more halloween gift bags!

oh i JUST love the holidays!!!!! these are for friends' kids - all done using the Cricut paper dolls cart:

Some close ups:


Lots of stickles though the pics don't do them justice!

The glitter background on the witchy si done by Miss Pezadoodle herself using studio G glitter glues and my foam ink blending tool!! SHe is a good sample of different decorative glues - the scarf is glitz stickles, the dress is regular stickles and the shoes are liquid pearls.

anyone missing the tutorials??!!! i miss making them! look for them to start back up next week - COOL crackle paint ala T!m holtz tutorial and some amazing (and quick) porcelain Christmas ornaments!

Cuppy Gift Set for TETOPCHEF contest

i have to say i am just in LOVE with this new little stamp character from Taylored Expresions. Taylor issued a challenge when the stamps were released to come up with a birthday set of two or more projects using one of the new stamp sets and one of the coordinating Key Ingredients kits (includes patterned paper, solid cardstock, ribbons, glitter and brads). This was just so much fun to do!! i used Sweet Celebrations and the girl Key Ingredients and made a card, gift bag and acetate gift box:

here are more details for you:





i cut the papers into strips and punched a couple with border punches and ran one thru the cuttlebug and layered them. i stamped the little cuppies and ice cream cone in memento tuxedo black on PTI stamper select white cardstock and colored with copics. i added a few details with spica glitter pens. the cherry and candle flame have glossy accents for added dimension. i cut each image out with my nesties and rubbed the edges with ink using my foam blender. i added stickles (of course) around the edges of the images and along the border. the acetate box is actually a box that i got a stamp set in from PTI (Paper Trey Ink).

Here's some close ups of the cutie patootie little images:






Pezzy loves the Cuppies too - i had to stamp some for her to color while i worked. when daddy came home she had to show him "Cuppies" up on the breakfast bar :)

i can't wait to see wat Taylor comes up with next.....Christmas Cuppies?? Playin' in the snow Cuppies???

AAAANNNNNDDDD here we go again!!! studio G

that's right - i got word on the next set - so here it is folks - series 26!

These are SO exciting since last year the only valentine/st patricks day/easter sets last year were only at AC Moore. i will have them up on the website later today. i am told delivery date is dac 29th but i am SO not buying it this time so i am going to estimate mid january. i already put my order in!

and next up - more of those fabby little inks!!!

now right off the bat i see white and black which were in other sets and it is hard to tell if any other colors are repeats so i will be looking into this. no word on additional glitter glues yet.....

be sure to check back in later for a super cool bday gift set i made to enter in Taylor's top chef contest!!

cupcakes, bling and a good idea....(SFYTT & OCCC)

hi all!!! todays card combines two challenges - SFYTT -->
and OCCC - use some bling. my friend Suzanne *waving* was s o sweet to give me some images to color so today i have a tilda holding a little cupcake:

I think she turned out cutie patootie! i tried some experiments with shimmering mists over the weekends (will be reporting back on others as they are used) but on this particular one i made shimmery mist simply using brilliance pearlescent orchid reinker and encore metallic teal reinker and water in a mini mister. the colors are very good and the shimmer is wonderful! tilda is colored with copics. i added frosted lace stickles to the patterned paper as well as painting some pearl perfect pearls on in spots with an aquapainter - also did this for her wings. finished off with some liquid pearls dotted around the edges. LOVE LOVE those liquid pearls!!

one last tip for you from my experiments - dimensional pearls and water DOES NOT work for making shimmering mist!!!

be sure and check in tomorrow for an exciting announcement (it's from studio G.....) and don't forget i have big & juicy rainbow ink pads on sale!!!

stickles vs. stickles vs. stickles........

yep two posts in one day - i think this is a first! but i get SO many questions about the different kinds of stickles i thought it might be helpful to do a little guide for everyone *waving to Tara*.

stickles are a hot topic with the new Designer Stickles coming out plus the holidays - i mean halloween and christmas just SCREAM for over the top glitter - of course i glitter all year long buuuuttt......

