Category: Craft Ideas

Bullet and Dot-Grid Journals

4/2/2019

I don't know about you guys, but I LOVE DOT GRID JOURNALS (or Bullet Journals as they are more-widely known)

Why do I love these journals so much? Because you can actually write in a STRAIGHT LINE. Or create a layout that has grids that are the SAME SIZE. Or for creating my planner. Or for doing lettering. Or for drawing things to scale. THEY ARE WONDERFUL

We offer SEVERAL different ones here at the store.. and they vary in size, paper thickness, and design

Check out the ones we currently have in stock!!

Because we have carried Dot-Grid journals for awhile now.. I can tell you they vary quite a bit.

I LOVE the Traveler Journals from Pentalic.

The cover is soft and flexible but is durable.
There is a book mark
Pocket at the back for storage of papers or flyers
AND you can even do watercolor on this paper!! I mean, I don't recommend saturating your paper in water, but if you use a Waterbrush you will have the perfect amount of liquid to do watercolor without warping the paper.

There are also these next Dot-Grid Journals that have the BEST DESIGNS on the front!!

Just look at the cactus one!!

Ring-bound journal great for laying flat do do layouts

I also LOVE the leaf design!!

Includes book mark
Bright-white paper with darker dots so they are easier to see for making layouts

Check out how FUN this gold one is!!!

Elastic Band for holding Journal closed

This soft-cover Dot-Grid is fun and spunky!!

Soft Cover great for quick sketches
Folds flat for drawing layouts

This hard cover Purple one is bright and funky!!

Includes bookmark
Folds flat for drawing layouts
Hardcover is more durable over time

There are also these handmade books from India!

3 sections in each book include graph paper, blank pages, AND dot-grids! Great for ALL SORTS of layouts!
Hardcover made with paper made from recycled cotton fibers
Elastic Band to hold the book closed
Pocket at the back to hold flyers or other paper findings

Now, there are SO MANY THINGS you can put in your dot-grid or bullet journal... and I have had a lot of fun coming up with ideas over the last couple years!!

I LOVE to have fun writing and doodling in my dot-grid journal... and the pens I use the most are the Slicci pens (for fine line work) and the Glaze Pens (for thicker lines)

Here are some of the things I put in my dot-grid journal...

You can doodle little frames and incorporate cute paper clips!!

I used the Slicci Pen to make tiny little numbers for my year-at-a-glance and used Washi Tape to make it more fun!!

I LOVE dot-grids SPECIFICALLY for my month-at-a-glance layouts because I wanted all the boxes to be the SAME SIZE!

I love to also include a mini-month at the bottom of my month-at-a-glance.. the Slicci Pen is GREAT for jotting down all the tiny little numbers in a small space

I also LOVE to use the Taylored Expressions Clearly Planned stamps in my dot-grid notebooks because they are SO FUN and their fonts are just wonderful

I also wanted to think about OTHER THINGS that I wanted to reference quickly... and I realized I actually had a LOT I wanted to keep track of!!

Such as, books I wanted to read:

Podcasts I wanted to listen to...

(I even incorporated scrapbook papers to make the sections MORE FUN!)

Movies I wanted to watch...

What to have for dinner....

Where to eat out for dinner...

Breakfast joints and coffee...

Traveling...

And of course Addresses and Birthdays...

I also LOVE to use Washi Tape!!

This is ADORABLE Mushroom Washi Tape is from Alexandra Renke designs and I LOVE IT SO MUCH!!

Now, I also started a SECOND dot-grid journal to track outfit ideas...

I don't know about all of YOU but sometimes I feel like I have "Nothing to Wear!" ... when in reality I have TONS of clothes.

So I started doodling and sketching my outfits in a dot-grid notebook... making it much easier to find a fun outfit to wear without getting stressed out...

I always LOVE looking through other people's journals and sketch books... and I always wanted to make one of my own!!

I found that I was more passionate, and less self-critical, when I was sketching something for MYSELF to use!!

And, it was fun to draw the outfits I LOVED the most!!

Dot-Grid Notebooks are SO MUCH FUN to have, collect, and fill with ideas...

Do you have a dot-grid/bullet journal you have filled with art/ideas or created your own graph or planner? WE WOULD LOVE TO SEE!!!

Stop by to see us 7 days a week to get inspired..

See you soon!!
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Tuesday with Wendy, March 5th

3/9/2019

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Check out the 3 wonderful cards from card making class last week!!

You can really tell Wendy is in the mood for creativity!!

The cards this week were really fun!!

The first card was created with a bit of Wendy Pizzazz!!! She was inspired by this new Washi Tape from Dylusions, these 2 colors of Dylusions Spray inks (Vibrant Turquoise and Funky Fuchsia), and this new stamp set from Seth Apter, Grunge Grids

To make the card:

Start out with a half-sheet of a piece of white card stock. Stamp the Grunge Grids stamp with Versafine Clair Inks Warm Breeze, Nocturne, and Morning Mist over the outside of the card base (front of the card and the back side of the card)
Next, use a piece of pop-tone 100# card stock to apply a FEW SPRITZ' of ink of each color of the Spray Ink.
Now take a small piece of white card stock and apply 3 different widths of Washi Tape.. Wendy chose these funky ones!! **we used white card stock so you can clearly see the images on the Washi Tape since the Washi Tape is slightly transluscent**
Now cut a piece of black/white patterned paper to add interest. Wendy liked to cut hers into little squares and strips
Back the piece of paper with Spray Inks on it with a piece of black card stock and adhere it to the card base using double-sided tape
Also back the piece of paper with Washi Tape on it with a piece of black card stock and adhere that down using double-sided tape
Use Nuvo Deluxe Adhesive to paste down the black/white patterned paper strips

Look how fun these cards turned out!!

I think we can all agree... this is a very "Wendy Style" card... it is SO FUN!!

The next card that Wendy designed was a Shaker Card!! She was inspired by this Monsters Stamp from BoBunny

To make the card:

Stamp your Monster Stamp (with a circle for the tummy) on a piece of white card stock using Versafine Onyx Black ink.
Fold your card base in half. Use your Home Die-cut Machine and a circle die-cut to cut out the stomach of the monster image AND the front of your card base.
Next, cut a piece of chipboard ( 2" x 4") and cut out 2 holes that are slightly larger than the hole you just cut out of your card base. **You may need to use the die-cut machine here at the store to do this because most die-cut blades will not cut through chip board** . Once you have cut 2 holes in your piece of chipboard, cut the piece of chipboard in half. You should now have 2 small squares of chipboard with a hole in each one measuring about 1 1/2 inches.
On the front of the card, where you cut out your hole, adhere a piece of Acetate using double-sided tape.
Now place BOTH PIECES of chipboard down and adhere them to each other using Nuvo Deluxe Adhesive. The holes of the chipboard should line up nicely with the hole in the card base
Now FILL YOUR SHAKER CARD!! Wendy used Blue Ombre Sequins from Hero Arts. Once you have filled it (NOT FULL) place a piece of Acetate on the front and adhere it with double-sided tape. This will hold your shaker bits.
Then, adhere your Monster in place!! Remember to line up the holes so the shaker card makes sense!
Wendy chose a piece of fun "cartoon" looking paper and cut out an oval using her Home Die-cut Machine and laid the cut-out on the front of her card base to finish off the front of the card.
Next, stamp 2 little Monster images on the INSIDE of the card... and if you can.. arrange one so he is peeking through the stomach!!
Now close your card and look in awe and have fun with such an ADORABLE card!!!

