Creating with Embossed Toilet Paper - June's Technique Challenge!

Created by: Leigh Snaith-Brunton aka The Sharpie Domino Queen and Design Team Member Description: I'm super excited to share my first project using the handmade embossed paper that I made with...wait for it...TOILET PAPER and an embossing folder!  How cool is that! If you missed my last post about the June technique challenge I'm hosting here at Blockheads Paper Arts then check it out here and then check out my tutorial for this super cool card! Stamp Set Used: The vertical 'Happy Birthday' sentiment is from Blockheads' Verses full sheet For step by step instructions for this card, visit my full blog post on Leigh S-B Designs.

This is such a sweet image, this stamp is adorable!  It's Lost Coast Design's
Flower Children, and I think they're a charming couple.

The background is a simple watercolor wash over sheet music. The image
is stamped on old notebook paper, colored all around with a very pale grey
copic,  to make the children stand out a bit.

Happy Sunday, everyone, and a lovely Memorial Day if you're Stateside.

:)trisha

Textured Paper with Embossing Folders Technique Challenge

 

Hand Made Embossed Paper using Toilet Paper

by Leigh Snaith-Brunton

Leigh reworked an old technique of embossing wet toilet paper by letting it dry over the surface of a stamp into something new.  Grab a roll and your favorite embossing folders and give it a try!

Use any stamps for this challenge.  You are not limited to Blockheads stamps, but we always appreciate seeing great art using our stamps.   

Dragonfly Border

Created by: Karen McAlpine, Design Team Member Description: Birthday card made with a bleached design colored with water color markers. Stamp Set Used: Inspired by Nature  and Verses-Feel Better (on inside) from Blockheads. For step by step instructions for this card, visit my full blog post on Dreaming and Creating.

Love looks not with the eyes . . .

Here is another layout from the hand bound book featured in the
latest Altered Arts--this one uses the beautiful Spread Your Wings
collage stamp found HERE.

Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind, and therefore is winged
cupid painted blind.  (Tempest, Act I, Scene I)

Happy Weekend!

:)trisha

Masculine themed Grunge Cards by Leigh S-B

Created by: Leigh Snaith-Brunton ~ The Sharpie Domino Queen & Design Team Member Description: My tutorials show you how to create grunge style masculine themed cards that are perfect for any guy occasion.   I used all the grungy background cardstocks I made previously with stamps, Distress Inks, Stains and Memento Inks.  Check out each tutorial here: Fancy Fold Die Cut Father's Day Card Pocket Watch Tag Card Nostalgic Father's Day Card Stamp Sets Used:   Grunge It Up, Victorian Inventions and Vintage Railway from Blockheads. You can also access all the above links and more in my blog post on Leigh S-B Designs blog.

Creating Grungy Backgrounds by Leigh S-B

Created by: Leigh Snaith-Brunton ~ The Sharpie Domino Queen & Design Team Member Description: My tutorials show you how to create grunge style background cardstock for your projects using stamps, Distress Inks, Stains and Memento Inks. Stamp Sets Used:   Grunge It Up, Victorian Inventions and Vintage Railway from Blockheads. For step by step instructions please visit my full blog post on Leigh S-B Designs blog.

Coffee Love

 

Coffee Tribute Journal Page by Stacey Dunning

I was 17 when I fell in love with coffee.  Of course at that time I was using whipping cream and lots of sugar and loved it as a liquid desert.  Now I just love coffee any old way hot or iced, dark or light.  I love the smell of the fresh ground beans and the sound the coffee maker makes.  I used this journal page to record my thoughts as well as play with some different Gelato colors and practice blending with PITT markers over the gesso covered paged of the book.  The stamps used are mostly from the Blockheads Coffee Tea stamp set and the new Journaling stamp set.  I simply drew some patches of color using the water soluble Gelato paints and wiped them over the pages with a wet rag.  I used Memento, StazOn and VersaMagic inks to stamp onto the treated pages.

Botanical Silhouettes with Emboss Resist

Created by: Karen McAlpine, Design Team Member Description: Card made with Emboss Resist Technique and background with  Distress Ink and Distress Stains. Stamp Set Used: Botanical Silhouettes, Idea Quote, Background and Borders.from Blockheads. For step by step instructions for this card, visit my full blog post on Dreaming and Creating.

Steampunk Birdhouse to celebrate Mother's Day by Leigh S-B!

