Crime and Coloring Season 2 Episode 55--The Hanging of Homesteaders and the Newspaper

 Hello my true crime friends. I hope you're having a great day. I'm back with our last alphabetical true crime story this season: Wyoming. It's interesting how a few men with enough power can control the entire narrative. But before we talk crime, let's talk coloring.

Today I am making a one layer scene with a stamp set from Sweet November Stamp called Spill the Tea. 

https://tinyurl.com/bdctpdkc

I made a map of where the stamps need to go on a piece of scrap paper. All I have to do is place the stamp on the map where it was already stamped and ink it up and stamp it on the card panel. 

I am using Gina K's Masking Magic to create the scene. 

https://tinyurl.com/t8n6ybms

I stamped in Honey Bee Stamp's Intense black Ink because it is alcohol ink friendly and I will be using Copic markers. Here is my color combinations 

Once the panel was stamped and colored, I trimmed it down to be 4 x 5 1/4 inches and it will be a top folding landscape card. 

My card base is a dark grey US A2 size card. 

I added a piece of white copy paper to the inside like usual.

The sentiment was stamped in white ink onto black cardstock and them heat embossed with white embossing powder. I used Brutus Monroe's Alabaster White powder.

https://tinyurl.com/4hcmfuer

I added the sentiment to the top left with a little foam tape.

Here is the finished card:

Now the true crime. Our story today takes us to Wyoming in the late 1880's in the middle of the state's battles between ranchers, farmers and those trying to expand the state. In this specific instance, a group of less than honest cattlemen used their power and probably money to influence the newspapers when they reported the hanging of two homesteaders. 

 The cattlemen tried the time old excuse that the two homesteaders deserved what they got, even while they were controlling the inaccurate narrative of events. 

You can watch the coloring and hear the story here:

Thanks for watching! Have a great day.

One Paper Pad Four Cards, Well Gift Card Holders, For Graduation

 Hello my crafty friends. I hope you're having a great day today. I have been a little busy the last couple weeks with lacrosse games, baby chickens, and real life. I decided that for today's video would be a great time to use one pad of pattern paper, and nothing else, to make four cards. The twist is that today they will be gift card holder for graduation gifts. So get comfy and let's get crafty.

The paper pad I am using is from Michaels and is for graduation, but any paper pad or paper scraps would work.

Card #1 is a wallet style holder. It will fit into a regular A2 envelope if you need to mail it.

I started with a half sheet of heavy weight cards stock. It measures 4 1/4 by 11 inches. With the long side across the top of my score board I scored it at 3, 4 1/2, 6, and 91/4 inches.

The fold on the 4 1/2 inch mark gets folded into the card to make a z fold kind of card base. I used my paper trimmer to cut a small opening into the part of the card that folds into the wallet. Then I  added some really strong double sided adhesive to the back of that same flap so it seals shut. 

I added a piece pattern paper to the top of the front that measures 4 by 1 1/2 inches. And a different piece of paper from the pad for the bottom of the front that measures 4 by 2 3/4 inches. And a third strip for the front of the little pocket that hold the gift card that measures 1 1 1/2 inches. And to finish off the inside, I added a piece of copy paper that is 4 by 3 inches.

On the front I added a little sentiment cut from the pattern paper that I fussy cut and backed with black card stock and adhered to the top front flap with adhesive. 

Card #2 is a traditional gate fold card that will also fit into a standard A2 envelope.

I started with a piece of black card stock that is 4 1/4 by 11 inches. I scored it with the long side across the top of my score board at 1 1/2 and 6 1/2 inches. I put strong adhesive along the sides of the smaller flap or gate and taped in into a little pocket. I added a piece of the gold foil paper to the front of the lower flap that is 4 by 1 1/4 inches, and a piece for the top fold that is 4 by 3 3/4 inches. I added a piece of copy paper that is 4 by 3 3/4 inches to the inside above the little pocket. The sentiment was also cut from the pattern paper and backed with black card stock and added to the front, on the top flap. This style will hold a taller gift card. 

Card #3 is also a gate fold card, kind of. 

