Tag Archives: Canvas Corp

Make Nautical Thank You Cards

Graphic Design, Paper Crafts, Rubber Stamping, Tutorials, , , , , , , , ,

thankyoucards_nautical_finished

While making items for my wedding last summer I used a lot of nautical themed papers made by Canvas Corp. I saved a lot of the paper scraps to use in one of my favorite card-making techniques. I like to glue paper scraps onto narrow strips of scrap cardstock then apply rubber stamping ink to the edges to unify the strips. They make interesting parts to use in all kinds of paper crafts. I’ve previously written other articles that show this technique in action.

Pretty Packaging for Mason Jar Candles
http://blog.canvascorpbrands.com/quick-easy-pretty-packaging-mason-jar-candles/

Making Greeting Cards From Scrap Papers
http://www.chasenfratz.com/wp/making-greeting-cards-from-scrap-papers/

Materials and Tools
Canvas Corp paper sheet Sand & Sea Art Pages on Kraft CCP2883
Assorted paper scraps with a nautical theme, mostly from collections by Canvas Corp
Scrap cardstock
Black permanent rubber stamping ink
Permanent rubber stamping ink in colors that complement the project
Strips of light colored scrap paper that harmonize with the chosen paper scraps
Pieces of cardstock that harmonize with the chosen paper scraps
Clean scrap paper
Scissors
Glue stick
Paper cutter
Computer with scanner and graphics software
Eraser for stamping the edges of the paper

materials_1

These very detailed strips tend to look good in designs next to areas with less detail. To make thank you cards to acknowledge wedding gifts and other help people generously gave us for the wedding, I made some scrap paper strips edged in red and scanned them for use in a digital file which I had printed on cardstock at a copy shop. I spelled out the word “THANKS” in nautical flags by making little flag collages with Canvas Corp nautical themed papers and scanning those as well. After digitally manipulating the scanned paper pieces, this is the digital card design I came up with.

thankyoucard2_web

The red-edged strips that I scanned were now free to use in actual handmade cards and not just the digital design. I decided to combine the strips with imagery from the Canvas Corp paper sheet Sand & Sea Art Pages on Kraft CCP2883. The six images on the paper sheet are just about the size of the cards I want to make and the subtlety of the designs will really set off my paper strips. I decided to make six 5.25″ x 4.25″ cards. I selected six pieces of cardstock and cut them to 5.25″ wide and 8.5″ long then folded them in half to make the cards. Next I selected strips of light colored paper in colors that harmonized with my color scheme and stamped the sentiments “just a note” and “thank you” with black permanent ink. I made more strips than I thought I would need so that I would have lots of options. Also, I can use the extras for making other cards and for the card making classes that I teach.

stamped_paper_strips_web

To begin assembling the front of the cards, I cut each of the six images on the sheet Sand & Sea Art Pages on Kraft to just a little bigger than the card front. I cut the image in two then I inserted a strip with the words “just a note” then a scrap strip edged in red between the two pieces of the image. I glued the parts to the front of the card with a glue stick then trimmed away the excess. Then I glued the circular paper punched out piece with the stamped words “Thank You” onto the front of the card.

assembling_card_front

Two new posts about me on the Canvas Corp Brands Blog

Fabric and Fiber Arts, Home Decor, Tutorials, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Yesterday was my two month anniversary of getting married! I’ve been really busy with moving my studio, plants and personal effects and before that working on wedding projects so I’m a bit behind on writing new blog posts and coming up with new projects. However here are a couple of new articles about me on the Canvas Corp Brands blog that you might enjoy:

Crew Interview – Carolyn Hasenfratz

Two of the four table runners that I made for my wedding reception.
Two of the four table runners that I made for my wedding reception.

The following article was written before the wedding so it makes it sound like the wedding is coming up but it was really in August. The instructions are still good though!

Make a Table Runner With Printed Canvas Squares

Sew a Pillow Front From Selvage Pieces

Fabric and Fiber Arts, Home Decor, Tutorials, Upcycling, , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
A pillow front decorated with fabric selvage pieces.
A pillow front decorated with fabric selvage pieces.

Yes, I hand-sewed all those selvage pieces to the front of a blank canvas pillow cover. It’s the third one I did, and I’m in the middle of a fourth one now. Hand-sewing is something I love to do to relax. When I don’t have anything specific to make but I’m in the mood to sew, adding another strip or two is a great soothing activity for me.

