Saturday, January 31, 2009

Flower Soft Tutorial I


As promised - the first of several Flower Soft tutorials!! flower soft is an almost spongy, sprinkly, brightly colored, light as a feather material that gives realistic look & texture to images. for my card i am using the current sketch from SCS ->






And here is my card:

this card was quick and easy to do yet doesn't look like it :) my kinda thing!! The paper is all SU, crocheted flower is handmade by me and the cool little square embellies have just a touch of pink shimmer! Notice the bead pop in the center of the flower of COURSE!


I chose to use this adorable new Karen Lockhart Stamp - Lilac In Pitcher - from my dear friend Susana's store - i fell i love with it as soon as it was released and just new i had to have it!

I stamped on white cardstock from Papertrey Ink with Black Memento Dye Ink (one of the best to use with copics.) I only used 6 markers for this image - step 1 shows my first layer of darks (i work from dark to light - i know many people do the opposite...). For the flowers i used RV29 and the vase YG67 - this is an easy stamp because it has the shading sort of built in so i simply followed that. Step 2 i added the mid-tones - RV23 and YG63 and in the last picture i added RV21 and YG11 - color over the previous color you laid down with each lighter color. If you want brighter highlights you can lightly stroke some in with the blender marker or use the ranger inkssentials white gel pen.


And now time for some quick flower soft. I still have a limited supply of colors as it was hard to get for awhile. the larger pots are from last year which i received from Catherine for my birthday, the smaller ones are from a christmas kit i received from the UK and are similar to the container in the new boxed sets I will be carrying in the store.

I mixed the greens to use for the leaves and i mixed the red and pink to use for the flowers.



For now, because i have never had flower soft glue, i used glossy accents. however, after using the glue at the show (CHA) i am a firm convert and ordered extras! but just dab your glue where you want it on the flowers - no need to be to exact here and it is better if you DON'T just cover the entire image. i dabbed it sort of along where the light meets dark on each one.



Then just dump it on. YEP just like that. like glitter. you don't even have to be neat about it.

i know "SHUT UP" right?



Shake off the excess:



Dump on a little extra fine MS glitter if you like:



next a few dots where there are leaves - no need to cover completely



Again just sprinkle on some green:



And here is your finished jug of flowers!!



I cut mine out with a nesties die and inked the edges.

i thoroughly enjoyed this quick and simple card - i REALLY want to hear what y'all think!

hugs!!

Friday, January 30, 2009

who wants some flower soft?? on me!

that's right! one last CHA wrap up giveaway!!! this will be a short post cuz pezzy is not getting better :(

so the title of all of my cha posts was "fun people fun time" - if you can tell me what movie that came from and who said it your name will go into a drawing for a flower soft starter kit!!! nice huh!!!!

SO let's take stock - i have three giveaways going - (sheesh)

in addition to this one we have the CHA giveaway AND the contest posting projects using Polkadot Pie images which ends on valentine's day (so you still have time to get a stamp set or two if you need them).

ok off to do the mommy thing!

Thursday, January 29, 2009

cha fun people fun time part......whats my name again...???

well i am home now - so sorry for the late post but i came home to a super sickie little pez-a-doodle. she is all stuffy, and coughy and her eyes are watering and just a big mess poor baby!

so day 4 was a total blur. i realized i had left my cell phone somewhere the day before so i did a bit of the re-trace my steps thing but never found it. so hubby just told me he got me another one and it's PURPLE - YUMMO!!!

i will be working on getting the new goodies posted to the store so y'all can order away but keep in mind it is not all in stock so i will try and do a run down:

acetate boxes in stock now except the A2 size - those should be here in a couple days.

flower soft kits - about a week until they arrive but they are already up in the store to order

all things tim/ranger - late march-early april

zva bling - about 2 weeks maybe less

MINI KITS:

in stock right now - bittersweet and sweetie pie - RUN don't walk over and get them before i run out!!! Once it is gone i won't be ordering more!

new kits are coming:

the felties i showed you..... - those will be one of them

also mimosa by SEI

a very sparkly glittered easter collection of goodies

and some new doodlebug mini kits

these kits will be FABULOUS!! as an added bonus i will also be making clay and/or crocheted embellies to include with them to give you lots of new fun unique goodies to play with!

many of you already saw the handmade clay embellies on the Polkadot Pie samples and here are some crocheted ones to give you an idea (totally unfinished - been busy lately):

also i will have some super secret DEElish embellies coming but it could be a couple months on those so i will keep that under wraps for now!

