What I am Reading?

I came across the greatest post about romance novels that really made me laugh yesterday.  It is over on the Supernatural Snark blog and it is all about Fiction vs. Reality and has to do with this lovely someecard.  Love those things!  If you want to read something funny, take a look.

At any given time I am reading no less than two books on my Kindle app on my iPhone.  Right now I am reading Independence (The Significance Series) by Shelly Crane and Avow (Archers of Avalon) by Chelsea Fine.  I am fairly certain this is ruining my vision.   So, I asked Santa for a Kindle for Christmas.  I am pretty sure I will be getting it as I was very good this year.   In my childlike Christmas anticipation phase this week, I have been looking for free ebooks to fill my new Kindle with.  I came across a few of my favorites yesterday that are still free.  I decided I should share the links with you in case you are looking for something new to read.  

I never write book reviews because I AM NOT A WRITER.  I don't feel qualified to review and critique someone who takes the time to commit themselves to writing a book.  I took a creative writing class in college and I absolutely hated having my work critiqued.  Painful!

What I will do is tell people about something I loved reading. What makes me love a book?

 

ROMANCE + HUMOR + ACTION = A GOOD READ

If the writer can manage to make me swoon over the male lead, laugh over the heroine's antics/personality/banter, and can keep me turning the pages on the edge of my seat waiting to see what happens next to the characters, then that is a good read to me. 

 I came across these books after my post-Twilight slump of ..."well that was EPIC what do I read now?"  I went through a slew of Vampire romance novels and maxed myself out on those.  Below are some of my favorite series that are still in the Paranormal Romance genre but don't center on Vampires.  The first book in these series are all free. 

ADULT:

To Kill A Warlock: The Dulcie O'Neil Series, Book 1 (Paranormal Romance) by H.P. Mallory

What it's about: Fairies & other netherworld creatures


Fire Burn And Cauldron Bubble: The Jolie Wilkins Series, Book 1 (Paranormal Romance) by H.P. Mallory

What it's about: Witches & other netherworld creatures


Eternal Eden (Eden Trilogy, Book One) by Nicole Williams

What it's about:  Immortals


YOUNG ADULT:

  Dirty Blood by Heather Hildenbrand 

What it's about: Werewolves


Madly (Book 1) (Madly Series) by M. Leighton *novella

What it's about: Mermaids

If you are looking for more recommendations on what to read, drop by Maryse's Book Blog.  She has turned me on to dozens of great books and she posts the new releases and freebies once a week. 

It's Your Birthday

I did it!  I made a card!  After work!  On a Tuesday! 

It is shocking, but true.  I was determined to make this happen.  I needed to send my Grandmother a birthday card last minute.  I thought I was going to see her in person on the weekend and would have plenty of time to make the card.  Well after Sandy Hook, she is so sad and she has a cold and she swears it is the end of the world ...so she has banned us from coming to the house this weekend.  *Sigh*  Hopefully this card will cheer her up. 

Stamp: The Greeting Farm- Hats Off Miss Anya, Paper: Kaisercraft Up Up and Away, Accessories: Ribbon , rhinestones, sentiment from stash, Tim Holtz Distress Ink Dusty Concord Marker, Memento Tuxedo Black Ink,

Copics: Skin- E23, E25, E27, E29 Hair- E23, E25, E27, E29, E49 Denim- B91, B95, B97 Clothes- RV00, RV63, RV66, V91, V93, V95, Boots- E31, E33, E34, E35, E37

Nail Stamping!

I am still having creative block on the holiday card front.  I know, I know, not many days until Christmas to get those cards out.  I think I have come up with a concept.  It involves dies and making Christmas trees out of triangles.  If I can pull it off, they should be easy to mass produce and pull together by Thursday to be mailed out in time for Christmas. 

I finally did something creative on Sunday.  Nail Stamping!  You know we stampers love to find any new medium to stamp on, so why not our nails? 

I received my Salon Express (AS SEEN ON TV) nail stamping kit this weekend. They sell them at CVS for $9.99.   I picked up some chrome nail polish that I thought might work well when I was at CVS.  I decided to try Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure polish in Shoot The Moon.    The stamping process was fairly easy.  I really like it and can't wait to experiment with it.

After I did my regular gel manicure including top coat I just did the following:

1) Apply Shoot the Moon to the stamping plate image.  ( I chose a zebra print pattern.)

