E - M A G A Z I N E
05.2012
SPRINGTIME INSPIRATION AND NEW TECHNIQUES
A GCD STUDIOS PUBLICATION
20+
ALL NEW PROJECTS
NUMBER TECHNIQUES AS EASY AS 1,2,3
QUILTED CRAFTS … plus
SUBLIME STITCHING & WONDERFUL WATERCOLOR TECHNIQUES gcdstudios.com gcdstudios.blogspot.com
STUDIO NOTES
EDITOR'S PICK, 08
H
Happy Mothers Day!
I love this month for one reason‌ This is the month we celebrate mothers all over the world. I happen to be a mother myself and I look forward to hand-crafted cards brought home from school and maybe even breakfast in bed. On this day I get to take a longer shower and a night off from cooking dinner. I'm not sure who came up with Mothers Day, but I'm grateful that we get this
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fun holiday to share.
Email inthestudio@gcdstudios.com
My life has been blessed with amazing women. Gardening,
GCD Studios Blog
sewing, how to be a good mother, and much more, they have
If you haven't signed up to follow
all taught me many things throughout my life. Their soft influence
the GCD Studios blog, you should!
was a welcomed comfort and advice I used to shaped myself
Everyday this month is packed
into who I am today.
with delightful tips and tricks you won't want to miss.
This month challenge yourself to document a special lady in your life. Ask her "Who was your role model?" and "What did
Mothers Day Give Away
your Mother or Grandmother teach you?". The answers will be
Details on our blog on May 13th.
cherished throughout the years. As you enjoy these new articles of Spring and fresh themes, I hope you take the time to document
www.ArtsyFindings.com
this month and your loved ones. It's a great way to kick start Spring.
Find the newest GCD Studios' products here.
Heidi Sonboul, DESIGN TEAM COORDINATOR
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CONTENTS
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17
07
03 Get Inspired
13 Quilted Crafts
Fashion Inspired Cards by Clare Prezzia
04 Color Challenge
Happy Spring Card by Heidi Van Laar
05 A Stroke of Color
4 Artsy and Unique Watercolor Techniques
Quilt Inspired Techniques
17 Sublime Stitching
Stitching Techniques
19 Easy as 1,2,3
Crafting with Numbers
21 Flip-It Sketch Challenge
11 On the Cover
22 Reader's Gallery
23 Featured Collection
Pattern Paper Book Covers by Heidi Sonboul
On the Cover, 11 Pattern Paper Book Covers by Heidi Sonboul
Get Featured!
Send us a photo of your work that uses our paper and/or embellishments and you can get featured in our Reader's Gallery. Email to hsonboul@gcdstudios.com. gcd studios 05.2012 E-MAGAZINE | 2
GET INSPIRED Embellishments. Use the big floral motif as inspiration for a handmade embellishment.
Colors. As you can see here, Clare has pulled inspiration from the colors of this skirt to create these two cards.
Pattern Play. Incorporating the small ditsy patterns with the large pink flowers is another way to mimic the overall feeling of this skirt.
Cards by Clare Prezzia
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A template for this adorable card can be found on our blog on May 2nd.
Card by Heidi Van Laar
TAKE THE
COLOR
CHALLENGE
Try this beautiful color combination in your next project.
SUPPLIES: GCD Studios Pattern Papers: Sweet Tooth: Cherry Cordial (1553), Chocolate Kisses (1554), Lollipop (1557), Sour Cherry (1559), Sugar Cookie (1561). Other: Cardstock: (white) Georgia Pacific, Stamp: Paper Smooches, Ink: Clearsnap, Twine: Pink Paislee. Size: 5.5" x 5".
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artsy & unique watercolor techniques
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Sweetness by Tessa Buys
a custom title 1. Draw, print, or stamp your title on regular cardstock.
When it comes to scrapbooking, watercolors are my go-to medium for filling in hand-drawn or stamped titles. There is something almost magical about the way the water mixes with the color, the way it pools on the paper, and how the paint blends with other colors.
2. Using a fine-tipped brush, paint the bottom portion of the title a dark color. 3. Add a lighter color to the top of
SUPPLIES: GCD Studios Pattern Papers: Country
the letters, blending the colors by
Charm: Strawberry Jam (1510), Floral Field (1507);
overlapping the paint. Wait for the
Splendor: Pink Flora (1682). Other: cardstock,
letters to dry before cutting them out.
watercolors, pen, mist, fabric tape, washi tape.
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20 Years
by Leslie Davis
This layout is a celebration of our 20th wedding anniversary. It was a special day for us and it was made even more special when my dear husband came home with two dozen roses! This coming from a man who really doesn't see the value in flowers. He's just so practical. So in honor of those beautiful roses and our special day I created this layout using the GCD Studios Splendor line. It's so romantic and lovely.
