Today's Tip

Glossy Accents by Ranger is also a great adhesive for lumpy stuff and clear elements

Today's Tip

Not sure if a stamp is the perfect design for a certain spot? Stamp it first with a solvent ink like StazOn on a piece of plastic and lay over your project in progress to check. Clear inserts or packaging that come with products are handy for this.

Today's Tip

Alcohol free baby wipes are perfect for cleaning rubber and acrylic stamps

Weekend Retreat - Nov.5-7, 2010

Ladybug Layouts

http://ladybuglayouts.blogspot.com/

When:  Friday, November 5 to Sunday, November 7, 2010
Where:  Sooke, BC (What a GREAT location, approximately 50 km (a 1 hour drive) from downtown Victoria.)

How Much:  $250 for the entire weekend (includes accommodation & all meals/snacks).  $100 deposit DUE by September 1, 2010, $150 balance due by October 15, 2010 (Due to committed expenses, there will be NO REFUNDS, unless we are able to fill your space.)

What to Expect:  You will LOVE this place!!! There is a ton of room and space for you and all your stuff. The lighting is fantastic and so is the big kitchen / living room area where we can work and relax comfortably.

All together we can comfortably accommodate a maximum 14 people, so make sure you’re on the list!!!

This will be another GREAT weekend of FUN!!! With no interruptions!!!! No kids, no husband, no work, no cooking, no cleaning and who knows what will happen…….

We’re still working on details, but some of the usual highlights include:
• Lessons, • Games, • Prizes
and we hope to again offer massages on Saturday, and will confirm this soon.

As always, there will be a store set up so come prepared to try something new or stick to your old favorites. There will also be impromptu demonstrations, samples, guidance, and support throughout the weekend, just flag down Denise and she’ll be happy to help!!!!

Whatcha Up To?

Got busy this week, and weekend, and didn't get my posting done.

Yesterday was a BEAUTIFUL day in Victoria and we spent a good portion of the day in the garden cleaning up, clipping, pruning, weeding, chopping, and digging.  Got a lot done and LOVE to see the progress, but still a lot more to do!!!!! 

A little bit of time spent in my craft room, but no finished projects to share.  Lots to get done this week!!!

What did you do?

What did you do last Saturday???

I spent the entire day scrapbooking with friends.  I got four beautiful (well, in my eyes) layouts done and I am so inspired to do more!!!!!

Alas, I must go do my "other job", so will update later and post my new layouts.

Has anybody else been creative lately????  What have you been working on?

Sorry......

I've fallen behind on posts, but getting all caught up and will be posting soon......  Hope everyone is enjoying the beautiful weather and the Olympics on TV!!!!!

Has anybody been Scrapbooking or Paper Crafting?  Fill us in!

Enjoy!

Envelope Sale @ Office Depot!

All Office Depot branded business envelopes - Save 50% Off until Feb.19, 2010.

http://victoriabc.flyerland.ca/office-depot/1310/deal/11833

Today's Tip!

VERSAMARK IDEAS
(from Splitcoaststampers.com)


A TRULY CLEAR EMBOSSING PADUse like you would the Top Boss. Just stamp and emboss with colored powder or clear powder for a see through shine.

A WATERMARKThis is great for backgrounds, it will deepen the shade of colored paper wherever you stamp. Just think about this, for every color of paper you own, you now have a complementary color of ink!

POPPIN’ PASTELS
There are a couple of ways to accomplish this effect on light colored card stocks.

1. Apply chalks to the area to be stamped, stamp with VersaMark and allow to dry or use heat gun. Then rub gently with a clean cotton ball. You can get a dramatic effect by adding more chalk to a cotton ball or dauber after you stamped with the VersaMark. Or you can emboss while stamped image is still wet with clear embossing powder and the image will jump out at you!
2. Stamp first then chalk gently over the stamped area and watch the image magically appear.

REVERSE PASTELS
This time you use brightly colored chalk to cover dark colored card stock (Basic Black, Night of Navy, Close to Cocoa, Old Olive, etc.) and then stamp over the chalked area. The ink will pull out the color of the paper from beneath the chalk. Be sure to clean the stamp before re-inking it as the chalk you removed is now on your stamp and you will dirty your VersaMark pad.

