*** GIVEAWAY POST FOR 500 OR MORE FOLLOWERS IS DATED SEPTEMBER 1ST, 2011***

Please leave your comment under the GIVEAWAY post for consideration in the drawing. Once I reach 500 followers I will select a winner! Thank you kindly.

Friday, September 30, 2011

FABULOUS FRIDAY FIND-Bottle Holder

Hi Fellow Bloggers...

Today's find is designed to help you keep Stickles and more organized. Because as we crafters know, when we are organized we can find our "stuff", use our "stuff" and actually get to our "stuff".
I found this great little item by the folks @ UNHINGED CREATIVE.
It is a round storage device known as a bottle holder that can hold up to 18 bottles of the following:
Stickles, alcohol inks, reinkers & glitter glue bottles.

It looks like this:


As you can see, it comes with a cover & it is a simple concept.
You can find where to purchase them by going HERE.
There is also a quick video available there as well demonstrating how it works.

Hope you enjoyed this find.
Have a wonderful weekend.



Wednesday, September 28, 2011

AN AWARD & PAYING IT FORWARD...yes again!

Good day bloggy friends!

I received the Butterfly Award from Tisha of Tisha's Craft Cove.



I recently discovered her fabulous blog & feel so honored that she would share this award with me.
Hope you take a little time to visit Tisha-you will see what I mean.
I must answer some questions & pay the award forward.

I won't break with the tradition of answering the questions but I will do a little something different with the paying it forward part.
You see, I feel that all those who take the time to engage in our crafty blogging world, leave comments and visit should have the pleasure of receiving this award.

So in breaking with the tradition of picking some blogs which is so hard to do. Please, feel free to copy & paste the award on your blog & consider it a gift. You all deserve it! You don't need to answer any of the questions or do anything more but enjoy it.
It just feels good to share something so sweet with you all!
Now on to the Q & A...


Q1) Name your favorite color?
Blue (All Shades)

Q2) Name your favorite song?
Don't have just one

Q3) Name your favorite dessert?
Another difficult one but I will go with anything chocolate

Q4) What wizzes you off at the moment?
People who lie

Q5) Your favorite pet?
My Dog, Sydney

Q6) Black or White
Both

Q7) Your biggest fear?
Not going to heaven

Q8) Best Feature?
No clue

Q9) Everyday attitude?
Pleasant

Q10) What is perfection?
GOD!

Q11) Guilty Pleasure?
Shopping


Q12) When you're upset you?
Clean, Shop, Eat, Cry but not necessarily in that order

So that is it!
Thank you all for your visits, comments & blog support. I can't convey that enough!

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

"TOOL TIME TUESDAY" Roll It!

Hello Blog Friends!

Today's tool is brought to you by: PURPLE COWS and it is the : ROLL IT!



The Craft Geek Roll It can be used to add borders, accents and creative techniques to your projects with ink or chalk. The four pattern stamp balls are snowflakes, dots, hearts and stars and they can be easily changed for a variety of artistic techniques. Roll It can also be used without ink to add texture to clay, foam and foils.
It's price point is $14.95. I have only spotted it online as of this post but hopefully it will make it to a crafty store near you soon.




Monday, September 26, 2011

CRAFTING TIP OF THE WEEK (#108) Magnetic Surface in your craft room...

Happy Monday Crafty Bloggers!

Just a quick tip this week. If you would like a magnetic surface to place magnets & projects try using a knife strip.
They look like this:



You can find these in the kitchen /home stores, IKEA and of course online.
They have a small footprint and can fit in the tiniest of spaces. If you have a small craft studio or just need another area to hang some important notes, ideas or projects the slim profile on these strips will allow you to place it just about anywhere. A wall, a door, a cabinet and even on the side of desk. Just find yourself some large magnets or make some to use with the knife strips.
Hope this helps anyone out there needing just a little extra space to display their layouts, cards, ideas or notes.

Have a good week!

Friday, September 23, 2011

FABULOUS FRIDAY FIND-Daily Junque Chalkboard Stickers

Hello Bloggers!