Check out this fun idea.... One of the students used her oval cut-out to make a secret flap for the inside of her card!! How fun!!

The last card that Wendy designed was MY FAVORITE!!! It is SO CUTE!!

Wendy was inspired by the new Lawn Fawn Mushroom Border and the Gentle Bunny from Memory Box

To make the card:

Start out by using a light green card base. Take a piece of floral-patterned paper and cut out an oval using your Home Die-cut Machine.
Use the Lawn Fawn Mushroom Border to cut out some mushrooms and grass for the front of the card.. Wendy used a mottled, flesh colored card stock for the mushroom base and a bright red card stock for the mushroom tops.
Arrange your mushrooms and grass in the oval cut-out for the front of the card. Use pop-dots to give dimension to your mushrooms.
Lastly, cut out the Gentle Bunny from white card stock. Use the skinny brush from the Small Picket Fence Blending Brush Set and apply a tiny bit of ink from the Distress Oxide Worn Lipstick ink pad to colorize the ears, tail, and nose of the bunny. Use a pop-dot to adhere the bunny to the front of the card

This card is SO CUTE!!!! I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it!!

Join us for the next Card Making class!!
Tuesday, March 19th

Give us a call to sign up!! You MUST sign up by the Saturday before class to reserve a spot!!

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Weaving and Knots

3/8/2019

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Here at the store.. the Queen of Weaving and Knots is Wendy!! This week for Demo, Wendy was our Demonstrator!!

Wendy loves to add interest in her by incorporating weaving into her art... just check out some of these ideas!!!

Now, if you have ever watched Wendy create a woven piece.. you may notice that she starts with a bunch of paper strips (aka scraps) that just "inspire" ... Well, some of us see a disaster.. but she see's a creation waiting to happen!!

To start... I LOVE what Wendy does here with some of the Handmade Paper scraps and some black, white, and red papers...

Just look how she took these scraps to an AMAZING LEVEL just by working in this color palette that is so pleasing on the eyes. I LOVE how she even wove-in the swirl!!

Check out this next idea... Wendy used strips of white paper to make a trellis... just pasting down the ENDS of the white strips so she can go in with smaller pieces to weave-in a little lattice... HOW CUTE IS THIS??!?!

I love that Wendy added in the new Lawn Fawn Mushroom Border and leaf ribbon ... it is TOO CUTE!!

You can also create a series of knots by using just a yard of twine and wrapping and knotting the ribbon to itself.... Wendy wrapped it around the card and it makes a nice embellishment for nautical cards or cards for men!

Another idea Wendy had was to take a few colors of TEXT WEIGHT PAPER (like copy-paper weight) and wove a section on a piece of 8 1/2" x 11" paper. THEN she put the woven piece onto a piece of Double-Tack (which is like a sheet of double-sided tape) and cut out an oval..

I love how Wendy trimmed the oval so it looks like an Easter Basket!!!

Wendy used strips of brown paper to create a cute idea for a corner of a card.... This is such an easy and sweet idea....

You can even make the strips a little long and TUCK THEM under the front of the card so you can add another layer for interest!!

HOW SWEET IS THIS?!!?

A quick and easy idea is to use wood grain textured paper to make a little rustic fence!!

You can also punch a hole in the front of a card and use 2 colors of ribbon to put a bow on the FRONT and another color of bow for the INSIDE!!

There are LOTS of ways to add weaving and knotting to a card or art project...

Do you have a pile of paper strips laying around?!? Time to get them out and PLAY!!

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Translucent Papers, Ideas and More!

2/9/2019

Here at the store we carry several different kinds of paper.. and some of our favorite are the Translucent ones

Check out some of these fun ideas!!

When using Translucent Papers, you can really get creative with some of the techniques!! Because the Papers are so thin, however, you need to be careful which papers you use to get certain effects.

Let's start with Embossing Folders!

When you run Vellum in an Embossing Folder, it tends to "crack" .. in order to prevent this from happening, we recommend using a "carrier" of a piece of card stock AT THE SAME TIME so the Embossing Folder embosses both the vellum AND the card stock.

We wanted to know if you could emboss OTHER Translucent Papers..

But we found out you CANNOT emboss Matte Dura-Lar... it just DOESN'T hold texture!!!

Next we tried Embossing the Handmade Mulberry Paper (Wendy chose the SUPER THIN Mulberry Paper with No Inclusions). As you can see, the paper has a SUPER LIGHT embossed texture... neat for an overlay!!

Wendy played around with stamping on the SUPER THIN Mulberry Paper.. Here she used Staz-On Black ink

Wendy tore some of the images from the Mulberry Paper and then used Crystal Lacquer to adhere them to a painted white Wooden Canvas. When she did that, the MULBERRY PAPER DISAPPEARED and the image stayed vibrant!!!

Wendy also stamped some fun natural images in Archival Ink on the Thin Mulberry Paper so that when she does collage with the papers later the inks WON'T BLEED out... Archival Ink is permanent when dry!

You can stamp and Heat Emboss on 3 of these WONDERFUL translucent papers!!

Thick Vellum
Dura-Lar Wet Media Film
Dura-Lar Matte Film

Vellum has quite a bit of Tooth to it... so it has a rougher-feeling than the Dura-Lar. When you stamp and Heat-Emboss it will WANT TO CURL so make sure your Heat-Gun is nice and hot before you heat-emboss!

The Dura-Lar Wet Media Film LOOKS like Acetate but YOU CAN EMBOSS ON IT!!! You can also use dye-based markers on the Wet Media Film!! It also holds embossing beautifully.. just make sure to USE AN EMBOSSING PREP PAD before you emboss otherwise the Embossing Powder will stick everywhere!!

One of our FAVORITE PAPERS to use for Heat Embossing is the Matte Dura-Lar .. the Matte Dura-Lar is SO SMOOTH and it embosses WONDERFULLY!!

You can combine Dura-Lar Matte and Wet Media Film to do Multi-Step Stamping as well!!

I love the look of the Dura-Lar Wet Media Film here... we stamped and Heat-Embossed the Wings and used Tombow Markers to color the wings

Here, we did a combination of Dura-Lar Matte and Wet Media Film... the effect is wonderful!!

Gluing down just the middle of the Dragonfly and popping up the wings really makes the image come to life!

I LOVE this overlay art piece Wendy created!!!

First, Wendy used her Alocohol Inks to colorize the Translucent Papers like Stained Glass!!
Wendy stamped the new Nature Walk image stamps from Darkroom Door onto the Wet Media Film Dura-Lar using Black Staz-On ink
Then, Wendy used the Black Glaze Pen to add doodles and swirls to the papers
Next, Wendy cut out the new Hero Arts Butterfly Die-Cut out of black card stock and pasted it down.. it looks like stained glass when you look at the pieces through the light!

