good morning all!
i am happy to report that we are currently getitng RAIN and not snow here in northern VA!!!

Suzanne issued us a topsy turvy challenge this week – take a stamp and use it for a holiday OTHER than what it is intended. FUN! it is ALWAYS good to look for additional uses for all your stamps.

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Susana has all of the new spellbinders IN STOCK NOW – YAY!!!  Be sure to check them out!

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i decided i really love Irish Eyes even though i would not normally send out st patty’s day cards. Then i realized there are LOTS of times when i WOULD want to wish someone luck! and a person’s first home is one of them:

 i went with a green and brown theme and instead of the usual type of sentiment i printed off my favorite Irish blessing. the clover is cut with my cricut and run through my cuttlebug swiss dots embossing folder. i added one of the super cute glittered buttons (found HERE) tied with scrappers floss to the clover and then a scrap of ribbon tied with floss to balance it out along with a few chocolate glittered skittles.

i colored my image with copics and used a green spica glitter pen on her clovers.

i think she is just darling!!

i hope you run over to the store blog and check out what the rest of the girls caame up with!

have a fantastic day!!!

a shimmer of distress for TIOT…

good morning!

despite some snow yesterday (yes i said more snow) it looks like pezzy will finally get to go back to school today!  she really misses her little friends.  they will be having their valentine’s day party that they missed last week so we made cupcakes and i will be scrambling to finish the cupcake holders as soon as i finish this post!  check in tomorrow for pics of those as well as my first foray into gumpaste as i prepare for that cricut cake machine heading my way in april!

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BLOG CANDY ALERT

you will want to be sure to hop on over to the SCACD store blog and check out the amazing blog candy Susana is offering – in anticipation of the THIRD Elisabeth Bell release you could win a FULL sheet of release #1, #2 AND #3 – thats alot of stamps!!!

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Design Team Call

Creative Inspirations Paints is having a design team call – do you like to shimmer?  Get more info >>HERE<<

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For Try It Out Tuesday over on the SCACD store blog Suzanne challenged us to use 3 layers and 3 layers ONLY on our card.

In addition my card covers several other challenges as well:

SFYTT  – Weekly sketch challenge

Paperplay – Birthday

Frosted Designs – Star

Hand Full Of Stamps – Open Fun

Fussy & Fancy – Dazzle Us

OCCC – Something Old thats new (SB pendants)

Technique Junkies Technique – Antiqued Shimmers

 i have a fun card to show you today using an amazing but simple technique for your background:

Layer 1 – you can see the shimmer at the top a bit in the pic – in real life it is AWESOME! it is a bit of twist on an oldie but goodie – wrinkle free distress. to achieve it simply take two distress ink pads and smoosh them onto your craft sheet keeping the colors overlapping but not mixed into each other. next instead of misting with water you mist with smooch spritz in 2 colors until the ink begins to bead. Next simply lay your cardstock face down in the puddle and move around a bit to cover and pick up to dry. for this card i used shabby shutters and tumbled glass distress inks and vanilla and spun sugar smooch spritz. next i stamped randomly with this cute little lockhart three packages itty bitty.  

** i DID NOT come up with this idea on my own (though i can’t believe it never occurred to me to combine two of my fave things!)  NOPE i got it from the Technique Junkies newsletter.  this is an INVALUABLE resource for ideas and ways to really get the most out of your supplies.  Pat is AWESOME and this is the BEST subscription i get out of all of them – far surpasses my magazines to be quite honest**

Layer 2 – i used the large lattice pendant spellbinders die on the side and cut it in half.

Layer 3 – i used a bit of paper from the gorgeous Basic Grey Lily Kate collection.

Layers 1 & 3 are inked with peeled paint and vintage photo using  a foam ink blending tool and then i distressed the edges.

i finished it off with star cut out with the George cricut cart and a pretty little bronze button tied with brown scrappers floss. not difficult, not time consuming but loads of WOW factor!

now off to finish those cupcke holders!!

hugs!

