Typical Aquarian http://www.typicalaquarian.com Let Your Creativity Flow Sun, 08 Jan 2012 22:41:00 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Emily’s Back to the 80′s Birthday Blog Hop http://www.typicalaquarian.com/?p=1682 http://www.typicalaquarian.com/?p=1682#comments Sun, 18 Dec 2011 05:00:28 +0000 Angelica http://handmadebyangelica.com/?p=1682 Hello Everyone! Welcome to my stop on Emily’s “Back to the 80′s” Birthday Blog Hop!! What a fun theme! You should have just arrived from Elizabeth’s Blog – if not, please be sure to hop over to Emily’s (Birthday Girl!) blog where you can get the scoop on all the prizes up for grabs for this hop!

 

Happy Birthday, Emily! When I think of the 80′s a few things come to mind (and not from memory, because I was just a wee one when they occurred!) – fashion, hair, bling, and music. Of course all those amazing Saturday morning cartoons like Rainbow Brite don’t stray too far from my mind, either. ;) So, for my project today, I wanted to portray the 80′s in a much more updated way. Instead of literally creating a blast-from-the-past, I took all the fun elements I love about the 80′s and put a Clean and Simple twist on them to create an updated design.I hope you like it!

 

I took seven 1/4″ lines of Scor-Tape and adhered them to my card, being careful to only peel back one side of the tape at a time. I wanted my lines to resemble an equalizer, and of course, some bling and sparkle was lent by chunky glitter in all colors of the rainbow! The sentiment is a sneak peek of a Market Street Stamps set that will be released soon! I used  Memento ink  in “Lulu Lavender” to ink up the flag my sentiment was on.

Thanks for stopping by! Be sure to jump over to the next stop, the sweet and very talented Michelle!! Happy Sunday everyone, and Happy Birthday again, Emily!

 

 

]]> http://www.typicalaquarian.com/?feed=rss2&p=1682 37 PSA Essentials and Cottage Cutz Holiday Card Blog Hop http://www.typicalaquarian.com/?p=1675 http://www.typicalaquarian.com/?p=1675#comments Fri, 02 Dec 2011 05:01:49 +0000 Angelica http://handmadebyangelica.com/?p=1675

Hello and Happy FRIDAY! Today The Scrapping Cottage is hoppin’ with PSA Essentials to bring you holiday card and project ideas using products from both companies! Have you just come from the super talented Meylssa’s blog? If not, be sure to head to the beginning of the hop with Kay so you don’t miss a stop or a chance to win!

PRIZE PACKAGE DETAILS:   Readers who hop to each of the blogs, comment at each, and are a follower of PSA Stamp Camp will be entered to win the “Holiday Card” prize.  This prize contains 3 Peel & Stick stamp sets, 1 stamper, 1 black ink & 1-2 color ink from PSA Essentials.   The winner will also receive a $50 gift certificate to The Scrapping Cottge for the grand prize.   There are also 9 opportunities to win a 3 x 3 die from The Scrapping Cottage! Just leave comments along the way and each Cottage Cutz designer will choose one lucky winner to win a 3×3 in stock die of their choice! Suh-weeet!
I knew I really wanted to create with the Peachy Keen line of dies from the Scrapping Cottage. They are pretty simple to put together, and don’t require you to use all the pieces. I used the Gingerbread Dolls and Doll Accessories. I used a different face stamp set (Happy Lashes by PKS) than what comes in the package but the faces that it comes with are also SUPER cute.

I was lucky enough to be in a blog hop with PSA earlier this year and had this sweet set of “Whimsy Cakes” that worked perfectly with my “Baker’s Man” gingerbread. To me, it almost looks like they’re bringing a holiday treat to a friend! :)

I used patterned paper from Crate Paper’s “Peppermint” collection, and Echo Park’s “Holly Jolly Christmas” line.
Hope you enjoyed my little stop on the hop, next, head on over to Cheryl’s blog where I’m sure you’ll find something amazing!

Lost? No problem! Here’s the full link list to help you find your way! Have a super weekend!

