Hi everyone!

Sorry for the great delay since my last post. My life has been a whirlwind of activity, which is always a good thing in my book! Busy = Happy.

One of the projects I designed for our monthly local club (Paper Playground where we make either a scrapbook layout, cards or paper project each month) uses printed acetate. It's always a challenge to figure out what to use to attach acetate to other paper. In this case, I decided to sew it.

I would love to hear your ideas on attaching acetate to your pages and cards.

Here's what the layout looks like. Sorry the pictures don't do the layout justice!

I made a few cool cards for the Paper Temptress design team using their fabulous papers and my fabulous Klic-n-Kut electronic cutter. I love paper and I love my KNK! The machine totally rocks because it allows me to cut anything I want - if you can dream it, you can cut it! It's the only cutter out there that will cut grungeboard. Anyway, my KNK cut a few of the card elements.

I used alcohol inks on acetate to make the background on the first card. Cool, isn't it? My birthday cutter file was designed by my friend Ducky.

Hope you have a great and creative day!

Until next time,

XOXO,

Lynn

http://www.luckycharmcrafts.com/

Playing with Colored Vellum

Hi everyone!

I'm lucky to be a Design Team member for the Paper Temptress, an online store that sells awesome & yummy papers and ribbon. I wanted to design a 12"x12" scrapbook layout, highlighting some of that paper. So, I decided to play with colored vellum (and Lustre Laser Print paper). I encourage you to do the same! The technique is easy, fun and gorgeous. When you layer colored vellum, you end up with a whole new rainbow of color like the greens created from layering blues and yellows. Well, now we're talking my language... COLOR! My true passion in life!

The colored vellum comes in 8.5"x11" paper, but for this technique, you're just tearing it anyway, so the length isn't important. It's very difficult to add adhesive to the back of vellum without it showing through since vellum is transparent. They sell several different vellum tapes, but I, personally, think they are all a waste of money. I use spray adhesive (outside in a well ventilated area). The spray covers the entire piece so it all looks the same. But, it tends to be very sticky, so you have to work fairly fast.

To do this yourself, tear several different colors of vellum, leaving the straight edge on one of the sides. Tear the other side into a blunt point. You'll want to layer from the top down so that each new row will cover the bottom of the last row. Layout your design so that some of the straight edges are on the right and some are on the left. In other words, makes sure your design stretches to both sides. Try to pick up one sheet at a time to work with. Spray the piece and lay it down, carefully, towards the top of the page, lining up the straight edge with either the right or left side of the paper. Continue doing this with all of the rows and make sure the very bottom row is flush against the bottom edge.

That's it! You'll end up with a gorgeous creation!
Let me know what you think!

Until next time,
XOXO,
Lynn

Photo Transfer Technique

Hey!

At one of our club meetings this month, we played with a photo transfer technique that I personally thought was totally cool! There are lots of different techniques out there and I'm sure they are all pretty cool. But, this one is easy, with simple supplies that most of us already have, so that makes it easy and cool!

This technique works with newsprint really super well, but also works well with magazine pages. I tried it with my inkjet printer and that didn't work and I know that glossy paper is not preferable. So, you should play with several different kinds of papers to see what works for you and what you like.

You'll need:

• a magazine picture



• packing tape



• bone folder (or something totally flat)



• bowl of water

Cut a piece of packing tape to whatever length you would like. If you are making a standard card, cut the piece something less than 5 1/2" long. Neatly cover a picture with the tape, being careful when you put it down. Once that tape sticks, you're unable to make any changes. Cut off any extra tape. Burnish it well using a bone folder, making sure you've taken out any air bubbles. Tear off any extra paper. The paper stuck to the tape will not come off, so don't worry about being super careful. Immerse the piece into a bowl of water and let it sit for at least 10 minutes. Remove from the water and dry off any extra water with a paper towel. Start rubbing the back of the tape with your finger. Rub, rub and rub a little more and you will start to see a transparent picture on the tape. If the piece dries before you are able to remove the backing, re-dunk it in the water.

Now you can mat the piece or use it however you would like. Sometimes the tape remains sticky enough on the back to use it as is.

One of our club members made a window in her card front and then used her piece in the window. It allowed the picture to remain transparent which was super cool!

Here's a picture of a card I made using my photo transfer. It's a little "blue" for me, but cute none the less. Plus, there are lots of people would there who prefer blue. I don't understand it, but there are! Yup... probably you!

Hope you like it! Have fun!
Until next time,
xoxo,

Lynn

My store is open!!!

Hi everyone! My store is open... most gliches are out of it and it's up and thriving! I got my first order shortly after the opening bell! What fun is that?!

http://www.luckycharmcrafts.com/

So, I hope you'll check it out and let me know what you think! I recommend you go to my homepage, click on one of the thumbnails, scroll to the top to check out some of my videos (less than 2 minutes each) and then click on STORE or Buy Kit to take you to the store.

On another note, I've been thinking about my "stash". We all have one - some bigger than others though! We've been saving special papers for years, cool embellishments, awesome ribbons... we even have a "stash" of found objects and product packaging that we will definitely be able to use some time later! Norma Anne gave me a package of paper for my "x" birthday a few years back and I look at it all of the time! Sometimes I touch it and think about a project that would look great with that paper. Then, I put it back in it's cool case and stash it away for the next time I need a pick-me-up. Some people would call me a "hoarder". It's true! I've been hoarding all kinds of things for 10 years now!

BUT, I have made up my mind! I am going to use my stash! I challenge all of you to do the same. Give it up! Whatever it is that you've been holding on to all this time. Use it! Just think of what fun it will be to replace it with some cool new thing. You know... I had a crocheted granny circle forever. I never wanted to use it because it's so pretty and unique and old. A few weeks ago, I decided to just use it on a card I sent my sister, Cyndy. She loved the card! Her favorite part was that crocheted piece! It made me feel good to share the love!

Until next time,
xoxo,
Lynn

Welcome!

Hi!

Welcome to my new blog! Hope you’ll find this an interesting place to come learn, share and play in my world of paper arts. I’m going to start right off by sharing a fun technique. Please forgive that my pictures aren’t the best, but they’ll improve over time, hopefully. :)

My awesome girlfriend and mentor, Norma Anne Chattin, asked me just the other day to remind her how to do this technique, so it brought the idea to the top of my head. Remember, as a kid, playing with that scratch paper that had a black surface and when you scratched the surface, there were rainbow colors that would appear? Well, one day we were playing with different materials that we purchased at the art store and one of them was that scratch paper... we happened upon this:

When you stamp an image on the black surface, using Encore ink, heat set it to dry and then rub it with a paper towel, the rainbow colors underneath the stamped image will appear. It’s very cool! Only the crisp image appears, the remainder of the black surface is undisturbed! But, here’s the deal… from what I can tell, this only works with Encore ink! The color doesn’t matter, just the brand. You can certainly try other inks, but I have unsuccessfully tried several dye inks, pigment inks, Stazon, Brilliance, and Versa colors. One good thing is that I’ve had my Encore inkpad for 10 years and it’s just like new. Here are pictures of the process:

Let me know what you think!

Until next time,

xoxo,

Lynn

www.LuckyCharmCrafts.com www.LuckyCharmCrafts.com/store www.facebook.com/LuckyCharmCrafts www.youtube.com/user/luckycharmcrafts