Vignette Tray Using NEW Tim Holtz idea-ology from the vault paper collection!
Hi friends! Happy Wednesday! Please join me in welcoming back special guest Paula Cheney to the blog today! Read on to learn all the details of this incredible tray and enjoy!

I’m so excited to be using one of Tim Holtz’s six classic idea-ology paper collections in today’s project! Each collection offers something special, and today, I’m diving into Abandoned—one of my personal favorites. The six collections—Abandoned, Correspondence, Dapper, French Industrial, Memoranda, and Wallflower—are available in both 12” x 12” and 8” x 8” paper packs (not pads, so no gummed edges to worry about!).


What makes Abandoned particularly unique is that it was never released in the 12” x 12” size, which is why I’m thrilled to showcase the bold, vibrant colors of this collection in today’s project. The combination of visual textures and rich tones in Abandoned makes it perfect for a variety of creative endeavors. Let’s dive in and explore how these papers can add depth and character to your crafting projects!
Vignette Tray
The Vignette Tray I am using is 6 x 12”. One of the advantages of choosing the Vignette Tray is that I can use the entire 12” length of paper and not worry about piecing. I also get the entire length of color variation from teal to raspberry. To get started, cut 4 pieces of paper: one – 6 x 12” and three –
1 1/4 x 12”. NOTE: Cut one of the skinny strips in half to cover the two short sides of the tray.


Adhere the cut pieces of Abandoned to the Vignette tray with Collage Medium. Add a layer of Collage Medium over the top of the paper to seal. Once the Collage Medium is dry, disguise the white edges of the cut paper with Walnut Stain Distress Crayon (like magic, they disappear!
To add more detail to the background, I chose a favorite Tim Holtz Layering Stencil called Crest. I wanted the image on the right side, so I flipped the stencil over to have the leaves on the left. Using a Distress Palette Knife, spread Black Opaque Texture Paste over the stencil.


After a quick clean of the stencil with water, I repeated the image on the left, again flipping the stencil to the direction I wanted. Let the Texture Paste dry completely. Time can vary because of temperature and humidity, but I say a minimum of 30-40 minutes.
So I wanted to add a metallic over the black paste, but I did not want it super shiny like Foundry Wax. So I opted for the unique choice of Gilded Alloy. This product is usually used on Yupo or other non-porous surfaces but I found it remains a muted gold over the black Texture Paste…And that is exactly what I wanted. The Alloy does dry quickly so you have to work quickly, shaking and pouring out a dime size puddle at a time. I used a small Ranger paint brush to add the Alloy to the Texture Paste.


You can choose how much Alloy to add, how much black to let show through and if you want a second layer (which will make it more golden). I know it might sound like a lot of work, but it wasn’t, it took me a total of about 10-12 minutes to do both crests. NOTE: the paint brush can be easily washed with Isopropyl Alcohol.
Squeeze Black Soot Distress Paint onto a Studio Glass Mat or disposable paper. Use a Distress Splatter Brush to flick the black paint over the surface of the Vignette. Set aside to dry.
Etcetera Facade

Use Collage Medium to adhere Large Collage Strips to the shield shape from the Etcetera Facades pack. The Collage Strips come in all the palette colors. I specifically chose purple and teal to mimic the colors in the Abandoned paper. I also chose to place the purple Collage Strips at the top of the shield and the teal at the bottom of the shield so they would be opposite of the Abandoned paper.


Use a cutting knife and a self-healing mat to cut out the center paper and around the sides. You can follow up with a sanding block if you wish.
Each pack of Facades comes with a piece that is cut into tiny strips. The strips were specifically created to be used as risers for the Facade pieces. I punched out two strips and added 1/8” Scor-Tape. Then I added the risers to the right and left sides of the shield shape.


Before mounting the facade to the Vignette, I added Cello Sticker Tape to the shield, then used Walnut Stain Crayon to scribble around the tape so it would stand out.
To make sure the Facade is straight, I used my clear Tonic Media Ruler to line it up before adding it permanently to the Vignette Tray.

