My Magnetic Personality - *Update*

Hello Everyone!

So I have been crafting...but they have been Christmas gifts, 

so I can't show anything I have been working on!

I do have a great tip for you, for your dies.

I don't have many dies, yet...but I didn't like how I was storing them.

I put each die into a ziploc bag with a piece of cardboard to make it a little stable.  The problem I found with this way is that the dies I have that have many to them, like circles...would just be all over the place.  So I kept looking for a different way to store them.  I was so tempted to get the Art-Bin sheets and storage box, but after searching on YouTube, other crafters were saying how the sheets inside the box were hard to maneuver.
So my search continued.

I then found a fellow crafter, Catherine Pooler,
that just did a video on die-cut storage, and I was in awe!
This way is so much easier and cheaper...so I had to try it out.

But of course, I did end up doing mine different than hers, so I am going to show you my take on it.

So I drove to Home Depot and purchased these magnetic vent covers.

They are down the aisle where you purchase air-conditioner filters.

As the packaging states, 

there are 3 - 8" x 15" sheets inside and they were only $4.50!

Here's a picture of one of the sheets.

I then cut the sheets into 6" x 7 1/2" sheets with a rotary cutter.

Since these sheets are very thin, I then cut some chipboard the same size.

I then used double sided tape and adhered the sheet to the chipboard.

I then decided to make an album for them.

Like I said, I don't have many, but since I made the album open, with binder rings, I can always add bigger rings later on if I get more.

Here are my circle dies on a sheet.

Here is a look at the inside of the album.
Hubby said I should have decorated the backs of the pages...so that will be my project tomorrow since I only have a couple of pages anyway.

Here's the cover of the album...boring for now, 

but I will spruce it up tomorrow as well.

I just really wanted to share this with you.

I will update my blog after I update my album.

Hope you enjoyed this.
Out of the three sheets, I was able to make six pages all for $4.50.
The chipboard and paper I had around the craft room, so this was way cheaper than the ArtBin box that I believe is approximately $16.00 and you only get three pages.
I am not trying to be negative about the ArtBin box, it's just that I only have four of my sheets filled so I didn't want to get a whole box for a very limited collection.

I would love it if you'd share how you store your collection with me.

Please comment below.
Take care.

So I am updated my album...and I am so glad that I listened to the hubster!

I did something very simple on the front of the album,
since this is more for use, not for show.  LOL!!!

 I covered the back of each page with white cardstock and put a label of the company and what style die is in the front.

 Here's a close up of the label.

But please know that as with all of the pictures on my blog, 

you can click them to see them larger.

 So...the hubster was right...as always!

Thank you hubby and thank you all for visiting.

I hope this helps in some way.

Again...take care!

 

My Favorite KISS

No...before you get your hopes up, KISS stands for...

Keep It Simple Stamping!

My favorite way to make cards.

Though it may seem easy, it takes a bit to make sure the composition of the card is good enough, even if it is simple to create.

Or at least that is what I like to tell myself,

so that I feel better about making simple cards.  LOL!!!

Either way, here are some cards I made recently...and they are simply made.

Happy Bark-Day colored with Prismacolor Pencils.

Added some sequins for some sparkle.

I popped him up with foam tape...love how his tongue hangs out.

Did some embossing on this fall leaves card.

This Owl card was colored with Prismacolor pencils as well.

Added some colored speckles as well.

Here's the inside of the Owl card.

I wonder if you noticed that I watermarked my pictures on this post.

Look at that...I actually remembered to when editing my photos.

I have to do all of my other photos one of these days.

I'll add it to my To-Do list!

Here is a tip that you may already know about.

Some of the clear stamps I buy, like Recollections at Michaels,

when I first stamp with them they come out like the picture above.

The image, or wording in this example, comes out splotchy 

and does not stamp properly.

 What I do is take an emery board and 'scratch up' the image or wording,

and then it comes out like the picture above.

Such a big difference!

It's awesome that I figured this out since it's usually the cheaper stamps that do this and I was at my wits end worrying that I wouldn't be able to use them.

But there are such great images to be found, I knew I had to do something.

So I hope this little tip helps you out as well.

I also did a few Fall home decor items this weekend.

 I love the Fall Season.

The weather gets a little cooler, and Football season is here.

It also means that the rest of the holidays are on their way.

I have a stash of items in my studio that I know I will eventually find something to do with, but nothing in mind when I first find them

Well, I gathered a bunch of the Fall items I could find and made this Cornucopia for display in the Living Room.

I found the fruit at a thrift store a while back, and the mixed nuts and pine cones were on a wreath that I didn't like a couple of years ago 

but kept them off of it, knowing that I would use them at some point.

The leaves I purchased last year and the flowers I purchased over the summer.

 I love the way it came out and so does my hubby.

A new item for the Fall season to decorate the house with.

 I had purchased a silver tray from the dollar store two years ago to do something else with...but it wound up being the base of this Fall Decor Item.

 Again, there are pinecones, leaves and flowers gathered from my stash.

I also added the black/purple sequined leaves I purchased from a Halloween haul.

