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Monday, December 31, 2007
Jessica Lynn Original Design Team
I was chosen for a spot on the 2008 design team for JessicaLynnOriginal stamps! Woo hoo!! I know, I know, I am going to be a very busy girl, but I really do love the images for all three companies that I design for so it's no hardship! Each company have their own style & flair with so many applications for their images! I am truly lucky to be working with such amazing stamp artists & of course my new design team sistahs. :-)
The other members of the JLO Design Team (alphabetical by first name) are:
Alex Eaton
Barb Kaszuba
Barb Pritschau
Cathy Indelicato
Kelly Sampson
Melissa Martin
Nancy Beauchamp
Tammy Hershberger
Patti Chesky
ETA: I added links to a few of the ladies' blogs. I don't know everyone's yet, but when I get all the info I'll add a blogroll section for JLO to the left side here so the links are always there to check out!
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Shaken or Stirred?
Saturday, December 29, 2007
PPRS Design Team
Back in October I applied for a spot on the 2008 Prickley Pear Rubber Stamps design team, which was to be announced for the first of the year. Well, I found out earlier this week that I was chosen!! Woo hoo! I wasn't sure if it was an "I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you" deal until Nicole made the announcement on her site, but some of the other marvously talented ladies have announced it, so I figured what the heck!!
I am so, so excited to work with Nicole and her fabulous images. If you have not seen PPRS before you are missing out. Gaw-jous designs and nice, deeply etched rubbah. Check them out, and of course check back here often for all the projects I'll be making using my new goodies. I hope that the things I design will inspire you!
Check out the sidebar where I've added a listing of all the Prickley Pear Girls' blogs for you to browse as well!
I am not sure I have everyone included as I don't have a complete list yet, but if I find I've missed someone I will come back and add them! Congratulations to everyone -- I can't WAIT to get to know you all! Without further ado, and in no particular order, my DT-sistah for PPRS are *drumroll*:
Angie Pearl
Jeanie Sunderman
Pam Carriker
Vicki Parson
Linda Black
Mary Coleman
Nicole La Cour (owner)
Friday, December 28, 2007
Oh Pool Boy...
Oh my, do I *evah* love LOVE the new Happy Hour set from Firecracker Designs by Pamela. I have soooo many ideas running through my head for using this set - between the *awesome* hibiscus flowers (2 sizes!!!) and this hurricane drink glass with lots of accessories, I am going to be busy....
Doodle Wedding Wishes Card
Here's my first card using the Doodles 4-German/Bauern set from Firecracker Designs by Pamela. This one felt like it took *forever* to make because I actually did 8 of these for a monthly card swap that I am in. The sketch is from Splitcoast Stampers' weekly card sketch challenge, this one is SC155. It actually started out COMPLETELY different from how it ended up -- don't you love when the art has a mind of its own??
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Which is the Very Best Black Ink Pad?
This is a question that comes up a *LOT* in the stamping world, and a discussion/debate that I have had with many of my stampin’ friends. Because, let’s be honest, the black ink pad is pretty much the backbone of paper crafting; and even the most talented stamper can’t produce quality work with inferior tools.
Now let me put a disclaimer here before I continue. I love, love Stampin’ Up!’s classic and craft ink, cardstock, and markers. The colors are rich and beautiful and cover quite a spectrum, the cardstock is nice and heavy, and everything coordinates, which is a huge deal for me. I will *always* use SU colored cardstock and inks for my projects.
But let’s be honest -- the black ink pad is not cutting it. Not even close. It’s not even BLACK for crying out loud. And it’s not fully waterproof. And it always, always stains my stamps (not that I care so much about that, as long as they stamp a nice, clean image, they can live with me, LOL!). Do you know what’s interesting about these statements? I never really knew it how bad it was until recently! I knew that was never completely happy with the results when I used the pad, but what could I do? I didn’t know enough about any other choices to start throwing money at the problem just to test out other options that may not have been any better.
There ARE options out there though! Good ones! I have tried all the ones I am going to give the gold star discussion to (below) except the India Ink, but I only own two of the four. So some of the info here has been provided by friends during the above-mentioned discussions. ;-) They all have slightly different attributes, so you will have to choose the one (or ones) that work best with your particular style or application.
In no particular order, the best black ink pads on today’s market (IMHO of course, and that of my BFFs) are Palette Hybrid Noir by Stewart Superior, Versafine Black Onyx by Tsukineko, India Ink Black by Stewart Superior and StazOn Jet Black by Tsukineko.
