Bleach - not just for cleaning

Bleach, in papercrafting? YUP! This week we are giving bleaching a try. There are a few ways to use bleach in your papercrafts. Here is a tutorial from Splitcoaststampers. I am very excited to give it a try.

Have you tried bleaching? Got any tips for a newbie? What techniques have you been putting off trying? If you want to be entered for my monthly blog candy post a link to your creations using bleach in my comments. See here for details.

Do you have any big plans for Labor day? I will be working so have fun for me.

Happy Crafting,
Kimmy

Vellum... where's the vellum???

Bad news about this weeks post. It will be delayed. I had a card already finished and the picture downloaded on the computer, but my DH took that computer on a business trip. So I couldn't use that one. Then I whipped up another card to replace it and went to take a picture of it and realized my DH took the camera too! OOPS!

I will post it Saturday after my DH get home. I wish I would have thought of it sooner! The week has been so busy and hectic trying to get caught up on things since our company left. It's rough getting back into the swing of things.

Does anyone have any plans for the holiday weekend? I have to work so nothing big for me.
Enjoy and check back Saturday for my post.

Happy Crafting,
Kimmy

VELLUM

My company is gone and hopefully today I can get back to some crafting! We cleaned up the house yesterday and did some shopping and TONS of laundry! It was so nice to see everyone, but all the fun must come to an end. Now it's back to work and normal activities. I am hoping to catch up on everything and do some serious crafting this week. I have been going through withdrawals. Too bad I will make a big old mess with all my supplies! I have some really cute pictures from my SIL's wedding and just some everyday pics. I will try to post them once I get back into the swing of things. I have been on a day shift for 2 weeks and switching back to mids for work is going to be a little rough. Well.... On with the challenge!

I decided for this week’s challenge we should try something new (well at least new to me). So for this week we have to use vellum on our creations. I didn’t give any specifications on how, but I am going to try a technique I read about (which is the new to me part). Hope it works out – if not you will see a simpler use of vellum Friday.

Have you every tried this technique? Do you use vellum often? Can’t wait to hear from you. Remember to be entered for blog candy post a link to your project using vellum.

Happy Crafting,
Kimmy

Paper piecing and polka dots

Happy Friday everyone! If you are familiar with my blog you know its Fun-Filled Friday!!! For those of you that aren't here are the details on Fun-Filled Friday and how you can play along. If you checked in Sunday you know Jen challenged me to use Polka Dots this week. So here is my polka dot card! Don't forget to check out Jen's card.

This card actually started out with the paper. That is pretty unusual for me. I went through my rather large stash of pattern paper to see what polka dot papers I had (by the way I had a lot). This one jumped out at me. I love the blue and brown combo. Once I had the pattern paper picked out I went through my huge stash of cardstock and pulled out some blue and brown. Then I browsed my stamps. I have been wanting to use this robe stamp for a while. I decided to paper piece the robe so it would be polka dotted too. I used scraps of my blue and brown to add the trim and tie to the robe.

Once my robe was all pieced together I glued all the pieces on the brown cardstock then matted it on blue and again on brown. Next, I stamped the sentiment on the brown cardstock and matted that twice also. I then cut my pattern paper to 4"x5.5". Then I glued my matted sentiment to the lower portion of the card and the matted robe to the upper left portion. I then added 3 rhinestone brads to the right side of the robe. Finally I glued the whole thing to the A2 size card base.

So did you make a polka dot card this week? Remember if you did to post a link to it for a chance to win some blog candy. Got any challenges for me? If so leave me a comment.

We had a wonderful time at the wedding this past weekend. Some of the family is still in town. It has been fun seeing everyone and catching up a bit. Sadly tomorrow they leave and our lives go back to normal. Well, hope you have a wonderful weekend.

Happy Crafting,

Kimmy

Polka Dots anyone???

It’s that time of the week again. This week Jen is challenging me to use polka dots! This should be fun I have quite a few polka dot papers in my stash. Now what to go with them?

Do you have any favorite patterns like stripes or polka dots? I would love to see your polka dot creations. Feel free to leave a comment with a link to your blog or online gallery. And remember any FFF challenges you participate in will get you entered for my monthly blog candy.

Happy Crafting,
Kimmy

Heat embossing resist and lessons learned....