Today's find is brought to you by Pink Paislee and it is their DAILY JUNQUE CHALKBOARD STICKERS.
They look like this:



These fabulous & easy to use stickers can be used on your cards, scrapbook layouts, shadow boxes, home decor projects and even for home organization. Regular chalk works well with these and if you use a permanent white pen you can create a long-lasting accent, phrase, decorative element or just doodle.

The average cost is $5.99 for a pack of 6. At the time of this pre-post it could be found HERE for the sale price of $4.49.

Love their versatility, their silhouettes & their ease of use.

Hope you enjoyed this week's find.
Now go have a fabulous weekend!


Tuesday, September 20, 2011

"TOOL TIME TUESDAY" Layered Punch

Hello Bloggy Friends!

This week I wanted to share with you the : Layered Punch from Stampin' Up!
It looks like this:


This triple acting punch allows you to create three coordinated punch images with just one punch. You can layer them or use them separately. It is great that this punch gives you those creative options. Simply move the easy-to-use front lever to the image you'd like, then punch. Three-images-in-one slim body for space saving storage capacity. You can't go wrong with that.
There are also other shapes available as well.

It retails for $23.95 on Stampin'Up.com OR you can visit my friend Nikki of BOND GIRL CREATIONS who sells Stampin' Up products. She will be happy to take your order. While you're there check out her amazing cards & crafty projects. She is uber talented!


Monday, September 19, 2011

CRAFTING TIP OF THE WEEK (#107)Including CD's with your Albums

Hello Crafty Friends!

Have you ever wanted to include a CD of extra photos or a song as part of a scrapbook?

I want to share with you a way to do so.
You simply make a sleeve for your CD out of cardstock & adhere it to either a scrapbook page to take a place of prominence or subtly on the inside cover (front or back) of your album. This way it will remain with its subject matter and can be easily accessed.
The key is to use a good heavy weight cardstock and very strong adhesive like Scor Tape or Liquid Scrap Dots.

You want to start off with a square shape. Simply trace a CD case on the paper of your choice with a pencil. Then cut it out. You will then cut a half circle into the square cardstock & apply your adhesive to the other 3 sides. There you have it. A sleeve to slide in your CD's and keep them with your ever important photos, layouts and even cards.






Friday, September 16, 2011

"TOOL TIME TUESDAY" Quilling Fringer

Hello!
Today's tool is brought you by Quilled Creations and it is their: QUILLING FRINGER!



This adorable little tool fits in the palm of your hand and can help you fringe lots of strips for your quilling projects. Anything you quill can easily be used in paper crafting, fabric crafting & 3 dimensional art.
It lets you create fringed paper strips which you can use to create flowers & more.
It's adjustable for 1/4" to 3/8" paper strips and will give you uniformed cuts every time.

You can find it HERE. Be sure to watch their demo video while you are there.

With all the dimension being added to paper crafting, this tool can take your crafting to the next level.


FABULOUS FRIDAY FIND-Magin Wand

It's Friday and this week's find is truly FABULOUS!
It's the MAGIC WAND BY VUPOINT!


Here's what it looks like:


This "Magic Wand" gives you the power to scan anything & everything you can think of. From photos and documents to fabric or your kids' art work. It also saves it on to a micro SD card which you can insert into your computer and digitize, print and/or store.

The "Magic Wand" comes in several color options and even in a mini version called the "Magic Wand Jr.".

GoHERE to check out more details.

As crafters I was certain we could find plenty of "memorable" & "archival" uses for this fabulous find!

Have a great weekend.

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

"TOOL TIME TUESDAY" Knock Out Punches

Hi There Fellow Bloggers!

Today's tool is brought to you by : American Crafts.
It is the: KNOCK OUTS PUNCHES.

BORDER PUNCH VALUE KIT


You can add a decorative edge to your projects with Knock Outs Border Punches. With a variety of designs, this interchangeable system of punches are sure to fulfill all your border needs.

