Blog Candy Winner

Well, it looks like our blog candy winner won by a LANDSLIDE! Where are all of you faithful blog readers at?!? Did I pick a bad week or what?!? I figured that the week before Halloween would be a good one for a give-away but when no one responded I decided to just leave it open until the first comment came in. So...congratulations to Kim!! Yes dear, you won. If you're interested in winning some blog candy in the future, be sure to either subscribe (it's free!) or check back periodically so as not to miss out. And thanks to all of you out there who already are subscribers to this blog! You can expect to see some more tutorials coming in the next month or so. I'm still in the middle of craft show season AND I'm moving to a new house in about 2 weeks. Hang in there...creativity to follow soon!

Blog Candy!!

I feel bad about not keeping up to date on posts right now. I have a bunch of tutorials that need posting but autumn is craft show time so I've been busy elsewhere! So, to keep you at bay until I can get time to myself again I've decided to give away some blog candy!! Not familiar with blog candy yet? It's free stuff given away to those reading a blog. Oddly, the blog candy is actually CANDY today! For a chance to win, just leave a comment stating which Halloween candy you look forward to the most. My vote/s go to Sweedish Fish, Juji Fruits and Dots. See a pattern with me? I may eat a piece of chocolate, but it's relatively risk-free to keep it in the house. My husband will eat it on sighting it, but I'll hold out for the fruity snacks. The winner will be random and will be chosen near this weekend. I'd give you a day, but I'm not sure what my days are going to look like. So be sure and comment quick if you'd like to win!! Here it is:

From blog candy

How to get crocodile skin without skinnin' the croc!

I got such positive feedback on the last video that I figured I'd make another one for you guys. Sounds like the videos are easier to follow along with than the pictures. So....here's a really simple way to make faux croc skin. It looks great as a cardfront or on a scrapbook page! Really easy!!

How to Make a Paper Flower

This is my first video tutorial! I figured that this would be a good one to start with since it's such a quick and easy project. Making a video was actually easier than posting step-by-step instructions for this one. Enjoy!

Crayon Resist

This is a nice technique if you've become bored and you're looking for something to spice up your cards a bit. It does take some effort but it's easy. You'll just need some time to play with it. I prefer to do an entire sheet of paper at once so that I have it for other cards or projects, but you can just as easily do a small piece of paper for just one project. Go grab a cup of your favorite soothing drink (I have tea) and we'll get started.

You'll need:
Glossy Cardstock (this is NOT the same as photo paper)
StazOn ink
Pigment Ink (mine is SU's Certainly Celery)
Sponge OR brayer
White crayon stolen from your child's crayon stash
An open stamp (meaning it has open areas to color)


1. Using StazOn, stamp your image all over your paper. Pick up your white crayon and start coloring! Color all of the areas that you want to REMAIN WHITE.


2. Sponge ink over the cardstock. With a sponge you have the option to make it sort of blotchy looking, whereas with a brayer it would be a smooth even finish. Cover the stamped images completely.


3. Using a tissue or old rag, buff the white crayon off of the paper. It will come off easily, revealing white. This is really stunning with dark colors of ink! Give it a go and don't forget to send me a picture of your finished one!

Frankie Card for Halloween

These seem to be all the rage this year! I'm seeing them everywhere! For those of you who haven't seen them yet, I figured I'd post a tutorial to guide you through the steps. They are super easy and can even be made by a child (with scissor supervision, of course). No stamps needed today. Don't forget, you can always click on a picture if you need to see it larger.



Your supplies are:
11" x 4 1/4" piece of cardstock for the base
2" x 4 1/4" scrap of cardstock for the hair
scrap white cardstock
scrap black cardstock
scrap cardstock the color of your base
sponge
ink to match your base color
white gel pen
2 dimensionals
black marker
2 circle punches of different sizes


1. Fold the cardstock base in half to create your 4 1/4" x 5 1/2" card. Using your largest circle (mine is 1 3/8") punch 2 white circles and 2 colored ones the same color as your base. Cut the two colored circles in half to create 4 halves (you will only need 3). Punch 2 black circles with the smaller punch (mine is 1 1/4").


2. Using the gel pen, make a curved line in the black circles, close to the edge to show light reflection. Sponge ink on the colored circles to add depth. Cut the strip of paper into a spiky pattern for monster hair.


3. Layer the black circles on top of the white ones to make eyes. Adhere eyes, nose and hair to create a face. Put a dimensional on the back of the 2 remaining half circles and use them for eyelids.


4. Using the marker, make a crooked smile and stitch marks on the face.


Done! In under 5 minutes right? And you probably didn't even need instructions. Good for you!

Summer Flip Flop Card

I'm back! I took a lot of time off this summer while I was visiting my home state. Thanks for hanging in there, waiting for another tutorial to arrive. This is a great summer card! It could be used for a girl's birthday card, a party invitation, a thank you for a summer gift...endless possibilities! I'm making one today for a birthday card and thought I'd bring you along for the ride. Ready? Gather your supplies before hand and you'll have it done in less than 10 minutes.

You'll need:
Scrap of printer paper
Patterned paper (mine is from The Stack)
Strip of long skinny scrap paper for the strap
2 eyelets
1 brad
Flowers (I punched mine w/ SU's 5 Petal Flower Punch)
1 glue dot
1 dimensional


1. Draw a flip-flop shape on the printer paper. Once you're content with it, cut it out to use as a pattern. (Mine is already done.)

2. Fold your patterned paper in half and lay the shoe pattern on it, making sure that at least part of the pattern touches the folded edge. Mine touches at both the top and bottom of the shoe but not in the middle. Trace the pattern onto the patterned paper and cut it out. You should have a hinge when you open the card now.



