Another Scrappy Saturday - Pigment Ink Bookmarks

Last Scrappy Saturday, I showed you how to embellish your bookmarks with some ribbon. The bookmarks shown in that post is what we are accomplishing today. I made these bookmarks before Christmas because they were a gift for two of my nieces. They fit into the theme of our week. Inspire Your Heart with Art.

The stamp used in these bookmarks is a flower with tons of hearts. Plus, I used the same technique as shown in Make it Monday! So you could easily make these two projects together and give a nice gift to someone who could use a pick me up.

Materials
Paper cutter or scissors
Ruler
Pen (if you don't use a paper cutter with a ruler attached)
Purple card stock
White card stock
A sheet of white copy paper
Sponge Daubers
Pigment ink
A stamp if you want that
StazOn Jet Black ink (for stamp)
Acrylic block (for stamp)
Roller Tape

1. Begin by cutting the purple card stock to 2 -    bookmarks. This is your backing piece.

2. Next, cut two bookmark mats from one piece of card stock at

3. With the scrap piece of white paper, lightly tape your bookmark mats down to hold them in place.

4. With your dauber, ink it up with the colors of your choice. I used pink, purple, and a green.

5. In a circular motion, begin daubing your ink onto the bookmark mat. Blending the ink as you go.

6. When you have finished, this is what they look like.

7. Next cut two pieces of white card stock to match the stamp size you are using. I do this two ways. I either stamp the image on a piece of card stock and cut them out. Or I cut two pieces of card stock and stamp, and then cut the excess. I do not measure this part because you may not have the same stamp I am using and need to use another. Just remember to use a stamp that will fit on your bookmark size!

8. Using Staz-on Jet Black ink, stamp your image onto the two pieces of card stock.

9. Using tape, adhere them onto the bookmark mat. I did a centered one and an off centered one.

10. Now flip your bookmark mats over and put tape on them. You can see the scrap piece I used on the left! Adhere them to your bookmark base.

And you are done!

Now, you can laminate these bookmarks if you wish or add ribbon like shown last weekend. I did laminate these like I do all my bookmarks. It extends their life.

Happy Crafting!

Throwback Thursday - Pigment Ink Art

When I first got into card making, I bought a die cut machine and made shapes with a little bit of stamping. As time progressed, I began finding that I preferred stamping to the die-cut. What that led to was the use of pigment inks to create the "tie-dye" affect. I found it fun to create this type of background layer for cards. Here's some cards I have made using this technique:

If you are wondering how to do this, you need pigment ink and some type of dauber. I bought similar daubers and ink to those pictured below.

 I prefer to use card stock for my projects, but many others use photo paper to get a more blended effect. If you are interested, please look at youtube to see some of the wonderful artists who use these types of techniques. You would be amazed! I know that I was.

Make it Monday - Inspiring your heart with Art

As a lover of art and creativity, this is a fairly simple week to develop in terms of crafting. I have previously made dauber projects, but this one really was super fun to do. I started out with a different idea. As I started working though, I quickly changed my tactics. As it is getting closer to Valentine's Day and the theme is Inspire your HEART, I chose to make this as a heart.

Here's the picture - with a view of the mess on my craft table while crafting!

Note: This, like most of my crafting posts this year, will contain more written instructions and less pictures.
If you would like step to step pictures with this technique stay tuned to Scrappy Saturday on 1/31/2015.

Materials
Paper cutter or scissors
Ruler
Pen (if you don't use a paper cutter with a ruler attached)
One card base
One main color (backing)
A sheet of white card stock
A sheet of white copy paper.
Sponge Daubers
Pigment ink
A stamp if you want that
StazOn Jet Black ink (for stamp)
Acrylic block (for stamp)
Roller Tape


1. Cut a piece of 8.5 x 11 card stock in half to obtain two 4 1/4 x 5 1/2 cards. Score one in half, making your card.

2. Cut a piece of purple card stock to 4 x 5 1/4. This is the "backing."

3. Cut a piece of white card stock to 3 3/4 x 5. This is the mat. Take a small piece of tape and place it on the back of this piece and place it on top of your sheet of white card stock. This will protect your surface from ink.

