Belle Papier {pretty paper}

Today’s {c’est Bon} entry is really one you can get a lot of mileage from without breaking the bank. After being given a couple of these tags by a friend, I quickly fell in love with them. So easy to use…so quick to embellish or alter, these tags work perfectly on layouts, cards and altered projects. I love the manilla paper look and their smooth surface is perfect for stamping on and distressing. Best of all…the price. One hundred tags for less than $5 CDN…that’s $.05 per tag. That is one pretty cheap embellishment!

A Few Quick Details

• manila paper tags
• nice plastic storage box
• made from recycled paper
• 4 3/4″ x 2 3/8″
• punched hole comes reinforced…perfect for tying
• this product is not acid-free …if you scrapbook…this may be something you want to bear in mind

What you can do with them…

• stamp on them
• emboss them
• distress them
• journal on them
• they are a great backdrop of clustering embellishments on
• tie them on a gift bag or present
• make a tag book
• mat photos or layers with them
• tear them…tear off the bottom to make them fit your design
• perfect for vintage, shabby and eclectic designs
• tie in perfectly with the office supply look
• make a card folder and insert the tags into the openings
• make a banner

Where to Find them…

• I purchase mine at Staples Business Depot
• other office and stationary stores

A Few Project Ideas…

Friendship Tag

This design is a simple tag done in a shabby chic style. I love this style…you can be as simple or as lavish as you wish and it never has to be “perfect”. A little extra ink is a good thing. This design uses super quick stamping for that beautiful Sandra Kuck Sisters image and how quick is it to staple on those embellishments?! Staples go great with the office look of shipping tags but if staples are not your thing, this design would look lovely without them. Some glue dots under that lace and those flowers and you would be all set. Tie this tag on a simple gift to make it extra special.

The sentiments on this tag come from the Friend Centers set that Lisa Strahl designed. I love the fabulous sentiments that make up this set. One of the sentiments is stamped directly over the image in black ink…another of the sentiments is stamped right on the gingham ribbon at the top of the tag.

Quick Tip: Palette Hybrid ink by Stewart Superior is a fabulous ink for stamping on fabric. After some testing with the inks I own ( I have quite a lot ) this ink is the one I turn to for stamping on ribbon, twill and felt.

Hope you enjoyed this {C’est Bon} entry! I’m taking tomorrow off but will be back Tuesday with a tutorial for you.

Julia

Supply List:

Stamps:

-Sisters from Sandra Kuck line by Cornish Heritage Farms
-Friendship Centers from Mona Lisa Moments line by Cornish Heritage Farms

Ink:
Burnt Umber and Black palette ink by Stewart Superior
-Antique Linen Distress ink by Ranger

Other:
tag - Staples
lace by Prima
ribbon by Making Memories
stapler
flowers by Prima

Photos, photos, photos…I have boxes of them. And that was BEFORE I bought a digital camera….now I have thousands saved on disk! I just KNOW you have some too. Today’s challenge is to pull out those photos and find ways to use them! Whether you create a layout, a frame, a piece of altered art, a photocard…pull out or print off a photo and use it as part of your design. I can’t wait to see all the creative ways you do this! Here’ the challenge link…hope you join us! If you need a little help getting started here’s a few of the many ideas you can do…

Photo Ideas...

• a frame - everyone likes frame for their photos…altering one is a super easy way to incorporate photos
• scrapblook layout
• stamp on your photo
• distress your photo
• try a photo transfer technique
• make a collage
• use a photo as a background or main image on a card
• try photo tinting
• create a mini album

Each day a Masterpiece (click to enlarge)

I’m going to hang this in my rec room…sort of a beach theme room as we love the beach so much. The photos were taken on a trip to Nova Scotia four years ago. We were visiting Peggy’s Cove when I found this tiny rose blooming out of a crack in the rock. I was amazed at its ability to bloom in the harshness of its environment. The words Inspire and Imagine from the Big Inspiration stamp set are stamped in black Stazon on the glass of the frame. Every time I think of this flower I’m reminded o the quote…bloom where you’re planted. If you look closely enough…there is beauty to be found everywhere.

My shadow box is a wood box I picked up at Michael’s. I painted the outside of it with Distress Crackle paint…the photo washed it out a little but I love the distressed look! My Basic Grey paper and Prima paper and flowers are from Jacksonbelle Embellishments.

Have a fabulous day!

