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Merry Making with the Sizzix Scoring Board & Trimmer Tool

Hello my crafty friend! I'm so happy you stopped by today, because I've got something awesome to share with you! I recently got my hands on the amazing Sizzix Scoring Board and Trimmer Tool and once I started playing around with it, I was blown away by ALL the things it can do in one tool! It seriously replaces a draw full of other tools!


During the process of using the tool I put together a how-to video that you can find over on the Scrapbook.com YouTube Channel. So if you are interested in learning more about what the Sizzix Scoring Board and Trimmer Tool is and how to use it, then I recommend checking out that video. In the video I share the basics on using the tool to create a set of Holiday paper crafting projects including a card, an envelope, a tag, a box, a banner and a rosette using the Merry Patterned Paper Pad from Scrapbook.com.

For those of you coming over from the Scrapbook.com YouTube channel, welcome! As I stated in the video, here on my blog you can find all the details on how I added the finishing touches to complete these projects. 

The Sizzix Scoring Board and Trimmer Tool is available now at Scrapbook.com for an amazing price of just $46.99 (as compared to $65 retail price). If you're interested in the products and supplies I used to create this project, you can find a supply list at the bottom of this post. When you shop through those links, it supports me and I really do appreciate that!

Now let's get on with the making!

ENVELOPE & CARD

First up is the envelope and card. The finished card size is 3x4 inches and the finished envelope size is 3.25 x 4.375 inches. As I mentioned earlier, I used papers from the Merry Paper Pad to create the base for each project, so here I used it to create the card base and the envelope. 

To embellish the card and the other projects, I created a cluster by die cutting papers from the Merry Paper Pad and the Peppermint Paper Pad using the Cozy Autumn, Delicate Leaves and Bow Toppers Die Set. I added a strip of striped paper to the front of the card before I added the cluster. To add just a touch of distress, I sanded the edges of all of the die cuts and papers using Ranger Sanding Disc. This reveals the white core of the paper and also makes the die cuts look like they have snow on them!

Merry Christmas Card and Envelope made by Juliana Michaels using the Sizzix Scoring Board and Trimmer Tool and Merry Paper Pad from Scrapbook.com

To give the bow a little extra dimension, I cut it twice. I used one as the base. I took the second one, trimmed off the strings and then adhered the loopy part of the bow to the center of the base bow. I then cut a small circular shape for the center of the bow and adhered that with double sided foam tape.

Sizzix also has a handy tool on their website - the Sizzix Scoring Board and Trimmer Generator that will generate the measurements you need to create custom sized envelopes. Simply select centimeters or inches, put in the length and width of your card and click the generate now button to get the measurements.


TAG | GIFT CARD HOLDER

In the video I created a simple tag, but I wanted to share with you how you can make a tag into a gift card holder. To do that I took a piece of cardstock and cut it to 2.75 x 7 inches. I then trimmed the corners of the tag and added the hole punch. Next, I placed the tag into the Scoring Board and scored it at 4.25 inches from the top of the tag and folded it along the score line to create the gift card pocket. I then applied 1/8 inch double sided adhesive along the edges of the pocket to secure it.

Merry Christmas Tag Gift Card Holder made by Juliana Michaels using the Sizzix Scoring Board and Trimmer Tool and Merry Paper Pad from Scrapbook.com

The final touches were the addition of a die cut cluster (like the one I made for the card above) and some ribbon. The ribbon I used is seam binding that I dyed to match using Cracked Pistachio Distress Spray Stain.


GIFT BOX

This little gift box is so cute at just 2 x 2 inches! You can make larger boxes of course, you just need larger pieces of paper. With a 12 x 12 piece of paper you can make up to an 8 x 8 inch size box!

As I mentioned above, the Sizzix Scoring Board and Trimmer Generator can be found on their website and along with measurements for custom sized envelopes, you can do the same for boxes. Simply select centimeters or inches, put in the length, width, height and lid depth of the items you want to create a box for and click the generate now button to get the measurements.

Merry Christmas Gift Box made by Juliana Michaels using the Sizzix Scoring Board and Trimmer Tool and Merry Paper Pad from Scrapbook.com

To dress up this cute little gift box, I added another die cut cluster cut using papers from the Merry and the Peppermint Paper Pads, just like the one I made for the envelope.