Read my tutorial about how to make a pillow like this on the Canvas Corp blog:
Sew a Pillow Front From Selvage Pieces

My Entry For the Canvas Corp Brands 12 x 12 Envelope Challenge

Paper Crafts, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

As I member of the Canvas Corp Brands Creative Crew I was invited to enter a challenge using one of their 12 x 12 kraft paper envelopes. They wanted to see how many creative ways we could transform the envelope.

The C stands for Carolyn and the T stands for Tom, my fiance.
The C stands for Carolyn and the T stands for Tom, my fiance.

As you can see I didn’t transform mine very much because I wanted to use it as an envelope to carry around papers that I’m using in wedding planning. We are having a picnic reception by a lake and I’m making some nautical themed decor. When I’m done using this as an envelope I plan to use it as a background in a shadow box for wedding memorabilia.

I cut through the front of the envelope with an X-acto knife and sponged rubber stamping ink around the cutouts for emphasis. I put decorative paper behind the letters and clear transparency sheets in front of them to protect the cut work and add an interesting effect. The nautical themed papers are from the 7gypsies and Canvas Corp brands and I mixed in some papers from other companies plus some Tim Holtz Design Tape and metal brads.

See more examples:
IT IS ALL ABOUT THE 12×12 KRAFT ENVELOPE – A CREW CHALLENGE

Mixing Brands in Vintage Inspired Handmade Journals

Mixed Media, Paper Crafts, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

My paper crafting and mixed media supply stash is substantial. Recently when I wanted to make some vintage inspired handmade journals as gifts I was faced with a pretty overwhelming number of options. Sometimes if you have too many supplies you can feel overwhelmed and a little inhibited. To get my creativity revved up I decided to see what I could come up with if I limited myself to three brands only – Canvas Corp Brands, Tim Holtz and DCWV. Those three brands still give you a huge number of options don’t they – not much of a limitation! I narrowed the possibilities a little further by setting out items from this list in my studio:

  • 7gypsies Gypsy Paper Pack Collection – American Vintage
  • Architextures™ 12×12 Papers – Collection I
  • Canvas Corp Black & Kraft Postcard Paper
  • 7gypsies Gypsy Moments Cards: Are We There Yet?
  • 7gypsies Gypsy Paper Pack Collection – Gypsy Seamstress
  • Architextures™ 12×12 Papers – Collection 2
  • Canvas Corp Nautical: Black and Ivory Compass Paper
  • Architextures™ Parchment Rub-On – Build
  • Canvas Corp The Watering Can: Seed Packets on Ivory Paper
  • 7gypsies binding rings
  • 7gypsies ephemera (discontinued)
  • 7gypsies papers (discontinued)
  • 7gypsies paper tape (discontinued)
  • DCWV Everyday Essentials Stack
  • DCWV Heirloom Stack
  • Tim Holtz design tape
  • Tim Holtz papers
  • Tim Holz ephemera
  • Tim Holtz mini brads
  • Ok I cheated a little bit – in the second journal I needed some patterned translucent paper so I slipped in some Vellum Swirls paper by Paper Pizazz.

    • Yes, that is still a lot of product to choose from, but it’s at least a somewhat more manageable subset of my stash! These slide shows feature 8.5 x 5.5 inch pages in pairs, starting with the front and back covers.

    Vintage Look Journal #1

    Vintage Look Journal #2

    Give Your Mason Jar Gifts a Beachy Look

    Home Decor, Mixed Media, Rubber Stamping, Tutorials, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
    Handmade candle in a Mason jar, decorated with collage papers and a handmade tag.
    Handmade candle in a Mason jar, decorated with collage papers and a handmade tag.

    My tutorial on decorating the lids and making tags for seaglass-colored Mason jar candles has been published on the Canvas Corp Brands blog.

    Read More
    QUICK AND EASY – PRETTY PACKAGING FOR MASON JAR CANDLES

    To learn how I made the candles, you can read my tutorial on the Schnarr’s Hardware blog:
    Make Old Wax Candles Into New Candles

    Schnarr’s Hardware sells several sizes and shapes of Mason jars as well as lids and other canning accessories.

    My Entry for the Canvas Corp Brands January Challenge

    Outdoor Fun, Paper Crafts, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

    I’m still new to the Canvas Corp Brands Creative Crew so I didn’t handle the entry process for the January challenge quite right and it’s not on their web page. But that’s ok, I’ll just put my entry here on my blog. The challenge was to make a project based on the prompt “Be Lazy” or “Be Lacy”. I decided to do a couple of scrapbook pages about kayaking for my contribution. Kayaking is often strenuous but there are opportunities for lazy moments when you float around on a lake eating a picnic lunch or let yourself drift downstream for awhile on a river. Almost every time I go floating I take a “foot selfie” to remind myself of how chilled out and relaxed I am on water. It makes the effort of transporting the kayak well worth it!

