Thursday, March 31, 2011

Do you know.....about Tombow?

Did you know that the Tombow Multi Liquid Glue is an amazing product.  Here are some facts:
  • Is temporary adhesive when allowed to momentarily dry before adhering.
  • Is permanent when adhered promptly
  • Is acid free
  • Has two tips:  a fine pointed pen tip for small areas or a broad pad applicater for larger areas
  • A little goes a loonnnnng way ( a friend of mine made 100 cards with one bottle!!!)
  • Is VERY economical- only $5.25 per bottle (page 196 of the catalog)





And one more amazing fact.....you can use Tombow to make your own glue dots!!!!!


Heres how: 

 You will need Tombow and wax paper or left over strips from glue dots. 

Make whatever size dots or strips you like.  They will be white in color.



Let dry 24 hours and they will be a yellowish color


Store in an old stamp case.  Voila- glue dots that really work!!!!

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Last chance and Upcoming promotions....

ARE YOU READY to place your last Sale-A-Bration order? 

Sale-A-Bration ends this Thursday, March 31.  Lots of people will be sending in their end-of-month and end-of-quarter orders too so get yours in TODAY and beat the rush!  Order online from the ShelsCreativeCorner.blogspot.com  or call me and we'll chat as I enter it for you!

ARE YOU READY for the Spring is Blossoming promotion? 

 When you place any order of at least $25  in the month of April, you qualify to purchase a NEW stamp set and/ or the coordinating Designer Series Paper.  Both items are available only in April ... you won't see them again until July 1 as it's only in the new catalog!  Woo Hoo!  I've seen some samples made with it ... they're LOVELY!  Plan your first April order now!

ARE YOU READY to help us support Breast Cancer research?

  Stampin' Up!s philanthropic efforts have expanded this year to include the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.  A portion of every sale of a NEW stamp set will be donated to BCRF.  This campaign runs May 1st - Aug 31.  I want to do my part to help so let's get together and plan some great stampin' parties this summer!

ARE YOU READY for some serious stampin' in April?

  I'm finishing up my projects and I think you'll like what I'll be offering for classes and at-your-home parties this month.  Call me this week to reserve a date for your party!  You get your friends together and I'll bring the fun!  And I'll be sure that at least one project will be with the Spring is Blossoming products!
I hope you're as excited as I am with all that will be happening in the next couple of months!  Keep coming back right here to ShelsCreativeCorner.blogspot.com and I'll keep you posted with details for every event!

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Shel's Sparkly Spritz Spray

Sorry for being a day late....but yesterday was a MONDAY!!!! like you would not believe.   There just were not enough hours in the day and my "real" job was INSANE....therefore my "FUN" job suffered and I didnt get any creating or blog posting done.

Anyhow, as promised I am going to give you the recipe for "Shel's Sparkly Spritz Spray"  (haha)   Ok I did not invent this stuff...I have seen different recipes all over the internet....here are two that I  use:

1.  Get a mini mister bottle and pour 3/4 rubbing alcohol and 1/4 water with a drop or two of  Stampin Up shimmer paint (page 195) Shake well before each use- adds a delicate glitz of shimmer....works best on dark colors of cardstock. .  Use SPARINGLY so as not to get too wet as inks may run if too wet.  Allow to dry and respritz if desired.

2.  Get a trigger spray bottle ( I use an old vim mini duck billed bottle from Dollarama).  Fill 3/4 full of rubbing alcohol and 1/4 full of water.  Add Superfine Stampin Glitter in your choice of color.  Make sure you only use fine glitter as the larger type will clog the nozzle. Shake well before use and spritz onto completed cards.  Use SPARINGLY so as not to get too wet as inks may run if too wet.  Allow to dry and respritz if desired.

Both methods work great...I prefer the glitter over the paint as I like a stronger effect....but both are very nice.

Try them out....and let me know what you prefer.