TIOT color challenge – aqua, coral & cream

hiya!

everyone keeping warm??  we were supposed to get some more snow flurries but looks like it missed us.  word on the street is that temps will make it to 50 on friday – we’ll all be running around in shorts teee hee!!!  pezzy SO NEEDS to get outdoors and run off some energy!

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Susana over at SCACD has a new release of stamps this friday that will introduce a NEW character and i just gotta tell ya THEY ARE CUTE!!!  anyone in the mood for SPRING yet??  To celebrate her arrival there will be some yummy blog candy up on the store blog starting today so be sure to check it out!!  Also my post for TIOT to includes a tutorial for easy painting using Creative Inspirations Shimmer Paints.

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this week Suzanne offered up a color challenge and the results are stunning i must say!  Be sure to head over to the SCACD store blog after reading my post to see wht the others created – AMAZING!! we were to use aqua, coral and cream and here is my result:

I think this color combo is just dreamy! i used a patterned paper from Lily Kate by Basic Greywhich is available at SCACD in 6×6 pads – my FAVE way to buy patterned paper! this pad is GORGEOUS – pastel shades of lavender, green, yellow, aqua – a perfect pad for upcoming spring projects! Susana also got these adorable little Prima mini roses in and they are JUST the thing to perk up the centers of my older style prima flowers. These are nice and sturdy too so they don’t smoosh up and get mis-shapen. i used a corner punch to ccentute the corner of my main image panel and topped that with a two layer bow made with my trusty bow easy and another rose in the center.

My card incorporates 3 other challenges in addition to TIOT:

Tues. Morning sketches (from last week not today)

Practical Scrappers – Glitter & Bling

ABC challenge – L is for layering

My main image is done with the oh so shimmery Creative Inspirations paints:

The stamp is Forever Friends by Victoria Case and i think these little guys are just the CUTEST! now i know some folks out there are WIZARDS with paint & watercolors. i, however, am NOT. but i LOVE paint & watercolors 😛 SO i thought i would do a little mini tutorial to show you how i achieve some depth & contrast in my images when painting with CI paints.

 

Click on the picture for a larger view of the steps. First you will wnt to use wtercolor paper – i don’t get naything over the top – just pad from Michaels will do. Stamp your image with Versamark and emboss with black embossing powder – this helps keep the paint from spreading out of the lines 🙂 Choose paint colors on the lighter side and then get matching darker colored prisma pencils. Step 1 shows my pic with just the paint – i used a waterbrush and watered it down a bit so the color was somewhat pale. Then use your prisma pencil to add shading where you want a darker shadow in your image. in pic 2 you can see where i added darker red in the red areas and also where i added some darker aqua where i was painting aqua paint. I wanted to give you a good idea where i put the shading but it DOES NOT MATTER if you do the pencil before or after the painting – using the pancil over the paint does not affect the shimmer. the bottom 2 pics show the image (left) with just the paint on the leaves and bug bodies and then (right) with some shading added with prisma pencils. the shading is subtle but it DOES make a difference in the overall feel of your image.

i hope you all have a fun and exciting day today!!

hugs

TIOT & microbead tutorial!

GOOD GRACIOUS!  apparently while ushering in the new year i also passed 100K blog hits! a thrilling thing i gotta say!  i LOVE my visitors and always look forward to them!  comments are the highlight of my day!  i think this calls for some blog candy!  tune in tomorrow and i will see what i can put together for ya!

yesterday pez & i braved the FREEZING cold again to run errands.  the bin that holds my shower stuff in the shower broke so i went and got another one.  i have to have the suctio cuppy kind so i can have it low eough to reach.  the hannging kid are too high for me.  WELLLLLL the new one did not last though the first shower ad fell off the wall GRRRRRR!  i did not even have much on it!  anyone have anything they can suggest for me??

ok enough chattin as i have ALOT to post today!  it is Try It Out Tuesday (TIOT) over on the SCACD blog PLUS i have a tutorial for ya!