Julia

Supply List:

Stamps:
-Big Inspiration (Mona Lisa Moments line0 by Cornish Heritage Farms
-Motivational Centers(Mona Lisa Moments line) by Cornish Heritage Farms
-Vintage Ledger Scrapblock™ by Cornish Heritage Farms

Ink:
Black Stazon by Tsukineko
-Vintage Photo Distress ink by Ranger

Other:
-old paper an brushed corduroy distress crackle paint by Ranger
=flourish chipboard by Maya Road
-tag by Avery
-Noteworthy clip and ribbon by Making Memories
-gingham ribbon by Creative Impressions
-button by Autumn Leaves
-frame from Michael’s

Paper:
-plaid from Basic Grey Archaic lin
-dotted brown by Prima Marketing

Happy Monday! Hope you had a fabulous weekend! Today my project combines two challenges and I also have a short tutorial for you. First of all…the CHF Challenge Chicks challenge this week is to use Glossy Cardstock. One of my favorite ways to use glossy cardstock is the faux linen technique. Actually, it seems like forever since I last used it. Having never tried it on an image as detailed as this, I wasn’t quite sure how well it would work. I was really pleased with the results. My Thomas Kinkade Open Gate image has a very antique photograph look with texture. If you’d like to join our glossy cardstock challenge…we’d love to see your designs! Check out the link here.

To see more great glossy cardstock ideas, check out the designs some of my friends have made…

Kristine

Dawn

Kim

Lisa Strahl

Sherrie

No Eye Has seen

Before I get to the tutorial…I’ll tell you briefly about my design. This year I’m working on a 12 month project…the Bible Verse Challenge and am making myself a beautiful chipboard book with some verses I’m memorizing and also mean something to me. Next week marks the first year anniversary of my mom’s passing and I’ve been thinking a lot about heaven lately. I love this verse from 1 Corinthians and while I miss my mom as much as ever, I know I’ll be with her again someday. What a wonderful place heaven must be. I always try and put a lot of thought into each of my designs in this book. I ordered this No Eye Has Seen stamp a week ago andI was a bit perplexed on what kind of an image I should add to go on this page. While searching through my rubber, I came across this Thomas Kinkade Open Gate stamp. It reminded me of how Jesus said…I am the door and also, I am the Way and I knew that it would be perfect for this design. If you’d like to see the rest of the pages I’ve created for this book to date…simply click on the Inspirational link at the top of this post.

Faux Linen Technique

I love the texture this Faux Linen technique. It’s perfect for masculine, vintage, shabby and rustic styles. The best thing about it is that is is so simple and only required two supplies….glossy cardstock and sandpaper. Note: Ran into a couple glitches this morning…the photos will be edited in ASAP!

1. Stamp your image or images onto white glossy cardstock.

2. Take a piece of sandpaper and sand in long smooth strokes across the cardstock in one direction. Turn 90% and then sand the other direction. Make sure all the gloss of the cardstock is removed.

3. Ink a sponge…I used Antique Linen Distress ink by Ranger…and wipe ink into the grooves the sandpaper has left.

4. Sponge edges if desired. For this design I used Vintage Photo Distress ink by Ranger.

Quick Tip: Add small touches of color to your Thomas Kinkade designs to get a hand-colored photo look. I simply added color to a few blossoms with a dye-based marker. You can also apply with a Cut ‘n Dry nib.

Wishing you a fabulous day!

Julia

Supply List: Stamps: No Eye Has Seen & The Open Gate (Thomas Kinkade line) by Cornish Heritage Farms, Ink: Black Palette Ink by Stewart Superior, Antique Linen and Vintage Photo Distress Ink by Ranger, Paper: Glossy Cardstock by Ranger, Journaling Pad and Priceless Chipboard Tag by Making Memories, Stella Ruby 6×6 paper pad by Basic Grey, Other: Flowers and lace by Prima, rhinestones by Me and My Big Ideas

Patterned paper, flowers and rhinestones from Jacksonbelle Embellishments

One of my very favorite magazines is Home and Heart. It’s more of an inspiration magazine and all about the joys of home, family and friendship as well as little ways to make each day or special occasions…well, special. The photography in each issue is just stunning…I just love the concept! There are no detailed instruction lists to muddy up the photo spreads and all supply lists can be found at the back of the magazine.

The most recent issue of Home and Heart was released a couple weeks ago and is totally focused on Every Day Gift Giving. You’ll find beautiful projects to use throughout the year. You can find this magazine in local book and craft stores as well as on-line here.

