Thankful Jars (& Free Printable!) {The Twinery}

Can you believe how quickly Thanksgiving is approaching?! I was totally caught off-guard recently as I realized that Thanksgiving is next. week. 

I wanted to come up with something cute to decorate with, and I wanted it to be something simple enough to share (and re-create) with my daughter's Girl Scout troop.
Enter the "thankful jar":

No, the idea of a thankful jar isn't new, but...well...it's another reason to decorate a mason jar! (And I sure love mason jars - don't you?)

I decorated two different jars - one feels a little more "Fall" and one feels a little more "Winter" - but I was just going for variety and fun colors.

It was a simple process: wrap jars with glittered burlap, add a pop of color by wrapping with The Twinery's twine, stick in a few paper leaves, and finish it off with a twine-tied button. 

I used The Twinery's Solid Caribbean and Solid Strawberry twines on these jars, but there are a lot more solid and striped options to choose from!

The point of the thankful jar is to add in little notes of what you are thankful for, so I created this printable to coordinate with my jars:

{Click here to get the FREE printable - for personal use only}

Do you do a thankful jar (or some other "thankful" tradition) for Thanksgiving? I'd love to hear about it - just leave a comment!

Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies: 
Twine: The Twinery (Solid Caribbean, Solid Strawberry); 
Patterned Paper: My Mind's Eye;
Tools: Fiskars (Squeexe Punches, Scissors); Tim Holtz (Tiny Attacher);

Hope your day is a HOOT! {Unity Stamp Company}

I am thrilled to be able to sneak into this week's Unity blog hop!
Although I am not technically a part of the Unity Design Team, I am one of Unity's Artists...so I was able to squeeze my way in. :o)

I am excited to share my tags with you today! To create them, I used two new stamp kits (You are a HOOT and Hoot Hoot Hooray) with some little owls and sentiments that I created for Unity Stamp Company:

I hope you love these little owls! I had fun creating them!

Don't forget: for today's blog hop, Unity is giving away two great prize packages! Be sure to leave a comment on each blog in the hop (including the Unity blog) to be entered to win. (The winners will be announced on the Unity blog.)

Continue hopping on through to the Unity blog, and then go shopping!

Thanks for stopping by today!
Supplies: 
Stamps: Unity Stamp Company (You are a HOOT, Hoot Hoot Hooray); 
Patterned Paper: My Mind's Eye (The Sweetest Thing - Lavender 6x6); Studio Calico (Brighton Pier 6x6);
Twine: The Twinery (Solid Strawberry, Solid Caribbean); 
Colored Pencils: Prang (various colors);
Pen: Sakura (Jelly Roll Medium- White);
Tags: (13 Point Cardstock Shipping Tags - Manila: 4 3/4" x 2 3/8");
Tools: Fiskars (Trimmer, Scissors); Tim Holtz (Tiny Attacher);

Hello Card

Well...it's been awhile since I have shared a card here, so I thought it was time to come back and say 'Hello' to card making:

This is a simple one to get back into the swing of things, but I love how it turned out. I've been doing a lot of crafting lately and have much more to come...soon. 

Stay tuned!

Supplies: 
Cardstock: Papertrey Ink (Rustic Cream); 
Vellum: Papertrey Ink (Vellum);
Patterned Paper: American Crafts - Crate Paper (Maggie Holmes - Flea Market);
Dies: Serendipity Stamps (Hello Die);
Tools: Fiskars (Trimmer, Scissors); Scor-Pal (Scoring Board); Tim Holtz (Tiny Attacher);

Celebrate BIG & Warm Wishes {Craftwell Guest Designer}

{I am today's Guest Designer for Craftwell - check it out!}

I am so excited to be a Guest Designer for Craftwell today! 

Craftwell sent me the Love Triangles embossing folder to work with (from the Teresa Collins Collection) and I had so much fun with it! I created two cards to share with you today:

Both cards used the embossing folder in the same way (I used it to emboss vellum for an overlay), but the results for the cards are very different. I wanted to go bright and fun with the Celebrate BIG card, but keep it warm and cozy with the Warm Wishes card.

The embossed vellum overlay on the Celebrate BIG card is placed over a background that I created using watercolor paints. I punched out a portion of the vellum to highlight the sentiment, then I wrapped the card with twine and added some enamel dot "confetti" to finish it off.

The Warm Wishes card makes me think of a snowy day, sitting in the warm house and drinking some hot chocolate. It is a simple, neutral color palette, but the embossing adds some great texture. 

Thanks for visiting today - have a great day!

Celebrate BIG Card Supplies: 
Embossing Folder: Craftwell (Teresa Collins Collection - Love Triangles);
Cardstock: Canson (140# Cold Press Watercolor Paper);
Vellum: Papertrey Ink (Vellum);
Stamps: Unity Stamp Company (Celebrate Big);
Ink: Ranger (Archival - Jet Black); 
Paint: Master's Touch (Watercolors - Magenta, Orange, Yellow);
Twine: The Twinery (Solid Charcoal); 
Other: Studio Calico (Enamel Dots);
Tools: Fiskars (Trimmer, Scissors); Scor-Pal (Scoring Board); Tim Holtz (Tiny Attacher);

Warm Wishes Card Supplies:
Embossing Folder: Craftwell (Teresa Collins Collection - Love Triangles);
Cardstock: Papertrey Ink (Rustic Cream);
Vellum: Papertrey Ink (Vellum);
Stamps: Unity Stamp Company (Retro Warm Wishes);
Ink: Tsukineko (Chalk Ink - Sahara Sand);
Twine: The Twinery (Solid Natural);
Tools: Fiskars (Trimmer, Scissors); Scor-Pal (Scoring Board);

Easter Eggs (Four Ways) Using Your Craft Supplies

Well...it's no secret that Easter is right around the corner. Although I believe the Easter holiday is all about Jesus (and not about some Easter bunny), I can't deny that Easter and eggs go together. I decided to see what I could do using my craft supplies (washi tape, twine, Color Shine mists, and watercolor paint) to decorate some eggs.

For the first set of eggs, I used some washi tape and twine to decorate these eggs. The tissue tape from Tim Holtz went on the eggs fabulously - I love the vintage look and the thinness of the tape helped it to lay on nicer than some other washi tapes I tried. I finished off the eggs with The Twinery's Solid Natural & Solid Caribbean twine.

For the second set of eggs, I used mists (Heidi Swapp's Color Shine) to create a marbled effect. For this technique, I laid each egg on a piece of plastic wrap, sprayed the egg heavily with Color Shine, and then loosley wrapped the egg, allowing the plastic wrap to scrunch up around the egg. After the mist had dried, I was left with this beautiful, marbled look.

I gave washi tape another try for this next set of eggs. I did a couple different techniques, with the small pieces of tape giving the least wrinkled look. I do like the wrinkled look for some purposes, but when you are looking for a smoother application your best bet will be to use small pieces of washi tape, collage style.

The last look I attempted was an ombré effect. For this one, I used my basic watercolor paints and a paint brush - but instead of painting with water, I painted with vinegar. This allows the paint to dry more quickly and keeps the colors vibrant.

No matter how you dye it, twine it, washi it, or mist it...I hope you have a fantastic Easter. 

He is risen!

Supplies:
Washi Tape: My Mind's Eye (Pink Chevron, Gold Polka Dots); Pretty Little Washi Tape (Aqua Polka Dot, Green Floral); Tim Holtz (Nostalgic); etsy (Blue Lace);
Twine: The Twinery (Solid Caribbean, Solid Natural); 

Other: Crayola (Watercolor Paints);
Tools: Fiskars (Scissors); 

Beauty of Your Dreams

Today's card is one that I created using my Distress Stain/Shaving Cream tutorial to create the marbled cardstock background.
I stamped the image, border, and sentiment on my marbled cardstock background and then added some Matte Black Shimmer twine to finish it off.

I used a stamp set/company that is unfortunately no longer around, but I just liked this card enough that I wanted to share anyway.

Have a wonderful day!

Supplies:
Cardstock: Discount Cardstock (Brilliant White 130#);
Stamps: Market Street Stamps (Dreamcatcher);
Ink: Ranger (Archival - Jet Black);
Twine: The Twinery (Matte Black Shimmer); 
Color Media: Ranger (Distress Stains - Spun Sugar, Victorian Velvet, Spiced Marmalade, Wild Honey);
Other: Barbasol (Shaving Cream);
Tools: Fiskars (Trimmer, Scissors); We R Memory Keepers (Corner Chomper - 3/8" Round); Scor-Pal (Scoring Board);

Stamped Necklace

Today's project is something different for me - jewelry.

I started out by just playing around with my Copic markers, shrink plastic, and my Quatrefoil background stamp and wasn't really sure what was going to come of it. 

I first colored the shrink plastic with various green Copic markers creating an ombre effect, then stamped the Quatrefoil background. Once I had colored and stamped it, I used my Spellbinders dies to cut out various shapes and then punched holes so I would be able to hang them as charms. 

I used my heat tool to shrink the plastic, added some jump rings, and then threaded the charms onto my necklace along with a few beads and some Tim Holtz metal pieces.

I'm not big on jewelry, but I do think this is a fun way to get a little more mileage out of those crafting supplies!

Thanks for stopping by today!

Supplies: 

Stamps: Unity Stamp Company (Quatrefoil);
Ink: Ranger (Archival - Jet Black);
Dies: Spellbinders (Wonky Square, Heart, Circle);
Markers: Copic;
Accents: Tim Holtz (Sprocket, Trinket Pin, Jump Rings);
Other: (Shrink Plastic); (Beading Wire); (Glass Beads); 

Distress Stain/Shaving Cream Tutorial {Marbled Cardstock}

I've got a fun technique to share - I haven't seen this particular combo anywhere yet, folks!

To begin, you will need:

• Tim Holtz Distress Stains
• Barbasol Shaving Cream (or another white foam shaving cream)
• Wax Paper
• A paintbrush (or something you can 'stir' with)
• Heavy white cardstock (You can find my favorite here) 

Start by placing a sheet of wax paper on your work surface and squeezing out some of the Distress Stains - you just want a little puddle of color. For this tutorial I worked with the following Distress Stains: Spiced Marmalade, Wild Honey, Spun Sugar, and Victorian Velvet.

{Tip: If you are working with more than one color of Distress Stain, leave a little space between the puddles.}

Now you can shake up your can of shaving cream and squirt a bit on!

I like to add another sheet of wax paper on top to help flatten it out a bit, but I bet if you like to get really messy you could just use your hands. {The bonus about using a second sheet of wax paper is that you will end up having two portions to work with. Just peel them apart and set one aside for a second round.}

Use the end of a paintbrush (or whatever other handy stirring device you may have close by) and swirl the shaving cream and Distress Stains. You will start to see the color swirling into the shaving cream - it already looks beautiful!

Take your cardstock (I've cut mine down to a standard 4 1/4" x 5 1/2" - perfect to fill the front of a card) and press it into the shaving cream mixture. {I prefer to press it down to make sure the entire front is covered.}
Lift your cardstock panel out of the shaving cream and scrape it off or wipe it away with a paper towel. You will be left with a beautifully marbled piece of cardstock. (You can even try smashing two cardstock panels together here to get two marbled pieces in one shot.)

{For the pictures above I have placed my cardstock panel only into the side of my work surface containing the Spiced Marmalade and Wild Honey Distress Stains.}

You should be able to use your shaving cream mixture a few times - I was able to get about 4-6 panels when I was doing mine. Sometimes I would scrape the mixture back into a pile to work with - it created a more subtle marbling, but provided great all-over color.
When you are done with the first round, go back and do it all over again with the wax paper you used to help flatten it all out previously - have fun with it!

Be sure to stay tuned - I've got a few projects I created using this technique that I will be sharing.

Supplies:
Cardstock: Discount Cardstock (Brilliant White 130#); 
Ink: Ranger (Distress Stains - Spiced Marmalade, Wild Honey, Spun Sugar, Victorian Velvet);
Tools: Fiskars (Trimmer);

Canvas Mini Albums

Back in early January when I was creating projects for CHA I decided to create a mini album for each of our kids featuring an overview of the first weeks/months after their birth.
Our kids love to look at pictures and since I've started making mini albums I've seen a bit of extra joy when they pull one off the shelf.
I wanted to create something easy enough to create in triplicate, yet still make them individual for each of our kids.



I started by creating a canvas cover for each album - each with a similar basic idea, just with a bit of difference in the stitching.
Each album is created using a combination of papers that have been cut to 6x6 or cut to 6x12 and folded in half to create a 6x6 pocket.



Each album also carries a few elements throughout, which helps pull it all together (and also made it easy to create in a timely fashion). If each page had been done with it's own theme/scheme as a traditional 12x12 page these albums would surely still be sitting in pieces.



Each album was then punched and bound using my Cinch...love that thing!

Thanks so much for stopping by today!
I'd love it if you'd leave a comment and let me know what you think.

Supplies:
Patterned Paper: Authentique Paper (Various Collections);
Embellishments: Maya Road; Ranger (Tim Holtz);
Mists: Ranger (Perfect Pearls Mists);
Other: Canvas; Washi Tape;
Tools: Fiskars (Trimmer, Scissors, Rotary Cutter); Scor-Pal (Scoring Board);

Let the twine take center stage!

{As seen today on The Twinery's blog}


It is still so hard for me to believe that it is already December (and almost 2012)!

I have been so blessed to be able to be on The Twinery's Design Team this year and I must admit that I am sad to see all these final posts and goodbyes from some of my amazing teammates over on The Twinery's blog.

Like many of The Twinery's fans, I am crossing my fingers for a spot on next year's Design Team, but if I don't make the cut this will be my final official post for The Twinery.
No matter what happens, I will continue to use The Twinery's beautiful products and will continue to support The Twinery in whatever way I can.


I believe that The Twinery's twine is a beautiful product and there are so many great options to let the twine take center stage on your projects.

One way to showcase your twine is to create a pattern or shape with it. For this card I created these "heart strings" from Maraschino, Pink Sorbet, and Blossom twine:


The Twinery's twine also looks beautiful when crocheted.


For this tag I crochet a wreath from Peapod twine and topped it off with a little bow of Maraschino twine:


Sometimes it is just best to let the twine shine in a place where there would normally be something like string:


The tree garland was created with Maraschino twine and the bow features both Maraschino and Honeydew twine.


{If you joined us for The Twinery & Market Street Stamps blog hop you may have already seen this one...but I thought it was worth sharing again.}

Thanks for joining me here today and I wish each and every one of you:


this holiday season and throughout the new year!


Me + You Card Supplies:
Twine: The Twinery (Maraschino, Pink Sorbet, Blossom);
Cardstock: Bazzill (Tutu Pink);
Stamps: Market Street Stamps (Simple Joys);
Ink: Tsukineko (Pixie Dust);
Adhesive: Ranger (Matte Accents);
Tools: Fiskars (Trimmer, Scissors); Martha Stewart/EK Success (Scoring Board);

Take Time To Believe Tag Supplies:
Twine: The Twinery (Maraschino, Peapod);
Chipboard: Kraft Outlet;
Stamps: Market Street Stamps (Simple Joys);
Ink: Tsukineko (VersaMark); Memento (Rich Cocoa - marker and ink pad); Ranger (Distress Stain - Antique Linen);
Twill: May Arts;
Tools: Fiskars (Trimmer, Scissors); Crochet hook;

Joy Tree Supplies:
Twine: The Twinery (Maraschino, Honeydew);
Stamps: Market Street Stamps (Argyle, Simple Joys, Blast Off);
Ink: Tsukineko (Tea Leaves, Red Magic);
Cardstock: Georgia Pacific (White);
Other: Shrinky Dink (Shrink plastic);
Template: Tifany DeGough;
Tools: Fiskars (Trimmer, Scissors, Round N Round Squeeze Punch - Large, 1/8" Round Hand Punch); Tim Holtz (Tiny Attacher); Ranger (Heat Gun);

{Peace. Love. Joy.} Tag Supplies:
Twine: The Twinery (Lilac, Lemondrop, Mandarin, Pink Sorbet);
Cardstock: Georgia Pacific (White);
Stamps: Market Street Stamps (Joyful Snowman, So Happy);
Ink: Tsukineko (Purple Hydrangea);
Dies: Spellbinders (Floral Doily Motifs);
Other: (Christmas light beads);