A Father's Day Card and a Fabric Printing Tip

I'm still quilting away, and was seriously starting to think about giving up cards completely. Then, I needed a Father's Day card and just couldn't bring myself to buy one from a store, so I cleared a small space in my craft room and went to work. 

Ok, not exactly. It's been so long since I've made a card, I probably spent 30 minutes just looking around the room, trying to remember how to make a card and where I kept my tape gun and glue. Then, I drew a blank on what to make. But, a Mojo Monday sketch got me going pretty quick. And, here's what I ended up with:

And, here's the inside:

I honestly was not looking forward to making a card today, but it turned out to be as fun as it used to be! I guess I'll be keeping all my papercrafting supplies after all.

As for the fabric printing tip I mentioned, I have spent quite awhile trying to make a quilt label for my daughter's first quilt. I designed it in Word, which was a piece of cake. And, I printed it onto muslin by first ironing the fabric to an 8-1/2" x 11" piece of freezer paper. No problem. But, since I knew the quilt would eventually be washed, I had to make sure the label could survive washing, too. And, that's where the problems came in. (Sorry for the poor pics--I used my phone for these.)

These are just a few of the failed labels I made, starting with the ink almost completely washing out, to lots of bleeding, and even a blue-tinged muslin background. I read about something called Bubble Jet Set 2000, which I don't have, and couldn't get right now, so I found a DIY for it. The first two labels were on untreated muslin, with the first one heat set with an iron and rinsed with plain water. The second one was heat set, then got a vinegar bath, before being rinsed with plain water. The third one, which is incredibly color-rich, was printed on muslin pre-treated with the DIY Bubble Jet. It was gorgeous right out of the printer, as were the rest of my attempts on the treated muslin. But, the fabric softener rinses ruined all of them because the ink bled into the muslin so bad. The one with the blue-tinge was rinsed in a bath of regular blue Downey, rather than Downey Free--oops! I was about to give up completely, but decided to give it one more try and finally found the solution:

This one looks much better than the others! And, it was so easy! I found out that all the ink bleed on the previous tries was because I had my printer set on the "best" printing setting. Almost all the people who wrote about doing this said to print on the highest quality setting. I found, for my printer at least, that using the highest setting put too much ink into the muslin. The image was really vibrant after printing, but couldn't stand up to even a drop of water. For this final label, I set my printer to a standard quality setting, printed onto untreated muslin, heat set it with a hot, dry iron, gave it a 100% vinegar bath, swishing for 10-15 seconds, then immediately put it in a quick bath of cool water mixed with about one teaspoon of Downey free (the clear kind), swishing it continuously for another 10-15 seconds. I did NOT wring it afterward. Instead, I laid it between two clean towels and pressed the water out as much as possible. (Ink was still coming out of the label--my white towels now have gray stains. Be sure to use old towels!) Finally, I heat set the label with my iron. I tested washing it again (without vinegar) and it held up great!

A lot of people recommend vinegar to set ink in fabric, but just as many say that vinegar won't set ink, especially into cotton fabric. I don't know what finally caused the ink to set, but what I found was that, while water caused most of the ink to immediately lift and/or bleed--every single time, with vinegar, only a small amount of ink lifted, and there was no bleed. Any time I had gotten bleed, it was during the water bath, not in the vinegar.

I did like the way the DIY Bubble Jet worked by giving me a much more vivid and crisp image on the muslin, so I am going to using it again, but printing with a standard quality setting onto treated muslin, when I make a label for my quilt. If it works better, I'll let you know.

Thanks for stopping by, and have a Happy Father's Day!

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
Mojo Monday #452
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge: Animal Magic
613 Avenue Create #181: Anything Goes

~Hugs,

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Flourishes Timeless Tuesday--FTTC152: Daisy Love Matchbox & Tutorial

[If you are looking for my Tuesday Morning Sketches post, click here.]

Hi Friends! It's Tuesday, my favorite day of the week right now, because that means it's time for another Timeless Tuesday Challenge--Bags, Tags, Boxes, and More! This week, Heather has challenged us to make anything but a card--a treat box, bag, or even a tag to hold some yummy Valentine candy! Right up my alley! I have discovered over the past few months that I love making boxes! So, that's what I have to share with you today.

