Cards for Kindness Post 6 - Sympathy

Today's Card's for Kindness are different that most of the others I have posted in that I used sentiments from some old Stampin Up wooden stamps that I had in a drawer.  I pulled them out to put them to use with this project. I'm still using the Iron-off Resist Technique from Jennifer McGuire Ink for all the background though!

I began by using the beautiful Vines and Roses CMS298 stamps for my background. As will all the other cards, stamp the background onto the smooth side of a piece of Distress Watercolor Cardstock in Clear Distress Embossing Ink. Then cover with Clear Superfine Detail Embossing Powder and heat emboss. Then color the background with Distress Inks. I used Barn Door and Peeled Paint. Lastly, mist with water and set aside to dry.

When it is dry, lay a new piece of Distress Watercolor Cardstock smooth side down onto the inked side of the stamped piece. Thoroughly iron over them with a hot, dry iron until the embossing powder has had a chance to reheat and soak into the new piece of Watercolor Paper. It should look like the one on the left above.

Ink it the same way you did the first one, mist and let it dry. Notice how the original maintained the detail and white resist but the second one on the left has a softer, more watermark appearance to it. Both lovely!

To make these cards I so loved the backgrounds that I didn't want to cover them up. So I used the Linen stamp from Linen and Mesh CMS221 and inked it with the same Distress Inks, then sprayed it lightly with water and did a watercolor stamp onto another piece of Distress Watercolor Cardstock. I cut two strips and adhered them under each side of the background, machine stitched down both sides and then across the sentiment banner. That's it. Just let all you hard inky work shine on these cards!

I cut two more strips of that linen background but I lightly inked it a bit with Old Paper Distress Ink before adhering it so the white area wasn't so bright and it blended with the darker background on this second card.

I did the same technique with the Vines stamp on that set and inked it with different colors.

Here is what it looks like after you iron it off.

And then when you ink the second print with the same inks.

I used another Stampin Up stamp and these dies were from a set my mom gave me from Anna Griffin.  I again used the same Linen stamp along the side and I cut the front of the card thinner than the back so that you can see the linen before opening it.

I love how this second version seemed to have more green and teal in the outcome.

This last one uses a favorite background stamp that was released at Halloween a few years ago. It is called Ornate from the Ornate & Lace CMS348 set. It is very thing and dainty and I went with an odd color combo for absolutely no reason.

The Black Soot kind of ironed off a little with the embossing powder on this one which I thought was interesting.

The second version turned out much more colorful.

For the second print to run along the right side of the inside of the card, I chose the floral stamp from Dots & Floral CMS220. It's one of those stamps that stamps the solid background and not the floral. I love the effect. Again I trimmed the front of the card by 3/4"-1" so that the floral would show along the side.

 Then I cut a Wildflower Stem from the Wildflower Stems #1 set out of Black Out Cardstock and then simply matted the sentiment by Thomas Moore.

I decided to put all three of these together today because they all used some of my older wooden stamp sentiments and they have a very different feel from all the Snarky Cats and Funny Farm cards. I hope they still inspire you to use your background stamps with this technique and enjoy the experimentation.

Let's go spread some kindness,
Tami

I am an affiliate with Simon Says Stamp and Scrapbook.com so the links below send you to one of those stores depending on which logo you choose.  If you wish to purchase something from either store and use one of my links below, I get a small percentage of your order, at no additional cost to you. This helps me to defray the costs of this blog, the time, the ideas and tutorials I post here. Your help is greatly appreciated! Thank you!

Miss You - Intricate Lace and Haberdashery Scissors

I'm back with a few more favorites from the Tim Holtz Sizzix Chapter 2 die release.  This card is chock full of textures and die cuts so let's get started.

The focal point is a watercolored daisy from the Wildflower Stems 1 thinlit set.

It is framed in one of the dies from the Trinket Frames Bigz die. I have named them the Deco frame (L) and the Bracket Frame (R) These are just names I picked so I knew which on I was talking about.

This set was designed to make frames that fit perfectly inside the Ideaology Trinket Tins. I'll be showing you a few samples with that in the future, but for today's card, I used the frame and the center cutout together to showcase the flower. I cut the frame from a piece of Distress Woodgrain Cardstock. The center is Distress Mixed Media Heavystock that was colored with the Wrinkle Free Distress method using I think Evergreen Bough, Pumice Stone, and maybe Frayed Burlap.

