October Link Party - # 44

What do plaids make you think of? For me, they evoke feelings of cool autumn nights, curled up with a good book, a warm (plaid) blanket, and a cup of something steamy in hand. That's why the entire month of October I plan to share easy, do-it-yourself, plaid backgrounds you can create using markers. There are also a couple fun ways to use your plaids, so you won't want to miss any of the Monday inspirational posts this month!

Supplies need to create your own plaid background:

• Markers
• Ruler
• Graph Paper (optional)
• I found that placing a piece of graph paper under my card front made it much easier to line up the ruler and create straight lines

Directions for my background:

1. Beginning with an orange marker - create wide stripes both vertically and horizontally
2. Next use a yellow marker and add wide stripes in between your orange ones
3. Add some thin brown stripes
4. Add some thin green stripes
5. Using a darker yellow marker -- trace over every other yellow stripe to darken it and add interest to your background
6. Using sponge daubers, ink around the edges with dark brown ink
 

Supplies used on this card:

• These colors of Distress Ink (Ranger)
• Vintage Photo
• Ground Espresso
• Rusty Hinge
• Fossilized Amber
• Pine Needles
• Mermaid Lagoon
• Sponge Daubers
• Sunflower Stamp Set (Heartfelt Creations)
• Spellbinders Nestabilities (Circle and Scallop Circle)
• Fall Foliage Dies (Sizzix - Tim Holtz Alterations) 
• Markers
• Ruler
• Instant Coffee
• Burlap Ribbon
• Rhinestones
• Glue

Note: For a mini tutorial for the flower on this card, visit the Tutorials Tab at the top of the blog and click on 3D Sunflower.

Now it’s your turn to share the projects you’ve been working on! As always our link party is "Anything Goes" with these few simple rules

1. Create ANY new project using a product or two from one of the companies CropStop carries in the store. (It’s ok if you didn’t buy it from us, and also fine if it’s a product we don’t currently have it in stock as long as it’s from one of the companies we carry!)
2. Please, no back-linking old projects
3. Limit 5 entries per challenge
4. Link your project here, link back to this post, and mention the CropStop Challenge in your post.

We’ll choose one random Winner who will receive a prize from the CropStop Store! (100 or more links = two winners and two prizes!) Thanks so much for linking up with us, we look forward to seeing all your great entries this month. Grab our badge and help us spread the word that CropStop is a great place to play along!

Optional Twist for October

Include a plaid element somewhere in your creation,

 and I'll enter your name twice in the random draw.

3D Sunflower

Fall weather hasn't arrived yet (where I live), but maybe this autumn themed card I created with a beautiful 3D sunflower on it will get things moving in that direction! (smile!) I used one of the old Heartfelt Creations stamps sets to create it, and I have a mini tutorial to show you how it's done.

Step One: Stamp and cut out three different sizes of flowers (the photo shows only one large one -- I actually used two)
Step Two: Ink your flowers with coordinating ink making the centers darkest
Step Three: Cut between each petal of your flowers
Step Four: Spritz the reverse side of your flowers with water

Step Five: Crumple each flower into a tiny ball
Step Six: Unflold and twist and crumple your petals
Step Seven: Heat Set
Step Eight: For sunflowers - add some glue and instant coffee to the center

Note: If you don't want the coffee to dissolve in your glue use perk coffee instead of instant. (You can check out the other look by visiting this post.)

Supplies and Tools used on this card:

• Neutrals Cardstock (Core'dinations) 
• Wood Planks Embossing Folder (Sizzix)
• Sandpaper (or Sand-It Gadget)
• Sunflower Stamps (Heartfelt Creations)
• Instant Coffee
• Fall Foliage Thinlits (Tim Holtz)
• Sponge Daubers
• These colors of Distress Ink (Ranger)
• Gathered Twigs
• Mustard Seed
• Fossilized Amber
• Spiced Marmalade 
• Mowed Lawn
• Cuttlebug
• ATG gun

Have you been working on fall cards? If so I'd love to see your work! Stop by the current link party and showoff any project that includes a product or two from one of the companies Cropstop carries in the store.

July Link Party - #41

Hello friends! Today I'm sharing my updated tutorial for creating a weathered wood background. I originally posted this on the Wordpress blog, but since we are no longer using that site I thought I'd post it over here as well.