With the tutorial today, this is a long post, so when you get to the end of it, don't forget to visit the Flourishes Timeless Tuesday challenge blog post for all the details of the challenge, and also to see what the rest of the design team has for you today.

Here we go...

I made this in the style of a matchbox--the box slides out of a sleeve, from either end. Once you get the measurements worked out, making this little baby is a piece of cake! (I made this notecard set later, using the same matchbox template. It's SO easy to customize!) Here's how to make it:

First, you need to get your measurements for the interior box. Lay out whatever you want to put in the box, then measure the absolute longest length, width, and depth. If you're going to fudge, of course, always go bigger, not smaller, but get as close as you can to the actual size so the contents won't be shifting around inside. I wanted to put six heart-shaped Dove chocolates in my box, so I arranged them in a rectangular shape and my measurements were: 3-1/2" x 2-1/4" x 1/2".

Once you have your measurements, you can use the template below to work out the dimensions for cutting and scoring your cardstock. The measurements shown on the template are the ones I used for my box. If you are making a different size, just substitute your own measurements for mine. The 1/8" that is added to the length and width is to accommodate the thickness of the cs when it is folded over, so be sure to add it to your measurements also.

Once you've cut and scored your cs, go ahead and fold on all the score lines. I like to tests my box here to make sure everything will fit. Keep in mind that when the sides are folded to the inside, the interior becomes about 1/8" smaller in length and width. That's why you added the 1/8" in the initial measurements. :)
















I used Scor-Tape as my adhesive, but you can use whatever you normally would. Just make sure it is strong.

Adhere the tabs before the sides. The tabs should be folded to the inside of the box. (You probably noticed that my tape for the tabs is on the sides of the box rather than the tabs themselves. Well, look closely--I have two pieces of tape in the wrong place. That's when I decided it would be better to put the tape on the tabs, just to make sure they end up stuck where they should be.)  

I like to trim just a little bit off each of the ends of the interior folds so they will fit better without binding. Then, you can tape/glue them down, too. 

Your interior box is now finished. 

The sleeve is simple--just a rectangle, but you will need to take a few more measurements. For these measurements, be sure to measure along the outside edges of the box, not the middle. The middle may flare out a little bit, and if you measure there, the sleeve may be too big and your box might not want to stay in it. Also, be sure to include the thickness of the folded cs. The length and width will probably measure about 1/8" longer and wider than your original measurements for the box, but go ahead and take the time to use a ruler just to make sure.

Cut your sleeve cardstock according to your measurements.:

Length = length of box + 1" 

Width = (width x 2) + (height x 2) + 1/2"

Now, you need to score it.

For the length (the side with 1" added to it), score 1/2" from each end.

For the width, score at your height measurement. From there, move over whatever your width measurement is and score, then move over your height measurement again from there, then again move over your width measurement and score. There should be approximately 1/2" remaining. NOTE: I like to add a smidgen--maybe 1/16"--to each of my score measurements as I go, to allow for the space the actual fold takes up. You should still have plenty left at the end for glue or tape. This insures that the box is snug but will still slide easily when you push it out.

To fold the sleeve, first fold the edges of the sleeve (the 1/2" score lines). These will be folded to the outside of the sleeve, so there won't be anything inside the sleeve for the box to get caught on. Adhere them down.

Then, make the folds that will fit around the box. I like to actually use the box and make the folds around it to make sure everything fits. If it seems too loose or tight, I can rescore the lines as I go because they will be covered with decorative paper when it's done. After getting all those folds completed, put tape along the two short ends that will overlap and tape them together. They should overlap along one of the sides of the sleeve, as in this photo.

When you are finished, your box is complete and ready to decorate. Notice that the folds along the ends are on the outside of the sleeve. They will be covered eventually. This is important to ensure that your box will slide in and out smoothly.

Give it a test run, then decorate your box.

I don't have a tutorial for decorating your box, but I do have a few hints to make it easier. 

To get perfect, crisp edges, after cutting your paper the dimensions you need to go around your box, apply adhesive to all four edges of it, then attach one end to the sleeve and slowly work your way around, creasing the paper with your fingers at each edge. 

If using two layers of paper or cardstock, as I did, you'll get better, crisper edges, if you apply each layer separately instead of putting them together first, then taping them to the sleeve.

