Ink Swatches

Wow I knew it had been awhile since I posted but I am just realizing how long it truly has been.  The main reason for my hiatus was that we decided to redecorate the basement where my craft room is located.  That meant packing up everything and then the unpacking and reorganization.  Anyway the unpacking has given me a chance to discover things I had forgotten and also to reorganize what I do have.  I love having my stuff organized and lately it feels as though I love to organize more than I create. 

I am done with the organizing bug and have actually finished a couple of projects, but with having a trailer in the summer that has no access to internet (no Wi-Fi or mobile internet coverage) it's had to update my blog.  For the next little bit I will post some of the projects even if they are late and show some of my organization projects.  If I can get the room to stay clean long enough I will also post before and after pictures.  Honestly the kids use our shared area as much as I do and I am always having to move their projects to work on mine.  The main difference is the paint colors, we got rid of the chair rail (lots of work) and painted everything teal and grey.  No more orange and yellow for me !!!

 Inside view of the blues, if I had a matching marker I put a squiggle

Cover of the binder, still needs some decoration but I couldn't just leave it plain so I used some Craft Smith paper and cut a cover

Distress inks were edged as well since they are what I use them most for, and for white/cream inks I stamped on black cardstock and then mounted to a white piece of cardstock

Anyway while I was unpacking everything I came across a lot of ink pads I forgot that I owned.  I have most of my main ones stored in a CTMH ink tower and my distress inks are in this, these are the inks I use most but there are others that I used when I think of them.  Anyway one of my online friends mentioned a Jennifer McGuire ink swatch book and I made my own using card sleeves instead of the coin pockets she used but it's a fabulous idea.  It does two things first I now have all my inks stamped out and second I know what it looks like on cardstock.  Sometimes the color on the label doesn't match or in the case of my distress inks I have inked the edges of the swatch so that I know what it looks like on the edge. 

I put mine is a small presentation binder and keep in on the counter besides my main ink storage.  I used this stamp from unity because it has some fine detail and this allows me to see how the ink pad handles those details.  Some of my pads were way too juicy that no matter how light I was it saturated the details so I put a note on the back.  It also allowed a direct comparison of my ink brands and I will say I love the memento inks, they stamp so nicely and hold the detail really well.

Supplies used: Unity Stamps, Craft Smith Paper, Various Inks

Creative Blog Hop

Creative Blog Hop
I am honoured to have been nominated by my very talented friend for the creative blog hop.  Her post can be found here, please feel free to stop by and leave her some love.  As part of the hop I was given four questions which my nominee will also answer. 

Here are mine:


1.What am I working on now ?
I have been working yet another mini album, but right now I am trying to get my son's baby album finished (yikes he is almost 5).  I am making some serious progress and bought some new paper so that has re inspired me to finish.         

2.  How does my work differ from others in my genre?
I don't really have a specific genre, I have a boy and girl so I flip between CAS and glitter all the time.  I tend to lean towards glitter  so when working on my son's album it has been known to get a bit sparkly.         

3.  Why do I create what I do?
It is so much fun and its a great stress relief for me.

4.  How does my creative process work?

It varies, I usually start with paper or stamps and figure something out from there.  I hardly ever turns out like I imagine but sometimes its a good thing.

Here is a sample of the newest layout in my son's album, didn't turn out how I envisioned it but I am happy with the result.

 

I punched out some of the stars and popped them up for a bit more dimension.

 

Supplies Used: Recollections Awesome Boy, Distress Ink, Spellbinders Small Circles

Happy Valentines Day

I have to admit I procrastinated and left the valentines till the last minute, I made this card for my sweet and understanding husband.  It didn't turn out how I envisioned it but unfortunately I didn't have time to try something else.  My husband loved it and that is what counts, right !

Next I made some little valentines for my kids, I used my envelope maker to make some cute envelopes for them and then stamped the envelope on the outside.  I just love how the envelopes turned out and I am going to start making more of them.  The kids loved them and my four year old son called them beautiful (he is so sweet).

Supplies used: Unity Stamps Blossom Stackers, Unity STamps EP Be Mine Stamps, Making Memories Love Notes paper, CTMH Ink and papers, Distress Ink

FWF Easter Baskets Continued

After making my first Easter basket, I got a request for another one.  So I decided to make it for Crop Chocolate's flower challenge and Unity Stamp's friends with flair.  The flowers were made with the income tax act and I used Unity Stamp's Heartly Barley stamp set (it's so versatile I love using it on projects for the kids).

