The Daily Ink

2014-06-13T12:13:00.000-04:00

Everything's Coming up Roses!

Well, thats how this ceiling tile-turned magnet board makes me feel, anyway. With the new Spiral Flower Originals Die from Stampin' Up! anyone can make these gorgeous roses in no time!

I used Real Red and Crumb Cake DSP and adhered them together with a glue dot. A strong magnet on the back ensures I can hang up favorite cards and tags made of heavy cardstock. The flower centers are Jumbo Pearls left over, and for the Scallop Punch flower-I used the Baked Brown Sugar from the In Color Boutique Details. I like how the embossing mimics the look of the ceiling tile. Flower "leaves" are punched from Gold foil sheets and DSP using the new banner Punch.

The tag is stamped in Basic Black Ink on Whisper White Cardstock, and one detail added with Baked Brownsugar Marker. I love how it looks like a Chalkboard! What is fun about this image is that if you don't ink it perfectly it looks even more realistic as a sort of "erased" chalk board.

The image is stamped from the Chalk Talk set, from the Stampin' Up! Catalog. We received this stamp set last summer at Convention and I have found a ton of ways to use it. This stamp is my favorite, as it has a coordinating die cut and looks great (like a bread tag) wrapped around a cellophane bag for gifting.

When you find fun items like this tile, and want to give them as a gift, don't forget to add a quick and lovely "upgrade" using just basic card stock, stamps and ink. My Mother is actually getting this, so I chose one of her favorite colors Real Red. I can't wait to see it on her wall with pictures of my kids (of course) and the hand stamped card I am making to go with it.

Have a great weekend!

2013-11-22T10:00:00.000-05:00

"Sleigh Ride" Decorative Wood Sign

Hello Everyone! I have been busily preparing for Christmas parties and Thanksgiving, and thought of this fun idea for using my Stampin' Up! Build-A-Banner kit to make a trendy sign for my mantle decoration. These wood signs are all the rage on Pinterest right now, and I just knew I could create one with my stamping products and no paint!

I purchased a 6"x 30" piece of wood from the hardware store-only 1/2" thick, this helps keep the weight down while still having that vintage wood sign look. I started by wiping it down and placing painters tape across the top and bottom to give it a border. Then I took the Alphabet stencils and placed them down to see how they would fit for the words I wanted. I used washi tape to hold them down as I simply took a pencil and traced the letters.I then laid the stripes and chevron stencils over the entire sign and simply spritzed it with my Stampin' Spritzer from the kit. I used alcohol and Baked Brown Sugar and Crumb Cake ink refills. I also used my Vanilla Smooch Spritz to add some snowy shimmer to the entire sign. I then filled the letters with Tombo glue, 2 or 3 at a time and sprinkled our new Silver Stampin' Glitter over them. I let it sit just about 10 seconds or so and then tapped it off. I just love the contrast of the glittered letters on the bare wood! I couldn't believe how easy it was to get such a professional and clean image. It was all dry and finished within a half an hour of beginning the project!

I like how the ink spritz gives it that vintage aged look I love, while adding the glimmer of the glitter. I had planned on adding a snowflake or other embellishment to the end, but I love the simple beauty of it as it is. It was all made with the Build-A-BAnner kit,Ink, Tombo glue and Stampin' Glitter. Why buy pricey cookie-cutter signs at the department store to decorate for the Holidays, when you can make something much more personal and satisfying right in your craft room! If I can do it with 4 kids and all of the Holiday activites quickly approaching you can too! I can imagine many more projects with this fantastic kit! I also made some banners to use for Christmas and other events and will be posting those to my blog in the next week, just in time for Christmas.