SHADOWING
This is a technique to use with Kaleidacolor pads and word stamps but you can use it for anything really. Just stamp directly over your first image. Because you will seldom be exact you will make a shadow that gives the initial image a 3-D effect. You can even take it a step further and emboss with a transparent powder like Pearl or Iridescent Ice.

BRAYER RESIST
This technique can be done with Gold Encore or VersaMark. Stamp image(s) onto Glossy White card stock using one of the above inks. Gently wipe away the ink using a lotion-free tissue and small circular motion. Ink up your brayer and roll it over the paper. Wherever the VersaMark ink was stamped, the paper will resist the colored ink from your brayer. This works on matte card stock but looks better on glossy.

VERSAMARK & 2-STEP STAMPIN’
Stamp the same image first w/VersaMark & then with metallic (Encore). Just shift the image a little bit when stamping the metallic ink. It gives it a shadowed look. Looks great on baroque burgundy and forest foliage!

EMBOSSING ON GLASS
Using the embossing buddy first, then using the VersaMark to stamp the image on a glass container, then emboss with detail gold or silver. Fill it with candy and tie a ribbon on it.

EMBOSSING WITH YOUR 48 STAMPIN’ UP! PADS
Ink your stamp with VersaMark then stamp on one of our 48 color pads or you can use a dauber to apply the color ink if you are worried about the color pad. Stamp and use clear embossing powder. Heat. Now you can emboss and be perfectly coordinated with the SU! markers, cardstock and inkpads. Be certain to clean stamp before re-inking on VersaMark pad or you will leave color on it.

DISCREET JOURNALING LINES
Although the VersaMark ink is sticky when applied, it dries like regular ink and loses the stickiness. It is Acid-free and safe for scrapbook pages. It works perfectly on all of our colored cardstock.

BATIK TECHNIQUE
Simply stamp your image using Versamark on ultra-smooth white or confetti or some other light CS and then emboss with clear embossing powder. Let cool. Then gently wad paper into a ball or you could fold it into a small square for a different look. Unfold it and smooth it out. Place it on a towel and wet with water so the paper is very damp. Next ink your brayer with a Kaleidacolor pad and brayer across the paper. The image will stay white while the ink will seep into cracks and the rest of the paper will have a batik look. (Like back in the 70’s when you applied wax to a pattern on a shirt and then dipped it in dye, cooled and chipped the wax away.)

Today's Tip!