Happy Candy Cane Day

This project is one I was asked to create as a little gift project for Candy Cane day. Candy Cane day is December 26th and I thought this canning jar would be perfect filled with small candy canes to celebrate the occasion. You can find this project in the magazine along with some love notes I created as well. The little candy cane on this project is a Kim Hughes design by Cornish Heritage Farms. It was so quick to color in with my Copic marker and cover with dimensional glaze.

Hope you have a beautiful day!

Julia

No catchy title from me today. I’m just calling it as it is. Today’s Monday Challenge is an altered project challenge! I just love altered projects! This one is simple as I’m simply short on time. Still playing catch-up but hopefully a few more days and I’ll be more on top of things! If you’d like to play along with this altered project challenge…we’d love to see your design! Make sure you check out the details here.

So………. I just have to tell you about an exciting new line release from CHF. It’s new and original…nothing at all like it on the market. Did you know that CHF was the original company to produce Background stamps? Well…we’re really excited to be releasing the brand new Scrapblocks line next Tuesday. Due to Canadian shipping…mine aren’t in the house yet but….make sure you check out Lisa Strahl’s blog. These are her baby and you’re going to LOVE them!

On this Day Jumbo Clothespeg

I designed this project to keep in my kitchen. There’s always a lot of organizing to keep me on track each day. Five kids…busy life…you get the picture. I decided a jumbo clip would work perfectly to keep on my windowsill by my sink. Little notes are easy to clip in the top…errands to run, things to buy, a menu plan, people I need to call, chores for kids….lots of ideas here. hmmmm….maybe I need to make about five! LOL

This project was super easy to do…I simply covered the Jumbo Clothespeg with Basic Grey Boxer 6×6 pad paper and then stamped on it a little. You know I can’t resist that I also added a couple inchies that I stamped images on using clocks from the Time to Stamp set by Cornish Heritage Farms. Each Inchie is covered with Crackle Effects …I was in a bit of a rush and didn’t wait for it to properly dry before taking the photo! You’ll have to use your imagination. I tied on a little tag that says On this Day… from the Ledger Me stamp set.

Quick Tip: When using Inchies…don’t forget to try using them with large stamps as well as small. I love the effect of just stamping a small portion of the clocks or other images to highlight them.

I’ve had a few sneak peeks of some of the other altered projects for this challenge. You’re going to love them! Make sure you check them out…

• Becky Olsen
• Dawn Lusk
• Julia Stainton
• Julie Campbell
• Kim Hughes
• Kristine Reynolds
• Lesley Langdon
• Lisa Silver
• Lisa Strahl
• Lori Craig
• Michele Boyer
• Sherry Siemens

Have a great day! I’m off to stalk my mail-person and then get on with that to do list!

Julia

Happy Thursday! Today we have another fun ways to use it challenge for you. Think inch by inch. With the popularity of Inchies…today’s challenge is to focus on inch-size squares. Either use the Inchies or make your own or use one inch size fragments or glass pieces. If it is sized an inch…use it! My good friend Lindsey is posting the challenge for me today. It’s one of those life happens days…too many appointments etc. all in one morning! Check out the challenge here!

I’ve created two designs for this challenge. Now I have to tell you… I did cheat a little on the first. I had this idea I just had to try out using my new Hometown Pride Thomas Kinkade image and my new soldering kit. Do you think I could find my 1 inch square glass tiles?! Unfortunately not so this pendant is not the perfect one inch square. It is actually sized one inch by 3/4 of an inch. Hope you’ll forgive me.

Hometown Pride Flag Pendant

While I’m not American, I thought this would be a really fun project. Although I didn’t incorporate this idea…here’s one that I thought of while creating this…. A friend of mine’s husband is serving in Iraq which got me thinking….wouldn’t this make a great gift with the flag on one side and his photo on the other?

This design is my first attempt at soldering. It was a little tricky and I definitely need to practice but I’m loving the results. If you try it out…DO be careful. I ended up with two rather burnt fingers in the process. Ouch! I found that adding on the jump ring at the top was the most difficult part. My 17yo just happened to come home at the right time and gave me a helping hand. Thanks James!

To create this design, I simply stamped out my Thomas Kinkade Hometown Pride image (to be released tomorrow) from Cornish Heritage Farms onto some white cardstock. I colored in a section of the image that I wanted to use with my Copic Markers. The soldering kit is by Simply Swank and includes all you really need to get started. I think you’re going to see lots more soldered projects here and this just may be addicting. If you’re looking for a great tutorial…Ellen Hutson’s really helped me out tremendously!

