February 23, 2016

Paper Pumpkin! One of the BEST Values Around!

PaperPumpkin


Hi! I just wanted to fill you in on PaperPumpkin® and what a great value it is. Paper Pumpkin is a monthly subscription available from Stampin' Up!® through your demonstrator and it’s like Christmas every single month when that adorable little box arrives in your mailbox!

What I love about Paper Pumpkin, is that it contains EVERYTHING I need to complete the projects. It has all of the paper and cardstock that I need, glue dots if required, dimensionals if required, an ink spot (the colors do NOT repeat for one year so you can build your color collection and they’re so darn cute!) an exclusive stamp set (you cannot get these stamp sets anywhere but PaperPumpkin) and a full set of directions. In addition to all of that, they always include enough materials to make 8 or 9 of the projects as well as a few extras to use as you like.

Another feature that I love about PaperPumpkin, is that it is just as perfect for an advanced stamper as it is for a new stamper. You don’t need to “be creative”, you can just follow the directions provided, but the you can go outside the box and use the materials in a completely new and innovative way. It’s completely up to you. But what I can tell you is, PaperPumpkin is always fun, always adorable and always a favorite for those that subscribe. And right now, during Sale-a-Bration™, a 3 month subscription to PaperPumpkin is on sale and qualifies for you to select a FREE Sale-a-Bration item! I mean, it doesn’t get any better than that! A fun filled 3 months of PaperPumpkin AND a FREE awesome Sale-a-Bration item? YES! Trust me on this one, give PaperPumpkin a try. I promise you will not regret it. And, if you sign up for the 3 month pre-paid subscription and you find at the end of that 3 months you would like to continue and sign up for the monthly subscription for 19.95 per month, I will send you a free gift with your 4th shipment of an adorned case to store your exclusive stamp sets and ink spots, in addition, I will provide you with a monthly email with links to additional ideas for you to use your kits.  Give it a try, I promise you will not be disappointed! Just click here to sign up!



Happy Stamping!
Katrina
Join Now!

February 20, 2016

So Many Black Inks!


 Hello,
I wanted to take this opportunity and piggy back off of my last post regarding the many different inks and show you the differences among the 3 black inks that Stampin' Up! carries in their line, as each of the inks server a purpose.
First is the water-based dye ink, Memento® Tuxedo Black ink. This ink is formulated to work with alcohol coloring mediums such as Copic® Markers or Spectrum Noir®, however, it doesn’t work especially well with water-coloring as it does react to water and will smear, making for a bit of a messy piece as shown here:
Memento Ink
Using the Aqua-Painter

Adding Alcohol based Ink marker



Next is the Archival Basic Black® ink. This ink is also a water-based dye ink, however, it’s formulation makes it a permanent ink that does not react to water and therefore can be used for water-coloring and it will not smear and get messy, however, it does smear and react slightly with the alcohol inks. As you can see here in the photo, you could probably use the Archival ink with your alcohol based markers if you were careful to remain within the lines because as you see here, there is minimal smearing of the black color.
Archival Basic Black Ink
Water-color with Aqua-painter
Using Alcohol Markers


Last but certainly not least is Stazon® black ink. This is a permanent solvent based ink that can be used on non-porous material such as glass, plastic, acetate and tile just to name a few. It is water proof but does react to alcohol based inks, as you can see here, with the aqua-painter®, the color remains true while the Blendabilities® alcohol marker color blended with the black ink creating a much deeper shade of Daffodil Delight! Because of the solvent base to the Stazon®, you do need to use Stazon® cleaner to remove the ink from the stamp also, otherwise, you will permanently color/stain your stamps and you should never use Stazon® cleaner on your photopolymer stamps as the material used to make photopolymer stamps will react to the Stazon® cleanser and break down the stamps and will shorten their life span, and if you are like me, you love your stamps and want them around a very long time. So, to be safe, I avoid using Stazon® ink with my photopolymer stamps and then I don’t worry about that, I can clean them with the normal Stampin’ Mist®
Stazon Jet Black Ink
Using Aqua-painter
Using Alcohol Marker
Stazon Cleaner


I hope you have found this helpful in selecting which black ink to use for which coloring technique you are using. Please leave me a comment and let me know what you think and please, if you have any questions that you would like me to address here on the blog, just let me know in the comments below and thank you so very much for stopping by and spending some time with me.
Have a great day and Happy Stamping!
Katrina

February 16, 2016

Ink Ink All Kinds of Ink!

Hi, one of the most common questions I get asked is, “is there a difference between all the inks out there, and if so, what is the difference?” Well the answer to the first part of the question is YES! There are 3 major categories of ink out there with a few sub-categories  that have made their way to the market, Dye Ink, Pigment Ink (craft ink) and Solvent Ink.

