mojo - just barely squeezin in....

nothing like the last minute right?? i played with this week's mojo monday sketch->

using one of my brand new greeting farm images - fell in love the moment i saw them!

and i came up with this gift bag for kevin's god-daughter - her party is this afternoon:

These are so way awesome to color because they are uncomplicated and just so adorable. i stamped her with memento black - if you don't have any yet you need some! i have it on sale now in the shop - 15% off. i colored her with my copics and filled in the glittering parts with silver ice stickles -also 15% off- these have a much more sparkly, holographic appearance than regular stickles. i also added some to the striped paper. the sentoment is studio g and stamped in orchid brilliance pearlescent ink - another must have and also on sale right now - 25% off!

i must say pink and green is my fave color combo - pezzy's room is pink and green toile - so i am really pleased with this one!

i'd love to hear what YOU think!!!!
i will be posting some winners to the two contests later today......and remember now is the time to stock up on stuff since i have most everything but pre-orders on sale!!

Technostamper sketch/pink cat/paper craft planet

HOORAY for weekends!! did a bit of playing (mostly cleaning/organizing inventory but still a little playing) - the first thing i did when i got up this morning was print out all of this week's sketches that i love to play. so today's card uses MJ's lunchtime sketch from Monday - MJ ALWAYS has fabby sketches

And my card using the SUPER cute shopping Tweet from Tweet Plate 1 over at Pink Cat:

HAven't been to Pink Cat Studios? then RUN don't WALK because Melissa has some seriously cute stamps (one day i will own them all.....) I colored Tweet with copics and a bit of dark blue spica pen. The snowflake panel is rubbed with brilliance pearlescent sky blue - i use dew drops because they are easier to control. i also rubbed it along the edges of the nesties shape. i highlighted the snowflakes and main panel with diamond stickles. the snowflake is from the seasonal grungeboard set, inked with encore silver (and yes to my surprise there IS a difference between encore silver, brilliance patinum planet and brilliance starlight silver!) after inking it silver i ran it thru the snowflake Cuttlebug folder too. Then i rubbed over the raised parts with the brilliance sky clue. the dots up top are sugar pops.

Here's a close up of Tweet:


so has everyone been over to The Planet - Paper Craft Planet that is. head on over, here is the link to my page there and i ALSO have a group there JUST for me. The group will highlight stamp sets and products I carry and one focus will be studio Gs. I would LOVE to have y'all join me and participate in the fun challenges I have planned after Christmas. PUT THOSE STUDIO Gs TO USE!!!!!

hi all! i hope everyone had tons of fun trick or treating or whatever you might do on halloween! we were thrilled when we finally got pezzy to agree to put her costume on (you'll be seeing those pics soon in a LO) and once she got going she loved trick or treating. she even roared for a few of our neighbors! at one point she looked at hubby and said daddy! i am a trick or treating baby! when we got home she helped hand out candy too!

todays' post is picture heavy but worth it (i think). want to do individual ornaments for folks in a jiffy? alcohol inks and porcelain!


Here is what I have so far - instructions follow:

first the basics - backgrounds. i found two ceramic ornaments at Michaels - the rest are from my mom's stash of porcelain! i WILL be putting together a one-time only order for porcelain ornaments THIS WEEK so if you want some info will follow probably on monday BE SURE TO CHECK IN!

SO of course i am using alcohol inks for the base colors as porcelain is slick - just what alcohol ink is made for!

Other supplies you will want to have for the various techniques: versamark, brilliance metallic inks, stamps, stickles, liquid pearls, dimensional pearls and lots of embossing powders! the best are detail clear, embossing tinsels (come in iridescent bridal, silver, gold, red and green), white and the distress embossing powders - all of these are available through my webstore along with the versamark, brilliance inks, liquid pearls, dimensional pearls and stickles. The metallic mixatives are especially wonderful on these - here i used red pepper, cranberry and gold mixative - it creates a gorgeous marbled look with gold veins. Be sure to let the alcohol ink dry thoroughly before going on with additional steps. i found some of the ornament surfaces were not exactly flat and level so i stamped without putting my stamps on a block so there would be some flexibility.