Embellishments
I chose the dragonfly from the Layers Organic pack for the centerpiece. I inked the white edges of the dragonfly so it would blend in with the background. I also added a double stack of 3D Foam Squares to the back.


Adhere the dragonfly to the center of the circle with the Foam Squares.
Add Screw Heads to each end of a Typed Tags. Once secure, scribble Picket Fence Distress Crayon over the Typed Tag and Screw Heads. Pick up and rub with thumbs until the crayon has been worked into the recessed areas.


Use a Tonic Media Ruler to find the center mark for the Typed Tags.
Add two Thin 3D Foam Squares to the back of the Typed Tag and adhere to the Facade.


Use Collage Medium to adhere Field Notes ephemera. Add a stamp from the Postmarked Sticker Book and finish with Cello Sticker Tape.
Add more ephemera at the top left corner. Don’t be afraid to cut up the Cello Tape to get the size you want.
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Thanks so much for stopping by, and thanks to Paula for being our guest!
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Match a Focal Image to Your Background: EZ with CZ

Hi friends! Happy Tuesday! Please join me in welcoming special monthly Guest *CZ herself*, Cathy Zielske in the latest of our EZ with CZ blog series! Be sure to watch the video to learn all the details on this ADORABLE card and enjoy!!

Hey everyone, it’s Cathy Z. Here and today I’m sharing a very simple card that matches the theme of my die cut to the theme of my background even though these products were not designed to go together. When you work within a theme framework, you can just look for any products that can fit the bill and get to creating.

I love this Bundled Bunny Die and paired it up with the Springtime Bunnies Embossing Folder and even though they were not designed as matching products, the theme of bunnies works beautifully together. Here is my video showing how easy this card was to create:
WATCH THE VIDEO:

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Thanks so much for stopping by today, and thanks to CZ for being our guest!
Make Cute & Colorful Grid Cards with Small Stamps: Yippee for Yana

Hi friends! Please join me in welcoming back the oh-so-talented and amazing Yana Smakula! (Please note: our dear friend Yana is Ukrainian. To show support to our brothers and sisters in Ukraine, please see Yana’s post HERE.)

Hello, crafters, this is Yana Smakula for Simon Says Stamp! Welcome back for another Yippee For Yana video! Have you ever made a grid card? These are not only fun, but also easy to make. The key is start with a small image or a set of small images and repeat several times to create a grid and fill the background of your card.

Depending on the size of the image you are using and the size of the cards you are making, you can have a grid as small as 2×2 or as large as 3×4. I have 4 cards to share featuring various grids and images from the Eggstra Special stamp set by Simon Says Stamp.

My first card showcases a 3×3 grid where one the grid blocks is replaced by a sentiment. I used a green card base here made from Simon’s Green Apple cardstock.

My 2nd card is a 2×3 grid. The sentiment is not part of the grid layout and is simply stamped off to the right, but vertically for some visual interest. The card base is Sea Glass, also from Simon, and it works so well with the yellow chicks!

My 3rd card is a cute 2×2 grid. If you don’t have coordinating dies, this and card #4 would be great to try. The sentiment is added at the bottom of my grid. Since this is a smaller focal point, the grid was build on a 3 ½ x 4 ¾” panel which I foam mounted onto Buttercream card base.

Card #4 is a full 3×3 grid with a sentiment stamped below. This one has another panel added (4 x 5 ¼”) and foam mounted onto white A2 card base.

I didn’t add any embellishments to my cards as I didn’t feel they needed any, but I did add shading under each chich using a C1 Copic marker. Speaking of markers, all of these images were colored Copics, I used a limited color palette:
- Chicks: Y35, Y15, Y13, Y11
- Feet and beaks: YR04, Y17
- Flower and tutu: RV00, RV02
- Bunny ears: C3, C1, RV00
- Egg: YR0, E00, E000

Grid cards are always fun to make! I encourage you to search your stash (or pick up the Eggstra Special stamp set) and create a few grid cards of your own!




Have fun stamping!
WATCH THE VIDEO:

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Ways to support Ukraine:
If you are looking for ways to support Ukraine, we encourage you to visit this page on Yana’s blog:

Thanks so much for stopping by, and thanks to Yana for being our guest!