Monday, January 30, 2012

Celebrate card



Here's another blank card I created to sell at local craft fairs. The card was cut at 4.5" and coupled with a store-bought white envelope. The key supplies used were C'oordinations cardstock, Spots and Dots Cuttlebug embossing folder, the Sophie Cricut Cartridge, pearls and a sticker from my stash.

La-Vie

Saturday, January 28, 2012

You Brighten My Day - Sophie Card


This exclusive Cricut cart Sophie is the ultimate! A card maker's dream! C'oordinations, Swiss dots Cuttlebug embossing folder, dimensional stickers and a portion of a border sticker completes the look. I love the sharpness of the Cricut cut flowers and leaves.

What's your favorite Cricut cart and/or embossing folder right now?

La-Vie

Friday, January 27, 2012

How to upload your Cricut handbooks to your IPAD!

As a surprise, my darling hubby got me an IPAD for Christmas. Lo and behold Joy who has one of my fav blogs Obsessed With Scrapbooking posted a how-to on uploading the digital handbooks via an app called Good Reader. I included the link for your review. I have over 125 carts and I was able to upload 98% of them. It is very helpful and handy. Check it out!

La-Vie

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Thank you card


I found this quirky font (stamps) and fell in love. Combining the formality of the card cut from C'oordinations cardstock at 4.5" from Cricut Cart Sophie, this playful font and 3D fabric sticker flowers is the perfect mix.


This stamp is My Pink Stamper Everyday Sentiments. The biggie sized stamps are the perfect size to adorn the inside of cards. This is what inspired me to finish the inside of my cards.

What inspires you?

La-Vie

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Thank you card - Exclusive Sophie Cart


The Cricut Circle Exclusive Cartridge Sophie has become my fast favorite.
I have made quite a few cards from the cartridge and this is one of my best.
I love the monochromatic look.
  • C'oordinations cardstock
  • 4.5" card cut from Sophie
  • Floral Screen Cuttlebug embossing folder
  • Clear bling, ribbon and "thanks" sticker from my stash
What is your favorite craft color scheme?

La-Vie

Sunday, January 22, 2012

Ink Tutorial

Recently, a faithful blog follower asked me to share my thoughts about the inks I use and their various uses. I thought the information would benefit all of my followers so I have prepared a brief ink tutorial. I am still learning but here's a few pointers. I know I have not covered every kind of ink here or every variable. If you have info to add to the conversation, I welcome you to do so in the comments section.

I find that choosing the right ink for a project depends on your project goals. Are you coloring in printed images, making a watercolor background, heat embossing and stamping, etc. If you know ahead of time what you want to achieve AND are familiar of the best inks to use to achieve those goals - you're in the best position possible.

DYE INKS
can be water-based such as Clearsnap Vivid! or solvent-based (waterproof) such as Ranger Archival inks
  • transparent - so it gives a fuzzy variation of color. light colors stamp like pastels, darker ones are bright and brilliant 
  • fast drying - so it's not good for heat embossing but great on glossy or coated papers
  • fades - water-based dye inks fade over time
  • watercolor effect - with water-based dye ink - apply ink from the pad with a wet brush or ink a stamp with various colors and spritz with water just before stamping, stamp an image and spritz the paper
  • stamped images can be colored - with pencils, chalk, anything that's not wet because water-based dye ink will run
  • Tim Holtz Distress Ink - water-based dye ink that behaves differently than normal. It stays wet longer and the colors mix well with water (instead of running) and other ink colors for that aged look
  • waterproof - after the initial image is stamped and dried, these dye inks don't run when re-wet. this works well if you stamp an outline of an animal and want to watercolor it or color in with markers etc.

PIGMENT INKS
oil-based, acid-free, thick versatile inks that can be slow drying - Ranger Adirondak or fast drying - Tsukineko Archival Brilliance
  • don't fade - a great choice for scrapbooking
  • dries slower - making it great for heat embossing, available in "clear" for embossing purposes
  • opaque - providing a bolder solid color
  • waterproof - can be watercolored once dry
  • great on coated papers -  glossy, photo, vellum etc. - if heat set
  • not good for non-porous surfaces - doesn't dry at all
  • Archival Brilliance - not good for heat embossing but works well on top of heat embossing for a layered scene effect and on glossy, photo, vellum etc. - if heat set

CHALK INKS
Ink that is created to give the look of chalk - muted and matte such as ColorBox fluid Chalk Inkpad
  • opaque - dramatic saturated color
  • waterproof - premanent when heat set and can be recolored with markers and watercolors
  • works well on glossy and coated papers
  • doesn't smear, bleed or fade

HYBRID INKS
I love Hybrid ink because it offers the best of both worlds - properties of both pigment and dye inks. It is truly all-purpose. The best ones I've come across are from Clear and Simple Stamps.
  • pigment properties - color is closer to pigment ink but semi-opaque
  • dye properties - dries fast like dye ink
  • great on all surfaces - even directly to fabric! permanent when heat set
  • can be used with copics - and other alcohol markers, regular markers and watercolored

Watermark and Watermark Resist
VersaMark and VersaMark Dazzle (watermark pad) and Inkessentials Watermark Resist (2 in 1 watermark and resist).
  • watermark - creates a translucent subtle watermark on paper and cardstock only. it is good for creating background elements and for adding borders or to bring emphasis to a main stamped image.
  • Embossing - Versamark can be used for heat embossing because it stays wet long enough to apply the embossing powders
  • Resist - stamp a background or any image on glossy paper, ink the entire paper with dye ink (using sponge, brayer or direct to paper application) wipe away excess and the ink will not stick to any of the stamped image 

Stazon
I love Tsukineko Stazon solvent-based ink because it stamps clear and strong on all surfaces except fabric. No fail.
  • need a special cleaner for your stamps or will be stained
  • comes in transparent, opaque and metallic
  • permanent once dry - on most surfaces including glass, wood, leather but not for fabric
  • air dries immediately on porous surfaces and within 5 mins on non-porous surfaces
  • great for coloring - once dry can be colored with markers etc but NOT Copics. It will ruin your Copics markers.

