Craft Tip #6: Pearl Ex Powders

Pearl Ex powdered pigments are simply a dry powdered form of color which has some sparkle to it. You can use it as a dry powder or mix it into something and apply it wet as a paint.

Pearl Ex powdered pigments can be used in a wide variety of ways. The key to understanding them is simply to experiment with them. I'll give you a few ideas to get your started. This is pretty much what I like to do and what I have found that works for me.

Put hairspray and dollop of Pearl Ex in spray bottle, spray on paper for shimmery look. You will keep adding the Pearl Ex until you get the right amount of simmer. Download a Printable Pearl Ex Tip Sheet.

Here is a video on rubber stamping with Pearl Ex by night cats.

You're Out Of This World

Welcome my friends, just want to start off by saying you are out of this world. I have created a Birthday spinner card to share with you this week. I used the sentiment from the Hip Hip Hooray set by Creative Vision. I'm sure any young boy would love receiving this interactive card.

The moon was created using a 1 1/4 circle, small and large oval punches. I then ran the circle through an embossing folder. I used the word window punch to create the slot for the rocket but, you could use a kraft knife and ruler. The digital paper and rocket element are from the Not for Girls Definitely for Men CD created byPolkadoodles.

Spinner cards are highly addictive. If you start to steal pennies from your child's piggy bank, or you stumble across them; I'm sure you will enjoy making one. Start collecting your pennies now! Click here for a tutorial on how to make a spinner card.

Challenges I participated in: CD Sunday - Transport, Gingerloft - Die Cuts or Punches, Wee memories - Anything Goes

Recipe: Stamp: Hip Hip Hooray set (Birthday Boy sentiment) Digital Paper and Printable Elements: Polkadoodle Not for Girls Definitely for Men CD Paper: HL (green, red, white) Other: SU punches (1 1/4 circle, large and small oval, word window), circle embossing folder

Best Fishes

It's been awhile since I used this Stampin Up set and this card was just screaming for for me to use it. I dedicate this card to all my on-line crafting 'Best Fishes.'

This hybrid card was created with Polkadoodles Tweet digital paper from the Paper Boutique Volume 1 cd and Stampin Up Best Fishes stamp set. The layout was created using Microsoft word features.

The stamped images were colored with Copic markers, added Doodle Dewdrops and some ribbon for the finishing touches. I can say this is my favorite hybrid card I have created so far.

Challenges I participated in:

Little Miss Muffet Challenges - Brads, Gems or Pearls

Southern Girls - Animal

Crafts and Me - Anything Goes

To play along in this week's Polkadoodles book challenge, simply make a project and post it to your blog or another on-line gallery and link it to the Polkadoodles Challenge Blog. Prizes are waiting to be won!

Recipe:

Paper - Polkadoodles (Paper Boutique Volume 1) cd, HL (kraft & green) cardstock

Stamps - SU Best Friends set

Copics - BV00, BV02, V15, V17, B0000, B000, Y21, Y17, YR61

Ink - Memento Rich Cocoa

Other - Ribbon & Doodle dewdrops

Decorative Label Punch Cropped Video

I love working with SU new large decorative label punch but, wait till you see what you can do to create a small label die cut. This is a video I found on YouTube and thought you would enjoy.

Click the last box (box with 4 arrorws) on your right to make video bigger.

Craft Tip #5: Acrylic Blocks

An easy and quick way to clean up your acrylic stamping blocks is to use a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. It'll take all the ink (including permanent!) and the oily residue you get from stamp cleaners right off of them with practically no effort at all.

Now, let's get our blocks out and create a stamped background.

Courtesy of Splitcoast Stampers

Hey Lady

Okay, here's my take on the the sentiment 'I heard they're dusting off your old bar stool!' from the Creative Vision Officially Single stamp set. What do you think? Does the sentiment and elements work together?

Being on the Creative Design team we are not allow to use other companies stamps so, I used this punch art of a lady sitting with her back to a bar. I believe Ellen Kemper is the person who originally created this punch art.

Challenges I participated in:

Sugar Creek Hollow - Anything Goes

Paper Cutz - Your Choice

Recipe:

Paper - Polkadoodles Paper Boutique Vol 1, HL (Kraft/green)

Stamp set - Creative Vision

Other - SU square lattice embossing folder, SU punches (lg oval, 1 1/4 circle, butterfly, heart to heart, word window, scallop oval)

Floral Frenzy Flip Album

Tracie, over at Polkadoodle choose the theme of books this week. I’m still loving the springtime feeling which made me want to make a bright and cheerful flip album. This album can capture your Easter photos of your family and friends.

