Gel Press: Patriotic Tags Trio Tutorial

More and more I see makers using the gel presses to create beautiful projects in the paper crafting world (think mono-printing plate). I was at a consumer show last month where I met/saw Sally Lynn McDonald from Gel Press® by PolyGel® showcasing their plates. I was intrigued :) AND it didn't help that she was demo-ing right next to me! LOL!!!

So what did I do? I bought one! LOL! The one I purchased was the 8 x 10" Plate - perfect for art journaling and for card making. They also have other sizes from 12 x 14" to petite sizes (click Featured Products for size information). This is what I ended up making...

I started with two colors of Testors Craft® Acrylic 2 oz. Craft Paints in Stop Sign (red) and Island Breeze (blue) both in matte finish. You just need a little and a brayer to spread the colors across - just enough to cover my tags.

For one tag, I just press down for a trio color look. The second one, after I rolled on color, I drew my texture card across to make strips. The third, I pressed excess paint from the other two and make a tie-dyed background. I love each one of them :)

To create my fireworks design (the tie-dyed background tag), I cut Make a Wish die, trimmed off the stem and colored with red glitter. I repeated for the blue one. This idea was inspired by my talented friend Debi Adams (thanks Debi xo)!!

For "USA" I cut Font One Uppercase with 3D Foam Creative Sheets (cuts like butter!) and took off the top liner to rub Pigment Powder Gold for shimmer. Then I centered the letters on the tag by taking off the back liner. SO EASY!

Used Dodz Adhesives Dots Small to make those fireworks stick! Love that the adhesive dots have liners...so much easier to handle and no tearing of my die cuts.

For my stars and stripes tag, I used a bunch of 3D Foam Stars all over and colored them using a combination of Pigment Powder Gold and Blue.

The Happy Birthday tag, I placed patterned paper on top of a piece of 3D Creative Foam Sheet (after removing the top liner). Then put the die on top covered foam sheet to cut with a manual die cutting machine.

I used the America the Beautiful die to cut patterned paper and applied adhesive on the back using Adhesive Sheets 4 x 6". You can also apply the adhesive sheet on the back of the patterned paper and die-cut (won't damage the die).

After I assembled the pieces, I stamped the sentiments and added sequins with Dodz Adhesive Dots Small to the tag. Here's another look at each one...

I hope you enjoyed my process and thanks for sticking with me till the end - LOL!!
MargieH

Supplies:
Gel Press® by PolyGel®: 8 x 10" Plate
Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L®: 3D Foam Stars, 3D Foam Creative Sheets, Adhesive Sheets 4 x 6" and Dodz Adhesive Dots Small
Donna Salazar with Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L®: Pigment Powder Gold and Pigment Powder Blue
Testors Corp: Acrylic 2 oz. Craft Paints (Stop Sign and Island Breeze)
Spellbinders® Creative Arts: Font One Uppercase and Make a Wish
SugarPea Designs: America The Beautiful
DoodleBug Designs Inc™: Patriotic Picnic Collection
JustRite PaperCraft: Extra Grand Sentiments Clear Stamps
Ranger Inks: Stickles (Red and Blue)
Faber-Castell® Design Memory Craft®: Texture Card #8
Others: Brayer; Tags; Sequins; Red, White and Blue Cardstock

Paper Hearts Challenge: My Hearts :)

I have been a fan of Courtney Walsh even BEFORE she authored five books! LOL!! Before committing to become an author, she was also well known in the Craft Industry from being an uber talented designer to authoring an inspirational idea book to a former public relations front person for Webster's Pages. Just love her!

Photo taken from Courtney Walsh Blog

Her last published book Paper Hearts is about...(summary from Amazon.com):

Abigail Pressman would never have guessed that love notes penned on paper hearts by an anonymous couple could restore her belief in love. As a business owner in a quaint town at the base of the Rockies, she’s poured everything into dreams of expansion . . . and resisting the matchmaking efforts of the Valentine Volunteers, who gather in her store to continue Loves Park’s tradition of stamping mail with the city’s romantic postmark.

