Monthly Archives: March 2012

Things on Thursday…

29 Thursday Mar 2012

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1. I’m sick. Temp, head cold, fatigue, blah.

2. The kids are sick but getting better. We didn’t know if G was going to pull through yesterday – he was really pathetic! But he’s (mostly) back to his bad self today.

He spent the entire day and night like this!

And M is still feeling just sick enough to be the Queen of Whiny but is ok every other way. I really wish they were a little less energetic today!

Cuddles with Nana

3. My parents are the best. Mom was here all day yesterday and most of another day this week, and Dad was here most of today. I would have lost it without them this week of sickness.

4. I have a blog post going up for The Paperie tomorrow – check it out!

5. Can I have a bed now please?

S.

Creative Chemistry 101

28 Wednesday Mar 2012

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I’ve written here and I’ve tweeted about how much I am loving the Tim Holtz class – Creative Chemistry 101 through Online Card Classes. I’ve done quite a few online classes, and this may just be the best! Though, the Inspiration Showcase class with Jennifer McGuire is up there too. Let’s just call it a tie!

I’m having a blast learning about the chemistry behind paints, inks, stains, markers. And just hearing Tim talk about how he got started in the business, why he doesn’t clean stamps, how Distress Inks came to be, and more is worth the money, forget the other stuff!

Here are a few tags I’ve made – pretty basic, I really just wanted the technique on these, but I’ll also show you a card for an upcoming class that combines a couple of different techniques.

From left to right, top row:

Blended Spritz & Flick

Wrinkle-Free Distress

Layered Misting

Bottom row, left to right:

Stamping with Stains

Marbled Stains

I’ve tried a few other as well, but they’re not complete – I’m waiting on tags (black and kraft) and markers! And, before someone asks, the reason I’m waiting for those specific tags is that they are coated and so are a better surface to work on – I’ve tried office tags and they’re just no good!

My favourite is the Stamping with Stains tag – love the bright colours, the white stamping and the black images, which is why I use the white stamping technique on this card, along with the Alcohol Ink Agates technique:

This is just a prototype, but the techniques are very cool! The card class will be the end of April, we’ll make 3 cards, and this stamp set is included! Pretty awesome!

You can join the Creative Chemistry class anytime, the content is available forever, it’s fantastic even for those few scrapbookers who aren’t Tim fanatics, and Tim does a minimum of 2 videos a day – worth every penny and more! Go sign up! Now! You’ll thank me, I promise!

S.

Tuesday Techniques – Finishing Touches: Dimension

27 Tuesday Mar 2012

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Dimension on a project or LO immediately takes it to the next level. It goes from “nice” to “wow,” from boring to interesting,  from “I guess I like it” to “Love that!”

And it’s probably the easiest thing in the world to add.

After I finish something, I look at it, then start pulling pieces off to add foam adhesive. I learned a long time ago to never permanently adhere anything right away!

There are many ways to add dimension, but I’ll show my two favourites today. All you need is:

Supplies

Sticker Paper, foam adhesive, and scissors.

To give you a good look at how dimension adds to a project, here’s a tag with everything adhered straight to the surface:

Cute, right?

But kind of dull – no oomph to it!

After I added another layer of grass, popped it up, cut out the clouds and popped them up, then fanned out my balloons by using circles punched from the sticker paper, this is what I got:

Better, right?

Way more pizzazz! All the elements are exactly the same, I only added foam adhesive and a twine ribbon – that’s it. As I said, easiest thing in the world so go try it!

Tomorrow, I’m teaching the revamped 7 Gypsies and Simple Stories ATC Tray class – I love how it turned out! I’m cutting kits tonight so there’s still time to sign up at The Paperie!

We’ll be heat embossing, distressing, cutting, stickling, and more! And if you can’t make it tomorrow, call and ask for a kit – everything you need is included!

Leave me a link if you try the technique – I’d love to see your projects!

S.

Monday…

26 Monday Mar 2012

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Sorry no post today – busy weekend here and two sick kiddies. I’ll be back tomorrow with the last of the Tuesday Techniques Finishing Touches Series! And I’ll have some pics of my tags for Creative Chemistry 101 on Wednesday!

S.

Friday Randomness…

23 Friday Mar 2012

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Anyone have exciting weekend plans?