Wendy then created a Tri-Fold out of card stock and then sandwiched the pieces of Vellum, Matte Dura-Lar, and Wet Media Dura-Lar between another card stock Tri-Fold.

When the light passes through it you can REALLY see the colors!!

When the Tri-Fold is closed, you get this really cool card with overlays...

But when you open it up.. The colors COME TO LIFE!!!!

I am always so impressed with what you can create with the products we carry here at the store!!

Stop by to see us to get inspired! We would love to see you!

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Tuesday with Wendy, February 5th

2/5/2019

GREAT cards this week for Wendy's card making class!! As always, Wendy likes to teach new techniques in her Card Making classes. This grouping of cards is just FANTASTIC!!

The first card Wendy designed was made using the Scribble Circles die-cut from Impression Obsession as well as the Embossing Folder from KaiserCraft, Distressed Dots

To make the card:

Start out by first taking a piece of black card stock and embossing it using the Distress Dot Embossing Folder in your Home Die-cut Machine
Then use a little bit of Nuvo Mousse, Indian Gold, and rub some on the black card stock you just embossed. We just used our fingers to apply the mousse to the paper. Doing this really brings out the texture from the Embossing Folder!
Attach the textured paper to the front of your card base using double-sided tape. Apply some red mesh ribbon along the left side of the card and adhere it with a little bit of The Ultimate Glue
Next, Wendy took a piece of Handmade Paper and cut a small piece that has an embossed swirl design in it. She cut 2 small pieces and put one on the outside and one on the inside of her card.
Wendy cut out the die-cut Scribble Circles out of Red Mirricard card stock and used the shapes, bits and pieces to make an interesting design and art piece on the FRONT of her card and then opened up the card and made ANOTHER art piece on the INSIDE of her card. Wendy adhered the pieces of Red Mirricard using Nuvo Deluxe Adhesive
Wendy finished off the card by added the Bright Gold Nuvo Crystal Drops occasionally on the front of the card

I LOVE THIS CARD!!!

It not only is FUN AND VIBRANT it also makes for a really great card that can be used for ANY OCCASION

... and even better?? EVERYONE'S CARD WAS DIFFERENT!!!

The next card that Wendy designed was made using this BEAUTIFUL Row of Trees from Stampotique, the Picket Fence Blending Brushes, as well as 4 colors of Distress Ink (Weathered Wood, Stormy Sky, Chipped Sapphire, and Black Soot)

To make the card:

Start out by first stamping the Row of Trees image on a piece of Solar White card stock using Versafine Clair Nocturne Ink and Detail Black Embossing Powder
Use a LARGE BRUSH from the Picket Fence Blending Brushes set and apply a VERY LIGHT LAYER of Distress Ink Weathered Wood to the entire surface of the white card stock
Next, cut out a circle and apply a Removable Glue Dot to the back of it. Stick the circle down in the area above the Row of Trees where a moon would sit in the sky
Now use the Large Picket Fence Blending Brush to apply Distress Ink Stormy Sky, Chipped Sapphire, and finally Black Soot
Remove the circle and watch as the MOON APPEARS IN THE SKY above the Row of Trees
Layer the scene onto a white card stock base

Isn't this card SO BEAUTIFUL?!?! I love how easy it is to create and really has a gorgeous effect... once again this card is great for ANY occasion!

The last card that Wendy designed was made using this STUNNING floral set from Altenew, Wispy Begonia

To make the card:

Start with placing your flower stamp on your Tim Holtz Stamp Platform
Apply the leaf stamps to a Clear Acrylic Block
Use a piece of black card stock and stamp the floral image and the 2 leaf images with Versafine Onyx Black ink (Yes, stamp black ink on black card stock)
Now, use Prismacolor Pencils to color the floral image and leaves, taking your time to add shadows and monochromatic tones for the flower.
Now, stamp the floral stamp AGAIN in the EXACT SAME PLACE with the Versafine Onyx Black ink and use Detail Clear Embossing Powder over the ink. Heat-set the image with a Heat Gun
Next, stamp the sentiment, "You are in my thoughts" with Hero Arts Unicorn White ink and apply Pearlustre Rubellite Embossing Powder to the ink and Heat-set (By using the WHITE INK here, the color of the Embossing Powder really pops on the black card stock!! )

SUCH A GREAT CARD!! And perfect for the upcoming Spring season!!

Once again, EVERYONE'S card was a little different!! I love these florals!!

Thank you to all who joined us for class this week!!

The NEXT card making class will be on February 19th! Please register ahead of time by calling the store!

360-647-9663

Embossing Folders, New Ideas!!

2/4/2019

Embossing Folders are a folding piece of plastic that you slide paper in and run through your Home Die-cut Machine that create texture into your paper

This week for Demo, Bekah was the Demonstrator!! There are SO MANY THINGS you can do with your Embossing Folders!! Check out some of these ideas..

A quick way to use your Embossing Folder in a new way is to use a Sizzix Embossing Diffuser

An Embossing Diffuser is a piece of plastic you lay in WITH your Embossing Folder and paper to PARTIALLY EMBOSS on a piece of paper

We have carried 2 different Embossing Diffusers from Sizzix: the original Embossing Diffuser Set as well as the Heart Embossing Diffuser Set

The Embossing Diffuser Sets come with both the outside AND inside cut-out.. so you can emboss and leave areas NOT EMBOSSED so you have a nice place to stamp a sentiment, or a nice focal point for the front of your card.

Another fun idea for using your Embossing Folders is to rub Stamping Ink along the inside of the Embossing Folder.. When you run the Embossing Folder through the Home Die-Cut Machine, the ink transfers to the background of the paper and the TEXTURE REMAINS WHITE...

Bekah then showed the same technique using the Distress Oxide, Lucky Clover. I love how she used the Dot Embossing Folder and you can see how the green ink landed between the dots here! (Bekah finished off the card with dot patterned paper and a cute little ruffle to separate it... FUN IDEA!!

Check this out... Bekah showed us all how she used the Brick Embossing Folder from Taylored Expressions.. All she did was rub a Pigment-Based Ink pad on the inside of the Embossing Folder!! When she ran the Embossing Folder in her Home Die-cut machine, the ink landed BETWEEN THE BRICKS!!

Bekah used Versafine Clair, Nocturne ink for the Distressed look...

And she used the Hero Arts White Ink for the bright look!!

THIS CONCEPT IS GORGEOUS!!

Now check this out... you can use the same concept ... but with ACRYLIC PAINT!!!

Check out here what Bekah did... She painted blue and silver Acrylic Paint on the inside of her Embossing Folder and then put in 2 PIECES OF WHITE CARD STOCK and ran it through the Home Die-cut Machine.

The results are SO COOL!!

One of the images is EMBOSSED and the other image is DEBOSSED. Check out the differences ... remember this is the same Embossing Folder!

** IT IS SUPER IMPORTANT TO CLEAN YOUR EMBOSSING FOLDER WHEN YOU ARE DONE**

(otherwise the Acrylic Paint will dry and it will bond to the plastic, making it much harder to clean later!)