We'll start with Glitz stickles. These are not actually a new product, Ranger just re-branded them into the stickles family to increase their visibility and boy did it work!! so we have 6 colors in this set - below are examples photographed as best i could:

and now a detailed explanation of each color:

• Champagne - gold glitter with a little bit of iridescent glitter mixed in
• Ruby Slippers - mostly red glitter with pink mixed in
• Sequins - appears mostly magents with gold, blue, red & aqua mixed in
• Mermaid - aqua glitter with a little green & magenta mixed in
• Grape - purple glitter with blue & copper mixed in
• Tiara - mostly silver with a good bit of copper mixed in
  

Now i guess it is debateable as to whether they have MORE sparkle than the regular stickles - i think at times it looks like they might - but i CAN say the colors are unique - not like any of the other stickles colors.

Another question i get is the differenc ebetween regular stickles and Ice stickles - HUGE difference! below i have two sample boards comparing the three kinds in a few similar colors to help illustrate:

the Ice are definitely more bling bling than the regular but also a different make-up. the colors have itty bitty glitters in whatever the color name is and then larger rianbow-like holographic glitter. so the "feel" of them is lighter - color and weight - than the weightier heavyily glittered look of stickles. Ice stickles also come in a bigger bottle with a larger tip. this means you will not get as fine a line with these but they are fabulous for large spaces and still make great dotted borders.

what will the distress stickles look like??? not sure yet but here is how T!m described them:

but these aren't your ordinary stickles (of course), this formulation combines a pearlized glitter instead of metallic glitter and composed of various particle sizes. pair that with the popular color palette of distress and you have a very vintage (almost mica looking) distress glitter glue. the texture is amazing, the colors are amazing and the results...still pure distress.

i'll admit i can't even picture what he is talking about but the instant they hit my doorstep i will set up a sample board for everyone!!

Finally liquid pearls always gets thrown in which is not stickles but is close to the same thig. this is a pearlized paint and very thick and dimensional. it can be used out of the bottle just like stickles or painted on thinly for a pearlized look. and along these lines a WAY TOO underloved product - dimensional pearls is also a fabulous addition in really wonderful colors. again a pearlized paint in a squeeze tip bottle in 12 of ranger's earthtone colors - you really need to check them out!! i have tutorials using them here on my blog.

i hope that helps a little! let me know what you think and if you have any more questions ask away!!!

Distress stickles are still a few weeks away *cries*

WOJ challenge #2 - Gift Set

i think this is one of my most fave projects i have ever done! i did it for the second challenge over at the Whiff of Joy challenge blog - if you still have not checked out Whiff of Joy i urge you to take a peek! so the challenge was to have stitching on your card or whatever you make. it can be any kind of stitching - machine, hand, faux or stamped. i did stamped with a great little set from technique tuesday - second stamp i ever purchased....and of course use a WOJ stamp!

i made this gift set for christmas:

YEP! that is a starbucks frappacino 4 pack all done up for the holidays! i will be fillling the bottles with russian tea mix, mint hot cocoa mix, mocha hot cocoa mix and marshmallows! i covered the cardboard holder with solid paper and then strips of patterned paper from my DCWV glitter christmas stack - love love love it!!

Here is the box without the bottles:

AND a close up up WOJ's Willow with Hot Chocolate. I colored her with Copics and stamped my stitching around her in brilliance pearlescent crimson. i added some glitter primas and prima leaves with bella dots in the centers. the handle portion is stamped with a studio G stamp that i colored in with stickles and another stitching stamp. i attached all the papers with mod podge - thinner layer than i normally use with wood.

more primas and leaves on one side:

Mixing directions and more stamped stitching:

And the bottles - more strips of paper adhered with mod podge. tags are cut on the cricut - george cart. names of the mixes are printed on my computer and a coffee cup from MFT.

Lids have a circle of paper with stickles around the edge and studio G stamps - coffee cups and "warm wishes" - this was just TOO fun. i will be doing several more!

what do y'all think???? good gift????

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!!!