I started with a 4 1/4 by 11 inch piece of cardstock. It was also scored with the long side up at 1 1/2, and 6 1/2 inches. The first step with this card is to trim a piece of the pattern paper from the pad to 4 1/4 by 5 1/2. I folder the card base at the score lines and added adhesive to the smaller flap edges and folded it up. then I added adhesive to the INSIDE of the top flap edges and adhered the pattern paper to the inside of the top card flap. This creates a card that has the pocket inside instead of just along the bottom. I added a little strip of the silver foil paper to the bottom of the pattern paper and another piece along the seem between the cardstock and the pattern paper. I also added copy paper to the inside of this card as well. 

Card #4 is the surprise card of the video. It's a pop up gift card holder. 

I started with two pieces of card stock; one that is 4 1/3 by 11 inches and the other is 3 1/4 by 7 1/4 inches. The longer piece is scored at 1 1/2 and 7 inches. The shorter one is scored at 2 and 6 3/4 inches. The longer piece is folded on the score lines to make a gate card, so both folds go in. The shorter piece is scored like a z fold with the smaller top edge folded back and the larger bottom folded forward. 

Add strong adhesive to the small top part of the shorter piece. Also add adhesive to the bottom fold of the longer piece, removing the backing paper and adhering the flap into a pocket. Remove the backing paper on the smaller piece and lay it in the inside of the longer piece with the adhesive up to grab the inside of the top of the card. Stick the pocket end of the smaller piece into the bottom pocket of the card base. 

The front of the card has two pieces of the same pattern paper cut to 3 3/4 by 4 inches and 1 1/2 by 4 inches. I added a sentiment to the inside of the card on the smaller pocket and on the front of the card.

It is possible to make cards without all the stamps and dies, even though I love those parts of card making. Sometimes, quick and easy is just as fun. 

Watch the video here:

https://youtu.be/EuofrtsNo8k

Thanks for watching.

Not An A2 Sized Card and a Narwal

 Hello my crafty friends. I hope you're having a great day today. I'm back with that trusty spread sheet and a random number generator to use my crafty stash and make a card. So get comfy and let's get crafty.

Without further ado, the brand chosen was Sizzix, the product was coordinating stamps and dies, the technique was not an a2 size card, the color pallet was a color challenge, the theme was love or anniversary, and the extra was brads. 

I had one Sizzix stamp set and luckily it has coordinating dies, so decision made. And the sentiment fits the theme this card needs to be. Winner winner. Here is the stamp set I used. I found this image attached to an ebay item. 

For the not A2 size card, I decided to make a mini slim line card. The card base is 7 x 6 inches and when finished this card will fit into a regular first class mail envelope. 

The color challenge is from MFT Stamps. Here is the graphic and the link.

https://tinyurl.com/2zzyut88

I used colored cardstock for most of the colors, and Copic markers for the blue. Here is my Copic combinations.

I stamped the narwal, bubbles and hearts with an alcohol friendly ink onto Neenah 80 pound Solar White card stock. 

I stamped the sentiment onto gray cardstock in a white pigment ink and added white embossing powder then heat set it with my heat tool.

After the images were colored, I cut them out with the coordinating dies by running it through my Empress machine.

I wanted to add the brads to the corners of the yellow cardstock, so I punched the corners of the green panel with my crop a dile. That left a little cut out for the brad.

I added a hole to the corners with my paper piercer from Tim Holtz. Then I added the aqua brads and got them all open and flattened. 

I added the foam tape to the back of the panels and added them to the gray card base. 

I added all the die cuts to the card base and then the card is finished. 

Here is the finished card

You can watch the video here:

https://tinyurl.com/2pkd6pw6

Thanks for stopping by. Have a great day.

Crime and Coloring Season 2 episode 54: The Disappearance of Conradian Olson

 Hello my true crime friends. I hope you're having a great day. I'm back with another true crime stories that may be lost to the annuals of time. 

Our journey today takes us back to the state of Wisconsin and the disappearance of Conradian Olson. But before we talk crime, let's talk about the coloring.