Step One: Gather your supplies - White Glue, Paint, Stiff Cardboard, Sandpaper
Step Two: Cut your cardboard to size and using a Scoring Board, create boards every 1/4 inch
Step Three: Cover your entire piece of cardboard with white school glue and let dry till tacky

Step Four: Paint over your tacky glue with your choice of paint (I used Blueprint Sketch Distress Paint ---- NOTE: do not apply using applicator, remove lid and use a paintbrush!)
Step Five: Dry using a heat gun (if you did it correctly, cracks will appear)
Step Six: Add a coordinating color of paint  and heat set (I added Hickory Smoke Distress Paint)

Step Seven: Apply a little bit of Picket Fence Distress Stain and rub in with your finger (heat set)
Step Eight: Re-score your lines
Step Nine: Sand edges and center to create a rough, worn look

Here's how I finished creating my card:

• I added a piece of blue Petaloo lace across the bottom of my wood background
• I die cut a bird cage using the Gilded Birds die (Memory Box - Poppystamps) from dictionary page
• In the bottom corner I added greenery and branches cut from the Fall Foliage Thinlits (Tim Hotlz)
• I created crinkle ribbon using seam binding and Wild Honey - Worn Lipstick Distress Oxide (Ranger)
• I created three flowers by layering punched dictionary pages and adding a tiny pearl to the center
• I tucked a pretty little bird from Mitrushova Art into my ribbon
• The top of the cage features one of the dictionary page flowers glued over a Burlap String bow
• Underneath is a tiny die cut tag (Cuttlebug) stamped with a sentiment from Dina Wakley's Little Birdies and inked withe Walnut Stain Distress Oxide

 Now it’s your turn to share the projects you’ve been working on! As always our link party is "Anything Goes" with these few simple rules:

1. Create ANY new project using a product or two from one of the companies CropStop carries in the store. (It’s ok if you didn’t buy it from us, and also fine if it’s a product we don’t currently have it in stock as long as it’s from one of the companies we carry!)
2. Please, no back-linking old projects
3. Limit 5 entries per challenge
4. Link your project here, link back to this post, and mention the CropStop Challenge in your post.

We’ll choose one random Winner who will receive a prize from the CropStop Store! (100 or more links = two winners and two prizes!) Thanks so much for linking up with us, we look forward to seeing all your great entries this month. Grab our badge and help us spread the word that CropStop is a great place to play along!

Optional Twist for July:

Create a project that features a handmade wood background of any kind and I'll enter your name twice in the random draw (for each project linked)!

Stamping Collage Cards #2

 

Today I'm sharing the last two cards I created around the ticket embellishments I shared in this post.
This is such a fun style to create with all the stamping and layering. There's really not a right and wrong way to do it, I just picked stamps/embellishments in a general theme and color scheme.

Here are the layers I used on this first card:

• I inked up Stripes (Stampabilities) with Fired Brick Distress Paint (Ranger) and stamped it on a piece of Kraft card stock
• Next, I embossed my card stock with the Gears embossing folder (The Paper Studio) 
• I Inked all the edges with sponge daubers in Walnut Stain Distress Oxide (Ranger)
• I stamped a corner stamp from The Journey (Tim Holtz) and numbers from Special Delivery (Tim Holtz) in Tuxedo Black Ink (Tsukineko)

•  The truck and arrows are from The Journey (Tim Holtz), the tire tracks and route 66 sign are from Here and There (Tim Holtz)
• they are stamped in Faded Jeans, Fired Brick, Frayed Burlap, Distress Oxide (Ranger)
• the truck is popped up with  mounting tape
• I added some burlap string to the left side and layered my ticket and some gears over top

For the layers on the last card are:

• cream card stock inked along the edges with Frayed Burlap Distress Oxide (Ranger)
• the edges are aged by distressing them
• a ship  and sentiment from Here and There (Tim Holtz) stamped in Tuxedo Black Ink (Tsukineko)
• a map from Air Travel (Tim Holtz) stamped in Faded Jeans Distress Oxide (Ranger)
•  the sentiment in the bottom corner is stamped there times in Wild Honey, Peeled Paint, and Walnut Stain Distress Oxide (Ranger)
• the ticket has a piece of black burlap string and it's popped up with mounting tape

Have you ever created collage style cards? If so I'd love to see them! Stop by the CURRENT LINK PARTY and showoff  any project that include a few products from the companies Cropstop carries in the store!