Supplies used: Spellbinders Floral Doiley Motifs, Floral Doiley Accents, MME So Sophie Paper, DCWV Card Stock, I Roc Bling, Festive Berries and Dusty Concord Distress Ink, Memento Tuxedo Black Ink, Unity Stamp Co Heartly Barley Stamp Set

Valentine's Easel Card-FWF

I recently published an iGram for a "pizza style box" and one of the questions I get asked most often is what are they used for.  I like to use them for Easel Cards, they are the perfect holder, I made one to hold this Valentine card for my husband.  I got to use my unity stamps I got at Christmas from the EP Be Mine Collection.  They are so nice and I loved using my new stamps.

Inside of the Card

Supplies used:

• Trinity Arts Paper
• Spellbinders Blossom 2
• Spellbinders Foliage
• Unity Stamps Be Mine
• Hero Arts Stamps
• Distress Inks

Die Cut Easel Card

I love making easel cards and I thought my new spellbinders postage stamp dies would make a great die cut easel card.  I made the flower from the income tax act, I am an accountant and it's year end (which means I am crazy busy with work) but crafting is my stress buster and this seemed fitting for year end.

Closeup of the flower

Supplies used:

• Spellbinders Postage Stamps
• Spellbinders Scallops Circles
• Spellbinders Rose Creations
• MME Portebello Road 6x6
• Distress Ink

Operation Write Home-Amber's Challenge

Go check out the latest blog hop at Crop Chocolate, they are hosting a Operation Write Home blog hop (OWH).  I will be posting cards for the blog hop throughout the week as time permits but its a great cause and I encourage everyone to try and do just a little something.  I remember when I was pregnant with my son, so many of the pregnant mom's had their husbands overseas for a deployment and it broke my heart to imagine what they were going through on their own.  The families make such a sacrifice and a nice handmade card from their loved one is a small thing for me to do.  Here is the first challenge I am entering at Amber's blog.  We had to use this sketch and here is what I came up with.

Supplies used:

EP Goodlife Paper

Spellbinders lacey circles

Doodle Bug Birthday Stamps

Brushed Corduroy Distress Ink

Subway Art Challenge

Our current challenge for the Crop Chocolate focus group was to create a subway art inspired project.  It has to be with 50% crop chocolate products so that ruled out Vinyl for me.  I have some but not the colors they sold and besides my vinyl is spoken for with projects.  I decided to create a stamped background instead, this isn't my usual style but that's the great thing about challenges they get you out of your comfort zone.

Closeup of flowers

Supplies used
Trinity Paper Arts Sincerely Yours
Core'dinations Pearl Paper
Die Names Rolled Rose
Unity Stamps
Doodle Bug Birthday Stamps
Bling

Distress Ink Holder

Our challenge this month was to create an up-cycled project, at first I was really stumped.  I don't normally "alter" things and I don't even own any Modge Podge.   Then I decided to create an ink holder for my distress inks which have recently started to grow.  I based my idea from my stickles holder but when I turned it on the side I realized it needed to be modified to work.  Here is my distress ink holder and a tutorial of how I made it.

Step 1: Measure your box and determine the amount of slots that you will be able to fit horizontally and vertically (mine was 2 x 7).  

Step 2: Cut stripts of light cardboard to fit the horizontal (mine used 1) and vertical sizes (mine used 6).  

Step 3:Cut a small slit half way up one all the vertical pieces

Step 4: Take the horizontal piece(s) and measure where they will join with the vertical pieces and cut a small slit halfway up.

Step 5: Join the vertical pieces to the horizontal piece(s) by inserting the slits of the vertical pieces to the slits in the horizontal piece(s)

Step 6: Put this inside the box, you will notice that everything moves around a lot and is  pretty loose

Step 7: In order to make the ink pads stable I created little "cases" to go inside the spaces, repeat this for all the spaces your box has (mine has 14)

Step 8: Put all the small "cases", in the slots and everything should be nice and snug

Step 9: Label your inks and place in your slots, I put my a small piece of velcro on the back and attach the foam applicator pads to them (one for each color)

  

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Step 9