A spring card and faux button tutorial

Ready for spring to arrive? So are we!

STM Senior Designer Barb Prendergast  is getting in the spring mode with this cute card. She used the Maggie Holmes collection by Crate Paper in the 6 x 6 pad ($5.99) along with Worldwin cardstock (.59 a sheet) and finished with Creative Imaginations sheer ribbon (.39 a yard). She cut her latticed border with a Martha Stewart by EK Success punch.

Have you ever wondered how Barb gets those buttons that match her projects? She makes them from the scraps from her project! Here's how:

FAUX BUTTON TECHNIQUE


1.  Gather your materials:
     patterned paper scrap
     colored cardstock scrap (I used Worldwin Cascada because it's sturdy)
     additional cardstock scraps (these won't show, so any color will do)
     Pioneer gluestick
     Creative Imaginations sheer ribbon or May Arts sheer natural burlap twine

     Martha Stewart by EK Success circle punch and scalloped circle punch
     Paper piercer, sharp skewer or large darning needle
     Distress Ink by Ranger Industries or ColorBox Cat's Eye Pigment Brush Pad (optional)

2.  Punch a circle from your patterned paper, and a scalloped circle from colored cardstock. Punch one to three circles from  cardstock (these will be used for extra thickness and will not show on your finished button, so any color will do). Ink the outside edge of your button if you wish.

3.  With the gluestick, adhere the patterned paper circle to top of colored cardstock scalloped circle.

4.  Using the paper piercer, needle or skewer, punch two button holes, making sure to go through both layers. You may need to push the piercer through the holes (push down, then come back up through hole) to make them large enough for your twine or ribbon. Make sure button holes are about 3/8 inch apart and centered on your button, so the holes don't rip through when you add the ribbon.

5.  Thread the ribbon through the button holes and tie in bow or knot at the top. Last of all, glue one or more of your remaining cardstock circles onto the back. One will give you a smooth back, which makes adhering to your project easier. Additional circles will add extra dimension to your button so it will really "stand out" on your finished project.

She added one faux button, backed with three thin cardstock circles, to this past project:

She added two buttons, each backed with only one additional cardstock circle for easier mailing, to this little card:

We hope you enjoyed this tutorial for quick and EASY accents using your scraps! Visit Scrap That Moment today for more fun ideas and inspiration from the STM designers.

Send some sunshine!

Tired of snow and ice? Winter blues got a hold on you? Make and send a little sunshine!

STM Designer Chris Pozzi created this bright and cheery "Thinking of You" card. She used so many fun techniques that she wanted to share them with you! She used Ranger inks and Stickles glitter glue glue, Our Daily Bread stamps, and a fun template from The Crafter's Workshop. "Don't be afraid to try this at home!" Chris says. "This card shows my first attempts at trying a few of these techniques."

Materials:
Tim Holtz Distress Inks by Ranger: Scattered Straw and Rusty Hinge *
Tim Holtz Distress Markers by Ranger: Tea Dye, Wild Honey, Pine Needles *
Ranger Stickles glitter glue: Assorted colors
Ranger ink blending tool and pads
Ranger Ink (any archival ink will work)
Our Daily Bread stamps: Butterfly and Butterfly Corner
The Crafter's Workshop mini template: Mini Bricks
Worldwin cardstock for card image base
Printed paper for background (Chris used Studio Calico)
Folded card made from Worldwin cardstock

Other supplies:
Koi mini brush; acrylic block; ink daubers; adhesives


Step 1:
Stamp Butterfly Corner onto your cardstock base ; then stamp it again onto a piece of scratch paper. Stamp the Butterfly onto a piece of the same cardstock as your base.

Step 2:
Fussy-cut out the Butterfly stamped image that you made on the cardstock. Then cut out the Butterfly Corner image that you stamped on your scrap paper.

Step 3:
Place the cut-out Butterfly Corner image over the top of the stamped image on your card base. (By covering the stamped image with this scratch-paper image, you are protecting it from getting inked during the masking technique below)

Place the Brick template over the card base. Using the ink blending tool, rub the ink over the brick template. This does NOT have to be perfect! The more color variations you get into the ink, the more realistic your bricks will look. NOTE: BE SURE TO HOLD THE TEMPLATE to keep it from slipping. Depending on the size of your card base, you may have to move the template down to finish the background. Just line up the brick spaces with your previous inking to keep the pattern going.

Step 4:
Using daubers and inks, color the Butterfly image on your card and the cut-out butterfly.

Step 5:
Using the Tea Dye distress marker, lightly color the centers of all the flowers in your card image.

Step 6:
Using the Wild Honey distress marker, color a swatch of color onto your acrylic block.

Using your water brush, pick up a little bit of ink from the block and "paint" the flower petals. Chris then cleaned her block and used the Rusty Hinge ink and water brush to accent the petals. (Note: the water brush is self cleaning) Since she didn't have a Rusty Hinge market (yet *wink*) she stamped the ink pad directly onto the acrylic block.

Then she repeated the same technique with the Pine Needles marker to color in the foliage areas of her stamped image. REMEMBER: This is a watercolor technique, and the image should look a little washed out, like a watercolor.

Step 7:

Fold the cut-out stamped butterfly in the middle and attach it to the card base, adhering it in the center of the butterfly only (so its wings are raised). Using Stickles, highlight the butterfly and flowers as desired. Trim and mat the image onto background paper and then onto the front of your card. 