Let’s start with the most commonly used ink, dye ink. Dye ink is a water-based ink that is used most frequently to stamp with. Water-based dye inks work well on all sorts of paper and dries very quickly. It comes in a wide rainbow of colors and Stampin’ Up!© is no exception..we carry a wide range of colors in our collections. Other examples of dye ink are Archival Inks and Memento® Inks. 

Archival Inks have the properties of water-based dye inks, such as quick dry time, however, they also have the properties of pigment ink (crisp dark color) and Solvent inks, (don’t react with water). The later, making them ideal for water-coloring as they will not react with water and run like other dye inks.

Memento® Inks are a water-based dye ink that is ideal for coloring with alcohol markers such as Copic® or Spectrum Noir®. The formulation of these ink pads prevent their ink from reacting with the alcohol preventing them from running and smearing with coloring. These are a must have if you like to color with alcohol based markers.

The second most commonly used ink, is the pigment ink, or craft ink. These inks are much thicker in consistency than dye inks and have a much longer drying time than dye inks. This makes them ideal for heat embossing because the wet ink holds the embossing powder well while heating the powder. But beware, because of the increase in drying time, it is very easy to smear and smudge this ink making for a messy project. Currently, Stampin Up!© carries Versamark ®and Whisper White Craft Ink® in their line of pigment inks.

Finally, the 3rd most commonly used ink is solvent ink such as Stazon® ink. Solvent inks are permanent inks that are ideal for non-porous materials such as tiles, glass etc. It is also an excellent ink to use for water-coloring as it does not react to water. Solvent inks are permanent and do require a special cleaner, such as Stazon Cleaner® to clean your stamps, however, do NOT use this cleaner with your photopolymer stamps as this could react with the photopolymer and ruin them.  

I hope this clears up any questions you may have regarding the different types of inks on the market. There are always new developments hitting the market, such as Distress Inks®, which are water-based dye inks that stay wet longer and are highly reactive to water for wonderful effects, Hybrid inks which combine dye based with pigment properties creating a “best of both worlds” and I’m sure many more developments to come in time.

If you have any other questions, please feel free to ask in the comments below and I will be sure to get an answer to you. I hope you all have a wonderful day and I thank you so much for taking the time to stop by my little corner of the web.

Happy stamping ,

Katrina

February 14, 2016

Stippled Masking

Hello!
I hope everyone is staying warm in this deep freeze we're having! Good grief, today was the coldest day of the year so far, and I really hope it remains the coldest day of the year. -20 wind chill today and I think I about froze myself when I went out for a bit to meet up with some friends for a fun afternoon of painting. Which brings me to the conclusion that I need to stick with stamping! lol What do you think?
My master piece lol I will say it was a lot of fun and I will suggest that if you ever get the opportunity to do something like this, go ahead and try it. You can just have fun with it and be prepared to laugh at yourself. well at least that's what I did. I own the fact that I'm a stamper, not a painter!

Anyhoo, I have a tutorial to share with you and I made my very first video tutorial EVER! Making the video, not too bad, editing the video, I have lots to learn! I hope I don't bore you too much, but this card did turn out pretty cute. I hope you like it. It uses the soon to be retired Sky is the Limit stamp set. This is a sale-a-bration stamp set that goes away Tuesday 2/16! Not to worry, Stampin' Up! has some great replacements for it, however, you won't want to miss out on this one. Please leave me a comment below and let me know what you think of today's card and the video tutorial and thanks so much for stopping by and watching.
Have a great day!



February 11, 2016

Designer Series Paper for Sale-a-bration

Hi there! Today, I want to focus a little on the Sale-a-bration DSP, Perfectly Artistic. I love, love, love this paper! It is just so beautiful and sadly, this paper is going away as of 2/16/16! The only way to get this paper into your craft room is to earn it by spending $50 before shipping and tax and then and only then can you select it as your free Sale-a-bration product. But it really is a must have in my opinion. I used it as an accent on this card here:
And here are some beautiful examples from the Stampin' Up! designers! Can you say AWESOME??
 There are just so many things you can do with this paper. It is just fantastic.
I want to remind you too, that there is a weekly sketch challenge going on over on my Facebook page, www.facebook.com/snsfromtheheart Stop over and check out all the fun that is taking place over there. We have a lot of talent that's for sure and we would LOVE to have you join us.Just click the Facebook tab above and it will bring you directly to my page. Like I said, we would love to have you join the fun. Talk about some great ideas! There are lots of them going on right now. Also, if you want this paper, go ahead and click the "shop now" above and place a minimum $50 order before shipping and tax and you will be able to choose this DSP as your free choice. You will certainly not regret it. It truly is beautiful. 
Have a great day all and I will see you back here Saturday, til then, happy stamping!
Katrina

February 9, 2016

Going Global


Hello,

I hope this finds everyone doing well and staying warm…the temperatures are beginning to drop to more normal (freezing) temps for around here. It sure makes me grateful to have a warm fire that’s for sure.  Today, I wanted to show you a card made by my mom, which she submitted into the sketch challenge taking place over on my FB page, www.facebook.com/snsfromtheheart using the Going Global stamp set.


