Steampunk Bird Tag

The absurdity of steampunk is one of the things that makes use of the images fascinating. Only the imagination can limit the possibilities. Where else could you find a mechanical bird wearing a top hat?



You'll find the details on this project from page 97 of the August 2011 issue of Crafts 'n things here. The Steampunk Works stamp set is by Oxford Impressions. All other products are from Ranger ® including the oversized manila tag.

30 Minute Card Ideas: Butterfly Silhouette Tag

When I look at this tag, I feel like belting out a line from a Julie Andrus number in The Sound of Music: "These are a few of my favorite things." What could make it any better for a stamper than Tim Holtz™ Distress Inks and a great collage image? Only sparkle, and there's lots of it in this tag published on page 73 in the April 2011 issue of Crafts 'n things®. Black Sparkle embossing powder, Sparkle Sunflower Perfect Pearls™, Suze Weinberg's Beadazzles™, lots of Tim Holtz™ Distress™ inks, Stickles™ Glitter Glue, and of course Inkssentials™ Glossy Accents™.


As always, the instructions for 30 Minute projects are online. You can find the details here.

ATCs – Beyond Trading: Seasonal Door Hangers

When I was a little girl, I loved Halloween. It was a magical experience. Although I don't care for the taste, I still eat candy corn in October and reminisce about homemade popcorn balls. As an adult, these door hangers provide little reminders of the simplicity of childhood. You'll find the details on page 54 of the October 2010 issue of Crafts ‘n Things.

The stamps are from the Trick or Treat plate by Oxford Impressions. The door hangers feature Ranger® inks: Archival™ Ink, Adirondack® Dye Ink, and Tim Holtz™ Distress Ink. Tim Holtz™ Distress™ Stickles™ Glitter Glue and Inkssentials™ Glossy Accents™ provide the highlights.

ATCs – Beyond Trading: Casablanca Luggage Tag and Card

Rising temperatures and high humidity mean summer has arrived, and summers are synonymous with vacations. While budget may limit destination, there are no restrictions on stamping adventures. You can find mine on page 89 of the August 2010 issue of Crafts 'n Things.
The automobile on my ATC luggage tag is appropriate though my travel will not include a flight to Paris. The stamps for this tag and the complimentary card are all from the Casablanca plate from Oxford Impressions. You'll need Ranger®'s Archival™ Ink and Tim Holtz™ Distress Ink Pads for this sophisticated palette.

Looking for romance? What could be more romantic than Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman? Add an ATC to a card front, and you'll be transported to Casablanca. "Just Believe." In addition to the supplies for the luggage tag, this card uses Inkssentials™ Sepia Accents™.

Check out Crafts 'n Things for detailed instructions to recreate these projects.

Classically Alice Ensemble

When Suzanne Melvin of Oxford Impressions first clued me in that Disney's Alice in Wonderland would be released this month, I had a perfect excuse. Now, I had seen stamps before based on the illustrations by Sir John Tenniel from my childhood edition of the book, but I'd always resisted. That is until I saw the three new sets Suzanne recently released: Classic Alice (the one I've used here,) Illustrated Alice, and Wonderland. Projects for the April 2010 issue of Crafts 'n Things provided the perfect excuse for me to add these stamps to my collection. See what you think.
First, a spiral notebook: black and white with an accent of red. An easy look to accomplish with Archival™ Ink, Adirondack® Dye Ink, and Inkssentials™ Glossy Accents™. When the self-adhesive crystals (Prima Marketing ®) were not the color I wanted, that too was a quick change with Tim Holtz™ Adirondack® Alcohol Inks.

Next, an Alice pendant. Same basic supplies but a totally different look.

Finally, a card. Alice with an attitude. Could that be caused by the Stickles™ Glitter Glue crown?

Fun stamps and fun projects. For additional details, see pages 48-49 of the April 2010 issue of Crafts 'n Things.

30 Minute Card Ideas: Love

This was a first for me. I finally decided to take the challenge to submit a couple of projects for the 30 Minute Card Ideas section of Crafts 'n Things. Both these projects as well as other quick creations can be found on page 63 of the February 2010 issue.

The "Love Tag" employs one of my favorite color combinations, black and white with a punch of red. The elegant paper from DCWV and paper sticker made this a quick go together. (Instructions here.)

For a totally different look, try my "Love Poste." The postage collage stamp (Dawn Hauser™ for Inkadinkado®) made this another easy project. Pop dots and Inkssentials™ Glossy Accents™ give added dimension to the butterfly postage. Of course I've used my favorite Adirondack® inks. (Instructions here.)

The instructions for these projects and many more are available at craftsnthings.com. (Look under the drop down menu for the "Free Stuff" tab.) You'll find hours of inspiration as well as close-ups of these projects.

Better Backgrounds: Swirling Texture

Texture never bores me, and when you add the glimmer of Perfect Pearls™ to Inkssentials™ Glossy Accents™, you can create a background that is unforgettable. You'll find the details of this technique in the October 2009 issue of Crafts 'n Things. The two cards featured on page 112 are below.
First, the Believe card demonstrates the results you can achieve through an underlying layer of stamping. The stamps are two of my favorites: Block of Words (Postmodern Design) and Cracks Grunge Background (I Brake for Stamps).

Next, see the results you can achieve by adding simple embellishments like rick rack and this flower from K&Company.

Here are two additional cards. The first card demonstrates the dramatic results you can achieve with no added embellishments while Queen of the Road is (stickers by EK Success) is just plain fun.



You don't have to jump on your Harley to create these backgrounds.The right products are all you will need to fire up your imagination.`