2) Scrape excess polish from the plate using the scraper tool.

3) Press the stamping tool onto the image to pick up the polish design

4) Roll the design onto the nail

5) Let dry ( Shoot the Moon dried instantly.)

6) Apply Gel Top Coat and Cure

7) Clean the scraper and plate with alcohol or nail polish remover with a cotton pad or Qtips

8) Repeat steps for each additional nail

My experience is that you get better results with having the polish stick to the stamper when you file the stamper gently with a nail file.  I think it is the same concept as rubbing a new rubber stamp with an eraser to get the ink to stick better.

Fellow papercrafter Kristina (as in kwernerdesign)  has a great video here on how to do it.  Some of her manis or truly fab!

Pictured-  Sephora by OPI Gelshine Leotard Optional, Red Carpet Manicure Brilliance Top Coat, Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure Shoot The Moon

New Copic Blending Sets...more options for choosing Copic Color Combinations.

Have you seen the news over on the Copic Marker site?  They just released new copic blending sets in 3's!

Copic has taken the guess work out of choosing colors with their new Color Fusion and Blending Trio Sets.

It looks like there are 6 Color Fusion and 7 Blending Trio sets. 

This is the information from the Copic Marker site-

Color Fusion Sets- are an affordable way to achieve perfect blends.  The set contains three preselected colors in an ideal belnding group.

Color Fusion Set 1: V20-S, V22-S, V25-S

Color Fusion Set 2:  RV000-S, RV52-S, RV55-S

Color Fusion Set 3: E04-S, R56-S, R59-S

Color Fusion Set 4: YR20-S, YR23-S, YR27-S

Color Fusion Set 5: G40-S, G43-S, G46-S

Color Fusion Set 6: B01-S, B04-S, B06-S

Blending Trio Sets- great for starting or extending your collection.  Combinations selected to deliver perfect blends every time!

Blending Trio Set 1: G40-S, G94-S, G99-S

Blending Trio Set 2: B12-S, B14-S, B18-S

Blending Trio Set 3: RV63-S, RV66-S, RV69-S

Blending Trio Set 4: R12-S, R14-S, R17-S

Blending Trio Set 5: Y00-S, Y13-S, Y18-S

Blending Trio Set 6: E95-S, E97-S, E99-S

Blending Trio Set 7: E70-S, E74-S, E79-S

The Copic Marker site is selling the sets for $20.97 each.  That is the MSRP of $6.99 a marker. Ouch!  Maybe you can ask Santa to stick some of these in your stocking!

It's been a while...

It's been a while since I have posted.  So sorry for being gone for so long.  Hurricane Sandy really took its toll out here on the east coast.  It made things very difficult for a while for me getting to work and servicing my customer base who couldn't return to their offices in lower manhattan.  I am happy to say that everything is back to normal for me.  The "Zombie Apocolypse" effect that occurred the first two weeks after all of the devastation is over.   There have been so many effected and my heart goes out to everyone who lost their homes, possessions, jobs and even loved ones.  I am hoping to be able to go to Jon Bon Jovi's benefit concert 12-12-12 where all of the proceeds are being donated to Sandy victims.

I made this card while the power was out for a week.  I am hoping now that things are back to normal, I will be able to get back to my crafting.  

(Stamp: The Greeting Farm's Sweet Treats Anya, Paper Stickers and Washi Tape: Teresa Collins Tell Your Story, Copics)

In the meantime I have been having a ball with one of my newest hobbies... DIY Soak Off Gel Manicures.  I got the Sensationail Starter Kit that includes the LED lamp from drugstore.com (on sale till Monday $34.99).  

I am in love with Soak Off Gel.  It cures under the LED light in under a minute and then it is dry! No more painting your nails and then waiting hours for them to dry.  Plus the manicure lasts 1-2 weeks with out chipping and flaking off.  

I have been changing my polish every week because I like playing with the colors and trying to do different effects.  The soak off process takes some getting used to but I think I have gotten the hang of it.  With Hands Down nail wraps (they look like bandaids) and a little heat.  You soak for 10-20 minutes and then just push the softened gel right off your nail.  

When I did my first soak off gel manicure my nails were short and bitten down to the quick.  Below is have much they have grown in just 8 weeks.  I have been mixing and matching colors from other brands: Gelish, Red Carpet Manicure, Mally Beauty, and IBD too. It all works with the Sensationail LED lamp.  