 Want to make your own card using these techniques? You'll find what you need at Scrap That Moment, open Tuesday-Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the heart of beautiful downtown Princeton. Lynette Daniel, STM's owner, holds a card class the first Saturday of each month, where she teaches these and other fun techniques. Call ahead for class times and to reserve your space.

Happy scrapping!

Let's make a card with Soho Garden!

Have you ever looked at a layout or card and wondered "how did the designer make that"? Designs that look complicated often are easy to copy; you just need to break the project into components or steps.

I copied most of the elements of this card from American Crafts design team member Jill Cornell, with a few changes so that I could use materials from Scrap That Moment. The papers are from American Crafts' Soho Garden collection, which is full of bright colors and bold prints. (Scrap That Moment has collection packs that include all of the 20 Soho Garden patterns plus a set of black glitter Thickers alphabet, or you may purchase individual pieces. Trust me, all of the patterns are delightful!)

Below you will find directions for making this card yourself. It looks like a lot of steps, but it actually goes together quickly and easily.

Materials:
American Crafts Soho Garden: Canal Street, Gramercy Park, Eldridge Street, Grande Street, High Line Park, Orchard Street
Best Creations Glitter Cardstock,  Peacock
Worldwin kraft paper; Worldwin Colormates, Dark Autumn Red
Maya Road Baker's Twine
Ranger Industries: Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad (I used Antique Linen and Tea Dye, but Vintage Photo or Walnut Stain also work well); Glossy Crackle Accents; Stickles glitter glue and Liquid Pearls, various colors
Tim Holtz Edge Distresser tool by Tonic Studios
Cutter Bee 5-inch scissors
Edge punch tool of choice
Other supplies:
foam dots; adhesive of choice (I used Alene's Tacky Glue, Pioneer Glue Stick, and a tape runner)
die cutting machine and dies; stamp and ink; 3/8 inch round punch; 1/8 inch handheld office hole punch; sewing machine and white thread; paper cutter; scoring tool;  sponge applicator

1. Cut a 10 inch by 7 inch piece of kraft cardstock; score at 5 inches and fold into 5 x 7 inch card base. Ink edges using sponge and distress ink pad.

2. Cut a 4 3/4 x 3 1/2 inch piece of Canal Street paper, and a 4 3/4 x 3 inch piece of Gramercy Park paper. Ink edges. Adhere to kraft card as shown, leaving 1/8 inch border at top, bottom and sides of card. NOTE: If you plan to sew on the card, keep your adhesive to the center only. You don't want your needle and thread to have to pass through the adhesive.

3. Open your card and place the front under your sewing machine needle. Sew around your patterned paper with machine as shown (about 1/4 inch from the outside edges of card front).

4. Cut a 1 x 4 3/4 inch strip of glitter cardstock and use an edge punch on the bottom edge only. Cut a 1/4 x 4 3/4 inch strip of the striped side of Canal Street paper and ink edges. Adhere to top of glitter cardstock; adhere entire strip over the seam of the Canal Street and Gramercy Park papers.

5. Cut a 3 x 4 1/2 inch piece from the ledger side of Eldridge Street paper. Use edge distresser tool around all edges; ink edges. Tie baker's twine around top. Adhere to card as shown.

6. Cut a 2 1/4 x 1 1/2 inch strip from Grande Street (chevron side); trim bottom as desired (I followed the chevon pattern) and ink edges. Adhere to ledger paper on card, overlapping slightly onto the Canal Street print.

7. Using Cutter Bee scissors, cut five teacup motifs from High Line Park paper. Arrange as desired and adhere to ledger paper, overlapping slightly onto the edge of the Grande Street strip. Cut a large flower motif from Orchard Street paper (I chose a turqoise one) and use foam dots to adhere to card as shown. Note: If you cut a bit of the black border from the cups or flower, just use a fine-tip black pen to fill in the outline if needed.

8. Add sentiment to your card using stamps, die cut letters, American Crafts Thickers or stickers as desired.  (I used red Worldwin cardstock and a die cutter to cut the word YOU and a small stamp for JUST FOR)  I used a 3/8 inch circle punch to punch small circles from the dotted side of High Line Park, which I attached to the card with foam dots and covered with a thin coat of Glossy Crackle Accents. I used one of those 1/8 inch handheld hole punches from my office supplies to punch small blue flowers from the Orchard Street papers. I adhered them to the ledger paper with glue.

9. Accent as desired with Stickles glitter glue and Liquid Pearls.

Usually when I use kraft or colored cardstock as a card base, I cut a white piece of cardstock a bit smaller than my card and adhere to the inside. It's much easier to write my message on that and much easier to read, too.

Scrap That Moment has the Soho Garden collection, as well as several other exciting lines from American Crafts, Studio Calico and Crate Paper. And you'll want to check out the new colors of Stickles, Liquid Pearls and Mr. Huey's Mists now in stock. Scrap That Moment is open from 10 a.m to 5 pm. Tuesday through Saturday; and join us for a Friday night crop or Saturday morning class! Lynette will have the coffee brewing and will be happy to help you with all of your scrapbooking and crafting needs.

Thanks for stopping by. Hope you enjoyed the card tutorial!
Barb Prendergast, STM Senior Designer