Creating Digital Overlays

A while back I shared with you how to create a digital overlay using a stamp.  Now I want to share how you can make your own overlay from a patterned paper.  This is a great way to increase your digital stash.

 

Open a large patterned paper in Photoshop Elements and make a duplicate copy.

Select Enhance>Convert to Black and White.

Using your Quick Select tool, select a sample area of what you'd like to remove.

 Select>Similar and cut or delete.

New Adjustment Layer>Threshold and use slider until image is all black.

Merge and save as a .png file.

 

Club Scrap digital papers, frame, stitching and word art. Charlize Creations jeweled cluster.

 



Blueprints Meets Oxide Inks

Two of my favorite combinations! Tim Holtz's Blueprint stamps and his Oxide Inks!  I'm in love with how the oxide inks show up on dark cardstock.  All I did here for the backdrop was mush my ink pad onto my craft sheet, add a few drops of water to the ink and flick the ink onto a cardstock panel.   The cupcake was an oxide ink practice piece that I stamped.  I did add a few highlights with Copic markers, cut out the image and used foam squares to give it lift.

Club Scrap papers and ribbon. Tim Holtz Oxide Inks and stamp. 

Pattern Play Blog Hop

Welcome to the Pattern Play Blog Hop brought to you by Club Scrap.  Each month the talented Club Scrap owner, employees and members present a project, card or layout using the monthly featured collection. The  purpose of the blog hop is to demonstrate the beauty of paper and digital crafts.

If you just happened on the blog hop today because you're a regular reader of my blog, and you'd like to view the entire hop, you can  start back at Club Scrap. If you're already hopping and linked to me from the talented Kelly's blog, you're in the right spot. 

Today each member is pulling inspiration from the Pattern Play collection. This kit features a black/white/gray color palette complemented by a beautiful splash of lime green.

 

I have two upcoming adventures in my life. I start a Winemaking class this week that'll take me through the summer.  Yeah me! I need to start thinking what my second career will be in a few years and you know I'm a planner.  My second adventure will be a trip to Ireland and Iceland next April.  Iceland has been on my bucket list for awhile and I'm super excited.

 

Having the OCD personality that I do, I need a notebook for each adventure. However, I have found that I never really fill up an entire notebook in the past. So I took an idea from Karen and cut a composition notebook in half.  I love these graph composition notebooks from Retreat 2013 and still have a few handy.

 

1. Trim a notebook in half with a craft knife.

2. Cover notebook with papers using bookbinding glue.  

3. Round corners with a corner chomper.

4. Decorate as desired.

All products by Club Scrap.

Here's a tutorial on how to make this adorable double bow. 

Club Scrap papers, tags and feather. Tim Holtz numbers. Doodlebug doily. 

Thank you for hoping with us today! Please continue on to see what Tina has created with this collection.

Here's more composition notebook inspiration.

Metal Notebook

Botanical Notebooks

 



 

Sac Town

The best way to learn about your city is to have visitors.  Tricia and Karen came to Sacramento last October for the Scrapbook Expo.  However Karen was the one who knew about the Underground Tasting Room. I used to work in Old Town and never knew it existed. We ate at some AMAZING restaurants that I had never been to.  I think Tracey and I had just as much fun exploring our city as they did!

 

I couldn't find the right papers for these photos until Pattern Play came along. I stole this layout straight from the ALSB instructions, with a few changes of course. 

Club Scrap papers, ribbon and stamps. Paper Smooches wine die. Thickers alphabet.

 

Masculine Blueprint Birthday

Recognize this paper?  Yep...it was from that background I created with oxide inks and initially hated it. I've been creating some masculine cards lately and this paper is perfect for them. I thought I'd keep the card simple with all the colors and lines. I stamped the balloon on a separate oxide ink panel, cut it out and mounted it with foam tape. What says "manly" more than twine?!

Club Scrap papers and greeting. Tim Holtz Oxide inks and balloon stamp.

 

Created for Just For Fun Rubber Stamp's For the Guys Challenge

 

One Layer Layout

Welcome to June's Artist Team Blog Hop brought to you by Club Scrap. Each month the team presents a themed challenge or technique. The  purpose of the blog hop is to demonstrate the beauty of paper crafts.  Today we'll be showing you ideas for one layer projects. 