Merry Christmas Gift Box made by Juliana Michaels using the Sizzix Scoring Board and Trimmer Tool and Merry Paper Pad from Scrapbook.com

BANNER | BUNTING

Next up, I made a little banner to celebrate the season! In the video I shared a simple banner that was just 3 x 3 inches, but I also wanted to share how to create a larger one with a slightly different shape. To create this banner, I cut a piece of 6 x 8 inch paper down to 5 x 8 inches because I wanted the banners to be 5 inches tall. I then rotated the measurement ruler to 15 degrees (instead of the 30 degrees mentioned in the instruction booklet) and then followed the rest of the instructions for cutting banners. That left me with banners that are 2.875 x 5 inches. I cut my banner flags from several different patterns of paper, but you can certainly cut them all from one piece of paper. With a 5 x 8 inch piece of paper you can cut 5 banner flags.

Merry Christmas Banner Bunting made by Juliana Michaels using the Sizzix Scoring Board and Trimmer Tool and Merry Paper Pad from Scrapbook.com

To add a more festive touch to the banner, I added some of the same die cuts I used on the envelope, tag and box. For the letters, I used the Scrapbook.com Modern Uppercase Alphabet Die Set. I cut it 3 times from red paper from the Peppermint Paper Pad, glued them together for a little dimension and then adhered them on top of the greenery die cuts. Wouldn't it be cute to have another banner that said Bright to hang with this one?!


ROSETTE ORNAMENT | TAG

Last, but not least, is a rosette I made and turned into an ornament. It could also be used as a tag. The finished size is 3.25 inches. I attached a piece of gold cording to the back of it for hanging and then embellished the front of it with another die cut cluster.

Merry Christmas Rosette Ornament Tag made by Juliana Michaels using the Sizzix Scoring Board and Trimmer Tool and Merry Paper Pad from Scrapbook.com

Thanks SO much for stopping by! I hope you enjoyed learning a bit more about how to use the Sizzix Scoring Board and Trimmer Tool for your next paper crafting project!

Merry Christmas Rosette Ornament Tag made by Juliana Michaels using the Sizzix Scoring Board and Trimmer Tool and Merry Paper Pad from Scrapbook.com

SUPPLIES

Below you can find the supplies I used to create this set of Christmas Holiday paper crafting projects. When you shop through the links below, I receive a small commission from Scrapbook.com. These links are at absolutely no cost to you and the commission I receive helps me cover the costs of my blog and other expenses, which allows me to continue to provide you with FREE inspiration and tutorials. If you want to learn more about what an affiliate link is, you can see my full affiliate and product disclosure statement here. Thank you so much for your love and support!

The Magic of Distress Texture Paste Sparkle

Hello friends! I'm so happy to have you joining me here! In this blog post I'm going to be sharing how to use Stencils, Distress Ink and the new Distress Texture Paste Sparkle to create a trio of backgrounds that will get you ready for Fall, Halloween AND Christmas! And the possibilities with this technique are endless...all you have to do is switch out the stencils and colors to fit your style or the theme of your card.

A trio of Fall, Halloween and Christmas cards created by Juliana Michaels featuring Tim Holtz Ranger Ink Distress Texture Paste Sparkle and Scrapbook.com Cozy Autumn Wreath Die Set

If you prefer a video format, you can watch below or head over to my YouTube channel to see the process in more detail.


If you're interested in the supplies I've used, you can find affiliate links to them at the bottom of this post. When you shop through those links it supports me and I really do appreciate that so very much!

Now let's get on with the making.

Boo Halloween Card created by Juliana Michaels featuring Tim Holtz Ranger Ink Distress Texture Paste Sparkle and Scrapbook.com Cozy Autumn Wreath Die Set

STENCILS & DISTRESS INK

For this technique I'm going to be working with the Autumn, Crossbones and Pinecones Layering Stencils from Tim Holtz, but you can use any stencils you like. I'm also going to be using Distress Texture Paste Sparkle. The other thing you will need are some Distress Inks. I'm going to be using Black Soot, Forest Moss, Gathered Twigs, Iced Spruce, Tea Dye and Dried Marigold. I'm also going to be using some blending brushes and Mint Tape for masking. The paper I'm working with is Distress Watercolor Paper cut to 4 x 5.25 inches and the surface I'm working on is the Scrapbook.com 12 x 12 Project Grip Mat which is a double sided silicone mat. I like that it can help hold the stencils, ink pads and paper in place and it makes clean up nice and easy.


