Procrastinate!

Several months ago I saw a fun and sassy sign in a consignment store that said, “Procrastinate it frees up time to craft!”  I knew then and there that I would be making something using those words!

I made up several of these for Christmas gifts.  It was perfectly suited for a choice few of my friends.  (wink, wink, I won’t name names!)  It starts with a simple frame (mine were purchased at the Dollar Tree).  I cut scrapbook paper to fit behind the glass and then cut the words from vinyl with my Cricut and rubbed them onto the glass.  The flowers and ribbon were applied using Zots 3D dots. 

The process of creating the flowers was so much fun!  I went on a four day crafting getaway and made these during much of that time.  Addictive?  I should say so!  This is how they came to be:

Step 1.  Lots and lots of flowers were cut from heavy scrapbook paper using my “Tattered Florals” Tim Holtz die and Vagabond cutter.  The finished flowers are layered so it takes 2 or 3 cut flowers to create one finished dimensional flower.

Step 2.  I rolled the petals around a skewer to shape them.

Here are several of the die cut flowers shaped and ready to get dipped into the hot UTEE

Step 3.  Holding a flower with teezers I dipped it into the melted Ultra Thick Embossing Enamel also known as UTEE.

Step 4.  Once the entire front of the flower is coated with UTEE I lift the flower out letting excess drip off.  It may still be a little gloppy but that gets fixed in the next step.

Step 5.  I placed the gloppy UTEE coated flower onto a craft sheet and began heating it with a heat tool.  The excess embossing enamel melts away and forms puddles on the sheet.  Using tweezers I moved the flower out of the puddle and continued to heat until all of the petals had a smooth glossy finish.  Lastly, I sprinkled some micro beads onto the flower while the petals were still melty.

 

Here are several of the smaller flowers all beaded up.

 

Step 6.  I layers the different shapes and sizes onto one another using Zots 3-D Dots.  Here’s a whole pile of finished flowers ready to go onto the frames.

I really like how much texture and dimension the micro beaded petals have!  I think choosing a really heavy scrapbook paper that had some printed texture on it really added to the success of this project too.  Let me know if you give it a go!

Hugs and Happy New Year!

Suzanne

My Tombstone Artist Trading Card

I’m playing in a Tombstone shaped artist trading card swap on the Pennywise Arts Yahoo Group!  There are 9 of us, each making 9 identical cards to swap out. 

My wonderful husband Brian has been creative too.  He’s designed lots of templates and cut files for my Cricut.  His last batch was five different tombstone shapes.  Perfect!

Using Sure Cuts Alot software and my Cricut I get myself into crazy details that I would never have considered when all I had was a pair of scissors!  Ü 

The base and front of my card are cut from bronze Stardream paper.  Even the copper Stardream background insert and the acetate were cut on my Cricut. 

I stamped Copper Brilliance crackles (Stamper’s Anonymous) around the edges.  The crow image (from Inkadinkado) is embossed onto the front of the card and acetate at the same time.  **It had to be heated very carefully so as not to melt and warp the acetate.

I created a foam tape box around the window and filled it with a mixture of micro beads and sealed them in with the copper cardstock backing piece.  The bat was punched from glossy black cardstock and added to the card with foam tape.  A gem is the finishing touch.

I’ll be sure to share the other tombstones when the swap comes back later this month!

Hugs, Suzanne

If You’re Feeling Blue

This was an artist trading card that I made some time ago.  I used watercolors to create the rainbow background.  When it was thoroughly dry I covered it with O’So Sticky Tape than placed the sentiment layer on the card.  Lastly it was dipped into clear micro beads to make the rainbow shine. 

I really like this card except for the smudges from the edge of the stamp.  I was so blinded by the pretty colors I didn’t even see it before now.  :)

Hugs, Suzanne

Happy Everything

I love this stamp for several reasons.  1.  It fits for just about any occasion  2. It’s fun and 3. Every time I use it I think of my sweet friend Debbie W. because she is the one who gave it to me.  :)

I created these quick artist trading cards using scraps of paper left from another design (my atc leftovers box of bits is getting crazy full!)

I put a strip of O’So Sticky Tape across the paper and put ribbon that was slightly smaller on top of it.  Then I added micro beads to the edges for a fun textury border and finished it off with a premade cupcake sticker from Jolees. 

My original idea was to use the Jolees for inspiration and make my own.  Maybe I will.  Someday.  :)

Hugs, Suzanne

Pennywise Arts Classes in Lacey, WA

I’m so excited to announce my new class line up at Art ‘N Soul!

