So what are Inchies, you ask? I had never heard of them when Ellen Hutson & Karen Lockhart first mentioned them to me. They are a tiny, 1-inch square canvas to create or highlight your artwork, similar to ATCs (Artist Trading Cards). You can place them on chipboard, fabric, tiles, swap them with friends . . . the possibilities are endless!
At first, I thought how in the world can you do much with a 1" square?!! But then just as Debbie Olson did, I created masks by punching a 1-inch square and circle in a piece of cardstock and started by placing them over the images I thought I might like to work with. It's fun to see the same images you may have worked with before take on a whole new perspective when cropped. Be sure to click on Debbie's name above, to see her take on Inchies -- she created beautiful note cards to showcase hers!
Then I started rummaging thru my craft stash (we all have those, don't we?!!) and pulling out anything that might frame or otherwise enhance a 1-inch image and tons of ideas started popping into my head! This is the first one I came up with, since the holiday season is upon us -- A Christmas Tree Album to showcase my Inchie Ornaments!
The tree album was a gift from my sweet friend, Julie Brooks, is by Melissa Frances, and measures 11.75 inches tall by 11.25 inches across the base. Julie carries these albums in her online store, Doodliedoo, and by clicking on that link, you'll see what the album looks like unfinished. Below are the covers opened up so you can see both the front and back. I think I'll be filling this album with some favorite Christmas photos of my girls thru the years!
The album's covers are chipboard and I began by removing the binding and covering the covers with torn pieces of BasicGrey's Figgy papers -- I LOVE the nostalgic feel to these papers! Then I highlighted the torn edges of the papers with Frosted Lace Stickles, to resemble snow. Next, I trimmed the edges of the tree with this great white chenille ball trim and a fun new green scalloped velvet trim I found at my local scrapbook store by Creative Imaginations.
Here are some closer looks at the tree sections and then I'll tell you more about each individual Inchie (for a larger view of any of these photos, just click on them). First, the top portion of the album:
Middle 1:
Middle 2:
Bottom Right:
DETAILS: (All images are by Lockhart Stamp Company and are linked to that stamp by clicking on the bold red text, so you can see what the full stamp looks like). Most products used are available from Ellen Hutson's online store, unless otherwise noted. Most ribbon & trim can be found at StarLitStudio:
Starting back at the top left -- Believe Santa: This is a round Inchie (I'm not sure if "round" is a true Inchie or not, but I'm sayin' it is, LOL!) that I placed inside a bottle cap. The image is colored with Spica Glitter Pens and Santa's fur trim is Stardust Stickles. I topped the bottle cap with a metal photo hanger and tied May Arts red striped ribbon on it.
Child's Stocking: Maya Road silver frame. Colored with Spica Glitter Pens. The inside (image) dimensions are 1-inch, so overall this measures about 1.25". Again, I used a hardware clip as a hanger and tied on some red Wrights baby rick-rack.
Mama Flurry: Colored with Copic markers and added Stardust Stickles on her snow parts. Bling button on her jacket is a blue A Muse Creative Candy Twinkle Sticker. Hardware is a round 1-1/8 inch (interior image size) copper book plate from We Are Memory Keepers -- I just trimmed off the bottom brad holder with Tonic/Tim Holtz' awesome serrated scissors -- they'll cut thru just about anything! A bit of Flair Designs blue velvet ribbon tops it off.
Noel Angel Poinsettia: This is actually a 3/4 of an Inchie (LOL!) -- I wanted more of the paper Making Memories poinsettia to show. Colored with Copic markers and accented with a flat-backed pink pearl (only color I had) that I colored green with a Copic marker -- it matches the angel's dress perfectly now! The edges of the image is inked with a marker, to create a faux mat.
Ribbon of Lights: The overall size of this small Maya Road silver frame is 1-inch (the image size is just a little over 3/4-inch) and it showcases just a portion of this 5.25" long string of Christmas lights border stamp. They are colored with Spica Glitter pens and accented with Sunflower Dew Drops. The Dew Drop wasn't as bright of a yellow as I would have liked, so I colored it with a Copic yellow marker to darken it! Again, I added a metal hardware hanger to the back of the frame that I tied Stampin' Up's green stitched ribbon thru.
Wreath Angel: Colored with Spica Glitter pens and blinged with A Muse Creative Candy Twinkle stickers. Stampin' Up's Antique Brass hardware book plate has the bottom brad holder cut off and allows for an image size of just under 1-inch. May Arts green swirled ribbon.
Nicholas Flurry: 1-inch round of sweet Nicholas was colored with Copic markers and a Making Memories 1-inch Page Pebble placed on top. He's secured to a Making Memories paper snowflake that measures 1.75" that I highlighted with Stardust Stickles. The snowflake is then given some more stability and lift with a 1-inch chipboard circle underneath it.
Holly (Holiday Millinary Embellishment): Image colored with Spica Glitter pens, placed beneath a square page pebble from Creative Imaginations that's 1.25" square. Then I made a faux frame on top of the page pebble using Zig's Gold Painty Pen, so it brings the stamped image size down to 1-inch. It is backed with a square piece of white chipboard I cut from a coaster (you know, that huge supply you had to have and still haven't done anything with?)!! I sandwiched some gold cord between the image and the chipboard backing, to serve as a hanger. A Muse Creative Candy Twinkler Stickers were placed on top of the page pebble.
Packages Bottlecap: 1-inch circle image punched and placed on the top of an antique gold bottle cap. Image colored with Copic markers & Spica Glitter pens. Image outlined with Stardust Stickles and topped with a Making Memories large green crystal brad.
Holiday House: Stampin' Up's Pewter hardware 1-inch book plate -- again, has one of the brad holders cut off. SU's pewter swirl clip & brad created this hanger. Image colored with Copic markers & Spica Glitter pens.
ETA: Details are complete now! Don't forget that most of the products you see here came from Ellen Hutson's online store, where she's having a 15% off sale this weekend, thru Sunday night. Just enter the code "CELEBRATE" upon checkout, to receive your discount.
Be sure to check out what Michelle Wooderson did with her Inchies and she also has previews of some new Lockhart stamp images that were just released for sale today! Click on that "new" link above and that will show you all the new images for sale in Ellen's store!
Cindy Lyles is also new to the Hutson-Lockhart team and she shares her beautiful take on Inchies, too!
