Wooden Ornaments for Yvonne Blair Designs

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Oh I love home crafted Christmas ornaments. Every year I try and make a few new ornaments for my tree. This has become a tradition that my family looks forward to each year. Today, I would like to share with you one of  this year's new designs using Yvonne's Compass stamp from Impression Obsession. 

Compass

You can also use several of Yvonne's other stamps, I give you some ideas in the video link below.

 

For the base of the ornament I'm using these wooden shapes I grabbed at a local craft shop. This bag was under $5 and as you can see we will be able to make lot of ornaments.

I filled in the knots on the wood with Modeling paste so that I can get a smooth surface  for stamping.  You can leave these natural with  a white wash of gesso or you can paint them if you like.

In the video below, I will share with you two versions that I created, so that you can decide which technique you like best.   But both are gorgeous.

It was easier to add the foiling  on the chalkboard version because the paint helped to make the surface smooth.  But if natural look is what you like, I think it turned it nice as well. It is just harder to see the foiling.  If you decided to go with this technique, I suggest bold and heavy designs for your stamping. Thick and large fonts will show up better.

Here is the video sharing how I did the technique.

Watch on YouTube

Wasn't that fun?   I want to make a bunch these. They would be great to add to packages, and share with your friends and family.  Or create a set and give them as a gift.  Thank you so much for hanging out with me today. 

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Simple Poinsettia Watercolor turotorial

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Merry Christmas everyone!   I just love this time of year!  I've been getting my Christmas cards ready to be mailed.  Today I wanted to share with you a simple way to watercolor that takes very little time, but looks like you spent hours. The best part - these cards are flat, and can easily be mailed!

For today's focal point, I stamped this gorgeous stamp by Stampendous!   It comes with a mask/stencil which comes in handy for layering larger projects or painting negative spaces.   As you can see the stamp fills an A2 card nicely!  There is a coordinating die for this stamp set that is sold separately.

 

I recommend a heavy card stock if you plan to emboss your stamping like I did.  I would use a stock that is 80 - 110lb if possible.   Watercolor paper could be used, but the stamping may not be crisp.

 

Card dimensions:

The cardstock is cut at 4 1/4 inches  x 11 inches  then scored at 5 1/2 inches  so it is a top folding card

Interior Panels:   4inches x 5 inches

 

Here is a glimpse at my finished card:

For a super simple watercolor method where you don't have to be too persnickety about colors mixing, try heat embossing your stamped image. The enameled raised edges give boundaries for the water to pool and help keep your pigment trapped.  While you may experience a little wicking it will be minimal, and you won't have to be too fussy.  I really love the richness the gold embossing offers to the overall look of the card.

 

To watercolor my card I created a palette with an ice tray using this watercolor set. You can see how I did this in my September  Ustream!

  

 

Here is the video where I created the card:

 

 

 

Who wouldn't enjoy receiving a hand painted card.  These are just gorgeous!   Thank you so much for hanging out with me today!

 

Tonya

 

Supplies:

Stampendous Cling Create A Poinsettia CRS5081 Stamp

Inkadinkado 97342MM
Cardstock - 81/2 x 11  Red Cardstock
Solid white/ivory cardstock  80 - 110lb
Versa Ink
Ranger Ink - Queen's Gold Embossing Powder
Daler Rowney Watercolor Tubes
White Paint
Round 0 Watercolor Brush
Round 10 Watercolor Brush
Scotch ATG tape
 

 

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Christmas Card - Money or Gift Card Holder

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Hi everyone!  I hope you are getting into the Holiday spirit over here this week.  Today I would like to share with you a card tutorial for sharing a gift card, or money with that extra special someone. 

 

Today's card concept is intended for the mail.  I wanted a little more space than offered by the traditional A2 card size, so I decided on a standard #10.   The back panel of the card measures 7in x 8.5 in   scored and folded at 3.5 in x 8.5 in.   The front panels are then cut a quarter inch smaller to leave a bit of a border. The card will fit in a standard #10 (letter/business size)  envelope. As you can see from the photo above the card's design is still relatively flat, so you could easily mail this card.  However because of its weight, you may be required to add additional postage.

 

 

For today's project I chose the new Christmas Collection from Blue Fern Studios - Vintage Christmas - Noel 12x12 paper.  I trimmed the design from the front of the paper, and used the b-side as a background for the front and inside panels of my card.  Before cutting down your panels, be sure to fussy cut the pattern for the cover.