I have added a new stamp company to my collection, and will be using a stamp set from Sweet November stamps. This one is called Simple Room Reading Nook Add On.

I bought it from Simon Says Stamp but you can buy it from Sweet November Stamps shop as well.

https://tinyurl.com/2dc6bwh6

https://tinyurl.com/nvetucra

I wanted to make a one layer scene card so I will need to use some masking paper to get the layers just right. 

https://tinyurl.com/4hfxjpm2

I am stamping on Neenah Solar White 80 pound card stock that has been cut to 4x51/4 inches. And will be stamping in a alcohol marker friendly ink from Honey Bee Stamps.

To create a one layer scene you have to stamp from the front of the scene backward. Today I just added my stamps to the cardstock in my MISTI to figure out what I needed to stamp and mask first. 

I stamped and cut masks for each of the three elements of my card and added them to the stamped images so I can create the background as well. 

I used poste it tape to create the floor and wall separation and used ink blending to create the floor and the wall. 

I used a TCR stencil for the brick wall, that I couldn't find but here is a Wendy Vecchi stencil that is very similar.

https://tinyurl.com/3urd28r7

Once the ink blending was complete, I colored the images with my Copic markers. Here is my color combinations. I think I forgot to add the E29 that I used for the shadow on the floor.

Once the coloring was complete I added the panel to a dark green card base. 

I left off any sentiment because this card could be used for anything. It does look a little unfinished, but that will change when I go to use it. 

Here is the finished card.

 Now on to the crime. Today we are talking about the disappearance of Conradian Olson. She boarded a train to go to Milwaukee to go to the dentist and never came home. It was suspected that she just left her unhappy and abusive marriage. Until her grand daughter took up the investigation and with the help of a psych began the search for Conradian.

You can hear the rest of the story here:

https://tinyurl.com/4wrwnjj3

Thanks for stopping by, 

Have a great day!

Art Journal Page for the April Mission Inspiration Facebook Group

 Hello my crafty friends. I hope you're having a great day. I'm back with an art journal page for the Mission Inspiration Facebook Group for the month of April. Get Comfy and let's get crafty.

Here is the prompt card that Mike curated for this month. I kind of used the theme, and I did use all of the prompts.

I started with a piece of pattern paper that has a rain drop kind of pattern on it.

I added a piece of Tim Holtz tissue paper over the top of the paper to add that doodle element. It's not really doodles but it breaks up the background a bit. I added it with some Liquitex Matt Medium. I buy mine from Amazon. 

I wanted to add some more doodle elements with stencils and gold paint. I use a few from my stash.

I also wanted to add more gold in drips with gold water color paint and water across the top of the page. 

I set it aside and want to work on the tag element. I have this tag cut from mixed media paper and I am going to add some color with distress paints in pink, yellow, and blue.

I added water to my work surface and then smooshed the tag into the colors until I was happy with the way it looked. I heat set in between each layer and added multiple layers.

For the tickets, I added some gold paint to the back of a piece of the pattern paper I used for the background. I added the paint with a piece of sponge and heat set it before adding another layer with what was still in the sponge.

To begin the focal image collage, I added some embroidery thread through the hole and ink blended the edge with Archival Ink in the color Potting Soil.

Then I glued the tag to the page. I have some die cut circles cut in three colors of brown to create a nest look. I added them with liquid glue onto the center of the tag.

I also have some branches die cut from three green cardstocks. I added the brown to the branches with a Pitt Pen.

I then added the branches to the page for a place for the nest to sit. 

I have some bird ephemera that I added brown ink around the edges and fit them into the nest by cutting off their little feet. 

I added two collages of tickets under the sides of the tags. I also added some Pitt pen around the edges of the tickets to give them dimension.

To finish off the page I added a few more doodles to the sides of the page with a zig pen.

I added the other piece of the pattern paper to the back and clued the prompt card to the back after I punched holes in the page. 

Then I added some ink blending to the edges.

And this is the finished page.

You can watch the video here:

https://tinyurl.com/yvz6ruxk

Have a great day.