Big, long weekend for me. Tomorrow I’m doing an Emergency Child First Aid course, which starts at 8:30. 😦 And goes all, I mean *all* day. I know I need to do it but I can think of a zillion other ways I’d rather spend my Saturday. Like being at gymnastics with the kiddies, and picking up my groceries, and some actual fun stuff too! Oh well, it’s just one day, right?

Sunday is more fun – it’s the Year Long Album class at The Paperie! We’re going to be doing March and April this time, to get ahead of the game. Hopefully next month we’ll get the covers done and then it’s easy, laid back classes for the rest of the year (I can hear some class members laughing at me now!)

Finally, I’m working away at the revamped Artist Printer Tray class – here’s a sneak of it:

Sneak Peek!

The Paperie should have a different sneak peek up on their blog sometime today too if you want a bit more eye candy! Remember, we still have some space available so contact The Paperie to sign up – this is a fun project, and a great keeper or gift!

Hope you all have a great weekend, and that it’s more fun than parts of mine will be!

S.

M and her funny sayings…

22 Thursday Mar 2012

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Earlier this morning I was watching a video tweeted by Jennifer McGuire (it’s funny, go watch!) and when it was over M went crazy:

M: The muffets, the muffets!

Me: (totally confused) The what?

M: The muffets, I want the pig!

Me: (looking at her like a crazy person) What?

M: There! The muffet pig with long hair!

I finally saw what she was looking at, Miss Piggy from the Muppets – it was a confusing couple of minutes for me there.

M and Feel Bunny

S.

Things on Thursday…

22 Thursday Mar 2012

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1. I’M BEING PUBLISHED!!!!!! Yes, that was me screaming and yelling and doing a happy dance! It’s not out until August and don’t worry, I’ll be sure to remind you all! Thank you, Northridge Publishing, for liking my work! (Insert blushing smiley face here!)

2. One little downside to the publishing thing – though since I get to play with paper some more it’s not really a downside – I have to remake the class I’m teaching next week. That’s right, any of you who have signed up for my Artist Printer Tray class at The Paperie, you’re doing a soon to be published project, that will now be a bit different! We’re still using the same papers, but I have to change up the design for you all a bit. Side note: We still have space available for that class, so sign up, it’s a great home decor piece (I can say it’s great now, because someone else loves it too!) and it would make an awesome Mother’s Day present!

3. We have a multitude of couches, tons of chairs, and several beds in this house. And this is where G chooses to read:

Boys.

4. M & P have taken to colouring in the same book at the same time. They sit at the corner of the table so they can turn the book just so and colour away. They’re getting really good too, even though M says she doesn’t like colouring!

5.  I know I mentioned this class in passing but I am *loving* the Tim Holtz Creative Chemistry Class through Online Card Classes! Brilliant videos, awesome, easy to understand information, great PDF’s for reference. Anyone who works with ink should do this course, especially scrapbooking or craft store owners and instructors. I can guarantee this class will help you better understand inks, their properties, how to use them, and in return, how to sell them better and make yourself more money!

I’m doing the interactive class, which means I’m doing it live, as it’s posted, but you can sign up anytime and do the course at your own pace. The only difference is that the forums are closed. You can still read everything (and Tim answers any question people have) but you can’t comment yourself.

6. Did I mention I was getting published? 🙂

S.

Dr. Seuss and a bit of Clean & Simple

21 Wednesday Mar 2012

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Yesterday I mentioned that I was going to a class at The Paperie given by Rae Lynn. She does the most amazing Clean and Simple LO’s – not my forte at all – so whenever she gives a class, I try to be there. It’s always good to learn about something that’s not your strong point!

I went really prepared last night too – had my pics printed and everything! The meant I came home with two completed LO’s, no more work needed, yay!

Here’s the first one, pics of my boy:

Love that photograph tag – we cut it to pieces and used it all over the place!

And the LO of my baby (yes, she’s the oldest but she promised that she would *always* be my baby!):

Love the B&W pic on this one – it’s one of the first pictures I took when I got D’s old camera and it’s one of my all times faves of her. I did change this up a bit – in the class all those pinky elements were bare wood which looked amazing, just not quite right for a little girl! We received a Jenni Bowlin for Ranger paint dabber (and ink pad) in the class so I used that to paint all the wood. Love how it came out.