    2 page scrapbook layout of kayaking outings from last summer.
    Simple two-page scrapbook layout of kayaking outings from last summer. My fiance Tom is featured on the left hand page, my friend Jodie on the right.

    I do some of my scrapbooking in a memory planner. The pages shown here are 8 1/2 by 5 1/2 inches to fit within the memory planner format I’m currently using. I have a current planner that I carry around with me, and after the pages get used I transfer them to an “archive” volume. I periodically go back and scrapbook photo pages into the “archive” volume as I get time if I didn’t complete them while the pages were current. I use 7gypsies binding rings to assemble the archive volumes because it’s easy to open and close them and add pages as I get them done.

    The papers I used in this project include some selections from the 7gypsies Architextures collection and the Canvas Corp Natural Nautical collection. I enhanced the papers with some Tim Holtz design tape, a couple of brads and a couple of sequins.

    Here is where you can see the other challenge entries:
    JANUARY CHALLENGE “BE LAZY”

    Make St. Patrick’s Day Cards

    Holiday Crafts, Paper Crafts, Rubber Stamping, Tutorials, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
    St. Patrick's Day Cards
    Everyone is Irish on St. Patrick’s Day! Wish good luck and celebrate spring by making St. Patrick’s Day Cards!

    Supplies and Materials
    Cardstock and a variety of decorative papers in shades of green
    Downloadable templates “St. Patrick’s Day Card 1” and “St. Patrick’s Day Card 2”
    Scoring tool
    Tracing paper
    Chipboard (can be scrap – for making templates)
    Flower punch
    Small circle punch
    Paper flower embellishments
    Eyelets
    Eyelet setter
    Metal ruler
    Craft knife and blades (X-Acto or something similar)
    Cutting mat
    Pencil
    Eraser
    Rubber stamps (St. Patrick’s Day, appropriate greeting, Celtic designs, spirals)
    Stamping ink pads and re-inkers in the following colors: dark brown, shades of green
    Acrylic stamp mounting blocks
    Double-sided tape
    Paper cutter
    Awl or needle tool
    Small hole punch
    Scissors
    Decorative scissors
    Glue stick
    Masking tape
    Hammer
    Decorative brads
    Optional – buttons, white craft glue such as Turbo Tacky Glue, needle, thread

    The first part of the process for the pair of cards is to stamp out St. Patrick’s Day and Celtic motifs onto small pieces of scrap paper. Use stamping inks in various shades of green and dark brown. Mix in some neutrals if you want. You can make the backgrounds more interesting with the use of background stamps or techniques such as brayering.

    Once you have a quantity of stamped pieces finished and the ink is dry, gather them together with some scraps of paper in various shades of green. Make a collage by gluing these scraps down with a glue stick onto a 1/2 sheet of white cardstock. You can create interest by cutting the scraps into smaller pieces by tearing while using a ruler as a straight edge or by cutting apart with decorative scissors. Burnish your collage periodically with a bone folder under a piece of clean scrap paper so the glue has a nice tight seal. Set aside for now and let the glue dry.

    Collage made with scrap paper and paper pieces that I stamped with rubber stamps.
    Collage made with scrap paper and paper pieces that I stamped with rubber stamps.

    Directions for St. Patrick’s Day Card #1

    St. Patrick's Day Greeting Card

    1. Download and print out the template “St. Patrick’s Day Card #1”.

    2. Cut a 8.5 x 5.5″ size piece of card stock to use as the background of your card. Score it  and fold it in half.

    2. Trace the shamrock from the template onto the back of dark green decorative paper. Cut out the shamrock with scissors. If you want to make several cards, you can trace the shamrock onto chipboard and cut it out to use multiple times for tracing.

    3. Trace the half-leaf shape onto chipboard and cut out. Trace onto four different pieces of decorative paper in different shades of green. Instead of pre-made decorative paper you can use some parts of your collage if you want (if you do this be sure to leave at least a 3 7/8″ x 5 1/8″ sized piece intact to use on card #2). Glue the half petals in place as shown on the card sketch in the PDF file.

    4. Cut out a narrow strip (3/4″ wide) of light colored paper and stamp or glue a sentiment onto it. Glue this onto a slightly wider (1″ wide) paper strip. Glue to front of card and trim.

