New stamps

I have been lucky to get my hands on some new stamps that are exclusive to Pointer Scrapbooking. Usually I don't work with stamps like this but I think these are pretty darn cute. Disclaimer here - I am not a very good colourer, so please don't be too critical!  I used 2 kinds of pencil crayons and mineral spirits to blend on regular white cardstock.

 Both of these brands gave me a creamy colour on the paper and blended effortlessly with the mineral spirits.

Here's using the  Box Train Express stamp. It reminds me of my son playing with his friend Sarah. I just put it on a backing because I plan on using it on a layout in the near future. Stay tuned!

I'm happier with the colouring on this card using Scooter Fun. I used the Bo Bunny 6x6 Blast Off collection for this card, kraft cardstock and brads. Easy peasy!

Finally for this card I used the Friendship Building stamp. Again the Bo Bunny Blast Off collection and some bakers twine on dark brown cardstock.

I chose the boy images mostly because I have a boy but there are so many other great images. Go check it out!

And if you do end up using some of these stamps. Definitely go and post on Pointer Scrapbooking's  Facebook page.
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Tote Bag

Last month at Pointer Scrapbooking's birthday crop, we were all given blank canvas bags to decorate. I actually had the heads up and took the bag home to do. My hope was to inspire others at the crop to create something beautiful with their bag too.  

Got lots of positive feedback from everyone at the crop.

Anyways, Heidi, the store owner, then asked me to create one similar for her. So I thought I would provide a step by step with photos, for my blog readers, of me creating that bag. I actually like this one better! Enjoy! Everything you need is available at Pointer, except for the paint (but I know that Claudine Hellmuth's stuff is available in the store now and would work too!)

I did a colour wash with 3 shades of turquoise acrylic paint. To make a wash, I just poured a dollop of paint into a tray and put some water into it to make a thin "water colour". I then used a flat brush and painted in a side to side fashion. After, I dried the bag with my heat gun.

I then set down a doillie on the left bottom area and spritz with Tattered Angels Dragonfly glimmer mists (this is one of my fav colours and it's a limited edition -sob!)  Again dry with your heat gun

Now time to embellish!  I used this fantastic ribbon from Maya Road and created this flower.

Heidi has these flowers in the store and I thought it would make a great centre for the ribbon flower.

These Petaloo Color me flowers, I inked with Broken China distress inks. I then used a wet paint brush to "blend" the colours.

For the smaller Petaloo flowers, I used Tattered Angels Cherry Blossum glimmer mists. This is a very faint pink but pretty!

For the leaves I used Studio Calico's clover to colour (this is unfortunately not available at the store).

I then used a technique that Virgina Nebel showed everyone at Scrapbook and Cards Today magazine using this tape and chipboard.  So much fun!

So here it is all put together.  I used a Prima vine and cut it up and added all the embellishments I had spritzed and coloured to the bag, using Helmar glue (love this stuff 'cause it's like a glue gun without burning myself!).  I then added glitter stickers and it was done!

A quick post

I've been coveting this stand from  Pottery Barn for awhile. Other scrappers have been using it for storage of their scrappy supplies, which I think is fantastic. However, the $90 price tag here in Canada is another story.

So over at Pinterest, some fellow scrappers have been posting some DIY's. I was inspired and headed over to my Dollarama and picked up 3x Flan pans, 2 candle stick holders and used a bottle of Gorilla glue from Home Depot. Total cost $12.00 my friends!  I'm quite happy with my paint/ink holder which seems to be holding up okay so far to my enormous stash of inky goodness (ignore the craziness in the background please!)

And finally I can post the costume my son wanted for Halloween. He's Fire Nation Aang from Nickelodeon's Avatar. It's simple but stressed me out because I waited last minute to make it. I'm hoping next years I will either get a head start or just buying his costume!!!

(graphic from Spider Cookee at Deviant Art)

That's all for now and I will post some more of my craftiness shortly I hope!

Oh my poor neglected blog......

I have had a very busy month and unfortunately many things have been neglected, including this blog.  I have been doing some creative things though this month and will share in the days to come.   Right now I am knee deep into the whole Halloween costume thing for my son. He wants to be Fire Nation Aang from Nickelodeon's Avatar.  I'll try and remember to post photos of my attempt in making said costume!

So in the meantime blog readers I'm going to give you some cool sites I love to visit.

A very cool tutorial over at this site.... Now to figure out where in the world I can put this in my room.


Another favourite place for me to visit is the Counterfeit Kit Challenge  is somewhere I like to visit to get inspired to use my stash up.

Washi tape is a big trend lately in scrapbooking and I'm a junkie for that stuff. There are a bunch of tutorials out there now for making your own. Who knew??? Here is one link to share for the fun Washi tape - so easy!

Altered binder for my Tim stamps

My work was finally clearing out the shelves and this was heading to the dumpster (is it dating myself when I can say "I remember using MS-dos!"?) The hoarder squirrel in me decided to save it.

I was thinking along the lines of 8x8 album, but this weekend inspiration hit and I thought "let's see if my Tim stamps fit" Happy dance, they fit perfectly!