(Top: Sensationail French Manicure Sheer Pink Kit + Red Carpet Manicure White Hot,  Bottom:  Sensationail Mauve Maven)

My Christmas shopping is done and now I need to start wrapping everything.  Now I need to get the Christmas cards done!

Sandywatch and Halloween

I am sitting home waiting for Hurricane Sandy to make landfall.  I am using all the electricity I can before the inevitable power outages come rolling in.  3 brown outs so far.  I figured a Twilight marathon would be fitting for Halloween.   Here is my Twilight inspired  Halloween card.  Hope everyone is safe and wishing you all a Happy Halloween!

  

Stamps: Tiddly Inks
Paper: Echo Park
Copics: V12 V15 V17 R81 BV01 Y13 E27 E0000 E000 E30 E31 E37

Summer is Over Smash Sunday

 My goodness it has been so long since I have been here.  Summer was a whirlwind of working, vacations, new births, and tons of summer reading.  No where in that mix has been any crafting.  Now that things have slowed down and the hot summer days have turned to the start of cool fall breezes, I was able to sit down for a few moments of reflection to do something semi-crafty.  I did a SMASH spread of some of the fall trends I really like.  The top two things that I am loving are Burgundy everything and Bejeweled and jewel-tone clothing.  In my smash pages you will see some things I am coveting for fall.  Life and reality being what they are, the best way for me to bring home something similar was to get the new burgundy colored nail polish from Essie called Recessionista.  I love it.  It is a nice deep burgundy color that I think is perfect for fall.  Totally fitting name, Recessionista.  Being inspired by the name, I also got a great sweater on clearance from Banana Republic to match for only $20!  I think my next tiny splurge will be the new lipstick color from MAC's Marilyn Monroe inspired line called Deeply Adored.   

XOXO- Michelle

Candy Winner and Traveling Colors

1st order of business today is announcing my Blog Candy winner.  The lucky winner is #4 Mancy!  Please email me at michellena @ si dot rr dot com with your address so I can mail out your candy.  


 I finally had a chance to make a completed card.  I was packing for my vacation next week to the Jersey Shore, but I decided I just had to do at least one project. This cute Saturated Canary image reminded me of me trying to pack up my Copics to take on vacation.   I have had this digi, Traveling Colors done since the Copic Marker Europe birthday celebration and never got around to making a card out of it.  I saw this cute paper from Basic Grey Clippings and thought it looked finished enough to mount my image on.  A fussy cut and few embellies later my card was done.

Supplies-
Digi stamp- Traveling Colors Saturated Canary
Basic Grey Clippings
Epoxy Sticker Glitz Design
Recollections embellishments
Copics- B000 G00 B41 B45 B32 B34 BG11 BG32 70 T1 T3 T5 E00 E21 E51 E81 E84 E87 E89 E31 E35 E37 E39

150 Follower Blog Candy Reminder

 Today is the last day to enter to win my blog candy.  Please leave a comment on the original post before midnight.   I will announce the winner tomorrow.

150 Follower Blog Candy!

Sorry I have been so quiet lately.  I have been sick so no mojo for my crafting.  Boo!  Even with my absence I have hit 150 followers and I am so happy that I want to share some candy with all of you.  This candy is open to anyone who is a follower of my blog.  Please leave a comment on this post and I will choose a random winner next Saturday.  

The candy will be:

Aislinn Adams Impression Obsession floral stamp

Echo Park Everyday Eclectic 6x6 Paper Pad

Basic Grey Paper Cottage 6x9 Paper Pad

Copic Markers- B91 B93 B95 YG11 E13

Distress Marker Brushed Corduroy

Memento Danube Blue and Bahama Blue Dew Drop Dye Inks

3 Dye Ink Spots

Over the weekend I had the opportunity to knock something off my bucket list.  I went to the NJ Festival of Ballooning and actually went up in a hot air balloon.  I was so scared because I am afraid of heights but I didn't let that stop me.  It was such an amazing experience.  Words cannot describe it!  The views were so beautiful.  I highly recommend doing it if you get a chance. And the bonus is I now have some amazing photos to scrapbook and I can use all of the Hot Air Balloon stamps and scrapbook paper I have been hoarding!

A Little Thank You

I had a blast over the weekend hanging out with my best friend Tasmine.  We worked on making thank you cards for her wedding.  It has been a year since we made her wedding invites together.  I can't believe how the time has flown by.  It is always nice when my non-crafty friends want to do a project.  When these little projects come up, I finally get to share my favorite hobby with them.