When Abigail is unwillingly drafted into the Volunteers, she encounters the paper hearts, a distraction that couldn’t come at a worse time. A hard-to-read doctor has become Abigail’s new landlord, and he’s threatening to end her lease to expand his practice.

As she fights a growing attraction to this handsome man crushing her dreams, Abigail is inspired to string the hearts in her store, sparking a citywide infatuation with the artsy trend. But when a new batch of hearts reaches the Volunteers, it appears something tragic has happened to the couple. Will uncovering their story confirm Abigail’s doubts about love, or could it rescue her dreams . . . and her heart?

A couple of weeks ago, Author Courtney challenged people to a Paper Hearts Challenge and how perfect - right before Valentines! Take a look at her Paper Hearts promo video on the book (so cute & quirky!)...



"Maybe you haven't been writing paper hearts all year, like the mystery couple in "Paper Hearts", but today is the PERFECT day to start, leading up to Valentine's Day! And it's so easy:

1. Cut paper or cardstock in to hearts or go to the Target dollar bin and pick up some pre-cut ones.
2. Write one thing you love about your spouse, significant other, child or friend every day leading up to Valentine's Day.
3. On the 14th, bombard your people with LOVE. You can string them up, tape them to the bathroom mirror, hide them around the house or stick them all over their bedroom door... there's no right or wrong here!
4. Share a picture on your FB page or Instagram with the hashtag ‪#‎shareyourheart‬ and you'll be entered to win signed copies of BOTH Paper Hearts and my newest novel Change of Heart!"

So I took her up on the challenge or I should say parts of it (hard to keep up - lol!):

Here's Day 1 of my Paper Hearts Challenge: it's a GOLDen kind of heart! Using Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L® 3D Foam Hearts with Pigment Powder Gold, wrote in Design Memory Craft® Metallic PITT® Artist Pen Gold on top of Spellbinders® Creative Arts Classic Heart die cut #shareyourheart

Day 2: I love our happy hour chats of our day. #IntlBanking #Crafting #HTMLcoding #DrinksBeforeDinnerAtHome Used Spellbinders Tool 'n One™ to take out Fonts One - Uppercase & Pierced Hearts die cuts and adhering with Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L® Adhesive Sheet. Used Pigment Powder Wine mixed with Girlie Grunge Art Medium to colors CHATS

Day 5: you make my heart flutter! Used this beautiful Webster's Pages patterned paper to make a 3D heart using Spellbinders® Classic Heart die and adhered all together with Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L® Dual Tip Glue and Dodz™ Small behind the banner. For a finished edge, I inked them with ClearSnap ColorBox Chalk. I think one of my favorite hearts!

Day 12: how he moves my heart with his smile :) Being clever and using fringe - lol!! Hope it works! Used Donna Salazar with Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L® Girlie Grunge Art Medium to adhere three strips of fringed patterned paper (cut with Martha Stewarts' Fringe Scissors on DoodleBug paper) and then cut with Spellbinders® Classic Heart die template.

Put them all together (the plain hearts have notes in the back) and I created this banner! SO FUN!! Click on images for a closer look. Thanks, Courtney, for the challenge!

Next book for Courtney is Change of Heart - I just got the book a couple of days ago and hope to read it REAL SOON!! Interested click here (not affiliated): Change of Heart by Courtney Walsh to purchase your copy!

Have a HEART-FULL DAY!!
MargieH

Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L: Make My Heart Smile with 3D Hearts and Pigment Powder Card Tutorial

Hello everyone! I am so excited to show you all my Valentines Day card on Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L® Blog!! It's refreshing to create something girlie when you are a mom of boys! HAHAHAHA!! When I saw these 3D Foam Hearts, balloons came to mind! LOL! This is the card I created...what do you think?

Showing you some sneaks but you'll need to go to the blog for the detailed steps out and full supplies list :)

OK - better stop! LOL!! See what you like?
Meet me over at Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L® Blog!!

