TAC Savvy Projects for People on the Go

Easy Window Cards with a Window Card Tutorial

 

I LOVE this card!  {smiles}  I mean ... I REALLY LOVE IT ... I'm actually surprised by how much it has grown on me!  This card started out as a card for the Retiform Blog Hop.  I wanted to combine Retiform with a Window Card.  Unfortunately ... by the time I added all of my elements it just didn't go with Retiform so much.

 

 

My white cardstock is our Premium Cardstock and I just don't recommend this for a card base like I've done.  It was the only white I had in my studio so I used it.  Note the side of my card where the fold is.  I scored the card with my Scor-Pal, however, the cardstock still cracks when I fold it.  It does this because it is so heavy and so thick.  Ideal for many things but trickier to use as a card base!

 

If you notice the back of the card it appears that the ink is seeping through my cardstock.  That isn't the case though!  I have a lamp pointing towards the card and as a result you can see the image through my premium cardstock.

 

I knew I wanted to place my owl on Pop Dots and I soon discovered that I needed to place the owl when the cover of the card was closed.  I wanted him to 'pop' through the window.  It was soon apparant that this limited my beautiful golden background from being seen.  {bummer}

 

A few hours later I came back and looked at this card and KNEW something was missing!  You guessed it ~ Glossy Accents!  SEE the difference for yourself!

 

Glossy Accents, a white gel pen, a brown marker ... oh ... and a yellow copic marker to make my rhinestone golden!  I also sponged Tangela Memento ink on the outside petals of my flower to give it more dimension.  The finishing touches!

 

  

 

And now ... the TUTORIAL!  I picked a palette that I thought would show up well on film.  OH!  And it reminded me of the cold, harsh weather that was coming down outside ... freezing rain.  It was truly more gray outside but my insides felt ice cold blue like this card!

 

First I cut my card to size and then score it.  I DON'T fold it at this point though!  I align my cardstock with my die cut and then run it through the die cutting machine.  I scored it afterward.  Yes, it is premium cardstock which results in a harsh fold line!

 

 

Next I took a piece of scratch paper and ran it through my die cutter to make a mask.

 

I added some glue on the back of my mask to hold it in place while I work.  I let the glue dry completely before putting it on my card.  A heat tool speeds up this process {smiles}.

 

Next I position my mask on my card ... you can't see it but the card is facing FACE DOWN.  The back flap is standing straight up in the air. 

 

And then I lay the back flap onto my mask and pat it to adhere my mask.

 

I let go and it pops right up!  You can see that my mask has adhered in place.

 

When I open up the card to begin work everything is ready to go!

 

If you notice ... I stamped my image on my mask ... towards the top ... in the area I want to adhere it to the finished card.  I did this just to give me an idea of how I wanted my color to be placed.

 

I used post it notes to create a rough edge ...

 

and then I started inking ...

 

and inking ...

 

and inking ...

 

until I was okay with it.  I was wishing I had hydra sponges!

 

The BAM moment is when you remove the post it note mask!  I LOVE that!

 

Then I put my post it note mask in place and prepared for my next shade of blue.

 

Same process ...

 

YIKES!  I have a heavy hand but nothing I can do about that now!

 

 

 

For my last shade I just used the original mask I added to the card.

 

TIP:  I ALWAYS place my sponge on top of the color it goes with while I am working!  Otherwise I WILL grab the wrong sponge and {ruin} what I was trying to create.

 

After I finished I removed the main mask and then erased up any glue spots left by my Glue Marker. 

 

And then I put my mask back on because I forgot to add a touch of blue to my bottom color ... and it needed it! 

 

 

Next I set my card aside to 'settle' and began creating the frame for the front of the card.

This is how I place my dies on my magnetic sheet.  (For the first card I used the scallop circle die on the outside and a plain circle die on the inside).   

 

Then run it through your machine!  I didn't use the 'inside' pieces for this card but save those!  You can use them on future cards!

 

 

I hadn't yet tried embossing the frame and using an embossed frame on any of my window cards so I thought I'd give it a whirl.  It turned out GORGEOUS!