So you can purchase it as a VALUE KIT or get the base unit separately with one border punch & that looks like this:

BORDER PUNCH STARTER KIT


Monday, September 12, 2011

CRAFTING TIP OF THE WEEK (#106) Punch Card Template Booklet

Hi Fellow Bloggers!
Today's tip offers up a solution on a couple of levels.
Ever want to see all the punches in your inventory at a glance?
Ever wondered if a punch would work for one of your stamped images?


If so, you are not alone.
How about making yourself an easy way to find out?

Using scraps of paper/cardstock from your stash (preferably solid colors), use each punch in your stash individually to punch out the shape on your scraps. To keep everything uniformed, cut down your scraps of paper used for this project to a manageable size like 3"x4". Make sure you leave room on your punch out on the upper left or right hand corner to punch a hole.(So this booklet will work easily for the left handed or right handed crafter.) You will need it to thread some ribbon or a binding ring through it. By doing this, you will create a little "booklet" of all the punches you have in your inventory. You should label both the punch & the punch-out sheet that coordinates with each punch that way you can easily match them up when you are using this method. It is a great way to cross reference your product.

If you are lucky enough to own a laminating machine, I recommend using it to laminate your individual punched cardstock. This will help keep your booklet in tact. Free from rips, snags, tears, spills, inks, etc...
I used XYRON'S CREATIVE STATION 900 with the laminating cartridge and it worked like a charm.


Now while that alone is a great way to know what punches you have on hand it can also help you when wondering if you could punch out a stamped image with a certain punch.
(Hang in there...video demonstration is coming below)
For instance, say you stamp a damask image that you want to punch out. Just take your handmade punch booklet over to your damask & place the punched out template over your stamped image until you find the punch shape that best will work for your image. Then grab that punch & go for it. You won't have to punch out 7 images before getting it right. You will save time, paper & the stamping of your images over & over.

Now I was going to take pics as usual for this tip but my youngest daughter had other plans. First she insisted I get with the 21st century & try my hand at a video. So I did but was not happy with it. I felt so camera shy & it just was not working for me. Then she said she would just film me in action minus everything but my hands & the crafty stuff. Sounded good so we did that & I thought it was ok. But my director, producer & videographer a.k.a. daughter said no way! Then she had a brilliant idea that I should let her give it a try just for fun- of course. Well, I have to say I liked it! But, I told her that since it was my first video that maybe I should be the one to do it. I will let you see "what video" she ended up downloading.
Here's the video that my sneaky little daughter made explaining today's crafty tip(I wasn't allowed to see it until after she did it-that's called downloading on blind faith :





As you can see, I approved it & the rest is history.I did grant her amnesty & did not ground her. I think she did a great job!

Hope you enjoyed this refreshing fun take on my crafting tip of the week post!



Friday, September 9, 2011

FABULOUS FRIDAY FIND-Wall-It

Hi Bloggers!

Today's find is the: WALL-IT!


The Wall-it! is a clear, easy to use, safe, 100% acid-free display for photos, cards, souvenirs and other memorabilia. It easily sizes to fit any space. It comes complete with accessories to hang almost anywhere.
This particular one is a 29"x45" Wall-It! It boasts a total of 32 clear pockets of which 24 are 4"x6" and 8 5"x7" size. That is storage for up to 64 items!

You can find it HERE.
It would be great for everything from birthday parties, meetings, anniversaries, school projects and of course photos. You can hang it anywhere!It is also terrific that you can replace & rotate your choices at your leisure.

That's it for this Friday!
Tune in next time.
Have a wonderful weekend.

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

"TOOL TIME TUESDAY" Paper Blossoms Tool Kit

Happy Tuesday Blogger Friends!
For all you flower lovers out there...
Today's tool is the Paper Blossoms Tool Kit by McGill. It works in conjunction with the Paper Blossoms Punches which will also be featured today. So you get 2 for 1.