With Acrylic Paint... you can apply it to the Maid-O-Metal Decorator Foil!!

Here, Bekah use blue, red, and yellow Acrylic Paint and painted it onto the Rose Embossing Folder from Taylored Expressions. She then put a piece of the Copper Maid-O-Metal with a piece of white card stock and when she ran it through the Home Die-cut machine, she got the EMBOSSED and DEBOSSED images again...

JUST LOOK HOW BEAUTIFUL!!

You can Emboss onto Suede Paper and it looks SO BEAUTIFUL and crisp!!

If you have some Embossing Folders laying around and you want some ideas on how to use them, stop by the store!!

We would love to inspire you!! See you soon :-)
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Embossing Powders, New Ideas!!

1/18/2019

This week for Demo, we played around with Embossing Powders!!

What is Embossing Powder?? It is a Powdered Resin that melts at 450 degrees. Embossing Powder will stick to wet ink, something sticky (such as double-sided tape), or even paint! You MUST use a heat gun to melt the ink to reach the desired 450 degrees to melt the powder.

...And before you even ask NO YOU CANNOT USE A HAIR DRYER!! (I tried! It broke my hair dryer!! Why won't this work?? Because a hair dryer will NEVER reach 450 degrees... it would melt your head!!)

Please use a heat gun, we sell them here at the store and they are a wonderful tool to have on hand :-)

Traditionally, to do Heat Embossing, you'll need:

A Heat Gun
Ink (Pigment Ink works best)
Embossing Powder
Stamp

First, stamp your image with Pigment Ink, sprinkle on Embossing Powder (cover the entire image and shake off the excess back into the bottle), and then use a Heat Gun to heat-set the image.

You can use:

Colored Pigment Ink with Clear Powder -- When you stamp an image with Colored Ink and Clear Embossing Powder, you get a raised image in the COLOR OF INK you chose

Clear ink with Colored Embossing Powder -- When you stamp and image with Clear ink and Colored Embossing Powder, you get a raised image in the COLOR OF POWDER you chose

Multi-colored Embossing can be REALLY fun!!

Stamp your image with Pigment Ink (such as Versamark or Versafine)
Sprinkle on one color of Embossing Powder and shake off the excess in ONE DIRECTION off the page so the powder doesn't cover the entire image. Put excess powder back in the bottle
Now sprinkle on a second color of Embossing Powder, this time covering the entire image. Shake off the excess and put it back in the bottle.
NOW heat-set the entire image and watch in awe as the powders melt together to create beautiful tones!!

Now that we've explained HOW heat-embossing works, we can show you NEW WAYS to use it!!

Did you know Embossing Powder sticks to Acrylic Paint?!!? That's right.. you can paint an image.. taking your time to add in details.. and THEN sprinkle on Embossing Powder. The powder will stick to the Acrylic Paint. When you heat-set the powder, the powder will melt in the areas where it stuck to the paint!!

Here, I used 3 colors of Embossing Powder to colorize the Octopus (Carnelian, Detail Gold, and Detail Black). After the Octopus was colored, I went back in with Acrylic Paint to create suction cups and used Detail Black Embossing Powder. I heat-set the image again, this time only the Detail Black Embossing Powder on the suction cups melted... the rest of the image retained it's detail

Did you know... Embossing Powder STICKS TO TAPE?!!?!?

Yes, it does!! You can take a strip of Double-Sided Tape and lay it on your paper... maybe create a grid or plaid.. and then apply your Embossing Powder (I buffed in the powder a little bit into the tape to make sure the powder stayed STUCK to the tape!!) Shake off the excess Embossing Powder into the bottle and heat-set the Embossing Powder that is stuck to the tape.

IT IS SO COOL!! I love how you can make a quick frame for your sentiment.. and the sentiment can be stamped and embossed in the SAME COLOR!!

Ok, Ok... now for the good stuff!!

YOU CAN EMBOSS ON ROCKS!!

Stamp an image with Versamark ink, apply Embossing Powder, and then Heat Emboss with your heat-gun! **THIS TAKES AWHILE** to heat because the rock has to heat up.

THE ROCK IS VERY HOT after you melt your Embossing Powder, so please be very careful. I recommend waiting for about 5 minutes before touching the rock so it has plenty of time to cool down.

You can also HEAT EMBOSS ON TILE!!!!!

Stamp your image with Pigment-Based ink and then emboss with Detail Clear Embossing Powder

**THIS TAKES AWHILE TO SET** because the tile needs to heat up. The tile will be VERY HOT for about 5 minutes. Be careful!! I usually wait for the tile to cool completely before I touch it.

The leaves will be raised up in the color of ink you chose.. the effect is WONDERFUL and hot glasses will be able to sit on it without harming the embossed image. HOW COOL IS THAT?!

With this next idea, you can use die-cut letters to cut out a word. Then, take the Super Soft Blending Brushes and brush Versamark, clear ink, over the words and sprinkle on Embossing Powder. The powder will stick to where you applied the ink! Heat-set the image to make the words pop on the paper!! Back your words with a bright-colored paper.

Do you have a large selection of Embossing Powders? Well, now is a great time to get them out and play!!

We are FULL of ideas and inspiration around here, so if you need any help, feel free to stop by!

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Calendar Paper and Ideas

1/5/2019

Every year we bring in different Calendar Papers to inspire those who like to build their own calendars or desk calendars!!

Check out the newest calendar line from BoBunny, Banner Year

Each sheet of 12" x 12" paper contains a mini blank calendar as well as some fun areas to write and some cut-outs that pertain to the month

I thought it might be fun to create a Pocket Calendar that you can put in your purse!! It fits perfectly in this check book cover and can be changed out depending on the month

I folded a small piece of card stock and put photo corners on one side to hold the mini calendar in place. I only tucked it on the left side of my check book cover and when I fold it over there is a space at the back of the card stock to make a little pocket to hold a grocery list. The photo corners allow me to trade out the mini-calendar with a new month

The pocket on the right side of the check book cover is great to hold to-do lists, notes about upcoming birthdays or anniversaries, or to hold your check book!!

I placed a fun piece of decorative paper in the front and back of the check book cover to make my Pocket Calendar more fun!!

You can also make a fun Desk Calendar for your self using card stock, acetate, decorative papers, and double-sided tape

I made a quick tent-fold for the base and scored each side at 1/2" to fold under for the bottom. I taped a piece of Acetate at the bottom to keep the base from falling over. This is also where I place the upcoming months for when I am ready to switch it out!

I used 1" strips of decorative paper to make the pockets on either side of the tent fold and tucked in items like a mini-calendar and some fun cut-outs from the sheets of decorative paper to make it more *exciting*

On the other side of my tent-fold base, I put in little reminders about birthdays or bills that are due! Or, because I love it, little inspirational sentiments!!

I loved the idea of cutting out some of the little tags to make it more interactive and to more visually pleasing.. besides who doesn't love to be creative?!?

And, the little pieces for the upcoming months can just slide right underneath the tent-fold base so you can easily transition into the next months!