On Sunday, September 9th I have:

Flower Frenzy    12-2pm

There is nothing imitation about these paper roses!  Incredibly durable and easy to make, it’s a given that students will be addicted to this inexpensive technique in a blink of an eye. Using a wide variety of inks we will explore learning several different techniques for dyeing the paper. This will be followed up with stamping ideas for turning these colorful blooms into gift bows or even greeting cards! (Stores will receive these samples in advance to help sell the class.)  Students can expect to take home at least 5 completed flowers with supplies to make several more at home.

Bottle Cap Pendants   3-5pm

Using supplies from Pennywise Arts and Bottlecap, Inc. we will complete 5 pendants of different design.  Students will have a wide selection of images:  nature, fantasy, vintage and playful.   Class kit includes ball chain and beautiful clear lid gift boxes for all 5 pendants.  These would be lovely to have on hand for last minute gifts!  

 

On Sunday, September 23rd I’ll be doing two different shaker card classes!

Shakers Round One is from 12-2pm and for sure you will get to make the “Rainman” shaker card there! 

A Second Dose of Shakers  is from 3-5pm.  More class samples coming soon!

Each class will have a variety of shaker card shapes, sizes, techniques and designs!

Call the store to get registered! 360.357.6820

Art ‘N Soul is located at 909 Sleater Kinney Rd SE Ste 12, in Lacey, WA.

Hope to see you there!

Hugs, Suzanne

Imagine My Surprise Box

Creative Classes In Paper

Presented by Suzanne Glazier of Pennywise Arts

I’m sure you can imagine that I do a lot of shipping.  To make sure that orders get to their destination in good shape, I use A LOT of packing tape! For years, I have saved the cardboard cores from the tape rolls knowing that they would be great for "something" some day. I do save O'So Sticky Tape rolls too, I just don't go through that as quickly.

Created from scratch (and packing tape cores) this interactive pop up box can be personalized for any greeting, name or power word that students desire.

Actual colors may vary from photo. Allow 2.5 hours to complete.  Price $25 with 5 student minimum.

Students may pre order additional kits to take home for $10 each.

Let your favorite stamp stores know you would like to have me come teach, I’d love to see you! 

If you bring a friend to my North Bend, WA studio for a class the 5 student minimum is waived.

Hugs, Suzanne

P.S. Mail order students need to have adhesive to assemble the box.  Please specify your word/name/greeting when placing an order.   Color requests are welcome and will be met whenever possible.  Current marbled paper options are shown.

They have fancy schmancy names but for simplicity we’ll call them from left to right:

1. burgandy/blue/gold     2. blue/gold     3. lime/copper (shown in example above)     4. rust/denim     5. purple/gold

All parts, pieces and detailed instructions are included in the class packet. Shipping is additional. $25 for the first kit and $10 for each kit thereafter on the same invoice.  Allow one week processing.  Contact me directly to place a class by mail order.  These are not offered on the website.

Creative Classes In Paper

Presented by Suzanne Glazier of Pennywise Arts

Working from home has fabulous benefits that I don’t take for granted.  Working in my  jammies is definitely a top favorite.  There are also drawbacks though.  #1 drawback is that super social me is spending way too much time alone working at the computer.  It’s high time to get back out in the “field”! 

So, with that goal in mind I’ve been pulling together my class write ups and project samples in hopes of getting on a schedule or  two (or ten!) at some of my favorite local stamp stores.  Being in class with creative people feeds my heart and soul and I’ve missed it!

I’ll be posting all of the current classes available here on the blog.   If you see something you like and you’re local to the Pacific Northwest, please let your favorite stores know!  I’m also available for private classes at your place or mine.  If you aren’t local, you can still partake – I will be offering many of the class kits for sale so you won’t feel left out.   :)

Hope to see lots of you real soon!

Hugs, Suzanne

Easy Bead Masking

Bead masking is a fun “beadnique” using masks made of release paper.  I always save my tape liners so that I have some on hand for just this purpose. 

For the “Friendship Grows” card above I used floral shaped punches and the release paper from a sheet of O’So Sticky Tape.  When doing this there are two very simple and important things you need to know before you get started.

a.  Always use the PAPER piece of release paper with punches, not the red liner.  The red liner has rubber in it and does not punch well. 

b.  Another important note is that the release paper has a shiny side and a dull side.  The shiny side will release and the dull will not.  Always put the shiny side against the exposed O’So Sticky so that it will release and not become a permanent part of your design.

Directions:

1.  Create a card  base in desired color. (Example is blue).

2.  Cut a background piece of cardstock 5.25” x 4” to layer on card base. (This one is green).

3.  Cut a sheet of O’So Sticky tape the same size  - 5.25” x 4”

4.  Adhere the  O’So Sticky Tape to the background cardstock following the simple “Tape Trick” instructions:

The secret to applying O’So Sticky Tape  perfectly every time is to peel back just one small corner of the tape sheet and crease it as shown. Next, with the creased side  facing down towards your cardstock base align the O’So Sticky Tape sheet to fit squarely. The creased  flap will keep the O’So from actually touching your paper. Once the tape is lined up with the base press firmly on the exposed corner to anchor the O’So Sticky in place (see photo at right). Next remove the rest of the liner from the back of the tape and gently smooth it into place as you go.