4. Using the white copy paper, cut a heart free hand. If you want to use a die cut machine to create a heart you like, do so. I don't have one, so I used my scissors and pretended I was in elementary school. Place a small piece of tape on the back and adhere it to your mat.

5. Using the daubers, choose whatever colors you wish. Rub them across the ink. Holding the side of the heart down, begin in circular motions to rub the ink onto the mat. Repeat until you have the entire outline of the heart. You can remove the heart now if you wish or continue to blend the ink around.

6. Once finished, take the mat and and adhere it to the backing with tape. I chose not to embellish any more. Adhere the layers to the card base.


What is so lovely about this card is that it opens your mind to using this technique in many other ways. The original way I saw this accomplished was using glossy photo paper which made the finished product glossy. I prefer a more matte card, but feel free to explore this type of technique. 

Revealing the Theme - Inspire your Heart with Art

Art has always been a part of my life, but sometimes we look at art as something you have to find in a museum and created by historic figures like Monet or Michelangelo. The true definition of art is an expression of human creative skill or imagination that produces works to be appreciated for their beauty of emotional power. We, as humans, have come to think of art as something valuable. And sometimes that makes us forget that art comes in various mediums, crafts, and values.

Take something like this:

This is my first "Shape Buddy." The pattern has not been developed further, but may come out in the future. Look at it's eyes. They are off center and very crooked. The mouth is strange. The arms and legs are not matching exactly. Yet, I created it. I spent my time and effort imagining and crafting this little guy. I am proud of him. He is unique. But someone like Monet or Michelangelo would never claim that this is art. Even people who study art would say this is a craft.

Yet, but the very definition of art: I created something inspired by imagination which is appreciated by me and my nieces for the comfort it brings. It is art.

When I really look at the crafting I accomplish, I see art in it all. Effort. Imagination. Cunning. And every emotion is put into every single piece.

So this week is designated to Inspire your Heart with Art.

You can take this literal like I have done. Or you can take it as abstract as you wish by only crafting what you love and have passion for this week. 

Here's the list of materials for tomorrow's project:

Materials
Paper cutter or scissors
Ruler
Pen (if you don't use a paper cutter with a ruler attached)
One card base
One main color (backing)
A sheet of white card stock
A sheet of white copy paper.
Sponge Daubers
Pigment ink
A stamp if you want that
StazOn Jet Black ink (for stamp)
Acrylic block (for stamp)

Another Scrappy Saturday - Ribbon and Bookmarks - Photo Heavy

Okay! You may have noticed that I have been making a lot of bookmarks in the last few months. *shifty eyes* I do not have a problem. I promise. LOL! But, I do have a lot of nieces, nephews, sisters, cousins, and such who love to read and who I needed to make gifts for. This week's bookmarks made on Monday were lacking the ribbon part. So I wanted to use some scrap ribbon to add some.

On one trip to my local Dollar Tree, I found some beautiful gossamer pink ribbon. It sparkles! It was the closest color I could find in my stash that relatively matched the color scheme of the tie-dyed bookmarks. So I decided to give it a try. Here's a quick tutorial on adding ribbon to your bookmarks.

*Note* This post contains a sneak peak into next week's Scrappy Saturday project!

Materials
Finished bookmark
Hole punch (standard size)
Ribbon


1. Punch a hole near the top of the bookmark. In the photo below, you can see that I punched one slightly higher than the other. I found that it looked better in the end product, but both still look really good.

2. Take ribbon and fold it in half. With the ends, fold them in half and half again. It should be able to fit into the hole.

3. Insert the ribbon into the hole from the back of the bookmark.

4. Pull the ribbon until half of both ends are on each side.

5. Insert the ends of the ribbon through the loop.

6. Now pull tight. Cut the ribbon to a shorter length if you wish.

Here's the finished product. Two bookmarks with gossamer ribbon for my two older nieces.