For the second background, I used the Pinecones stencil and I applied Gathered Twigs to the pine cone areas and Forest Moss to the pine needle areas. I then flipped the stencil around and angled it just a little to fit in with the already stenciled areas. I used some Mint Tape to mask off some sections that I didn't want to ink over from the previously stenciled areas. I then applied the Distress Ink as before. On the third background I used the Autumn stencil. The Distress Inks I used are Iced Spruce, Dried Marigold and Tea Dye. Again, I only applied ink to the outer edge of the design and then flipped it over to do the other side of the paper and I used Mint Tape to mask off the areas that already had ink on them.


To get started, I took the Distress Watercolor Paper and placed it onto the Project Grip Mat and then placed the stencil on top making sure to push it down so that it sticks to the mat. On the first background I used the Crossbones stencil and applied Black Soot Distress Ink through the stencil using a blending brush to apply the color. I shifted the stencil over to apply the design across the paper.


STENCILS & DISTRESS TEXTURE PASTE SPARKLE

Now it's time to add some magic to these background. I'm going to be using the stencils again, so I made sure to clean them well and let them dry before this step. I then lined the stencil up with the design I created earlier using the Distress Ink. Once the stencil was in place I used a palette knife to apply Distress Texture Paste Sparkle through the stencil. After I finished applying the paste, I washed the stencil immediately before the paste dried on it. I also returned the excess paste to the jar. I then set the paper to the side to dry and once it was dry, I added the Sparkle Paste to the other areas. I repeated this process on all three backgrounds.


The sparkle and shine created by the Distress Texture Paste Sparkle is just gorgeous and really makes the colors from the stenciling pop! I do want to share though that this paste is a bit slow to dry, especially if you live in a more humid environment. They don't recommend using a heat tool to speed up the drying process though as it will cause the paste to bubble. I did experiment with using a Minc Foiling Machine to speed up the drying though. I turned the machine on to level 3, and laid the papers on top of it. This seemed to decrease the drying time by about half and the paste did not bubble. So if you happen to have something like this you might try using it if you want to speed up the drying time.


DISTRESS MICA STAINS

The next thing I did was add some interest to the backgrounds by adding Distress Mica Stains. Before you use them, just make sure you shake them up really well and get that mica mixed in because this will help prevent the spray nozzle from getting clogged. I worked in a Splat Box while applying the spray inks with some paper towels placed inside to absorb the excess ink and to protect my work space from overspray.


For the Crossbones background I used Empty Tomb. I sprayed the ink here and there onto the paper and then added a little water with my Distress Sprayer to get the ink moving around. I then used a heat tool to help dry the ink. Just make sure that you keep the heat tool moving around because it will heat the paste and could cause it to bubble if you overheat it. If you want to dab off some of the excess ink with a rag or paper towel, make sure to let the paper cool off for just a second or the paper towel will stick to the paste because it does get sticky when the heat is being applied. I then added some water droplets by slowly squeezing the trigger on the Distress Sprayer. Like I mentioned the water will cause the ink to activate and flow and then you can start the drying process with a heat tool. Let it cool off a second and then use a paper towel or rag to dab up those larger droplets and lift off some of the ink. All of this just adds a little more interest and texture.


I repeated this same process for the Pinecones background using Specimen Mica Stain. And on the Autumn background I sprayed it with Frosted Juniper.

The backgrounds look pretty cool after you apply the Mica Stain, but the sparkle from the Sparkle Paste will have diminished from the sprays. To bring the sparkle back grab a clean paper towel or rag, lightly mist it with some water so that it's just a little bit damp and then take that and rub over the top of the pasted areas to remove the Mica Stain that was covering the Sparkle Paste. As you do this, you will see the sparkle and design return!


COZY AUTUMN WREATH DIE CUTS

Next, I took the Cozy Autumn Wreath Die. This die was was created specifically for Scrapbook.com's SBC Fest which started today and is a freebie for a very short period of time with any order from Scrapbook.com.