Saturday we went to Michael's and picked up some plain black cards on clearance.  They were embossed at the bottom with two lines and came 6 to a package with envelopes included for $0.99!  Score!  We picked up some American Crafts Silver Glitter Tape, recollections pearls and an EK Success Paper Shapers Layer Punch.  On Sunday we got together to actually make  all 42 thank you cards.  We stamped the couple's initials with some letter stamps by MSE on the smallest layer of the punch shape.  Then we put everything else together.  My small Xyron sticker maker came in very handy for those little pieces.  The $1 pink Revlon tweezer I bought that I thought would come in handy one day with my crafts, really helped me with adhering those tiny pearls quickly.

For the inside of the thank you card, we stamped a castle from an old Stampin' Up! set in Desert Sand Memento Ink and then stamped a Stampin' Up! sentiment over top in black.

We wanted to keep the theme from the original invitations (on a budget) and I think these ended up matching pretty well.

There's an App for that!

You know I love my iPhone and I am always looking for more crafty apps.  Well Tim Holtz has finally come out with one.  The Tim Holtz app is now available in the iTunes app store.  The best part is, it is free! 

"Now you can keep inventory of your favorite Tim Holtz signature products from Ranger, idea-ology, Sizzix Alterations, Stampers Anonymous, Tonic, and Core’dinations with this interactive app right at your finger tips. Create a wish list of the products you want to explore, and watch Tim’s technique videos right on your device. Keep up with Tim’s many adventures with quick access to his events calendar, blog, facebook, and twitter.”

You can see all the details here on the Tim's Blog. 

More CHA preview goodness and a digi sale

CHA Preview:  Tell Your Story Collection by Teresa Collins

I am loving this collection too!  Peach and Aqua go perfect together...and it has butterflies.. This collection includes a lot, but my favories are the washi tape and hegagon stickers!!! Click the link above to enter the giveaway to win this collection.

ENABLER ALERT: Saturated Canary digis on sale!!!!

In the spirit of CHA,  Saturated Canary is having a digistamp sale. 

Get 30% off your order now through Saturday 11pm EST with code: CHALOVE. 

 Run do not walk...or I guess click your mouse and get over to the Saturated Canary online shop and get your digis.  They are too cute to pass up at  $2.80 each!

Summer CHA 2012 release: Glitz Design Hello Friend

It is that time of year again... previews of the new releases from CHA!  I am totally in love with the Hello Friend Collection by Glitz Design.  OMG! So so pretty.  I must get every part of this collection.  The collection is spot on trend right now from its Coral color theme to the Chevron washi tape and paper garland.  I can really see me using everything in this collection.  You can see the entire collection on the Glitz Design blog.

Coloring on Glitter with Copics and Copic Marker Storage

Today I wanted to share a technique I learned from Krazy Kreations at Scrapbook Expo.  It is called Coloring on Glitter...for lack of a better name.  I don't remember what they called it.  In their both they sold kits for this technique.  You can find the glitter starter kits here on their website and the stickers here.  

You start off with Elizabeth Crafts Peel Off stickers.  I used the cupcakes.  

Next you take the Be Creative Sticky Sheet (Sookwang sheet) and cut it to a size to fit your sticker.  Then peel the waxy paper backing off and smooth and burnish it down onto white card stock.

 Remove the other piece of backing off and sprinkle the Ritz Glitter onto the sticky area of your card stock.  Burnish the glitter into the sticky area and tap off excess.  You can use the backing paper to really press the glitter into the adhesive.

 Next take your sticker and peel off the silhouette.  

Adhere the sticker outline to your glitter.  

 Now you are ready to color in your image.  You can color directly onto the glitter.  It will not ruin your markers.  Just scribble off any stray glitter particles on a scratch paper when you are done with your image.  

 Trim your image and adhere to your card.  

And the final result!

Have you seen the new Jetmax Storage style at Michael's?  It is branded as Recollections but if you look at the actual pieces they say Jetmax on them.  This one has a drawer, two shelves and a removable marker holder.  I am using the marker holder separately on top of my current unit.  I mixed my Distress markers in with my Copics.  I was able to fit about 6 markers per slot so you can hold about 126 markers.

Here is what the finished shelf looks like.