 

So here is the altered binder for my stamps. I haven't decided how I'm going to close it yet, I'm thinking hair elastic or hairband but if there are better suggestions, I'll take them.  

I covered the outside with Claudine Helmuth's gesso first because I thought it would need some "tooth" for everything to stick. 

After that dried I used Claudine's multi-medium to attach Tim's Vintage Shabby Paper Stash. I attached the lace ribbon over the seams using the same.   I cut out the butterflies on the dot grungeboard using Tim's dies.  

I then painted the grungeboard with pearl paint, and then used Faded Jeans Distress Stain. The rose ribbon is actually from Maya Road, but I covered that with Distress Stain too.  I used the alphabet background stamp from Tim's Stampers Anoynomous Going Somewhere to stamp the paper behind the butterflies.  I then completed it with the letters and heart from the grungeboard Mixed Mini plain.

Some fun places on the web

So on top of all my other hobbies, I openly admit that I love surfing the web. Here is my round up for this week.

I've been spending a lot of time on Pinterest . If you've never been on Pinterest, it is a social media site where you "pin" things you see on the web. You become the curator of your boards and others who find your pins, can re-pin your finds. Being a visual person, this is an awesome find for me. Right now they are only taking people through invites, so if you want to join, send me an email and I'll send you an invite. But be warned...one can spend many hours on there!

Here is something that gave me a good laugh.  Elizabeth Kartchner of Dear Lizzy posted this the other day and I laughed and laughed. Her husband is one good sport!

And here is something to make one day. I think her's is so pretty.

And just a reminder to those who live in the GTA - I'll be teaching a Misting Card Class at Pointer Scrapbooking this Friday. Come and join me for some messy fun!

Sharing some stuff I've been doing this summer....

All Day Play

Did a layout tag with the gals from Scrapbook Star. Here is my take on the one I got. I used BoBunny and Basic Grey PP, Autumn Leaves Stamps, Fancy Pants rubons, Technique Tuesday tile, EK Sucess punch, American Crafts CS, random star brads.

Also had a shower for my lil' sister this summer. I had to make 60 of these invites! So I cracked out my MM Slice for these. PP from Basic Grey, Hampton Arts card base.

Fun layout using Bo Bunny dots PP, DCWV PP kit, Fancy Pants ribbon, stamps from Tim Holtz and CTMH, journal tag from Teresa Collins, chipboard Maya Road, flower Prima, Liquid Pearls from Ranger, Tattered Angels Glimmer Mists, Slice card, Making Memories letters and Heidi Swapp journaling tabs.

Basic Grey PP, Stars diecut, ribbon, Glimmer mists by Tattered Angels, letter stickers Doodle Bug.

Entire LO is part of Scenic Route kit, journal card from Jenni Bowlin

A layout I had done many years ago as a class. Added my own jazz to it by putting large flowers, journaling with a white gel pen

One of my recent favourite layouts. I used Prima PP, banners from Echo Park, Canvas from Canvas Corp, Glimmer Mist from Tattered Angels, loops from Queen and Co., ribbon random, Maya Road chipboard, wood button from Studio Calico, Mister Huey Mists in white from Studio Calico, letters from Doodle Bug.

A layout I did in a Prima class with Cari Fennel.  I added my own jazz to it, using Prima packaging to the background. I used glitter letters from Making Memories and journaling block from Pink Paislee. I also "painted the centres for the white flowers with Tattered Angels Glimmer mists (thanks to Marion Smith for the inspiration)

And finally a card inspired from my friend Melissa. Had to try it out. So I coverd the entire card in TH distress inks, splat some water and then stamped with Tim Holtz stamps. Thanks Melissa! I think I will make a dozen of these cards!

Post CHA summary

So it's been a few weeks since CHA Summer in Chicago, and I am finally going to post some thoughts and more photos.  There was so much to see and despite the fact that it was a smaller show, based on what others had said, I still missed some of the vendors booths - yikes!

So even though the show is suppose to encompass all crafts, I would say 80% of the show was dedicated to the papercrafting world (which is okay with me).  Some trends that I noticed (not in any particular order):

*woodgrain
*butterflies
*zebra/giraffe prints
*mini alphabets
*canvas
*mixed media (was the buzz word of the show and probably for awhile)
*more generic prints - could be used for more than just Halloween and Christmas
*lots of vintage feel still


So I think that sums it up , I will post more photos from the show when I get home.

As promised more (random) photos from CHA ....

Art by Wendy Vecchi

In love with grunge board in this LO

Drive by of Chicago

With Donna Salzar - not ready for the camera

Le Blanche stamps - goregous stamps, booth and art work displayed

My favourite Valentine line from Jillibean Soup

Paper wreath from Jillibean Soup

More yummines from Jillibean Soup

Make and Take from Tombow

Gelato and other mediums from Faber Castell

Me being silly with "chapstick" Gelato from Faber Castell workshop

Me with Mou Saha

Claudine Hellmuth at Ranger Booth

Me with Claudine

Mario Rossi, Wendy Vecchi, Tim Holtz  (in case you didn't know)

Maya Road cuteness

In love with the felt beads

Pssst.....

Hop on over to the Pointer Scrapbooking blog - she's giving out blog candy for commenting!