Thinking OF the box: CARDBOARD

Challenge 64 is to use cardboard on your layout... stamp with the corrugated edges, die cut it, pull it apart and use it for texture, whatever you can think of!

A couple of notes. There are two general types of cardboard floating around out there: the type used to make boxes and the type not used to make boxes. Because boxes need strength, the cardboard used to make boxes has a smaller (tighter) corrugation and heavier-duty glue. This type of cardboard is much harder to pull apart. I like to use the white cardboard presentation boards sold at craft and office supplies stores. For one, they're cheap. For two, when you pull it apart, you get a corrugated surface, a kraft paper surface, and a white paper surface. For three, this type of cardboard is really easy to pull apart for its separate layers. I like to use a rotary cutter to cut my cardboard to size.

Cardboard is not archival safe, so, never use one-of-a-kind original photos with it. But that is no reason not to use it at all! If you are really concerned, don't place your photos such that they are touching the cardboard on your layout (if you look at my layout below, you'll notice my photo is matted, and therefore not touching the cardboard).

One person will be chosen to win Marthe Le Van's "Stencil Me In" (a $25 value!) for entering this challenge:

Winner of the RAK will be posted on Monday, April 5.

Layouts for the challenge are due Sunday, April 4th, by midnight Eastern. Next Challenge will be posted on the following Monday.

Have fun! - Amanda

Now....to the inspiration:

Amanda: I used white corrugated cardboard (see intro paragraph) to create a tear-away storybook look on my layout. The white lined paper (where I drew the Mad Hatter scene) is one layer of cardboard and the brown corrugated paper is another.

Paloma: I used cardboard in three different ways: as an embellishment (the flower vase!), as a stamp (on the cardstock) and as a paint brush (notice the drops of paint?).

Miwako: I want to up 2 layouts. At first, I made boder accent and a kind of flame for photo mat.

Next, I used cardboard as 12 inch paper. I peeled it (leaved around center) at first and painted white. I always can't clean up any box because my cats love staying into box especially cardboard box, also at now....my twins join to scrambled for it, OMG!

Helga: I cut the cardboard into a heart shape then created a hanging layout of my niece and her child.

Kimmy - I used corrugated cardboard as borders on my page.

Michelle:

I ran some cardboard through a die cutting machine, spray painted the flower shapes, peeled away some of the paper to reveal the corrugation, and embellished with buttons and a few swipes of a dry brush.

Deborah:
I also used cardboard as my paper. I peeled away some of the paper, then used a combination of dry brushing paint, spraying Glimmer Mist, and swiping on a bit of rock candy distress paint.

White Out!

Kimmy:

Hybrid page. I printed out some digital papers & labels (Audrey Neal-Sistv & MissMint) for this one. I used the white out as paint. I used lace tape as a mask (it was bright pink before) on black cardstock & used both the positive & negative images on the LO. I also painted the letters and buttons with white out. Sketch from Sketchy Thursdays. Amanda -

For this challenge I created an art journal page. I used white out tape to create journaling spots on my page. I like the slightly distressed look the white out tape gave me. It worked well because it seemed willing to stick to all the different layers of may page (the bird is a photo transfer).

Miwako: I used white out tape for points of layout design. It was scratched to make naturaly using edge of scissors. Also, I used white out pen for words on photos, too.

Deborah:


I ran a scrap of cardstock through my Cuttlebug, then used a Tim Holtz foam applicator to swipe the white out over the embossed image. I also ran several lines on my page for journaling. I tried to stamp with the white out, but the stuff dries too darned fast!



Michelle:

I used white out tape to write the letters in my title, and ran a few lines to hold my journaling.

Heat Embossing Winner!

We had some lovely work for this last challenge and as usual I had a hard time just picking one winner. But I'm going to give the RAK to Jasmine, whose mom taught her to emboss for the first time - and she made a lovely flower card.

Jasmine - send us your addy and I've got a trio of the brand spankin' new Tim Holtz Distress Inks for you (and for mom)!

Challenge 62: Heat Embossing

Do you like a bit of texture on your layouts? A bit of shine? A little something extra? Well then, this challenge is for you. Get those heat guns ready.....

Your challenge is .... add some HEAT EMBOSSING.

Heat embossing is such a versatile technique. There's lots of embossing powders to choose from: clear, shiny, textured and glittery and in a wide variety of color. You can add a stamped image or just layer the powder on an embellishment like chipboard. You can use it as part of a resist technique. Add a title. Be subtle or be bold!

Just post your creations here by Sunday, March 7th. I've got a selection of some of the brand spankin' new Tim Holtz Distress Ink colors for one lucky participant.

Here's how our team used this technique:

Deborah:

I used UTEE to emboss several embellishments giving them a clear, glossy look.

Paloma:
I used a embossed paper which was chalked in pink and I embossed the word "look" and added crackeled finish on it.

Michelle:

I gave scraps of paper a fresh new look by stamping and heat embossing them.