i spent a good bit of my last day running around to some non papercraft booths and playing - i did one stroke painting with donna dewberry - i have been following her for decades i think and always wanted to try that technique. i also played with some different types of clays and checked out some yarn and crochet patterns.



spent alot of time at the clearsnap booth at the request of my studio G rep and jenny really gave me the grand product tour - so thank you to jenny.
on our last night i had set up a dinner with anyone from the cricut board who would be at cha. we met up at bubba gumps:
had a BLAST girls!! it was SO good to meet y'all!!!
and here we are the three muskateers:

by the end of the night we were all so worn out! no wonder cha is only 4 days!!!
well i have a sick lil pezzy on my lap and still loads of work to catch up on!
********this will be the last CHA post you need to comment on to enter the drawing for the new alcohol inks. BUT don't miss tomorrow - a lil somethin extra might just pop up for ya!******
hugs!







Wednesday, January 28, 2009

cha fun people fun time part 6

little something different today....

we are all trying to get packed up and all the pics are on catherine's camera but she is sleeping (shhhhhh) SO not alot of time to post BUT do not despair - i have something exciting instead - how about a free flower soft boxed set?????? yeppers separate from the general cha giveaway - this post ONLY

i am trying to decide on whether or not i will continue the pezzy's picks mini kits - SO i want your opinions - for those who don't know i came up with the idea for pezzy's picks when basic grey released bittersweet. i knew i wanted it ALL so i threw it all in my sart and then looked at the total and thought EEK - it adds up and i know FULL well i won't come close to using it ALL. and so the idea was born to put together kits of smaller amounts so you have everything that coordinates but in smaller quantities for cheaper price.

i have an very adorable glittery easter collection in mind, the felt embellie sassafrass lass collection and the SEI mimosa - and if i wasn't dieing i would have pics so please forgive me. also currently looking for a good bday collection that is unisex.

collections will also likely include my very own handmade clay and crocheted embellies - SO tell me your thoughts on the whole idea and i will draw a random winner...

and i just want to say you have all been fabulous coming here to read my blog - i feel so special that you take the time out of your day like that! i have read EVERY single comment every day and you guys really crack me up. my final cha post will probably be an answer list to all the questions that came in - and of course i will have one more fun filled pic filled post for you of yesterday's adventures. anaheim will likely be relieved to see us go. (but look out orlando......)
hugs!

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

PS....

i am getting SO many requests for the acetate boxes i will add them to the store for y'all....you know when i get home, have some sleep, and find more than 4 brain cells to rub together.

CHA fun people fun time part 5

so we walk in day 2 and the first thing we see is this:

now seriously folks HOW cute is this little (big) guy?????? i totally have a thing for bugs (not the real one mind you the fake cute kind) and so i am in love with him!

the next thing we saw was a booth covered in feathers - of COURSE i immediately had to go roll around in them:

then catherine was throwing them up in the air:

the booth owner (thank god) thought it was hilarious and even snapped some more shots of us :) i'm tellin ya - fun people fun time!!!

so i did actually do some business - wanted to show y'all a couple ne witems i will be adding to the store - have you heard fo zva creative?? self adhesive rhinestone designs - gorgeous, acrylic and very inexpensive:

they also have these fun fabric flowers - the petals have just a bit of puff which is reall nice....


and fabric covered brads:
what does everyone think??

next up - very exciting - some flower soft news for ya!

recently, some of you may remember - i used some flower soft on a project with the new polkadot pie stamps and i i used it to represent cake. well y'all all wanted to know where i got my flower soft and to be honest i have been playing with it for nearly a year since catherine had given me some for my birthday and had gotten more in the UK because that was the only place you could get it. well i started trying to hunt it down for you and couldn't find the handy little sets of smaller pots with several different colors. SO i will now carry them myself!!! only in the boxed kits:

this is the beginners kit - everything you need to get started - flower soft, glue, wires and paper accents, etc.

next up a few add on kits - pastels:

primaries:

and the gorgeous bouquet mixes:

so be on the lookout for tutorials on those coming up on my blog!!! the rep also said they have a flower soft certification course in the works for july cha woohoo!!!

switching gears - i am pretty sure i am part raccoon because bling just DRAWS me - i about fell over myself when i saw this - an entire tree covered in MS glitter and seriously folks is there anything better than MS glitter??? i think not!!!!

pic of course does nto do it justice....