If you just happened on the blog hop today because you're a regular reader of my blog, and you'd like to view the entire hop, you can start back at Club Scrap. If you're already hopping and linked to me from Tina's Blog, you're in the right spot.

 

One layer layouts or cards are a little difficult for me. I like to pile things on my layouts.  Mostly because I have a room full of scrapbook stuff. After creating panels and cards with my new oxide inks I thought...why not try it on a layout!

So let's get started.

 

1. Create an area for your photo "mat" by taping off an area slightly larger than the photo and ink the inside with blue, brown and green. 

 

2. Add color to the rest of the layout by smooshing blue and green inks on a craft mat, add water and start pressing the paper into the ink.  

 

3. Dry with a heat gun and repeat the process until you're satisfied.

 

4. Add drops of water to the paper and let sit a few seconds before heat setting. 

 

5. Add stamping.  I used the map from Adirondacks but I only partially inked the map trying to avoid major edges and lines. I stamped leaves throughout the inked area stamping the first image on scratch paper and using the second stamping for the layout to give me a softer lighter image.

 

6. Flick ink on layout using a water brush and ink or gelatos.  

 

 Club Scrap paper and stamps. Tim Holtz Oxide inks.

 

Thank you for hoping with us today! Please continue on to see what amazing one-layer project Kelly has created.

Climb This Mountain

I was attempting to create a background with Oxide inks for the One Layer Layout challenge tomorrow and totally did not like how this paper turned out for my photo. So I set it aside hoping I could rescue it somehow.  When I was creating a card for the Paper Smooches Manly Challenge I thought this was a perfect match! I love how things work out sometimes.

I chose to do this yellow ribbon manly card for several reasons. Yellow represents bladder cancer which is a cancer that affects many firefighters, some I work closely with.  I lost a friend and great man to bladder cancer. Miss you Peet!

Paper Smooches stamps. Copic markers. Club Scrap paper and ribbon.

Paper Smooches Hope stamp set

Paper Smooches Happy Travels stamp set

Serenity

I've been impressed with some of the ladies on the Club Scrap Forum and how they've managed to create one card utilizing several challenges.  I dared myself to make a card using four of the challenges and here's what I came up with. 

Tool & Stash (Corner Rounder)

Idea Deck (Jack of Diamonds Deck V)

Past & Present (Paradise)

Technique (Texture Paste)



All products by Club Scrap.

 

Should I shoot for five next month? :)

Colored Texture Paste

June's technique challenge brought to you by Club Scrap is to add texture to your project with pastes.  I just happened to have this mini jar of transparent paste that I didn't know what to do with.  I didn't want a translucent image so I mixed color bursts with it in hopes of it not coming out translucent. The color was a perfect match with this month's Pattern Play collection.  The paste looked fantastic on the white cardstock but disappointing on the darker backgrounds.

 

 

Club Scrap papers, stamp and stencil. Nuvo crystal drops. 

It was difficult to get a photo. Sorry for the glare. 

Now it's your turn to create with texture paste. Be sure to add your work to the Linky Party for a chance to win a Club Scrap gift certificate. 

 

Now That's a Match!

My husband and I went to a very special wedding recently.  We watched this young lady grow up and are very proud of all she's accomplished. We were excited and thrilled to act as her bartenders.  I kept telling my husband that we should play "good cop/bad cop".  I wanted to be the bad cop and check everyone's IDs.  My husband just shook his head at me. 

 

All last week you've seen creations from the Pattern Play collections. You've seen black, gray and white with the splash of bright green.  Well...those colors didn't work with my photos from that wedding so I digitally darkened the greens and changed the background papers to pink.  Now that's a match!

 

All digital products by Club Scrap.

 

Pattern Play Digital Collection

Vogue Digital Expansion Collection

Scholarship Digital Collection

Pattern Play Double Z

Yesterday's blog debuted the fun double Z fold card in this month's Pattern Play's Greeting to Go. I really fell in love with how these cards open to reveal a surprise greeting. This "Hello" is one of my favorites.  I just love how this first panel only displays the "hello" tag but when you open the card you see the "What's up" tag.  Now this design is straight from the instructions that come with the Greetings to Go. However I was inspired by the fabric print in the photo from the Card Concepts #75 Challenge and used a laser die cut panel on the front of the card. I purchased a whole pad of these laser die cuts on clearance.  Super bang for my buck!   