A funny side note...make sure you go shopping for rubbing alcohol alone....Carole and I went together to Shoppers to purchase rubbing alcohol.  Of course you have to get this from the pharmacy.  She was paying for hers and said to me "OK now I have glue and the alcohol.....do you think we got strange looks from the pharmacy tech!!!  She must have thought we were some kind of addicts sniffing glue and alcohol....as soon as the words were out of Carole's mouth she knew how it had sounded and was trying to get away from the clerk as fast as she could before she broke down laughing....I of course howled and left her there....fun times!!!  Once again...thanks for the memories Carole....never a dull moment (hehehe)

Inky hugs til next time!!

Sunday, March 27, 2011

Sunday Thoughts

I am in a pensive/lazy/weird mood today- probably after all the moving fun with my dear friend ( and MIL) Carole.

 She finally got all her stuff moved to her new apartment on Friday morning and we spent Friday and Saturday getting her unpacked so she did not drown in a sea of boxes-LOL.  She is somewhat settled and today was a very low key day for me.

 I went to my craft room and after changing my blog header (again) I decided to make a birthday card for my step son Justin whose14th birthday is next week.  He is a guitar player so this is what I made for him.




 I got this idea from my good friend Kim who designed a similar card.... I just gave it my touch and of course some sparkle.

I used the Big Shot with the top note die.  I crumpled it up and then flattened it and inked the raised edges with grey ink. I adhered this to black cardstock.  I then used the Extreme Guitar stamp page 88 and inked it with black stazon and applied to center.  I took real red cardstock for my base and distressed the edges. I stamped out an image from the Party This Way page 83 and colored it with markers and cut it out. To finish I used some sparkly spray ( see tomorrows post for recipe) to give it that rocker glitz look (sorry hard to see in photo)

Inky hugs till next time.....Shel

Friday, March 25, 2011

My girls are AWESOME paper artists!!

We had our first card club challenge.

 Here is how it works:  my club girls have a challenge each month to make a card and bring it to club in an envelope.  They are encouraged to do their very best work.  I open the cards and put them on display and an impartial judge chooses the "best" card, not knowing who created the card. Whoever is deemed to have won gets to take all the cards home.....a little added bonus.

Our first challenge had no theme.  The girls could make whatever type of card they desired.

Here are the shining stars:
Butterfly card designed by Sharon ( I love the BLING!)
Because I care designed by Carole ( Ink for shading and texture- LOVE IT!)


Ruff day card designed by Sharon ( check out the punch detail- LOVE IT!)

Thanks girls for allowing me to share your art....and I cannot wait until next card class to see your designs for sympathy cards.

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Versatile Punch- the Owl Punch

The owl punch is not simply for making owls....there are tons of things you can do with this versatile little punch.
Here are a few I found.

Here are a couple of cards I made with this punch.....

Sunday, March 20, 2011

Good News: The Ornament Punch is Back in Town!

Hi All,

Stampin’ Up! just recently announced to demonstrators that the Ornament punch is back!

As you may know Stampin’ Up is very proud of its commitment to quality and when punches from a new supplier didn’t measure up Stampin’ Up removed the punch temporarily from the line up.  It’s taken awhile to hammer out the relevant issues but now…the punch is back! 

Now punch artists and punch artist wanna be’s are dancing a happy dance as this punch is key to so many designs!

If you’ve been waiting to purchase or haven’t yet considered it…nows the time.
*****

Purchase your Ornament Punch at my Stampin’ Up!  Online Store- Just click the shop now button on the top right of my blog or website. 

And don’t forget…Sale-a-bration is almost over…until March 31st…every $60 you spend earns you free Stampin’ Up product!

 


Friday, March 18, 2011

Top 10 - Must Have Stampin' Up! Tool


 I am often asked by beginning stampers, what are the must have tools from Stampin' Up!  While it is easy to see that when you sit down to stamp you must have paper, ink and stamps, they realize right away that there must be other tools that are needed to successfully complete a stamping project.  

