Monday, October 10, 2011

Oooky Spooky Class

 This is a class I'm teaching in a couple of weeks.  It's all sold out (I ran out of castles!) but if you can snag the supplies, I've got clear shots of each page if you'd like to make one :-)


You'll need: 
Pink Paislee's Hocus Pocus Line, embellishments & papers
Walnut Stain Distress Crackle Paint
Kaisercraft Beyond the Page Castle Album
Black Vine Ribbon
Black Sheer Ribbon
Tim Holtz Rosette Die
Scallop Border Punch
Glue (I like Zip Dry)

 Make a pocket on the first page

 Make another pocket on the back of the page as well

 Punch holes in one of Hocus Pocus clear cards and use it as a page.

  Punch holes in another one of Hocus Pocus clear cards and use it as a page.

 Paint the rooftops with crackle paint.  When it dries go over it with distress ink.

Now go back through the book and apply stickers.  Fun and easy!  Just don't watch spooky movies while you are making it like I did.  I've got the heebie jeebies now!  I think I'll throw a Young Frankenstein Party and put the pictures in this album...
hehehe

Monday, October 3, 2011

Fall Magic WCMD 2011

Happy Monday, everyone!  It is a beautiful fall day, the leaves have changed, the mums are blooming, and the scarecrow is the next thing on my to do list :-)

It is the perfect day to announce the winner of this Fall Magic Box Kit!
Drumroll please.....

The winner is Pamela Young!  Your name literally fell in my lap during the drawing, lol.  Please e-mail me at donya at backroadsplumcrazy.com with your contact information by October 17th, 2011.

I taught this as a class this time last year at Door County Rubber Stamps in Egg Harbor.  We had so much fun!  Everybody made such beautiful boxes.  I think the most popular part was making the paper rose and coloring it with Twinkle H2Os.

Here are the instructions for everyone who wants to try this at home:   Fall Magic Box

Well I hunted and hunted for the diagram I had made for folding the sturdy little origami box that makes up the heart of this project to no avail.  But hurrah! Splitcoast Stampers are the best :-) they had a step by step list of how to make it.  
Just go here: 

Supply List Details:

  • Stamps are all available at Backroads Plum Crazy or directly from Door County Rubber Stamps
  • I used decorative paper from Cosmo Cricket Flueriste Paper (Vineyard & Dew Drops) & Cosmo Cricket Flueriste Cardstock Stickers on the inside of each notecard
  • I used the Marvy Embossing Oak Leaf Punch and the McGill Designer Series punches to make the foilage out of vellum.  Since then Spellbinders has come out with some really excellent foilage dies that I would highly recommend.
  • I stamped my main image, cut it out with Spellbinders Nested Maple Leaves (S4-228), colored the girl and branches with Copics, then created sky and leaves with a blending tool and distress ink.
  • Brown Vine & the Antique Gold Silk Ribbon are from May Arts and are to die for.  Swoon.

That's all for today folks!  If you have trouble with any of the steps or questions, don't hesitate to shoot me an e-mail. Have fun and thanks for visiting!


Saturday, October 1, 2011

World Cardmaking Day 2011



Yay! It's World Cardmaking Day! Time for some swag! I'm on the road this weekend, so no card making for me, bummer! I was up until the wee hours making these card kits. Leave a comment for your chance to win a kit and the stamp I used on the top of the box!!!


each kit contains materials to make a beautiful one sheet wonder gift box and a handful of 4x4 notecards. Everything you need is included (well, except glue)

Tune in Monday morning and I'll post the winners names plus instructions for making your own!

Monday, September 26, 2011

Harvest Glow

It is another rainy Monday, but the leaves are starting to change, and I have a bushel of honeycrisp apples and a gallon of apple cider.  Things to be thankful for.  I think I'll go heat a cup of that cider while I tell you about this pretty thing. 


It's hard to see in the cloudy gray light, but the card base is a deep plum.  The rest paper is from the Harvest Glow collection by Reminisce.  I love Reminisce because #1 they are from Iowa, like me, and are therefore super cool, and #2 Reminisce is eclectic.  They have more than one style in their bag of tricks so you never, ever say Oh, yep, that again.  #3 and final is that they made Harvest Glow.  People just about fall over when they see this one in person at Backroads Plum Crazy. It is so beautiful!!! Now there's pretty paper and beautiful paper, this is the latter.  It glows (hence it's name) and is just lovely, classic, and warm like apple pie.  Ach, just impossible to describe so you better just go look here at Reminisce's site. Or better yet, go buy some.  Because it's better in real life, believe me. 



