Make time to color...

We recently listed a couple of Prima's Bloom Girls stamps and took some time to "experiment" with coloring them. We used watercolor pencils on the first two. You can see the difference in Ellen and Alta's coloring styles. Ellen leans towards lighter, softer tones and Alta usually prefers deeper, more intense colors.

Would you have guessed that both of these were done with watercolor pencils? To achieve the lighter effect, apply less color and work with more water on your brush. Make sure you are using a paper that is made for wet mediums. We also learned that you sometimes have to wait for an area to dry so you can apply another layer In that case, jump over to work in another spot in your design. Try to avoid over working the application of your color. Working too wet and to long will break down the integrity of the paper.

 

These two were colored with PanPastels. Even though it is a dry medium, the color can be picked up and applied with a wet brush. As you can see, the result is much like using watercolors. We were almost done when we realized that Ellen went for the bright colors and Alta achieved a softer look. We had so much fun coloring and look forward to incorporating these "beauties" into finished projects. Stay tuned...

Embellishing with laser cut wood...

  Enhance your handmade projects with these intricate laser-cut wood embellishments. Alter them with colorful paints, stains, glitter, spray mists or rhinestones to create a dazzling visual display. You can stamp on them or use your favorite chalks or PanPastels to add a hint of texture and color. Add them on your scrapbook pages, greeting cards, home decor accessories and more to add delightful decorative touches. Painted, papered or plain, these 2 mm cut outs will add a dimensional flair to all your crafty creations. And don't forget...the boxes are made out of wood and can be decorated too!

We are currently listing  these assortments that have come from Holland. If you are wanting the most for your money...you will want to add these to your stash. Each divided box contains 45 pieces for $5.99. That's approximately .14 per piece!

These are the assortments that we have listed from Prima Marketing. These collections contain 36 pieces in each divided box and sell for $5.75. Each piece figures out to be approximately .16 each.

You can find these and other crafty goodies in our Etsy Shop. Click HERE to start shopping...

PEEPS and Pinterest...

How did crafty, creative people ever exist without Pinterest?...The ideas we pin to our "boards" help us, and even the not so crafty, have FUN and festive holidays. Here's a few "PEEPS" from Pinterest to perk up your Easter dinner table and gift giving...Enjoy!

What would you MONOGRAM???...

Vinyl monogram decals are making it easy to personalize all those things that can't be embroidered. They are easy to apply and remove and can be applied to virtually any smooth surface including (but not limited to) plastic, glass, metal, windows, cars, smooth woods, candles...the list goes on! You can stick them on your car, your cell phone, mp3 player, laptop, iPAD, even the walls in your home! Are you planning a vacation?...Quickly identify your luggage with your personal monogram sticker! Monograms are not only stylish, but practical too!...Put them on your baby's bottle or your child's cup to easily tell them apart at the day care center.

Let us Monogram for YOU!...Contact us for pricing and more information.

We can cut for you...

Aren't these mini scissors so stinkin' cute?! A customer happened to see some wooden embellishments that we carry but she needed 20 pieces. Ellen whipped out her scissors die and cut a pair from silver foil cardstock, took a picture with her new iPhone, AND sent it in a message to the customer. For those of you who know Ellen, cutting paper comes naturally to her but technology drives her cRaZy! The customer loved them and placed her order. We love die cutting and would LOVE to cut your custom requests. If we don't have a die, we now have a Silhouette Cameo electronic cutter that will cut anything we tell it to. Let us know what we can cut for you...

Memorable trip to our favorite place...IKEA!

It was a beautiful day for a drive...except for the wind. Ellen needed to return a few things and invited me to go along. Of course, I never pass up a chance to go to IKEA. My favorite thing is to dream and plan for an organized craft room. Alex ALWAYS catches my eye. Yesterday, I discovered that Alex comes in several different models...oh my! Now I really have to save to get ALL of Alex! I LOVE all of the drawers! It is much easier to put things away when they belong in a certain drawer. Although I didn't see them, I hear that they even make dividers too.

This is NOT my craft room. But, it is a good picture that shows the different models. The tall piece retails for $119. In the showroom, they have two next to each other. You can Google or search on Pinterest to see other creative ways to use Alex in your creative spaces.

One of Ellen's favorites is this Rastog Cart. She finally got one and was excited to have a choice of colors. Up until yesterday, we have only seen the one in Robin's Egg Blue. I can't wait to see how she uses it in her new craft room. These sell for $59. We looked at a lot of carts and this one is much more sturdy than the rest.

We usually end our trip with treating ourselves to an ice cream cone before heading home. There are some benches that are close to the doors and the area where people take care of their returns. This is where we rest our feet while we enjoy our ice cream. We had just finished when all of a sudden Ellen let out a loud scream that got everyone's attention! She quickly looked down to see why the next bench was coming closer to her leg. At the same time, a guy that was returning a VERY HEAVY bed rail thought he was propping it up on the bench next to her. Next thing we heard was the scream from Ellen as it slid off the bench and into her shoulder and arm. Immediately the guy started "sweating bullets". He felt so bad and was very thankful that her injuries weren't worse. Eventually, when the initial pain and shock wore off, we were able to ease the situation with a few laughs. It was a memorable moment for all and we're all thankful that there wasn't any blood or broken bones! When it was all said and done, we had another fun day at IKEA and I can't wait until I can take Alex home with me!

Mini Ink Blending Tools - Just Listed...

This is the PERFECT tool for applying inks and paints with stencils...No more hard edges! Ranger and Tim Holtz introduced the Mini Blending Tool at CHA 2014. We have finally got them in and just listed this set as a bundle. You will receive 2 tools and 24 foam applicators. The one inch foam pads are just the right size to use with the new Mini Distress Inks too. https://www.etsy.com/listing/185601749/mini-ink-blending-tool-bundle-ranger-tim?