22 Wednesday Feb 2012
Posted in Family
Last night, M broke the tail on one of her dress up costumes. We told her the elastic had snapped and it couldn’t be fixed.
She’s nothing if not stubborn so she tied a knot in it and said, “Look! I fixed it! I have mad skills!”
My Funny Valentine
22 Wednesday Feb 2012
Posted in ScrapBook
Tags
American Crafts, Amy Tan, Amy Tangerine, Bowring Park, Daybook, Paperie, ScrapBook, Thickers, Year Long Album
(EDIT: Today seems to be the day to showcase crop night LO’s! Check out this and this.)
Friday night I went to a crop night at my LSS, The Paperie. It’s always the third Friday night of the month and it’s always fun and yummy – great combination!
This time we talked and talked and talked and laughed and laughed and laughed – and actually got some scrapbooking done too!
One of the projects I was picking away at was the Hug Life Daybook from Amy Tangerine for American Crafts (a larger version of the one I tore apart for this LO).
These are the best mini albums – surprisingly big, as in tons of pages, and very eclectic.
There are pockets and grid papers and tickets and rounded papers and scalloped papers….. So different, so very fun.
I am using the November kit from the Paperie and I *love* it. The papers, the stamp, the thickers, the mixtape – awesome!
Just before the kit was released, we spent a day in Bowring Park with the kiddies taking pictures of them in the leaves. Then we headed to Lester’s Farm for pumpkin pics and baked goodies, along with yummy fresh veggies.
The pictures from that day perfectly matched the colours of the the kit papers and so instead of a LO, I decided to do a mini album.
It’s still not finished, but I’m loving what I have done. The pictures are most definitely the focus, not the papers or embellishments, and there’s plenty of room to do journaling as I go along.
So…. so far, so good. It will be a fun one to flip through when I’m done. And because the different papers make it so easy, it’s a good one to poke at when midnight rolls around and the brain has gone to mush!
My plans for naptime today and this evening revolve around writing instructions for the 2012 Yearlong album – the first class is Sunday. Hate the writing instructions part – love the teaching it part!
Enjoy the cold today if that’s your cup of tea. Me? I’m freezing!
S.
21 Tuesday Feb 2012
Posted in ScrapBook, Techniques, Tuesday Techniques
Tags
Distress Ink, Embossing, My Little Bit of Whimsy, October Afternoon, Sprinklers, techniques, The Crafter's Workshop, Tsukineko
Today’s technique is one I learned from Heather Nichols that she calls Cracked Glass.
Remember a couple of weeks ago during the Faux Metal technique I mentioned that sometimes you want the embossing powder to crack? Well, this is that time!
(Sidenote 1: Kristina Werner recommended trying white embossing powder for the faux metal technique to get the look of porcelain. It’s pretty cool!)
Faux Porcelain
Moving on….
Once again, you only need minimal supplies: VersaMark Ink, Clear Embossing Powder, a heat gun, and a stamp of choice.
supplies
(Sidenote 2: I keep all my embossing powder in lock and lock containers. They don’t open and make a mess, they’re big enough to hold a spoon so you can easily coat a piece in powder, and you don’t have to try to get the powder back in that little bottle – you just do it all over the container.)
Now, I think this technique looks best with a flower, or something that would look good as vintage, but for fun, I chose an old October Afternoon favourite – the monsters from Night Light!
Seriously, could they be any cuter?
Anyway….
Stamp your image.
Stamped Image
As you can see, I just stamped him on some scrap paper, you only need a little space so no need to cut into a new sheet!
I stamped mine in Memento Tuxedo Black as I coloured the monster in with Copics. Please forgive the colouring – a Copics master, I am not, but I love how he turned out, with his teal spots and little dots all over him!
I then masked the image and stamped a text background around him, but that isn’t necessary and, in this case, didn’t really show up in the final product anyway.
Punch or cut out your shape and we’re ready to go!
Ready for embossing!
Press VersaMark onto the image and clear heat emboss. I only had regular embossing powder, but UTEE would be best if you have it – less time and thicker coverage. I think I used 4-5 layers but UTEE would probably only need 2-3. Keep layering untill you get a thick, even, smooth coating.
Lots of embossed layers
If I was to do this again, I would leave the monster just as he is at this step. I liked him better uncracked – again, flowers and things that look more vintagey work best for this technique. I used Stampin’ Up! A Flower for All Seasons (retired) before and they turned out awesome!
Now let it cool. Technically, it cools in a few seconds but I find the crack happens best if you *really* let it cool down. Give it a half hour or more while you’re working on the rest of your project.
