Ta-dah!

This is it, technically a three-post week. Ok, enough of that.

CraftyKT is sponsoring a Kool Tak Manufacturer Challenge, the Fabulously Fall Blog Hop. Kool Tak has some wonderful products (I especially love the Super Tacky Tape!). I also received the Layer Perfect tool, Kool Tak Shiny Transfer Foil Sheets, Clear Foam Tape and Clear Adhesive Foam pads.

We have a blog hop going. Yep, that's right. Just click on the Designer Craft Connection button at left to hop forward or backward and see some other projects made with these great tools by eleven more CHA designers.

I had lots of ideas for my first post on this subject, but decided to start with a nice simple scrapbook page about Jim and Mildred Wilson, my maternal grandparents. I took a little artistic license with the Fall theme, but after all, brown, orange, peach and black are fall colors.

What's that? What do you mean there's no journaling? Of course there is. I tucked it into a pocket on the back because I just had too much to say about this wonderful couple. It leaves my layout nice and clean but still holds information about their wonderful love story. — and doesn't show off my chicken-scratch (as my granny would say) handwriting.

Here's how I did it:

1. I started with these three layers. The photo is approximately 4 1/2" x 5 1/2", the peach layer 4 3/4" x 5 3/4" and the brown layer 5 1/8" x 6 1/8". All edges were sponged with  Colorbox Chestnut Roan Chalk Ink.

2. I wanted a tiny border of the peach cardstock, so just one unit on the Layer Perfect tool was perfect. It's so easy to line up the corners and lines and get  perfectly straight layers. (I usually don't notice that they are crooked until after they are glued down good and tight. This tool and the Kellycraft Get-It-Straight Laser Square eliminate that!) From the website: "Made from recyclable acrylic with 2 steel cutting edges, evenly spaced holes for piercing, a grid background, thoughtfully printed in pink or green ensuring whatever colour card stock you are using, you will always achieve perfect matting and layering."

I used Kool Tak Clear Foam Adhesive Squares to give the photo a little lift.

3. Adding the third layer is a snap!

4. Once the third layer was aligned, I used this fabulously strong Super Tacky Tape to adhere it.

5. This great paper from DCWV's Timeless Type Stack is perfect. I used my Westcott Craft knife to cut out the right side of the rose, leaves and buds. 
Note: The flowers, leaves, buds and some additional swirls are clear embossed so you can apply ink to the entire image, then wipe off the excess ink to make the embossed images stand out. I also used Colorbox Chestnut Roan Chalk Ink to sponge all the cutout edges to hide that bright white.

6. I wanted a larger margin on the 8" x 8" layer, so my measurement is 3/8" on each side. I added the rose paper and only applied the Super Tacky Tape to the edges, leaving the center loose so that I could slide the photo in under the flowers. I used the Super Tacky Tape to adhere it.

7. I used Kool Tak Clear Adhesive Foam Pads to support the roses, buds and leaves.

8. Here's a cool trick. If you need to put double-stick tape on the front of a diecut to add glitter or foil, adhere it on the cardstock before you make the diecut. That way, you don't have the trouble of little bits of Super Tacky Tape sticking to your fingers and the edge of your diecut, which are probably bigger than these photo corners (I know mine are!). You can also add it to the back to make it easier to place them on the layout.

9. Peel the tape off the front of the photo corner.

10. Press the corner, sticky side down to the back of the Kool Tak Shiny Transfer Foil Sheet. These come in several colors. I used the Earth Tones. Each sheet is 4 11/16" x3 9/16" and you get five colors, two sheets of each per pack. If you have any place where the foil doesn't adhere, just press it down again. Add these to the corners of the bottom photo layer for a little bit of bling.

 

11. I created the tag using the Duetica Lettering Arts Studio Mandolyn font. I altered the J, m, M and e to give it a custom look, saved it as an outline and printed it on cream cardstock. I was then able to go in with my wonderful Prismacolor colored pencils to add just the right amount of color. Duetica makes this so easy! A french border from PaperDreamsFactory was added and then highlighted with Viva Décor's orange Inka Gold. I had to trim the lower leaf a bit to keep from covering my grandfather's name.

  At this point, I used Colorbox Chestnut Roan Chalk ink on all the flowers, cut edges and page edges, then wiped the flowers with a paper towel to remove excess ink and highlight the flowers.

12. The finishing touch is a Vintage Natural Brass butterfly added in the upper left corner using Kool Tak's Clear Permanent Adhesive Foam Strips in a 3D roll. This stuff holds tight and it's the perfect size to hold the beautiful butterfly (3/16" wide, 1/16" thick and you get 1.6 yards on each roll!).

I know this has been a long post, but I wanted to go into detail to show how easy it is to create beautiful projects using these wonderful tools. 

And now for the best part: 

Make sure to ENTER the The Kool Tak™ GIVEAWAY HERE, 

which is valued just under $70.

One lucky giveaway winner* who signs up for the Crafty KT newsletter will get:

Kool Tak™ 1 Layer Perfect (Use it for centering, piercing, and edge stitching) Tool

Kool Tak™ 1 Shiny Transfer Foil Sheets (Earth Tones)

Kool Tak™ Clear Foam tape ¼ x ¼ x 1/32” thick

Kool Tak™ Clear Foam tape 3/16 x 1/16 thick by 1.6 yards

Kool Tak™ Premium EXTREME 2 ½ x 27 yards

*Only those with a mainland USA shipping address 

are eligible to win the giveaway.

Be sure to enter to win, then go out and enjoy this fabulous September Saturday with someone you love!