I think she did a fantastic job using this stamp set and meeting the challenge quite well. I love the colors she chose, Lost Lagoon along with the coordinating ribbon and ink. What do you think? You can find all of these great products over on my online store, just click the “Shop Now” above to find your way there. You can also click on either of the catalogs over to the right.

I also wanted to remind you all that now is probably one of THE best times to join Stampin’ Up!. During Sale-a-bration, you get to choose $155 in product, (anything you want) for just $99! Normally, you pick $125 for $99, so that is an extra $30 in product added to your starter kit! Who can pass that up, not to mention, as a Stampin’ Up! demonstrator, you get a 20% discount on ALL future orders, and once you reach a certain dollar amount in sales and purchases, that savings goes up to 25%! And the best part? The best part is you get an early pre-view of ALL new product coming out! Yes, you get to see and order before ANYONE else! I don’t know about you, but I LOVE getting to see and try new stuff and being the first makes it even sweeter. You also have the opportunity to earn free stuff, attend On Stage events, both local and global. There really is NO downside to joining the Stampin’ Up! family. In addition to all this, you get a quarterly magazine designed exclusively for demonstrators to help you with your business as well as access to an exclusive demonstrator website and forum. If any of this sounds good to you, please feel free to contact me with ANY questions and I will get you the answers to them. I would LOVE to have you join me, so feel free to “Join my Team” from the SU business opportunity in the banner above.
Join My Team


Have a great day and Happy Stamping!

Katrina

February 6, 2016

Finding Inspiration

Hello! Happy Saturday! Any crafty plans for you? Now that the winter chill has returned here in CNY, I'm snuggling in and hanging out in my craft room today. Got my coffee, and cozy fire burning and I'm ready to create. In the meantime, I wanted to stop by to share a little bit about finding inspiration with you. I know I had talked about this in the past, but it is still a pretty popular questions so I thought it was worth bringing up again.
And the answer is.....anywhere you look! Look around. You will find color combinations that you will love, you will find a photo or magazine layout that can get you thinking about card and scrapbook layouts; but the absolute best place to find inspiration, is in your catalogs, new and old! Yes! Old catalogs can be a wealthy source of inspiration for a card! Stampin' Up! has some of the BEST designers in the business and they are literally handing you over idea after idea. You can CASE ("copy and share everything") exactly or you change up the color combinations, change out the stamp set or just change a few elements, it's completely up to you. That is one of the greatest parts about the paper crafting industry, you are actually encouraged to CASE! We're flattered when you like something enough to copy! Now, don't get me wrong, it is completely appreciated when you credit the originator and is the right thing to do, but the point is, don't sweat it and think, "I'm just not creative enough to make my own cards", because that's just not true! You do not need to come up with any idea on your own!
Here is an example of a card I cased using last years annual catalog! Yes, a catalog that is a year old was my source of inspiration! I just down sized the card and changed the orientation of it as well as changed the verse as I needed a thank you card for a customer and I thought the overall design of the card was perfect. So, what do you think?
Here is my card:
And here is Stampin' Up's version: 
I would love to hear your thoughts, so please leave me a comment and let me know. I would also love to hear from you regarding what you would like to see and any other questions you would like me to answer. In the meantime, happy stamping and until next time,
Katrina


February 2, 2016

Oh Baby!


Hello,

I am so excited! I have been invited to bring my hand-made cards to a local children’s clothing consignment shop. This is such an honor and a blessing. I was so surprised and so excited when the owner asked. This was certainly not on my radar. I guess this just goes to show, God works things in his own way and in his own time and opens doors we never noticed on our own.

Being a children’s clothing consignment, I decided I had better get making more child themed and baby themed cards to offer with my selection, so here is an example:
 

I created this one to go along with this weeks card sketch challenge taking place on my Facebook page.  Please stop by and join us. There are so many wonderful ideas being shared by such friendly and lovely women, who support one another and encourage each other, that I’m sure you will find inspiration for your own creativity. You can find us at www.facebook.com/snsfromtheheart.  

In addition to all of this, I have been learning to use my new Cricut Explore Air. I completed the little card project they have you do as a first project so that you learn to use the pen that comes with the machine as well as cut. Simple enough. So I decided I wanted to create some word art for my craft room walls, I got some vinyl to cut and it was a disaster! I cut the pattern out twice and both times I ended up with a waded up ball of vinyl! Cutting it with the Cricut is the easy part..trying to remove the negative space is a nightmare! I had vinyl sticking to everything until it literally became a wad of vinyl! So, if any of you reading this has ANY idea on how to not have the vinyl stick to itself as you are lifting and peeling back, I would be eternally grateful. I will try anything…I really want to decorate my walls with the vinyl! So, please, if you know that answer to this, leave me the answer in the comments section below. As I said, I will be eternally grateful to you!

In the meantime, happy stamping,

Katrina
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