Close-up

My album was created using the Floral Frenzy digital paper and flowers from the All Around & Everywhere cd.
Challenges I participated in: Art Impressions Stamps Challenge - Punches or Die Cuts, Digi Doodle Shop's Best - Anything Goes, Southern Girls - Use Flowers, Creative Cottage - Spring

To play along in this week's Polkadoodles book challenge, simply make a project and post it to your blog or another on-line gallery and link it to the Polkadoodles Challenge Blog. Prizes are waiting to be won!

Recipe: Paper: HL and Polkadoodles, Digital Elements Polkadoodles, Scribbles Swirls, SU top note die, ribbon, silver cord, eyelets, 3/4 & 1 inch circle punches.

Bliss

Today I have a quick, clean and simple card to share. The base of this card was created using only white cardstock. The silver layer was created by dragging a silver ink pad around all sides of the cardstock leaving the center untouched. Using the ink pad to create the silver paper is a cost savings idea. Next, I dragged the silver ink pad over the embossed paper.

Challenges I participated in:

Going Grey With Scrap-Creations - Anything Goes

Make it Monday - Anything Goes

Paper Sundaes - Keep it Simple

Recipe:

Stamp: Bliss SU

Paper: SUwhite

Other: AU Wallpaper embossing folder, silver ink, ribbon, SU scallop square punch.

Craft Tip #4: Flower Soft

Have you ever heard of Flower Soft? Flower Soft is an innovative product that allows rubber stampers and paper crafters to add floral embellishments to a wide variety of projects. Flower Soft is sprinkled onto glue where it adheres to create the impression of flowers.

This was my last year's Thanksgiving day card.

Flower Soft is sold in jars and in a range of different colors. As Flower Soft is very light, a little goes a long way. The range of colors includes bright primary shades through to light pastel colors.

Click here to download a handout '20 Top Tips' for using Flower Soft.

Want to purchase some Flower Soft? A full list of stockists can be found on the retailer page of the Flower Soft website.

Kite Flying

Hello friends, today I have a card which I did some sewing on. I have seen many cards incorporating this technique so I thought I would give it a try.

My sentiment? Officially Single is from the Creative Vision Officially Single stamp set. I was trying to decide what I could create to go along with this sentiment...and then it came to me. Kite flying.... I always enjoyed kite flying when I was a young girl.

Challenges I participated in:

Let's Ink It Up - NO DIGI and Embossing

Aly's Sunday Challenge - Anything goes

Recipe:
Stamp: Officially Single
Paper: HL & SU
Other: Rhinestones, Crystal Effects, glitter, sewing, circle embossing folder.

Romantic Wedding

Today's challenge over at Polkadoodles is to create a project using black, white and one other color. For this card I stepped a little outside my comfort zone.

This card was created with black, white and various shades of cream. The digital paper is from the 'Shabby Estate' collection from the Polkdoodles All Around and Everywhere CD. This CD is perfect for your craft project, scrapbooking, invitation, web design, paper product, design card and everything else.

The dimensional window was created using Microsoft features. I added a punched butterfly and pearls to give it another level of wow.

Challenges I participated in:Digi Doodle Shop's Best -Pearls, Do You Stack Up? - Layers, ABC Challenge - P is for Pearls, Paper Pretties - Ribbon, Alphabet Challenge - R is For Ribbon

To play along in this week's Polkadoodles black, white and one other color challenge, simply make a project and post it to your blog or another on-line gallery and link it to the Polkadoodles Challenge Blog. Prizes are waiting to be won!

Recipe: Polkadoodles All Around and Everywhere CD, Small and large pearls, ribbon, SU scallop edge border punch and Crystal Effects.

Four Leaf Clover Printable and Lesson

Download a printable sheet of four-leaf clovers and follow along as Michelle Houghton teaches you how to colour them in with Copic markers to make this card.

Friend-to-Friend

Today I'm sharing one of the cards we made last week at our monthly stamp club. I loved how we used the framed tulip embossing folder and then applied different colors of ink to bring out the details. Isn't this darling?

