Christmas Stamps

Hello friends,

Just popping in to share a fun idea!
Did you know that the Postmarked stamp book has a sheet of blank stamps at the back? So far, I have always just used the vintage look stamps in the book but never the blanks. So today I though why not see what I could do with the stamps I have on hand.

(click on any photo to make larger)

First I chose some Archival Ink colors. You need to use Archival because the paper is coated so it is slick. Mine big Archival stamps pads are years old so many of the colors I used are not even available anymore. However there are plenty of colors in the Archival line that will work. Use what you have!

I used 4 Stampers Anonymous Stamp sets:

Holiday Postmarks

Seasonal Scribbles (I used this one the most)

Darling Christmas

Santa's Visit

I also used a great stamp set that I purchased from Simon Says Stamp - Tiny Words Christmas.  They are absolutely perfect for the size of the Postmarked stamps.  So, so tiny and absolutely essential for this project.

I used a grid block for stamping + a few post it notes to mask off the edges if the stamp was going to run over the edge (like the candy cane). 

I love the ones that use two stamp images on one stamp so you get two colors...then there is the ornament I colored with Distress Markers (yes, mine still work beautifully) that has red, pink, yellow and blue scribbled on and then stamped. Even though I know these will be use separately, my mind still wants to make the sheet cohesive! I'm funny like that!

There are larger stamps at the bottom, so I was able to use many of the longer phrases from the Stampers Anonymous sets there.

Well I hope this gives you an idea of how to use the blank stamps! They don't even have to be Christmas stamps - think friendship or birthday, thank you...so many ideas when you have a blank slate. In fact, Simon Says Stamp makes the Tiny Words stamp sets for Birthdays, Encouragement, Faith, and Everyday. I think I need to buy another set!

Now carry on,

paula

Making Spirits Bright

Hello friends,

Great to be here today sharing a fun project. Yesterday I posted a tag on Instagram using Distress Grit Paste Opaque and Distress Lumberjack Plaid Spritz, using water to push the Spritz into the background. It worked so beautifully that I wanted another try with a different color and on a larger scale. However this time there is no Grit Paste involved, just idea-ology Typography letters.

So lets get started!

I chose a small Etcetera Panel (7.25 x 5.25") as the substrate, then used Collage Medium to cover the panel with Christmas Backdrop paper. Once secure, add a layer of Collage Medium over the top of the paper, then let it dry. Do not skip the layer over the top, it will become important in a following step.

Once the Backdrop is dry, use Collage Medium to add the sentiment to the right side of the Panel. I used my Tonic Media ruler + Glass Studio Mat to keep the line straight when adding each letter. This sentiment is an easy one because each line is about the same length.

Here is the finished sentiment. I let this dry overnight because I was at the end of my work day. But in most climates, it would be secure enough to in about 30-45 minutes. You also might notice that I rubbed Walnut stain Distress Crayon over the edges of the panel. The crayon will show up in the end to give the paper an subtle edge.

The next step might seem a bit crazy, but I sprayed the entire panel with Antique Linen Spritz. You can see that I sprayed it quite heavy, going over the panel multiple times.

Immediately, I sprayed the surface with water which will cause the Spritz to pool up rather than just being speckled across the surface. If we had not added the Collage Medium over the paper to seal it earlier, you could not get this pooling effect.

Use a paper towel or soft cloth to wipe off the letters. It's not as hard as it sounds.

Then SLOWLY dried it with a heat tool. I say slowly because it takes a while for the Spritz to dry over the Collage Medium surface. I kept the heat tool further away and just let it dry little by little.

I also used a small bit of paper towel to dab up any puddles, then finished the drying.

The shine is so awesome! The Spritz made the Backdrop paper look like vintage wrapping paper. I just love the effect.

Set the panel aside and lets work on the tree. You could make the Woodland Trees any color you wish. I decided to do a multi-color effect using Evergreen Bough and Bundled Sage. But before I got started I cut off the back of the tree so it would lay flat against the panel. Once the cutting was done, I sprayed the entire tree with Evergreen Bough.

Before drying, I went to the kitchen sink and ran water over the top of the tree, then squeezed out most of the Spray Stain.

Back at the table, I sprayed Bundled Sage in the middle section to get the triple tone effect.

I added Collage Medium to add Mica Flakes over the front of the tree. I like to add the glue, then sprinkle mica Flakes from above. I know some people like to roll the tree in the Mica Flakes but I'm a sprinkler! Mica flakes are heat stable so you can dry them with a heat tool or let them dry on their own.

After the flakes were dry, I decided to cut notches into the tree shape. I know what you are saying, "why didn't you do that BEFORE you added the Mica Flakes?" Well yes, you are right I could have, but this way, the Mica was way more random and vintage looking. Like when you buy an old tree in an antique shop, most times the mica is missing in some spots and heavy in others. 

NOTE: I painted the base of the tree with gold paint.

I love the way it looks with the three colors of green. By the way, the Mini Re-Coil scissors are sharp to the tip and made the cutting a breeze.