 

Club Scrap papers, tags, ribbon, eyelet and acrylic dots. Recollections laser paper.



 

Proud of You!

The Pattern Play's Greetings to Go comes with double Z fold cards. Both the top panel and the card base are folded in a Z and can reveal a fun hidden greeting. Tricia has made a video if you need some help getting the concept or putting these cards together.

 

June's NBUS (Never Been Used Stuff) challenge is to use your large pattern stamps to create a background. For me this is much easier done with a Misti, which is always close by. I chose the background stamp from Graffiti,  which reminds me of the spray webbing I've been using to create many backgrounds with the Pattern Play collection.  

Club Scrap papers, tag, stamp and ribbon. Recollections feather. Pretty Pink Posh sequins. Doodlebug Designs doily.

Top view of card open. 

 

Way to Go!

I am so proud of my BFF's daughter!  She recently graduated high school and will be on her way to a small university in South Dakota on a full scholarship!  I wanted to make a special card for her graduation party and couldn't think of a better way than with a library pocket and card.  Her school colors were red and black and  I just happened to have Tahiti papers out on my desk for the Past & Present challenge. I stamped the sentiment on the top of the card so it would show and splattered black gelato ink.

Club Scrap papers, pocket, card and sentiment. Tim Holtz acrylic numbers. Faber-Castell Gelatos.

Pattern Play Path

I love this month's free template by Fiddle-Dee-Dee Designs. I couldn't wait to start playing with the new Pattern Play digital collection.  When I first download a digital kit I start to look at other embellishments in my stash that coordinate. Yes, I could do a digital color change with some embellishments but I'm looking for something quick and easy. I found that Comics and Pure & Simple coordinate beautifully with this new collection.

 

I love this photo of my husband and I. We were on a bike trip in Bali, Indonesia. You won't see me on a bike very often. I have this unusual distrust of other vehicles on the same road as me.  I nearly had a panic attack when we had to ride in heavy traffic through a major city. Even though it's a fantastic way to sightsee, it's not very relaxing for me.

Fiddle-Dee-Dee Designs template, Club Scrap papers, tags and buttons. Amanda Yi and Katie Pertiet flowers, Dream Big Designs Flowers.

 



Special Sketch

June's Card Sketch Challenge over at Club Scrap is a fun linear one and even comes with cutting directions. Thanks to Roni there is little paper waste when creating these cards. I wanted to use the use cut-aparts from the Pattern Play Greetings to Go so I opted to not use the trimming guide.

I created the background using spray webbing which is my favorite art medium with this collection. Washi tape is a perfect substitution for the paper strips on the sketch.  I have several dozens of rolls of washi and try to find any excuse to use them. Nuvo drops were added to the splashes for dimension.

Pattern Play Webbing

Before Pattern Play even hit my doorstep I was creating some background panels in preparation. It's been awhile since I've played with my webbing spray, so it was time to get messy. I actually spray panels inside my outdoor garbage can so there really isn't any mess for me.  If not, I do recommend lots of newspaper and spraying outdoors is a must.  



You can get some great designs with using a light spray, heavy spray or spray at an angle. I think the one on the left looks like jellyfish.

Here are the cards created with some of the panels. I used various tags and elements from the Pattern Play Greetings to Go kit and the Deluxe Collection.

Stencil Oxide Inks

While experimenting with the Oxide Inks by Ranger I dug out my stencils to see how well these inks blended. Love love love them! I find they blend so much easier and smoother than regular inks. Add water and you get such an awesome result.

Add water drops.



Club Scrap papers, stencil, ribbon and stamps. Ranger Oxide inks. Pretty Posh Pink sequins.

 

 

Jacob's Ladder

My dear friend loves succulents and air plants. So I thought this would be a fabulous and fun gift for her birthday. It's a Jacob's Ladder album. Once completed, hold the Jacob’s Ladder vertically and flip the top board. Watch the remaining boards go cascading down in a fun, interactive fashion. Completing the project "correctly" can be challenging so NO wine beforehand! I highly recommend watching the video once before and during the assembly. I'm not kidding here...one wrong move and you'll have a bunch of coasters!

When complete, fill with photos. Don't worry about the ribbon placement, each time you flip the album the ribbons change from one centered to two side by side. 

The kit comes with papers to complete an adorable box to keep it safe.