Now gently crack the embossing and rub a light brown ink, like Old Paper, into the cracks.
Cracked and Stained
You can see the wet ink below the embossed surface here – that will absorb into the paper in a minute so don’t worry about the splotchy puddles!
Now, you just have to add it to your project! I had a little lovefest with October Afternoon and used 3 different lines to complete my tag – Night Light, Rocket Age, and Sidewalks. The stick pins are from My Little Bit of Whimsy and the stencil from The Crafter’s Workshop – Herringbone.
Finished tag
Lots of dimensions with foam adhesive, the rubber charm, the stick pins, and the cracked glass piece.
Close up!
Try this out and let me know what you think! Can’t wait to see what you make with it – leave me a link in the comments!
S.
20 Monday Feb 2012
Tags
beach, Eastport, Finish Line Scrapbook, Kiddies, October Afternoon, ScrapBook, Stacy Julian, vacation
I finally completed my Finish Line Scrapbook! You know, the one that’s supposed to take 4-6 hours over two nights? The one I started in September? Yeah, I’m finally calling it done! Yay for me!
cover
Now, in the interest of full disclosure, I will say that I haven’t touched it since September, and the bulk of it, minus the inside covers and title page, were finished. I just had to complete those few pages and do my journaling. Of course, my journaling is very limited as I thought the pics spoke for themselves – it was a vacation at Eastport beach last summer – and I’m not a huge journaler anyway. Also, we didn’t do the standard 6×6 mini album, we did a 12×6 one, which is a great size!
First beach day in Instagrams
Also, there are hardly any embellishments, which I’m fine with since I misted all the pages and used a border punch along the way. The embellies I did use are almost all from the October Afternoon Seaside Collection Word and Label Stickers. If you’re going to have one type of embellishments, October Afternoon is the way to go!
M on the beach
But still, it’s done and I can sit and flip through my book, enjoying the pictures of our vacation. Isn’t that really what it’s all about anyway?
G on the beach
Thank you, Stacy Julian, for a great concept – even though the process stresses me out!
S.
19 Sunday Feb 2012
Posted in Family
Overheard this morning in bed:
M: G, do you know why cats are interesting?
G: Why-eeee?
M: Because they have claws, and teeth, and fur.
G: Oh.
M: And they’re a little bit strange.
Stickering during quiet time
Hope you’re all having a strange and entertaining weekend!
S.
18 Saturday Feb 2012
A quick little something. Will share when I can!
sneak peek
S.
17 Friday Feb 2012
Posted in ScrapBook
…I’m trying to do a little planning for The Paperie crop tonight – and now anyone who knows me has just passed out in shock!
I am not a scrapbooking planner, it just doesn’t work for me. If I plan, my mojo runs away and laughs at me so I’ve learned to just bring it all and go with the flow.
The problem with that? I can’t bring it all. And now that the Cave is semi-organized, I don’t want to mess it up, cart it all out in the cold, and then have to put everything away again when I get home. But I prefer to scrap with friends, especially when laughing and food is guaranteed!
Sigh.
Catch 22 I know, especially since I don’t have enough room for anyone to come down to the Cave with me.
Of course, I don’t share space very well (all those same people who passed out a few sentences ago are now laughing and nodding in agreement). I spread out and take over. All of it. Even if it’s your space. Trust me, I will own that too. I’ve noticed that most people try to sit across or away from me – funny that!
However, tonight, I’m trying to plan because: 1. I know I want to get those sympathy cards done, 2. I’d like a few more birthday cards, and 3. a friend who likes notecards has a birthday coming up – and I want to make a gift set for her (bet when she reads this she’ll know who she is!).
On top of all that, I want to break out my kits and do some playing and scrapping for me.
That’s not too ambitious for one evening, is it? 🙂
Wish me luck!
To end on a funny note – what is it with two-year-old boys? As I was writing this, they were fighting with each because they both wanted to put their fingers in the hole in the knee of my jeans. Silly beans!
hole in my knee!
S.
16 Thursday Feb 2012
Posted in Family
…but know you shouldn’t was today.
Miss Marker Face
The face says it all, “I know I’m in trouble after this picture.”
Lori, I’m sure, will appreciate the lightning bolt on her forehead!
Cropped out is P, they decorated each other. And not all the markers were washable. Big sigh.
S.
16 Thursday Feb 2012
Posted in Cards, Family, ScrapBook, Things on Thursday..., Yearlong Album
Tags
Distress Ink, Embossing, Family, Hero Arts, kids, Paperie, Papertrey Ink, Ranger, Scor Bug, Scor Pal, Simple Stories, Stamps, Year Long Album
1. We have a bunch of tired kiddies here this morning. P & C, the two I take care of, are having a sleepover for “3 sleeps” while their parents are in New Brunswick house hunting. That boils down to mean M & G are losing their buddies mid-March – we’re sad. 😦 Last night was the first “sleep” night here and we’re all dragging a little today!