 

5.  Remove the top liner from the O’So and lay a piece of ribbon on the card about 2/3 of the way down.

 

 

6.  To save a spot for the verse to be added later, place a small piece of cardstock over the ribbon and tape as shown.

 

7.  Place paper liner flower masks  (shiny side down!) randomly over the remaining areas of the exposed O’so.  Let some flowers hang off the sides and over the ribbon.

 

Using tweezers to do this part will make it so easy.   A saved red liner works great to press the flower masks down flat onto the O’So.

 

8. Lay the card in a tidy tray and pour beads over all of the still exposed areas.  Choose a color that somewhat matches the background cardstock or go with clear.   (These are Lettuce Translucent micro beads). 

Press the beads into the O’So to secure and then tap off excess. 

 

9.   Gently remove mask liners at random and add colored beads as desired. Take care not to tear the masks, they can be used over and over.

 

I lift several liners off at once and lay the card in a tidy tray, then pour the beads onto the areas that are exposed, press the beads in with my fingers, tap off excess and return them to the bag.

 

Repeat until all flowers are done.

 

10.  I stamped my verse on white cardstock and layered that onto blue cardstock.  To make the frame pop I put it on foam tape before placing onto the card.

 

11.  Secure the ends of the ribbons behind the beaded piece and adhere to card base.

 

Below is an up close look at the masked bead flowers.  You can see that some stray colored beads are stuck in the background.  I didn’t mind them.  They can be flicked off with a pin if desired.

I think it’s true that friendships and flowers have a lot in common.  With a social based company like Pennywise, I get to participate in lots of blooming friendships and I also get to witness friendship blooming in the lives of others when we all get together for events and retreats.  It’s so awesome.  Ü

Hugs, Suzanne

There’s A Song In The Air

As you read this I am retreating with 28 of my PWA pals at a lodge in Cle Elum, WA.  We are stamping the weekend away, sharing projects, stories, games and lots and lots of laughter!  I know you wish you were there too!

The Pennywise Arts retreats are “Shoebox” retreats.  That’s what we call it when everyone brings a project (in a box) to share with everyone else.  I bring one project with enough supplies for 28 gals to create it and over the course of the weekend I create 28 other projects from their boxes!

My project was inspired by an altered spool that I came across on Pinterest a couple of months ago.  Many of the elements are the same as what I used on my Pity Party project and atc swap for the event, just adapted a little differently to go on a spool.

This is my instruction sheet that goes with the project:

1. Put small dabs of glue on the flowers (Prima) and leaves and place the flowers and leaves into a tidy tray. Add bubble beads where desired and then sprinkle bead mixture over all exposed glue and let sit to dry. Return the excess beads to the jar.

1. Use the ATG tape gun to adhere the script circles in the middle of the brown lace papers. (Glue is too wet and may cause it to warp.)

1. Remove just one tape liner on the music notes paper and center it onto cardboard tube. Wrap it tightly then remove the other liner and press down.

1. Squeeze a small amount of glue on one end of the tube and center the brown lace paper onto it. Repeat with the other end.

1. Using the glue “caulk” around the base of the tube to create a thin strip of glue all the way around. Set into tidy tray and sprinkle bead mixture onto it.

1. Take note of where the “back” is before proceeding. Add the leaf vine once around the tube with little dabs of glue. Trim off extra leaves to use on the top.

1. Glue the nest in place, add leaves, vine and flowers as desired

1. Add the verse with just a little dab of glue

1. Stick the bird onto the tube, add flowers, vine and/or twigs to “ground” the bird.

I created this to be a little sweet something to sit on your desk, windowsill or shelf. The basic idea could be adapted to be a hanging ornament or make the top a lid that comes off to put a note inside.

Hugs, Suzanne

It’s Owl Good

My owl was totally inspired by a blingy wine bottle wrap!  My friend Sandy was going through her stash ‘o stuff  and decided that I needed to have about a dozen of them. (?? Ü)

When I sat down to begin my owl design there they were, in a pile on my table just waiting to be: disassembled!

Using jewelry pliers I opened up the jump rings to take it apart and created “skirts” to go around my owl’s waistline, or is that a neckline?

I used some of the glitzy circles from the wrap to create the eye lids and lashes for my owls.  And then there are large 3-D Zots on the eye balls with a fun mixture of micro beads stuck to them.

I love how the beaded Zots stay “skooshy”.  They remind me of the old time candies my grandma used to keep in her candy bowl.  I didn’t like to eat them but I did like to “skoosh” them.  Ü

The scalloped lace feathers were cut with my Cricut.  The stamp is a Studio G from the dollar bin at the craft store.