I wish you good family, good friends, good turkey, and great stamping ideas! Gaylyn Pantana

Keep Calm and get back to Blogging

2013-06-28T16:05:00.001-04:00

So, it seems I left you all hanging some time ago when my littlest was injured. All is well now and, even though I have been stamping almost daily, I have kept myself too busy to blog about it. It's time for some catch up! Today I am doing a special post for my fabulous upline Debbie Naylor over at UnfroggettableStamping.typepad.com for her Sisters In Stamping Fabulous Friday post. The theme is red white and blue, and I did a little something different here by making a fun 3D ticket booklet. This is a great gift idea to have on hand for that unexpected event, or birthday gift. There is a ticket to Stamp On, Shop On, and Have a Cupcake. I offered the gift recipient a gift certificate of free product with the Shop On, a discounted class fee with the Stamp On, and a Cupcake ticket. Because sometimes we just need permission to have a cupcake! Go ahead! It's your Day! All Products used at end of post. Thanks for visiting! So glad to be back to blogging all the fun things I've been creating.

All products from Stampin' Up! Shop anytime online at Gaylyn@stampinup.net
Carry On Stamp set
Paper/Cardstock-Island Indigo, Riding Hood Red, Summer Starfruit, Whisper White, and Sycamore Street Designer Series Paper.
Tools-3/4" and 1" and 1 1/4" Circle Punches.
Embellishments- Riding Hood Red 3/8" Taffeta Ribbon, Rhinestone Basic Jewels.

Night out on the Town?

2009-10-09T23:50:00.009-04:00

Don't forget your "purse"! Fill this beauty with some chocolate, and any other necessary item and go anywhere!

Noone will believe it is just paper. One 12x12 actually. Yes, that is the new Designer Paper in Stampin' Up!'s Holiday Mini Catalog. Night and Day Specialty Paper. I love all of the detail on these pages-and of course the rockin' prints! Black and White-my favorite! There are 2 sheets of Clear CS with Black Polka Dots on them in this pack. Love! I will have to make something with those and share it.

This purse was made with just a few folds, no tape or glue. After filling it with some treats I closed it with some Jumbo Eyelets and used them for the ribbon handle. Cute, easy and fun to do while watching Heroes.

This is a quick post while kids are asleep. Enjoy making these!

Mwah! Darling.

Happy World Card Making Day!!

2009-10-03T12:07:00.009-04:00

I am having a contest today!

In honor of this event I am offering a fun challenge and prize! Make a hand made card of any shape and size today and post a picture of it on your blog, splitcoast, or SUColorQ and send the link to me! You may also reply to this post with a comment, but be sure to leave a link.

I will put each participants name in a hat and draw a winner-who will receive a craft kit from my prize box! Have fun! Your card does not have to be stamped, just hand made!

I look forward to seeing what you create!

I know this picture is dark, but my husband took it with his phone. This is my "iPhone" card I made for him. I love how it turned out.

You have until Midnight Sunday, October 4 EST to participate in this contest.

GIRLY it is!

2009-03-05T13:18:00.010-05:00

Kristina Werner's Color Challenge #44!!!

I saw this Girly combination, and thought it was so sweet! It reminded me of a candy store with lots of Chocolate! So, I took out my Big Shot and decided to go for a "cookie" shaped card this time. I got to play with all of my new goodies! I just love the Sizzlits tag dies, and the new eyelet "lace" punch. A yummy little Chocolate Chip button was just the right topping. Feast your eyes.....new stamp sets coming out in April-there on the tag!! I love being a demo, and I love this company and all the fun coordinating stuff they come out with. This card was as sweet and simple! THanks for looking!

Supplies are all Stampin' Up!
Paper: Textured Chocolate Chip and Close to Cocoa, Whisper White
DSP-Bella Rose
Die Cuts-Big Shot, Sizzlits lots of Tags
Punch-Boho Blossoms, Eyelet
Stamps-Friends 24-7, Matchbox Messages
Button-latte
Ink-Close to Cocoa

Watercolor Toile

2009-02-24T00:41:00.011-05:00

Totally addicted to watercoloring with Reinkers. I started stamping some mini cards for a friend of mine who had purchased some stamps awhile back. I used the Bella Toile, and had some extra pieces to use up to make her a card. So.....I have been spending any free time I get with Stampin' Up!'s watercolor paper and Stazon making up pictures/cards to watercolor. Once you drip some precious drops of reinker in your inkpad lid, and juice up that Aquapainter-all that color lust(like wanderlust, except for color) just overcomes you and-you paint every piece of paper anywhere near your reach.

