Oz-somestamps

Two Minute Technique - Modified Retiform

This is one of my all time favorite techniques for stamping and scrapping - probably because you can create beautiful backgrounds with just ink, cardstock, post-it notes and a sponge! 

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Like what you see? Click these links to shop my secure TAC website - and don't forget you can get ANYTHING (even a Scor-pal or set of Copic Markers!)  for half price as a hostess with $100 in orders from you and your friends!

Stamps: Cute Curliques, Vintage Backgrounds, Bookoo Blessings stamp sets from The Angel Company
Ink: Noir Palette Ink, Seascape Palette Ink, Landscape Palette Ink
Papers: White Cardstock
Accessories: Sponges, Scor-pal, Scor-bug, Pop Dots, Blue Organza Ribbon

Be sure that if your order totals $30 or more youtake a look at the Purchase with Purchase stamps!

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My video is a little longer than 2 minutes - I just could not wittle it down any further!  :-)

I hope you enjoy it!

  Don't forget to leave a linky for this weeks sketch to be entered into the drawing for my blog candy!

Two Minute Technique - Perfectly Pierced Circles

Got another Two Minute Technique for you!  Love the look of Paper Piercing and want to get a perfect circle?  Here is a cheap and easy way!

I used that Technique on this card

 
Hope you have a fantastical weekend! 

Two Minute Technique's

We are all looking for great ways to make our stamping and scrapping minutes count right?  Well I have been pondering a video series for way too long - and finally got around to making it happen!  I am calling them Two Minute Technique's.  I will show you a new stamping technique in two minutes or less that you can use on your cards, scrapbook pages or papercrafts.  So no LONG video how to - just down and dirty tell me HOW kind of stuff!  I hope you enjoy them!

My first Two Minute Technique is called Scored Window Pane.  You will create the look of a window pane - simply with scoring and stamping.  It is pretty - and always brings to mind butterflies flying outside my windows in spring.  I made a card using this technique here.  (you can also see it in the video)

I am not gonna say anything like - check back every thursday for a new Two Minute Technique! Because my life just isn't working like that much these days!  So I will just say that I hope to do one every week - but probably 2 in a month is more realistic! 

Card for sketch 99

I just LOVE how this card turned out - if you gave the sketch a try be sure to leave a linky and link back to here!

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Like what you see? Click these links to shop my secure TAC website - and don't forget you can get ANYTHING for half price as a hostess with $100 in orders from you and your friends!

Stamps: Spring Flowers and Sincere Sentiments PWP stamp from The Angel Company
Ink: Noir Palette Ink
Papers: Miss Moxie SWIC, Miss Moxie cardstock, and White Cardstock
Accessories: Miss Moxie Ribbon, Miss Moxie Hardware, Scallop Scissors, Bright Chalks, Dove Blender Pen, Colluzzle Oval, Yellow and Orange Peel Stickles 

Be sure that if your order totals $30 or more youtake a look at the Purchase with Purchase stamps!

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I had to inject a little spring time into my studio yesterday when I was stamping - and this card did the trick!  It is so freaking cold here in Kansas - and will be even colder by wednesday!  I am SO glad I can call this working from home!    But I digress...

I colored in my scene with my trusty chalks and Dove Blender pen.  This is probably my most favorite way to color for several reasons! 

1. Quick and easy.
2. Very affordable - all those colors for under $25 with blender pen and all!
3. Blender pen is refillable - so you just keep adding fluid and replacing the tip.
4. Did I mention quick and easy?

Now I tell you that you can re-fill that little bad boy - have you ever seen how to do that?  Here is a quick little video on how to re-fill your blender pen!

See how awesome that little $4 pen is?  It will last you forever  if you get a bottle of refill fluid and some tips.  You can use it with chalks, colored pencils, watercolors, watercolor pencils and crayons, waterbased  markers (like Tombow and Marvy) and even things like Pearl Ex and Perfect Pearls!  I am telling you it is one must have item - and there are lots of different brands on the market.  Dove is by far the best because it is the only one I have seen that you can refill and replace tips!

Today I usually go to Bible Study - but we are off for one more week.  SO insetad I get to play, I mean work in my studio!  I have LOTS of catching up still to do - it is endless you know?

