SMS Release and PINWHEEL DIE!

Scrappy Moms Stamps has a brand new die to add to your collection... a PINWHEEL DIE!  There's also a new stamp set SPRING FLING!

I have to admit, I have never made a pinwheel so I was a little lost.  It only took a moment to figure out and then I realized I'M HOOKED on these pins.  I really went simple with these cards, yep, 2 in 20 minutes.  I wanted to just show off the pinwheels on their own.   

From the new Spring Fling set I used "You Blow me Away" coloured with marker.  I made a mini pennant using the corner of my square punch.

For the stick(?) I cut up a hot pink straw. 

Card number 2 (both of these are A2 size) and this time I went for a sweet St. Patrick's Day theme.  I did some faux stitching because I don't sew.  I don't do this a whole lot soooo...it's a wee be ummmmm messy:D

I popped a little sparkly clover in the center.  I used brads to hold the pinwheel together.  But the die does have a circle for the the center.  Cool....

For this Spring Fling sentiment I coloured "Whirl Away the Day".  It was a bright day here so since the pennet is "flowing" it was bright on one side.

Here you see I have both cards together and they have been sent to their new homes.  My 2 crafty girlfriends have been sharing a lot of their goodies with me of late.  I returned their dies and embossing folders with these Thank You cards.  Always a good idea to suck up when you can!

Oh lookie at this Pinwheel Die!

The new Spring Fling

Watch for upcoming goodies from Scrappy Moms Stamps!  Click HERE to see what the DT has whipped up.  Including Guest Designer Jen.

Teen Boy Birthday Card

{Oh those Boy Cards}

I may have forgotten I needed to make a birthday card for my sons friend today.  AND...I may have forgotten I needed to get his gift.  It's been a busy morning and I had 30 minutes to whip something together!  He's going paintballing so no time and it's still drying!

I cut out the 31 from the BOO TIM HOLTZ die and that made my "13".  I cut out the 31 using a coke box and copper paper.  Then I coated it in Dazzeling Diamonds. 

Ya, it's still drying.

I used the small gear and embossed copper then used my UTEE Powder to give it a metal look.  It dosen't look as cool in the photo:(

LOVE this HB from Scrappy Moms Stamps Hooray for Birthdays set. 

I embossed the copper on the large gear and while it was still hot I STAMPED!  After it cooled I sanded the edges and added some walnut ink to make that design pop.

To keep the gear theme I ran my paper through my gears folder and lightly added some walnut ink.

This card is an easy 5x5 card.  I kept it simple and no embelishments since boys don't really care anyway! 

***On a side note...I recieved an email yesterday letting me know I am being featured over at Fantabulous Cricut for their Scrappin Saturday Post TOMORROW.  WOW!  Be sure to swing by and see which one of my projects they are featuring.  Not sure how it works but they may have snagged other designers projects too?***

Terrific Tuesday Challenge

Got the Luck of the Irish do ya? 

Well this weeks TTC with Scrappy Moms Stamps is all about St. Patty's Day.  Just create any St. Patricks Day project and link it HERE.

Here's my St. Patricks Day Tag.

You know that thick clear plastic packaging you get when you buy a cartridge or an As Seen on TV product?  I cut that plastic with my TH #8 Tag Die then ran it through my TH December embossing folder.  I kept the Decemeber out and just embossed the calander.  I just picked up the CHIP BLOCK die and thought I would try it.  "LUCKY"

I used some alcohol ink, Meadow over the 17, then went over again with silver glitter glue to get the 17 to pop.  I layered 3 tag cuts, manila, DP and the clear plastic.  I used distress inks on the DP to give it some green, then spritzed with some gold. Then added the plastic embossed tag. 

I have these lg green shamrocks that are a bit too big and shiny.  I found when I was heat setting my twine to get it to curl it melted the shamrock!  LUCKY ME!!!!  Heating it made it smaller, less shiny and burnt some holes for a vintage beat up shamrock.  Ya, I loved how this turned out.

I have the TH Tiny Tags that I ran through my CB then stamped from Mini Messages, "YOU ROCK"  I have the matching clear TH thingy's?  Anyway I just used some glue to stick the tag to this clear charm. 

I'm a little late to post.  However, the challenge just started.  So be sure to load your projects and get inspired by the Scrappy Moms DT. 

GOOD LUCK!

12 Tags of 2012- March Tag

March is here and so is Tag #2. 

Pfft...easy tag I thought!  Well, yes the tag was easy and so were the butterfly's but the mosaic was finicky.  Especially since I did 2 tags.  My GF and I built our tags using what we had.  BONUS...she had just picked up the butterfly die the week before.  Otherwise I was thinking we would be using a butterfly punch.  I don't have the wood grain stamp Tim used but I do have some wood grain paper so I used that.  On my 2nd tag (keep scrolling) I did use a background stamp.

I borrowed the sentiment and make sure you use the Archival Ink.  If you don't when you go to spritz it will run.  I used Archival but my GF used Black Soot.

HEY, I LEARNED SOMETHING NEW! 

This sheer ribbon when heated with your heat gun will go all curly!  OMG how did I not know this!!!  From now on I am heating the ribbon.  Just do a little, it goes quick.

