Rangers’ Photographer/Fine Artist Debbie Tlach shows you a stunning technique she created using Adirondack® Alcohol Ink, Pigment Pads and Clear Embossing Powder on Inkssentials™ Frosted Memory Glass™ .
To view more demos from Ranger Ink visit http://www.youtube.com/user/RangerInd
Materials Needed
1 - To make the Angel Notebook. Using the hearts design paper cut two pieces 7½” x 6”. Centre the grey board or heavy duty cardstock on the reverse of the backing paper and glue into position using PVA glue. Spread the glue evenly over the cardstock to prevent any bubbling in the paper. Allow to dry.
2 - Using your craft knife and ruler remove the corners of the paper diagonally on all four corners leaving about ¼” past the edge of the cover. This serves to keep your finished corners tidy.
3 - Using a scoring tool or embossing tool score round the edges of the cover to help the paper fold more easily.
4 - Glue down all the edges onto the back of the cover making sure they are well secured and allow to dry. When completed, gently tap the corners onto your working surface to give them a rounded finish.
5 - Cut two pieces from the plaid backing paper slightly smaller than the cover of the book. Glue to the inside of the covers. This will hide any fixings you may want to add and keep your notebook tidy.
6 - With the plaid side facing measure the centre point on the narrowest sides top and bottom. Lightly pencil in a line to join both points. This will be erased later.
7 - This line will give you the exact position to place the cover into your Bind-It-All and is matched up with the centre mark on the machine.
8 - Punch both covers being careful to check that your patterns are running in the same direction back and front. Erase the pencil lines.
9 - Now you can prepare your embellishment for the front of your notebook. Cut one 3” scallop circle from the plaid patterned paper. Cut one 2½” plain circle from the yellow haze paper. Ink the edges of the circles to give them some dimension. Stamp your chosen image and cut it out. I masked off the sentiment on the banner and replaced it with my own.
10 - Stamp inked with mask in place.
11 - Mask removed before stamping onto paper.
12 - Stamped image.
13 - Colour the stamped images to suit your project. Mount onto 3D foam pads. Glue the circles to the front of your notebook and place the angel towards the top of the circle giving room for the sentiment at the bottom. Cut several small flowers from your plum haze paper using the second largest flower from your Cuttlebug set, plus one from the third largest die. Alternatively you could use a flower punch. The flowers will sit better if the plum haze design is printed onto cardstock. This helps to give it more body for mounting onto your project. Cut a 1” circle from the yellow haze paper. Using your computer print your chosen sentiment onto the yellow circle, ink the edges and glue to the largest Cuttlebug flower that you cut previously. Apply a piece of 3D foam to the back of the sentiment flower. Make up the others using your mini flowers and join together with a brad. These can be placed on the front of your notebook as an added embellishment. It helps if you cut into the die cut flowers slightly and curl the petals a little. Attach to the front of your notebook.
14 - To complete your notebook, cut and punch your insert pages. Using 20 pages of good quality photocopy paper 120gsm in weight cut 80 sheets from A4 paper to measure ¼” less in length and width than your covers so that they will sit inside the covers when the notebook is bound. To punch the inserts use the same method as for the covers – this will keep them lined up perfectly. Using a section of 5/8ths” binding wire for this size notebook (you will need six complete ‘loops’) lay the covers and pages in this order: 1 - back – right side facing. 2 - front – wrong side facing. 3 - pages. Hook the wires through the punched holes with the closed edge facing you. Check that you have your patterns the right way round before you complete this section.
15 - Set the Bind-It-All to the correct depth - 5/8ths” using the guide that comes with the machine. Insert the spine of your book into the Bind it All and press firmly to close the wires.
16 - Your notebook is complete.
17 - To make the coordinating greeting card score and fold the A5 piece of cardstock to make an A6 card.Round off the two corners at the bottom edge of the card front and back. Cut a 3” circle from the plaid background paper. Cut a 2½” circle from the yellow haze background paper. Ink the edges of the circles with ink and mat them together. Stamp and cut out the Angel image. Colour to suit your project. I used water- colour pencils. Take a piece of the heart background paper ¾” x 1¾” and round off the edges on one side only. Mount onto the plum haze background paper. Round off the edges in the same way. Attach a flower cut from the plum haze paper to a mini MM flower (neutral) with a brad and secure to the tab you have made through both layers of paper. Position the mats onto the centre of your card (landscape orientation). Glue the tab onto the top left hand side of the card.