The following 10 tools are my absolute must have items, and I use them almost every time I sit down to craft regardless the project!


Tabletop Paper Cutter - When working with paper, you need a paper cutter.  With so many on the market which should you purchase?  I have to admit to purchasing almost a many different cutters over the last decade,  I have almost always ended up frustrated.  There are so many problems with the different models.  Some don't cut cleanly, or they cut cleanly only with a new blade and new cutting mat/base (which can be expensive to replace repeatedly).  Others are difficult to line up for a straight cut.  Often they are too large to take on the road or to store, while others made for travel are too flimsy. 

I've finally found the perfect cutter for me!  And it was right in front of me for years ... the Stampin' Up! Tabletop Paper Cutter.  This cutter is small enough to take on the road with you, but large enough to cut 12 x 12 paper accurately.  It is easy to use to make straight cuts, gives you a crisp edge, and can cut more than one piece of paper at a time.  In addition it is self sharpening!  No more dull blades or worn out cutting mats! 

Stampin' Scrub and Stampin' Mist Cleaner -

Anyone who has taken a class with me or gone to one of my workshops, knows that I do not stamp without my Stampin' Scrub.  When I first started stamping, I cleaned my stamps with baby wipes, water and paper towels, or even a rag.  I held off on the Stampin' Scrub as an unneccessary expense.  But, once I finally purchased a scrub, it became a must have item to recommend to new stampers.  The scrub cleans your stamps in seconds without any of the fiber residue that can come from other methods.  And any tool that makes cleaning up while you stamp so easy will help keep you stamping!

I know many individuals use plain water or other homemade cleaners on their Stampin' Scrubs, but I find the Stampin' Mist Stamp Cleaner convenient and effective.  My stamps clean quickly with little effort and I appreciate knowing that the rubber is being conditioned with each use.  And since a single refill bottle lasts me at least a year (probably two) the cost per use is truely minimal

Paper Snips -

These small scissors are great for reaching into tiny areas and allowing precision cutting.  While much of your cutting can be done with a paper cutter, you will soon find times when you need to cut out an image free hand. These get the job done easily.  

Sticky Strip -

This amazing adhesive tape comes on a roll and is double sided.  It has super adhesive properties for heavy items or for adhering ribbon...I cannot say enough about this product- it is absolutely great!

Bone Folder -

There is not much to say about this tool, except that if you are scoring, creasing or folding paper you need to have one!  while it makes it easy to make clean crisp folds when making cards, it also helps to burnish rub-ons or help with clean book binding.  Be certain to keep this tool clean of adhesive or paints, to keep it gliding smoothly across your work. 

Paper-Piercing Tool and Mat Pack-

This tool is use and abused in my craft room.  Great for piercing holes as the name suggests - whether for the insertion of brads, decorative piercing, or for faux stitching (real stitching too!) - but once you find it on your craft table, you'll find yourself reaching for it all the time.  To unplug a bottle of Crystal Effects, to mark a spot for a cutting line, to pick up a small embellishment with a dot of adhesive... it will never leave your side again!

This template, piercing mat and cutting mat were made to work with the Paper-Piercing Tool.  Allowing you to create even holes for stitching, to insert a line of brads or eyelets in a nice clean line or evenly from the corners of your project, and to create decorative pierced patterns.  It also helps to protect your workspace.  

SNAIL Adhesive -

This is my basic adhesive used to assemble cards and scrapbook pages.  It is double sided, easy to apply, continuously dispensed, refillable and acid free.  What more could you ask for? 

Stamp-a-Ma-Jig -

This is an absolute must for me...I use this each and every time I stamp... I dont know what I ever did without it (threw a lot of mistakes in the garbage lol) This invaluable tool allows you to accurately position your images on your projects every time!

Adhesive Remover -

Have I told you what a tactile crafter I am?  I'm more likely to use my finger to spread some ink, paint or adhesive than I am to grab an appropriate Stampin' Sponge, Sponge Dauber or other applicator.  But all of that hands on work, can make for a messy workspace if I'm not careful.  And stray bits of adhesive are not uncommon on my finished projects.  But the adhesive Remover seems to do the job of removing these bits saving the projects themselves!