The stamp is of course, my favorite Door County Stamp.  I used Memento Cocoa Brown to stamp her so the lines wouldn't be so prominent after I colored her in with copics.  I think if I make more of them for card club, I'll try it in Potters Clay so she just looks painted.

To make the frame cut and emboss Spellbinders Classic Frame, but leave it in the die.  Stencil Aged Mahogany distress ink through the openings in the die, then pop it out and go over the whole frame with Vintage Photo.  Looks like the Classic Frame must be discontinued since I don't find it on the Spellbinder site.  Pity, it's very useful.  Hope you have one already :-)

Supplies used:
Memento Cocoa Brown Ink
Copic Markers
Kaisercraft mint flowers
Door County Stamp- Blowin' in the wind
Spellbinder Classic Frame Die S5 012
Glitz Teeny Letters
Reminsice Harvest: Harvest Plaid (just one sheet front and back)


Mmm, warm spiced cider and crunchy maple leaves.  Hello fall!

Monday, September 19, 2011

Hot Stuff

It was a rainy day and I couldn't bring myself to venture out to the shop to finish my crafty project for today.  So instead I slept in incredibly indulgently wonderfully late.  And then I baked. 

You really must try these.  So Yum.  Every one of them.  


Double Chocolate Peppermint Crunch Cookies


Rustic Raspberry Peach Pie


Rosemary Shortbread

I also highly recommend you have one of each with a cup of Berried Treasure tea from the Tea Source.  Mmmm.  I love trying out new recipes for the bed and breakfast.

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Burlap is the New Black

I ordered in these awesome stretched burlap canvases from Canvas Corp for the shop.  Having made this project, I'm beginning to wonder if I'm going to be able share the boxful.  They are awesome.


 I had fun in the cornfield taking pictures of my little project.  So handy.  Hope the renter doesn't mind if I bent a few of his ears are artistically arranged.



 Supplies Used:
  • Canvas Corp 12x12 Burlap Canvas
  • Prima Alder Regent Flowers
  • Prima Pearls and Roses Swirl
  • Tea Dye Distress Embossing Powder
  • Graphic 45 Magic of Oz Paper-  Scatterbrained Scarecrow, The Magic of Oz, There's No Place like Home
  • Alphabet Stencil & Black Paint
  • Vintage Photo & Black Soot Distress Ink
  • Foam Dots
  • Dried Wheat
 Directions:
1. Fussy cut out  Scatterbrained Scarecrow paper.  Stencil the burlap canvas with black paint.


2. Add a little distress embossing powder in a pleasing manner.

3. Add some pearly swirls
4. Give the Dorothy quarter of There's No Place Like Home Paper a little rough love.

5. Then a little rub with distress ink to make it all better.
6. Fussy cut out Dorothy and the Scarecrow.  While your are at it cut out the Magic of Oz banner from The Magic of Oz paper.
10. Glue the red No Place Like Home square you just distressed to the Magic of Oz banner.
11. Tuck a little wheat behind.
12. Add the straw colored flowers and a little more wheat.
And there you have your very own!  Have fun :-)

Monday, September 5, 2011

Magic of Oz


I grew up in Kansas.  It wasn't black and white.  Sometimes it felt pretty sepia toned, especially when I was in high school.  I have to say I'm glad to be living in full technicolor now.  I think that Iowa (where I live now) might still be stuck in an episode of Green Acres. That isn't all bad, what with quirky characters and the occasional adorable pig.  But sometimes, just sometimes, it's time to run away to Oz.

Handily, I ust got the new Graphic 45 Magic of Oz paper.  Sometimes you need one of everything.  Especially Graphic 45 anything.  In which case you might need two of everything :-)






I made me some home decor.  I think Dorothy is your happy medium of happiness and good wholesome Midwesterness.  And then like little good and bad angels on each shoulder, you've got your witches.

Glinda makes my teeth hurt. But you have to give her points for character.  Not just everyone can carry off a crown that big.  Takes serious Personality (with a capital P)



The Wicked Witch rocks.  Everybody loves a bad ass :-) and the flying monkeys.  That's just genius.


And of course you must have fabulous shoes.  Must.



Supplies Used:

Graphic 45 Magic of Oz Collection-
  • Parcel Post
  • Goblin Gazette
  • The Magic of Oz
Door County Rubber Stamps-
  • Trick or Treat Witch
  • Trick or Treat Fairy
Misc.-
  • 8x10 Oval Mat
  • Tim Holtz Rosette Die
  • Ruby Stickles
  • Vintage Photo Distress Ink