It helps to keep the box inside the sleeve for stability, while decorating the sleeve. You might even want to turn the box upside down in it, if you need to apply pressure to the top. 

Now, here are a few photos of the finished box:

I used the daisy heart from Flourishes Hearts & Flowers set as my main image. After coloring it with Copics, I fussy cut it.

These are the colors I used.

I used the "Love" sentiment from Flourishes Lace Heart set. I originally intended to stamp the sentiment on a separate tag, but decided at the last minute to put it directly on the bg paper, so I had to stamp on the finished sleeve. Because the sleeve is hollow, it was difficult to get enough pressure on the stamp, so I ended up having to stamp it three times, and didn't get everything lined up perfectly. Turns out I love this look, because it looks like it's handwritten with a calligraphy pen rather than stamped. I colored the little heart on the "L" with a red Copic and covered it with red Stickles.

I used Scor-Tape to adhere lace around the sleeve, and foam dots to pop up the daisy heart. Three pink pearls were the finishing touch. Here's the finished sleeve, ready to fill with my box of chocolate.

In we go. :)

Now, I just have to decide who I'll give this to on Valentine's Day! (Actually, I already know, but can't say. The little stinker reads my blog sometimes.) :D 

So, that's it for my Timeless Tuesday project today. I hope you enjoyed the tutorial, and that it inspired you to create something fun. You can link up your own project on the Timeless Tuesday #152 post, and you have until next Monday at 6:00 PM to enter.

Now let's see what the rest of the Timeless Tuesday Design Team has for us today:

Beate

Cindy

Heather

Makiko

Mona

Silke

Tammy

Thanks for stopping by my blog today, and Happy Stamping!

~Hugs, 

 

Stamps: Hearts & Flowers, Lace Heart (Flourishes)
Paper: The Basics (The Paper Studio); Classic White (Flourishes)
Ink: Memento; Copics
Accessories: Lace (Joanns); pearls; Stickles; Scor-Tape
Size: Finished box: 2-3/8" x 3-1/2" x 5/8"

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Prickley Pear Poinsettia

Hi Friends! Well, today is my first official post as the Guest Designer for the Prickley Pear Rubber Stamp Design Team! I've been so excited to get started! But, first let me tell you, PPRS stamps are so fab! They stamp crisp and clear, and there are so many images to choose from. There is everything from elegant to whimsical. And, many of the clear acrylic sets even have dies to match, also. You really should visit the store to see for yourself. It's amazing!

For my first PPRS project, I created a stamped candle. This was a fun one, and so much easier than I anticipated.

There are several video tutorials out there on how to do this, and I noticed that there were slight variations in each one that I watched. Here's how I made this one:

Stamp the Poinsettia image on tissue paper using black ink.
Color the image as desired. I used colored pencils and Gamsol. Whatever you use, be gentle--the tissue paper tears easily.
Cut the image out leaving a small border.
Place the image where desired on the candle, then cover with a layer of plastic wrap. It should be tight--I held mine on the back side of the candle. Be sure to get all the wrinkles out--they will show up later if you don't. :)
Using your heat gun, heat the image. Keep the heat gun moving so the candle will melt evenly. The goal is to melt the wax just enough so that it will absorb into the tissue paper, leaving a thin layer of wax on top of the tissue paper. Once the paper has absorbed the wax, remove the plastic wrap and decorate the candle as desired.

For this candle, I added yellow Stickles to the center of the flowers, put a Parisian Accent strip around the bottom and a red gingham ribbon on top of that, then hot-glued a bow to the ribbon. To finish it off, I placed red rhinestones on the ribbon, all the way around the candle.

See...isn't that easy? Every Christmas I think I'm going to make something for gifts, but it always ends up that I don't have time. This year, I think I can do it with this project. Fast, easy, and fun!

Thanks for stopping by today! Have yourself a fantastic week!

 

Stamps: Poinsettia (PPRS)
Paper: Tissue Paper
Ink: Memento
Dies: Parisian Accents (Spellbinders)
Accessories: Colored Pencils (Prismacolor); ribbon (Offray); Stickles; rhinestones; 6" white candle, plastic wrap
Size: 6" candle

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