The sentiment was just a piece of brown colored Heavystock and the letters are the new Alpha Numeric Label also cut from Heavystock back with a piece of Sizzix Adhesive Sheet so that the letters would stick on the banner.

The background behind the lace, is a piece of Distress Heavystock colored with Hickory Smoke, and Walnut Stain Distress Inks and then run through the 3-D Lumber texture fade colored with Ground Espresso Archival Ink. 

As an added little bit of interest in the corner of the card, I cut one of the paper clips from the Noted Side Order die set out of the Distress Woodgrain piece that was cut out as the center of the frame.

This noted set is great for planners, but I have found it is perfect for adding just the right finishing touch to a card by bringing in a little bit of an accent texture or accent color with addition of one of the clips, as I did on this card. There are even a couple of shapes that are great for focal points or sentiments on cards. It's a terrific little set!

The Intricate Lace die was used to cut out a piece of linen to lay over the wood grain background. I used a piece of linen from the retired Ideaology Textiles Surfaces. I'm bummed they were retired, and I ended up hoarding multiple packages of them.
Since they are difficult to come by, I recommend grabbing them if you see them. But for those who can't get any, here is an option for you.

You will need a piece of linen fabric. and some sharp scissors. I used the brand new fabric scissors, Haberdashery from Tim Holtz and Tonic Studios. These scissors are super sharp and come in a storage tin. Hopefully that will keep them from being used on things that aren't fabricky.

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Natural fibers and a tight weave are the best type of linen to get. I found several at my local fabric store. I checked the info on the end of the roll to be sure about the information.

In the same section as the linen and muslin, you will find a bunch of interfacing, linings, crinoline and fusible webbing. You will want a piece of paper-backed fusible web, sometimes called Wonder Under.  It must be the paper-backed kind.

The fusible web is a "web" of adhesive that becomes sticky when heated with an iron.  In this picture you can see I pulled the webbing away from the paper a little bit so you could see what I mean. You need to cut the fabric and the fusible webbing into 4.5x6 piece to fit the Intricate Lace Die.

 I used my 6" Haberdashery scissors to cut the fabric into squares. They really are very sharp and since they are tonic they are very sturdy, but light and have a soft grip.

 They cut very cleanly through the linen. Perfect!

If you look carefully you can see one side is shiny with the webbing (bottom one, and the top part is the back that is just the paper surface.

What you do is to put the side with the bumpy webbing toward the back of the fabric you are using.

You adhere it with a hot iron. The iron needs to be set on a high but dry (no steam!), then iron over the paper 5-8 seconds, then let it cool. 

Peel the paper off the back. This leaves that fusible webbing on the back of the fabric now.

 Cut a piece of lightweight cardstock the same size as the fabric. Lay the paper on the web side of the fabric, as shown above. If the webbing extends outside the edges of the paper, flip both over so you don't melt the bits of the webbing around the outside edges onto the bottom of the iron. It makes a HUGE mess. I speak from experience.

 Iron them for about 15 seconds , long enough for the webbing to melt again. Check to be sure the  fabric is completely fused to the paper.

Now you can run the fabric through the die cut. The webbing should keep it from fraying and the paper gives it stability and helps it cut cleanly.  I use the Chrome Precision Plate for cutting all the intricate thinlit dies. It really does make a difference and I recommend getting it if you cut a lot of intricate dies. The right tool for the job makes creating so much easier! You can usually get one from a big box store with a coupon.

I learned from Tim Holtz to run a lint roller over the back of the die and it would pull out some of the bits. It works very well, but be careful as you do it with this technique or you could rip some pieces if the fabric is still attached by threads.

Unfortunately some of the pieces will be stuck by a thread or two and this is where the NEW Haberdashery Scissors from Tim Holtz and Tonic USA comes in to play again. I used the smaller 5" scissors to patiently go through and snip any areas where pieces were attached by threads and to tidy up the edges. This worked so much better with the Haberdashery scissors than with the regular snips. The regular snips don't trim threads and fabric things very well, but the super sharp Haberdashery scissors worked like a dream.