I took that die and die cut it 3 times out of 3 different papers from 3 different paper pads. I made a Halloween wreath using the Spooky paper pad, a Christmas wreath using the Noel paper pad and a Fall wreath using the Cozy paper pad. I then assembled the wreaths, adhering the layers together using Artis Glue.


DIE CUT SENTIMENTS & BOWS

For the sentiments, I used a mix of word dies including the Build And Layer Ghost Die Set, Merry Christmas Sentiments II Die Set and Thank You Sentiments II Die Set. I cut each word twice from white heavy weight cardstock and then once using some gold paper from the Holographic paper pad. I then adhered them together using Artis Glue. The precision tip on this really comes in handy for applying adhesive to these delicate thin die cuts. I did this to create a little dimension with the sentiment, but you could certainly just cut and adhere the gold layer to save some time. Once the layers were adhered, I attached the sentiment to the center of the wreath.


Next, I adhered the stenciled background to a piece of paper from the paper pad that I used to cut the wreath layers from. I then finished off each card by adding a bow using some twine from my stash. And there ya have it...A trio of cards to take your from Halloween to Christmas with a touch of sparkle and shine!


I hope you enjoyed learning more about Distress Texture Paste Sparkle and the magic it can add to your card backgrounds!

SUPPLIES

Below you can find the products I've used to create this Halloween Banner. When you shop through the links below, I receive a small commission from Scrapbook.com. These links are at absolutely no cost to you and the commission I receive helps me cover the costs of my blog and other expenses, which allows me to continue to provide you with FREE inspiration and tutorials. If you want to learn more about what an affiliate link is, you can see my full affiliate and product disclosure statement here. Thank you so much for your love and support!

Christmas Banner | Tim Holtz Sizzix Christmas 2023

Merry Christmas my crafty friend! I'm so excited that all of the Christmas crafting products are beginning to arrive. I always find SO much inspiration from everyone this time of year. In case you happened to miss it, Tim Holtz has begun his Christmas 2023 YouTube Lives and today was his Sizzix Live. In this blog post, I'm sharing how I created this Christmas Banner that Tim shared during his Sizzix Christmas 2023 Live. I'm going to share the highlights on how I created the various pieces and at the end show you how these same steps can be used to create a card, if banners aren't your thing! If you're looking for even more inspiration make sure to check out Tim's blog and YouTube channel to catch the replay and find links to the projects created by the other Makers. 

Christmas Banner by Juliana Michaels featuring Tim Holtz Sizzix Christmas 2023 Santa Greetings, Trim A Tree, Big Tidings and Woodgrain

CHRISTMAS BANNER 2023


If you prefer a video format, you can watch below or head over to my YouTube channel to see the process in more detail.


If you're interested in the supplies I've used, you can find affiliate links to them at the bottom of this post. When you shop through those links it supports me and I really do appreciate that so very much!

Now let's get on with the making.

Christmas Banner by Juliana Michaels featuring Tim Holtz Sizzix Christmas 2023 Santa Greetings, Trim A Tree, Big Tidings and Woodgrain

SANTA GREETINGS

To create the embellishments for each of the banners, I began by using the Santa Greetings Colorize Thinlits Die Set to die cut the various colored cardstock. I used pink, cream, white, black, green and three shades of red. I also used a gold metallic paper for the buckle.

Christmas Banner by Juliana Michaels featuring Tim Holtz Sizzix Christmas 2023 Santa Greetings and Woodgrain

Next I added some interest to the die cuts using Distress Oxide Inks and the ink smooshing technique. I ink smooshed the red cardstock papers into Aged Mahogany, the beard/coat and hat trim into Lost Shadow, the belt/boots into Lost Shadow, the mittens into Bundled Sage and the pink parts of the face into Worn Lipstick. I used a small paint brush to apply the ink on the cheek pieces because they are so tiny.


For this technique, all you do is smoosh the ink pad onto a craft mat, spritz it with a little water and then smoosh the cardstock into the ink. You repeat the smooshing until you achieve the amount of coverage you would like and then you can use your heat tool to dry the paper.  A pair of tweezers can come in handy to help smoosh smaller die cuts into the ink, but they're especially helpful so that you don't burn your fingers when you dry the paper with your heat tool.