 

However, it didn't fit!  That little 'pinch' is just enough to make it NOT line up on your card!  So that was a no-no for this card.

 

And then I put all of the pieces together and added some Scrappers Floss!

 

 

Remember that I have a VERY bright light pointed at my card so that is why you are seeing the image on the back of the card flap.  On the actual card it is white as can be and not an inkling of ink has seeped through! 

 

 

 

 

ONE LAST TIP!  I thought I was SO clever!  I use my Glossy Accents so much that the tip tends to get clogged up now and then.  So I decided to keep my pin with my accents.  I gently pushed the pin into the plastic bottle.  About the 3rd time I was using my accents I looked down and I had DOTS of Glossy Accents randomly on my card ... here and there ... and EVERYWHERE!  What the heck!  It took me about 5 minutes to realize they were coming from my teeny, tiny pin hole!  YIKES!  Don't try this at home!

 

Happy Paper Crafting!

Mischelle

Supplies used:

happy for you owl card: premium white and brown cardstock, dandelion, cantaoupe, tangelo and tuxedo black memento inks, spanish orange, sunburst yellow, pale vermillion, pumpkin orange, limepeel, apple green, olive green, dark green, burnt ochre, dark umber and dark brown prismacolor pencils, odorless mineral spirits, glossy accents, pop dots, brown marker, white gel pen, yellow copic marker, orange flower, glue dots, scallop circle and circle nesties dies, sponge, thoughts and prayers t3343, whooo loves ya ta3324, you whoo t3393

many thanks angel kitty card: premium white and blue cardstock, summer sky, danube blue, paris dusk and tuxedo black memento ink, cool gray 10%, cool gray 20%, cool gray 30%, sky blue light, powder, blue, imperial violet, violet blue, indigo blue, mulberry and black grape prismacolor pencils, odorless mineral spirits, pop dots, white gel pen, blue scrappers floss, nesties dies, sponge, glossy accents, bless your heart ta3238 and bow chica bow wow t3230

Retiform Blog Hop!

 

It's one of my favorite days of the month!  Blog Hop Day!  YAHOO!  And this isn't just any ole' blog hop ... this is a TECHNIQUE blog hop!  If you've never tried RETIFORM now is your chance to take a look and play along!

Join us and link your Retiform creation to our blog starting today.  The hop will be open for posts until Sunday February 6th at 11:59pm est.

BLOG CANDY! Oh yeah! What’s a Blog Hop without Blog Candy?! One lucky customer and one lucky Angel will receive Blog Candy - handpicked by Mischelle. The winners will be chosen randomly from those who are participating in our Blog Hop.

Saturday February 5th join us for a chat over in our Paper Crafting Community   Mischelle will join the chat at 9 pm EST (8 pm CST).

Don’t have a blog but would like to showcase your card? Upload it to our TAC™ Paper Crafting Community Gallery on the days of the Blog Hop! We will create an album for the Blog Hop and then put the cards into the album for you. Just label the card with the Blog Hop it belongs to in the tag line.

Now let's get hopping!

get the InLinkz code

My Retiform Cards for the Retiform Blog Hop

 

So this is my first RETIFORM card in YEARS!  It took me a LONG time to finish ~ I started it months ago and wrapped it up months later.  {smiles}  I knew there wasn't a hurry so it got set on the back-burner for quite some time.

I wanted to use this set (when I started this card it was football season) and make a card with our school colors which are Texas Orange and Black!  YUM!  I decided to add in some gray because it goes with everything right!

I hadn't intended on stamping in every box around my image but I forgot what I was doing and before I knew it ~ almost every inch of this card had 'KICK OFF' stamped on it somewhere.  Oh well.  I don't think it's terribly awful!

 

I really like adding layers on top of the RETIFORM.  I don't know why but I need a more distinct focal point.  So I added one and applied it to my card with pop dots.

 

Here are the inks I used ~ Tangelo, Potters Clay, London Fog and Tuxedo Black Memento Inks.  I also used these foam make-up sponges to get a smoother finish.