Time to break out the "big gun" to glue the tree to the panel. I needed a lot of hot glue and my tiny precision glue gun is no match for my old school glue gun. Be sure to press the tree down while the glue is drying.

I decide to add a bit of variegated metallic floss to my tree. I wanted to add something without it looking heavy!

The metallic threads some apart just like embroidery floss. I tied a knot in one end and just pushed it into the tree, then ran it back a forth a few times till I got to the top. You could used hot glue to keep it in place or a dot of Collage Medium. I found tweezers were very helpful with the fine threads!

To fill in the space beside the tree, I opted for a simple solution that tied in the gold in the background, Mini Stencil Chips. I grabbed the numbers two and five, taping them together with Cello Tape Stickers, then using my Tiny Attacher to add staples at the top. I added four thin foam squares to the back and placed it on the panel. I also slipped a piece of Backdrop paper under the numbers to give them visual texture different from the poinsettia background.

The last thing to do was to add a star to the tree. I have some mirrored stars in my stash from years past and was able to find a large enough one for the tree. I covered the star with Mushroom Alcohol Ink and dried it with a heat tool. Then I sprayed the star with Antique Linen Spritz and dried it again. I added Collage Medium to the back and slipped it behind the tree.

What fun experiment this was. I love the woodland trees since there are so many options. I fact, it's sometimes hard to choose...texture paste? Rock Candy? gold Stickles? Mica Flakes? Which to choose? 

This is an easy project that cold really be done in an afternoon. It would make a fun decoration for yourself or to give away as a gift at the beginning of the season. I'm looking forward to seeing how people adapt the concept to suit their taste!

Now carry on,
paula

Advent Calendar Cards

Hello friends,

Today I'm talking about the cards that go into the pockets on the Advent calendar. They are not hard to do, but take some time since there are 25 of them.

First, cut twenty-five, 3 x 4" cards from Distress Mixed media Heavystock. 

Working in groups of 5, spray cards with Antique Linen Distress Spray Stain. While the Stain is still wet, quickly wipe each card with a paper towel or soft rag to soften the speckled texture. Dry with tool heat tool. Repeat steps till all 25 cards are lightly covered with Stain.

Sew around each card with red thread (I went around twice). This takes some time to do, but it is worth it.

Stamp card with red Archival Ink using the Stampers Anonymous Merchant stamp set. You can stamp the number freehand but I chose to use a stamp positioner. You obviously have to switch out the numbers for the single digit cards, but if it is a double digit card, I left the one or the two in place and just switched out the second digit. So think of it this way...do all the single digit cards, then all the cards that begin with a one, then all the cards that begin with two. 

Once added to the pockets, the cards really came to life. I was so happy that I stitched around the edges.
I also added a few embellishments made with 1/4" ribbon (dyed with Aged Mahogany) and a branch of rubbery pine I picked up at Hobby Lobby. I pulled off small springs from the branch and found that I was able to just pin right through the rubbery pine with a Loop Pin or a Mini Pin. I added the ribbon to the pine or the trinket and then pinned it to the fabric.

Mini pin + Tag with Distress Crayon + ribbon

Loop Pin + ribbon + bell (painted red)

Loop Pin + ribbon + candy cane

(used the ribbon to tie the candy cane to the pine)

I also used a wreath from the Layers pack to decorate the number 25.

Well that is the end of the instructions for the Advent Calendar. There is still plenty of time to create this and be ready for December 1st!

Now carry on,

paula

Holidays Past Advent Calendar

Hello friends,

It has been a slow week around here due to the fact I tested positive for Covid on Monday. It's my first time having it and it has given me a heck of a stuffed up head. It's hard to think when you're stuffed up like that! But things must press on! Monday and Tuesday were a wash (it was all napping and no working) but by Thursday I felt good enough to actually put some words together.

Today, I going to try and tackle the Advent Calendar that I made for the Live. The calendar itself is very straightforward. If you are a sewer, you can see right away how it was made, so I guess I'll just try my best to give you a rundown with a few snapshots (and they really are snapshots) of the making process.

Finished size is 20 x 25"

I used 9 Holidays Past cotton prints for the calendar. Admittedly, the more prints I added the harder it got to make it balanced.  My rule of three, meaning use at least three of each print, was easier with eight prints. Nine was challenging, but I got there in the end. Here is the fabric from the collection I used:

Poinsettia Print (large poinsettia print)

Confections (green stripe)

Winter Toile (white winter scenes)

Multi Stripe (green and red ticking)

Pine Chart (green pine illustrations)

Christmas Clippings (text)

Holiday Collage (collage print)

Lodge (plaid)

Festive Ledger (small poinsettia print) 

*Lodge was also used for the binding and Holiday Collage for the backing.