Watercolor and Shimmer CS video

Ugh - where did the week go?  Here is my card for last weeks sketch - plus a little bonus video!

I used watercolor pencils to color my pumpkin - so I made a little video to show you how with some tips!  I also used my Dazzle pad to make the whole image shimmer - it looks so cool but is really difficult to see in a photo.

I hope you enjoy it and get inspired!

Cleaning your Acrylic mounts and blocks - and Blog Candy Winner!

First - be sure to check out all the new specials for August!  Double Hostess benefits!?!?!  You have to have a party right now if you are thinking about it - even just get a few orders from as few of your stampin and scrappin buds and split the benefits!  The $50 Sign Up special is pretty out of this world too!

I have tried TONS of ways to clean my acrylic blocks and mounts and have always come up with so so results.  I heard some where to try Purell.  So I went on a hunt for Purell!  I found it at Wal-mart - they even have a trial size bottle I am going to go back and get for my tote I take every where when I am stamping.

Check out my video - see it in action!

The mounts after being cleaned are nice and squeaky clean - perfect for sticking stamps too!  Anyone know if you can clean your Creative Cling with it?  I might have to test it out on some scrap (or an old GWP or something) to see if it does any damage to the cling.

I walked in the Relay for Life last night - and was supposed to go back early this AM at 5AM for an early shift.  We got bad storms last night so they closed up shop and went home.  So I only walked 4 miles - I wanted to walk this morning too!  I will have to go on my own I guess but it is just not as much fun.

I am debating tackling my studio mess today and tomorrow.  UGH!  I am dreading even starting because I know what I really need to do is empty the whole thing and start by putting back the things I want to stay.  I don't think my DH will enjoy having my studio unloaded into the living room though.  Hummm.... should I go for it?  I really wanted to go to the zoo today or something fun with Laney and Logan - it is SO nice outside!  There is gardening to tackle too.  What to do what to do???

Oh ya - I have a box of Blog Candy here waiti9ng to be sent to one lucky winner!   Patti from Cherish each Precious Day  will be gettin some goodies as soon as I get her address!

Have a beautiful weekend!

card for the sketch

Here is yesterdays -  card be sure to add your linky and link back to HERE so we can all share our ideas!

my card

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Like what you see? Click these links to shop my secure TAC website - and don't forget you can get ANYTHING for half price as a hostess with $100 in orders from you and your friends!

Stamps: Script Background, Fancy Curls Stamp Sets and Level A Hostess Set Enjoy Nature from The Angel Company
Ink:Burnt Umber, Cognac, landscape, and Raw Sienna Palette Ink
Papers: Kraft Cardstock, Ivory Cardstock and Matchmaker Brites cardstock
Accessories: Neutral Mix Bitty Blossoms, Lime Green Scrappers Floss, 3/4 inch Circle Punch

Be sure that if your order totals $30 or more you E-mail me the order so I can include a FREE stamp as a gift with your purchase!

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Ok, so ya I really wanted to post this yesterday - but I kind of couldn't even find my studio table!  I had to take the afternoon to clean up and put away about 15 past projects worth of stuff that had accumulated on my desk just so I could stamp let alone find space to take a picture!  So all is put away - on my table atleast!  My desk - not so much.  Floor, not so much!  I will get to it though
before it all dissappears right???

So on this card I used a TAC-nique that I am teaching tonight at my thursday night TAC-nique class.  I call it Layered Color Stamped Collage.  It is pretty simple - but packs a nice punch!  I also did a little trick with three Bitty Blooms - there are three of them folded in half on there - I stapled them in a triangle on a 1/2 circle of cardstock - to make a bigger fluffier flower.  It looks like this after it is stapled:
  
Then I just layered a 1/2 in circle over top in the middle to cover the staples.  It is kind of tricky to get it stapled - so watch your fingers!

Don't forget about these great specials!

     

The TACbag special ENDS JULY 20th!  SO be sure to get yours SOON before they are all gone!

Oh and if you are thinking about getting your own set of WINGS and becoming an Angel - check out this special!

Butterfly bliss

Here is the card I made for this weeks sketch.  I was inspired by the color combo - and did not quite get the effect I was looking for so I will probably be stuck on this one till I get it right!

