Fabulous Finds Friday — Gelatos

Gelato … yum. Even though these Gelatos are not the kind you eat, they are still creamy and delicious. I’ve long been a fan of these coloring sticks from Faber-Castell, but now beginners can find an easy way to get started with this new kit:

Here’s what comes inside:

Besides a set of Gelatos, the kit also has a mister, foam stamp, cardboard stencil, eye dropper, gesso, paint brush, instruction book and a sample of different surfaces to play on.

Here’s a quick card made using Gelatos and odds and ends from my desk:

(lattice die from Spellbinders, skyline stamp from Penny Black; sentiment from Hero Arts.)

For more Gelatos information and inspiration, check out my previous posts here and here.

Thanks for coming by … have a great weekend!

Die-licious!

(Note: Computer meltdown kept me from posting last week. But thanks to the hubster, we’re back up and rolling … and trying to replace files.)

Can you tell I am hooked on dies?

Here’s a nifty two-part kimono die from Elizabeth Crafts:

The die has a solid and a detailed component. What a perfect way to use up my old origami paper! The brushstroke image (Hero Arts) was stamped in Stampin’ Up Basic Gray ink; the silver strips (scraps cut from an envelope lining!) were stamped using an old Hero Arts set (Arigato) in ColorBox’s news SurfaceZ inks (black and bluebell.) These were featured in a previous Fab Finds Friday.

Here’s another version:

And some other combinations: (I can’t stop cutting this die and playing with different color combos!!)

So much fun to play with different colors and layers! Thanks for indulging me!

Fast & Easy Stamping, and a Trick

It’s been a hectic few days with little chance to play, er, work in my studio. So just to get the creative juices flowing, here are two fast and easy cards:

I love this brush stroke set from Hero Arts — such a fast and easy way to add a quick splash of color. For this set, I stamped the brush stroke using Tsukineko’s Vineyard Kaleidacolor pad on white cardstock. The die is from Taylored Expressions and the sentiment from Hero Arts. Rounding the corners is an easy way to up the look.

Boy, could this card get any simpler? So here’s the trick: the splotchy purple background was made by cleaning a stencil (used in another project) on a scrap of white cardstock. The base card is Neenah stock; sentiment from Hero Arts; dies are Sizzix/Stephanie Barnard Word Labels set. (Do you think it needs some bling? I may try to add a little somethin’ somethin’… )

Thanks for hangin’ in with me!

Fun Friendship Find

A quick share ….

As a crafty kid (my favorite part of Girl Scouts was Craft Day!) I loved making friendship bracelets.

So when I saw this easy bracelet maker, I couldn’t resist sharing:

Find more info here.

I may have to try it and get back to my childhood!

Fabulous Finds Friday — Crafty News

Today, some news from the craft world.

We R Memory Keepers, makers of such great tools as the Crop-a-Dile, Envelope Punch Board and much more, has purchased the Lifestyle Crafts brand. Lifestyle makes the Evolution machine, which does letterpress, die cutting and dry embossing.

To celebrate, We R is having a giveaway. Check it out here.

Next week, I’ll show off some new dies. Have a crafty weekend!

Another Inky Fab Find

On Friday, I shared a Fabulous Find showcasing the new Wendy Vecchi Archival Ink (Ranger) and promised to showcase another new ink, SurfaceZ from Clearsnap (makers of ColorBox ink pads.)

This fast-drying, permanent ink works on many surfaces, including metal, plastic, wood, glossy cardstock, etc., and comes in 12 colors.

I used the ink to add dimension to these flower pins — which are made from aluminum soda cans! (Scroll down for the how-to)

And a close-up:

First, I washed some empty soda cans, then carefully cut them open using a kitchen scissor. Be careful as some of the edges and points are sharp (ouch — don’t ask how I know this!). I cut the cans into smaller pieces, taped them onto my Tim Holtz/Sizzix Tattered Flower die and ran them through my Big Shot die cutter. You may need two soda cans to make all the petals. I used Vintaj Patina paints and a sponge to dab color onto the pieces, then punched holes in the center using my Crop-a-dile. The Vintaj paint dries very quickly.

Using the Fudge Brown SurfaceZ ink and an old Hero Arts background stamp (sorry, I don’t have the number), I stamped the patterned dots randomly over the petals. (Yes, I know, the blue one does not have any texture. It was my first.) I also edged the petals with the brown SurfaceZ ink.

Starting with the smallest flower, stack them on a big glitzy brad (Eyelet Outlet), turning them so the petals are randomly spaced. Close the brad, then carefully bend and shape the petals (I used my fingers to shape the petals) so they form a dimensional flower. Glue a pin to the back (I used E-6000) and wear with pride!

Thanks for checking out my blog!