I caught up on all the LOST episodes I missed while in Cali visiting my sis-in-law/downline and painted all night for several nights. If you are a friend or customer of mine you will probably get something watercolored. If I know you or consider you an acquaintance, I may give you a handpainted picture. If I pass you in the street, I may just tell you how the sunset looks like it has been watercolored, and invite you over to stamp and watercolor with me. Watch out people-I have a new obsession! If I stare blankly at you while you are talking it is probably because I am thinking about watercoloring your sweater. If I stutter when you invite me to coffe(which is my first love that I'll never get over) it is because I am probably imagining if I could color you what colors you would be.......etc. By the way, I am most definitely a Cameo Coral melting into Tempting Turquoise with lots of white area, and some black defining the edges. Yes, I have painted myself. I will happily paint you if you are interested..Back to my post. I was making this card for my friend who is definitely a Black Toile if I have ever met one. Then I started to watercolor in some Riding Hood Red-which is exactly the color of her lipstick, and other things she really likes-like her phone and Pottery Barn $50.oo napkins or whatever. Yes, this is what I like about her. A little Kiwi Kiss for that perfect balance, some very regal River Rock, a Regal Rose here and there for good measure-and some Pink Pirouette just to show I made it-and voila! I love the way it turned out-it looks like her as a card. A little bling, very neat polished sides, a lovely tapestry.

I should do this more often. Very cathartic. I wonder what my DH would be. He's Italian, so- lots of black there also, Rough around the edges, very manly. No frou-frou at all. Metro he is not! Yet, he never gets his hands dirty-and he's incredibly snobbish(in a good way?), so smooth and solid images, like Organic Outlines. I would paint him in Kiwi Kiss, Blue Bayou, Going Gray, and almost no white. He is dark and lovely and I could draw his face from memory. It is my favorite face.

Anyhow, this watercolor/painting thing really brings the poet back out in me. I may just share some of that next post. Thank you for looking. I love your comments!! Come back anytime. Oh yeah, one of my new favorites also is Heat and Stick powder-which I used on the sentiment and then added the Black Glitter!!! It is so beautiful in person. Love that stuff.

KWerner Color Inspiration

2009-01-17T21:06:00.013-05:00

Another Color Challenge

Visiting my family out in Sunny California! Had to fit in a challenge though. This was a new style for me, hope you like it!

My sis-in-law and I were the last 2 on the Challenge. With 5 kids we barely finished in time. So fun!

WINNERS of Blog Candy!! and Color Q!!

2009-01-11T13:54:00.004-05:00

This is my favorite time, the few days just before receiving the new Catalog! I go hunting through all of my favorite Demonstrator Blogs for a few sneak peeks or slip ups to see what exciting new things are on their way to my doorstep. The catalogs are being packed up and shipped, in order to be at my doorstep on the 19th. I can't wait!!!!!

I know there will be new stamp sets, that I will drool over and have to have. STickers, Simply Scrappin Kits, amazing new embellishments. COLOR Rub-ons I hear! All in our amazing coordinating colors. I love our colors, and mixing them with my moods. I never run out of new combinations I dream of, waiting for me to wake up and put them in my Color Q for safe keeping until stamping time!

This year, when I got my very own SU! Big Shot (by Sizzix) and exclusive SU! dies, I thought, "What could be better?!" Texture plates and more dies that coordinate with stamp sets and Decor Elements, that's what!!!!! I know, that's a lot of exclamation marks-but I'm putting it mildly compared to my insane excitement. I am going crazy! In a few days I fly to Cali, back home to visit family, AND...... to rip open that new box of Catty's with my downline and sis-in-law and scream and squeal together.

This will be a great year for Handmade, and I will be having clubs and classes, and of course, giving a lot of handmade gifts. If you want to get in on any of the events I am doing, either in person or online, there will be more on that later, as well as kits that I will put together with new Products!!! Which is fun for everyone, unless you have the $4,000 to buy all the Gorgeous new stuff or have a sugar daddy.