18 - Make a matching bookmark 55 x 170mm (2¼” x 6½”). Print the yellow haze background from the Littlest Angel set onto cardstock. Stamp an angel image onto cardstock – I chose the’ Love ‘angel. I cut round the image and coloured her to suit the project. Using your computer print your chosen sentiment or verse on the bottom half of the bookmark to allow for positioning your angel image later. Punch a hole at the top of the bookmark and round off the corners with your corner punch.
19 - Using 3D foam pads attach the angel image near the top of the bookmark. Attach a tassel or toning ribbon or fibres through the punched hole.
©2008 Edna Taylor
1 - To make the card. Take an A4 sheet of textured white card. Score at 2 7/8” along short side. Turn and score at 2 7/8” along second short side. Fold using a bone folder to help keep the edges neat. If you have a scoring board, use the line marked A4 Gatefold to achieve the same result. Punch the four corners with a decorative corner punch.
2 - Cut one piece of matching white card to 3¼ x 4” and two pieces to 2½ x 3½”. Using your Cuttlebug embossing folder, emboss the larger piece of card. Using your Cuddly Buddly large daisies stamp, stamp and emboss the image in silver onto one of the smaller pieces of card. Repeat for the second piece. Using your pencils or markers lightly colour the images.
3 - Cut out the two forefront daisy heads from one of the stamped images. Decoupage these onto the other image using 3D foam pads.
4 - Stamp, colour and cut out the smaller daisies from your stamp set - 2 large and one small image. Decoupage the large daisy head as before and attach to the bottom right hand side of your gatefold card.
5 - Attach a piece of the narrow satin ribbon round the stamped daisy topper and secure to the back with double-sided tape. Take a small piece of the satin ribbon and tie in a knot on the front of the card. Repeat the ‘faux bow’ with your chosen second ribbon.
6 - Cut two pieces of your silver mirror card 3 ½ x 4¼” and 2¾x 3¾”. Mount the white embossed card onto the larger piece and the stamped image onto the smaller one. Now attach the matted and layered stamped image onto the embossed image with 3D foam pads. Now that your main panel is complete, attach it to the left-hand side front of your gatefold card about 1½” from the top of the card. Make sure you only glue the side that is to be attached as you want to be able to open your card!
7 - Prepare your insert on a piece of vellum 5¾” x 8”. Using your computer (I used Word) and the basic shapes facility, draw two rectangles in the form of a cross. Fill the images with a light silver colour (R 186 G 186 B 198) and select ‘No Line’ for both rectangles. Print your chosen verse or sentiment over the cross by using ‘Insert Text box’. Again select ‘No line’ and select ‘No fill’ as well so that the verse is superimposed on the cross. Print onto vellum paper making sure that the image starts 1½” down the page and attach to the inside of the card using vellum tape or carefully applied glue stick along the top edge. The placement of the image is important so that when the card is closed it isn’t seen behind the stamped panel on the front of the card.
8 - Finally, print the sentiment ‘Easter Blessings’ in the silver colour onto Safmat. Cut it out and gently burnish into place. You can also use a stamped greeting or a peel off if you prefer. Your card is finished.
9 - To make the bookmark. Take a piece of yellow card 18cm x 17cm. Fold it in half to measure 9cm x 17cm. Mark it as shown in the picture and cut out the rectangles indicated by the hatched lines. Erase any pencil marks that may be still showing.
10 - You can choose to keep the cross shape opened or closed at this stage. I chose to have it closed and glued the two sides together. Start with a piece of white cardstock measuring 16 x 16 cm. Fold it in half to measure 8cm x 16cm.
11 - Cut a second cross shape as indicated in the photo. Separate the two pieces as you will need one for the back and one for the front of the cross.
12 - Using your Cuttlebug embossing folder emboss the white crosses with the swirls pattern. As this shape is longer than the actual folder, I have included a photo of the method of embossing the final piece of the cross shape. Glue one white cross to the front of the main shape centrally and repeat for the back of the cross.