Our challenge from Suzannefor TIOT over on the SCACD DT blog Follow Your Heart was to welcome in the new year by creating a welcome project.  All of the projects posted on the blog are awesome so be sure to pop over there after this post and check them out!  

since my neighbor is pregnant i decided to get to work on her welcome baby gift set:

This set includes an acetate card, soup in a jar mix, and homemade oatmeal milk bath for the mom to be!

i will start off saying this card covers numerous challenges i addition to TIOT:

Pile It On – clear (two challenges are up right now PLUS a chance to get on the DT – FUN!!)

Sweet Dreamers blog group – sketch (i had done this for studio G but i have had little response on that challenge)

Crafty Creations – glitter & bling – i used loads of super shimmering Creative Ispirations paint!

Paper Play – New Beginnings

Our Creative Corner – Clean & Simple

and my own personal challenge – ways with microbeads!

 

ok back to the project!

The jar and card both use a Lockhart stamp from SCACD – an adorable quilt – which i stamped with Versamark, embossed with black embossing powder and then painted in with my friend Molly’s incredible shimmering Creative Inspirations paints.  i LOVE these and they are so easy to use!  by embossing first it is even easier to just paint the image in!  here i used aquamarine & sunshine.  you can get these at SCACD and the colors are vibrant and AMAZING!  Many of the Lockhart stamps have PERFECT quilt like designs for this technique!

i matted my main images on a labels 3 nesties die (the blue mat is inked with a foam blending tool as in >>my videos<< but the yellow one i left uninked)

 

 

this pic attempts to show the shimmer but it is not as shimmery as in real life…

my card uses the same image as the jar but i painted it in opposite of the one on the jar.  my base is acetate – simply a transparency sheet from staples.  I will post a tutorial on the acetate tips & tricks tomorrow!

for the narrow strips in the sketch i used cardstock puched with an MS border punch. then i put a strip of microbeads across each one to accent them.  i added a rattle cut from the new arrival cricut cartridge as my embellishment.  i finished it off with a few pezabling acrylic embellishments on the two outer corners.  (7 new colors will be available later today for Easter! **please oh please take a nap today pezzy**)

now onto the tutorial portion – Installment 1 for microbeads!  so dig out those microbeads you stashed away or got for christmas.  we are going to start with some basics first.

don’t have any microbeads??  check out the new sets of 12 colors from martha stewart at Michaels! 

there is a regular set & a metallic set plus a 3 piece valetine set of gorgeous iridescent beads:

IF YOU CANNOT GET THESE near you i have a special order page for you – the 12 piece sets are $15 and the 3 piece is $5.50.  >>CLICK HERE<<  this is a ONE TIME thing for those of you who want to keep up but don’t have these near you.

now on to the tutorial – today is a picture tutorial – my fave method so i can print them off and take them with me.  i can also go as slow as i need to & refer back!

**TUTORIAL**

we will start with storage for ALL of your microbead fun!  i am ALL ABOUT the gerber second foods plastic containers – these ROCK.  so search out your friends with babies ya’ll!  i use these for glitter, embossing powder and microbeads.  second – mini spoons.  fit PERFECTLY into the container and are THE BEST utensil for dumping your stuff onto your paper.  the wide rectangular opening gives you somewhere to dump over with less mess AND they are still small enough not to be too much of  storage nightmare!

the spoons come in a set of 10 and are also on the special order page for you too if you need them

Supplies:

SCOR-TAPE – this is a MUST HAVE for lots of things!  this is an amazing tape that comes in numerous widths and is invaluable when you REALLY want some holding power.  So for microbeads it is wonderful.  i also have the various pieces of my card laid out and the inset pic shows you the microbeads in the container with the little spoon.