Thank you to everyone who commented and signed up for my Blog Candy, and for your visits which are very welcome. I will post the winners at the end of this post, then I will commence Searching all of your shared Collections for some fun inspiration.

I will try to thrill you with some great tutorials and projects as soon as I get to CA. I plan on blogging more now that I am post baby and getting back on my feet, er, keypad.

I had to add these photos of what you can do with your Stampin' Up! products with boys..... Gold embossed lego guys, of course!! This one is the "Diamond Angel" that he made and hung on our tree. Lots of VersaMark and Gold Stampin' Emboss Powder, and a heat tool. Instant "Cool" from your son!

Now, on to the Winners! Vittory has already signed up, (which is free!) and I will Update you right away. The other 4 commenters Krista, Mary, Sari Hannenin and Migot77 are all winners also! Please go to SUColorQ and register
Then, just email me with your Registration Name eg. "Gaylyn's Q" You can start right away saving your first 3 Collections, and Searching through the Collections that have been shared in the Public Q. Have fun! If you have any questions or problems, feel free to email me anytime, or comment on this post. Happy New Year everybody!

One Year Blogiversary! BLOG CANDY!

2009-01-04T00:59:00.009-05:00

I am celebrating with my sis-in-law, as we both started our blogs last New Years together.

We followed that up with creating the Color Q, (see link above)

our respective Etsy shops ; {mine} {hers}

, joining in Kristina Werner's Color Inspiration Challenges (and both making Top 10 the same week!) and, of course, stamping together when she flew out to visit.

This was the best year yet! I had a baby (the good part), and we had to miss Convention (bad part) -but this year I plan to be there screaming and going nuts over Mr. Brown, and stamps, etc.
sweetest baby ever! and Italian!
(how did that happen?)

Thank you to all of you who visited my blog from all over the world (over 5,000 hits-Wow!), and hugs to all of those who left comments as well.

Now I want to give away some of my own Blog Candy! Woo Hoo! I am giving away 5 (Unlimited for One Year) Color Q Subscriptions!!!!
You can create Color combinations and save them in your Collections to your hearts desire! Just visit the Color Q and register (free) and then leave a comment at the end of this post. 5 lucky winners will be chosen at random on Saturday, January 10th, 2009.

Unlimited accounts include photo attachments to collections-so you can save that picture of cupcakes that inspired you until you get to making the card, or what have you.

I cannot wait to see all of the Collections you all will share! Good Luck, and Happy New Year!

Poppin' Pastel Petals!

2009-01-01T18:16:00.008-05:00

Happy New Year! Time for another KWerner Color Inspiration Challenge. #36!

I used my new set, Bella Blossoms.

You cannot tell from the photo (my camera is visiting my in-laws) but that is Rose Red on the flower. I used the Poppin' Pastels technique, and then made it pop right through the cover sheet like a wild flower would. My signature style tends toward the shabby chic-and I do love flowers! Hope this New Year brings you lots of time for stamping and plenty of flowers!

Up close you can see the "dew" via Crystal Effects.

My sis-in-law did this challenge too-and she always remembers to mention me, so check out her card too at
Dragonfly Impressions.

KWerner Color Challenge #34

2008-12-11T20:23:00.008-05:00

Yet another inspiring Challenge! This time she took a pic of my favorite yarn shop Purl SoHo.

I have dreamed many times of going in that eye candy shop and just playing with all the yarn! I used to teach knitting in my home every week for over a year. After having 2 more children, I do it less often. Every once in a while, though ,I do get the need to knit, and call all the girls for knit night.
Materials list:

Cardstock-SU Soft Subtles
Chipboard-SU
Clear Button-SU with 3/4 " circle punch
Top Note Die Cut SU/Big Shot
Color-SU Watercolor Pencils Soft Subtles
Buttons-FoofaLa(rarely use other than SU!-sorry)
Pure Silk Yarn/Handknit

KWerner Color Inspiration

2008-11-13T18:50:00.005-05:00

Here is my take on a Wedding Card-thought the Monochromatic was perfect!

I saw CHOCOLATE!!!!

2008-09-17T20:19:00.018-04:00

KWerner's Color Inspiration #23

So You get a 2 for 1.