Hope this helped you in choosing inks to have on hand for daily use. I am open to answering other crafty questions you may have. Feel free to inbox me or leave your questions in the comments section.

La-Vie

Friday, January 13, 2012

Believe Card


This is my favorite Sophie card! C'oordinations cardstock, Cuttlebug with the swirls folder from Indentz, stickers and pearls from my stash make this card a beauty! I was inspired the day I created this.


This stamp is a part of the Encourage Me stamp set my My Pink Stamper. It's a larger size which I love!

La-Vie

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

CCI Design Team Call Out - My Application

One of my 2012 crafty goals was to muster up the courage to apply for and ultimately gain a 6-month spot on a blog design team. Soon after I decided on this goal, I received my daily email from one of my favorite blogs, Creative Critterz Imaginations, with a call out for new designers. I thought, this is my first chance to apply! The only problem was, I have been ill for weeks (one thing after another) and have not had a chance to craft at all. As the days of the call out rolled on, I wondered if I'd miss my chance. Today is the last day and the stars aligned! I feel well enough to attempt a submission and I need thank you cards for the many friends who have helped me get through the last 2 weeks by watching my kids, cooking me meals, sending me encouraging messages, etc. Wish me luck!

The CCI blog is run by Tammy Skinner and is all about using the Cricut Imagine machine to print and cut out designs for projects. To apply for the design team I simply had to create a project of my choice. This was a great challenge for me. I love my Imagine machine and wanted to challenge myself to use it in ways I had not used it before to create the perfect expression of thanks. I am really pleased with the results.






Card base
  • I used the 12x12 Bazzill premium white cardstock for the card base because it is very heavyweight, a quality I require for my card bases, has a nice pattern in the cardstock and holds the printing very well from the Cricut Imagine.

    I decided to print on both sides of the paper for the first time. Both prints came from the Imagine More cart - the sheet music on page 38 and the dotted print on page 40. Once the printing was done I cut the card base to 5 3/4 x 9" and then folded it in half.
  • 5 1/4 x 3 1/4 pink bazzill cardstock is the first layer on the front of the card. I used my Cuttlebug and folder from Indentz called Swirls. The second layer is a piece of the card base flipped over to the dotted side cut to 4 1/2 x 3 3/4.

    The main image is cut in layers and assembled with foam tape. Better Together cart pg 7. The heart is cut at 1.7 and the other at 2.7
 

Card inside
  • at the top another piece of bazzill pink cuttlebugged and inked - size 5 x 4. Many thanks and all layers were cut at 1.7 from the Phrases Cricut cart pg 22 and flood filled with the patterns from Imagine More cart. The shadow is cut from the music print, the thanks from the dotted paper and many from a tan color from the same cart.
  • the bottom has another piece of bazzill pink inked - size 5 x 4. It is adorned with musical notes that belong with the image on the card front. I decide to jazz up the inside with them instead. The border cut is from the Imagine More cart pg 26 and is cut at 1.3 - inking the edges gave it definition from the other patterns.

card back

In general/tips
  • most edges were inked with Tim Holtz Distress Ink in either vintage photo or worn lipstick
  • I used Smooch Pearlized Top Coat on the cheeks of the heart to give it a little shimmer
  • I used Aleene's tacky spray to assemble the layers of the many thanks. I held the cut with my tattered angels tweezers in the trash can so that I wouldn't mess up anything. However, I sprayed too much and the cut got gluey. My tip for cleaning that up is using the EK Success powder tool. Once you poweder it - it will no longer be sticky!
I'm excited to be submitting this app! Wish me luck and please send me lots of comments on this one faithful followers!

La-Vie

Monday, January 2, 2012

Happy New Year!


Happy New Year!

I admit that I have been a little M.I.A. lately....but for good reason! For the first time, my family  went to see the wonders of Disney in Orlando, FL this holiday season, but came back with a nasty virus. I'm better now, but have not been able to craft in some time. I will soon share the autograph books my daughter and I made and some special Christmas cards as well.
Meeting Princess Tiana was one of the highlights of my visit to the Magic Kingdom. She loved the autograph book and even asked to join my club. When I told her I have a crafting company she wanted to hire me to jazz up her restaurant menus. I was tickled pink even though it is all make believe. Later, Prince Eric told me he used to make Tiana's scrapbooks but she didn't like them very much and paid him in sand dollars! Boy those characters really stay in character... My 2 and 6 year old children had faces of wonder all week (and so did myself and my husband). We cannot wait to return.

I'll be sharing more crafting soon... please excuse my absence.

La-Vie