Well as you know this weeks challenge was to use heat embossing. I have been so impressed with many projects I have seen lately that used the clear embossing powder over colored images then inking the rest of the paper. I figured I would give it a try. I am not very happy with the results, but it's my first try so what do you think?

So to make this card I stamped the image on plain white cardstock then colored it in with my Prismacolor markers. Next I used VersaMark in to cover the colored areas and applied clear embossing powder. Then I tapped off the excess and used my heat gun to melt it. After that was done I took a bunch of my blue and green ink pads and sponged color all over to give it an under the sea look. I then added blue snaps to the corners and glued the whole thing on my A2 card base. Like I said I am not that happy with it. Here is a close up :

supplies: stamp by Rubbernecker, inks by Ranger and Colorbox, Prismacolor markers, UTEE, heat gun, VersaMark re-inker

Now here is a list of what I learned:

1. I need a Versa Mark marker first of all. I covered my images using my re-inker. I thought I had an embossing marker, but it was tinted and left purple where ever I used it.

2. Don't use the ultra thick embossing powder. I might be able to use it just by correcting step one, but it was a little too thick for me.

3. The ink has to be wiped off any of the embossed areas (I used a baby wipe).

I really think the biggest problem was the marker. I am planning on trying this again once our company leaves and I get my craft space back:)

Did you give the heat embossing challenge a try? I would love to see it. Do you have any techniques or challenges you would like to see me try? If so leave a comment and I will give it a shot.

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend. Mine is full with wedding plans!

Happy Crafting,

Kimmy

Hello Bloggers!

Hello to all my Bloggers!

I wanted to let you all know I am going to be MIA for a couple weeks (minus my FFF challenges). We have family coming to stay with us for a wedding this weekend. My DH's cousin's and Aunt are staying with us and I am sure I won't have anytime to craft or blog while they are here. Actually most of my crafting supplies have been put away since they are staying in my craft room. I have been working on a couple ideas for weekly posts on my blog. I have more challenges for you and some tips, tricks, and tools. I look forward to sharing them with you in September. I hope you will enjoy them as much as I have enjoyed planning them. Also don't forget I still have monthly blog candy going on, see this post for all the details.

Happy Crafting,
Kimmy

Heat embossing

The ball’s back in my court. My turn to give the FFF challenge. I decided it’s time to pull out the heat gun and lets do some heat embossing. I am going to give a new technique a try, but I don’t want to give anything away so you will have to check Friday to see how I did.

Do you emboss much? Do you use colored embossing powder or clear powder with colored ink? Do you have any embossing tips to share? I can't wait to see your embossed projects. Don't forget my monthly blog candy give-away - play along with our fff challenges to be entered.

Happy Crafting,
Kimmy

Pink Lemonade for two

As you probably know this weeks challenge was to use pink and green. I admit I used more than just pink and green. Here is what I came up with:

I got the image from a House Mouse image swap a while back. I was very happy with my coloring. I used my Prismacolor pencils blended with mineral spirits. Then I outlined the image with my grey zig marker and made a shadow along the bottom. Next I used my chalks to color the background green making sure the edges were a little darker. I then cut the image out, added dimensional glaze to the pink lemonade and set it aside to dry. I cut a piece of the green pattern paper to 4" x 5 1/4" and glued it to the center of a dark green A2 size card base. I then stamped the sentiment "have a very mice day" in the lower right corner and put diamond glaze over that. Once the dimensional glaze was dry I glued my image to the front. How does it look?

Supplies: stamps by House Mouse (sweet treat for two), cardstock by Bazzill, pattern paper by Quick Quotes Paper, chalk, Prismacolor pencils, Zig marker, Diamond Glaze dimensional glaze.

I love how the dimensional glaze made the lemonade look. Did you make a pink and green card? If so post a link to it in my comments and you will be added to the monthly blog candy give-away.

Yesterday was my DH's birthday so maybe this weekend we will do some celebrating. Do you have any big plans? Hope you have a great weekend.

Happy Crafting,
Kimmy

Monthly blog candy!!!!

What's blog candy?
Blog candy is a prize from me to you (if you win of course). It will be craft related - of course. Just a little bag of crafting goodies from me to whoever is the winner.

What's Fun-Filled Friday?
My friend Jen and I started FFF (Fun-Filled Friday) a couple months ago. Each week we take turns challenging each other. We alternate every week between who gives the challenge. We post the Challenge Sundays and our creations on Fridays. So if you check my blog Sundays you can see the challenge for the week and Friday you will see what I came up with.