Stampin' Dimensionals -

Once you get in the habit of adding dimension to your projects, you will never turn back!  These are great double sided adhesive foam dots, with adhesive strong enough to attach small embellishments, a unique shape that helps keep them discretely hidden behind your project, and they are acid free!

So girls, if you have any questions about any of the above items, or if you would like to try them out before you buy...just give me a call...232-7744.  

Inky hugs til next time....Shel

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Strength & Hope Campaign in new Summer Mini

I wanted to take a moment to let you know about an upcoming campaign and how you can help raise money for this worthy cause that has affected all of us in some way…and give you a sneek peek at a stamp set in the new Summer Mini.....

 

Campaign Dates: May 1-August 31, 2011
As part of our Making a Difference program, Stampin' Up! is proud to partner with The Breast Cancer Research Foundation in the Strength & Hope Campaign.
Throughout the 2011 Summer Mini Catalogue sales period, Stampin' Up! will donate $2* from the sale of each Strength & Hope set to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF).

 


Today’s card was made using a new set that is going to be in the new summer mini coming out very soon. It is called Strength and Hope.

The card base is Early Expresso, and I layered some DSP (retired Baja Breeze) on Baja Breeze card stock and place those layers on the card.
 I used a Nestabilities die.

I first stamped the flourish second generation ink on with Baja Breeze then sponged the outside with the die still on. I stamped the HOPE and embossed it with clear embossing powder from Stampin Up. 

I stamped and embossed the butterfly with white embossing powder and cut it out. Beautiful butterfly it is. I added some colored rhinestones to its body.
 I also added three pearls to finish it off.


Here's what I used: 


Stamps: Strength and Hope, Elements of Style 
Paper: Baja Breeze, Early Expresso, Whisper White 
Ink: Baja Breeze, Early Expresso 


Inky hugs til next time!

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Framing your XL Decorative Label Punch Tutorial

Framing your XL Decorative Label Punch Tutorial

I thought I’d create a quick tutorial for the label  punch.
Keep watching for a special promotion coming on April 1st…..all I can say is AWESOME!!




One picture says a thousands words...       enjoy!!!     


Thanks to the person that created this technique!!!  I have no idea who
originated this. 

Inky hugs til next time!

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Ruffled Ribbon Technique


Cut a length of ribbon, then pull a back-and-forth thread from the ribbon to unravel the end, which will reveal the lengthwise threads:

Cut off the thread that did the unraveling. Now find the approximate middle of the ribbon and begin pulling one (or two) of the lengthwise threads.  I find a pair of conventional tweezers helps this part.  Pull the thread with one hand and move the gathers down to the middle of the ribbon with the other.

When you’ve ruffled about half of the length of ribbon, repeat from the other end.

Put down a piece of Sticky Strip across the card front or panel.  If I want frayed ribbon ends, the Sticky Strip won’t go quite all the way across.

Press the ribbon into the Sticky Strip, carefully placing the ruffles just so or allowing them to fall naturally.  (Personally, I don’t fuss too much about this!)

Cut off the long thread at each end.

Monday, March 14, 2011

Making time for yourself....time management

Time Management, yikes!!   There should be a 4
 letter word that means the same as those two
together because, let me tell you, say
"Time Management" in front of people and they
cringe!

Like you, I'm a busy person.  I love my family and
 my life. Doing what needs to be done (a full time job,
 household chores, meals, activities, etc.)
 fill a day very easily. 

My business, including this blog, is my guilty pleasure
 but it can only happen if I'm organized enough to take
 care of the rest first.

So organizing our time is key.