Stamping Collage Cards #1

Today I'm sharing the first two cards I created around the ticket embellishments I shared last week. These cards all feature a lot of stamp layering - a style that I'm fairly new at, but had a lot of fun with!

Here are the layers I used on this first card:

• Using the Flourish Stencil (Tim Holtz) I applied Tattered Rose and Worn Lipstick Distress Oxide (Ranger) on cream card stock
•  Stamped Music Notes Stamp (Heidi Swapp) over the top in Frayed Burlap Distress Oxide (Ranger)
• Inked all the edges with sponge daubers in  Frayed Burlap Distress Oxide (Ranger)
• punched a border with Embroidered Lace punch (Martha Stewart) and glued a piece of ribbon trim over top
• stamped the ticket from The Journey (Tim Holtz) in Frayed Burlap Distress Oxide (Ranger) and adhered it to the left side adding the ticket over the punched border
• stamped the flower stem (on watercolor paper) from Blossom (Tim Holtz) in Peeled Paint Distress Oxide (Ranger), inked it up and re-stamped it in Frayed Burlap Distress Oxide (Ranger)

• stamped the flower (on watercolor paper)  from Blossom (Tim Holtz), inked it in Worn Lipstick Distress Oxide (Ranger) and Wild Honey Distress Oxide (Ranger) and re-stamped it in Frayed Burlap Distress Oxide (Ranger)
• I popped the flower up using mounting tape
• inked up watercolor paper with Seedless Preserves Distress Oxide (Ranger) and punched it with the Monarch Butterfly Trim punch from Martha Stewart
• cut out a couple little butterflies, added pearls to the center of the largest, added to my collage

Here are the layers I used on the second card:

• starting with a piece of cream colored card stock I swiped three colors of Distress Oxide inks (Ranger) down them -- Broken China, Faded Jeans, Peeled Paint
• spritzed it with water and heat set
• Using the Burlap stencil (Tim Holtz) I added another layer in Frayed Burlap Distress Oxide (Ranger)
• Inked all the edges with sponge daubers in  Frayed Burlap Distress Oxide (Ranger)
• Stamped two images from French Market (Tim Holtz) in the corners using Tuxedo Black Ink (Tsukineko)
• Added a corner decoration die cut with the Hello Doily die set (Sizzix) -- inked with Frayed Burlap Distress Oxide (Ranger)
• Added a few stamped pieces from the Air Travel Set (Tim Holtz)
• created a floral embellishment using the Tattered Florals Die (Tim Holtz)
• underneath are a burlap string bow and a punched frond (Martha Stewart punch) 

I hope you'll come back next Monday when I'll share the last two cards created in this style. Meanwhile, we want to see what you've been creating of late! Stop by the CURRENT LINK PARTY and showoff your projects that include a few products from the companies Cropstop carries in the store!

Tim Holtz' Distress Inks and Stickles - Review

Product Review - Tim Holtz Distress Inks and Distress Stickles
By Gloria Stengel

Tim Holtz Distress Inks have been around for a long time, but have gained popularity again in the past few years. A large portion of the new “buzz” about these inks has to do with Tim’s amazing website and blog where he freely gives advice and posts product workshops, demos, and video tutorials. Couple that with new ink colors and companion products which have been released recently by Ranger (Distress Stickles, Crackle Paints, and Embossing Powders), and you get amazing products that are fun to play with! There are 24 inks, 12 Stickles glues, 28 crackle paints, and 24 embossing powders in the Distress line. 

Let’s talk about the inks. What’s so special about them? ....

WANT TO KNOW WHAT'S SO SPECIAL ABOUT THEM?  GO CHECK OUT OUR FORUM FOR THE REST OF THE REVIEW.

GET the entire collection of Distress Stickles for only $24.99 a $42 value!!!!  ONLY at CropStop.com you will find these awesome prices!

The colorful world of distressing inks!

We have two new classes that talk about how to use your distress ink pads and re-inkers, they are right in our Crop Stop's Forum in the Class section. Here are some samples of the gorgeous things you can learn how to do in the class: