Looking Clearly at Clearsnap Scrapbook Page Tutorial

I created this page specifically to show how you can use Clearsnap products to make a scrapbook page.  This particular page shows my friend Ruth at my home making flower pins.  Ruth especially loves these little fabric stamped pins, and so she is the subject of my page.  I used a number of Clearsnap products on this page, including various inkpads and Smooch products.  The stamps are all from Hero Arts.

The first thing I did was to make the title letters.  I used Prussian Blue and Olive chalk inkpads to color a sheet of watercolor paper:

I then spritzed the paper with a blue Smooch Spritz:

The inks blended into a sparkly mass of color.  When the sheet was dry, I used my Cricut to cut out the letters.  I used the cartridge George and Basic Shapes to cut out the shadowed letters because I wanted a bold look to the letters.  I had to hand cut the openings in the R and the D because I chose this option.
(Note:  I also used this page to die cut various letters and elements for a matching card.)

To make the background for the page, I applied Cyan and Limited Edition Ocean pigment inks to a 12" x 12" smooth white cardstock (Bazzill) using the Colorbox blending tool and foam applicators.

I omitted ink from the part of the page that would be covered by the focal picture.  After I inked the areas I wanted, I overstamped Hero Arts Many Petals S5485 in French Blue Fluid Chalk Ink.  (This was the same stamp we used to make the flower pins.)  I also cut a strip of a coordinating scrapbook paper (Autumn Leaves)  about 2 1/2" wide to act as a backdrop for the title letters.  I inked the edges of this strip with Chestnut Roan chalk ink, then attached my cut out (and now dry) Cricut letters.

I also stamped an 8 1/2" x 7" ecru colored smooth piece of cardstock (Bazzill) with Hero Arts Stitch n Trim cling stamp CG183 in Prussian Blue, again omitting areas that would be covered by the picture.  I tried to make sure my lines matched up!  After stamping, I inked the stamped mat with Chestnut Roan and Toffee chalk inks to add an aged look.  I then attached my focal picture of Ruth to this mat.   I thought the scissor stamp would be perfect, since she is cutting out one of her sewn flowers!

I wanted to add some dimension to the page, in additon to the fabric flower I had planned, so I decided to add some deep themal embossed and stamped hearts.  I love Ruth!  To begin, I used some redline tape to attach a small wooden heart (craft supply) to a wooden craft stick.  This gives me a handle so I don't burn my hands!

Also, inked Hero Arts Flourish Wave D4213 with Magenta pigment ink and laid it ink side up on my workspace.  (I will need this later.)  I inked the heart with Pink and Magenta pigment inks using the Clearsnap blending tool.  I then dipped the hearts (good thing for that handle!) into clear embossing powder and used my heat tool to melt the powder.  while the powder was still hot, I again dipped the heart into the powder and again heated.  I repeated this process about four times.  After the last heating, while the powder is still molten, I stamped the pre-inked swirl stamp onto the heart.  Lovely!  The now enameled heart has a design embossed into it!

I then stamped the flower again onto white card and inked just the center with Alpine pigment ink and Yellow Citrus Chalk ink.  This will be for the tag I will make.  

Here is the final layout.  I made a tag from a Sizzix die and inked it with Chestnut Roan and spritzed with Smooch Spritz Pralines n Cream.  I added a bit of the scrapbook paper with the inked flower center and an additional letter R cut from a Quickutz letter die.  The rest of "Ruth" is spelled out with Hero Arts Small Variety Alphabet clear stamp set.  Do you see a bit of gleam in the background?  I used Smooch in gold to ink the centers of the flowers in the background.  I also added a bit of the inked watercolor paper I used to cut the title letters.  Some buttons threaded with fibers and my pink enameled hearts balance the fabric flower I wanted to be the focal point of the page.  While I stamped the flower onto fuschia patterned fabric (using Colorbox pigment Black), I added details of gold Smooch to highlight the flower.  A bit of Hero Arts lace completes the page.  I know Ruth will treasure this page as I treasure her as a friend!