Now the details of each one:

STamped a solid poinsettia image from Inkadinkado's Peppermint Twist set using versamark. Covered with gold embossing tinsel and heated to melt. accented the open work with gold liquid pearls.

Stamped the holly leaf from Inkadinkado's Christmas Classics set using versamark, covered with silver embossing tinsels and heated to melt. accented edges with silver stickles.

background is copper mixative with meadow and lettuce alcohol inks and LOTS of blending solution to soften the colors. the hanger portion and bottom ringer portion are straight copper mixative. stamped the pine cones from Inkadinkados Holiday Classics set using versamark and then "colored" them using distress embossing powders and heated to melt. dots are Lettuce Dimensional pearls.

I used stonewashed and denim alcohol inks with pearl mixative. i stamped some super little studio Gs using sky blue brilliance ink and then covered it with frosted crystal embossing antiquities powder and heated to melt so the ink wouldn't smudge. added details with silver stickles.

this ornament is done same as above.

Used the same alcohol inks again but with silver mixative and less blending solution. stamped snowflakes in versamark and used silver embossing tinsel and white embossing powders. heated to melt. used crystal stickles for dots along the edge.

Meadow and lettuce alcohol inks with gold mixative. stamped image from Inkadinkados Winter Shapes set using galaxy gold brilliance ink which i heated with the heat gun and it dried (doesn't work for all of them for some reason). dots and "trunk" are gold liquid pearls.

stamped the silent whisper image using black brilliance ink and heated to dry. colored the image using my copics (yep copics are alcohol markers so color away on slick surfaces!) snowman is covered in crystal ice stickles. open work edge is done using thyme brilliance ink just tapped directly on from the pad. then i covered it in frosted crystals antiquities embossing powder and heated to melt.

so there you have it folks - a variety of ideas and successful products for porcelain ornaments. remember if you can't find them near you tune in monday and i will post what i will be ordering so we can do it all at once!

now off - lots of work to do today!

TECC36 AND bellaholics challenge all in one!

FINALLY got some extended play time in this weekend. Hubby did a fanFREAKINGtastic job taking the baby of my hands ALOT this weekend - LOVE him! alas he is out of town for the week so i will be on my own *hair stands on end* - so i have a double duty challenge card today. i used this -->-->
sketch from Taylor's cupcake challenge.



and here is my card:

FINALLY inked up one of my new chichiboullies from stamping bella - this is patricia cupcake - isn't she ADORABLE?? the embossing is rubbed lightly with a brilliance pearlescent thyme dew drop - i find the dew drops are easier to do this with - not as much gets on the unembossed parts. the patterned paper is from the new DCWV sweet stack - oh wow is it YUMMY!! the buttons are from SEI - oh how i love SEI - and that is where the bellaholics challenge comes in - we had to use 5 buttons.

i colored the image with copics and then used spica glitter pens for her cake - it's not a cupcake but it's close right? also rubbed the embossing from the nestie with the same thyme ink. her wings are painted with perfect pearl perfect pearls powder and an aquapainter.

In case you missed it yesterday i am having a sale on big & juicy Rainbow ink pads - $8 instead of $12!! and free shipping still in effect!

i have a very exciting project for you tomorrow so be sure to come check it out!!!

SFYTT/OCCC and studio G news!!

hi all! i will be brief today as I am sick as a dog!! i have been feeling bad for more than a week and i think i was in denial but there's no denying it now. and pezzy is sick too poor thing!

So my card for you todayis for my friend Jen's weekly challenge Sketch For You To Try (she has by far one of my most fave blogs!)
So here is the sketch she posted saturday:
In addition I have been loving the challenges over on a blog my friend amy is a part of - Our Creative Corner - talk about cards that knock your socks off!!! the challenge Saturday was to do a birthday card so i have a 2-in-1 for you (is that cheating do you think?)



And here's my card:

I used one of my little Pezzy stamps and colored her with my copics. the cake is partially covered with stickles. Sentiment is a studio G stamped with starlight black brilliance ink.