Happy (early) Valentine's Day!!
MargieH

Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L: Harvest Embossed Card with 3D Designer Foam Shapes

Happy November~!! I'm up on Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L® Blog with a card created using the 3D Designer Foam Shapes in the Leaves and some of Donna Salazar with Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L® products!

I have detailed step outs and full list of supplies on how you too can recreate this Harvest card...Thanksgiving is around the corner! Hmm...maybe I can give you a couple of sneak peeks (shhh...don't tell the boss lady :) )...

That's all I can show! LOL!! So visit and comment at Harvest Embossed Card with 3D Designer Foam Shapes post :)

Hope you are enjoying the fall season and all that it brings. Thanks for visiting me!
MargieH

Design Memory Craft: Fourth of July Wall Hanging Decor with Textural Accents

I am up on the Faber-Castell® Design Memory Craft® Blog as my last post as their Guest Design Team Member (first half of 2015) and what a blast I've had :)

As we approach America's birthday in a few days, I wanted a little something to decorate my wall for the occasion so created burlap canvas re-purposed to create this project. I will share a few peeks...

So for a detailed tutorial and a full supplies list, visit Fourth of July Wall Hanging Decor with Textural Accents post!

Happy Birthday America!
MargieH

JustRite: June 2013 Release - Day 4

Welcome to Day 4 of JustRite® Papercraft June 2013 Release! We are introducing another day of Samantha Walker Designs! This time, it's all about Halloween - Boo-tiful Cameos and Spider Web Background Stamp sets.

4日目の新スタンプセット(Boo-tiful Cameos and Spider Web Background Stamp)の紹介です。Samantha Walkerさんの デザイン　ちょっと早めのハロウィンのテーマです。　次男の小さい時　M&Mキャンディーの衣装着て　近所を回ったことがありました。　この写真は、１６年前です！はや！（笑）

Using a combination of Spellbinders die templates, I created a scene around Boo-tiful Cameos and Spider Web Background Stamp sets, and the picture of my youngest son when he was a baby. Loved how I could use the Spider Web Background Stamp tucked in the corner with the stamped spider and then glittered him up with Black Stickles! The picture is from film (not digital! LOL!) and held with SCRAPBOOK ADHESIVES By 3L™ white photo corners so I can take it out any time and it also serves as an accent. From the same company, I used 3D Foam Squares to give dimension to the witch and some of the words.

Project Supplies:
JustRite Papercraft Stamps - Boo-tiful Cameos and Spider Web Background Stamp
Spellbinders® Creative Arts - Halloween Fence Scene and Shapes Dies, Pumpkin Accents, Bonsai Tree, Witches Brew, Labels Six and Standard Circles SM
Inks – IMAGINE Craft®/TSUKINEKO® (Memento - Tuxedo Black)
Glitter - Ranger Ink (Stickles™ Glitter Glue - Orange Peel and Black Diamond)
Cardstock - Darice and Core'dinations ColorCore Cardstock®
Patterned Papers: DoodleBug Design Inc™ (Haunted Manor Collection)
Adhesives - ScraPerfect (Best Glue Ever) and SCRAPBOOK ADHESIVES BY 3L (3D Foam Squares and White Photo Corners)

See what my fellow designers have created with today's wonderful introductions!
JustRite Inspiration
Barb Schram
Eva Dobilas
Heidi Blankenship
Michele Kovack
Margie Higuchi = ME!!
Angela Barkhouse
Sheri Holt
Kathy Jones

Thanks for stopping by!
MargieH

KURETAKE: Easter Eggs

Happy Easter! I took some plastic eggs and do a quick but simple decor using KURETAKE ZIG® 2-Way Glue Chisel Tip and ZIG Art & Graphic Twin markers. This is what I came up with...

I brushed some Gesso onto the eggs. It took about two to three coats. Make sure you dry between coats for good coverage.