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Like what you see? Click these links to shop my secure TAC website - and don't forget you can get ANYTHING for half price as a hostess with $100 in orders from you and your friends!

Stamps: Want to Fly and Running Stitches stamp sets from The Angel Company
Ink: Burnt Umber Palette Ink
Papers: Ivory and Brown Cardstock and Chartruese Matchmaker Cardstock, Vellum
Accessories: Mini Kai Scissors, Crystal Stickles, Edge Distresser, Miss Moxie and Reece Ribbon

Be sure that if your order totals $30 or more you E-mail me the order so I can include a FREE stamp as a gift with your purchase!

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Be sure to add your linky if you give the sketch a try!

I love doing butterflies like that - I just stamp onto vellum and let it dry. Then I cut it out with my Mini Kai Scissors - essential especially for the teeny tiny details ones. Then I put a line of glue just along the body of the butterfly on the back. Stick it down to your card with that line of glue - then add Stickles to the rest of the wings and body as desired. The moisture of the Stickles with make your wings curl and give such dimension it looks like they will fly right off the card.

So - whats up for today?  I am working on TACnique night which is tomorrow night.  I am also working on a blogging idea I had last week - and hopefully will have the first installment ready to post tomorrow.  I had to clean up my studio table this morning in order to be able to stamp - so I have one little spot - oh crap I guess I messed it up again making that card huh!?!  UGH - it really is never ending - why do I fight it?  Ok I have not been fighting so hard lately have I - it is obviously apparent in the utter disaster area I am calling my studio lately.  

Ah... Woe is me right?  Off to workout and get some spring cleaning done.  I told Laney last night we should do some of that in our bedrooms and she said "Uh, I think we should do that in the SUMMER - not spring."  Procrastinator in the making eh?  We are BORN with this - why fight it???   How funny!!!

Another Tag Punch Trick

Before I forget - be sure to check out the TACbag special!!!  And don't forget about these too!

I love a good punch trick don't you?  This time I am using the Giga Merchandise Tag Punch from Marvy.  You can of course use any tag punch that is similar in shape.  I am making this cool label shape from this card.

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Like what you see? Click these links to shop my secure TAC website - and don't forget you can get ANYTHING for half price as a hostess with $100 in orders from you and your friends!

Stamps: Forever Friends and Trendy Greetings stamp sets from The Angel Company
Ink: Noir Palette Ink
Papers: Stardust Cardstock, Robins Egg 3 Matchmaker Cardstock and Catelynn Pattern Papers
Accessories: Prismacolor Pencils, Polo Shimmer Brads, Giga Merchandise Tag Punch

Be sure that if your order totals $30 or more you E-mail me the order so I can include a FREE stamp as a gift with your purchase!

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I used the new Spring Into April stamp set Forever Friends.  Check out the coloring on this card - I love how it turned out!

I used my trusty Prisma Color pencils.  No blender or anything - just my bare naked pencils on good quality paper.  You can really get nice blends with JUST the pencils - but it is imperative that you are working on GOOD paper like our UltraSmooth White Cardstock or Stardust Cardstock!!  For the pot - I colored so much that i felt like I could not see the black lines anymore because the pink was all over the top.  I tried to remedy it by going over them with my Black Gelly Roll Glaze pen - which does the trick IF you can do them nice and steady.  I however did not do such a great job.  So now what?  Stickles makes eveything better right?  (Hi Julie!)  I just stickled over top of the glaze pen and it took away all the Boo Boos. 

So - on to the tag trick!

First start with a strip of cardstock that is 1 3/4 inches wide - this is for the Giga Merchandise Tag punch.  If you are using a different size tag be sure your width is almost as wide as the regular tag when punched out.  We are going to insert this strip into the punch from the bottom of the punch so that only ONE end of it will be punched.  You do not stick it in like normal.  It should look like this:

Then you punch and end up with this:

Next take that strip and flip it - right over left - so now your punched end is on your right.  Slip it back into the punch the same way you did the first time like this:

Now punch and you end up like this:

Now you just cut off both sides of the tag.  I made it even easier to see where to cut by using my Scor-pal to make a cutting guide.  I lined up my tag with any score line on the Scor-pal so that both the same bumps of the tag were in line with the same line.  Like this:

Then score along that line and repeat for the other side of the tag.  So you have 2 scored lines to cut along like this:

Then Snip snip and you have this:

Add brads to the ends or punch holes or layer another piece on top and voila - a very nice Label shape using your Merchandise Tag Punch.

