He Leads me…….

© Michele Emerson-Robert 2016

Wild ferns grow in abundance in the White Mountains of Arizona. Picked and dried, they are wonderful to add to sheets of handmade paper. When I saw the small fern die that was the same as the wild ferns and the stamp from Impression Obsession™, I knew exactly what I wanted to create.

Supplies

·       Any of the Arnold Grummer® paper making kits

·       Arnold Grummer® flower press kit

·       Blender, cello sponges and soft towels

·       A sunny window

·       Scraps of off white and tan paper (think junk mail, etc.)

·       Herbs, onion skins or dried grasses as inclusions

·       Scraps of Kraft card stock or chip board to die cut (I used the back side of a cereal box)

·       Scraps of tissue paper

·       Dies: Tattered Lace™: D667 Paradise Ferns, D466 Butterflies, and Unknown: Cross

·       CheeryLynn™ Big Sister™ die cutting and embossing machine

·       Westcott™ paper trimmer

·       Scor-Pal™

·       Beacon ZipDry^TM adhesive, double sided foam tape

·       ColorBox™ dark brown Chalk™ ink pad

·       Impression Obsession^TM stamp: C13489 “He leads me……..”

·       11 x 14” tan matboard, envelope for card, display easel

Instructions:

1.     Dry the ferns in the AG flower press kit

2.     Follow the instructions found in any of the Arnold Grummer™ paper making kits to create off white slurry with inclusions and create a sheet of heavy weight handmade paper with the dried ferns partially embedded into the sheet.

3.     Create more slurry with herbs or grasses and create one or more sheets of handmade paper.. 

4.     Allow the paper to dry..

5.     Die cut 4-5 of the ferns, 1 cross and 1 Monarch butterfly from Kraft cardstock scrap or tan chip board.

6.     Stamp the saying “He leads me beside the still waters…..he restores my soul” onto two pieces of scrap tissue paper.

7.     Tear, score and fold a piece of the handmade paper to create a 4 ¼ x 5 ½” card.

8.     Clip the corners on a 2 ½ x 4 ¾ piece of handmade paper.

9.     Glue one piece of stamped tissue paper to the left side of this piece.

10.  Attach the die cut cross to the right hand side with tiny pieces of foam tape.

11.  Center and attach this piece to the card front with small pieces of foam tape.

12.  Arrange and attach the ferns to the sheet of fern paper as desired.

13.  Attach the stamped tissue paper with ZipDry™ adhesive.

14.  Attach the butterfly with a tiny piece of foam tape.

15.  Attach the fern paper to the matboard with small pieces of foam tape.

16.  Place it on an easel to display.

Giving Thanks

© Michele Emerson-Robert 2016

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite celebrations. It is that time when most people look back over the past year and give praise to all of the many blessings that we have in our lives. Here are two of the more than 50 cards that I will send out this November. 

Supplies

·       Any of the Arnold Grummer® paper making kits and “Tea Time” mold

·       Blender, strainer, cello sponges and soft towels

·       A sunny window

·       Scraps of white and tan paper (think junk mail, etc.)

·       Scraps of tan/brown heavy weight handmade paper or cardstock to die cut

·       The PaperCut™ Ivory cardstock for the “Cozy” card

·       Envelopes to fit cards or make your own with the AG envelope template

·       Die: Quiet Fire Designs™ ECD #1231 Cozy

·       Tonic Studios™ Tangerine die cutting and embossing machine

·       Westcott™ paper trimmer

·       Scor-Pal™

·       Beacon ZipDry^TM and QuickQrip™ adhesives

·       ColorBox® Dark Brown Chalk Ink pad, Stylus handle and tips

·       Impression Obsession^TM stamp: C14335 “There is always something to be thankful for!”

·       Mouse and cob stamp BonTon Stamps

·       Dried onion skins, grasses or herbs

·       Scrap of tissue paper

Instructions:

1.     Follow the instructions found in any of the Arnold Grummer™ paper making kits to create tan slurry and cast one or more of the “Tea Time” castings. 

2.     Allow the casting to dry.

3.     Add more off-white scraps to the slurry and create sheets of medium weight handmade paper with flecks in it. Repeat adding some onion skins or other inclusions. Allow the paper to dry.