Petite Bébé

My second project is one I just couldn’t resist making after purchasing some new Making Memories paper & goodies a couple weeks ago. I noticed that they would work perfectly with a Kim Hughes stamp set that she designed months ago and will finally be released at the beginning of June. It’s called Baby Love and oh baby…I’m in love with it! Some of the little sentiments and a baby onesie were perfect for stamping on my inchies. For one of the squares, I simply covered it with patterned paper and adhered a button. Now what I thought was really fun…the epoxy buttons are a perfect one inch square too! I created a fun little grid with them and then clipped on my darling little giraffe. Now I’m all ready for a baby boy arrival. Hmmmm….wonder whether my friend Naomi is having a boy or a girl?

Have a fabulous day!
Julia

Supply List:

Stamps:
Baby Love (Kim Hughes LIne) by Cornish Heritage Farms

Ink: Pitch Black Adirondack INk by Ranger

Cardstock:
-Spring Willow Dark by Prism
-Baby Blue Medium by Prism
-white cardstock by Prism

Patterned Paper:
Making Memories

Accessories:
-Copic Markers
-Inchies
-clip, ribbon and epoxy embellishments by Making Memories

I was wandering through Michael’s the other day and came across this darling wood-edged blackboard. I just couldn’t resist pairing it up with one of Kim Hughes’ new stamp sets called Making the Grade by Cornish Heritage Farms. This set is perfect for teacher’s gifts, end of the year projects and layouts and back to school ideas. This blackboard frame is 8.5″ x 12″ and is stamped with Stazon ink. Lots of space to still write messages on, I thought this design might be fun for a classroom. Also released today is Kim’s darling stamp set, The Landing Pad. I know you’re going to love these sets!

Schoolhouse Welcome Blackboard

I started off this design by stamping around the wood frame with the pencil image and my Burnt Umber Palette Ink. Using a couple of Copic Markers, it was super quick to color in the images. I just love pairing this set up with the Lined Paper Backgrounder and I started by stamping it in

White Stazon directly on the blackboard. To add in some color, I stamped my tree and schoolhouse image directly onto some Fleuriste patterened paper by Cosmo Cricket. They were then cut out and adhered to the blackboard. Using a liquid adhesive such as Ranger Glossy Accents works really well for this. To add in some texture, I covered a chipboard star with some Tim Holtz Distress Crackle Paint. I’m just loving jumbo ric rak lately…you may have noticed ;)…and it is from Creative Impressions.

Have a fabulous weekend!

Julia

Supply List:

Stamps:
-Making the Grade (Kim Hughes line) by Cornish Heritage Farms
-Lined Paper Backgrounder by Cornish Heritage Farms

Ink:
-white Stazon by Tsukineko
-Burnt Umber Palette Ink by Stewart Superior
-Red Adirondack ink by Ranger

Paper:
-Fleuriste 8×8 paper pad by Cosmo Cricket

accessories:
-Copic markers to color in pencils
-chipboard star by Basic Grey
-Old Paper Tim Holtz Distress Crackle Paint by Ranger
-button by Autumn Leaves
-ric rac by Creative Impressions

Today’s post combines a double challenge. Today’s Ways to Use it Challenge and also, a year long challenge I’m working on each month. This challenge is called the Divine Design Bible Verse Challenge and Lori Craig put out the challenge to anyone who wanted to jump in. I’ve been creating a Maya Road chipboard book. Each chipboard page is covered with patterned paper, has a passage that I’ve memorized and means something to me and I get to have fun embellishing it. I know this project will be one I’ll treasure always. So many times we make cards or projects that we send away. This one I’m making just for me and adding in as many shabby goodies as I like.

Today’s Ways to Use it Challenge is a rerun….finding ways to use chipboard. I had a request for some ideas and as I always love my chipboard… Pull yours out too and have some fun! Play along with the challenge at WT165.

Two Sparrows Page

I’ve been using patterned paper from the Basic Grey Stella Ruby 6×6 paper pad on each page of this album. I love the shabby look and beautiful colors and it all ties together so nicely when you use one line for a project. My verses are from Matthew 10:29-31 and I printed them out onto some Natural Smooth cardstock on my computer. To add subtle interest without taking away from the words, I added in some flowers from the Silhouette Blooms 1 stamp set by Cornish Heritage Farms.

As for chipboard…well, I love my chipboard! This album is a 6×6 Maya Road Chipboard album with a binder clip binding. I love how easy it is to take the pages in and out to alter. To add more chipboard to my design, I added a little chipboard arrow to highlight the verse that really means something to me. Another chipboard element is one you’ve probably seen lots of in my designs….the Maya road chipboard flourish. I LOVE these! This one is painted with Tim Hotlz Distress Crackle Paint in Antique Linen.