Palette Hybrid Noir - This one is my personal favorite for best all-around black ink pad, and the one I always reach for. It is a non-solvent ink (i.e. not StazOn -- no stink and doesn’t dry out right away) and works on every surface. It’ll dry fast on porous surfaces (wood, paper, chipboard), but if you use it on fabrics or non-porous surfaces you will need to heat set it. It *is* waterproof and works great for water coloring and it doesn’t bleed.
Versafine Black Onyx - This is an instant dry pigment ink, so it is *very* juicy, use a very light touch or you‘ll have a big mess on your hands (literally!). It is only good on matte-finish papers (not glossy), although I have heard that you definitely need to heat set it on SU‘s Whisper White or Very Vanilla, which I know I don‘t have the patience for. But for that potential drawback, it is said to give the most rich, detailed black impression. It is also waterproof and works well for water coloring.
India Ink Black - This is supposed to be the fastest drying black ink on the market. It is a permanent ink that can be used on all surfaces and will not bleed or feather. Recommended for water coloring. [This is the one I have not tried myself, although I am including it in the list and passing along the info as it seems to come well recommended].
StazOn Jet Black - Another stamp room staple as far as I am concerned. You can stamp on ANYTHING using StazOn and it…well…staz on. I mainly use it for stamping on non-porous surfaces -- dominos, plastic, window sheets, shrink plastic, metal, glass, coated paper, etc. It can also be used on paper with good, crisp results, I just don’t use it as much for that because it’s harder to clean off the rubbah and requires an extra step (again, because it staz on…LOL -- invest in StazOn Cleaner, you'll be much happier). It is a solvent ink though (strong smell and your pad will dry out faster than water-based inks), and some people find that a drawback. It’s very fast drying and also good for *water coloring*. I have noticed that wet work like colored pencils/gamsol or alcohol markers will cause the ink to run.
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Just Dropping By To Say...
Look forward to tomorrow's post - Which Black Ink is Best? Lots of good info coming up!
Friday, December 21, 2007
Fun Holidoodles!
The larger snowflakes are not part of the set but are an individual stamp from Purple Onion. The ribbon is from RABOM. Rhinestone brad from SU. The larger snowflakes are stamped in Versamark and heat embossed with "Elfin Mist" (nice name huh??) EP from the LSS - Stamping Jazzy Style. "Merry" is stamped in craft ink and also heat embossed using clear EP. Just a fun and easy card b/c I had a few minutes and was in serious stamping withdrawal - I HAD to create or go crazy!
My Messy, Messy Desk!
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
All About The Essential Glue Pad
The Essential Glue Pad is basically glue in an ink pad. So you can now apply glitter and other products in the exact image of your stamps, instead of stamping with ink and then trying to add glitter with 2-way glue. Now, I am aware that you can get the same results by using Heat and Stick powder, however, with the glue pad you don't need 2 steps, AND best of all, you don't have to heat to activate or to set the adhesive after you apply your product!! It doesn't get any better than that.
You can use the glue pad to apply glitter (ultrafine has best results), pigment powders (i.e. Pearl Ex and similar), chalks, and I have heard, metallic foil flecks, but I have not personally tried that. It works like this:
1. The pad comes uninked (unglued! but I will use the term "inked" b/c it makes for an easier read) with a reinker, just like StazOn Opaque pads. To use, apply glue over the pad. You can ink up as much or as little of the pad as you want at a time. I usually do about half the pad. It will start to dry out between uses so you will need to reapply if it starts to get dry. That's ok, the reinkers for the pad are cheap and well worth it. Plus, it doesn't take much to ink it up anyway.
2. Once it's inked up and ready, just take your stamp and tap it on the pad surface just like an ink pad. When you have full and even coverage, stamp onto your paper. TIP: Like craft ink, the glue is a bit on the gooey side, especially if you were liberal when inking up the pad. Be careful not to overink, especially for fine line/detail stamps, or it will look fat and smudgy after you apply your medium to the paper.
3. Apply glitter, Pearl Ex or whatever you'd like over the image. No need to heat set - once it's dry you're ready to go!
4. Clean your stamp like normal.
A note about using the glue with other products - this is NOT sticky strip/tacky tape! I tried it with microbeads but when the glue dried the beads would come right off if you touch it. So stick to fine glitters and powders and you'll have very happy results.