]]> http://www.typicalaquarian.com/?feed=rss2&p=1675 28 Market Street Stamps November Release :: Sneak Peek 1 http://www.typicalaquarian.com/?p=1666 http://www.typicalaquarian.com/?p=1666#comments Tue, 29 Nov 2011 01:15:17 +0000 Angelica http://handmadebyangelica.com/?p=1666 Hi Everyone! Are you recovering from the weekend? I had such a nice, relaxing 4 days “off”, I really can’t complain! One of my favorite parts of the weekend (after all the turkey and stuffing were gone, of course) was getting a chance to try out my new Silhouette Cameo! If you’re friends with me on Facebook, I’m sure you’re sick of hearing about it (maybe not!), but I am having SO much fun with it! And, what better way to try out some of the NEW Market Street Stamps that will be released on Wednesday? We’ve got EIGHT brand new sets! Eek! Can’t wait!

For my sample today, I used one of Lori Whitlock’s “Christmas Icon” images to create this pretty present shaped card.

To create the base, I first welded my ribbon and gift box piece into one complete shape.

Afterwards, I used the “offset” feature which does exactly what it says – off-sets your lines by whatever increment you set. In this case, I set it to off-set the lines by .125″.

After welding the completed base (shadow) layer, I duplicated the image and flipped it horizontally and welded the mirrored shape to create my card.

After cutting the card, I cut my individual pieces (only 3 for this card – the base on the gift, top of gift, and ribbon!) and inked the edges using Vintage Photo Distress Ink. I stamped the new “Grace” Background stamp from Market Street Stamps that will be released on Wednesday!

WANT A CHANCE TO WIN this background stamp? Just head on over to the Market Street Stamps blog to see all the sets peeked tonight and another sample from Stephanie! You’ll be SO glad you did!

Thanks for stopping by! xo Angelica

]]> http://www.typicalaquarian.com/?feed=rss2&p=1666 9 Blessings and Black Friday Sales! http://www.typicalaquarian.com/?p=1659 http://www.typicalaquarian.com/?p=1659#comments Fri, 25 Nov 2011 07:30:42 +0000 Angelica http://handmadebyangelica.com/?p=1659 Hey guys! I hope you all had a very FABULOUS Thanksgiving and spent it close to the ones you treasure most! Every year, right around this time, I start to panic. I am very much a last-minute-type person, so the holidays give me anxiety like none other. Gift giving, holiday concerts, ornament exchanges, cookie exchanges, parties, AHHH! Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely LOVE Christmas tunes, I love getting together with my family and LOVE trimming the tree. It’s just very easy for me to lose focus on the spirit of the season sometimes when we’re constantly bombarded with sales, deadlines, and magazines with “perfect” holiday scenes.

So, this year, I’m taking it easy. We had Thanksgiving at my mom’s yesterday (we usually have it here), and I took a nap before dinner. Yes, I did. Jorge made the turkey and my mom and grandma literally did the rest! I rinsed the dishes and loaded the dishwasher, but that was pretty much it. It was a fabulous time, and I truly felt blessed just spending a day doing nothing - enjoying a day off!

I created this card with the new Snowflakes 1 & 2 Die from Cottage Cutz. They released eight brand-new designs especially for this weekend and they’re offering a BIG savings of up to 50% when you purchase them in a bundle! The “Christmas Blessings” stamp I used is also on sale at Verve Stamps for just $2.40 this weekend!

Aren’t those snowflakes pretty? I used a mix of Kraft cardstock and pink/cream pattern paper to create my little snowflake clusters. The pink snowflakes were dusted with a purple chalk and pearls and starburst gems were added for additional sparkle.

Most of the teams I help represent are having some AWESOME Black Friday Deals and I’m excited to tell you all about them! I’m also including some other specials from companies and small businesses I absolutely love and adore!

Market Street Stamps – 30% off ALL stamps  - even our most popular background stamps! A sale this good only comes once a year!

WHEN: Now thru Monday, 11/28!

Peachy Keen Stamps – 25% off ALL stamps, and thin metal dies. Canvas Bags 45% off, and EXCLUSIVE Thanksgiving Weekend Bundles – 35% off! (this is something NEW – we’ve never done a bundle savings like this before and they’re selling like CRAZY so make sure to order yours early this weekend so you get the first ones to ship out!) PLUS when you make a purchase, you will receive a FREE SVG file designed by Kathy! SO awesome!