Created by: Leigh Snaith-Brunton ~ The Sharpie Domino Queen and Design Team Member Description: A Steampunk inspired Birdhouse to celebrate Mom's Day!! Happy Mother's Day to all our Mom readers!  Hope you are spoilt rotten on Sunday ;0) I used the small bird from the Vintage Bird Illustrations set and the Happy Mother's Day sentiment which can be found on the Daisies set.  Both are Blockheads exclusives and the Measuring Tape border stamp by Lost Coast Designs is also available at Blockheads Paper Arts! For step by step instructions for this card, visit my full blog post on Leigh S-B Designs blog. I'm also excited to share that my little birdie house grabbed two Top 3 spots in the Craft Your Days Away and Creative Inspirations Paint challenges, woohoo ;0)

Journaling Stamps - And a Fun Background Technique

 

By Stacey Dunning, Blockheads Paper Arts

My background on these journal pages was inspired by two different blog posts I've seen recently.  One was on the Faber-Castell blog showing a way to color paper with Gelato Paint Sticks: Creating an Art Journal Background.  The other from the Gauche Alchemy blog shows a fun method for creating a collage background and adding interest by applying tape and pulling it away quickly: Blended Paper Backgrounds. 

Download some printable sheet music ephemera, available free to our Facebook Fans.

I also used stamps from our new Journaling stamp set, from our Nature Medallions and and the Botanical Portrait stamp.

 

8 Ways to Use Grunge It Up Stamps

 

by Stacey Dunning

We originally designed the Grunge It Up stamps to help utilize bold stamps that looked a little dated and give them a hip and urban feel.  Since we introduced them two years ago, we

Easy Art Journal

 

by Stacey Dunning, Blockheads Paper Arts

This journal page was created using our Grunge It Up Stamp Set with Distress and Memento Ink Pads, the Cubist Crafter's Workshop Template,  and Gelato Paint Sticks.

Grunged Up Cornflower

Created by: Karen McAlpine, Design Team Member Description: Card make with Crafter's Workshop Template, ink sprays, and stamping elements. Stamp Set Used: Cornflower and Grunge it Up from Blockheads. For step by step instructions for this card, visit my full blog post on Dreaming and Creating.

Make Steampunk Bottle Cap Charms for less than 10 Cents Each

 

Use these printable images and bottle caps to make super inexpensive embellishments or jewelry.  These would look great on anything steampunk.  

Steps: 

1) Prepare bottle caps

Visit my recent post for the instructions on punching a hole,  flattening the bottle cap, and removing the liner from inside of the bottle cap: Bottle Cap and Soda Can Bracelet.

2) Print free downloadable images - best if printed on thick paper or light cardstock

Free PDF available on our Facebook Page

3) Cut images out by hand or using a 1" circle punch

4) Glue to top or inside of bottle cap (both shown above)

5) Seal using a clear glue like Diamond Glaze or Glossy Accents or the super easy method I used of using a clear Epoxy Dot which I admit adds about 25 cents to the cost of each charm.

If you use a liquid glue to seal ink jet prints, the ink could run depending on the paper you print on.  For best results, heat set the ink or let it dry for an hour or more, then apply the thinnest possible coat of glue and let it dry before adding a thicker layer.   I tested and the ink did not run on the paper I used, but I had let the ink dry well.

The Rose Boy. Yes, AGAIN! ;)

Here he is, the Rose Boy, he always makes me smile!  (If you've been a Blockheads fan for a while, then you may know I went through a crazy Valentine making spurt using this fellow. You can see, ahem, several cards featuring him HERE.)

Anyway, the spring issue of Altered Arts is out, and you can see this layout on the cover, so I don't think I'm giving away any secrets by showing you here!  The hardware you see peeking out from the next layout, that is a fantastic set, with keys and doorknobs and keyholes--you can find it HERE.

:)trisha

Blockheads Blog Featured on Craft Corner

Blockheads Blog is featured on Craft Corner's  Best of the Web

Spring Microscope Slide Magnets for the Emboss Resist Technique Challenge!

Created by: Leigh Snaith-Brunton aka The Sharpie Domino Queen and Design Team Member Description: Microscope Slide Magnets created with the Emboss Resist technique, layers of Memento Ink, fragments of skeleton leaves, StazOn stamped glass slides, copper foil tape, assorted fibers, charms and don't forget the magnets! Blockheads exclusive stamp sets:  Flowers, Feeling Regal, Grunge It Up, Backgrounds for all Occasions and Household Notions For step by step instructions for these cool magnets, visit my full blog post on Leigh S-B Designs.

Mother's Day Card with Emboss Resist

Created by: Karen McAlpine, Design Team Member Description: Technique Challenge-Mother's Day Card made with the Emboss Resist Technique and Stippling. Stamp Set Used: Grunge Collages and Flowers-Daisies from Blockheads. For step by step instructions for this card, visit my full blog post on Dreaming and Creating.