I used this exact technique to add interest to the die cuts in my recent Halloween Banner, but I wanted to share it again for those of you who might be interested in the colors I used or happened to miss my Halloween Banner video and blog post. Which you can find here.


Once all of the pieces were inked and dried, I assembled the Santa using Distress Collage Medium, but feel free to use your adhesive of choice. If you've never used a Colorize Die, when you die cut the bottom layers they are embossed with the layer that goes on top of them. You can then use this to help line up the various layers.

To finish off the Santa and to add a bit more interest I used a small brush to add a little more of the Lost Shadow Distress Oxide Ink to the beard and trim. I also lightly inked the edges of the white layers with Vintage Photo Distress Ink before I adhered them to the Santa and then I inked the edges of the entire die cut with Vintage Photo Distress Ink.


TRIM A TREE

Now onto the trees. For the banner I created two trees for two separate panels using the exact same colors of paper and inks. Using the Trim A Tree Colorize Thinlits Die Set I cut the various layers from two shades of green. To make the ornaments easier to assemble, I adhered an adhesive sheet to the backside of the cardstock and then die cut them. I used two shades of red (a light and a dark red), two purple, two teal and two yellow and then silver for the base of the ornaments. After I assembled the ornaments, I inked the edges of the with Vintage Photo Distress Ink.

Christmas Banner by Juliana Michaels featuring Tim Holtz Sizzix Christmas 2023 Trim A Tree and Woodgrain

When you first look at this tree you might think it's really tall and too big for your project. Well, they are too tall for my banner, but, Tim in his brilliance made it super easy to trim the tree and make it shorter! Each of the trees has a section on them that is partially die cut. All you have to do is take a pair of scissors and trim off that last bit where the paper is still connected and voila you have trimmed the tree!


After I trimmed my tree, I added some ink smooshing detail to the green cardstock layers using Bundled Sage Distress Oxide Ink. I repeated this for each layer and used my heat tool to dry the paper. Before I assembled the trees, I inked the edges with Vintage Photo Distress Ink for a little distress.


If you want the trees to look more dimensional, I recommend only applying the adhesive to the very tops of the tree layers. Then once the glue is dry, you can lift and curl up the layers to give it a more realistic effect!


For the stars, I ink smooshed them into Scattered Straw Distress Oxide Ink. Once dry, I assembled them and inked the edges with Vintage Photo Distress Ink. Originally I wasn't going to include the tree trunk, but once I had the tree assembled I decided to add them. I die cut them from 2 shades of brown cardstock and ink smooshed them into Brushed Corduroy Oxide ink and then inked the edges with Vintage Photo Distress Ink.

Christmas Banner by Juliana Michaels featuring Tim Holtz Sizzix Christmas 2023 Trim A Tree and Woodgrain

BIG TIDINGS

The word panels were created using the Big Tidings Die Set. I die cut the words from red cardstock and the shadow layer from white cardstock. I ink smooshed the red into Aged Mahogany and the white into Lost Shadow.

Christmas Banner by Juliana Michaels featuring Tim Holtz Sizzix Christmas 2023 Big Tidings and Woodgrain

For the small icons on each word, I used the same ink smooshing technique on them as well. For the green cardstock I used Bundled Sage and for the red berry I used Aged Mahogany. I die cut the stars from Gold Metallic Kraft Stock. I then inked the edges of the die cuts with Vintage Photo Distress Ink.


WOODGRAIN BACKGROUND

To create the background for the banner, I used the Woodgrain 3D Embossing Folder to add some texture. I cut 5 pieces of Distress Kraft Heavystock to 4 x 6 inches. Before I embossed the papers, I lightly spritzed them with water using my Distress Sprayer 2 times on each side. I then placed the embossing folder at a slight angle on the cutting pad and with the open side toward the center and ran it through my die cutting machine. I have found that with these thicker folders that placing it this way helps it go through the machine a little easier.

Next, I took the Walnut Stain Distress Oxide Ink Pad and rubbed it over the surface of the embossed paper. I'm just trying to hit the raised areas with the ink. I then spritzed the paper with water by slowly pulling the trigger on my Distress Sprayer to get larger water droplets and dried it with my heat tool. Once it was dry, I added some areas of Ground Espresso to the paper to add some depth and interest. I spritzed the paper once again and dried it with my heat tool. I then inked the edges with Walnut Stain Distress Oxide Ink.