What I love about the calendar papers is you can just cut them up and use them to make a few cards as well!!

Stop by to get inspired 7 days a week!!

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Paper Terrariums

12/15/2018

Have you always loved the look of botanicals? Check out this idea for making your own faux terrariums using paper!!

You can create paper terrariums using paper, ribbons and embellishments...

We like to think outside the box... and one of the first ideas we came up with was using this Poinsettia die-cut to create a cactus by folding it inwards.

You can see how we added texture to the little cactus by using the Nuvo Crystal Drops and a little "flower" by using a small amount of ribbon..

Check out this idea to make a 3 Dimensional "Dome Terrariums" ... Just 2 pieces of Acetate cut two half-ovals and cut a slit in each one to make it 3D. We placed an Acetate circle down as the base and used The Ultimate Glue to adhere the dome top to the base

Then, we used Fake Flowers and faux botanical items to fill the Terrarium..

To make the topper of the the little Terrarium, we used a Thimble Charm from our charms collection!!

It is the *perfect shape* for the terrarium!!

I loved the idea of making a Winter Terrarium scene.. Here we used a combination of different die-cuts as well as some mesh-textured ribbons..

This is a quick terrarium idea.. Just a piece of Acetate cut 3" x 12" glued with Hot Glue to an Acetate circle base ... and look how the little Thimble Charm looks with the terrarium!

I love the look of the snowy-white papers together.. SO BEAUTIFUL!

You can make a little garden in a terrarium by just pairing together all the botanical die-cuts, ribbons, and fake flowers

You can cut out a box using the die-cut machine here at the store. This little box is *technically* a cupcake box, but you can make it a mini-terrarium in no time at all!!

Or make a quick Terrarium out of Acetate... and add in the little flowers and foliage!!

This is a Terrarium die-cut from Hero Arts... it kind of looks like a 3D geometric shape...

By pairing it with a few botanical die-cuts, and adding a bit of twine, you can really make it into a great card!!

This is one of my ALL-TIME favorite Garden Greens set from Sizzix.. it is SO GOOD!!!

Join us for Demo NEXT WEEK for the Holiday Demo!!

The last Demo of the year will be on Wednesday, December 19th from noon to 1pm

No need to sign up for Demo, just stop to join in the fun!!

See you soon!!!

360-647-9663

Paper Lanterns!!

12/1/2018

Last week for Demo we learned about making Paper Lanterns!!

Check out these fun ideas!!

With each of the lanterns that has Vellum, you can use a battery-operated tea-light to light them up. We were able to find several at our local dollar store

This first idea was SO MUCH FUN to create!!!

Using the new Picket Fence Blending Brushes, we applied a light coat of Distress Ink to this piece of Vellum... then we stamped the Skaters stamp from Impression Obsession on the bottom part of the lantern and made.. this LITTLE TENT LANTERN!!!! It turned out *so cute* and is even better when you light it up at night!!

This next idea was SO EASY to put together.. and although this Paper Lantern does not light up, it is great for celebrating the Chinese New Year or for hanging up multiple lanterns outside for a garden party... just some strips of paper, twine, and a few embellishments make for a nice, easy decoration!!

You can make your own tassel by wrapping a bit of twine, creating a knot, and fraying the end

This next idea is inspired from the new Mushroom Paper we just got in from Renke Designs.. we fussy-cut the little mushrooms and used the Distress Ink, Walnut Stain to add a distressed look to the Paper Lantern.

We used a die-cut machine to cut out the ovals and backed the open ovals with Vellum. The bottom of the lantern is open so it can be set on top of a votive

If you are looking for a quick way to make holiday Paper Lanterns, look no further than the new Tim Holtz / Sizzix Tree Light die-cut. The die-cut comes with 2 sizes of trees with little cut-out holes at the bottom so you can easily set it on top of a battery-operated tea-light.. and they are just SO SWEET!!!!

You can make quick Paper Lanterns by stamping a strip of Vellum with Stampscapes stamps... adhere the strip of Vellum to the backside of a strip of card stock (using Nuvo Deluxe Adhesive) and score it in 4 places to create the box-shape of a lantern..

In the samples below, the lantern on the left has stamped images on the inside of the Vellum and the lantern on the right has the images stamped on the outside of the Vellum.

Just look HOW BEAUTIFUL this turned out!!!

This next idea fits into a standard envelope size... and is easy enough to stand up on a desk!

We embossed the Vellum with the Tiny Dots Embossing Folder from Sizzix and used nature image die-cuts from Memory Box and Impression Obsession.. the black silhouettes look SO GOOD on the embossed Vellum!! Especially when the Paper Lantern is lit up!!

There is always a lot around here to get inspired by... stop by to see us 7 days a week to see what's new!!

360-647-9663

Stationery, DIY and Gift Idea!

11/2/2018

Here at the store, we are gearing up for the holiday season!!

One of the things we have been looking at are Gift Ideas!! Check out this idea with making Stationery Sets

You can use your own Sizzix Big-Shot machine to emboss cards to make a FANTASTIC gift set!!!

A *perfect* gift idea for a friend, the card-maker in your life, or anyone you know who loves to write letters (like a grandparent or grandkids!)

This is a WONDERFUL Monogram Letter Set and it comes with 26 individual embossing folders so you can customize envelopes, card stock, book-cloth and MORE!!

Check out this idea... you can emboss your Monogram into the back of envelopes!!!

Create some nice stationery by combining matching cards and envelopes and emboss both to create a set!!

This set with the Silver Foiled Envelope makes this card look so elegant!! Add a bit of metallic ribbon to really tie the set together

You can even make a nice focal point using the embossing folder found in the Jar Lids die-cut set.

Emboss the ring onto card stock and stamp a Monogram on the inside!!

With an added bit of adhesive-backed ribbon, you can really make a Monogram pop! Such a great gift idea using any Letter Stamp Set you already have!

There is so much you can create with just these 2 sets from Sizzix...

Stop by today to get inspired!!

360-647-9663

Liquid Gold Leaf

10/26/2018

We recently brought in Liquid Gold Leaf... which is an AMAZING product!!!

If you are familiar with traditional Gold Leaf (or Composition Metal), you may know that it comes in Leaf form and is VERY light-weight and soft.. it sticks to anything that is sticky and leaves a really stunning effect...

.. But Liquid Gold Leaf (or rather, Liquid Leaf as it also comes in Silver) is DIFFERENT because you can actually paint it on!!

Liquid Leaf comes in 4 wonderful colors... Classic Gold, Brass, Florentine Gold, and Silver

To work with Liquid Leaf:

Start out by SHAKING the bottle very well, you can also stir the Liquid Leaf with a disposable skewer
Use Synthetic Brushes such as the Nuvo Brush Set (you can use Rubbing Alcohol to clean the brushes when you are done)
Paint like normal onto card stock, glass, metal, clay and MORE!!!!

Just LOOK how vibrant the color is!!! You can even do Brush Lettering on all sorts of papers.. like this Matte Dura-Lar!!

Check out how cool this splatter effect is on the Matte Dura-Lar!! It is slightly embossed and is just as vibrant as traditional Gold Leaf

Write on black card stock to create a REALLY stunning effect!!