The box is by Whoopsie Daisy-
She has a great tutorial-check it out! Oh, and Green "Starbucks" straw idea from Kari.

Okay, so this week-after looking at everyone's cards, all I could think of was Chocolate! A yummy box of chocolates-chocolate mini cards that is. Great gift. Details later! I'm so late! I know the pictures are fuzzy-but it's dark and my camera keeps washing them out! They really look like little wrapped chocolates. Yum.

Just had to add that the Box is made with 4 of the scallop envelope dies from the SU! Big Shot kit-in Bravo Burgundy. I lined the box with 4 white envelopes stamped with Chocolate Chips. The Stamp set is one of my favorite,
Like it a Latte. CS- Chocolate Chip, So Saffron and Whisper White. DSP- Pumpkin Pie from 07 Winter Mini (Boho Friend?). Color Challenge Ink Pads/Markers. Build-A-Brad Pewter (love!) and Curly Label Punch Bundle. Thanks for looking!

KWerner Color Challenge #22

2008-09-11T19:22:00.006-04:00

A little daylight today meant I had to add a better picture! Can you see that the frame is floating?

Another Color Challenge! I thought with my good luck last week I would try again! These colors really presented a challenge for me. I didn't have all of them, so I substituted Chocolate Chip for the Baroque Burgundy, Purely Pomegranate for the Rose Red, and Pretty in Pink for the Regal Rose. Soft Sky as himself. I tried it with pastels first, second, and third. Then, I scrapped my original design and came up with this little number. I like it with the Chocolate Chip as the "frame". I just cut a piece of CS to card size, ran it through the Big Shot with the Top Note die, and used the outer remnant as my border. Purely Pomegranate stitched ribbon slipped through the slit punch, and a few dimensionals gave it some pop! Thanks for looking! P.S. ) I added the Pumpkin Pie leaves on the main flower as a literal interpretation from the challenge picture. I really liked the orange in there! Off to see what you all came up with!

Big Shot!!

2008-09-08T23:42:00.011-04:00

I know, 2 posts in a row. It was technically 2 different days! The "Daily" Ink has some days to catch up!

For those of you who haven't seen it in action-this Big Guy is awesome. So simple, and yet, the results are beautiful. I used the Top Note die and Birds and Blooms set on my card for Kristina Werner's color challenge last week- which made it easier to add all that color together, and still keep it cohesive.
I had a mini Open House last week for some of my customer's to kick off some of my classes with them that were already starting this month. More on those later. We made some fun make-n-takes, including these bag toppers that each of us personalized with different colors/stamps. We filled the bags with more of the Birds & Blooms to use as "card candy"! Yum! Fun was had by all, and our order will arrive some time this week with even more goodies to play with.
I will be trying to keep up with the demands of 4 kids, one being a newborn needing to be held every minute-and still making cards/etc. for this blog and of course to fill up my Etsy shop. I guess the housework will have to be done somehow because my sis-in-law (of Kwerner Top 10 fame also) will be arriving for a 2 week visit!!!!Yay! You can bet there will be some stamping then, and lots of pics! (lots more exclamation marks too, I'm afraid.) I have been working up a few tutorials for you all, but had to hold on to them while submissions were out. So, soon!!! Until then, I leave you with more Big Shot samples.... I know the pictures aren't great-but it was very late...

I was in the Top 10!!!!!

2008-09-08T23:26:00.003-04:00

I can't believe it!!! My card made it to the coveted Top 10 on Kristina Werner's Color Challenge # 21!!!! Wooooo Hoooooo!!! To make it even cooler-when I called my best friend/sis-in-law/downline (she's very special ok!) I had jumped up so fast I didn't see-her card won Top 10 too!!! Much screaming ensued(whispered screams because it was after midnight), laughing, and overall glee. I don't remember when I had so much fun. Making the card was fun-seeing it up there with hers just made my week! We will not soon forget taking that challenge together-and I am sure we'll be doing it again!
So, if you haven't submitted a card for a challenge yet, do it. This was my first time, and I was nervous having hundreds (literally) see my card in a close-up, but it was so worth it. Thank you to everyone who left such awesome comments. If you didn't get to do the challenge, but liked the colors-please leave me a link to your card so I can check it out.
I ended up really liking these strange colors together! I put my card up in my Color Q if you want to check that out-and maybe even get started saving your cards and Color Collections for future reference or sheer enjoyment! Thanks again everybody!

