A Valentine Tag with Chris

The tag background is colored with Barn Door, Broken China, and Antique Linen Distress Inks. I smeared them on my Bazzill Splat Mat and spritzed them with a bit of water before dragging my tag through it. Once it was dry I used Distress Embossing Pad (Clear) and inked up a quote stamp. I stamped it three times down the card with some of the quote going off the edges. I embossed with Gold Super Fine Embossing Powder. I put that aside and cut a piece of acetate to about the size of the tag and ran it through an embossing folder (any design would work). I flipped it to the debossed side and used Gold Stickles to fill in a few of the spots. While that dried, I painted my chipboard letter with some gesso so it would have some texture—and again waited for that to dry. Once it was dry I inked the edges with Barn Door and Aged Mahogany Distress Inks and set it aside.

I layered the acetate onto the tag hiding two Super Strength Glue Dots under where the letter V was going. I glued the V down using Glossy Accents and added a scrap border along the bottom. It still needed some pizazz so I cut a heart, smeared it with a lot of flower soft glue and then thickly layered on Ruby (from the Diamond Range collection—wow—it absolutely shimmers!). I had some silver twigs that I broke off and sprayed with some Gold Metallic Glimmer mist and used glossy accents to adhere to the “V”. I finally layered on the hear using a Glue Dot Pop Dot; cut a ribbon from my stash and finished off the tag.

What are you making for Valentine’s Day?


Resources from Cutters Creek:

Tim Holtz Distress Inks—Broken China, Antique Linen, Barn Door, Aged Mahogany, Clear
Super Fine Embossing Powder—Gold
Acrylic Sheets
Embossing Folders—Cuttle Bug or Sizzix
Gold Stickles
Glossy Accents
Glue Dots—Pop Up, Craft Dots
Flower Soft Adhesive
Diamond Range Flower Soft—Ruby
Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist—Gold Metallic

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas & What Is CHA? by Kim B

Before I post a project, I wanted to talk a bit about CHA.  There are people out there that have no idea what CHA is, what it means, or what is going on with it.  CHA stands for the Craft & Hobby Association.  Stores and other crafty associated people pay annual dues to join the association, much like you would do if you belong to a Home Owners Association.  Although the association is involved in many things, CHA is most widely known for their big craft shows held in January and July.  This is where vendors like Ranger, Echo Park, Craftwell, etc... show store owners, design team members, professional crafters, bloggers, press, etc..... the newest products that they have been developing and show us what they look like, how they work, and let us all "play" a little bit with their newest items.  The energy and enthusiasm is high and walking the show floor is not for the feint of heart.  Although I think at some point your feet just go numb from all the walking around and the excitement of seeing what's new in the next booth just propels you forward!  The vendors have wonderful displays of all their new products and awesome completed projects done so we can see what can be done with their items.  It is fun to put faces to names and there are so many people to meet.  It is a lot of fun picking out new products for your store and getting little gifts from vendors, so you can actually take items home with you and play with them.  I know I have personally written some products off, only to find that when I return home and play that it becomes a "must have" for my store, Cutters Creek. 

I think my most favorite part of CHA is the workshops!  Not all of the vendors do this, however getting into a 2 hour workshop and actually creating a project with their products is a big selling point for me.  I have had experiences where I threw away my creation as I was just not pleased, to wanting to recreate what I have done over and over.  This go round, I was excited to try out the Tombow calligraphy pens and learn how to master them.  What I found out was that between me being left handed and the language barrier (I believe they were from Japan) that there was no way this chicky poo was going to learn quickly.  I did attempt to "mirror" what they were showing me and they did give me individual help but alas there is no way I can teach this technique as I would have to practice for days and days to "get it", however I had a blast!  I really learned a lot and I am always looking for new techniques to use in my crafting.  There is also the tried and true workshops.  I take the Flower Soft workshop every single time.  I know how to use the product, however they always put out the new products for us to use and see and as I evolve with Flower Soft, so does my use of Flower Soft.  Workshops get you thinking outside of the box, when you are familiar with the product already.  I think it was my second workshop with Flower Soft that using the peel offs gave me one of those light bulb moments.  Now I just love them and think they make even the beginner crafter look so elegant in their creation.  And!  You get so many for a couple of dollars and can use them on ANY card or scrapbook page, just not Flower Soft creations.

So here is my Flower Soft workshop creation at CHA.  It got a little smashed in my suitcase, however it was so fun to make!  I used three different styles of peel offs in this creation and there is Flower Soft Polar White in the globe to make it a snow globe that you can shake.

Flowersoft Globe Tutorial

It's my turn to host Tutorial Tuesday and teach you how to make a fun project using flowersoft products. Be sure to leave a comment on this and all the Tutorial Tuesday projects for your chance to win an awesome Flowersoft prize pack donated by Flowersoft themselves!!!

I thought I would show you how you can use the Flowersoft Globes for stuff other than flowersoft. I have made an Easter egg shaker box card using the flowersoft globe and filling it with tiny plastic Easter Eggs.

The first step I took was to lay my card base down on my patterned paper (printed from the Imagine More cartridge) and trace the oval opening.

Then I cut the oval out of the polka dot paper and attached it to the card front.

Next, I traced the outline of the globe onto another piece of paper that would be the back of my globe and cut it out.

The actual opening of the globe is a little smaller than the back and I wanted to make sure my entire bunny was visible in the globe. To do this, I laid the oval I cut out of the pattern paper onto the paper I was using for the back and made little marks as a guide so I would know where to put the bunny. Once I was sure my bunny was inside the marks, I added an egg I cut with my cricut and then ran through my Cuttlebug for her to sit on.

Now it’s time to attach the globe. I laid the globe down and added the little plastic Easter eggs. I put scor tape all around the edge of the globe. It’s best to make your pieces smaller, the scor tape doesn’t like to bend. I laid the piece of paper with my bunny and egg attached to it face down onto the sticky side of the scor tape. Then I put scor tape all over the inside of the piece of the card where the globe was placed and pushed it firmly to make sure the globe was tucked neatly inside. Then it was time to embellish my card.

I have made a short video showing the embellishments and what the finished card looks like in action.

Don’t be afraid to use your flowersoft globes with stuff other than flowersoft- butttons, pearls, confetti, or whatever your heart desires.