Good News !!!!!!!!!

Hi readers!


I have some good news today to share - I am the fresh face winner for Hero Arts June (Round 1) Contest!
My card is based on the sketch challenge for this month!
I am really excited!
Thanks Hero Arts for the great products and all the inspiration you are giving to us !


Here is the card!

Congrats to all the winners!
You can find more about the contest here!


George

ONLINE INSPIRATION JUNE 2012 - Good Friends Frame

Hello !
Its the 15th of the month (time goes by sooo fast....) and it is time again for an online inspiration tutorial!
This month I decided to make a frame. The inspiration comes from Echo Park Times and Seasons Collection - nice patterns, nice masculine colors....
Lets go !

1. The frame I am using is 13cm x 18cm with white frame.


2. Using the Tim Holtz Chip Block die and my Sizzix Big Shot (with lots of patience...) I cut the letters for my sentiment : GOOD FRIENDS MAKE EVERYTHING BETTER.


3. In order to make the background, I cut several strips of the papers of the collection.


4. I've used the white sheet that was inside the frame, and I adhered the strips on the diagonal using double sided tape. Then I cut the excess.


5. Now the difficult part. I got a  piece of kraft paper.


Using Glossy Accents, I adhered the letters.
Starting from the longest word (in this case the word friends) and based on that I started adhering the letters in the center of the kraft card stock.
(It is really helpful if you arrange the letters on your work area first in order to have an idea about spacing and avoid misplacing the letters.)


Then I cut the craft piece to the desired size and I went around with a white gel pen and I did some dashed lines...


Because I had marks of the Glossy Accents showing around some letters :-(  I decided to go over the piece with Claudine Helmuth Matte Multi Medium with a brush. It worked! The glossy accents marks disappeared...


6. Time for the assembly!


Using some strong glue I adhered the piece with the letters on top of the diagonal background I created, and I placed the piece in the frame.


7. For some fun, I scattered some gems.




Hope you like it!


You can take a look on this AWSOME  collection from ECHO PARK....
(Honestly - all their collections are soooo nice - can't get enough...)


George

Clarity Stamps from Stitches, Stitching and Craft Supplies

Hello craft friends!


This post is about a really amazing and high quality stamp company, Clarity Stamps!
Few weeks ago, the wonderful Kathryn at Stitches, gave me a Clarity stamp to try out. I was surprised!  So nice designs and so good quality ! I am in love with the air ballon, that inspired me to create a fun set of cards, with bold summer colors!


Clarity stamps are made of Photopolymer, thats why they cost a bit more that other stamps out there. Photopolymer stamps give really crisp stamped images because they take the ink better. Here is some info from their website:

WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PHOTOPOLYMER STAMPS AND SILICONE OR ACRYLIC STAMPS? Photopolymer stamps are not to be confused with these. They may also be see-through, but they are not the same thing and do not perform in the same way. Photopolymer Resin is intended to take ink. Silicone and acrylic don't take ink in the same way - so the reproduction is not as effective. They may be less expensive, but the proof is in the print!

Claritystamps are also heat-resistant when using fusible film and fibre techniques, and will not distort or melt, even when used with molten embossing powders and hot waxes. 

So, Clarity stamps come in a variety of designs and sizes. 
SOS ! There is a blue coating on the stamp (obviously to protect the stamp) so before use it, ink the stamp with a dark color ink and stamp a couple of times to remove the coating. And don't use a light color ink like I did the first time :-P !


So here is what I came up with :

Simple and fun! My new addiction is to have the card smaller (cut about 1cm - 1.5 cm off a top folded standard size card) and having the greeting hanging off the card, so the card will still fit in an envelope!

The hot air balloons are heat embossed with white embossing powder on some watercolor paper and watercolored with....Distress Inks (of course !!!!!)
Also the greetings are heat embossed with white on some kraft/recycled paper.
For the background, I stamp the cloud (from my stash) and then I used some Distress Inks and water (by taping the ink pad on my craft sheet, spritzed with water to make the color runny) and then I splashed the color on the background using a brush! Then I scattered some gems for an extra something! 

I also stamped the envelope with the same color ink I used for coloring the images....

And because I couldn't stop :-) I made a big card for a great friend!!!

If you haven't used Clarity stamps, you must! Sooooo good !

Clarity Stamps are available from STITCHES STITCHING AND CRAFT SUPPLIES
59 Griva Digenis Street, Ayios Tychonas, 4521 Limassol, Cyprus
Tel:357 25345618 Fax: 357 25324112 

Click here to visit the online shop ( by the way, there are many more stamps in the store) !

George