2. I’m looking forward to Crop Night at The Paperie tomorrow – it’s fun to be with friends and there’s always a midnight snack afterwards! Call and sign up by this afternoon if you want in on the fun too – come on, you know you want to! 🙂
3. I started on the March LO for the 2012 Yearlong Album last night using the amazing Year-o-graphy line…
March sneak peek
4. And that leads me into… I love having my Scrap Cave (which it will now be officially know as) almost cleaned and organized! I’m actually getting work done and not messing up the kitchen! And that means I don’t have to pack everything up and drag it back to the Cave all the time! Yay! When I get the bags of donations out of there and the final bits tidied away, I’ll post an updated picture. Oh, and it really is a cave as I share it with the storage room and the freezer, but it has a door. A real door! That keeps little children out! Can you tell how exciting that is to me?!?!
5. I made this quick card the other day – super simple but I love how it turned out. More clear embossed resist (told you it was a good and effective one!) but without the trapped stamping underneath. Of all the types of the cards there are, I really hate making sympathy ones at the time I need them. Those, I like to have a stockpile of and I’m all out. This one was a prototype that I liked so I think I’ll churn out a few this evening, or tomorrow at the crop night.
With Heartfelt Sympathy
Scor Bug Detail
I used Papertrey Ink stamps, Hero Arts embossing powder and heat gun, Ranger Distress Inks, and a Scor-Bug.
6. As I was typing this up just now, my computer rebooted for “necessary updates.” Really computer? In the middle of my blog post before I saved it? Hmmmm…
Hope you all have an interesting thing-filled day – tell me some of your good things!
S.
15 Wednesday Feb 2012
Posted in ScrapBook, Techniques, Tuesday Techniques
This may be a day late but I hope you’ll all forgive me for once!
For this technique, you do need a very specific product, Distress Crackle Paint in Clear Rock Candy. You’re also going to need a non-stick craft sheet (to contain the mess), Distress Stains, and Grungeboard or Grungepaper.
Supplies
First, you need to die cut a shape of your choice from the Grungeboard or Grungepaper. I chose the paper as the die I used was a very thin one and unable to cut through the heavier Grungeboard. Once you have your shape, give it a decent coat of the crackle paint; the thinner the coat of paint, the finer the crackles. If you want big cracks, do a thick coat but keep in mind it will take a looooonnnnggg time to dry (this technique is very hard on the impatient!)
Wet Paint
Technically, once the paint starts to cracks, you can speed up the process with your heat tool but I normally end up burning the paper so I just let it sit. From experience, I now do this step as the last thing before I go to bed for the night and then it’s ready in the morning – no patience needed!
Dry Crackle Paint
See the cracks? Very neat on it’s own but it will get even better soon!
Now, rub your Distress Stains over the crackled shape. Dry in between layers with your heat tool and keep going until you like the look. Keep in mind that the colours lighten as they dry and you can always add more, but not less!
Staining
When you’re happy with the colours, you’re done!
finished heart
Look at the texture the crackle brings – awesome!
Now, add your very cool and unique embellishment to your project and call it done!
Completed Tag
I used lots of dimension on this one…
Closeup!
As a side note, you do want to use a heavy duty surface for this. Grungeboard and Grungepaper are really durable and can take a beating which I why I use them for this technique. The Crackle Paint is wet and then you’re adding wet Distress Stain so I’m not sure if regular cardstock would hold up under all of that abuse!
Now, I know you might not all have Distress Crackle Paint in your supplies, but that’s ok – I know for a fact The Paperie has some on order! Go call them and reserve yours now, then you can go play too!
I have only ever done this with Clear Rock Candy so, just for you guys, I tried it with Picket Fence (white) so see how it would turn out.
Picket Fence Crackle Paint
I do find that the colours in the Crackle Paints dry faster than the Rock Candy. They’re also matte, whereas the Rock Candy is shiny, like Glossy Accents. And that reminds me, there is a Crackle Glossy Accents, which I’ve never used. That would definitely be worth a try, if you own it.
Stained Crackle - Picket Fence
This is kind of neat too, just a pastel, matte version. Personally, I like the shine and texture of the Rock Candy, but this would be good for other uses. Be interesting to see some others colours of paint tried too (hint, hint!).
Once you’ve tried it, leave me a link to your project – I’d love to see what you do!
Sara
sarathings 