PSA Essentials sent me my own system and custom stamp.  I think this would make a fun gift for a wedding, birthday, hostess gift or for someone who just moved any event!

I used mine to make simple postcards.  All you need is two sheets of fun scrapbook paper (American Crafts: Amy Tangerine line), a hole punch, your PSA Essentials stamp system and double-sided adhesive.

I used some postcards stamps (yes I know I have to add more postage now with the rate increase) to tie them together. I think it would be fun to add these, along with the PSA Essentials stamp system, as an awesome gift.

All you have to do is lock your PSA Essentials Stamp in place and then remove the centers to create a new stamp. Then using the template lay your new middle and ring in place, center you stamp over it, and press down to have a new stamp.

Then stamp away with your new stamp.  Oh, and you can also change the color as well with a simple click.

PSA Essentials is giving away a custom stamp to one lucky IC reader:

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#1 Heidi Swapp Color Magic line

Heidi Swapp is a household name in the scrapbook industry.  She has been in the industry for years designing for various companies.  Currently, she has partnered with Pink Paislee and has this amazing resist cardstock.  It starts white with a shiny design on it.  You can add ink, paint, stamps, or dye to create custom colored designed paper.  So now your designs are not limited by color because you create the color! 

I also got to go to lunch with Heidi and just soak in her brilliance and spunk.  She is awesome!

Jen, Heather, Heidi, and me

#2 Basic Grey’s Canvas Art Line

I think these are so fun to add a little personalized art to any space.  They are prescreened designed canvases that you just your flair to. You just take scrapbook paper, fabric, newspaper, pictures or any other flat medium and add it into each of the spaces to create a one-of-a-kind art piece.  I think it would be cute to use pieces from a raggedy old quilt or baby clothing to make it more meaningful.

#3 Imaginisce Tools

The Imaginsce booth had some fun tools this year (I heart tools!).  They have a new one that I hadn’t seen called the Itop which makes fabric or paper buttons, snaps, brads, tacks or pins.

They also had a ribbon cutter with heat sealer called the i-magicut Ribbon Cutter. It cuts your ribbon and seals the edges so that you have no more frayed ends.  This would be great for all of you who make baby bows and hair things in the droves.

#4 Jewelry Resin from ETI

I have worked with Envirotex Lite for years and love it for its durability and deep, glossy shine that is gives your projects.  See custom knobs here.  They have a new jewelry resin that has a citrus scent (bonus for those of you who have ever worked with this product before) and the gasses burn off quicker.  Look at some of these beautiful pieces using resin and friendly plastic!

#5 June Tailor 1” Fringe in a Flash Rotary Cutters

June Tailor is actually quite an innovative company.  I talked to one of their employees who told me they come out with 25-30 new products a year!  Wow that is impressive.  If you work with textiles you know June Tailor.  This year they launched a new rotary cutter line that makes 1” or 1/2” (depending on which one you purchase) strips cutting 4 at a time! Those of you who make quilts or fleece tied blankies would love this bad boy!

#6 Darice launched a new line of DIY jewelry designed by Tori Spelling.  It is a perfect jewelry project for someone who has never tried beading but wants to style their own.  Tori says “she designed it, but we get to style it.”  I am hoping to unveil the entire line to you soon and it should be in stores this summer.

#7 Mod Podge Rocks book by Amy Anderson – Plaid booth

One of my very best (and first!) blogging friends – Amy of Mod Podge Rocks finished her new book set to be released in early summer.  And she gave me the opportunity to showcase one of my projects in the book as well. {Squuueal!} Here I am with a working copy of the book.

Speaking of new books another friend (and fellow Hoosier) Candie Cooper is also set to release her new book “Necklaceology” this summer as well.  She also did my favorite make and take at the show with her ring bling.

Here is the one that Jamielyn made.

#8 The People

No matter how much I love crafting products I love the girls that use them even more.  One of the biggest blessings of going to a show like this is meeting creative bloggers and just talking!

me, Linda, Stephanie, Heather, Kristyn, and Jamielyn

The Adorn-it girls with Jen and I

It was an awesome time with amazing companies, unbelievable products and killer creative women!

It had been a huge goal of mine to be on TV. I am not talking my own show or anything, although I wouldn’t turn it down if I was offered, but it was a small goal of mine to get on my local lifestyle show, Indy Style.  A door opened (– meaning I pushed and pushed and shoved until it opened) in March and I got to go on the show.  I was so extremely nervous but excited for the opportunity to be in front of the camera doing what I love to do.

I will tell you doing great projects and photographing them is WAY different than trying to (go slow enough) teach them to a live camera, with no do overs.  However, they liked me enough that they offered me a monthly spot.  I have enjoyed building this relationship with Indy Style and growing in my confidence and poise on TV.  I am VERY EXCITED to unveil something we have coming down the pipeline on Indy Style next month (crossing my fingers it gets approved). 

In March I was also presented with the opportunity to be one of the co-hosts of “Get A Little Creative,” which is a webshow on My Craft Channel featuring creative blogs and fun craft ideas.  Now I will tell you that the only reason why this came about is because of Jen from Tatertots & Jello.  I felt like I rode her coattails on this one, for sure (Thanks for letting me Jen!).  She brought this idea to the Craftermind girls and it ended up being Jen, Heather and I on the show.