13 - Cut two flower shapes with the Cuttlebug flower dies, the largest in yellow and the smaller in white cardstock. Using your computer, print the verse or sentiment onto the smaller flower. Ink (or use a brush marker) the edges in yellow. Mat the flowers together and place in the centre of the cross.
14 - Stamp and emboss the large daisy stamp from the Cuddly Buddly Daisies set in silver. Colour and cut out the central prominent flower from the image. Glue to the bookmark.
15 - Finally punch a hole at the top of the cross and affix a tassel or toning fibres to complete it. If you have decided to keep the cross as an opening version, just punch the hole only through the front side of the cross. Your bookmark is now complete. I hope that you enjoy making your Easter projects as much as I did.
©2008 Edna Taylor
This month’s issue is packed full of bright and cheery summery coloured projects and I think this is probably the most diverse issue that they’ve published so far. Projects include a quick ‘n’ easy Strawberry Cross Stitch card by Jane Alford, ice lolly, lollipop trees and flip flops Felt Work card and toppers by Rachel Burgess and fun ‘n’ funky Collage cards by Dyan Reaveley as well as cards made using rubber stamps, punches and metals … and lots more including the free pull out printed papers.
Well done to the editor Louisa for spotlighting so many different and inspiring techniques in the one issue.
Following a question by a member on our forum about the Martha Stewart punches I decided to run a few tests using the Martha Stewart Checker Board Edge Punch to see just how far this little punch could be pushed.
Yes Yes = easily cuts; vellum, thin vinyl wallpaper, lightweight corrugated card/paper, glossy coated card (approx 250gsm), Core’dinations 80lb cardstocks, Bazzil Bling, Cuddly Buddly 150gsm glossy photo paper, Cuddly Buddly 210gsm eggshell textured inkjet printer card, 250gsm satin mirror card … and Kars (real) Metal Foil and the cardboard wrapper that the punch comes packed in but these last two did need a much tighter squeeze!
No No = won’t cut; Shrink Plastic, Tim Holtz Grungepaper, clear plastic bag (the kind we pop our finished cards in), thin tracing paper.
The punch works very, very smoothly and after all the various bits I’ve fed through it’s still very much alive and kicking! If I could change one thing, I’d add a little plastic tray beneath the ‘cutting blades’ to catch the tiny punched out bits - other than that, I’m well pleased with it’s performance and very happy to recommend it to our customers.
Keep Creating!
Hi There!
Just a quickie to let you know that we’ve added 17 more designs of Martha Stewart Border Punches to the shop.
Hugs n Smiles,
Hi Everyone!
I’m delighted to let you know that I’ve just finished an assortment of twelve new designs for you and that each of these new designs is available in three formats - Digi Stamps, Rubber Stamps and 3D Decoupage sheets. There’s six new Cuddly Bears images and six new Cuddly Critters images for you to choose from so I hope there’s a little character or two amongst them to make you smile.
The 3D Decoupage sheets have been saved as high quality .jpg images which allows you to use them as they are or crop details and enlarge them for even bigger or solo images. I’d just like to say a special ‘Thank You’ here to my Mum who’s being having a fun time making up samples with the 3D Decoupage sheets for me to share with you.
The Digi Stamps are saved as transparent .pngs and can be re-sized to suit your particular projects and also overlaid onto your background papers. I like to print out the Digi Stamps on my inkjet printer and then colour them with my Tim Holtz Alcohol and Distress Inks, I’ve been getting great results this way and absolutely no bleeding of the printed inks, even when printing onto the cheapest of cheap 80gsm copy paper (I like to test to the limits!). Other ways to confidently colour inkjet printed images are with crayons and alcohol markers. Waterbased inks and paints can be used but success will vary on the type of paper or card you’re printing onto so it’s good to experiment. If you’re using a laser printer or a waterproof inkjet ink then watercolouring will be a doddle.
Speaking of Tim Holtz Alcohol Inks … 24 NEW colours have been added to the range plus a fantastic new double ended refillable marker pen that you can fill with your Alcohol Blending Solution or your favourite colours. Also new from Tim Holtz is the flexible and highly durable 12×12 GrungePaper.
