Use Your Stash - April = Ribbons

If you are joining us for the "Using Up Your Stash Blog Hop" you are on the right track. WELCOME! You should be coming from Bethany's Blog. If you get lost along the way you can see the entire list of hoppers on Rachel's Blog. Let's get started.

Today I am showcasing Ribbons!  If you are like me, you buy ribbon and then never use it.  This was the perfect time to get out my (rather large) stash of ribbon and figure out something to create.   A 2-page spread layout is what I finally came up with.  It is extremely colorful, and well, let’s be honest – a little on the elementary side, My Dear Watson.  But, I like it and I usually don’t go for the less sophisticated-type of project. 

First, I cut about 3 inches from each ribbon I had on hand…. OK, it’s more like about 90% of the ribbon I had on hand, but – I did use most of it.  Then, I cut each ribbon piece in half.  On Colonial White cardstock, I placed a giant yellow circle that I inked around in, surprise surprise, Sunset ink.  I have no idea where I got the large yellow circle.  I was looking through my paper stash and found it.  That is when I decided to make a sun out of the circle.  The first lot of ribbons I had cut in half were then used as the rays on my sun. 

On the 2^nd page, I used the other group of ribbons as the stems for flowers.  Next, I inked just about any round-flower’ish looking item I could find and adhered the flower to the ribbon/stem.  Some of the flowers are Close To My Heart products, such as Heirloom Assortment, Just Blooms White Daisy, Bliss Level 2 (retired), and the Dimensional Elements Mixed Shapes.  I also used the Just Blooms Paper Shapes (butterflies).  All of the other flowers are listed below in my Non-CTMH shopping list.

For the saying, I used the Cocktail Alphabet in Black ink. 

This was a pretty easy project, but I had fun being silly with it. 

Close To My Heart Shopping List

Liquid Glass - Z679

Colonial White Cardstock - 1388

Just Blooms Paper Shapes – Z1463

Just Blooms Variety Pack – Z1300

Bliss Level 2 Assortment – Z1355 (retired)

Dimensional Elements Mixed Shapes – Z1683

Heirloom Assortment – Z1635

Bitty Brads Metal Assortment – Z1368

Round Sponge – Z697

Designer Ribbon Pink Collection – Z1384

Designer Ribbon Blue Collection – Z1385

Glitz Glitter Gel – Stardust – Z1313

3-D Foam Tape – Z1151

Micro-tip Scissors – Z534

Tulip Ink – Z2166

Pear Ink – Z2197

Pacifica Ink – Z2192

Cranberry Ink – Z2116

Sunset Ink – Z2191

Spring Iris Ink – Z2148

Parchment Ink – Z2142

Gypsy Ink – Z2190

Sunflower Ink – Z2150

Sunny Yellow Ink – Z2152

Black Ink – Z2105

Non-CTMH Shopping List

* K & Company Wedding Paper Flowers – these were inked in many different Close To My Heart colors

* Recollections Dimensional Flower Stickers

* 23 different types/colors of ribbon that I’ve had anywhere from 1 month to 5 years

Now hop on over to Theresa's Blog for more ideas of using up your stash.

April Technique Blog Hop

Welcome to our Technique Blog Hop!  This month we are highlighting the “Layering a Window” Technique as shown on page 33 in the Spring/Summer 2012 Idea Book!  This blog hop is a great big circle so you can start wherever you want and continue through to see all the fabulous artwork incorporating this technique. 

We would love to see what you’ve created using this month’s technique, please visit our challenge blog  where you can share your project and be entered in a chance to win great prizes.  You will also find a listing of all participants and their blog addresses if you should get lost or want to reference a blog along the way.  Let’s get started! 

Since I needed some Easter gifts, I thought this would be a great way to combine my blog project and gift giving.  I made one in brown/gold and the other in black/silver.  The process was the same for each, just in different colors.

I traced a foam cross onto the cardstock and cut it out using a craft blade.  The cross that was cut out was put aside, as I only wanted the 12x12 paper with a big cross-shaped hole in it. 

Next, I inked the edges of the negative space – using tone on tone ink to paper.  On the Art Philosophy Cricut Cartridge, I used the <Flower 2> Shift, Font Layer and cut it “fit to page.” 

While that was cutting, I used Versamark to stamp the image of “He Is Risen” on the bottom right corner of my 12x12 top sheet.  Then I poured the desired color of embossing powder onto the ink and set it with the heat gun. 

Once the flourish was cut out, I began making my layers.  The very back is the gold or silver sheet, then the flourish, then the top sheet with the embossing. 

As you can see, I took the pictures of the black one before putting it into a frame.  The frames have terrible glare, but I wanted to give you an idea of how the finished product looked.

As I mentioned, I made these as Easter gifts for my family.  The black/silver one is for my brother and sister-in-law and the brown/gold one is for my mother. 

I’d love to hear what you think of my interpretation of the Layering Technique.  Leave a comment, then hop on over to Joy's page to see what she has created this month.

Thank you for stopping by!

Close To My Heart Shopping List:

Art Philosophy Cricut Cartridge Z1686

Black Ink – Z2105

Cocoa Ink – Z2114

Black 12x12 paper 1386

Cocoa 12x12 paper X5642

He Is Risen Stamp set B1397

Round Sponge – Z697

Euro Personal Paper Trimmer – Z338

Edge Distresser - Z1297

Microtip Scissors – Z534

VersaMark Z891

Non-CTMH Shopping List

Gold and Silver paper from The Paper Company

Razor Blade

Frames (brown & black)

Gold and Silver embossing powder

Heat gun