I love embossing folders and this new one is wonderful....it's just the frame around the card that get emboss so the center you can insert some DSP to give your project a perfect frame.

Challenge I participated in:

Craft Your Passion - Anything Goes

Craft Tip #3: Liquid Applique

Today I will provide you with some tips and ideas using a product called liquid applique. If you have not never worked with it, let me tell you will become addicted.

Liquid applique can help emphasize a certain area of a shape or picture, such as the center of a flower or the candles on a birthday cake. You can color your liquid applique with ink to enhance an element of your projects. Extra fine glitter can be added to the liquid applique for extra sparkle. Liquid applique comes in different colors. If you are planing to mail your project put clear embossing powder on the liquid applique before heating it. This will make it hard so it will not flatten in the mail.

Here is a card I did using liquid applique.

Click here for a printable handout about liquid applique. Must have a Google account to access handout.

This week, I challenge you to make your project using a little bit of liquid applique. Create some snow, the look of fur or wool or anything else that would work with liquid applique somewhere on your project!

Let's Celebrate

Today I'm sharing a bright and colorful card using a technique called Glitter Window. Since this upcoming weekend is Daylight Savings I thought it would be fitting to showcase spring colors.

My sentiment? Let's Celebrate is from the Officially Single stamp set. I love the simplicity of this card and the texture and bling – provides some extra pizzazz! The Glitter Technique tutorial is located here.

Challenges I participated in:

Let's Ink It Up - NO DIGI and Embossing
Card Cupids - Anything Goes
Catch The Bug - Anything Goes

Recipe:
Stamp: Officially Single
Paper: HL & DCWV
Other: SU Square Lattice embossing folder, SU large oval punch, Fine glitter, tape, Suzzix Tulip die, Ribbon, Black Ink, Rhinestones, Silk flower.

Petal Power

I wanted to share a gift box I created and embellished it with three fancy folded flowers. The digital paper is from Let's have a Picnic on the Polkadoodles All Around and Everywhere CD. The flowers were created using 8 (1-1/8 inch) circle punch and the Swiss Dot embossing folder.

I just loved how this gift box turned out. I'm thinking I can purchase a small gift for my mother-in-law for Mother's day. If you would like to make the Fancy Folded Flowers you can download the printable instructions (1st page/2nd page).

Challenges I participated in: C.R.A.F.T. - Mother's Day, Do You Stack Up? - use anything with green in it, Simply Create - Power of Flowers, The Stamp Man - Curls and Swirls

To play along in this week's Polkadoodles 3 flowers challenge, simply make a project and post it to your blog or another on-line gallery and link it to the Polkadoodles Challenge Blog. Prizes are waiting to be won!

Recipe:
Paper: Polkadoodles digital paper and HL
Other: SU lattice edge border, sizzlet leaf die, 1 1/8 circle punch, swiss dot folder, ribbon and a hot glue gun.

Lucky Hat Freebie

Top o’ the mornin’ to ya! Here’s a new free svg from MyGrafico for St. Patrick’s Day, a lucky hat. You can use this design for cards, scrapbook pages, decorating or any craft projects you might be doing.

Click here to download the freebie.

Lake People

Today I have another card using the Hooked on Fishing set from Creative Vision to share with you…have I convinced you to purchase this set yet?!

My goal on this card was not to use allot of stamping but, for the sentiment to stand out. So, I created this cute male swimmer with punches. I loved how the colors put a smile on your face. Download the printable instructions here. You will need a Google account to access document.

Challenge I participated in: Woodware USA - Anything goes

Recipe: Creative Vision Hooked on Fishing (Lake People), Paper HL, SU Punches and Ink, Oval Coluzzle and SU Lattice Embossing Folder.

Craft Tip #2: Card Sizes

Do you have trouble figuring out card and envelope sizes?

Common card & envelope sizes:
Half sheet 8 ½ x 11” cardstock folded in half makes a 4 ¼ x 5 ½” card = fits an A2 envelope (4 3/8 x 5 ¾)

5 ½ x 8 ½ - full sheet of cardstock folded in half = fits an A9 envelope (5 ¾ x 8 ¾)

5 x 7 card = fits an A7 envelope (5 ¼ x 7 ¼)

4 x 6 card = fits an A6 envelope (4 ¾ x 6 ½)