WHEN: Now thru Monday, 11/28!

Cottage Cutz by the Scrapping Cottage – up to 50% on new releases, and TONS of other markdowns! Check their homepage for a link to each category.

WHEN: Today!

The Twinery – Keep checking their website! A little birdie told me something may be happening for Cyber Monday!  ;)

Places I LOVE:

Silhouette: 50 cent downloads & 40% off in the Silhouette store (excludes Cameo and digital download cards) - to get 40% off, use the promo code “PAPER”. 50 cent downloads are available IN the Silhouette Download section. You must download the Studio software to access the downloads and they will ONLY work with a Silhouette SD or Silhouette Cameo. To access the store, once in the Studio, click File>Purchase Online. If you will be getting a Cameo in the future, I highly recommend purchasing some of these files at the sale price of $0.50 even before you get your machine! You just need to download the software to make your purchases!

i {heart} papers: 25% off EVERYTHING - they sell Copics which are included in the sale, and they also carry Market Street Stamps – so get everything you need in one spot! Kate ships SUPER duper fast, too!!

Lettering Delights: Save 40% with code Merci2U, but if you spend $30 or more, save 60% with code MerciBearCoup!

VERVE Stamps: Black Friday and New Sets on Sale

Happy Shopping!

]]> http://www.typicalaquarian.com/?feed=rss2&p=1659 2 Market Street Stamps/The Twinery Blog Hop http://www.typicalaquarian.com/?p=1652 http://www.typicalaquarian.com/?p=1652#comments Sat, 19 Nov 2011 13:00:37 +0000 Angelica http://handmadebyangelica.com/?p=1652 Good Morning Friends! I hope you are all having a fabulous morning and a great start to your weekend!
Today is the 2nd Day in the Market St/Twinery Blog Hop and I couldn’t be more thrilled looking at all the fabulous creations!
If you’re coming here from the Market Street Stamps’ Blog, you’re right on track.
If not, go ahead and start the hop at The Twinery blog!
There is TONS of inspiration along this two-day hop- and there are also two chances to win!

Here’s what you can win!
 
OR
Make sure you visit each blog, each day and leave a comment on each post to be eligible to win a prize!
You have through Friday, November 25th to comment! The randomly drawn winners will be posted on both The Twinery blog and here on the Market Street Stamps blog on Saturday, November 26th!
For my project today, I have to admit, it was one of those weeks where as much as you try, you just can’t get your mojo going and with things going on in every aspect of life right now, I figured it was best to keep it simple. ;) People always tell me they love our background stamps for that reason – the simplicity of stamping the background and layering makes card-making so easy! Stampers who are just starting and seasoned, expert stampers all say the same thing!
I used our Punched Tin background and the sentiment is Comforting Florals. The twine is my favorite neutral – Cappuccino! Sorry for the dark photo, have I mentioned how much I dislike it getting dark so soon? ;)
Your next stop on the hop is the sweet and SO talented Michele Gross!! Have fun hoppin’ and good luck!
]]> http://www.typicalaquarian.com/?feed=rss2&p=1652 69 Peachy Keen Kut Outs Blog Hop http://www.typicalaquarian.com/?p=1642 http://www.typicalaquarian.com/?p=1642#comments Fri, 18 Nov 2011 16:00:27 +0000 Angelica http://handmadebyangelica.com/?p=1642

Good Morning Peachy Friends! I hope you’re just joining me from Ruthie’s blog, but if not, no worries! I have the entire blog hop list at the bottom of my post, and you can start over at the Peachy Keen Stamps Blog so you don’t miss a single stop along the way!

Today, we’re excited to show you some ideas on how to use our new Peachy Keen Kut Outs!!

 For my card today, I used the Christmas Tree Die as well as the Santa Tree stamp set that coordinates. There’s also another coordinating set, Decorate Me Tree! There are so many options and fun ways to use these!

Using Copic Markers in YG03, YG05, and YG25, I first layered my lightest color onto the tree (YG03).