3. Mark the places where you want the strap to fasten at the sides. Fold the strip of paper in half and line it up the way you want it to be on the shoe. Use a dimensional to hold the "V" at the top from moving.


4. Allow some slack in the paper strip for the straps and punch a hole through both the shoe and the strap (don't forget to open the card first!). Attach an eyelet through the hole to secure. Repeat on opposite side.


5. All that remains is the flower now. I punched mine out with a 5 Petal Flower Punch and layered them, using a yellow brad to secure them together. I then used a glue dot to hold the flower to the strap.


I'm interested to see how yours looks now! I challenge you all to send me a picture of your finished flip-flop shoe card. Have a great day, enjoy the last days of summer!!

Candy Bar Sleeve

This is quicker than you'd think and it makes an impressive presentation of a chocolate bar! Gather your supplies and then follow the steps. You'll need:

A 7"x6" piece of colored cardstock
Scoring tool
Ribbon (about 25")(I like wider ribbon better than narrow)
Hershey chocolate bar
Stamps & Ink
Sticky Strip (or the equivalent, a SUPER strong adhesive)
Hole punch (for making a hole as wide as your ribbon)
Extra paper for embellishing


1. Laying the paper down so that the 6" side is parallel to your body, score the paper at the 1/2" and 3 3/4" marks. (This isn't the best photo, sorry.)


2. Stamp your cardstock as desired. The center panel will eventually be the front of your candy bar sleeve.


3. Place a length of sticky strip on the face of the skinny panel and also one on the back of the outside panel, at the bottom.



4. Peel the backing off of the sticky strip and fold first the skinny panel in, then the outside panel, smoothing as you go. This stuff is permenant, so go as slow as you need to in order to align it correctly. You will now have a bare sleeve.


5. Punch a hole as wide as your ribbon near the top opening of the sleeve. If you don't have a punch that wide, just use a regular square punch and keep punching so that the holes all connect until the correct size is attained.


6. Embellish any way you wish.


7. Run your length of ribbon through both holes, keeping it flat.


8. Place the candy bar in the top of the sleeve, between the ribbons. Push it down into the sleeve, letting it take the ribbon with it.


9. Tie the ribbon securely, it will never need to be untied. When you give the candy bar sleeve away, just tell the recipient to pull on the knot at the top and see what happens! I promise they'll smile!

The Ultimate Cheater Bow

This is a great cheater bow! And no one will ever guess that it's not real! I'm again using a coaster for the purpose of the tutorial, but you'll be using cardstock.

1. I'm going to get you started: Lie a piece of ribbon across the face of your cardstock and secure it on the back with adhesive. The front will look like a ribbon stripe.


2. Take an additional piece of ribbon (use matching for a cheater bow, use a complimenting color for a decorative touch) and run it under the flat piece.


3. Tie the smaller ribbon in any style you choose. (Check out my X-shaped Bow and How to Tie a Knot That Lies Straight and Flat tutorials for two ways to tie it.) It is now mobile and will slide easily across the flat ribbon so that you can place it wherever you'd like on your project. And we were always taught that cheating wasn't acceptable!

Flat Faux Bow

Here's a third ribbon tying idea. This is super easy and deffinately a cheater bow! All you'll need is a double square, rectangle or circle punch to be used on your cardstock, in addition to your ribbon.

1. Use your punch on your paper so that you have two holes side-by-side. If you don't have a double punch you can fake it by punching a regular punch twice. Just make sure that you get them lined up evenly.


2. Thread your ribbon through the holes so that both tails are on the same side. Note: The tails should be on the BACK of your project and the flat piece should be on the FRONT. Pull snug.


3. Flip the left tail down and to the right.


4. Tuck the right tail into the left hole. Pull snug.


5. Tuck the left ribbon into the right hole. Pull snug.


6. This is what the back of your cardstock should look like now.


7. And this is the front! Trim the ends and it's ready to go, no adhesive needed if it's been pulled snugly. It's a nice bow for masculine cards.

Tying an X-shaped bow

I'm posting a series of ribbon tying tutorials because I've noticed that a lot of people are afraid of ribbon because they don't know how to make a good bow or knot. This is the second posting of ribbon tying. We're going to make an X-shaped bow, so go get a length of ribbon and hurry back to your computer!

1. Hold the ribbon in your hand like this, creating a loose loop shape, with the longest tail off to the left.


2. Bring the long tail up and over the loop.


3. Then bring it around the backside.


4. Next, you're going to push a bit of the ribbon through the loop you've just created, making another loop. Just like tying your shoe...


5. Pull snugly to secure and snip ends. You can make the "ears" of the bow as little or as large as you'd like by pulling the tails and ears accordingly.

How to tie a knot that lies straight and flat:

Everyone is always in search of a perfect knot, whether it be for a card, a scrapbook page or a special package. Here it is! You're (k)not going to believe how easy it is either! For the purpose of this tutorial, I'm wrapping my ribbon around a coaster, but you'll be able to do this on sturdy paper if you need to. I'm using a ribbon with a deffinate front and back so that you'll be able to follow easily.


1. Bring the right-hand side of the ribbon across your surface and then turn it back under itself at a right angle, aiming away from you. (It will resemble the letter "L".)


2. Bring the left-hand side of the ribbon across your surface and turn it back under itself at a right angle, aiming it toward you. The two ends should be intertwined.


3. Pull snugly to tighten it up. You will have the letter "T" now.


4. Hold the center knot snugly and bring the top end of the ribbon down to the right.


5. Still securing the center knot, bring the bottom end up and to the right. The two ends will now be crossed.


6. Take the end that is aiming up and tuck it into the hole created where the two ribbons cross and start to pull, turning the ribbon slightly to position it so that the correct side of the ribbon is showing. Pull tight enough to secure and trim the ends. Viola!! Easy right? After you do this a few times, you'll never forget how to do it again.