My first color challenge!

2008-09-04T14:46:00.007-04:00

This is from Kristina Werner's Color Challenge #21.
The colors were different for me-so at first try my card came out sort of modern and edgy looking. I was holding the baby, trying to tape it up when a mishap became the new idea. That, coupled with my limited supplies brought this card into the sort of Shabby Chic look you see above. I really love how it turned out. I would never have chosen these colors together-but now they will be under favorites in my Color Q! Thanks for looking!

Somebody loves me!

2008-08-29T22:50:00.004-04:00

Or at least they love my blog.
Good enough.
I'd like to thank-God first of all, that He helped me get through the past few months when blogging had to come last. It was quality over quantity folks!
I'd also like to thank my husband who couldn't be here tonight as he's helping putting the kids to bed so I could be here to accept this-and also for buying me this dress for this special occasion.
My mom, my friends, my fellow bloggers, my audience-and last but certainly not least-the wonderful lady who gave me this award-Kari.

She makes fantastic cards, (and chicken) and somehow finds more time than me to keep me up to speed on all things web. Thank you Kari! Party at my house!!!!

I am passing this award ( and crown, which wasn't before mentioned) to some of my favorite blogs-those above being at the top of that list;

The Good Life
(newly discovered)
Butternut Sage
(fellow SU demo, and from what I can tell- a great person)
Understand Blue
(a little unorthodox, and more sarcastic than my Italian husband)
Laughing Daisies
(personal stamping friend-great blogger! Wink)

So-that ought to keep ya busy for the next few hours...... Have a great night!

Honorary photo-my new Big Shot samples!!!!!
Aren't these die-cuts adorable!!! I can make them any color I want. Yum.

Even a 2 year old can do it!

2008-08-13T15:28:00.010-04:00

Just marker over image,

avoid inked finger

Press

Breathe, Press again

Success!

So Easy!

Card Purse and the French

2008-08-11T23:43:00.015-04:00

I have been working on making some quick cards, for folks like me who only have about 5 minutes and still want to turn out a great card. This one was a little something I made to go in my "Clearly Creative Purse" I did for a demo swap. The purse is meant to hold a set of cards as a gift, and I couldn't just demonstrate it empty! The trickiest thing was trying to get a picture of the image through the vellum. It was difficult, very,
very,
very difficult!

There. Better. I used Kraft and Chocolate Chip CS, Whisper White and Vellum. Forever Yours stamp set, and the sentiment from my retiring Carte Postale set (boo hoo!). Au revoir mon Amie, you had that je ne sais quoi! Chocolate Chip and StazOn White ink were used, and markers in Cameo Coral, Pretty in Pink, Old Olive and Certainly Celery for the flowers. A little white gel pen on the scallop punched vellum, some Always Artichoke ribbon, and some nifty ghost stitch dots (?) for little flair. Voila! Simple. Oh yes, and the slit punch for my paper ribbon, and a little eyelet . So easy, just try it. The purse tutorial is here or above. Mine was made with the same materials as the card, along with the Crop-a-Dile and brads to secure the handles. Go try it, its simple and fast-like those American swimmers. Even a little french sentiment won't slow it down!

(Being that there is some French in me, there is no ill intent in my joking)

Do you like the colors I chose for this card? I saved it in my Color Q
and you can see by going to the Search and looking under any of the colors, or labels (such as friend) and click view. It's so fun saving my Color Collections for future reference, and just to share them also! You can create 3 collections for free! Try it out, let me know what you think.