Next I used ZIG Art & Graphic Twin set of four Kind Hearted Tones purple and pink markers to color the eggs. I love how it covers the surface and such beautiful vibrant colors!

With the ZIG 2 Way Glue Chisel Tip, I drew lines for the pink and dots for the purple egg. Your tip will catch color so I swipe the tip on a scrap piece of paper and it transfers all that color off...it doesn't take much. Then I covered the area with fine glitter of a similar color for a monotone effect.

Let the glitter dry. In the meantime, I created a simple egg stand using a 2 x 6" strip of patterned paper cut/embossed with Spellbinders™ Edgeabilities® border die and adhered the ends to create a ring.

Here's a second look...

So if you are pinched for time, try this idea!
Thank you for visiting and have a wonderful Easter with family and friends :)
MargieH xo

AJVD: Pumpkin Hello!

Two posts in one day is NOT my norm! LOL! But A Jillian Vance Design Sept. Fan Focus Challenge is ending today and I ended up creating two cards last night. FINALLY had some time to finish the last one...

Pumpkin Hello by Margie Higuchi
Supplies - Cardstock: Core'dinations (Black Magic); Patterned Paper: DoodleBug Designs (Haunted Manor Collection); Stamp: AJVD (Quatrefoil Background Set); Ink: Clearsnap (ColorBox Queue) and Ranger (Distress Ink, Black Soot); Glitter: Ranger (Stickles, Orange Peel); Rhinestone: Want2Scrap (Black); Die: Spellbinders Paper Arts (S5-053 Pumpkin Accents and S5-128 Fancy Framed Tags Two); Tool and Adhesives: ScraPerfect (the Embellie Gellie and the Best Glue Ever); Other: Foam Tape

I cut/emboss/stenciled the pumpkin border from Pumpkin Accents die set and cut the two happiest pumpkins for my corner accent. With the Stickles, I added eyes. Inked the edges of my three ribbon tail banners (or are they called fish tail banners?), the Chevron patterned banner was placed with foam tape. Then I placed my sentiment on top. Assemble the rest.

Another one of MOST FAVORITE STAMP SET to date - the Quatrefoil Background Stamp Set! Not only does this have a wonderful background design but she also included some general sentiments...she wastes no space in her stamp sets. LOVE her way of thinking  :) See A Jillian Vance Design web site for more fabulous stamps!

Quatrefoil Background Stamp Set by AJVD

If you haven't seen the other card I submitted for the AJVD September Fan Focus Challenge, visit AJVD: Spidey Hello! post.

Thanks for visiting!!
MargieH

AJVD: Spidey HELLO!

Today is the last day of A Jillian Vance Design (AJVD) September Fan Focus Challenge! The theme is Halloween so this is what I came up with...

Spidey Hello by Margie Higuchi
Supplies - Cardstock: Core'dinations (Black Magic); Patterned Paper: DoodleBug Designs (Haunted Manor Collection); Stamp: AJVD (Mr & Mrs Moustache Set); Embossing Ink: TSUKINEKO (VersaMark); Embossing Powder: Stampendous (Detailed White); Die: Spellbinders Paper Arts (S4-333 Spider Web); Tool and Adhesives: ScraPerfect (the Perfect Crafting Pouch, the Embellie Gellie and the Best Glue Ever); Other: Googly Eyes, Foam Tape

Using the black cardstock, I was able to make the colorful patterned paper pop. Then I used foam tape to give the spider dimension and add googly eyes for character - lol!! The sentiment was heat in embossed in white and is from AJVD's Mr & Mrs Moustache set ← one of my MOST FAVORITE stamp sets to date!

Mr. & Mrs. Moustache Stamp Set by AJVD

Jillian has a ton of "out of the box" images/sentiments/themes - check it out! Visit A Jillian Vance Design site!!

If I have some time to finish up, I'll try to post another one to share! Off to be driver for the boys' activities...sigh. LOL! ETA: I finished the other card, visit AJVD: Pumpkin Hello! post :0)

Thanks for stopping by!!
MargieH