 There are many books and seminars available on the
 market, but I love when I find free information and can
 share it with others like you. I recently ran across this 
free e-book on time management offered on
Money Saving Mom.  (under free giveaways) 

I hope this shared perspective will encourage you in
 your daily life and perhaps even provide something to
 help you make the most out of your time.  You know....
so that you can find the time in your life to escape to
stamp and papercraft.

Thanks for stopping by and inky hugs til next time!

Sunday, March 13, 2011

Baby Wipe Background Tutorial

Striped Wipe Technique

Create patterned background with classic re-inkers and baby wipes.

Supplies Needed:
  • Baby Wipe
  • Two or more Dye Ink Reinkers
  • Glossy Cardstock
  • Stamps
  • Ink





To start, fold a baby wipe and add drops of re-inker to the edge of the fold line.

Here, the baby wipe was folding in half twice.

If you want a multicolored background, continue to add more colors.Hint:
For smaller stripes, add a small dot of reinker.
For wider stripes, add longer stripes of reinker.


 Line the inked fold up with the edge of the glossy cardstock.


 Wipe the inked baby wipe over the glossy cardstock to create striped background.


 Add more color, linking up the inked wipe with the existing stripes to intensify and even out the colors.


6.                   Let background dry and finish your card…








Friday, March 11, 2011

Dewdrops Embellishments

Ladies, there is no need to buy those expensive dew drops embellishments at the craft stores.  

With Stampin' Up's crystal effects you can get TONS of these little dew drop gems in any color you want for a mere fraction of the cost!! 


Here's how: 

1.  Lay out wax paper to apply crystal effects to ( this way they will peel up easily when dry)

2.  Put a circle (dot) of whatever size you desire of the crystal effects
3.  To tint them, put drops of reinker into a paint pallet or on a foam plate.  Dip the end of a toothpick or paper piercer into the ink.  Then just touch the end to the drop of crystal effects.  No need to mix it- the color flows through the crystal effects.  

4.  Let it dry completely and you have dew drops!

When I make them, I use a sheet of wax paper so that they peel up easily when dry.  Then I put a circle/dot of whatever size crystal effects.  To tint them, I put drops of reinker into a paint pallete and dip the end of a paper clip, toothpick, paper piercer into the ink and then touch that end to the crystal effects.  No need to try to mix it.  The color flows through the crystal effects.  Let it dry and you have dew drops.  It generally needs to dry a day to be thoroughly set.

So if you love dew drops but hate the expense, just purchase a bottle of crystal effects on your next order.  Item number is 101055 on page 197 cost is $7.95.

Thursday, March 10, 2011

Wheel & Guide

I LOVE using my wheels in my scrapbooks and cards. I have had several of my customers recently purchase SU wheels, so I thought I would create a tutorial to make using them easier! If something doesn't make sense or is unclear---e-mail me and I will see what I can do to make it easier. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do. If you would like to purchase any of the products from this tutorial click the shop now link at the top left side of this blog or email me at andersonshel@gmail.com.  


Products Needed


Stampin' Around Handles -Regular or Jumbo
Stampin' Around Wheel Guide
Inked Cartridge (if desired, not necessary but makes it very easy)
Uninked Cartridge (if desired)
Stampin' Up Wheel of your choice
Grid Paper

Inserting Your Ink Cartridge


It is very important that you insert your ink correctly. I leave my 'lid' on my cartridge until I have completely set up the handle. Lay your cartridge in the handle, with the tab pointing up to the ceiling.

Clicking it in place



Continue to push your cartridge into the handle until it 'clicks' in place.

Insert Your Wheel



Lay your rubber wheel into your handle, lining up the tabs on each side. Gently push down until your wheel 'clicks' and is firmly in place. Your wheel should freely turn without any resistance.

Remove Ink Cover


Now that you have your cartridge and wheel firmly in place, you can remove the cover from the ink cartridge. It should just slid up.

Engage Ink Cartridge


Once you have removed the lid, you need to push the tab on the cartridge towards the wheel until the ink is touching the rubber. It will sort of 'spring' forward. You now have ink for your images.