BACKGROUND:

1. Cut one 5 1/2" wide strip of each of the nine fabrics (5 1/2 x 44"). 
2. Cut three, 4 1/2" pieces from each strip (set aside the leftover strip for later). If you use less than 9 fabrics, you will need to cut a few more pieces
3. Lay out the pieces in 5 rows of 5 (the photo below shows 8 different fabrics - which was easy to stick to 3 of each + 1 plaid (25 total squares). But then I decided to add the ticking stripe, so I ended up having to move the squares around again.

TIPS: Use a sharp rotary cutter for cutting. Be accurate with your measurements/cuts.

5 1/2" x 4 1/2" background squares

4.  Going back to the leftover strips that were set aside, cut at least three, 4 1/2 x 4 1/2" squares of each pattern.

5. Fold the squares in half and press on the fold line. 

6. Work out a pleasing group, moving the patterns till it suits you. This part took me a while because of adding the ticking stripe. You can see the addition in comparison to how it was in the last photo. I obviously ended up changing the position of the some of my base rectangles to get all the patterns to work. Honestly there is no wrong way to do this!

NOTE: I think it is wise to take a photo of the squares before you start to move them. That way you can put them back in the same spot once basted. I swear, even if I stack them in order, I still question myself when putting it back together. The photo will save you a lot of grief.

Adding the folded 2 1/4 x 4 1/2" pockets

I did not take a photo of the next step, but once I have the fabrics in place, I basted the pockets to the matching background. I also used a sewing gauge (ruler) to make sure my pockets were even, before basting in place. I admit, I tried it without basting and my pocket was out of whack, so don't skip this part. It's worth it in the end. 

So the next step is to start sewing the strips together (1/4" seams). This photo is showing the bottom two rows after stitching. Again, be very aware of where the pockets meet when sewing the strips. 

Once you finish stitching the 5 rows as shown, then you can stitch the 5 rows together. Again, this takes some matching but it wasn't as hard as I thought it might be.

NOTE: when you are done stitching the rows, remember to open the seams and iron flat before sewing the strips together.

SIDE NOTE: In our guest bedroom, I have a small desk that I can convert to a sewing table when needed. I also lower my ironing board to a sit lower than my desk and place it on the right side of my chair (I'm right handed). I have a swivel chair, so I can place my pieces on the ironing board, then pick up, sew, then go right back to the ironing board to iron flat, and repeat.  I don't even have to get up, I just swivel! This set up has been a wonderful change for me because previously I was sewing in the craft room and ironing in the guest room. So much walking back and forth between the two rooms. I don't know why I didn't think of this 4 years ago when I bought the little desk. I share this because maybe sewing might be more enjoyable if you look at what space you have and how you can improve it for use. I did spend about $100 at Office Depot for a super comfortable swivel chair and that alone has made my sewing journey better. If need the guest room for an actual guest (like my father-in-law who just visited in October), I just put the cover on my machine and store it in the closet. The iron and ironing board goes into its storage space and I'm good to go. Easy transition to a bedroom again.

So this is what it looks like all stitched together! It really is satisfying to see it sewn together!

Let me explain what I am doing here with the black plastic. I like to use a temporary spray adhesive to stick the fabric to the cotton batting (Warm and Natural) before I quilt or stitch it together. So I got a large black trash bag and cut it open to cover my kitchen table. Then I can lay the batting on the plastic, spray the temporary adhesive, then add the advent (or whatever I'm working on). After pressing the batting and fabric together with my hands, I remove my piece from the black plastic, then hang the plastic on the back of a couple kitchen chairs till its not tacky anymore. I can fold it up later to store in my craft room, then use again the next time I need to spray.

After the black plastic has been removed, use a quilting ruler and rotary cutter to square up the advent.

Next I will cut the back piece to fit the front. I used one of the collage fabrics but you can use what you like. In all honesty, the large poinsettia would be the best fabric to choose for the back, because it is the only one that is really random so you would never know if its crooked!

Once I had the front and back together, I stitched across the advent 4 times, right under each row of pockets (broken green line).

I think you can see one of the stitching lines here, right under the pocket.

A view from the back.

Before the binding was added, I made two folded triangles for the top two corners. I have a dowel that will fit across the back and slip inside each corner for hanging.

I will quickly talk about binding. 

First of all there are a million videos on YouTube about making binding and sewing it on. The corners are always the hardest to wrap your mind around if you don't use binding regularly. They are really easy, you just need to know the fold trick.

The Lodge fabric was cut 2 1/2" on the bias (going across the grain) to get the diagonal plaid. Whenever it has been a long time since I have sewn corners, I go to this video and watch her do at least one corner (at the 2.52 mark - she will repeat the corner three more time so you get it). Then I remember, yep, that's how you do it. I'd rather watch, then do it right the first time and not have to pick it out. It's an easy trick and I NEVER would have figured it out on my own. 

I still finish my binding by hand since I am always terrified to finish with the machine. Richele has tried to talk me into trying it, but I'm not that good of a sewer!

Okay, well thats it for today. I will be back shortly to talk about the tags and the decorations for the calendar. I know this is a big project, but it is one that you could keep and use year after year. 

Now carry on,

paula