Now that you have a tutorial on how to add ribbon to your bookmarks, you can effectively add ribbon to any project similar to this.

Wishing you a happy crafting day,

Sarah

Throwback Thursday - Favorite Books and a Bookmark

As an adult and avid reader, I find myself drawn to the same authors over and over again. As a young child, you couldn't tear me away from books. I craved that knowledge. In third grade, my love of reading was cultivated by Mrs. Leihkauff. She opened my eyes through stories like The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrope and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. What I didn't know then is that these two books are classical novels usually taught at that grade level. But, that didn't stop me. We had the opportunity to have a classroom in the library with books surrounding us on all walls - literally. So once one book was done, we could turn around and grab one off the shelf. I found myself reading books way above my grade level just to read.

What it did was provide the backing to be a lifetime reader. That is something that most young people have lost among the many technological advances and cell phones.

How does this tie in with a book craft?

Well, I love reading and support reading through reading, advocacy, and making bookmarks. Just a few weeks ago, I showed multiple bookmarks made with scraps. What I am going to show on this Throwback Thursday is a crocheted bookmark. It is in the shape of a heart. I remember finding a heart pattern (free) and attaching a chain of 20-30 and a tassel. It's very simple to change any applique you have into a bookmark.

Do yourself a favor. Spend a little time with a book each day. You will be happier.

Make it Monday - National Book Week - Photo Heavy

This week is National Book Week. I chose to showcase this wonderful event because supporting literature, reading, and literacy is important to me. Reading and literature cultivates society to openness, caring, and compassion. Above that, it can teleport you to another world and provides a view from a different angle. What better way to celebrate books and literature than by creating a bookmark? Besides reading a book of course.

Bookmarks are versatile whether made with yarn, thread, or paper. For this project, I am using paper. I am using a technique that you have seen on this blog and will see in the future - pigment ink daubing. I am sure there is another term for that. I don't mind making up names for things!

Materials
Paper cutter or scissors
Ruler
Pen (if you don't use a paper cutter with a ruler attached)
One main color (backing)
A sheet of white card stock
A small section of ribbon (optional)
A laminator
A laminator sheet
A hole punch
Sponge Daubers
Pigment ink
A stamp if you want that
StazOn Jet Black ink (for stamp)
Acrylic block (for stamp)

Here's a picture of the daubers, stamp, and ink I used:

1. What you do first is cut two your base layer at 6 1/4 x 2 1/4. I used a light purple. This is not pictured; however, you can see the cut pieces further below. 

2. Next, cut two white pieces of card stock at 6 x 2. Adhere with temporary tape to a piece of white paper. You can alternatively just hold the piece of paper. This is what I do. 

3. Using the pigment ink and the sponge daubers, pick a color and begin moving in a circular motion in the spot you want. I usually choose the corners. My first color is purple. Pictured below.

4. Pick another color and do the same, but blend the color into the previous one. My second color is pink.

Here's a picture of picking up ink using the dauber.

5. Pick a third color (if you wish) and do the same as step 4. I chose blue and green to mix giving it a pale teal look.

And the 2nd layer is finished.

6. Cut two pieces of white card stock at 3 x 1 3/4. (Or, measure one to fit the stamp you use.) This measurement is for the flower stamp. If you are interested, I found this stamp at JoAnn's online and had it shipped to my house

7. With StazOn Jet Black ink, stamp the image onto both pieces of cardstock.

 8. Now, adhere the stamped images onto the 2nd layer by using tape. This is a Scotch Tape glider. I chose to place mine in the middle and at the top.

9. Attach tape to the back of the 2nd layer and attach them to the base color.  (Here's the purple base layers.)

10. When you have finished, send them through a laminator following the instructions provided by the machine. If you want to add ribbon, punch a hole into the top of the card after laminating and add ribbon. I chose not to do so at this time, but may add some ribbon when I find the right one.