I took my mid shade (YG05) and flicked my marker under each tree “bough”. I blended the edges with my YG03 again.

Finally, I took the darkest color (YG25) and flicked a little more under each bough and blended once more. SUPER easy blending technique and the results are so pretty!

For my tree’s cheeks, I used craft chalk and applied in a circular motion until I acheived the desired color. His eyes are colored in with a white gel pen, his nose and mouth were colored in with a dark pink gel pen.

I finished up my card by embossing a light teal panel and adding some Nestabling. I love the little bit of POP it gives the card!

The sentiment is from the new “Oh by Golly” set that coordinates with the new releases.

Be sure to leave your comments across ALL blogs in the hop, as each comment is a chance at winning ONE of THREE prize packages!

Each winner will receive their choice* of one new die and one new stamp set! (*subject to availability)

And now through Sunday (11:59 PM CDT) Peachy Keen Stamps is offering an additional 5% off our tiered discounts when you use PROMO CODE: KUTOUT5 at checkout!

Total savings of up to 15% OFF on almost everything in the Peachy Keen shop!

PLUS, enjoy FREE SHIPPING* this weekend in addition to your discount!

*free shipping available to Domestic USA addresses, only*

Thanks so much for stopping by, your next stop is the sweet & talented Jeanne!! 

And if you’re in a hoppin’ mood, the Market Street Stamps/Twinery Blog Hop is also happening today and tomorrow!! I’ll have a project to share with you tomorrow, but for now, start with the first half of the hop beginning here!

BLOG HOP Order:

 

]]> http://www.typicalaquarian.com/?feed=rss2&p=1642 78 Guest Bloggin’ :: Scrapbook Steals featuring Peachy Keen Stamps http://www.typicalaquarian.com/?p=1512 http://www.typicalaquarian.com/?p=1512#comments Thu, 17 Nov 2011 16:00:46 +0000 Angelica http://handmadebyangelica.com/?p=1512 Hey guys – I am SO super duper excited to be a Guest Blogger today for Scrapbook Steals! If you haven’t heard of them before, they are a FANTASTIC resource for getting deep discounts and fabulous one-time deals on your favorite crafty supplies. Market Street Stamps was featured a couple weeks ago, and today, I have the honor of Guest Blogging for Peachy Keen Stamps’ feature!

If there’s one thing I’ve learned over the years, it’s that people LOVE customizing when they craft! We all want to receive a card with a personal touch, and we love to give those cards even more. What better way to do that than choosing a face that goes perfectly with the occasion?

My parents started Peachy Keen Stamps back in 2003, and since then, my mom Kathy has been illustrating her signature line of Peachy Faces and took the die-cutting world by storm! Luckily, she also draws some pretty cute shapes, and I’m super excited to share some ideas with you today!

 

This sweet card was created using Faceless Fruit and Basic Paper Doll Faces – both are available in a suh-weet bundle over at Scrapbook Steals right now!

  • Paper piecing is a fun way to give an instant pop to your projects without having to be the world’s greatest coloring guru. I simply stamped the pear from “Faceless Fruits” onto some patterned paper from Echo Park and again on a sheet of pear-colored cardstock. After I cut the patterned paper pear, I put some foam dimensionals on the back so it appears more 3D.
  • I used Versafine Onyx ink which stamps like a dream (but just a warning, it is not Copic or alcohol marker compatible. It works wonderfully with water-based coloring methods)! To give my little pear a bit more pizzaz I used some chalks in a pink shade and colored a little tongue with a red gel pen.


This Bubbly Bumble Bee card was created using Faceless Bugs- another bundle available on Scrapbook Steals right now – hurry they only have a limited supply at a fabulous price and once they’re gone – they’re gone!

The “Faceless Bugs” stamps that are in the Scrapbook Steals bundle were later made into dies when Kathy teamed up with the folks at Cottage Cutz! While I used the die for this particular project, this bundle comes with the stamps which is just as easy – simply paper piece as I did in the pear card or color your bumble bee in with Copics, pencils, or watercolors!