I needed some metal flowers sooooo...Your gonna love this one.  I punched (SU Punches) these flowers using those oven liners.  You kow that sit in your oven to catch all the spillage.  I then used my Alcohol Ink to colour.  Easy and cheap!

My 2nd Tag

Yep, I made 2 Tags again.  This time I stamped my SU Sanded background stamp for the tag.  I wanted to try both the paper and stamp. 

For the mosaic paper opn the butterflies I used Paper Stash Seasonal Easter paper. So my butterflies came out more green.  Making these butterflies was really fun.

Both of my tags.

I don't have the cement powder Tim used.  So I used my detail silver to emboss then took my Walnut Stain over to tone down the bright silver.

Creating these tags isn't about having all the dies, paper's and embellishments.  Use what you have, try the techniques and just have fun.

Just Wordz Blog Hop

Welcome to JUSTWORDZ Blog Hop

I am not apart of the JUSTWORDZ DT however I was asked to join the farewell hop.  You should be arriving from Heather's blog. 

Truth be told I won an image back in December.  With the holidays in full swing and doing all my Tim Tags (12 Tags of Christmas) I totally forgot.  Kim reminded me a couple of weeks ago and I had her pick me an image.  How cute is this REDONKULOUS Goth Birthday Digi!  I just love her.

It's been awhile since I've coloured so it was a little stressful.  I coloured in greens, gold and black going for a St. Patty's Day feel.  Lucky for me it was my friends birthday the day I got her so I made the Easel card right away!  I used gold glitter glue on her eyes and variuos accented areas.

I went with Graphicat Designs February Sketch.

I stamped Scrappy Moms Stamps, Hooray for Birthdays sentiment then puched it out.  And yes, this set dows come with these fabulous numbers!  I popped the 49 up and coated in diamond glaze.

On the inside I stamped again from the same set, "Who's Counting" and Happy Birthday to you".  But without thinking I wrote in the car.  so I have blurred out my well wishes and given you a peek at the inside.  Oops...

I love Easel cards and how they disply. 

  Make sure you left a comment on all the blogs.  Now head back to Kimberly's Blog to let her know you did.  Thanks for Hoppin!

Tutorial; Making Sponge Blocks for your Distress Inks

 Step by Step Instructions

A couple weeks ago I was on a blog (click HERE for Tracy's Treasures) and watched a video on her favorite crafty tools.  On that video one of her favorite things was her Tim Holtz Distress Inks, but it was her sponges that caught my attention.  She had each sponge on it's own wood block.  If you use these inks then you know how pricey the TH Applicators are and having one for each colour would be nice!  She used the Michaels $1.50 stamp blocks.  Well, I gave all mine away.  However I do have loads of SU stamps still mounted.  So here's what I did at very little cost. 

Here, I have my TH sponge applicators.  The issue with having only one.  I was destroying my sponges by changing them so much.

Step 1: Unmount your rubber stamps. Try to use a block around the same size as the sponge.

Step 2: You'll need an Industrial Staple Gun, Industrial Velcro and a hammer. 

Step 3: Trim the Velcro to fit your block and it has a sticky back. 

Step 4: Now that you have stuck Velcro on trim if you need too.

Step 5: Here's where the staple gun is needed.  Pop a staple in at the top and bottom.  If the staples don't go on the whole way (I'm not strong enough) use your craft hammer (I used my TH) to bang them down flat.  We just want the velcro to stay.

Step 6: Now, stick your sponge down.

Step 7: Next, I printed all the TH Distress inks out with a lable maker.

Step 8: Trim them and stick it on your sponge block.

Step 9:  Print all the colours out even if you don't have them yet.  These I don't have so now I know what to get.

Step 10: Now it's time to match lables to colours and get them onto the blocks.

Step 11: Once the labels are with their colours start adding them to the blocks. 

It's starting to come together.

Here I have all my Stampin Up blocks ready for sponges. 

If your blocks are used like mine be sure the inked, messy or sticky part is where your sponge will stick! 

Step 12: Next you'll need some packing tape and a square punch.  I inked the square with the colour.  I went heavy on one side and lighter on the other.  Doing dark to light on each square gives you an idea of the ink for future projects. 

Step 13: Tear off a strip of packing tape and stick on your inked up square.  Place it evenly on your sponge block and be sure to get out air and bubbles for a clean look.

Here are all my colours.  You can see where I went dark to light.

No more changing sponges.  You'll save money as they will last longer.

Step 14: STORAGE...You can store your sponge blocks upright so they are easy to see and grab.

 Thanks to Tracy for sharing her great idea and inspiring me to get organzied.  This took me about 3 hours to do.  Now as I collect more colours I will build these blocks as I go.

The cost was pretty low as I already had the staple gun, velcro and blocks.  I would say each sponge block cost me about $0.30.  That's a huge savings since the TH blocks run about $8.50 at Michaels and maybe $6+ at your LSS.

I hope you found this tutorial helpful. As I was collecting colours I started noticing what a pain it was to use the sponges and store them. Now they are neatly stored, easy to use and I'll go through less sponges.

Happy Leap Year