to layer the rosettes. Start with the most open flower on the bottom and end with the tightest flower on the top. The image below shows the three shaped layers, most open on the right and tightest on the left.

17. This completes the creation of the flowers. See image below to identify each flower type.

 
18. Punch leaves from green digital paper.

19. Prepare the tin by coloring it with inks. Color the outside of the lid and base. Simply place dots of alcohol ink on the tin surface. Use an alcohol ink applicator tool to spread or overlap the inks if desired. Allow the inks to dry. Below is a picture of the tin prior to coloring with the inks. The inked tin is seen below in step 20.

20. Once the ink has dried, spray the lid and base of the tin with Beacon Decoupage Gloss Sealer. This will seal the inks and provide a nice smooth, glossy surface to the tin.

 
21. Wrap ribbon around the lid of the tin using fabric adhesive (I used Beacon Adhesives Fabri-Tac)

22. Adhere rhinestone sticker to lid.

23. Cut dimensional glue dots in fourths using non stick scissors

 
24. Use the cut glue dots to adhere the flowers and leaves to lid.

Here are some additional photos of the tin.