  • To make the antennae appear on the black cardstock, I heat embossed them with white embossing powder. Super easy: stamp with clear embossing ink (I used Versamagic), sprinkle with white embossing powder, tap off excess and heat with a heat tool until it sets. Voila! I love heat embossing. It gets addicting, just to warn you!

Sweet and simple cheerful flower card created using Faceless Flowers, Flower Centers, and Simple Sallies Assortment – another amazing bundle that’s available at a crazy good price for just a limited time at Scrapbook Steals – once they’ve sold all they’ve got, that’s it! No mas.

If there’s one thing I love about card making – it’s the endless options you get when you pair ink and stamps.

Here I’ve stamped four different flowers using Memento Ink in Cantaloupe and Distress Ink in Tea Dye. As you can see, I started by stamping my flowers off the paper and created a sense of movement.

  • By layering positive and negative images, you can create your own custom flowers and looks. The 3/8″ Simple Sallies fit perfectly in these flowers!

The sentiments on these cards were all stamped from PK-225 Happy Flowers & Cheerful Phrases. I used my DYMO caption maker for the bee card sentiment.

Hope you all enjoyed the inspiration and already picked up your STEAL of the day! It’s rare to find them at a price like this – they’d make fabulous holiday gifts for your stamping friends, too!

Thanks so much for stopping by – have a Peachy Day!!

xo Angelica

]]> http://www.typicalaquarian.com/?feed=rss2&p=1512 4 SVG Attic Guest Designer and The Twinery DT Call http://www.typicalaquarian.com/?p=1506 http://www.typicalaquarian.com/?p=1506#comments Tue, 15 Nov 2011 14:00:04 +0000 Angelica http://handmadebyangelica.com/?p=1506 Hi Everyone – I’m so honored to be a guest designer here at SVG Attic today! Jessica is a doll to work with, and I’m thrilled to be using some of her designs in a new realm of paper crafting for me – SVGs! Believe it or not, I hadn’t even really attempted cutting an SVG before I found Jessica’s designs. I’m a stamper, and crafting with the help of my computer seemed like a huge leap into the unknown! I saw SVG Attic’s Holiday Boxes and knew that would be a perfect set to really give my Silhouette a good work out!

For today, I decided to do the Pillow Box from Holiday Cheer Gift Boxes two ways. One box is an all-occasion box stamped with “For You” from Market Street Stamps’ Homegrown set. I stamped the sentiment in clear watermark ink and sprinkled with white embossing powder. After hitting it with a heat gun, I went ahead and layered the remaining elements. Isn’t that paper amazing? It’s from Crate Paper’s Farmhouse and Peppermint Collection! To finish off this cute box, I wrapped some Cappuccino twine from The Twinery around it.

The Christmas box was created using Crate Paper’s Peppermint collection and stamped with a “Merry Christmas” sentiment from Peachy Keen Stamps’ “Christmas Words” sentiment set. I love how the wood grain paper looks with that red and pink! I finished off the box again with twine from The Twinery, but this time used Maraschino and Blossom. This combo makes me happy – I definitely need to make a matching card!

Be sure to hop over to SVG Attic today and check out the file I used – it contains four different boxes which you’ll LOVE having in your stash because they can be used for just about anything! I filled these up with Tootsie Rolls, but they would be the perfect size to tuck sweet handmade jewelry, a small ornament or even a cookie cutter!

As I get more familiar with the Silhouette you can BET I’ll have lots more SVG Attic inspiration on my blog!!

Hey speaking of The Twinery – did you happen to visit their BLOG last week? I have some super exciting news!! Monika Wright of I Love it All and I were asked to come back next year as Senior Designers for The Twinery!! SO amazing – and what’s great is that they also have an OPEN CALL  going on right now! So if you LOVE baker’s twine as much as me, and you’d like to join the team, be sure to submit, there’s still time!

Thanks so much for stopping by today!

xo Angelica

]]> http://www.typicalaquarian.com/?feed=rss2&p=1506 6 Just a little Sparkle and Cheer http://www.typicalaquarian.com/?p=1501 http://www.typicalaquarian.com/?p=1501#comments Thu, 03 Nov 2011 15:02:53 +0000 Angelica http://handmadebyangelica.com/?p=1501 Good Morning friends! I know, I know, it’s wayyy too early to start thinking about Christmas…or is it? :) I created a little sparkly card for The Scrapping Cottage blog today – I would love for you to go take a peek!