Now did you see the sparrow that ties into my verse? This sparrow is from Asela’s Bird Sampler set and I’ve stamped it right on the top left corner on my patterned paper. To tie my design together with the previous page, I used some the same elements and colors to make it flow. All those blue Autumn Leaves buttons carry through perfectly as well as the Prima flowers. While I didn’t use brown circles on this page like the last, I did anchor this side of the design with a layer of K I Memories dark brown die cut paper.

Lastly, a few thoughts on the verse I chose…these verses are precious to me. To know that God knows everything about me, even the number of hairs on my head… incredible! Some times in your life are difficult but how wonderful to know that God knows everything about me and will be with me for everything to come.

Blessings to you today!

Julia

After a couple crazy months, I was determined to find some time to play along with the Dirty Dozen/Alumni challenge this month. I’ve been wanting to create an inspiration journal for a while and this was a great push to just do it. The challenge also have a couple other parts…it had to be inspired by a photo layout in a magazine and could NOT use any form of markers. Being the multi-tasker that I am…the only way to keep up with this busy life! ;)….I also combined it with a Backgrounder Blitz challenge at Cornish Heritage Farms. Today’s Backgrounder challenge is partial stamping and I used my Lined Paper and French Script Backgrounders on this journal, inking only parts of the backgrounders so that they fade in and out. You may actually have a hard time finding them…the French Script backgrounder really blends in well with the patterned paper.

Want to check out the other Dirty Dozen designs? Click here.

Want to play along with today’s Backgrounder Blitz partial stamping challenge? Click here.

Create Beauty Journal

The inspiration part of the challenge comes in the form of the color combo and flowers on the table in the photograph. I just love that cool blue, caramel and white color scheme with touches of warm coral colors. I found this new Webster’s Pages paper in my new bag of goodies I picked up last weekend and went to work. The journal is a chipboard album from 7 Gypsies. After adhering my patterned paper, I went to work making the paper my own by stamping it with some Rummage Bin stamps. The distressed frames from the new Photo Op set were stamped on opposite corners to add interest to the edges. If you look close you’ll also spy some “coffee cup stains” from the Ledger Me set.

The main sentiment panel is a mix of stamps and sets. The Do the Best you can, in the Time you are given stamp is something I’m always trying to remember. I don’t have unlimited time and have to try to get what I can done and not worry about the rest.

Wishing you a beautiful day! I’ll be back to edit in the supply list shortly!

Julia

Supply List;
-lined paper backgrounder by Cornish Heritage Farms
-French Script Backgrounder
-distress frames, bracket, scallops from Photo Op (The Rummage Bin line)
-clock and sentiment from Time to Stamp (the Rummage Bin line)
-Journal, coffee stain, this belongs to all from Ledger Me stamp set (the Rummage Bin line)
-flower from Silhouette Blooms 1 (Kim Hughes line)

Ink:
-Antique Linen Distress Ink by Ranger
-Brushed Corduroy Distress Ink by Ranger
-Burnt Umber Hybrid ink by Stewart Superior
-Mountain Rose, Cloudy Blue & Cranberry ADirondack ink by Ranger

Cardstock:
Natural smooth by Prism
patterned paper by Webster’’s Pages

Accessories:
-journal from 7 Gypsies
-eyelet from We R Memory Keepers
-flower by Prima
-create tag by Making Memories

Paper Crafts Magazine’s latest special issue has been released...Gifts from the Heart. I just love this theme as so much of paper crafting is like that. Little gifts from the heart. I love creating things to give to my loved ones. One of the designs that I have published in this magazine is a little trinket box. The box is altered with My Mind’s Eye patterned paper and heavy acrylic transparency and embellished with rub-ons and velvet ribbon. My daughter’s room is in these colors and I believe it has been spoken for when it returns. A lot of the projects I design are created with special people in mind.

Floral Trinket Box

This latest magazine is available on craft or bookstore shelves and is also available from Paper Crafts Magazine.

I once again had the best of intentions of having a {C’est Bon} entry for you today. As we were up to midnight both Thursday and Friday working on the tile and yesterday a few of the cupboards arrived, it just didn’t happen. Life IS going to get easier, right?! In the meantime, I have a little peek at my new kitchen. Notice the tightly cropped photo! LOL The window needs trimmed and there is still construction everywhere. Some of the upper cabinets will be arriving Wednesday night and we’re hoping to get the tile grouted soon as well. Slowly but surely…..

Have a wonderful day…