OF COURSE i had to run over and see what tim was up to and meet with my ranger rep:

the man is a trooper and SUCH a good sport!!!

and now i live you wth images from the booth i hung out at all morning:



these are impressibilities - yes it is embossing without the hassle of the folder. they are more fabulous than words can convey. i had spent the better part of a day with mary over the summer - her daughter adn son-in-law invented the wizard and dies. she is so so very super sweet and i just couldn't wait to see her again. then we hung out and watched wendy (SCS-wendy bell) and some of the other DT members workin their magic with the new dies - wendy was very fun and i was her sidekick for a bit to ooooh and ahhhh at the appropriate time. SUCH a fun bunch over there! the best thing they came out with - a magnetic spacer so your die doesn't shift - can i get a OH YEA!!!

now while i have no intention of carrying spellbinders - enough folks already do that well - i WILL have something coming out in connection with the new dies that you will not want to miss!!! i ran the idea by mary and she loved it!

we have been teasing suzanne unmercifully and refer to her as queen shwazanne (long story) so we had one of the girls make her a crown:

here we are at the end of the night for a stop at target - at this point our bags were so stuffed and heavy we could barely carry them so we had to get a cart - it was FILLED (and yes her highness was STILL wearing her crown)

well my cha buddies will be so glad i did my post so early so they won't have to wait on me to leave today :)

for your comment today i'd really love to hear your thoughts on the new stuff.....

CHA fun people fun time part 4! studio g folks!

oh my studio G babies! look what bob has in stor efor us now:

yes those are $1 chalks!!!! yes that's right 24 colors of chalk for $6 my friends! i wish i could tell you i tried them out but they had no samples out :( however, considering how amazing the inks and glitter glue have been i have no doubts on these, besides bob promised...hee heeee.

up next we have a new collectio of ink pads and glitter glues that are perfectly matched to each other:

yes i know the pic is side ways - can't figure it out and i am seriously lacking in bran capacity so you'll just have to turn yourselves since i can't turn the pic ........

next in the clear stamp series we have:

now for your entry post today - y'all let me know what you think of these cuz to be honest they didn't have me fallin out of my chair like the fairies (oh that fairy set...)

and finally - your next comment assignment - these litle babies:



i think of them as studio Gs all growed up - they would retail around $5-$6 a pack, come with an acrylic block and stamp pad. whaddaya think? do y'all like? do you want them in the store??

as the show was closing last night i went over and hung out with bob and cheryl my two reps that i torture incessantly on y'alls behalf and it was just wonderful! to finally meet them in person and get to know each other and have time to chat a bit - they are just the sweetest.

tho i can't share details bob and i talked about some cool stuff coming down the pike you won't want to miss AND *trumpeting sound, drumroll* hampton art will be sponsoring a monthly contest for me!! what does that mean? that means we will have a challenge each month, pick a winner and the winner will receive a package of hampton art goodies in the mail! now isn't that sweet??? so i have not decided how that will work and where i will do the chaallenge - here or in the papercraft planet group but i am leaning towards doing it here............i think i will get more entrants..........so dust off those studio Gs you have been hoarding and get ready to play!!!!!

Monday, January 26, 2009

CHA fun people fun time part 3 - or whatever i am on - little exhausted...

oh my gosh oh ,y gosh - fun people fun time has already begun but i just HAD to post some pics to entertain you before i leave - cuz y'all know i just love you and am truly so honored that you come here to see what i am up to all the time. anyway this is one of my most fave cha-ers:

DO notice my pink pigtails thank you very much!!! i don't know who she is but i love her - whenever we pass by her she will stop talking, wave and yell out HI FRIEND!!! ROTFL!!

next up some things from sassafras i am seriously considering bringing in as a pezzy pick mini it - what do y'all think of it???? i mean ADORABLE felt embellishments - does it get any better???






next up - tim's ideology make n take - luggage tag using the new floret mini mask, paint dabbers, metal embellie and grungeboard of course!!

here's me:

me n cat:


the ideology booth was FULL of good ole yummy tim stuff so i wanted y'all all to see:






and yes apparently star wars is here (and luke skywalker is now a girl........)and on that note i am off - full night's sleep this time (sort of) and still LOTS and LOTS more to post and show y'all tonight (may just have to make slide shows...) - MAKE SURE YOU CHECK BACK.

one of the biggies - ALOT of new and i do mean NEW studio G $1 goodies going up for pre-order immediately!!! ok immediately in cha time which may mean tomorrow or wednesday BUT the preview pics will BE HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

and i'm off!!!! be sure to leave your comment here AND run over to check for more pics and leave a comment with catherine - she's got paris....!!!!!