What's my Monthly Blog Candy?
For those of you who are new to my blog I am giving away monthly blog candy. To be entered to win all you have to do is participate in the Fun-Filled Friday Challenges by posting a link to your blog or online gallery in the comments. I will assign each entry a number in the order they are left and then use the Random Integer Generator to pick a number. I will post the winning comment/link on my blog the 1st or 2nd of the month (depending on my schedule). I also will occasionally add other ways to get entries for my blog candy.

(You don't have to have the challenges done by Friday just by the end of the month. Just make sure you post a link to your version of our challenge in the comments for the Friday you are participating in. Hope that all makes sense!)

Jen and I are always looking for suggestions so if you have any challenges you would like to see leave a comment. Hope you decide to play along!

Happy Crafting,
Kimmy

Pink and Green

Here’s another FFF challenge announcement. This week Jen is challenging me to a color challenge. In the spirit of summer we have to use pink and green. I just don’t know what I will come up with. Wish me luck!

Do you ever try color challenges? How about our FFF challenges? Are any of you playing along? Remember I am giving away monthly blog candy and to enter you must complete our FFF challenge. See here for details. Let me know what you would like to see more of on my blog or what challenges you would like to see. I can’t wait to hear from you.

Happy Crafting,
Kimmy

BLOG CANDY WINNER!

Since August is here it's time to announce the first monthly blog candy winner. I didn't have as many entries as I had hoped so maybe some more people will play along for August. I used the

Random Integer Generator to pick the winner:

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:
4

Timestamp: 2008-08-02 16:25:30 UTC

That made Chrissy the winner! and here is her winning comment :

Chrissy said... I put a post on my blog linking back you to. Also everytime I do a challenge I link it back to your blog. http://chrissyscreativespot.blogspot.com/2008/07/found-awsome-challenge-blog.html

Chrissy please email me at klkowalik@comcast.net with your address so I can send out your goodies. Hope you play along some more:)

For those of you who are new I am giving away monthly blog candy for those who play along with our Fun-Filled Friday challenges. All you have to do is post a link to your work in the comments on the FFF challenge you played along with. The link you post can be to your blog or online gallery. I also give a couple opportunities for extra entries through out the month. The first chance to enter was yesterday's pocket card challenge. If you made a pocket card post a link to it in the comments.

Not familiar with blog candy?? Well, if you are new to the whole blog candy thing it's just a random crafting surprise from me! At the end of the month I assign a number to all the entries in the order they were received then use the Random Integer Generator to pick a winner. I hope you decide to play along it's lots of fun seeing every one's take on different challenges.

Today is "fun-filled Saturday" for me:) Jen is coming over for a serious crafting session. Our husbands usually hang out while we sit at the kitchen table and craft away the day. I am very excited to spend my evening crafting.

What are your plans for the weekend? Are you doing anything "crafty" this weekend? For a chance at blog candy post a link to your weekend creations here. Stay tuned tomorrow for this weeks FFF challenge announcement!

Happy crafting,
Kimmy

Wanna win some blog candy???

Vicki one of the DT members from DRS Designs is giving away a great package. Check it out here. Good luck to everyone that enters :)

Pocket full of birthday wishes!

Let me start off by apologizing for the lateness of my FFF post. I didn't get a chance to work on my card until this morning, then I couldn't find the cord to download the pictures from my camera. After my week on vacation I had so much to catch up on. Well, on with the card for this week.


Jen chose Jan's challenge which was for me to make a card using pockets. Here is what I came up with.

I got the instructions for this card from a tutorial on Splitcoast. It was pretty simple to make. I just followed the tutorial. For the image I stamped it on plain white cardstock and colored it with my prismacolor markers. Then I cut him out and glued him to the front of the card. Next I made a tag using Bazzill cardstock and stamped a birthday sentiment on it. I matted the tag on a lighter pink cardstock and added a prima and ribbon to the top.

supplies : image by Rubbernecker, sentiment by Hero Arts, pattern paper by Cloud 9, cardstock by Bazzill, flower by Prima, ribbon by Offray, prismacolor markers.

Well, again I apologize for my tardiness. And since my vacation is over I am going to get back to posting more often. Stay tuned for some new weekly posts I have been coming up with.

Hope everyone has been doing well and has a wonderful weekend.

Happy Crafting,

Kimmy