 

 

I also used the Merry Christmas title from the Greeting Cards Cut apart paper.

 

 

 

 

 

To add depth to the front, I chose the Coordinated Chipboard Frolic Mesh.  As you can see in the photo below. It made the perfect trellis for my flower cluster.   I wanted to keep it natural colored, so I added a bit of clear Holographic embossing powder from Ranger to it. This gives it a wet shimmer but maintains the look of wood.  I also added a bit of "fake" snow to some of the centers of the designs.  

 

 

This time of year, there are all kinds of things you can find to add shimmer and fun to your holiday paper crafting projects.   I found this cluster of wired beads that also made the perfect "holly berries"  They look really great mixed in with my flowers.  For the Holly, I used some scrap pieces of Gelli Prints® that I had made over the summer and a Martha Stewart Holly Punch. 

 

 

 

I thought adding a sentiment to the card would take away from the word Noel that was already printed.  However, the printed Noel seemed lost among all the other elements.  So I decided to use a small Melissa Frances frame to call attention to the word.  I colored the frame with a gold Wink of Stella Glitter Pen and finished it off with Glossy Accents in the center.  Now my sentiment takes center stage!  

 

 

 

For the Inside pocket of the card, I needed to keep the design flat.  So I simply created a banner with a Marvy Pennant Punch and Jenny Bowlin Blue Ribbon Punch using scraps from the paper.   I also took a sentiment from the Greeting Cards paper from Blue Fern Studios to add the sentiment. 

 

 

 

Here is a quick process video showing how I created the card. 

You can see why I have fallen in love with these papers from Blue Fern Studios. The designs are so delish!  I just love vintage traditional Christmas patterns.   I hope I have inspired you to spend a little extra time on that special person in your life whom you plan to gift money or a gift card this Christmas.

Thanks for stopping in today.

Tonya

Supplies

• Blue Fern Studios - Vintage Christmas - Noel 12 x12 Paper
• Blue Fern Studios - Vintage Christmas - Greet Cards  12x12 Paper
• Blue Fern Studios - Coordinating Chipboard - Frolic Mesh
• Ranger Ink - Glossy Accents
• Melissa Francis - Resin Frames
• Martha Stewart - Holly Punch
• Fiskars - Jenni Bowlin - Blue Ribbon Punch
• Marvy - Pennant Punch
• Scotch - ATG adhesive
• Tombo Mono Adhesive
• My Favorite things - Doily Die
• Cheese Cloth
• Zig - Gold Wink of Stella Glitter Pen
• Home Accents - Red Glass Bead Spray
• Flowers
• Chipboard
• Red Cardstock
• Home Accents - Christmas Fake Snow

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Stocking Gift Card Holder by Tonya Gibbs

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Hi everyone, just a few more days until Christmas, and time for me to start my wrapping.   Today, I  wanted to share with you a little gift card holder I made using Marion Smith's Nirvana and Mad Tea Party collection.

 

 

For the stocking I used the Bliss page from the Nirvana Collection.

 

 

Then I used the Tim Holtz Poinsettia die and cut the b-side of the Alice Paper to make the flower.  I have a tutorial on my YouTube channel that shows how to make the flower.

 

 

 

 

 I used the Typograph stamp to personalize the gift tag.  

 

 

 

The flower actually holds the flap down when the stocking is closed.

 

 

I love how elegant this gift card holder looks.  I think it would also be super cute for a baby shower.   The stocking shape is a cut file in the Silhouette store by Lori Whitlock. 

 

 

Thanks for stopping in today.  I hope you guys have a super awesome Christmas and a Happy New Year! 

 

Tonya Gibbs

http://www.psychomomscrapbooks.blogspot.com

 

 

 

 

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Curiosities Layout by Tonya Gibbs

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When I first saw Nirvana I knew it was going to be one of my all time favorite collections.  I love the neutral design. This collection is on its way to becoming a CLASSIC in my scrappy world!   Today I'm going to share with you a Christmas layout with some of the scraps from my previous projects.

 

My photo was taken with my phone and ran through an Instagram filter.  Yes, I had just gotten the ap and did this with every photo (haaaaaa).  While the quality of the photo isn't perfect, it is trendy and fun with the high pass faded colors and lens blurs.  I loved how I captured that one moment of curiosity in her face - pure bliss and so precious.  This photo had to be scrapped!