Thanks, Rae Lynn, for another fabulous class! When’s the next one? 😉

Finally, my October Afternoon challenge LO which was to use a Dr. Seuss quote. This is the one I did at The Paperie crop Friday night:

It’s fine, I added the stitching when I came home, but it’s not what I wanted. I left it for a couple of days, and this is what I ended up doing to it:

More dimension, some bling and glitter:

Some Distress Stain, and a rolled flower to break up the buttons:

A misted canvas heart:

Now it’s a bit more interesting!

This week they showed a technique involving string and mist – going to have to give that one a try too!

Happy hump day, we’re getting closer to Friday!

S.

Tuesday Techniques – Finishing Touches: Background Stamps

20 Tuesday Mar 2012

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We’re going to continue with the Finishing Touches series today and look at inking the edges of a project and adding background stamping. Both of these things will add depth to your work and, in my experience, are usually that last thing you add and then go, “Aha! That’s what it needed!” Nothing major, it’s subtle but packs a punch!

Supplies are simple:

Supplies

Brown ink for inking the edges (I like to use a darker one like Walnut Stain), and a different brown ink for the stamping (I like to use a lighter ink for this, usually Frayed Burlap or Brushed Corduroy); a background stamp (I use text or script 99% of the time); and an ink blending tool with foam.

That’s it – supplies most of you will have anyway (and if you don’t, run away now to the store and buy them please. Thank you. We can wait for you, these are essential supplies, after all!)

OK, now we can get started. Make your tag, or card, or embellishment, whatever. Here’s mine:

Pretty, right? The stamp is from Local King Rubber Stamps, a Canadian company (yay!) that makes cling rubber stamps and they have matching dies too! However, it’s still a little, well, boring.

So, ink the edges! This adds some definition without taking away or adding anything to the overall feel of the card.

See the difference? Just a little definition around the edges to help it stand out yet blend everything together.

It’s better, but still not quite there. With Distress Inks, I could flick some water on to blend the colour some more and add watermark splotches, but if you’re not using a background of Distress Ink, that won’t work for you. So, add some depth with adding bulk by stamping a large background stamp over the whole thing. I like the text and script stamps because they don’t distract from your focal point or image, but they still add a little something more. I use a lighter brown ink so it doesn’t overpower anything, you really just want this to be texture in the background.

Here’s my finished tag:

See what I mean? Same tag as before, but the edges are defined and the stamping adds some depth and interest without distracting from the silhouette stamp in the foreground. Not so boring anymore!

I did use Black Sparkle Embossing Powder which makes for a little more interest, as you can see here – love that stuff!

Hope you liked this one and that you try it out! As always, leave me link in the comments so I can see what you do with it!

I’ll be back tomorrow with my October Afternoon layout for the Dr. Seuss challenge, and I’ll fill you in on the class I’m taking tonight with Rae Lynn at The Paperie – she does amazing CAS stuff!

S.

My weekend…

19 Monday Mar 2012

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This past Friday night I went to a crop at The Paperie – fun, fun, fun as always! I love scrapping with my pals, even if I did drive them crazy this time! You see, I forgot my water bottle so stopped at Tim Horton’s for a drink.

And I got an Iced Cappuccino.

It was big.

Me and caffeine – not such a good mix. Let’s just say that I talked. And kept talking for the whole night. Yup, no more caffeine for me!

I did manage, in between the nonstop chattering, to (almost) complete two layouts for different Dr. Seuss challenges that have been posted in blogworld lately. I came home and did some machine stitching, which added a bit more of what I was looking for, but they both still need a little something. I hate that part. Now I’ll be tearing my hair out trying to find that final perfect touch. Argh.

Anyway, here’s the Studio Calico one – I used the new kit I won, Story Hour.

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it is fun to have fun...

When I finally find that last bit it needs, I’ll post it again!

Saturday night, we went to a small house party for a friend’s 40th birthday. Neither one of us were in the mood to go out, but we’re glad we did – we had a great time! Good people, good food, and cake. What more could you need? It was worth the trip out!

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Finally, yesterday we went to D’s Great-Aunt’s 90th birthday – good food there too and the kids had fun which makes life easier. It was in the basement of the church, so they played away in the nursery with all the “new” toys they had at their disposal.

On our way home, G fell asleep in the car so he and I had a snooze while D and M fed the ducks, checked a Geocache, and played in the playground.

All in all, a pretty good weekend!

And, to start my week off right, today was the first day of Creative Chemistry 101, a Tim Holtz class through Online Card Classes. Today was awesome – all about different inks, mediums, properties, surfaces, etc. Can’t wait until the techniques start tomorrow!

S.