Mimi Message Center - free calendar download

I LOVE how this came out!  Here is my Mimi Message Center that I made for the gift Exchange - even though I really wanted to hang it in my studio!  It is a variation on a Cookie Sheet Calendar that I have been wanting to make for months.
 

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Like what you see? Click these links to shop my secure TAC website - and don't forget you can get ANYTHING for half price as a hostess with $100 in orders from you and your friends!

 

 

Stamps: Bookoo Blessings stamp set from The Angel Company
Ink: Burnt Umber Palette Ink
Papers: Mimi SWIC Pattern Papers
Accessories: Ava Jumbo Shimmer Brads , Bazzill Bitty Blooms , Brites Board Clips, Colluzzle Wordsworth Blimp Alphabet template

 

Be sure that if your order totals $30 or more you E-mail me the order so I can include a FREE stamp as a gift with your purchase!

 

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I printed out the calendar from Publisher onto Birch cardstock.  I converted it to a pdf so you could download it too!  It prints the words in a really dark brown - so if you want it black and white be sure to check the box that tells your printer to print it in Black and White.  It also prints out 4 of each month per sheet - and it is 16 months.  So you will have enough to make 4 calendars.  You could also use them for other projects if you want!

Download 10dec-11dec msgctr-black

Download 10dec-11dec msgctr-brown

***Edited to add - updated calendar downloads are all located in the sidebar under downloads!***

 

I started with a $1 cookie sheet from Dollar Tree and I spray painted it with brown FLAT spray paint.  I decoupaged the papers on after corner rounding and edging with Burnt Umber Palette ink.  I use Royal Coat Decoupage glue - applying a nice even coat then lay paper down on top - then add a coat on top of paper.  It is KEY that you work fast and get as even as possible.  This will cut down on the amount of bubbles you get in your paper.  Use a BIG wash brush for the best results. 

I cut the letters with the Colluzzle Letter template and edged them with Burnt Umber ink and adhered them on with different thickness' of Pop Dots and foam tape.

Here are a few more detail shots:

Under the flowers holding the notepad and calendar on are the Board clips on a magnet - that way you can move them around and replace them easily when they run out.

For the clip Magnets I used 2 Bazzill Bitty Blooms and the new AVA Jumbo Sparkle Brads - they look FAB with the Mimi Papers.  I attached the flowers to a bullnose clip with the brads - putting the 2 flowers back to back.  I then used E6000 to glue and attached a round button magnet to each Bullnose clip - and this is how the calendar and notepad are attached.  (I did it this way so that when the year is over or the paper is gone you can replace it VERY easily.)

I used the Crop-a-dile to punch the 2 holes thru the pan - you gotta LOVE that tool!  I strung some wide satin ribbon thru the holes and tied in a knot to creat the hanger for the piece.  (this is recycled ribbon from Winter Retreat - it was tied around our SS!)

The cork area is just a piece of a 12x12 cork tile - I cut with an exacto knife - I use the retractable Kraft knife from the TAC catalog of course!  I inked the edges of the cork first with my Burnt Umber Ink pad - then with a sponge.  This gives the nice gradient of color.  The Tacks are brass Uppolstrey tacks.  I thought about doing the pebble push pins - but decided I liked these just fine.

So what do you think?  I would love to offer it as a class here and on the road at some upcoming crops!  So be on the lookout for an upcoming class if you are interested.  Oh and if you are attending our upcomign Winter ANgel Round Up - I am making another on for my prop swap there!  And one for me too!!!  WHich paper collections should I use?  Mimi again or my love Willoughby?

My hero worked on my e-mail and computer for a bit this morning - and convinced me to archive - I am so hoping that I am not going to regret that decision.  He also went to staples last night and bought me my very own adding machine with paper print out!  That is his subtle hint to get my butt in gear and get my tax numbers crunched!  Ya I still have not done that! 

Any one know of a good place to buy some time?  I am looking for about 4 hour increments of uninterupted studio time - to organize and purge - and it cannot involve me checking myself into the looney bin!