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Editor's Pick 1
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watercolor rose 1. To create the rose, start by diecutting the flower parts. Generally, rose patterns use a heart shaped edge. These are the parts I chose to work with. You'll notice that I cut one of the heart shapes off the flower on the left. That allowed me to close it in tightly to form the center of the rose. 2. Then I began watercolor painting. I used water soluble oil pastels, but any watercolor media would work. Then I blended the edges with a damp brush. 3. Next, I carefully rolled the edges around a thin tool. I used a handle of a distressing tool, but a small paint brush edge would work too. You want to take a little care here because the paper is rather delicate when it's wet. I continue to shape it until it's dry. I also found that I needed to add a little glue to the inside edges of the middle to make them stay closed the way I wanted. 4. For the "20" in the title, I cut a similar color paper from the collection and painted the edges. When the edges began to curl, I exaggerated that curl and let them dry to that shape. I love the dimension that created.
SUPPLIES: GCD Studios Pattern Papers: Splendor Collection; Portfolio Series Water Soluble Oil Pastels; Die Cut Machine, Noteworthy, Think Pink, & Vintage Findings cards: Slice; Stamp: Making Memories; Chipboard letters: American Crafts; Sticker: Studio Calico; Brad: Crate Paper.
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Hi Card
by Teri Anderson
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faux watercolor chevrons 1. Start by cutting several pieces of patterned paper into small strips of the same size. (Note: The ones I am usinghere are 1" x 2".) 2. Line the strips up to look like this. And adhere them as you go. 3. The end result is something like this.
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4. Now squirt a glob of white craft paint into an old bowl, dilute it with a little water, and stir. 5. Brush the watered down paint over your chevron. This softens your papers' patterns and gives them a more watercolor style look. 6. Use a paper towel to blot the chevron dry. These faux watercolor chevrons look great on cards and scrapbook pages. Because the watered down paint muted the paper's colors, I was able to mix together a whole bunch of
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patterned papers here rather easily.
SUPPLIES: GCD Studios Pattern Papers: Sweet Tooth: Peppermint Plaid (1558), Jelly Bean (1556), Gum Drop (1555), Sweet Tart (1562), Cherry Cordial (1553), Chocolate Kisses (1554), Bubblegum (1552).
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At 3
by Mary Ann Jenkins
color washed title 1. Draw your title with white crayon onto white cardstock. 2. Then paint directly over your title in
Playing with water colors was something I enjoyed as a little girl, and now as an adult I find them just as much fun! For my layout, I wanted to showcase the number 3 representing the age my daughter is right now. This technique allows the number to show up within the colors, and matches my patterned papers beautifully.
crayon. 3. For an added bonus, make a flower
SUPPLIES: Pattern Papers: Sweet Tooth: Sweet Tart
embellishment from paper towels used
(1562), Vanilla Shake (1563); Splendor: Candytuft
to clean up your watercolor brushes.
(1676). Other: white cardstock, buttons, twine: The Twinery.
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Dress up those old books and create a sweet tablescape in a few easy steps.
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A SWEET TABLESCAPE In elementary school we learned to cover our books to keep them clean and safe. I always loved covering my books with white butcher paper. This is so that the colors would pop on the white paper, instead of the brown paper store bags that everyone else used. It's been years since I was in school and covered a book with paper. This month for our May issue cover I decided to use our new Sweet Tooth collection as a tribute to this school year's end. The colors from the Sweet Tooth collection have such a soft and beautiful spring feel. To make the look on the cover more feminine, I glued lace and ribbon to an old glass jar, then glued a button in the middle of the lace. Next, I dripped white wax on the button and stamped it with the Chip Art Fleur Ornamental Stamp (0527). Most people think of Babies Breath as a filler flower, but I think it's softness and charming, dainty buds can stand on it's own when placed into a vintage glass jar. This flower is one of the cheapest you can find at the flower shop and it holds such presence on a table. Can't you just imagine this on a wedding reception table or giving it as a gift for Mother's Day…or even as a thank you gift for your childs teacher? However this cover might inspire you, we encourage you to add a touch of daintiness to your next project.
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Quilted Crafts Create cute & cozy crafts with these easy techniques.
Card by Clare Prezzia
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Block Pattern by Wendi Robinson
Quilts are not only a great way to stay warm, but also a wonderful item to pull inspiration from when creating a layout. From the colors, to the patterns, to the layout of a quilt, there's a lot to get your scrappy mind moving.
SUPPLIES: GCD Studios Pattern Papers: Oh Happy Day: Emily Rose (1763), Chloe (1766), Alicia (1765), Mira's Pearls (1764), Abbie's Sunshine (1769).
Hexagon Pattern
by Clare Prezzia
Hexagons are all the rage right now. See how Clare kept it clean and simple by using only three patterns.
SUPPLIES: GCD Studios Pattern Papers: Splendor: Sunswept (1684), Posies (1683).
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Quilted Crafts
Pinwheel Pattern by Emily Branch
Who doesn't love pinwheels? By looking at the smooth edges, fun patterns that you find on quilts, and the soft texture of blankets, you can easily find fun ways to incorporate quilting into your paper-crafting. Making the pinwheel shape found in the quilted blanket is so easy! Simply cut triangles and adhere to card as shown in picture, affixing some triangles with foam tape. I loved the blues, greens and browns found in the Bonjour collection. The colors are soft and muted, also mimicking the feel of blankets.