DECORATIVE TRIMS

To create the trim piece on each panel, I used the Decorative Trims Die Set. I used the longest scallop die to cut 3 pieces of dark red cardstock and 2 pieces of green cardstock.


I ink smooshed the red pieces into Aged Mahogany Oxide Ink and the green into Bundled Sage. I then inked the edges with Walnut Stain Distress Oxide Ink.


CHRISTMAS BANNER

To complete the banner I cut a piece of white cardstock to 4.25 x 6.25 inches and inked the edges with Vintage Photo Distress Ink. I then adhered the woodgrain panel and added the trim along the bottom. Next, I added some machine stitching around the outer edge of each panel.

Christmas Banner by Juliana Michaels featuring Tim Holtz Sizzix Christmas 2023 Santa Greetings, Trim A Tree, Big Tidings and Woodgrain

To turn these into a banner, I added eyelets to the top left and right corner of each panel using a Crop A Dile. For the ribbon, I cut a length of Seam Binding and dyed it using Distress Spray Stain in Lumberjack Plaid and Aged Mahogany. I then adhered the various die cuts to the panels using double sided foam adhesive to add a little more dimension.

Christmas Banner by Juliana Michaels featuring Tim Holtz Sizzix Christmas 2023 Santa Greetings, Trim A Tree, Big Tidings and Woodgrain

SANTA GREETINGS CHRISTMAS CARD

As I mentioned at the beginning, if banners aren't your thing, you could easily take these same techniques and use them to create a card. This is a card I created using these exact same techniques with the Santa Greetings Die Set.

Christmas Card by Juliana Michaels featuring Tim Holtz Sizzix Christmas 2023 Santa Greetings and Woodgrain

I added the banner that comes with the die set and used that as my sentiment, but you could also add a stamped sentiment for something a little faster.


And there you have it! I hope you enjoyed seeing how this Christmas Banner and Card came together using the Tim Holtz Sizzix Christmas 2023 release and that it inspires you as you begin your holiday making! Until next time...stay crafty my friend!

SUPPLIES

Below you can find the products I've used to create this Halloween Banner. When you shop through the links below, I receive a small commission from Scrapbook.com. These links are at absolutely no cost to you and the commission I receive helps me cover the costs of my blog and other expenses, which allows me to continue to provide you with FREE inspiration and tutorials. If you want to learn more about what an affiliate link is, you can see my full affiliate and product disclosure statement here. Thank you so much for your love and support!

Happy Halloween Card | Tim Holtz Stampers Anonymous Halloween 2023

Hello Crafty Friend! Thanks for stopping by today. In this blog post I'm sharing how I created this Halloween Card for the Tim Holtz Stampers Anonymous Halloween 2023 Live. I'm going to take you step by step through all the wonderful layers that came together and the process I went through to create the final version of this card.

Happy Halloween Card by Juliana Michaels featuring Tim Holtz Stampers Anonymous Halloween 2023 Foreboding and The Obscure Stamp Sets and the Shattered Layering Stencil

If you prefer a video format, you can watch the process below or over on my YouTube channel.


If you're interested in the supplies I've used, you can find links to them in the description box below. When you shop through those links it supports me and I really appreciate that so very much! There is also a blog post available with written details and more photos if you prefer a that.

Now let's get on with the making.

STAMP AND SMUDGE TECHNIQUE

I started by creating the background for this card using the Stamp and Smudge Technique. I used the Tim Holtz Stampers Anonymous The Obscure and Foreboding stamp sets. These are some of my favorites from this release! I also used Distress Oxide Inks in Forest Moss, Carved Pumpkin, Villainous Potion, Black Soot and Hickory Smoke.

I began by placing a piece of Distress Watercolor cardstock cut to 4 x 5.25 inches into my stamping platform and began stamping that super cool spider web image from The Obscure Stamp Set. I inked the stamp with Villainous Potion Distress Oxide Ink, stamped the image and then while the ink was still wet, I used a paper towel to dab some of the ink dry and then used that same paper towel to smudge the ink by lightly rubbing over the stamped image. Next I used the same technique and stamped the weed image using Forest Moss Distress Oxide Ink. I then used Carved Pumpkin Distress Oxide Ink to stamp three more images and to help spread that color across the background. The next images I used were the two flourishes from the Foreboding stamp set with Hickory Smoke Distress Oxide Ink. The final stamp and color was the creepy spider stamped with Black Soot Distress Oxide Ink.