Here are a couple of cards that I've made that utilize the glue pad. Season's Greetings #6, Season's Greetings #1.
Hope this helps!!
Monday, December 17, 2007
Frozen Tundra
Photo specifics - I am wearing:
-3 pairs of gloves,
-4 tops,
-1 parka,
-4 pairs of pants,
-2 pairs of socks,
-1 pair snow boots,
-1 neck scarf, and
-1 hat
Yikes!! But I have to say - I was not cold at all!!! I had to have at least one photo of each of us so I can put that info down in the scrapbook. Baby, it's *COLD* outside.....ROFLMAO!
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Gina K.'s New Store!
Seriously. Could NOT have been cuter!! Makes up for all the moving around of Prima flowers he did as he inspected each and every one because "they're pretty".
Anywhoo....she just opened and was having a holiday open house. A lot of you are probably familiar with her online store, but she has retial space now too and will be doing classes and open stamp nights (yahoo!). The store also carries her own line of stamps (so cute you guys, I love love them and am building up *quite* the collection, let me say)....plus lots of great products that are hard to find except online. Just to name a few - Palette ink pads (the bestest ink pads around!!), the full color spectrum of StazOn (why oh why can't most shop owners see beyond Black, Brown, Blue, Green, Red?), Marvy punches, Cuttlebug, Bazzil cardstock, alterables, EZ Mount, lots of shiny bottles of Stickles, etc. etc. Anyway, it's quite the fab digs, and Gina is the nicest gal EVAH! So all my stampin' girls in Mad-town, you must swing by. For everyone else, it appears to me (not verified!) that most if not everything that you can buy in the store you can also buy online - with free shipping over $35! Have fun. :-D
Saturday, December 8, 2007
Naughty or Nice?
Pretty fast card, except for the coloring but overall I think it turned out well. Especially since I had no plan at all when I sat down at the stamp table except to lose myself in stamping for a few precious minutes! LOL!
Season's Greetings #6
I literally had 10 minutes and so I kept it pretty simple.
The snowflake image is from the Season's Greetings set. The background on the red is Crosshatch from Stampin' Up! (for some reason it didn't show up very well in the picture). The sentiment stamp is from Purple Onion Designs and is too cute!
I stamped the snowflake with The Essential Glue Pad and dumped on some red ultrafine glitter from Art Institute. They have the ABSOLUTE best glitter, hands down! Well worth the extra cost and a little bit goes a long way. Marvy Giga Scallop Circle punch and Mega Circle punch, paper pierced the scallops. Gray grosgrain is from Ribbons and Bows Oh My!. The cardstock is all from Stampin' Up! - Basic Gray, Real Red, Whisper White and Bashful Blue. I also used Real Red classic ink and Stone Gray StazOn.
Friday, December 7, 2007
EnablaBella
The deal is in honor of the first anniversary of Stamping Bella - wow! Time sure flies. Em has also released 3 new bellas so make sure you check them out before you order!
Season's Greetings #5
Season's Greetings #4
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Season's Greetings #3
Monday, December 3, 2007
Even More Enabling!
Dramatic savings when you pre-order this 4x5 set combo!! 'Happy Hour' (January's Scrapbook TakeOut stamp set) and 'Mahalo' will be the last 2 sets released in 2007!! You can pre-order them today, and pay ONLY $14.99 for both!! Then use the coupon code Pam sent out for December and save another $5.00!! (code: 5$OFF)
That's like buying one, and getting the second one for a dollar!!! But hurry, because preorders only last a couple of days and this one expires on December 6th. Regular Price: $8.99 each, combo SPECIAL PREORDER Price: 14.99 before coupon!!! GET IT NOW!
Expires: Dec. 6, 2007
Expected in stock: Dec. 20, 2007
Sunday, December 2, 2007
Another Enabler Alert!
Enabler Alert!
Season's Greetings #2
Season's Greetings #1
Yes, I am still here...
Anyway, we are all finally getting settled back in after all the excitement - emergency c-section, ensuing spinal headache, total lack of anything resembling sleep (those are all me); and being adorable and sweet and gaining lots of weight so the doctor doesn't need to see him until he is a month old - yay!!! (those are all Cade).
I'll be working to get my blog updated and back on track. Bear with me, I have at least 6 or 7 projects to post plus some "guest designer" cards to share. It'll be worth the wait!