Issue 4 of Creative Cardmaking Magazine was late coming to the stands this month due to a serious technical hitch at the printers but we’re pleased that all is well again and it’s now arrived safely with us.
Do check out our ‘When It’s Gone’ section in the shop too if you’ve got a few spare minutes as I’ve added a load of new clearance lines to it and there’s some great bargains to be had at knock down prices!
And finally … we’ve got a new Fabulously Crafty Friend who’s joined us in the cottage, the very talented Trudy, or as friends call her ‘True’. True has a wonderful eye for colour and layout and her stunning cards include the most inspiring sewing machine stitch detailing and the fanciest inserts I think I’ve ever seen! You can see more cards by True in the Crafty Friends Digi Gallery and look out for more of her fabulous creations in the days and months to come.
That’s all from me for now - Keep Creating!
Hugs n Smiles,
Kim
Meet the newest four little fairies to fly off Kim Sponaugle’s drawing board and into the wonderful realm of all things crafty! The ice skating Winter Fairy, delicate Spring Fairy amongst the Lily of the Valley, sweet little Summer Fairy whispering to a birdie and the mischievious Autumn Fairy riding a sycamore leaf will help you to keep creating all through the year and are ideal for card making, calendar and altered art projects. All four seasonal fairies are available as unmounted rubber stamps and 3D Decoupage greeting card downloads. Keep an eye out for Sonia’s beautiful handcrafted cards using these fairy stamps when browsing through the stamps in the shop or Gallery 1.
Also new in the shop this week are four more adorable Erica Pels acrylic stamp sets - Autumn 1 & 2, Winter Skates and Near the Christmas Tree. This brings the total of Erica Pels stamp sets to twelve now and offers us a wonderful collection of stamps for year round projects.
Other new arrivals this week are new colours in Tim Holtz Alcohol Inks and Adirondack Pigment Inkpads. New Martha Stewart Border punches - just two designs have arrived at the moment but lots more are on the way and expected to be with us real soon. We’ve also added more Peel Offs in various texts and borders and three packs of little tassels in assorted colours.
And finally for now … and, as ever, certainly not least … we’ve added some new cards to Gallery 1 by the wonderfully talented Alison. Just look at the clever application of Perfect Pearls on the Book Fairy card below - skoosh and drag!
Keep Creating!
Hugs n Smiles,
Kim
Hi Everyone,
I received previews this week of the new 2009 Cuttlebug Embossing Folders and Punch & Emboss sets and thought maybe you’d like to see them too. 
We’re expecting to have them ready to ship out to you from Mid-August onwards.
Hugs n Smiles,
Kim
Hi Everyone,
Oh Wow, seems there’s been a touch of magic at work around here lately! I’ve teamed up with the amazingly talented children’s book illustrator Kim Sponaugle (yes, that’s two Kims now) and we’re delighted that the first members of our cuter than cute Fairy Fun Family are now ready to say ‘hello’ to you. We’ve got … Baby Fairy, Book and Cake Fairy, Grandma Fairy, Shoe Fairy and the sporty Tennis Fairy. Each fairy is available as a rubber stamp, a 3D Decoupage Card download and we’ve added eight sets of downloadable papers too. But this is just the start! More Fairy Fun Family members and other charming characters are managing to escape from Kim’s sketchbooks so keep an eye out for them too over the coming weeks and months!
Following the huge popularity of Susi’s super easy Alphabooks and Numbercards Printables and Cuttables, the printables range has been extended and a new rich ’Berries’ colour has been added. These sets are ideal for masculine cards toning in beautifully with the Country Gents and Local Lads downloads and are equally suitable for ladies cards too.
New in the shop are this month’s Creative Cardmaking and Making Cards magazines. These monthly magazines are each packed with ideas and inspiration for your cardmaking … and there’s some nifty free papers included too!
New too are the Mulberry Paper flowers by Petaloo - we’ve got lots of packs in a rainbow of tempting colours and styles that we think you might quite like too!
Also new in are the new Tim Holtz metal adornments - book corners, leaves, tiny attacher (a poshe name for a mini, mini, stapler), safety pins, etc.
All in all, lots of new goodies and lots more to watch out for. Have a great day, keep well, and …
Keep Creating!
Hugs n Smiles
Kim