Amanda:

You don't have to have a stamp to emboss an image! I punched the "birds on a wire" from cardstock with a Martha Stewart punch, rubbed them with embossing ink, covered them with black embossing powder, and heated. I found the result pleasantly distressed, however, if you want a more finished look you could add a second layer of embossing ink and embossing powder.

Kimmy:
I stamped & embossed the big chipboard bracket with a grid texture blue and then spritzed it with red glimmer mist, the embossing powder resisted the mist and really made the embossing stand out. I also stamped and embossed the paper flowers, with white in the middle, which turned out messy so I worked with that and inked the edges of the flower with Versa Mark ink which I coated with blue embossing powder and heated to set creating these fun, artsy embellishments.

Miwako - Uh..... at first, to tell the truth, I didn't have a heat gun....ah! And I've just gotten a heat gun yesterday. But I found a embossed paper which was just the right for my image if I had it and might to do before I hard this challenge. I want to make a gorgeous skirt part of dress for wire torso. This wire torso is so simple and it is able to change the shape as you like.



Helga

I Stamped and heat embossed the fairy an a clock and swirl accent on the page.

Challenge 61: Ruffles !!!!

Jen here, posting with today's challenge!...

I don't consider myself much of a girly-girl, especially when it comes to clothing. However, I just knitted a scarf that has a ruffle down the length and I LOVE it! It got me thinking how great a little ruffle can be to spiff up a layout, as well as a piece of clothing.

So here is your challenge.... add a RUFFLE TO YOUR LAYOUT. Use paper, use fabric. Whatever you want.

As always, you have 2 weeks to link us up for a chance to be considered for a RAK from me.

Here is what the team has for you:

Paloma: Ruffles! How do you put ruffles on a « manly » layout? Because DH had picked this one and he even wrote the journaling... What’s a girl to do?! I had no choice but to play the game and look for a way to include ruffles in the layout! And here it is : the « I » in the title is a ruffled piece of fabric. And what do we learn from all this? You can include ruffles everywhere… and anywhere!

Helga

I used paper and lace to create my Ruffles!!!

Amanda - I created flowers from paper ruffles. Instead of layering each paper fold over the previous paper fold, I simply offset them a bit to create a flower shape. For the paper, I used a black-white-gray paper collage.

Miwako- my choice is crape paper and the end of paper (Sassafrass Lass).



Michelle--

I created a fabric ruffle to *skirt* my layout, and a ruffle fabric flower accent. Both of these came together in a cinch. The how-to is on my blog.


Kimmy-
I got out my sewing needle for this one (and I loathe sewing!!). I used the striped fabric to create ruffled flowers. I had some striped paper that was similar to my fabric and created a ruffle with that too which I layered my title on. I drew my color inspiration from the "By the Sea" scene in "Sweeney Todd".

Deborah -
I used some ruffled ribbon underneath my photo block, then I made a psuedo-ruffle using a piece of ribbon and staples.

Go Green Winner!

You ladies rocked this challenge! I was amazed by all the creative uses for stuff that would otherwise be thrown in the trash. From packaging and wrappings, to food cans, mirrors, and spiral binding--nothing was safe from being altered or added to your projects. Check out the creations in the slide below.

The winner of the camera strap is Lora! Please email me your addy and I will get it in the mail to you. For those of you who would like to make your own camera strap, here's a tutorial so you can whip up your own.

Challenge#60: Warm Wool

I live in Japan, now is winter season, today is cold day too.


My challenge is…… wool !!! playing with felt, woolen yarn, raw wool ( I love needle felting! ). Using 12 inch size felt instead of pp, making felt embellishment, knitting….please enjoy to give something warm on your project.

MIKAWO-

PALOMA-
For this challenge I chose to work with felt. I just love felt! Felt is warm, it has a smooth texture and it gives a very interesting “depth” to layouts. I used it on the green leaf on the left of mine, for an elegant finishing touch and… for the frame around the main subject of my layout! I took a piece of felt and cut a frame in it, to give the picture a sort of Polaroid feel to it. All this must have taken me just a couple of minutes! To fix it, I didn’t hesitate to use my sewing machine on the layout. It only takes a couple of stitches but of course, you can sew it by hand for a more personal touch.

KIMMY-
I dug up all the felty bits I could find in my stash. I used felt flowers , felt to mat the photos and some felt trims. Great way to use up those bits and pieces! Since I hate sewing I attached everything with ZipDry Glue and Glue Dots.
MICHELLE-

I used a bit of felt to piece a cute little owl for this LO. The pattern for this little cutie can be found here. The felt added a homespun touch which I echoed in the stitched borders and crocheted trim.

DEBORAH-
I ended up going a bit simple on this one, using a piece of orange felt to mat my photo, as well as felt stick-on alphas for my title I found at Michaels. I really like the texture of the felt.

Helga
I used felt on my title and my embellishment. Felt can be a great embellishment for boy layouts.


Amanda -

I die cut star borders out of red, glittery, adhesive felt. I then back the self-adhesive stars with different patterened papers.