PaperFections

Adhesive Favorite: Foam Tape

Today I would like to share one of my most favorite papercrafting products with you, Foam Tape ... I use it on just about EVERY project I make, to create interest and dimension. Plus, it is a fabulous adhesive! I use it to raise a simple sentiment up off the background so it stands out, becomes the main focus, and doesn't blend into the background: Foam tape adheres all kinds of textiles, including heavyweight cardstock (shown above), ribbon, buttons, felt (shown below): Use many layers of foam tape to create a dramatically dimensional realistic flower: As you can see, foam tape is a great option for adding dimension to your crafting projects and my favorite is X-Press It Foam Tape. It holds firmly, yet removes cleanly and won’t damage surfaces. And since it is acid and solvent-free, it is also perfect for scrapbooking! It comes in two different types: Double-Sided Foam Tape 1/2 inch or 3/4 inch x 4.4 yards Acid-free Solvent-free Create 3D effects Easily apply by hand No static liner -- means the liner is easy to peel off and won't stay stuck to your fingers when trying to remove it! Perfect for mounting Ideal for scrapbooking Suitable... Read more →

Things We Love 2015 plus DISCOUNT code and GIVEAWAY!

Hello and welcome to a new feature this year ... “Things we LOVE 2015” with Ellen Hutson LLC! I am so happy to be here sharing some of my favorite papercrafting supplies! Over the next few weeks the Ellen Hutson CLASSroom designers are all sharing the things we love most and just for my readers, I have compiled a list of loves AND I have a special discount code to Ellen Hutson LLC for you to use! DISCOUNT CODE: I am thrilled to share my exclusive discount code for you to enter in the coupon code area of your shopping cart at check-out: “thinkgswelovesharon” will save you 10% on EVERY in-stock product through December 14 over at Ellen Hutson LLC! The discount is NOT limited to just the things I love, but ANYTHING you love, too, as long as it is in stock! (So shop early for the best selection)! HEADS UP: If you have any of the Essentials by Ellen stamps and dies on your wish list, they are currently on SALE, so apply my additional 10% discount code on top of the sale price, for an even bigger savings . . . Happy Holidays to YOU!! :) I... Read more →

Kirarina Thanks

You may be wondering what the word "Kirarina" in my post title means ... Let me introduce you to one of my favorite new products from Imagination International Inc, the Copic marker distributor for North America! You can shop the Kirarina online store HERE and you can find out more about each of the products in the Kirarina line HERE but here is a brief overview of each: 2win – Water based/scented. Each marker is dual-tipped and features a light and dark shade of each color as well as both chisel and fine tips. Perfect for doodling. Works best on regular copy paper or stationery. 2win Oil based – Double-ended/fine and round nib markers featuring two colors on one pen; for use on any surface. WiNK – Multi-purpose/metallic pen with shimmery specks of glass; works on a variety of surfaces and looks great on light and dark surfaces. Cute – 3D, scented puff paint. Hand washable after 72-hour dry time. Can be used on paper crafts to add a bit of dimension to projects. Today I am using the WiNK pen/marker and these are a few more of their attributes: Kirarina WiNK is a multi-purpose pen that is compatible with... Read more →

TE Center of Attention Product Spotlight - Stencils & Maya Mist

This month, some of the Taylored Expressions Baker's Dozen designers are spotlighting The Crafter's Workshop Stencils and Maya Mist. Here's a card I made with both of these products: For the background of my card, I sprayed Cream Metallic Maya Mist onto TE Choice Buttercream cardstock, using the Cosmic Swirl Crafter's Workshop template as a stencil. After stamping the Wise Men with Memento Rich Cocoa ink onto Choice Buttercream cardstock, I sprayed the cardstock with the cream metallic mist. The mist instantly turns your cardstock into a beautiful shimmery metallic, just perfect for holiday cards! Although I do think this "cream" color is a little more light gold than cream -- still a beautiful color. CRAFTER'S WORKSHOP STENCILS: I also tried the stencil on some other colors of cardstock: In the photo above, I used the Cosmic Swirl stencil and sprayed Cream Metallic Maya Mist on the Prism Blush Red Dark cardstock on the left. On the right, I used Versamark Dazzle ink (Champagne) on the stencil like a letterpress and ran it through my die cutting machine with Spellbinders Tan Embossing Mat -- this process transfered the ink from the stencil onto the Prism Suede Brown Medium cardstock, just... Read more →

Best Inks To Use With Copic Markers

In Ellen Hutson's InTouch Newsletter today (email distributed on the 15th of each month), we're getting inky! You'll find some very informative and in-depth ink comparisons. My topic is The Best Inks To Use With Copic Markers ... I hope you'll find it informative and discover a few alternatives. Ellen gives a wonderful comparison of all the inks she carries in the store and why. Debbie shares great tips for watercoloring with ink and Cindy covers the properties of Ranger's Distress and Archival inks, with some wonderful tutorials. We hope you'll visit and see what we've prepared for you. If you are not receiving Ellen's InTouch Newsletter each month, you can sign up here to be on the email list (scroll down to the bottom of the page). You don't want to miss it -- there's usually a discount coupon code for the store included, too! Read more →