SUPPLIES: GCD Studios Pattern Papers: Bonjour: Cafe Mosaic (1537), Les Fleurs (1538), Ooh La La (1540), Petit Fleur (1542). Other: Cardstock: PTI, Bakers Twine: May Arts, Pearls: Queen & Co., Dots Border Embossing Folder: Provo Crafts, Square Tool: Ephiphany Crafts, Corner Rounder: Fiskars.
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Triangle Pattern by Emily Branch
Triangles are a fun trend right now. For this card start by cutting your triangles. I love that the direction of the triangles change row by row. I popped up a few of the triangles with foam tape. I rounded the corners of the Labels and Tags paper and then used pinking sheers to trim the bottom edge, mimicking the look of fabric swatches. I even added a pleated ribbon to add a bedskirt-type look. Finish it up with a little stitching at the top. The Splendor collection worked perfectly in terms of color and pattern size, considering the teeny little triangle size.
SUPPLIES: GCD Studios Pattern Papers: Splendor: Floral Frame (1677), Heirloom (1678), Labels & Tags (1679), Letter Tiles (1680), Posies (1683), Sunswept (1684), Tiny Blossoms (1685), Woven Chevron (1686), Zig Zag (1687). Other: Cardstock: PTI, Pleated Ribbon: May Arts, Pearls: Queen & Co., Clear Stamps: PTI, Dye Ink: Tsukineko, Square Tool: Ephiphany Crafts, Pinking Sheers.
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This is You 1. Draw or trace your title on solid cardstock. 2. Using a needle, poke evenly spaced holes on outlined text. 3. Hand stitch your title.
SUPPLIES: GCD Studios Pattern Papers: Country Charm: Cherry Pie (1504), Farm Field Stripe (1506), Floral Field (1507), Tiny Floral Border (1513). Other: sewing needle, bakers twine, cardstock.
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by Elizabeth Carney
Stitching Techniques
Damask Darning
Trellis Back Stitch
Satin Stitch Pattern
Pekinese Stitch
Raised Cretan Stitch
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8 Months by Audrey Yeager
From titles and journaling to creating visual interest, adding numbers to your layouts is
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––– Numbers Galore –––
––– Accent Stitching –––
––– A Hand Written Title –––
Cutting out a whole bunch of numbers in different sizes from vellum makes a big impact.
Accent stitching easily adds little pops of color and a lot of homemade charm.
Write your title, then fussy cut it from patterned paper. To add contrast, go around the edges with a colored pen.
SUPPLIES: GCD Studios Pattern Papers: Flower Child: Peacock (1646), Organic Geo (1645), Flower Child Plaid (1639); Oh Happy Day, Meagan (1770); Bonjour, Les Fleurs (1538); Splendor, Letter Tiles (1680); Storybook, Storybook Cards (1744). Other: thread, vellum, punches (EK Success, The Paper Studio).
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Try using numbers in your titles
––– Create a Stencil ––– Give your title big pops of color. Create a stencil with numbers and shapes, then spray with glitter mist.
3 Good Reasons by Penny Smith
SUPPLIES: GCD Studios Pattern Papers: Oh Happy Day: Priscila (1768), Meagan (1770), Chloe (1766).
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Use It. Pam used the sketch as is for her page. The half circle makes the photos stand out quite a lot while the use of many types of patterned paper enhances this design. Her page is finished off with a few hand cut flowers.
SUPPLIES: GCD Studios Pattern Papers: Country Charm Collection.
Flip It. Julie flipped the sketch on its side for her layout. This creates a neat design with circle hanging from the top and the photo going downward. Her page is also accented with the beautiful blooms which encircle the photos.
SUPPLIES: GCD Studios Pattern Papers: Splendor Collection.
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READER’S GALLERY Full of Wonder by Kay Rogers Cropping was a hot trend of the past, but how about just using the full photo. Kay used her large 5X7 photos and they hold a strong and beautiful presence on this layout. Then by adding in just a few hand crafted embellishments, it keeps the creating time of the layout under 45 minutes. Using bright colors allows the layout to pop and make it look like you spent a long time on it.
SUPPLIES: GCD Studios Pattern Papers: Flower Child Collection.
Hi Card by Heidi Van Laar This amazing flower was hand crafted with watercolor paper and paints. It's shading and tinting gives a realistic look to the flower. To learn how to create this flower, visit the blog on May 20th.
SUPPLIES: GCD Studios Pattern Papers: Sweet Tooth Collection.
Insta by Kay Rogers I took my inspiration for this layout from a digital page kit from Designer Digitals. I figured a great way to incorporate a lot of pictures on a layout was to use the photo strips and some of the thousands of pictures on my phone. So I placed the photos in the film strip and printed and cut them out. I then used the papers and some elements from the Splendor collection.
SUPPLIES: GCD Studios Pattern Papers: Splendor Collection.
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Featured Collection of the month
SWEET TOOTH by Diane Kappa
With candy-coated colors and beautiful details like sweet ditsy prints, fresh florals, and a sensational paisley pattern, Sweet Tooth is a delicious treat for the eyes.
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