Shaving Cream Marbling Technique

This is a fun activity that I used in my preschool classroom for YEARS!  The children loved it and guess what???  Grown ups do too!

Supplies: white cardstock, shaving cream (not the gel kind), reinkers, tray, something to swirl the colors with (I used a wooden skewer), scraper (I used my Pampered Chef tool but a flat spatula, piece of cardboard or even a paper towel would work)

Supplies are assembled and ready to go!  Lets have some messy fun!

Spray a layer of shaving cream on the tray

Add some drops of reinker (food coloring or liquid water colors work too)

Use the skewer (or tool of your choice) to swirl the colors through the shaving cream.  Be care not to stir it or you will lose the marble effect on your finished product

Place your paper on top of the shaving cream and gently pat is down so that the shaving cream compresses a little.  If you need to move your paper to get areas that you missed, just pick it up and lay it down again

Lift your paper off of the shaving cream.  This is what it will look like

Use your scraper (or tool of your choice) to remove the shaving cream from the paper.  Have paper towels handy to wipe your scraper off

This is what the finished product looks like...and the coolest part????  It's dry!!!

A closer view of the marbling

I decided I wanted a second color so I just sprayed a little more shaving cream on top of what I already had on the tray, added a second color (in this picture, it's lagoon that I added), swirled it around & put the paper on it

Same paper as above with the pear swirls on with lagoon being added.  Ready to be scraped

My final product with both colors :)

You may have noticed that I didn't cover my workspace (which happened to be the island in my kitchen)

Super easy way to clean reinkers from my counter top!  Add a little shaving cream....

Spread it around with my hands, wipe it off with paper towels or dish cloth and ......

My counter top is once again clean!!!  **This works GREAT for juice stains as well!**

My two papers that I'll be cutting to make the background for my cards

Here's the finished product!  A quick, easy way to create a unique card! 

**Stamps are both retired stamp sets from Close To My Heart**

If you're interested in picking up some reinkers of your own to try this fun technique, you can visit my website at www.craftedworks.ctmh.com

Thanks and Happy Crafting!

~Bobbi~

My new "go to" cleaner when I need to remove something sticky!!!

Three times in the last 4 days, I have used peanut butter to clean something sticky.  I know it may sound strange but it's true!  My 9 year old son left Double Bubble bubblegum in his baseball pants and it ended up all over his baseball jersey.  I wish I had taken pictures of the process ... it was AMAZING!!!  I had tried several other methods, specialty cleaners, ice and finally my last resort....peanut butter.  So there I was, his red, white & black dry fit baseball jersey and a blob of peanut butter.  I rubbed it in, let it sit for a few minutes and then used the edge of a spoon to remove the peanut butter.  I was SHOCKED!  The gum came right out!!!

Tonight I'm working on year end teacher gifts and I removed the label on the glass container and the label residue remained.  It was that super resistant kind that is next to impossible to remove.  A little peanut butter, razor blade & a little soap & it was SQUEAKY CLEAN!!  I remembered to take pictures this time!

Here's the container with the peanut butter smeared on the sticky spot.  I let it sit for a minute or two.

I used a razor blade to effortlessly scrape off the peanut butter.

A little dab of dish soap to wash off the peanut butter residue and ...... 

VOILA!!!! A completely clean bottom to the container with very little effort!

This is definitely my new "go to" sticky cleaner!!!  Give it a try & let me know how it works for you!!!

Triple Time Stamping Cards

I hope that you'll find the photo instructions for creating a triple time stamped card easy to follow and useful.  I tried to be as thorough as I could be.

Supplies that I used to create this card are white cardstock, white card base (4 1/4" x 5 1/2" ), lagoon cardstock, paper trimmer, inks (Outdoor Denim, Lagoon, Pear and Slate), Bitty Sparkles, Blue & Green Epoxy Bubbles and stamp set C1583 "Robot Family".

Alright ..... here we go!!!!!!

Cut 3 rectangles.  Measurements are 3 3/4" x 5" for the bottom layer.  Middle layer is 3 1/4" x 4 1/2".

Top layer is 2 3/4" x 4" 

**You can make these whatever size you need to suit your project, I just bring the measurements down by 1/2" on both sides for each layer**

I wrote the size on the pieces just for your reference.  I don't normally write the size but I figured they'd be on the back so it wouldn't show.  In this picture, you can see how I added a small strip from my ATG gun on the back of the middle piece.  I always tap my finger on it several times so that it isn't too sticky ... you need to be able to take them apart without tearing your project.

Next you're going to center the middle white piece on top of the biggest white piece that you have cut out.

Again, just showing the small amount of adhesive that is used to temporarily secure the 3 pieces while you're stamping.  It's best to use a tape runner/ATG gun for this so that  pieces can be easily taken apart.

Now that you've put the top piece on the stack, it should look like this.

Now comes the fun part :) This is where you'll decide how you want to stamp your card.  I chose to put my sentiment in the middle.

The important part when you're stamping is that you want your image to span over the various layers.  If there is a small space from where the layers are it's ok.  The mats that you're going to make will hide that!

Adding a variety of images over the various layers.

Now my card is fully stamped. 

Your next step is going to be to separate the pieces to mat them.

I don't know the exact measurements of the mats.  I just place the stamped piece in the corner of my paper that I'm going to mat on and eyeball cut the mat using my paper trimmer.  I LOVE the guide on the CTMH Fiskars trimmer for this!

You can see here what I was talking about by placing it in the corner & trimming.

Once your second layer is matted, place in on top of the bottom layer.  Make sure that your images line up correctly before adding adhesive.  You'll want them to stay put so use ample adhesive.

All 3 layers are matted and the card is assembled.

Then attach the stamped images to your card base and embellish! Super cute and SO MUCH EASIER to do than people will think!!!

I hope that this has made it easy for you to create your own triple time stamped card!  If you would like any of the supplies that I have used to create this card you can visit my website at www.craftedworks.ctmh.com and purchase the items from there!  

Thanks for stopping by and happy scrapping!

A LONG overdue post!

Oh my ..... my poor blog has been greatly neglected.  Well to be honest, I was never really good at keeping it up to date BUT my goal (and I know I've said this before) is to post on it more often.  I've been quite crafty since my last post so I'll try to go back over the next few weeks and get some past crafty projects posted!  My next post, however is going to be a "How-To" post.  My quick go-to technique for cards is triple time stamping so I've decided to do a step by step photo tutorial.  Watch for in the next little bit!

Thanksgiving Table Decoration

My newest creation!  I LOVE this little gobbler!  It was inspired by a fellow consultant who created a similar looking turkey on a card (Thanks Karen Cullen!)  The leaves provide places for you and your family to write down some things that you're thankful for!  How cute would this guy be on your dinner table on Thanksgiving!?!?!  Napkin/name place tags can be made using the same turkey.  If you're interested in ordering a turkey, message me!  

Monthly Baby Tracker

This great prop makes the PERFECT addition to monthly pictures for your baby!  It would make a great baby shower/new baby gift.

The blocks can be changed out so that months can be tracked through 24 months.  

Candy Bouquets

I have been SUPER busy in the craft department over the past few weeks.  One of my newest creations, the candy bouquet.  They can be made in any theme/color scheme and for any occasion.