 

So ~ I TOTALLY forgot I had already made a RETIFORM card and prepared this blog post ... and it was only like 2 days ago I did this!  Oh my!  LOL!

So ~ I thought I needed to get a RETIFORM card made because I hadn't crossed if off my list yet.  I have 2 more cards that I was going to feature but you can't see the RETIFORM in them so I'm posting them later.  Here is the card I created and following is how I got to this point!

 

So ~ time to get started.  I wanted my card to look as good as this one by Heather Scott.  So I placed it on an easel in front of my workspace.  My inspiration piece:

 

Then I decided to try something I've NEVER done before.  I pulled out my cardstock and looked at palette's that I wanted to work with.  Then I looked for ink to match.

 

 

 
I cleaned up my work area and surrounded myself with the supplies I was using.  I opened up my Inspiration Book so that my main stamp set was in front of me.  WOW!  Look at me go!

 

 

I gathered up some scratch paper, ripped it up and put some glue marker on the back of it to try and hold it in place while I worked.

 
I am using these makeup sponges because all of my hydra sponges are designated for other colors and I don't have any others on hand. 

 

 

 

My paper slipped off so I stopped and called the pink good!

 

 
Yep.  It's about now that I realize I've done it wrong.  Oh well.  As tempted as I am to start over I'm not going to.  I can make this work! 

Notice on Heather's card that she has TWO really crisp lines for the ripped cardstock.  I don't.  Saddums.

 

 

 
I wanted to show you which adhesive I use for this tiny frame.  I LOVE this Tombow Mono Glue!  LOVE IT!

 
I used Copic Markers R11 and R20 to color in my bird.  And then added more color and stamping.

NOTE:  The flat tone of my bird.  Look specifically at its eye ...

 

I later took a brown marker and started to add some dimension myself.

 

I think this card may have looked better had I left off the 'hope perches in my soul' HOWEVER that was one of the parts I just COULDN'T leave off!  This girls soul needs HOPE perched in it!

 
So here's my card next to the masterpiece.  You notice I placed my watermark signature under the masterpiece!  Ok ~ it really did look best there.  It is funny though!

Heather's card is certainly more striking and one of the reasons is because of her color palette.  She is working with two strong colors and next to each other they are BAM!  PERFECT colors for her card and her images.  The entire package Heather selected works well together! 

I choose two colors that to me read more feminine, soft, delicate and worked sweetly with the images I had chosen.  These are all details that set the tone for the final result.

 

Guess what ... I didn't use ... Glossy Accents ... even though Heather did!

 

Here you can really see the brown I added to the image.

 

I also decided to emboss on a couple of layers because the card seemed so one dimensional to me.  Now it's busier than I'll get out!  LOL!

 

This is a technique that just requires you to go for it!  If you just can't seem to get started then find a card you like that is done with this technique and recreate it using your own palette and images. 

Additional Supplies for Hope card:  Pixie Dust and Spanish Olive VersaMagic Ink, Transcendence Emboss Powder, Nesties Dies, brown marker

Happy Paper Crafting!

Mischelle

.... now let's go make another card!

Modified Retiform ~ 2 Minute Technique Video

Check out this Modified Retiform Technique Video by Heather Scott! 

Happy Paper Crafting!

Mischelle

 

Retiform ~ Another Version!

 

As promised ... here is another Retiform Card!  This card was designed by Avis Anderson and I have to tell you ... the colors are SOOO much more vibrant and gorgeous in person!  Nonetheless ... I still love this!

Happy Paper Crafting!

Mischelle

Retiform Card & Blog Hopping

 

Here is another oldie but goodie!  Some of you may remember this Heather Scott Retiform card that was featured years ago ... in our 3rd catalogue???!  I knew I still had it so I did a little looking and pulled it out so I could share it here!

 
(Note the Glossy Accents on the bee)

This is another version of retiform and in my opinion ... a bit easier than the card I showed you yesterday.  Tomorrow I'm going to share yet another retiform version ... this time a card by Avis Anderson that you'll also enjoy!