4.     Cut, score and fold the ivory cardstock to for a 4 ¼ x 5 ½” card.

5.     Die cut the word “Cozy” from a scrap of dark brown handmade paper.

6.     Use the Stylus to add ink to the high spots of the Tea Time paper casting.

7.     Tear a piece of the handmade paper a tiny bit smaller than the folded card.

8.     Attach the torn piece to the front of the ivory card front with ZipDry™.

9.     Attach the paper casting to the lower middle of the card with the QuickGrip™ adhesive.

10.  Attach the die cut word to the top middle of the card with ZipDry™.

11.  Tear, score and fold the handmade paper for the mouse card.

12.  Stamp the mouse and the saying onto tissue paper.

13.  When the ink is dry, attach the stamped tissue paper to the card. (Refer to photo for placement).

14.  Add your message inside the cards.

15.  Mail the paper cast card in a padded envelope or hand deliver.

Autumn Memories

© Michele Emerson-Robert 2016

This is such a glorious and colorful time of year! Lots of birthdays this month too; so lots of cards to be made! Keeping with the Autumn theme, but wanting to change it up a bit, I pulled out some ‘reactive” paints to use. Wow, what fun they are!

Supplies

·       Any of the Arnold Grummer® paper making kits

·       Blender, cello sponges and soft towels

·       A sunny window

·       Scraps of off white paper (think junk mail, etc.)

·       Dried spice/herb for inclusion in paper

·       Scraps of off white and cinnamon heavy weight handmade paper to die cut

·       The PaperCut™ golden colored cardstock for layer and dark green for one card base

·       Die: Quiet Fire Designs™ ECD 1199 Four Seasons & ECD 1197 Memories

·       Spellbinders^TM Grand Calibur™ die cutting and embossing machine

·       Random pattern embossing folder

·       Westcott™ paper trimmer and scissors

·       Scor-Pal™

·       Beacon^TM ZipDryTM and QuickGrip™ adhesives, double sided foam tape

·       ColorBox® Stylus handle & tips, rust colored die ink pad

·       “Reactive” paints: Iron, Copper & Verdigris

·       Foam paint brush

·       Plaid® Mod Molds® #24891 Nature

·       Small amount of golden colored air dry polymer clay, Plaid® bee mold

·       Thin twine

·       Clear envelopes for cards

Instructions:

1.     Follow the instructions found in any of the Arnold Grummer™ paper making kits to create off-white slurry. Add a tiny bit of spice or herb to the slurry. Create one or more sheets of heavy weight handmade paper.

2.     Allow the paper to dry.

3.     Fold and tear the paper to create a 4 ¼ x 5 ½ card.

4.     From the other half sheet, hand cut two leaf shapes.

5.     Apply the reactive paints to the leaf shapes.

6.     Allow the leaves to dry.

7.     Apply the second part of the reactive paints to approx. half of each hand cut leaf.

8.     Create the bee with the Plaid® mold and air dry polymer clay. Allow the bee to dry.

9.     Cut a tiny slit in the top left of the handmade paper card.

10.  Inset and tie the twin in a knot.

11.  Die cut the words from scraps of heavy weight cinnamon and off white handmade paper. (Refer to samples.)

12.  Emboss one of the leaves in the random pattern embossing folder.

13.  Cut, score & fold the dark green cardstock to create a 4 ¼ x 5 ½” card. 

14.  Add a bit of rust colored ink around the edge of the golden colored layer piece. Layer onto dark green card.

15.  Attach the painted leaves to the fronts of the cards with small pieces of foam tape.

16.  Attach the die cut words across the leaves with ZipDry adhesive.

17.  Attach the bee with QuickGrip adhesive.

Fall Leaves

© Michele Emerson-Robert 2016

Leaves are turning to all the glorious colors of yellow, orange, rust and reds! There are no two alike, and they are all beautiful! Perfect time to get out those scraps of handmade paper that I am always telling you to save, along with some of the half sheets of handmade paper that were left from other projects, and start creating the many fall and Thanksgiving cards that I send out. I send about 50 cards a month – I’d better get busy! Even though I am using “planned overs” (not left overs), I included the full directions for making the paper.