32 Ways To Love Your Heat Gun
(from Splitcoaststampers.com)

1. Use it with shrink plastic!
2. To dry glue on almost anything!
3. To set the pigment ink on our Paperclay
4. To dry sealer on paperclay quickly
5. Embossing
6. Glassy Glaze
7. Liquid Applique
8. Heat & Stick
9. Heat setting Fabrico
10. Remelting hot or low temp glue to restick something
11. Stamp & Scratch paper
12. Paint stripping
13. Reheating tea
14. Blowing glitter across a stamped area to get a fine sprinkle.
15. Speeding up drying for radiant pearls, ancient page and some other inks.
16. Blowing glitter or other small debris off of the table
17. Carefully now: dry your nail polish! Heat gun holder means no smudges on 2nd or 3rd coat. It stays my craft table in its heat gun holder and I paint then press the on button and wave my nails under the flow. It worksgreat! I am Miss Impatient about stuff and one day just tried it. Now my nail polish has migrated to the edge of the table!
18. To puff up fabric puff paints on sweatshirts (Gotta be careful!).
19. To heat up those price stickers on glass--just heat and then peel them right off. This works great on jelly jar labels and once I used this method to get a bumper sticker off my car (my grandson put it on the paint—rear passenger door and I did not notice for almost a week).
20. My favorite heat gun use is to make smores. 2 graham crackers, chocolate pieces, marshmallow, wooden skewer, heat gun. Heat the marshmallow a nice toasty brown, assemble and enjoy. We did this with a Brownie troop for one of their try its and they loved them.
21. Repairing computer parts: I have a story to tell about my heat gun... It happened this week, and it saved my YOU-KNOW-WHAT!! I am setting up and trial running a new computer in my bedroom, next to my old one, making sure it works, and getting it set it up for transfer of my documentation to the new one, was checking on the CD speakers, and it worked, and I took the CD out, and the phone rang...........Then, later when I was flipping my mattress over, (need to do it once in a while), the mattress caught on the OPEN CD ROM holder....and bend it toward the ground, and it wouldn't go back into the holder space. It would go so far and then stop, I could force it back in by holding up the plastic, but it wouldn't do it on its own....BRAND NEW, not even REGISTERED yet! After I stopped hyperventilating, I used my heat gun to heat the plastic a little at a time, and I slowly maneuvered it until the tray would slide shut on it own, and it plays and all is well, THANK HEAVENS FOR OUR HEAT GUN!!!
22. Takes a dipping and keeps on ticking!! My favorite heat gun story is from this web site. One demonstrator dropped her heat tool in her coffee, while it was plugged in. She jumped quick and unplugged it, rinsed it off and let it dry off. Plugged it in, turned it on and it is still running like a top.
23. You can use your gun to remove hardened candle wax. Aim the heat at the wax. When it starts to melt, use a white paper towel to blot it up. Do this a little at a time to prevent scorching your surface.
24. For artsy daredevils: pool some metallic ink on glossy c/s. Aim heat at its center. It will spread the ink and create a nice blob. Sprinkle some of the confetti in our new glitter stacks on top of the blob, then pour on some clear EP. Heat again, pour on more EP, melt, and allow to dry. It makes a nice accent or background for your artwork. I discovered this when trying to find things to do with the new confetti we have. I tried something similar with the regular reinkers and didn't like the results - non impressive. If any of you try a variation of this, please share your results!
25. Use the heat gun to melt some candle wax onto your paper creating an abstract design, then do a direct to paper technique over it. The wax will resist the ink and also give your paper texture.
26. Melt bits of broken crayons for a background resist. I would melt the various colors of crayon bits until there were melted puddles scattered around the cardstock. Then I would let them harden and use the foam brayer to brayer ink over the whole piece of card stock. Next, I would reheat the crayon until remelted and then soak up the excess with a paper towel. This would leave some color on the card stock, plus the ink would have resisted these areas. It might make an interesting background. Maybe a little like a faux batik look. (Note: This idea has not been tried! Please report back to the list if you try it!)
27. I use mine with friendly plastic! It's sooo much easier than putting it in the toaster oven every time you need to soften it! Friendly plastic is THE coolest stuff ever!! You can get it at stamp stores or on-line at www.stampoasis.com. It's not even new if you can believe that! I heard they used it in the '70's to make jewelry and now it's making a big comeback. Any-hoo, I use it make jewelry and components to embellish cards. It comes in really pretty metallic colors and it kind of wrinkles when you heat it up. While it's hot you can blend colors together and put in beads, charms, even stamped images. Then when it's dry I put a coat of crystal effects over it because: 1. It makes the plastic super shiny and pretty and 2. if you use charms or beads (as I do) they will fall off when the plastic is cool unless you seal it! Honestly, I only discovered it a few months ago but I LOVE LOVE LOVE it!!! In fact, I made a Friendly Plastic pin for a friend and she asked to make her 8 more for Christmas gifts. I made $60!!! And then I felt guilty because I had a blast making them! Oh, I almost forgot! I found some FP recently at Michaels! It was with the wire mesh that you would use to make a form if you were going to cover it w/ plaster. Not with the jewelry stuff where it SHOULD be! I hope this makes sense and I'm not rambling too much! I just get so excited when I share something new!! Try it!! It's so much fun!
28. Speed up effectiveness of bleach stamping by heating the bleach stamped image from underneath after stamping.
29. Make gift baskets and use it to shrink the shrink plastic over the basket. I tried it and just like magic shrunk in no time flat.
30. You can use the heat tool on fun foam. You heat and then imprint a bold or bold line stamp in it.
31. My DH used it to heat the glue of our old linoleum as he peeled it up to lay new stuff. He was impressed by my suggestion to use it and that it worked like a charm!
32. I use it to melt stamped tissue paper to a candle. You can also heat the surface of the candle and then stamp a DD stamp into it. Highlight the impression with paints - maybe our metallic reinkers would work? I tried this a long time ago and didn't get really good results. This past year, I've been making candles with dried flowers in them to sell at a local farmer's market (my other business). Sometimes the flowers wouldn't show up well and I would use the heat gun to melt off a layer of wax.