Inking Your Wheel


When I first start a wheel, I like to run it 3 or 4 times over a scrap piece of paper to 'ink-it-up'. You want to go in ONLY one direction. I find pushing forward is the easiest for me. I also find that I absolutely CAN NOT do this sitting down. You need to press firmly and evenly and when I am sitting down I tend to press harder on one side or the other and the image is not even. So, using the scrap piece of paper allows me to practice while getting my wheel inked.

Stampin' Around Wheel Guide


I love, love, love my Stampin' Around Wheel Guide. It is so easy to use and it guarantees a straight line every time. It is 12 inches long, so you can use it for scrapbooking, but it also has an extension to increase your line to 22 inches. To use your guide, you line up the guide with your paper exactly where the wheeled image will go.

Inking Your Image


You then line up your wheel with your guide. I always like to do 2-3 inches of wheeled image on the scrap paper before continuing onto my paper. You get more ink and clearer image on the actual page.

Wheeled Image


Wheeled Image with 2-3 inches of image on scrap paper.

Stampin' Around Wheel Guide


You can use your SU Wheel Guide for perfect placement for background paper. To get even placement, place the guide over your previous image and line the edge up evenly with the image.

Using Your Wheel Guide Extension


The wheel guide extension clicks on easily and allows you to get up to 22 inches of a straight line.

Wheeling on a Diagonal


This is also a fun way to create a pretty background. Wheel on the diagonal instead of straight across. Use your guide just as you would on a straight orientation.

Diagonal Background Completed


This background is tone-on-tone. Mellow Moss Ink on Mellow Moss Paper. It gives it a very delicate and light background (almost a watermark effect) for cards and scrapbook pages

Placement of Your Wheel---Left Handed



Many of the wheels have an orientation---a definite bottum and top---some of the wheels it doesn't matter. For the wheels that have an orientation, it is important how you place your wheel in the handle. If you are Left Handed----when you place the wheel in the handle, make sure the bottum is pointing to the left.

Placement of Your Wheel---Right Handed


If you are Right Handed----when you place the wheel in the handle, make sure the bottum is pointing to the Right. Nothing it more frustrating to get your whole handle set up and inked, only to realize it is upside down and you need to redo it! (Been there and done that---many times!)

Coloring Your Wheeled Image


I use this technique for my scrapbook page a lot. It is kind of like creating your own 12 inches stickers. The wheel I used here is retired.
You ink your image in black ink and then use your SU Markers or Ink Pads to color the images in.

Coloring Your Images


I like to use my Aqua Painter--a very good basic tool to have for so many projects and squeeze my ink pads together so that ink is transferred onto the lid and I can color my images.

Cute Border



Once I have colored my images, I add a background piece to my strip and I have a super cute border for a scrapbook page.

Embossing Your Wheeled Images


I love to do an embossing image across the bottum of a scrapbook page. It gives some dimension and with the 'shiny' appearance, looks similar to a sticker. SU does not make a VersaMark cartridge (which you need for embossing) for the Wheels. To create a VersaMark cartridge, you need an Uninked Cartridge and VersaMark Pad Refill .

The uninked cartridge obviously comes without ink, so you use the VersaMark refill to ink your cartridge. You want it very 'juicy', but it should not be running out of the cartridge. I have found with the cartridges that I have made, you need to always add just a little bit more VersaMark each time you use it. Once the cartridge is inked, you can not change the color, so make sure to right VersaMark on the outside.

Removing Cartridge


Once you are done using your wheel, push back on the tab until the cartridge clicks into place.

Covering Your Ink

Make sure to replace the cover in your cartridge.



Cleaning Your Wheel


Once the cartridge is clicked back and the cover is on, you can clean your wheel. You clean your wheel just like any of your stamps. Rotate your wheel across your Stampin' Scrub in ONE DIRECTION (do approximately 10 times)---then 'dry' on the opposite side. With your wheel clean and your cartridge closed, you can begin to disassemble your handle and wheel.