    5. Glue the shamrock down in place on the front of the card.

    6. Punch out a flower shape with a punch and glue down in center of shamrock.

    7. Punch out a small circle and glue in place on the strip near the bottom of the card.

    8. Punch two holes for eyelets in the center of where the two flower embellishments will go. You can use a small hole punch or a needle tool or awl to start the hole. If the hole is not large enough to accept the eyelet you can enlarge the hole with paintbrush handle or other handy tool.

    9. Push the eyelets through the holes and set with the eyelet setter.

    Variation – use buttons as embellishments instead of the paper flowers. Attach by gluing with white craft glue then further secure by sewing.

    Directions for St. Patrick’s Day Card #2

    St. Patrick's Day Greeting Card

    1. Download and print out the template “St. Patrick’s Day Card #2”.

    2. Cut a 8.5 x 5.5″ size piece of card stock to use as the background of your card, score it, and fold it in half.

    3. Cut out a 3.75 x 5″ size piece of dark green cardstock.

    4. Trace the shamrock from the template onto the back of the dark green cardstock. Cut out the shamrock with a craft knife. If you cut carefully, you can use the cutout to make another card. If you want to make several cards, you can save your first cutout and use it multiple times for tracing.

    5. Get your collage out and cut a 3 7/8″ x 5 1/8″ size piece out of it. Position your dark green cutout piece over it and place those on top of your folded cardstock card base. Make sure the three layers line up correctly. If you decide you want a sentiment or other embellishment in the lower left area where there is some space, now would be a good time to add it.

    6. Using the printed out template as a guide, poke holes in all three layers with an awl or needle tool.

    7. Push decorative brads through the holes and spread prongs on the back side. You’re done!

    Some of the rubber stamps and papers I used in this project are by 7gypsies by Canvas Corp Brands and Inkadinkado. The “Good Luck” stamp is by Carolyn Hasenfratz Design and the celtic and spiral stamps are hand carved by me.

    If you would like to make envelopes for these cards here is a template that will fit:
    http://www.limegreennews.com/documents/templates/envelope_template_rectangular.pdf

    Extra tip: If you have heart punches or stencils, you can make a three or four leaf clovers for yet more cards from three or four heart shapes!

    See my Pinterest site and past lesson plans for ideas and craft projects.
    https://www.pinterest.com/chasenfratz/
    http://www.limegreennews.com/lessons.html

    Make Greeting Cards for Thanksgiving

    Holiday Crafts, Paper Crafts, Rubber Stamping, Tutorials, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

    I finally made a card with the “Happy Thanksgiving” rubber stamp from my Carolyn’s Stamp Store collection. I also experimented with making backgrounds with a paint roller, wood dowels and string. With flower and leaf rubber stamps, some paper tape and scrapbooking paper I made a card design that can be adapted to different fall themes.

    Read about how I did it on the Schnarr’s Hardware blog:
    Textured Backgrounds For Fall Leaf Greeting Cards

    My New Planner Layout

    Paper Crafts, Rubber Stamping, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

    Awhile ago I wrote about making a planner out of a sketchbook. This helps me keep track of my work because I can take notes and make sketches in the same book that is my planner. I try not to go anywhere without it! I have designed and purchased some rubber stamps to help me incorporate planner pages into my sketchbook.

    Over the last several months I have been battling severe depression as the result of an abusive relationship. An ex-boyfriend gradually used emotional abuse techniques to persuade me to think there was something wrong with almost every part of what made me myself – my work, my hobbies, my goals in life, my family, my friends, my financial acuity, my physical appearance, my lifestyle, even how I packed for camping trips. Over time I internalized these criticisms and came to believe I wasn’t worth anything.

    I’ve been fighting hard and using lots different tools to combat the depression. One reliable mood-lifter for me has been the acronym G.R.A.P.E.S. Here is what each letter stands for.

    • Being Gentle with yourself
    • Relaxation
    • Achievement
    • Pleasure
    • Exercise
    • Social

    I read on a depression support web site that you should try to incorporate at least one activity each day that fits into each of the six letters in G.R.A.P.E.S. I’ve come a long way since I counted making it through a day of work in the Achievement category, but that’s how it was for quite awhile.

    I’m doing much better now and surrounding myself with people who support me and seem to think I’m ok the way I am. I want to keep maintaining my progress so I have redesigned my planner page to remind me to schedule activities covered by G.R.A.P.E.S. I also included a line to check them off to track my progress.

    Planner page with rubber stamps and letter stickers

    On the page shown, the left column is for items that should be done some time during the week. The right column is for appointments and scheduling. I used letter stickers to spell “G.R.A.P.E.S.” at the top. The number stamps and ruled line stamp are by 7gypsies and the month of the year and day of the week stamps are by my own Carolyn’s Stamp Store.