BLACK OPAQUE TEXTURE PASTE

The background was good at this point, but I felt like it needed more texture. I placed the Fractured Stencil toward the upper left hand corner and applied Black Opaque Distress Texture Paste through the stencil using a palette knife. I then carefully lifted off the stencil, flipped it around and applied some paste to the bottom right hand corner. I carefully removed the stencil, set the paper to the side to dry and immediately washed my stencil.

THE OBSCURE EMBELLISHMENTS

While the paste was drying, I move on to the embellishment layers. I stamped the skull image onto Distress White Heavystock using Black Soot Archival Ink and used a pair of detail scissors to fussy cut the image. While I was cutting out the skull, I thought it might be cool to make this more dimensional somehow. So I stamped the image a second time. This time I used my craft knife and scissors to carefully cut out the eye sockets. Once I got the eye sockets cut out, I repeated the fussy cutting process for the skull.

After I finished cutting out the second skull I colored both of them using Distress Watercolor Pencils in Old Paper. I like to pull the pigment from the pencil using a water brush and then paint it onto the paper. You could achieve the same result with water and a paint brush and if you don't have the watercolor pencils, you could also use a Distress Re-inker or even a Distress Ink Pad. Just smoosh the ink pad onto your craft mat and pick up the ink with your brush. I colored both images, but I probably could have gotten away with just coloring the top layer and the eye sockets of the bottom layer.

To make this dimensional, I added foam adhesive squares and adhered the skull with the cut out eye sockets on top of the full skull image. I then inked the edges of my skull embellishment with Black Soot Distress Ink.


BACK TO THE BACKGROUND

Once the paste was is dry, I went back to the background to add some more interest. I applied Walnut Stain Distress Ink to the edges of the paper. To add a bit more distress, I applied some water by slowly pulling the trigger on my Distress Sprayer to make larger droplets. The water rewets the ink and causes it to flow and move. I then used my heat tool to dry the ink. Next, I darkened the edges a bit more by inking the edges with Black Soot Distress Ink. I then added a few more water droplets, dabbed them with a paper towel to lift some of the ink and then dried the paper with my heat tool.

THE SENTIMENT

For the sentiment, I used the Happy Halloween stamp from Tiny Frights Stamp Set. I stamped it onto a piece of white cardstock using Black Soot Archival Ink and then trimmed it into a strip leaving a small border around the the edge. I then inked the edge with Black Soot Distress Ink. To grunge it up a little, I applied some color using the Old Paper Watercolor Pencil and my water brush.


MORE TEXTURE WITH A DIE CUT

I still felt like it need more texture, so I took the Sizzix Layered Dots Die Set and cut a piece of vellum using the top layer die. This felt a little to neat and clean though, so I took my old school deckle edge scissors and trimmed off the edges. I used the placement of the skull and sentiment to help me figure out what size to cut it to and it ended up being about 3 x 4 inches in size. To grunge this up a bit more, I dabbed Sepia, Mushroom and Espresso Alcohol Inks onto the vellum using a felt alcohol ink applicator tool. This grunged it up just perfectly!

BLACK WOODGRAIN BASE

For the card base, I cut a piece of Distress Black Woodgrain Cardstock to 4.25 x 5.5 inches and adhered the background on this to complete the card.

FINAL DETAILS

To finish off the card, I added machine stitching with black thread to the edge of the background piece before I adhered all of the layers together. I also added some Sterling Distress Foundry Wax splatters by mixing a little rubbing alcohol with a drop of the Foundry Wax. I used a paint brush to splatter the wax onto the paper and then I used my heat embossing tool to set the wax. I love the tiny bit of sparkle they add to the background.


Thanks for stopping by today to check out this Halloween Card featuring stamps and stencils from the Tim Holtz Stampers Anonymous 2023 Release. I hope you enjoyed learning how it came together and found some inspiration for your next make! Until next time...stay crafty my friend!
 