AAANNNNNNNNNNDDD speaking of studio G - I have had a steady stream of emails asking what the heck happened to series 23 & 24 - well I FINALLY have the answer for you!!! as i suspected they will be available at Michaels only and here they are:

Series 23:

Series 24:

now i LOVE me some studio G but holy cow i am totally loving those monograms in series 24!!! i am told they are expected to ship out in the next 60-90 days but who knows WHEN they will actually hit the shelves......so leave me a comment AND TELL ME WHAT YOU ALL THINK!!!!

and now i am going to attempt to sneak into bed for a bit while the baby sleeps.

hugs!!!

SFYTT

hi all!! today's card follows Jen's Sketch For You To Try:











And the card:

not sure if i completely love this one - first time using the little hardware pieces and had no idea what i was doing!! i DO like the center stamped part alot tho! i had another batch of kaleidacolors come in and one is called Autumn Leaves. so i used one of the Inkadinkado Foliage Trails stamps and stamped randomly. then i cut it with my nestabilities and rubbed the edges with versamagic using my foam ink blending tool. the background uses one of the new cuttlebug embossing folders which i really like. i lightly rubbed the vine and leaf parts with thyme brilliance ink dew drop.

i have been mulling over some ideas for my website for some time now and will have some changes and a big announcement Monday so be sure to tune in!!!!!

SFYTT card and others

i was busy with cards this weekend! this first one is for the sketch over on Jen's blog:






And here's the card:

how cute is she???? the panels are done usig the bandana technique from the technique junkies newsletter. the white dots are the ranger inksentials pen which i finally got in stock not long ago. die cut is covered in ruby slippers and tiara glitz stickles.

next up - the sketch challenge over on SCS last week:

i got the scarecrow from peachy keen stamps. b oth images are colored with copics.

fianlly a card i did for the current challenge over at paper patch crafts:

the owl is from one of the inkadinkado sets i recently added to my website called birds galore. he is stamped with brilliance chocolate pearlescent ink - also available on my website. primas have sands of time bead pops.

and now i am off to bed as i have had a long day and expect another one tomorrow!! i will have some cute LOs to share tomorrow.

Thinking Outside the Block Fridays!!!

ok i am going to apologize for myself now but i am just WAY to tickled with myself over the latest acrylic block creation! i have LOTS of pics so i can show each side. the cube is 6 of the square blocks:

I started by printing my pics using the contact sheet size. These fit perfectly on the blocks with some room to decorate. I put a tiny drop of glossy accents on each front corner of the pic and then glued it front side down so that it would be on the inside of the block.

next i inked the edges of the top and bottom block with brilliance pearlescent ink and heat set them with a heat gun. The top is sky blue and the bottom is ivy green.

i stamped littlew bugs and a phrase from a studio g set with brilliance pearlescent inks and heat set too. i ADORE these little dew drop inks i have added to the store - the size and shape of them makes it a BREEZE to ink up your stamp in several different colors.

next i attached two squares of patterned paper to the INSIDE sides of the top and bottom blocks with a thin layer of mod podge.

now for assembly. i used e6000 glue. i applied it to all four edges of the bottom piece and attached all four sides and let dry. then i applied the glue to the edges of the top piece, laid it down and slid the block down over it - perfect fit!

This pic really shows the 3-d looking effect of having the pic and paper on the inside and the stamping on the outside.

i decorated the top with a piece of grungeboard from the minis set, inked well with more brilliance pearlescent ink and two primas from the paper patch. i covered the centers with glossy accents and then loaded them up with various colored green seed beads. i dotted dimensional pearls around the edges.

Each corner is an indent so i ran a line of glossy accents along each one and dropped some Blue Lagoon bead pops in upside down. i did one corner at a time so they could dry. these are by catherine/silly skittles and available on my website - she does an excellent job with them - not just dies but all shimmery and variations in color are superb!

i plan on making more of these it turned out so cute. i may even make some two blocks high for larger pics or more pics.

remember to send me a link if you make this or any other project with your extra blocks! don't collect studio G and don't have any blocks - you can order them on my website! if you have an SCS gallery put TOTB in the keywords!