To make the card, I trimmed it to fit the base and now I'll pick it up where I left off with the sample card.

I tacked it to the 3-D lumber background in the middle, added the woodgrain paperclip and then sewed all around the outside edges. I attached the sentiment by zigzagging across one side.

To finish it I tied a piece of dark green Eclectic Elements Craft Thread around the Trinket Frame and attached it with dimensional adhesive.

That's a second method for using the NEW Intricate Lace Thinlit Die. It's really fun to experiment and see what you can get to work and which things just won't cut. So be brave. Experiment with your dies and see what happens.  You just might like the outcome.
Tami

I am an affiliate with Simon Says Stamp and Scrapbook.com so the links below send you to one of those stores depending on which logo you choose.  If you wish to purchase something from either store and use one of my links below, I get a small percentage of your order, at no additional cost to you. This helps me to defray the costs of this blog and the ideas and tutorials I post here, and your help is greatly appreciated! Thank you!

Cherish - Tim Holtz Chapter 2

 

There are some really gorgeous dies coming out in the Chapter 2 Sizzix release from Tim Holtz. These dies are on preorder currently and will be shipping soon! I have links at the end of this blog post.

On this spring Etcetera tag, I wanted to showcase two of my new favorites, Intricate Lace and Crochet.

The background is made of the Intricate Lace die. This is perfect for the background on an A4 card, but you can lay it next to itself and cut it twice or more to make a long lace piece as you see above.

I added a piece of Crochet lace across the bottom. This Crochet lace comes in two styles, each in two sizes. It is incredibly detailed and I love it so much. this die can also cut longer pieces of lace if it is laid end to end.

 Once you cut a piece of Intricate Lace twice from some Kraftstock, to make a large enough piece to fit over the Etcetera Tag, and one piece of Crochet to fit along the bottom, you are ready to move on.

 Use Distress Collage Medium to lay a coat over the tag. Place the Lace and Crochet dies into the Collage Medium and press them down. Make sure the decorative top of the Crochet piece covers the bottom edge of the Intricate Lace piece. It's a lovely scallop and gives the piece a finished look. Then cover the entire piece with another coat of Distress Collage Medium.

 Once it is completely dry, and you can use a heat tool, trim around the edges and lightly sand them to to give a soft, finished edge all the way around. I used my snips to trim the bits from the tag hole.

 Paint the entire piece with the color of your choice. The one in the picture here is painted with Antique Linen, but my Cherish sample tag was painted with Picket Fence.

Again, once it is completely dry, you want to go over the entire surface lightly and sand away some of the paint so the Kraftstock shows through. Sadly the Tim Holtz sanding block is retired, but I love it and would recommend getting something similar if you can. I recently bought several at a store with a weekday in it's name. :-D

Here is a close up that allows you to see the worn, shabby look of the tag. Isn't that Intricate Lace Beautiful?
Once I had the tag completed, I turned to the bouquet. For this I used the Chapter 1 Wildflower Stems 1 die set.

I chose the greenery piece on the far left and the flower on the far right. I cut multiple greenery pieces from Distress Mixed Media Heavystock. I also cut one full flower and two additional blossoms.

The greenery was colored with Shabby Shutters and Bundled Sage Distress Ink and edges with the Shabby Shutters Marker. The Flower was colored with Tattered Rose.

As you can see the Wildflower Stems aren't flat. None of them are. That's because I used the Sizzix Paper Sculpting Tool Kit to shape them and give them a little dimension.  Also, for the flower, I colored, shaped, and then attached three of the blossoms together. This really gave it even more dimension.

To finish it off I colored a small piece of seam binding with Tattered Rose Distress Ink and then used the new Alpha Numeric Label letters to spell out the word Cherish mounted on a small strip of Kraftstock.

Isn't the Crochet lace die just lovely?  It really looks like a piece of lace but it's paper!

Thank you so much for stopping by to see the details on this piece. I really love how it turned out.
Tami

I am an affiliate with Simon Says Stamp and Scrapbook.com so the links below send you to one of those stores depending on which logo you choose.  If you wish to purchase something from either store and use one of my links below, I get a small percentage of your order, at no additional cost to you. This helps me to defray the costs of this blog and the ideas and tutorials I post here, and your help is greatly appreciated! Thank you!