You may think a lot of opportunities have come my way.  You may feel like your blog is just as awesome as mine (it is!) you are just as/more talented than me (probably true!) but yet you seem stuck doing the same thing over and over with no opportunities in the foreseeable future.  I, for one, feel that way all the time when I see someone have more success than myself or get an opportunity that I wasn’t presented with. You start questioning yourself and it plays into that whole green eyed monster that we struggle with (I am not alone in this, am I?).  I will say, most opportunities I have created and pursued. I am like a little pit bull when I want to be. But yes, a few fell in my lap. But for every one opportunity that came my way I was passed or overlooked or turned down 5 times that.  I want to encourage you not to give up. Keep sending in articles to that magazine, keep pursuing that opportunity to work for that company, keep honing those skills, sign up to take that class to learn that skill you have wanted to learn, don’t give up! Persistency pays off! {stepping off my soap box…}

At this time Jen and I still had The CSI Project which is a weekly craft challenge blog that we co-owned together. 

Our love for this site was waning so we hired a writer to help take some of the pressure off of us – which meant we totally broke even on this site.  I knew getting rid of the blog was inevitable.  We had started this blog in May of 2010 and both of our individual blogs had grown into full-time jobs which meant the CSI Project was way down on the list of priorities.  It was an awesome concept but Jen nor I had the time to put into taking it to the next level.  So we were in maintenance mode at this point, which drove me crazy because I am addicted to forward progress. 

So at this point I am working about 20 hours a week with Infarrantly Creative and Knock Off Décor.  Plus I still co-owned The CSI Project and had weekly commitments with Crafterminds.  It was all manageable but I was starting to feel the need to scale back and to focus on the things that were really important to me – which also meant letting go of some of the things I loved as well….to be continued.

Need Silhouette supplies?  Best discount on supplies of the year!

I got some luggage tags and key chains done with my custom creations I made from the HP Photo Creations.  I was pretty impressed with the quality of them.  They are printed on a hard plastic so they are very durable and I think they make great gifts for grandmas and grandpas who travel to see their grandkids.  How fun to have a picture of your grandkid on your luggage tags.  Way more personal than tying a ribbon around your luggage to know which is yours.

I also got some poster size prints done of my kids and one of a verse I want to put on my stairwell but I have yet to frame them.  One of my goals for 2012 is to create a gallery wall of pictures.  Is anyone else but me intimidated by gallery walls? 

The code is valid: 1/28/12 – 2/3/12

Please note this does not include the Cameos or gift cards.

ADORNit’s Happy Hearts Collection is available in both fabric and paper and includes coordinating ribbon and embellishments. The designs have playful elements like polka dots, chunky flowers, and lots of Valentine color! And of course, hearts everywhere!

ADORNit is a design AND manufacturing company specializing in importing and exporting fabric and paper supplies. It is ran by mom Carolee McMullin, and she’s assisted by her three daughters Georgana, Alison, and Jackie. They are all so sweet and they definitely have fun together!  I got the privilege of meeting them at CHA last year and I will get to see them tomorrow in Anaheim as well.

Allison, me, Jen and Georgana on CHA 2011

Here are a couple of projects made with the Happy Heart Collection

ADORNit is giving one lucky IC reader the Happy Hearts Paper Collection and a Happy Hearts Fat Quarter Stack – retail value $60.00.

Everybody wins! Download their Happy Hearts Papercrafting Sampler for free.

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Hello Infarrantly Creative fans (including me!) I am Brook from BeingBrook, and I am so excited to be one of Beckie’s contributors here at Infarrantly Creative.

Today I’m going to show you how to build a super easy wood tray finished with my favorite wood aging technique! This is perfect for a Valentine’s Day breakfast in bed for your sweetie!

Supplies: Two-1″x4″x8′ pine boards

1 inch screws

Vinegar

Steel Wool Pads Tea

Cut list: Four-22″ for bottom

Two-23 5/8″ for long sides

Two 14.5″ for short sides

Take one of the 1×4′s and cut it into four 22″ pieces for the bottom of the tray. Cut two 23 5/8″ for long sides. Cut two 14.5″ for short sides. Use a table saw to cut the two 14.5″ at 1.5″. This will leave two piece 1.5″ and two pieces about 2″.

Now we are going to trace a template for the handle onto the two pieces that are 2″ by 14.5″. I used a square Rubbermaid container. Mark the middle of the container and the middle of the board and place the container 1″ from the bottom.

Cut out with a jig saw.

Use screws to attach the bottom part of the short sides to the bottom pieces. You could also use nails and glue but I think the screws hold better.

Now attach the long sides to the bottom with screws.

Take the two 14.5″ by 1.5″ wood pieces and attach them to the top of the short sides with screws. You might have to really work to wiggle them into place!

Now we are going to use a fun treatment to give the wood an aged, rustic look. First brew a couple of tea bags and brush the tea into the wood with an old paintbrush. The tea won’t change the look of the wood but will react with the vinegar/steel wool. Then mix a few steel wool pads with some vinegar. I put mine in a mason jar and leave it overnight to give the steel wool time to mix with the vinegar. The mixture won’t change color and should be ready to use after 12-24 hours. I rinse the brush I used for the tea mixture and use the same one for vinegar mix. Just brush it onto your tray and then wait! The wood should start changing immediately but sometimes takes about an hour to change.

Different kinds of wood react differently to the mix but the pine turns a nice grayish color.

Finished! You could put some furniture wax or even polycrylic on the tray to give it some water resistance.

All ready for breakfast in bed! I might try and leave my tray like this in my kitchen and see if my family gets the hint and brings me breakfast!