I used the new Ornate Holiday Tree - it’s easily not only one of my favorites in the release, but one of my favorite dies ever!

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! I am heading out to Minneapolis tomorrow to spend some much needed time with one of my bestest girl friends! I can’t wait!

xo Angelica

]]> http://www.typicalaquarian.com/?feed=rss2&p=1501 2 Día de los Muertos Blog Hop http://www.typicalaquarian.com/?p=1493 http://www.typicalaquarian.com/?p=1493#comments Tue, 01 Nov 2011 07:00:00 +0000 Angelica http://handmadebyangelica.com/?p=1493 Hola! If you have just arrived from Ana Maria’s Blog, you’ve reached the fourth stop on the Día de los Muertos Blog Hop – hosted by my sweet and super creative friend, Abby!! If you didn’t come from Ana Maria, make sure you start with Abby’s blog so you don’t miss a single stop on this fun hop!

So…what is Día de los Muertos? From Wikipedia:

Day of the Dead (Spanish: Día de los Muertos) is a holiday celebrated in Mexico and around the world in many cultures. The holiday focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died. It is particularly celebrated in Mexico, where it attains the quality of a National Holiday. The celebration takes place on November 1st and 2nd, in connection with the Catholic holidays of All Saints’ Day (November 1) and All Souls’ Day (November 2). Traditions connected with the holiday include building private altars honoring the deceased using sugar skulls, marigolds, and the favorite foods and beverages of the departed and visiting graves with these as gifts.

Depicting this holiday are some of the most colorful, vibrant, happy art pieces you will ever see. Typically, you’ll see skeletons (los muertos – the dead) enjoying all the things they enjoyed in their mortal life.

copyright – http://shop.arteyloqueras.ieasysite.com/
I have always really loved where los muertos are shown dancing and enjoying music. Mariachi muertos are my favorite! 
copyright – http://www.sheldonartmuseum.org/


For my project today, I chose to show how (especially) in the after life, our loved ones are still happy – or happier, even – and that we should always be reminded to celebrate the people that they were. It’s difficult to see past the fact they are no longer on Earth – I know, I struggle with the loss of my grandpa every single day – but we must. The only way I can get through some days is to keep faith and try to remind myself my grandpa is enjoying the company of his mom & dad again. Can you imagine – being reunited after so long? It makes me happy for him.

My project began as an ATC, which was a blast because I got to use some products that I have been dying to dig into. Let me tell you, you must RUN to Michael’s to get yourself some of the High-Gloss Martha Stewart craft paint. If you like high impact, it offers amazing coverage and a glorious amount of shine. I dig it.

I stamped the skeleton girl from my stamp set, “Sweet Spooks” and colored her in with some warm gray Copics (W1, W3, W5). Her hat brim was colored with another Copic (YR12) and her cheeks colored in with RV17.

After she was stamped, I went back over the lines with a black Copic Liner (0.3 thickness) to provide a more hand-drawn look even though it was stamped.

I adhered seed beads from my ART-C stash and mounted the image onto my dry ATC with Claudine Hellmuth Studio Multi-Medium.

I then used my white Gelly Roll Pen to free-hand all the details including her little funny body. My husband cracked up when he saw her body. LOL

Adding in some quick color with my other paint was super easy. I used Claudine Hellmuth Studio Paint and Martha Stewart Satin craft paint.

I wanted to create a card with the ATC, so I took a piece of turquoise cardstock for my base, and sewed a strip of frayed red ribbon to the side. I hand-drew the floral patterns along the top and bottom border to mimic traditional Mexican folk florals. The sentiment was also hand-drawn and reads “estoy feliz” which translates to “I am happy.” Wouldn’t we love to think of our loved ones who have passed being this happy? I know I do. :)

For your next stop, please hop on over to Monica’s blog, where I know she’ll have something fabulous for you! Thanks so much for stopping by!! xo Angelica

 

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