If you're wondering what all of this 'retiform talk' is about ... well ... we released our Blog Hop Schedule through February 2011 and it has sparked lots of conversation!  So many of us older stampers remember retiform and many others have never heard of it so we thought we'd dig into our archives and share!

 

 

Deck the Halls Blog Hop Friday November 12 and Saturday November 13!

And speaking of Blog Hops ... here it is our upcoming schedule so you can mark your calendars!

Date	Blog Hop Details
Sat., Oct. 16, 2010	Wicked Good Blog Hop - Halloween
Sat., Oct. 30, 2010	The Flavor of Fall - Thanksgiving This hop will focus on cards and projects that capture that fabulous flavor of fall and the Thanksgiving season.
Sat., Nov. 13, 2010	Deck the Halls - Christmas We'll begin decking the halls with a Christmas themed Blog Hop.  Feel welcome to showcase cards, gift ideas, holiday decor and more!
Sat., Dec. 11, 2010	Technique Blog Hop - Brayers You read that right! Saturday, December 11 is all about BRAYERS! Show us what you do with your brayer and feel welcome to include tutorials in your blog posts as needed!
Sat., Jan. 08, 2010	From the Heart - Valentine's Day This Valentine’s Day themed Blog Hop will be perfect for showcasing cards, gift ideas, Valentine’s Day treats and everything you love made from the heart!
Sat., Feb. 05, 2010	Technique Blog Hop - Retiform Saturday February 5 is RETIFORM day! This fun and fabulous technique is perfect for every stamper ~ from the brand new to the well-seasoned!

We have also begun opening the hop on the Friday before so you have even more time to upload your card!

And now (drum roll please) the Blog Candy Winners from our Flavor of Fall Blog Hop .... TAC Angel  Teresa Jenkins and Kim from Running on Ink!

Congratulations Ladies and I'll be sending your Blog Candy out this week!

Happy Paper Crafting!

Mischelle

 

 

 

 

Retiform Technique Tutorial by Heather Scott

 

I've had so many folks asking me about the Retiform Technique so I thought I'd share this 'oldie but goodie' that  Heather Scott  featured on her blog long ago!

For this card I used the Sunflower from the Flowers and Holly set Stamped it just off the center slighty tilted in Black ink on tan or Kraft Card Stock.

Then I used Moss ink to create the grid around the sunflower - I always create the square around this image first - so that I can see what I am doing best. I lay my scrap paper off to the left of the image aligning it how I like and then pull ink from my Moss ink pad with a sponge. Sponge ink onto the card drawing ink from on top of the scrap paper off onto the card. Be sure to hold this paper in place and not to let it move. Do a line down the whole card.

Now I turned the card upside down and did the same for the other side of the flower. Laying the scrap on the left side (which is the right side if the card was not upside down) of the flower again and pulling ink across the scrap paper onto your card.

 

 

Once I have these two lines Now I need to do the outside of the grid - And for this I used Golden Wheat. I covered up my flower and pulled ink first down away and then up and away from the flower using the same scrap paper as my mask. Always make the lines go fully across the card. Next I need to make the outside of the focal point grid a nice color. I used Navy for this flower by simply covering the flower with my scrap and lining it up with the first Moss line I did. Pull Navy ink with a sponge out and away to the right and then to the left of the grid.

 

Once you are satisfied with your grid you can then start stamping the grid blocks. You want each block to be different. Using the scrap paper and post-it notes mask off one grid block at a time and stamp in each one. Then mask that off and stamp in the next. I use matching ink in some and contrasting ink in others. The Botanical stamps are great for this technique because you have the Mini , fullsize and oopsie size of each flower. You will notice that in the bottom right grid I stamped my greeting in full strenght Navy ink - and then the rest of the block is stamped with the left over ink on the stamp - it really made the greeting pop out!

Last I colored in my image in the middle and added a little more moss green to that part of the grid.

I hope you will try this technique! It really is fun and easy!  ~Heather

 

Happy Paper Crafting!

Mischelle