 

 

To mimic the softness in the photo, I decided to watercolor my background.  I used Gelatos from Faber Castle Design Memory Craft on white watercolor paper.  For texture I made a ruffle out of crape paper streamers.  The ruffle reminds me of  a tree skirt.  

 

 

    

 

 

For the Christmas tree. I decided to keep the tree simple, and free of ornaments. It was already so full that I didn't want it to compete anymore with my small photo.  The Gold Color Shine gave the sparkle but kept the simplicity.

 

 

To create the tree, I punched scraps of the following  Nirvana designs with the Martha Stewart Medium Branch Punch. 

 

 

 

Most of the tree was punched from the B side of this paper. I love the look of the ledgers when punched.    The Curiosities title on the A side was perfect for my layout title.

 

Both sides of this paper were perfect. 

 

I used the A side of this paper.

 

 

 

 

I started at the top, then formed a triangle overlapping the branches for a dense look. Apply glue only to the base of  the leaf, so that the tips can be elevated.  I made sure all my branches where pointed upward except the ones on the sides, they were tilted to a slight angle.   To give a spruce look, I focused on the brown tones towards the bottom, and the bluish green punched pieces on the top layers.   This variation in color gives depth to your tree.  The text and patterns on the paper give interest. 

 

 

For the stack of presents under the tree I used the Tim Holtz Collection Sizzix Bigz Die - Packages & Bows with scraps of these papers from Marion's Nirvana and Mad Tea Party Lines.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I think this layout is going down as one of my all time favorites.  I love the softness, and sheer elegance of the design.   I know I hit a home run when my teenage boy walked in and said "hey that tree is cool!"  

 

 

Thanks for stopping in today.

 

Tonya A. Gibbs

http://www.psychomomscrapbooks.blogspot.com

 

 

 

 

 

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Santa's List Holiday Organizer by Tonya Gibbs

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Hi everyone, 

The Holiday season is quickly approaching, and I'm not sure about you, but my house hold is a whirl-wind of activities this time of year.  Each year I create an Organizer/Planner to keep track of the craziness. When I started this project several years ago, I was looking for a place to trap receipts menus, calendars, card lists, shopping lists, groceries lists, coupons, sales fliers etc...  It has evolved into a true keepsake throughout the years.  It is fun to look back at all the ciaos from year to year.

This year, I created my planner with Teresa Collins Designs' Santa's List.   I just love the red and whites they are so clean, and really get me into the Christmas mood.  

I altered an Avery 6x9 inch white 3 ring binder that you can find at any department store in the office supply section.

I added lace and trims along the edge to soften up binder's hard exterior.  I also used Gold paper to accent my papers. Since the book would be tossed in the car, and dragged in and out of stores, I decided to sew down all the stickers

The Dividers
I have 3 dividers in this notebook,   Planner,  Cards, and Gifts. The dividers were cut on my silhouette using 3 bracket file folders by Lori Whitlock. I cut the folders in half with the knife tool in the design studio software and only "cut" the half that had the tabs.  This allowed me to make the folders wider so they fit the proportions of my notebook. I used the alpha set on the sticker sheet to label my tabs, then sewed across the bottom of them to make sure that they don't fall off from over use.  

I included the sticky notes from the collection for extra labeling and note taking.

Inside Cover
I love having a little something to take notes in that can easily be added to my purse and then replaced in the planner later.  Teresa's Sewed Journals fit nicely in the pockets.  I love that the December Stamp in the Santa's List Stamp set starts on Sunday with day 1.  Since this year December 1st in on a Sunday it made it a great visual reference for the dates through out the book.

Here is a video with a complete walk through of the book.

I hope this organizer will help give you some ideas for your own holiday planning.   I'm so happy I've adopted this and it will be fun to go back and flip through it after the first of the year when it is a documented mess.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend.

Thanks for stopping in today.  If you haven't subbed yet, please do so.

Tonya

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Christmas Cards

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We are quickly approaching the hustle of the Holiday Season. I don't know about you, but my world is a whirl wind of constant motion this time of year.  I barely have time to sleep, let alone knock out STACKS of Christmas cards.  I'm sure I'm not alone!  Although I don't "mail" out stacks of Christmas Cards, I do like to have a few handy just in case.  This is a great opportunity to pull out last year's paper collections, and use those holiday scraps from this year's projects.

