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.  

Mixed Media Hugs

I'm back with a card I have been working on for a few weeks now.  The theme of the card was inspired by a book series I am currently reading.  It is called Madly by M Leighton.  The books are about a teenage Mer Princess who is trying to save her home under the sea called Atlas.  Of course I thought a mermaid card was fitting.  

My card uses a lot of different mediums.  I started off with a plain white tag and embossed it with a Tim Holtz Alterations bubble embossing folder.  Next I sponged on some distress ink in peacock feathers and tumbled glass and some faded jeans distress stain.  I spritz with some Turquoise Tattered Angels mist and then sprayed the entire thing with Shimmer Goosebumps.  That made it slick and shiny.  I stamped the swirl pattern in Scrap Happy glue and then sprinkled with fine glitter.   

Once I had my tag done I colored my stamped images with Copics and added some Frosted Lace and Patina stickler.  I applied the fish on my card with a foam dot.  I tied on some Twinery Twine

To make my background I applied Adirondack Acrylic paint dauber in Pool directly to my Solar White cardstock.  I stamped my sentiment in Teal Zeal Memento Ink.

Supplies- Stamps Sweet November Stamps Current Ebbtide digi, sentiment by Kanban Crafts
Copics: E000 E00 E21 E04 Y06 G43 G46 BG000 B000 BG02 BG45 R56 E08 E07 BV11 YG11 BG57

Scrapbook Expo NJ, thoughts on the day and Copic class

Today was the day.  Scrapbook Expo NJ 2012.  I went, I bought, I learnt, I bought, I sweated... I need a nap! 

 The day started bright and early and it was already hot first thing in the morning.  I lined up before the doors opened with a lot of other eager ladies.  We got some coupons and some freebies.  When they finally let us onto the show floor, I raced to my favorite booth: Scrapmart.  I didn't get much there.  I got some papers and a Copic refill, and some closeout Glitz Design products.  Love their stuff and Scrapmart had them in the bin for cheap!  I got two paper pads for the price of one in the bin as well.  I then ventured around the show to other booths, did some make and takes, and burned  through my hard earned cash.   All in all, there was not much new stuff that I saw there.  I got a bunch of things I have been wanting for a while but felt like I was missing out on all the hottest and newest things.  Prices were not competitive overall.  I was disappointed about that, but my fav local scrapbooking store Scrappers' Cove saved the day.  They had great show special pricing that was lower than everyone else.  I had to move quickly because I had a morning class.  I went across the street to the hotel for classes.  Dear god it was hot.  96 degrees!  Thank goodness they had a free shuttle with the AC cranking.

I took a class called Copic Intermediate with Krazy Kreations.  The class kit contained everything we needed to make 3 cards, Copic markers B91 B93 B95, and a flower stamp.  Of the 3 cards we made, the one pictured above was my favorite.  The two below were nice too.  The company offers some cool products including the plastic pouch and pebbles for the shaker card below.  The pouch is self adhesive so it makes shaker cards a snap.  They also told us about a demo going on in the booth on coloring on glitter with Copic markers.  I went back to the show to check out the demo and fell instantly in love with the technique.  I am vacation this week so I will be trying this method out and will share with you.  I also won a class prize, another Impression Obsession stamp.  Lucky me!  

I also picked up some new mediums today to try.  I got a few more distress markers and some new inks to go with them.  I bought Ranger Archival Ink and Faber Castell Stampers Big Brush which is India ink.  I saw a demo at The Rubber Cafe using the Big Brush colored onto a stamp and then stamped onto Canvas. They then used Gelatos to add color to the image.  Well you know I had to get some of those too.   I decided to do an ink test with both new inks to see how they color with Copics and Distress Markers.

Below is  how the test went.  The top two flowers are stamped with the Big Brush.  The Faber Castell Big Brush smudges when colored with Copics.  I tried it twice just to be sure that it wasn't a drying time issue.  The bottom two flowers are stamped with Ranger Archival Ink.  It works great with Distress Markers, no surprise since it is Ranger. I colored using a Victorian Velvet and Milled Lavender Distress Marker. The image on the right was colored with R08 ad R14 Copic Markers.  Archival Ink held up pretty well to the Copic markers.  There is a tiny amount of smudge in the center of the flower.  I believe if heat set, the ink will not smear.

All in all it was a really fun first day of my vacation.  I will be back tomorrow with a mixed media project to share with you.