Next we will begin adhering our beads.  now this takes a couple extra steps for this card because i am working with an acetate base BUT you can do this right onto your cardstock of course!  i started by attaching my cardstock strips to my acetate base ON THE INSIDE with scor tape – this gives me a nice exactly even straight line of adhesive so it will be easier to mask.

you can see in the 2nd pic once they are attached you can see the adhesive through the front of the card.  this is where my microbeads will come in.  in the 3rd pic you see i placed another strip of  scor tape on the front of the card EXACTLY over the adhesive that was showing through.

then i held the card over the open container of beads and spooned beads on to the adhesive.

the pic on the left shows the strip of microbeads after you first dump them on – notice there are some blank spaces.  so what i do next is dump a bit more beds on and this time i rub my finger over them and get some more smooshed down int o those empty spaces.  the pic on the right is after smooshing.

easy peasy!! and a fun alternative to a strip of ribbon across a panel of your card! now i started off easy but don’t worry i have more ideas in store!!

hugs!

TIOT: Box It Up!

anyone else’s tday leftovers dwindling?  they sure don’t last long around here! 

What a fun project Suzanne challenged us with for Try It Out Tuesday over on my very dear friend Susana’s SCACD store blog – we had to make some treat boxes/bags/holders.  i LOVE making these AND i got to experiment a bit with me E and new cart – Sweet Treats.  i plan on making 15 or so treat bags for various folks to hold my hand decorated christmas cookies.  so this was a perfect opportunity to try out a few ideas:

This one is empty now but it will contain a bag of goodies once Christmas gets closer – most probably for Pezzy’s little friend next door – a total princess so she will love the girly-ness!  the bag itself is super simple – take a 12×12 piece of cardstock and cut it into 4″ strips, score at 4.5″ and 6.5″.  next cut a piece of coordinating cardstock 4″x3″ and cut one edge with a border punch if you want – his piece will be your fold over flap – score it 1.5″ from the decorative edge.  Attach it to the shorter back piece so it folds over the front.  punch two holes through the top for your ribbon tie! i also cute a 1.5″ strip to go around the bottom.

My main image is an adorable stamp called BFFs from SCACD – part of the Winter Wonderland series of samps done exclusively for SCACD by Victoria Case.  i stamped her with Memento Tuxedo Black ink & colored her with my copics and then added in some sparkling accents with Spica glitter pens.  i finished her off by adding some white sparkly fluff in a few spots – her cuff and collar, the cuff of the stocking, the bottom edge of her nightie and her fluffy little slippers – this stuff is the bomb – JUST like soft velvet!

i cut her out with Spellbinders curved rectangles and edged it with Brilliance Pearlescent Pink ink.  i accented the ribbon on top by tying it with some scrappers floss and threading seed beads on the ends!

as i said i was happy to do a little experimenting with boxes so i made ANOTHER ONE:

i made this on my new cricut E using the Sweet Treats cartridge!  i have to say it is not like using the baby bug except it cuts bigger.  this thing has way more features plus i do not have a feel for the best blade settings like with my baby – had it for more than 2 years!  anyway i was thumbing through the handbook and this little favor box caught my eye and i decided to make the party hat into a Christmas Tree.  i gave them some seed bead garland and liquid pearl ornaments.  i also cut little windows using the scallop oval nestie, i always feel they need a frame so i just cut out a second oval using two nesties at once. 

I finished off with a couple adorable Lockhart Itty Bitty stamps.  aren’t they too cute!  i stamped them in Memento Rich Cocoa and colored them with copics.  i cut them out with the plain circle nestie and edged them with Brilliance Pearlescent Ink.  i put litle squares of acrylic from the backs of some of my studio G stamps over the windows so the candies wouldn’t fall out!

thanks SO much for stopping by and be sure to take a peek at what the rest of the DTs did!

 

Paper: SU – Pixie Pink;

Ink: Copics; Brilliance Pearlescent Pink; Memento Tuxedo Black, Rich Cocoa

Stamps: SCACD – Victoria Case BFFs, Lockhart Itty Bitties

The Rest: Nesties, Spica Pens, Cricut, EK success edge punch, Ribbon, scrappers floss,