You can also use Light Molding Paste with a stencil... here I used the Olive Branch Stencil from Echo Park

Apply the paste with a palette knife and, once the paste has FULLY DRIED, brush on Classic Gold Liquid Leaf across the paper so that the entire image is coated with the metallic paint

We have also been playing around with the new Apoxie Clay! This clay bonds HARD AS A ROCK in just 24 hours and requires no heat.

While working with the clay, I made and shaped my own lock and put it on an old Altoid tin... I used the Brass Liquid Leaf to colorize the lock and I LOVE the results! Or check out this Harry Potter style wand with droplets of Brass Liquid Leaf throughout...

Check out this idea...

Take a plain tile and use the 2-part resin mix to float Alcohol Inks on the surface THEN drip on a little bit of the Liquid Leaf and watch as the colors move and flow together...

It has such a BEAUTIFUL appearance!!

Liquid Leaf is solvent based.. which means it can bond to ALMOST ANYTHING!!!

Seashells
Rocks
Plastic toys
Wood
Feathers

... and SO MUCH MORE!!!!

Stop by the store to see these samples in person!! You are going to FALL IN LOVE with this new product!!!

See you soon!!
360-647-9663

Tuesday with Wendy, Oct 23rd

10/26/2018

We have been busy creating new things here at the store! Check out the newest cards Wendy designed for her last card making class!!!

The first card that Wendy designed was made using this snowflake die-cut from Penny Black, Crystalline as well as this stamp set from Lawn Fawn, Winter Scripty Sentiments

To make the card:

Start out with a white card stock card base. Select a piece of Handmade Paper 4" x 4" (Wendy used this iridescent blue/green paper that looks like ice!). Use double-sided tape to adhere the paper to the front of the card base.
Next, cut a piece of navy card stock that measures 3" x 3" and adhere that to the front of the Handmade Paper
Take 2 pieces of Stardream TEXT WEIGHT paper that both measure 3" x 3". Wendy used Stardream Ice Gold paper. Stack the 2 Stardream papers together and die-cut the Crystalline Snowflake out of the papers at the same time
Then, use Nuvo Deluxe Adhesive to adhere ONE of the snowflakes completely to the front of the navy card stock
With the second snowflake, press the Versamark ink pad to the snowflake until it has clear ink all over the snowflake. Sprinkle on Star Dust Embossing Powder and heat-set it with a heat gun
Use Nuvo Deluxe Adhesive to adhere the CENTER ONLY to the other snowflake and curl up the ends of the snowflake to add dimension
Then, take 6 strips of paper (1/4" x 8 1/2" for each strip) and curl each strip into a little circle.. this is called Quilling. When you have completed your curl, use Nuvo Deluxe Adhesive to hold the curl in place.
Then attach the coils to the center of the snowflake on your card and adhere the coils with Nuvo Deluxe Adhesive
Finish off the card by stamping a sentiment from the Winter Scripty Sentiments along the bottom of the card using Versafine Clair ink, Twilight

I LOVE how this card turned out!! Just look at this DETAIL!!!!

The next card was SO STUNNING and is absolutely perfect for a Thanksgiving card... It was made using these stamps:
Winter Still by Penny Black
Grateful Hearts by Impression Obsession

To make the card:

Wendy started out by taking a piece of ivory card stock and stamping out the Grateful Hearts sentiment using Versafine Clair ink, Chianti
Then, Wendy inked up the Winter Still leaf image by tapping on the different colors of ink. Use Distress Ink starting with Rusty Hinge, then Aged Mahogany, then Peeled Paint.. making sure to tap and gently massage the ink into the stamp
Then, stamp out the Winter Still leaf image onto the ivory card stock, overlapping the leaf image with the sentiment just slightly.
Then, layer the ivory card stock onto a card base.. Wendy chose this beautiful fall-tones color that matched with the Rusty Hinge ink color PERFECTLY

I love how this card turned out! Such a quick technique with BEAUTIFUL results!!!

Mary McClary (one of the gals from class) said she accidentally messed up on her card!! But, clever as she is.. she used some of the quilling papers to make it BETTER!!!

Well, I just LOVE that!!

The last card of the series was inspired by this STUNNING image from Impression Obsession, Deployed

To make the card:

Stamp out the image in Versafine Clair ink, Medieval Blue onto white card stock
Use a Blue Tombow Marker to color onto a craft mat and use a Waterbrush to pick up some of the color. Watercolor your image giving light and dark tones to create depth
Use a pair of scissors to fussy-cut around the image.. cut around the head and around the feet so that it looks like the soldier is walking away
Mount the image on a piece of red card stock and apply mounting tape on the back
On your card base, use red-white-blue decorative card stock and put one pattern on the left and a corresponding pattern on the right
Adhere the soldier image onto the card front using the mounting tape so it has a little bit of dimension

This card is GREAT for anyone who may be Serving our Country or a Veteran of War... it is just a FANTASTIC card

I love how this card has the idea of a 3D card without having to do a lot of extra fussy-cutting

What a GREAT series of cards this week!!!

If you would like any of the items listed above, please give us a call at the store!

To sign up for the NEXT card making class on November 6th, give us a call!
You only need to bring double-sided tape and scissors to class, but you MUST register by the Saturday before class!!

360-647-9663

Alcohol Ink on Acrylic Paint

10/19/2018

This week for Demo, Denise demonstrated a new idea!

She took her Acyrlic Paints and applied Alcohol Ink to the wet paint.. the effect is pretty incredible!!

Denise started out with Lumiere Acrylic Paint.. She brushed it across a piece of YUPO and, while the paint was still wet, applied droplets of Alcohol Ink on the surface!

The ink spreads out, creating this halo effect that is just incredible!!

Look here how the Alcohol Ink spread out to create these interesting designs and textures!!

Then, Denise experimented with the technique on Dura-Lar Wet Media Film... I just LOVE how translucent it is!!!

Check out this next idea...

Denise started by using a piece of Dura-Lar Wet Media Film and brushing on some Lumiere Acrylic Paint
Then, she applied some vibrant colors of Alcohol Ink onto the surface of wet paint
Then, after the image is dry, she took the Black Glaze Pen and drew some designs.. creating some fun floral designs!!

Stop by to see us to get inspired!!

We would LOVE to show you all the newest stuff we've been getting in!

Stop by to see us 7 days a week!
360-647-9663

Paper Quilling

10/14/2018

Last week for Demo, Bekah was the demonstrator and she showed us all about Paper Quilling!!

Paper Quilling has been around for YEARS.. and while the art form has certainly changed, the idea is still the same... taking strips of paper and manipulating them to create BEAUTIFUL, intricate designs!

Quilling starts with strips of colored paper...

We have a template here to show and explain the different designs. You can use the Quilling Tools to create the different shapes.

Check out this idea... Bekah took the Great Pumpkin stamp and stamped it out using a light color of dye-based ink.. Then, she used the Quilling Tools and the different strips of paper and created fun designs to fill the space inside the pumpkin!!

I love the idea of using the Black Quilling Paper to turn the pumpkin into a Jack-O-Lantern!!