Today, I would like to share with you a few "simple" designs that will encourage you to simplify without compromising elegance. Both of these cards can be made by ANYONE in a matter of seconds.

I just finished a major project, that I will share with you later, and I took this opportunity to quickly knock out  these cards with scraps.  As you know, my philosophy is always USE those scraps immediately, and cards are the perfect way.

For elegance my advice is keep it simple.  A monochromatic color selection will maintain sophistication without a lot of fuss. 

For this card, I decided to use a simple clean white label to break up the busy pattern in the background.   A few simple touches like the punched border, fancy label shape and script stamp make this simple design elegant and fun.

 

Supplies needed for above card:

• Card base - White Card stock 11 x 4.25inches folded in half to yield a 4.25inches x 5.5 inches.
• A scrap of paper to use as a base.  I used Teresa Collins' Santa's List - Red Flakes.
• Border Punch (I used Martha Stewart Crafts Pinking Scallop Edge Punch)
• Labels Punch (I used Spellbinders Nestabilities Dies, Labels 4)
• Sentiment Stamp (I used Inkadinkado Merry Christmas)
• Ranger Archival Ink Vermilion
• Baker's Twine
• Gelly Roll pen -  stardust  (I traced around the label with this pen, you could also trace the snowflakes with it).

 

 

The pop of glitter, and one iconic simple image, makes this card pack a powerful statement.  I love that it looks complicated, without much effort! My advice is find a simple iconic image that conveys your message, and remember less is sometimes more!

 

Supplies needed for the above card:

• Card base - White Card stock 11 x 4.25inches folded in half to yield a 4.25inches x 5.5 inches.
• 1/2 Inch  Corner Punch (I used the We R Memory Keepers)
• Cosmo Cricket Glitter Sheets in Starlet (THESE GLITTER SHEETS DO NOT SHED - AMAZING!)
• Sentiment Stamp (I used Inkadinkado Merry Christmas)
• Ranger Archival Ink Vermilion
• Sizzix Tim Holtz Alterations - Embossing Diffuser.
• Provo Craft - Cuttlebug Swiss Dots Embossing Folder
• Silver Ribbon
• Silhouette Cameo (Ornament) from Echo Park

I encourage you to go through Christmas past paper collections and see if you can duplicate a few of these simple designs.   Don't have a Silhouette?  Never fear, lots of companies have similar images available in dies, go through your stash and see if you can substitute another design. Just remember simplicity is key, especially if you want to mail these cards.

I just love that  both card designs can easily be modified to work with any occasion.

Hope I have inspired you to use up your scraps and make some great simple Holiday cards.  Remember to keep it simple, so you have time to make the memories that matter!

Thanks for stopping in today,

Tonya Gibbs
http://www.psychomomscrapbooks.blogspot.com

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Graphic 45 - Santa Card

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Christmas is right around the corner, and I've been working on Christmas Cards for my friends.   I wanted to share this holiday card that I created using Graphic 45's Christmas Emporium in 8x8, and my new Tim Holtz Embossing Diffusers. 

 

 

 

I used a standard 4.25 x 5.5 kraft card as my base.   Then placed my embossing folder over the front of the card as you normal would do, but instead of using a top plate, I replaced the top plate with the Oval shaped Embossing Diffuser from Tim Holtz.  This place actually prevents the embossing in the "Cut out" area.   Then using an xacto knife and the place as a template, I carefully removed the center "non embossed area". 

 

 

I then backed the hole with the Christmas Emporium paper and fussy cut the other elements from the unused sections of the page.   The Poinsettia at the top was made using red velvet and a Spellbinder's Poinsettia Die. 

 

I love the layered look of this card.   There are so many rich details in such a small space. 

 

Thank you for stopping in today,

 

Merry Christmas,

 

Tonya Gibbs

 

 

Resources:  

• Graphic 45 - Christmas Emporium 8x8 paper
• Ranger  - Forrest Moss Stain, Gold Stickles, Gold Paint Dobber
• Sizzix -   Tim Holtz Embossing Diffuser Set 1
• Provo Craft - Embossing Folder
• Spellbinders - Layered Poinsettie Die
• Martha Stewat Crafts - Holly Punch, Micro Beads
• Red Velvet Ribbon

 

 

 

 

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