SUPPLIES

Below you can find the supplies I used to create this October 31 Halloween Card. When you shop through the links below, I receive a small commission from Scrapbook.com. These links are at absolutely no cost to you and the commission I receive helps me cover the costs of my blog and other expenses, which allows me to continue to provide you with FREE inspiration and tutorials. If you want to learn more about what an affiliate link is, you can see my full affiliate and product disclosure statement here. Thank you so much for your love and support!

Thinking Of You Card | Cards For Kindness®

Today I want to share about something very special with you. I want to tell you about Card For Kindness® a wonderful global initiative started by Scrapbook.om and part of their Creative Kindness Foundation. Cards For Kindness® mission focuses on uplifting others and spreading happiness to anyone who could use an emotional boost, cheer, or a reminder of how much they are loved through the sending of handmade cards. You can send them your handmade cards and then they distribute them to organizations that support people in need. Some of the people they currently provide cards to include veterans, frontline workers and first responders, children's hospitals, cancer patients, senior citizens, deployed troops, people experiencing homelessness and more. To learn more about how you can become involved with Card For Kindness® and the Creative Kindness Foundation, check out this article.

Thinking of You Card by Juliana Michaels featuring Scrapbook.com Just A Note Stamp Set and Sunflower Die Set

When you create a handmade card for someone, you are creating a gift from the heart with love and thought that no store-bought card could ever match. Spread love and smiles to the special people in your life with our Exclusive Just a Note Bundle! - Scrapbook.com

JUST A NOTE BUNDLE


Scrapbook.com has created the Just a Note Bundle to bring awareness to Cards For Kindness®. This bundle include the Just A Note Stamp Set, the Birthday Celebration Sentiments II Die Set and the 6 x 8 Pinks Smooth Cardstock Paper Pad. To see more inspiration using this bundle make sure to check out the Scrapbook.com Livestream for August 31

Scrapbook.com Just A Note Bundle
Whether you use this bundle to create cards to send to Cards For Kindness® or to send out yourself, this stamp set is a perfect addition to your stamp collection. I love the combination of flowers and sentiments and used it to create this Thinking Of You Card that I recently sent to mey sister.

THINKING OF YOU CARD


My sister is an assistant principal and as with many who are in education, her job is demanding and stressful, but she loves the children and is driven to do everything she can to be the best she can for them. When she shared some of the challenges she was facing with the start of the school year, I was inspired to put together a package of sunshine to send to her with the hope that it would add a little cheer to her day. Included in the package I sent her, was a mix of yellow treats and self care items including lemon drops, lemon cookies and a yellow notepad that said hello sunshine. After I collected the items, I was then inspired to use the Just A Note stamp set to create a card to include in her package.


To create the base for this card, I used a piece of paper from the A2 Yellows Smooth Cardstock Paper Pad. I then trimmed a pale yellow piece of paper from the same paper pad down to 4.25 x 5.5 inches and stamped it light brown ink using the Creative Expressions Botanical Frames Stamp Set by Same Poole.
I die cut a piece of paper from the A2 Harvest Paper Pad using the Honeycomb A2 Plate Die. I sanded it lightly using a Sanding Disc and trimmed off the outer frame. I then adhered it to the card front.


Next, I used the Sunflower Die Set, Cozy Autumn Foliate Die Set, Delicate Leaves Die Set to cut yellow, green and brown cardstock from the A2 Yellows Paper Pad and A2 Harvest Paper Pad. I sanded all of these as well before I adhered them together.

As I mentioned earlier, I used the Just A Note Stamp Set to create the sentiment for this card. I stamped it onto a piece of pale yellow cardstock, cut it into a strip and then adhered it to the card. The final touch was the addition of some Pinkfresh Studio Matte Gold Metallic Pearls.


Thanks for stopping by today and I hope this post inspires you to join the Cards For Kindness® initiative or send someone you know a card to let them know just how much they mean to you!

SUPPLIES

Below you can find the supplies I used to create this Thinking Of You Card and the Just A Note Bundle. When you shop through the links below, I receive a small commission from Scrapbook.com. These links are at absolutely no cost to you and the commission I receive helps me cover the costs of my blog and other expenses, which allows me to continue to provide you with FREE inspiration and tutorials. If you want to learn more about what an affiliate link is, you can see my full affiliate and product disclosure statement here. Thank you so much for your love and support!

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