Here are some other fun ideas and designs you can create using just simple strips of paper!!

Look at this candle! And check out the wonderful little flowers!!

The best glue to use for Paper Quilling is either the Nuvo Deluxe Adhesive or PVA (though we recommend transferring the PVA into a fine-line applicator)

Bekah likes to use the Quilling Paper to create unusual designs... and she taught us all how to do that!

First, draw a design on a piece of copy paper (or, you can print off a design from the computer)
Place the image on a piece of card stock
Use a pen to go over your image- this will make an indentation into the card stock
Use the indentation as a guide to lay down your Quilling Paper

YOU HAVE GOT TO SEE what Bekah is working on...

She started out using the Black, Brown, White, and Ombre Yellow Quilling Papers and a large brown piece of card stock

She was inspired by an image of Aretha Franklin.. and so she found/traced a FANTASTIC image of her and is currently creating a STUNNING rendition of this image.. I can't wait to see when it is all done!!

Just look at the DETAIL!!!

The teeth!! The earrring!! The hair!!! WOW!!!!!

If you don't feel like creating a design on a piece of paper, you can just have fun and create free-form designs!!

Or, you can even curl a piece of paper and create a fun balloon string!!

Want to see get inspired? Stop by to see us 7 days a week!! We would LOVE to show you the newest stuff!!

See you soon!
360-647-9663

Memory Collage

8/24/2018

Last week for Demo, Bekah taught us about making a Memory Collage!

This is a fun activity if you have ticket stubs or old pamphlets or flyer from an event you might have attended... Those items are GREAT for starting a collage to create a single piece of art to display!!

To make the Memory Collage, Bekah used a canvas, collage medium, and synthetic fiber brushes..

Bekah started out by using a wooden canvas.. we carry wooden canvases in a variety of sizes!

When starting the collage, Bekah used the new Distress Collage Medium, Matte and the Distress Brush Set... they work PERFECTLY for this project!!

Bekah first put down a light layer of the Distress Collage Medium and then placed her ticket stubs down and then did another layer of the Distress Collage Medium... this glues the ticket in place while also giving it a nice finish over the top

She cut up the pamphlet she got from her event and used bits and pieces to create a collage!!

I love how she used the metal charms we carry to add extra embellishment.. she used The Ultimate Glue to adhere the metal pieces

We love the finish of the Distress Collage Medium!! It really adheres the papers and tickets nicely to the canvas and gives a smooth finish that really leaves the artist with a completed piece of art!

If you want to make your own Memory Collage, stop by the store to pick up your own materials and to get inspired!!

See you soon!!

360-647-9663

Wine Cork Wreath

8/17/2018

A couple weeks ago for Demo, we showed how to make a Wine Cork Wreath!!

This is easy to create and is a GREAT gift idea!!!

Denise showed us how to start.. just use a piece of Foam Core as the base!

Cut out a large ring of Foam Core using an X-acto Knife
Tie a nice, sturdy ribbon around the base at the top and tie it tight leaving a nice loop so you can hang it up!
Use The Ultimate Glue to adhere the corks in place

Denise decided to decorate her wreath for Spring and Summer... to do this she just cut out some of the die-cuts from Susan's Garden and used a straight pin in each flower to stick them into the wreath!! **This makes it so she can switch out the flowers for leaves in the Fall and snowflakes in the Winter!**

You can finish off your wreath with some fun ribbons as embellishements!!

It's always fun when you can make a GREAT gift for someone (and they actually get to use it year around!!) AND you can recycle!!

... Now to work on getting more wine corks! ;-)

Halloween Shadow Box

8/13/2018

Yes, it may only be August... but we are ALREADY thinking about Halloween!!!

For those of us who love to make cards... this is a fun idea that can be given as a gift, part of a Halloween gift basket, or made into a sweet card!!

Check out this fun idea!!

You will need:

3 sheets of Decorative Halloween paper. We used the Bewitched line from Echo Park
1 sheet of 8 1/2" x 11" metallic card stock
Paper Cutter
Score Board -for making creases for folding
Scissors
Glue and/or double-sided tape
Die-cut machine -for cutting hole in front of shadow box (or another way to cut out a hole in the front)

We started out by choosing 3 sheets of paper from the Echo Park halloween line, Bewitched as well as a sheet of metallic card stock

To make the Shadow Box

Cut the piece of metallic card stock in half lengthwise so your base piece measures 4 1/4" x 11"
Score the paper at 1 1/4", 5 1/4", 6 1/2", and 10 1/2"
Use a die-cut Hexagon (Studio Hexagon Layers from Open Studios) out of the front of your shadow box BEFORE you tape the box together.
Use double-sided tape or glue to tape the box together using the little 1/2" tab on the far right side of the shadow box base

Next, use the leftover metallic card stock to cut the shadow box layers
Cut out a total of 3 layers... they will measure:
- 1/2" x 4 1/4"
- 1" x 4 1/4"
- 1 1/2" x 4 1/4"
Then, score each of the layers 1/8" on each side and fold the tabs up so they will slide into the shadow box base
Use PVA or Deluxe Adhesive to glue the layers in using the little 1/8" tabs
Adhere the tallest layer first, then the other 2 layers. When you set up the Shadow box you should see the gradation of the layers (see photos below). There should be space between each layer to allow for you to attach decorations

To Decorate the Shadow Box

Now the FUN PART!!!!!

You can make your Halloween Shadow Box as simple or complex as you'd like!!

Fussy-cut Halloween images out of your decorative papers using scissors
Use a piece of the starry night paper for the background (cut 4 1/4" by 4") and slide in the very back behind all the layers and attach using double-sided tape or glue
Start with the taping down the house in the background followed by the cauldron in the front.. but honestly, you can decorate however you'd like!!!
I cut out one of the little witches from the Echo Park Bewitched line and paired it with the saying "Welcome my Pretties" for the very front.
There are lots of other things you can cut out of this paper line.. like the butterflies, the flowers, and the clouds.. just have fun with it!!
I put a final sentiment "Trick or Treat" along the very bottom of the shadow box to finish it off.

Isn't this Halloween Shadow Box SO MUCH FUN!!!!?!?!?!

With some fun stickers, candies, and a little bit of Halloween Spooki-ness.. you can create fun little gift for your grandkids or just for a friend!!

Even better? It fits into a standard size A7 envelope

Stop by to see us soon to get the new Halloween Papers to make your very own Halloween Shadow Box!!!

See you soon!!!

Dura-Lar, Acetate, YUPO, and Kromekote

7/27/2018

Do you LOVE paper?!

WE DO TOO!!!!

This year, we have begun to play around with new papers... and some of our FAVORITE has been the new Matte Dura-Lar paper!!!

Today, I am going to show/explain the differences between Matte and Wet Dura-Lar, Acetate, YUPO, and Kromekote

Matte Dura-Lar

Matte Dura-Lar is a synthetic paper that has a VERY smooth surface. The paper is NOT a permeable surface, which means that inks float on the surface. It is also slightly translucent which creates such an AMAZING effect.