Copic Atyou Spica Glitter Pen Review

Ahhhh, glitter . . . Don’t we all love the sparkly look it gives? I know I do and I was amazed the first time I used it in combination with my rubber stamping – I think it lends a professional finish to just about anything. Glitter in pen form is the least messy way to add sparkle to any papercrafting project. I debated for some time about purchasing these new glitter pens by Copic, especially since I already had another manufacturer’s glitter pens. But since I have a weakness for glitter, I decided to try out the Clear Spica pen first. I heard it was totally clear, leaving only a lovely sparkle behind, unlike Sakura’s Clear Stardust Gelly Roll pen which has a silvery base. Here’s a comparison for you: Needless to say, I was hooked and purchased the other 12 colors, too! The big difference in the Spica glitter pen is that the sparkle is actually made up of micro bits of glass. Here’s a closer look at the individual colors: Some additional information about these pens: water based pigment ink acid free non-toxic archival micro glass flakes for maximum sparkle! twice the writing length of other pens... Read more →

Free Stamps!

I bet that caught your attention! If you'd like the chance to win some free stamps from a NEW stamp company called Kitchen Sink, head on over to Craft Critique and read the linked article (above) to find out how you can enter the drawing! Read more →

Spellbinder Nestabilities Review

My article should be up today on Craft Critique and I'm including here as well. I had been gathering information and comparisons for this revolutionary product for several months and have compiled bits and pieces I've found from several different sources that helped me get started easily and quickly! Spellbinders Nestabilities Review They are everywhere you look -- in scrapbooking, cardmaking, rubberstamping, papercrafting of all types . . . scallops! At first, Marvy Uchida couldn’t keep up with the demand we papercrafters placed on their scalloped punches and were backordered for months. PROBLEM: Last spring (2006) when Ellen Hutson had a hard time keeping the punches in stock at her online store, she began brainstorming on a solution with Spellbinders Paper Arts Company owners, Jeff and Stacey Caron, whom she had met at the Winter CHA show a few months earlier. SOLUTION: Together, they’ve developed revolutionary plates that will emboss as well as die cut solid (straight) circles, ovals, squares and rectangles as well as scalloped versions of all those shapes! And here’s the outcome they produced . . . (they say a picture is worth a thousand words! Photo courtesy of Ellen Hutson): STORAGE: Look at that pile of... Read more →

Halloween Carnival

October and Halloween are rapidly approaching . . . Do you have crafty ideas and projects to celebrate the holiday? If so, do you want to be featured in Craft Critique's next Carnival? The next carnival is all about Halloween! To have your project included please email any links from either your projects or your favorite crafty blogs and websites to Craft Critique by September 28 at 10pm. And feel free to email Melissa if you have any questions. Be sure to go ahead and check out Craft Critique this week, as there are some great Halloween projects/supplies being featured that will give you many fun ideas for the holiday! Check back in tomorrow, when I'll start posting samples over the next few days of FIVE new My Favorite Things stamps that will be released October 1! Read more →

Catch The Wave Craze!

My September Craft Critique article is up at the site. I'll post it here, too, but be sure to check out the articles the reporters have been posting this week about Blue Grass Publishing -- they have several guidebooks for scrapbookers and papercrafters that you may find useful. . ================================== . In almost any paper crafting magazine or scrapbook store you will see that waves are all the rage right now, so join me as I check out for the first time Creative Memories' 12-inch Decorative Trimmer . . . As you can see, you get two products in one with this trimmer -- a wave and a swell cutting channel. The length for this trimmer is a full 12.5 inches, so this means it won't bend or crimp your 12-inch cardstock or decorative paper -- a nice bonus. Additional features include: . >1/2-inch grid marks on the entire base, to aid in your paper crafting > 30, 45 and 60-degree angle cutting lines > Additional markings of 1/8-inch run along the top and bottom > Extendable 6.75-inch side ruler > Deep channels for the extra-long blades A close look at this trimmer's blade reveals something I've never seen on... Read more →

Another Surprise!

Another announcement was made this morning -- check out Craft Critique to see! I'm honored to be included in the fantastic group and look forward to sharing some Crafty reports with you all! Read more →

Another Guava Comparison

Linda B asked me how the new SU guava color would look with blush blossom, so I snapped another quick photo comparison for you all. Blush looks almost white when paired with guava! But it has the same orangey tones and will be great together, I think: Read more →

SU 2008 In Colors

Here they are -- Stampin' Up's new In Colors for 2008. Some were definitely not what I was expecting, so I thought I'd throw together this little comparison for you all. The photo above is right on with the colors (River Rock was a tad bit greener than this photo shows). Whereas some of the following photos had to be adjusted a bit -- I guess having the same color families photographed together confused my camera a bit! I wanted to give a comparison to some other colors, to give you an idea: River Rock - A perfect khaki, in my opinion & greener than I anticipated. I thought it would be more along the lines of Caramel. Blue Bayou - A great compliment to Not Quite Navy and just a lighter version of NQN, in my opinion. The other color swatches shown here that you may not can read are all of the Rich Regal blues. Greener than Bucakaroo. Soft Sky - Quite a bit washed out, when compared to other lighter blues. I wasn't as pleased with this color as I thought I'd be. I'm glad I stocked up on Caribbean! ;) Groovy Guava - More orange than... Read more →