The Paper Blossoms Tool Kit includes 3 dual tipped stylus tools and 1 straight reverse tweezers in a convenient storage case and snap closure. Each stylus tool offers a dual tipped ball giving you the variety of sizes you need to create the desired look ready at your fingertips. With easy to read identification for each tip, referencing the sizes is now easy...no more guessing. Tool Kit compliments the Paper Blossoms Punch Collection of Rose, Peony, Hydrangea and Lily to make realistic 3D flowers. Stylus and Tweezers offer you the variety of tip sizes so that your paper flower and leaves shapes are molded to a realistic shape. The straight tweezers makes all small punch designs easier to hold and apply small parts allowing you to focus on your project all the way to the finest detail.
Here's a look at the punches:





YOU BASICALLY PUNCH OUT YOUR PETAL SHAPE USING THESE PUNCHES, YOU SHAPE THE PETALS WITH THE STYLUS OF CHOICE AND THEN ASSEMBLE YOUR FLOWER.



Check out the video using the rose punch & tool kit:


You can find it at online retailers, the McGill site & even the overstock.com. I believe that some A.C. Moore locations are carrying it too. I know mine does.


Monday, September 5, 2011

CRAFTING TIP OF THE WEEK (#105) Got Floss?

Hello Crafty Friends & Fellow Bloggers!

Today's tip is a quick tip.

If you find yourself in a pinch for string, thread or ribbon try using "dental floss".
Preferably non-waxed for any part of your project that will include a photo, just to be safe. But even so you can use it with or without wax especially when threading buttons. It works great. It glides easily and does not unravel easily like sometimes thread or string can do. Side tip...you can actually apply a little dab of wet adhesive on the end of each piece of floss you are working with & that will help keep it in tact while you work with it.
In case you're wondering, you can use alcohol inks, glimmer mist, distress inks & other coloring agents on the non-waxed floss. For the waxed floss use something like Staz-on.

That's all folks!
Have a good week.

Friday, September 2, 2011

FABULOUS FRIDAY FIND-Archival Mist

Happy Friday!

Today's find is brought to you by EK Success & you may have even seen it around or know about it.
But for the sake of those that do not...I share with you...

*****ARCHIVAL MIST******



This product gently neutralizes the destructive acids in paper and deposits a safe, permanent alkaline buffer to protect against future acid attack. It is safe and easy-to-use. Archival Mist effectively treats paper keepsakes including scrapbook materials, newspaper clippings, certificates/awards, artwork (your kids especially) and all other paper-based crafts.
The materials in Archival Mist are non-toxic, non-hazardous, non-flammable, and odor-free. It contains no solvents and will not affect inks, colors or adhesives.

You can find it at online retailers and some brick and mortar craft stores too.
The mist typically runs anywhere from $16.95 & up depending on the size bottle you purchase.

I don't think I need to tell you how valuable a crafting companion this can be especially when working with newspaper clippings, heritage photos and your kids' artwork.

Until next time...

Thursday, September 1, 2011

GIVEAWAY TIME!

Hello Crafty Friends, Followers & First-Time Visitors!
I am hosting a giveaway on my blog!
Sorry but at this time it is only open to U.S. residents.
Up for grabs are the following:
A SCOTCH ATG Gun

A SET OF UNMOUNTED RUBBER STAMPS FROM UNITY STAMPS CALLED FLORAL FANTASTICAL

A RANGER CRAFT SCRUBBIE

TIM HOLTZ TIMEWORKS MASK SET

MY MINDS EYE-BLUSH 6X6 PAPER PAD (LOST & FOUND COLLECTION)


There will also be included in the package some mini chipboard album kits & clearscraps mini shaped acrylics. Not pictured here so that you can be surprised.


HERE'S WHAT YOU GOTTA DO:
***Become a follower if you are not already, leave me a comment telling me if you are an established follower or a new one & help me reach 500 followers by spreading the word of my giveaway***

That's it!

Once I get to 500 I will announce the winner on my blog and let the winner know.
All prizes go to ONE winner.
So be sure to leave your e-mail address so I can let you know if you're the lucky winner.

Sincere thanks to all of my blog followers old & new alike!
I am so grateful that you delight me with your visits, comments & inspiration.
With gratitude to all!!!