Matte Dura-Lar is ideal for working with:

-Alcohol Inks
-Prismacolor Pencils
-Stamp and heat emboss

This AMAZING background (shown below) was created using Alcohol Inks and Isopropyl Alcohol.. you can learn how to do it by going here: https://www.stampadoodle.com/stampadoodle-blog/ranger-products

Here, Wendy stamped out a sun image and used Prismacolor Pencils on both Solar White card stock (left) and Matte Dura-Lar (right)

Notice how the colors go on so beautifully.. and because the pencils are waxed-base, the colors are vibrant and opaque, making the translucent Matte Dura-Lar paper really stand out!!

Acetate

Acetate is a fancy way of saying Clear Acrylic Sheet

We carry Acetate here at the store in two different thicknesses.. one of which has a film covering to keep it protected.

Because Acetate is a plastic, it can be used for:

-Stamping with Staz-on Ink
-Alcohol Inks
-Making Shaker Cards

(The photo below shows a card base made with Acetate and is stamped with a Filagree image stamped out in White Staz-on Ink)

We sell thin and thick Acetate in open stock.. so you can buy just one or two sheets if you wanted to play around with it :-)

Heat-Resistant Acetate

Traditionally, Acetate is not heat-resistent. Many people like to stamp and emboss on Acetate because it works great for making overlay cards!! The Dura-Lar brand carries this Heat Resistant Acetate and they call it Medium Weight Clear Film

You can use it for:

-Stamp and heat-emboss
-Overlays
-Alcohol Inks
-Shaker Cards

Wet Dura-Lar

Wet Dura-Lar looks like Acetate.. but it is SO MUCH BETTER!!!

They refer to it as "Wet Media Film"

It works great for:

-Stamp and heat-emboss
-Water-based Markers
-India-ink markers

The Wet Media Film is ideal for coloring with ANY Markers (such as Tombow Markers) AND it is heat-resistant!

So, now you can stamp and emboss an image and then go back and color your birds and put a piece of paper behind it to bring out the colors!!

YUPO

YUPO is a synthetic, water resistant paper

It is amazing for:

-Alcohol Inks
-Acrylic Paints
-Watercolors

Both Wendy and Bekah have played around with YUPO and there are some REALLY cool things you can do with it!!

Below, Wendy used stencils, and Alcohol Inks, and Alcohol Blending Solution to make this beautiful flower background... she was even able to use the Black Glaze Pen over the top to go back in and add detail..

And here she created the background and then used a White Sharpie Paint Pen to add in highlights. She finished it off with the Black Glaze Pen and drew some free-hand flowers

Bekah created this background by using Alcohol Inks on the surface of YUPO. To create this stunning background, you can learn about it here: https://www.stampadoodle.com/stampadoodle-blog/faux-batik-backgrounds

Bekah played with the YUPO some more and found that you can float Distilled Water on the surface and drop Alcohol Inks to create a REALLY interesting background!

YUPO comes in a couple different ways... The standard YUPO (white) is called "Medium" and it also comes in "Translucent"

The last paper I wanted to explain is one of our ALL TIME FAVORITES and that is... Kromekote!

Kromekote

This is a permeable surface, which means that inks will fall below the surface

You can use:

-Dye-based inks
-Watercolors/Colorburst
-Alcohol Inks
-Stamp and heat-emboss

This Tree card was created by applying Dye-based inks to Kromekote Paper with the Tim Holtz Ink Blending Tool. Then, Denise stamped and heat-embossed this Tree image by Stampotique

You can create this cool "splatter" background by applying dye-based inks DIRECTLY ONTO the Blue Silicone Craft Mat and do a "mono-print" pull onto the Kromekote. When you heat-set the ink, the "splatter effect" is revealed

If you have ANY QUESTIONS about all these wonderful papers, stop by the store or give us a call!!

360-647-9663

Apoxie Clay

7/20/2018

This week at Demo, Elli was the demonstrator for one of our favorite new products, Apoxie Clay!

We learned all about this *fantastic* new product and saw how it can be used in a variety of ways!!

What is Apoxie Clay??

Apoxie Clay (or Apoxie Sculpt) is a 2 part clay. You take equal parts of PART A and PART B and knead them together (It is EXCEPTIONALLY IMPORTANT that you wear gloves during this part of the process!) for about 3 minutes. After the clay is mixed, remove your gloves and work with the clay like you normally would. You have 1-3 hours to work with the clay before it starts to harden. The clay dries to *HARD AS A ROCK* in just 24 hours and requires NO HEAT or baking to finalize the hardening.

That being said, check out all the fun things you can do with the clay!!

You can take any old box and add embellishments with the clay!! Use any Silicone Mold to shape the clay. The clay bonds *beautifully* to the surface of this box we made using Thin Chipboard. You can color the clay after it is dried with Acrylic Paints

You can even make jewelry with Apoxie Clay! This miraculous clay bonds to rocks, precious stones, metal, and MORE!! This necklace (shown below) was created using NO GLUE... The bond is incredible, durable, and long lasting!!!

You can also use Gold Leafing (aka Composition Metal) to add color to the Apoxie Clay...

Here we took an old pen and added the Apoxie Clay and then rolled it through Gold Leafing... WOW what an incredible effect!!!

You can also shape and sculpt miniature pieces of art!!!

We shaped the covers of this mini book and let it dry on a Silicone Craft Mat (Parchment Paper also works). *we made the holes for the book before the clay dried by using the tip of a small skewer*

You can add details into the book cover by using the tip of an X-acto Knife to create designs, or bits of lace or ribbon to add texture.

After the clay dried, we added paper to the inside and attached the book using 3 small rings we made using bits of wire.

The Ball Chain is from Tim Holtz

One of the coolest things to do with the Apoxie Clay is make leaf impressions.. you can use fresh leaves from your garden!!!

Just use an X-acto Knife to shape the piece of clay to be "leaf-shaped" and then lightly press the leaf down onto the clay.. VEIN SIDE DOWN. The veins of the leaf with give the best impression in the clay.

*Don't forget to create a hole if you are planning to make it a pendant*

After you make the leaf impression into the clay, you can colorize the image using Pearl-ex Powders.

*the Pearl-ex Powders will only stick to the clay when the clay is wet*

To apply Pearl-ex powders AFTER the clay has hardened, you will need Versamark ink and a Low Odor Spray Finish

We love playing around with all these new products we've been getting in... stop by to see us 7 days to see what's new!!

See you soon!!!

<<Previous

Bullet and Dot-Grid Journals

Tuesday with Wendy, March 5th

Weaving and Knots

Translucent Papers, Ideas and More!

Tuesday with Wendy, February 5th

Embossing Folders, New Ideas!!

Embossing Powders, New Ideas!!

Calendar Paper and Ideas

Paper Terrariums

Paper Lanterns!!

Stationery, DIY and Gift Idea!

Liquid Gold Leaf

Tuesday with Wendy, Oct 23rd

Alcohol Ink on Acrylic Paint

Paper Quilling

Memory Collage

Wine Cork Wreath

Halloween Shadow Box

Dura-Lar, Acetate, YUPO, and Kromekote

Apoxie Clay

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