Baby Shower Gift

2008-08-04T02:07:00.013-04:00

This was a gift I made for a friend just before I went into labor-all materials SU! except for glassine bag, and Hybrid Inks. I was fresh out of Craft Ink ya'll! (First time in my California girl existence I ever used that Virginian expression! Scary) Anyway, I needed the ink to stick and only had my STaz On, which I also used. Just look at how cute it all turned out. Of course, the Craft inks would have been darker/brighter, but the photos are really light too. Hey, she's lucky my babies' onesies are still plain! Hahahahaha Oh well. I made him too-and just loook how perfect he turned out. That's my happy Father-in-Law in the picture. Haven't uploaded any other pics yet. There were 2,000 to search through! Anyway, there's a simple card, a little scrapbook and a canvas "stuff" bag it was all in. Hope you like it! Sorry to have been out so long, but I'm back. Now, how to juggle 4 kids and stamp somewhere between feedings, etc. This is why I am posting at 2 am!

Friend Card

2008-05-23T22:05:00.008-04:00

This is a card I tried out to send to a Friend. I changed my mind so many times while making it. I just had to try this Color Combo that I put in my Color Q
Whisper White Card stock stamped with Chocolate Chip and Groovy Guava on a Choc. Chip Card. I used the ticket corner punch, clear emboss powder, Scallop and circle(1 3/8) punches, and Choc. Chip taffeta ribbon. A pearl from the Pretties Kit, the mat pack, and rub ons from the Sale-a-Bration set were the rest of the Embellishments. Choc. Chip & Groovy Guava ink, and the Versa Marker ( to emboss the flower) were all I used. I love how the leaf on the greeting went around the image-because I did the rub on first. It looks really cool in person. I couldn't decide which to use-the tag or the flower, and in the end used Stampin' Dimensionals and added both. The flower just looks like one of the other ones popping out into 3D. I will mail this in a clear envie to show it off.

Beautiful Rubbish! Trash to Treasure.

2008-04-06T15:10:00.006-04:00

You get a 2 for 1 today! I came back into the Living Room to take a drink of my water, only to find it filled with the crayons my 2 year old had been coloring with. Well, at least she didn't color on the wall, I thought to myself. It is so like a 2 year old to think to do something with an everyday thing you may not have thought of before. So, I decided to do the same thing myself. I got out my rub-ons, which sat undisturbed in their beautiful package since receiving them for my Sale-A-Bration bonus. I hesitantly pulled them from the package, and then, like a Band Aid, tore them from my list of things to look at and never touch-and actually put them on something!!!!! To make things even more difficult,(anxious breathing now) I pulled out the trash can from underneath my craft table, which I had lovingly adorned with one of those hair-tie flowers I don't wear anymore but couldn't get rid of, and Slice!, cut them up and started sticking them on. Once I started I couldn't stop. How about a flower here, a fleurish there, a Butterfly! It was addictive, and fun! It even matched my Black and White theme (punctuated by hot pink, not seen here). Oh the satisfaction, the adrenaline, the sheer pleasure of the freedom. Enters my 2 year old "OOOOOOOooooooooooohhhhhh!!!" (Squeal of girly delight). Need I say more? Take yours out, rub them on something. Squeal a little bit-everybody needs a little Beautiful Rubbish in their life.

Watercolors are FUN!

2008-04-06T13:30:00.007-04:00

I was trying to keep 2 toddlers busy coloring, so I sat down to "color" on this canvas I had purchased to do some sort of painting/fabric thing on. I decided to take out my SU! Watercolor Crayons to do a part of the image to give it that watery look, and then paint the rest. Little did I know how fun those things actually are on a new medium. Because the canvas was already primed for paint the results were perfect! I just drew my image on in pencil thinking I would be painting over the lines. However, I loved the effect I got with the crayons. The color looked more like paint than traditional watercolors on the canvas, so I kept coloring away. Voila! I did the entire picture with them, and my little girl loves it. It's for her room, thus the colorful flowers. I patterned my flowers off of a stamp set in the catalog called Stemming From on p.86. I plan to cover the edges with some SU! ribbon from the '07 Winter Mini. Obviously, for long term preservation it would need to be sprayed with some sort of artist seal coat to prevent fading, or water damage. I am really pleased with how it turned out. So, whip out those crayons-and go color on your walls(or canvases).