Supplies

• Any of the Arnold Grummer® paper making kits
• Blender, strainer, cello sponges and soft towels
• A sunny window
• Scraps of off white, tan, olive green, rust paper (think junk mail, etc.)
• Dies:  Sizzix™ Tim Holtz™  656927 Tattered Leaves die and embossing folder, Spellbinders^TM  S4011 Harvest Leaves and S4076 Assorted Leaves, CheeryLynn^TM B573 Fall, Quiet Fire Designs™ EC1197 “Four Seasons”, and Tattered Lace™ D667 Paradise Ferns
• Spellbinders^TM Grand Calibur™ die cutting and embossing machine
• Westcott™ paper trimmer
• Sizzix™
• Beacon ZipDry^TM adhesive, double sided foam tape
• ColorBox® Chalk™ Ink pads: rusts, browns, olive greens, alabaster, Stylus™ handle & white tips

Instructions:

1.     Follow the instructions found in any of the Arnold Grummer™ paper making kits to create off-white, tan, olive green and rust slurry, and create one or more sheets of med weight handmade paper. 

2.     Allow the papers to dry.

3.     Tear the sheets of tan or off white paper in half.

4.     Score and fold to create 4 ¼ x 5 ½” top or side fold cards.

5.     Die cut leaves, ferns and words from various scraps or sheets of different colored handmade paper.

6.     Emboss the leaves to bring out the textures.

7.     Apply Chalk inks to the leaves, acorns and ferns with the Stylus™ handle and tips.

8.     Attach the ferns with tiny pieces of foam tape to the side fold card.

9.     Attach the word “Autumn” to the bottom on the fern card.

10.  Layer and attach the leaves and acorns to the top fold card with tiny pieces of foam tape.

11.  Layer and attach with adhesive the word “Fall” onto one of the leaves.

Happy Halloween RIP

© Michele Emerson-Robert 2016

The Halloween holiday is always such fun! I love seeing the kids in costume, and handing out the candy while wearing my “good” witch costume. It bring back memories of my kids when they were little, and one time my son dressed as “Karlif the Mummy,” and lost the wrappings as he went from house to house. Lucky he had long johns on underneath!

Supplies

·       Any of the Arnold Grummer® paper making kits

·       Blender, strainer, cello sponges and soft towels

·       A sunny window

·       Scraps of white and off white paper (think junk mail, etc.)

·       Scraps of black card stock to die cut and for mouse card layer and base

·       Dies: Die-Versions™ Sweet Petites Mouse and Bird, MemoryBox^TM  “Haunted Web” 99007, and CheeryLynn^TM “RIP” B637, “Happy Halloween” B469, Spider web corner B117

·       Stamps: Impression Obsession^TM IOD7839 Crows, and Stampscapes™ Moon and clouds

·       Tonic Studios™ Tangerine die cutting and embossing machine

·       Westcott™ paper trimmer

·       Scor-Pal™

·       Beacon ZipDry^TM adhesive, double sided foam tape

·       ColorBox^® Black pigment ink pad

Instructions:

1.     Follow the instructions found in any of the Arnold Grummer™ paper making kits to create off-white slurry, and create one or more sheets of medium weight handmade paper. Allow the paper to dry.

2.     Tear one sheet of the off-white handmade paper in half, then score and fold to create a 4 ¼ x 5 ½” top fold card.

3.     Die cut the bird, multi webs, and “Happy Halloween” from black cardstock scrap.

4.     Stamp the crows in the bottom left of the handmade paper card.

5.     Attach the multi web die with adhesive to the top of the card.

6.     Attach the “happy Halloween” die cut above the stamped crows.

7.     Attach the bird to the lower right of the card.

8.     Die cut the web corner and “RIP” from black cardstock scrap.

9.     Die cut the mouse from a scrap of off white handmade paper.

10.  Cut three background layers, two of the off white handmade paper and one black.

11.  Score and fold the black cardstock to create a 4 ¼ X 5 ½” side fold card.

12.  Stamp the moonscape onto the smaller piece of handmade paper.

13.  Layer (see photo), center and attach to the front of the card with adhesive.

14.  Attach the web corner to the lower right corner of the layered pieces.

15.  Attach “RIP” to the mouse’s body.

16.  Attach the mouse to the lower left of the layered pieces.