Oh, and back to the wine,….. if you look closely you can see from the label that it came from the Pennywise vineyard in California.  For reals!  I ordered a few bottles to share at the Pennywise retreat this weekend, Cheers!

Hugs, Suzanne

Another Dose Of Pity

I’m throwing in another dose of pity for those that can’t join us for the annual Pennywise Arts retreat.  This is my project for the Pity Party swap hosted on the PWA Yahoo Group.

Sometimes when I have too much time to ponder a project, I end up getting in much deeper than I would if I had waited until the last minute.  This was one of those times.

From bottom to top the layers are brown cardstock, olive cardstock, a distressed file folder inked with a music stamped background (unknown company – unmounted stamp).

The brown daisy shaped doily is an SVG file that my dear hubby created for me just for this purpose.  (I’ll gladly share the file in SVG or SCAL if you email me!)  I covered the doilies with mixed brown and black embossing power.  While the embossing powder was still warm and melty I sprinkled on a mixture of yellow, brown and  gold micro beads. Then a little more gentle heat was added to set them.

The nests and the eggs took the longest to fabricate.  The nests were made from two different fibers wound together around my fingers and kinda lassoed together.  The brown fibers were very hairy so the nests all had haircuts.  Ü  The eggs are little bits of polymer clay, baked and speckled with blue and brown acrylic paints.  Each nest was glued to a branch and then layered onto the card.

The final touch was the momma bird, the leafy ribbon from May Arts and some paper flowers that came in a jar.

Using all of the same supplies and inspiration I created a variation of this card for the retreat exclusive Flight of Fancy atc swap.   My retreat shoebox project uses all the same items and has a third dimension to it.  Can’t reveal that for 24 more days!  Ü

Hugs, Suzanne

* The bird stamp is from Stampers Anonymous and the sentiment is from Studio G.

Cherub Pin

Microscope slides always made wonderful jewelry!   This one uses two glass slides, a collage sheet from our Swing Shift Designs Valentine Collection, a piece of sheet music, some wire, seed beads, a self adhesive pin back, 1/4”  O’So Sticky Tape and gold and red opaque micro beads.

It probably only took about 15 minutes to do from design, assemble and finish.  A great project for office or teacher Valentine gifts!

For more details on “how to” as well as other photos see our tutorial on the website!

Hugs,  Suzanne

Victorian Valentine Cone

Sometimes when I need a little creative jump start I just Google things.  This time I Googled “Valentine Craft Projects” and selected to see only images.  That was how I found the inspiration for my Valentine cone.  The photo I saw  is copyright and I want to credit the original artist so click here to see it.

Hers is a much simpler version than what I made.  I was cooped up without power for three days so as soon as the lights came on I went crazy in my craft room!

I started with a book of sheet music.  It’s old.  I’ve had it since I was about 12 or so which makes it really old.  I decided it had more value to me in my craft stash than it did crammed in my piano bench.  Ü  I rolled the sheet into a cone shape and taped it together.  For stability, I rolled a sheet of cardstock the same way and tucked it inside.  Then the fun stuff started!

My friend Julie helped me set up my sewing machine so I could do a running stitch down the middle of some white crepe paper.  It gathers itself a little bit and when I wanted more I just tugged on the back thread.  The crepe paper is put around the top edge of my cone with O’So Sticky Tape.  Then I punched holes in each side with my Crop-o-dile tool.  Big holes, long reach, perfect.

I cut a heart from a piece of chipboard, inked it red and covered it with O’So Sticky Tape.  I peeled off the liner and placed the “Valentine” banner across the heart and then dipped the heart into red opaque micro beads.  It really helps to have friend over that does calligraphy, thanks Julie!  Ü 

For the ruffle behind the heart I layered some gold tulle over the paper before I ran it through the sewing machine.  I gathered this one up tight to make a ruffled backdrop for the heart.  This was put onto the cone with a really big glue dot. 

The left side of the cone has some linked crystals dangling that I found at a really cool antique store, a lock and a key charm and an eye glass charm.  The image inside the glass is from one of our Valentine collage sheets by Michele Aiello-Zendejas. 

I strung some red, pink and gold seed beads together to dangle from the bottom of the heart.  And I added a string of pearls and chain, something from my junk jewelry stash that I thought was a perfect finish.  Ü I added a sheer gold ribbon hanger and tied extra ribbon to hang down both sides of the cone.  Then I filled it with iridescent fluffy stuff.  I think I will probably change it out for some ivory crinkle paper though, next time I go shopping.

I could tell from the photos that the original artist shared that she created more than one and now I know why, they are utterly addicting!  Consider yourself warned. Ü

Hugs,  Suzanne