From Dande Creations, I wish you a happy National Book week and urge you to get lost in a book after you finish crafting some bookmarks!

Revealing the Theme - National Book Week

Hello again! It is time for our second reveal week here at Dande Creations. This one is pretty fun and something that holds a lot of room in my heart. This week is National Book week. The essence of this week is to inspire others to read especially young children who are constantly bombarded with too much mind noise. Yep...mind noise! America has become pretty materialistic and full of advertisements. Take a look the next time you drive somewhere. How many advertisements do you see? Or when you watch something on television? These things are so distracting, which makes books a WONDERFUL thing. We can imagine the story with little to no interruption. It's quiet. Above all, it engages our mind.

One of my early childhood memories is how my third grade teacher brought to life the stories of C.S. Lewis. They were magical and made me want to delve deeper into the worlds authors create. So this week, I am dedicating the week to celebrate the National Book week.

This week's Make it Monday utilizes a technique I love. I am not going to tell you what it is. You will have to come back tomorrow and check it out. What I can do is provide a list of the materials for the project and perhaps you can guess.


Materials
Paper cutter or scissors
Ruler
Pen (if you don't use a paper cutter with a ruler attached)
One main color (backing)
A sheet of white card stock
A small section of ribbon (optional)
A laminator
A laminator sheet
A hole punch
Sponge Daubers
Pigment ink
A stamp if you want that
StazOn Jet Black ink (for stamp)
Acrylic block (for stamp)

See you tomorrow crafters,

Sarah

Another Scrappy Saturday - A Barbie Art Piece - Photo Heavy

Another Scrappy Saturday was an interesting post created in December of 2014 to share with my readers a great use for scraps. Like any crafter, scraps are a by product and either a) take up so much space or b) given away to someone else. My goal in 2015 is to use scraps more frequently to make the most of my money and my materials. The second week of January has the theme of Barbie.

I have spoken previously about not having a craft store less than 50 minutes away from me, so what I have found comes from local stores like Goodwill (great bargains), Walmart (unfortunately), Dollar Tree (great place for ribbon), Lowes (yep), and The Dollar General. We have a small store named Fred's that has a few good deals as well. Because I am somewhat limited in what I can use, it requires me to be a little bit more crafty.

This week's Scrappy Saturday is a Barbie Art for her dream house. Let's face it. Barbie's Dream house when bought in the stores is super expensive. The art inside comes in the form of stickers. It's a little unappealing. For crafters, this is an easy fix!

Because I craft with multiple mediums, I chose to create a piece of art for Barbie's dream house using foam board and designer paper. I have seen multiple printable art pieces for miniature dollhouses, but I choose to use my scraps to make them.

Be forewarned. I did not take any measurements. I slapped it together quickly, but I will show the pictures and how I accomplished them.

Here's the list:

Materials:
Two pieces of foam board
2 way glue for adhering paper (or hot glue if you wish)
Some thread or yarn
6x6 or smaller pieces of designer paper (2)
Scissors

To begin, cut two sizes of foam board with scissors. I didn't worry about getting the shape exact. I got two rectangles. (Not pictured)

Next cut two pieces of designer paper larger than your foam board pieces.

Cut the corners out of the paper. Pictured below. I didn't worry about 90 degree angles.

Put glue on the flaps and fold them onto the foam board. Remember to press firmly until the glue adheres. (Not Pictured) Repeat for all four sides.

Next, cut two pieces of white card stock to fit the back and two pieces of string/yarn/ribbon to hang your art pieces.

Place a small dot of glue on the back to hold the thread in place. Place glue on the piece of card stock and center on the back of the art piece and press firmly.

This is how they will look after this step.

And now you have two art pieces to hang on the wall of your Barbie house.

If you are using a wooden Barbie house, you can use some gold or silver thumb tacks to hold them on the wall. These are light weight art pieces that allows you to create any number of pieces to match the decor or personalize your child's play house.