 

I love the way it came out and it looks beautiful in our Living Room for the Fall season that is upon us.

I hope you enjoyed all that I shared and would love to see what you are up to.

Take care and thank you so much for stopping by.

Tutorial - Bless You Tissue Box Cover

Hi All.

In this blog post I am going to show you how I made the

Tissue Box Cover you see here.

You can make them for each and every holiday,

or just to match the room that you are putting it in.

Ok, here we go...

For the bottom of the Tissue Box Cover, 

cut two pieces of card stock at 9 1/2" x 5 3/8"

(Or measure the box you are covering and 

add a 1/2" for each piece for connecting.  

Remember, you have four sides to cover.)

Scor on the 9 1/2" side at a 1/2" and 5" on both dies.

See below.

Now put some sticky, double-sided tape on the 1/2" ends.

See below.

Now for the top cover,

cut one sheet of card stock at 6 3/4" x 6 3/4".

Scor at 1" on all four sides.

Then on two of the sides, cut at the cross fold up the 1" fold.

See below.

Add sticky, double-sided tape on all corners.

Next, cut a circle or oval in the middle of the top cover.

I cut a 3" circle for the box of tissues I am covering.

I used a die and adhered the die with removable tape.

Now for this, since I used my Big Shot to cut the circle,

I folded the side over the bottom plastic layer so that the paper could fit in the machine to cut the circle.

Hopefully you can see by the picture below what I mean if you are using your Big Shot as well.

Here's the circle cut.

 Now you want to decorate the pieces before putting it all together.

Here is what I did for Halloween.

Now take your top cover and fold in each corner.

Adhere the bottom flaps to the sides.

 Here it is done.

Now for the bottom cover...adhere one sheet to the other.

Then adhere the open end with the opposite end.

There you go...all done.

Now slide the bottom cover on the tissue box like below.

Then add the top cover and pull out your tissues.

I also embellished a bit more, here is my finished Tissue Box Cover.

I hope this tutorial was easy to follow and if you have any questions, 

please feel free to ask.

Take care!

Tutorial - Smile...it's a card in a box.

Smile...it's a Card in a Box!

 So I tried this new card that everyone has been doing...
yes, I know I am late in trying it, but better late than never!
Anyway, I am sure there are some people that have not tried yet
and I thought I would put up a quick tutorial on it for you.

It's a pop-up box that fold into the size of a regular card so you can mail it!

Here are the dimensions to help.
The page is 8 x 5 1/2"
You can click on any of my pictures to make them bigger for more details.

After I cut and folded the paper, I rounded the cut flaps.
Next I put sticky tape on two pieces of paper measuring
1" x 3" and scored 1/2" at each end.
Also, put sticky tape on the 1/2" flap on the folded side.

 

Here is how it looks standing up.

I then decorated the cut flaps with paper.

And decorated the bottom flaps as well.

Now to assemble the box.

The two pieces in the middle, attach to opposite side.

The 1/2" flap adheres to the back side.

Next, I die cut some flowers and attached them to the middle pieces.

To make the back flowers rise, I put paper pieces on the back of them them attached them to the middle so they would be higher than the front flowers.

Here it is folded, ready to be put in an envelope and mailed away!

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and if you have ANY questions whatsoever,
please do not hesitate to ask.

Take care and smile!

Some Alcohol Please

If you know me, you know that I do not drink alcohol at all.

Not that there is anything wrong with it, 

it just doesn't do anything for me.

But I did have my fill of Alcohol this weekend, 

alcohol markers that is.

 

I wanted to do a bit of a test, if you will, 

of the various markers that I have purchased here and there.

I once purchased a set of Prismacolor markers for a 

markdown/clearance deal at an Office Supply store knowing 

that I would use them someday and the price was too hard to pass up.

I fell into the trap of being enabled by other crafters to purchase 

Copic Markers that are on the pricy side, 

but only bought them with coupons.  

Couldn't see buying them for that much money.

I have also purchased various Bic and Sharpies because of the 

rainbow of colors that draw you in as you 

pass the packaging in various stores.

Yes, I love color...have you seen my nail polish collection?  LOL!!!

 

Anyway, I pulled all of these colorful markers and started coloring my new stamped images to see which markers do what.

So the first difference, of course, 

is that the Copic Markers I have, 

are brush markers.  

So the tips that you are working with are flexible and long...

like a brush...hence the name.  LOL!!!

 They are very blendable (is that a word?) 

and the ink stays a bit wet on the paper.

The Prismacolor markers I own have broad and fine tips.

So I cannot compare apples to apples since they do not have the same tips,

but when using the Prismacolor markers as the darker, 

shading colors on the image then blended them with the Copics, 

they worked rather well.

The do stay wet like the Copics, 

but seemed not as long...

I think that is due to less ink being laid down because of the fine tip.

The Bic/Sharpies I have are fine tips.  

They also do not have a brush tip.

They actually acted the same as the Prismacolor markers.

I guess you can say that I am really comparing the 

Prismacolor and the Bic/Sharpie markers...sorry.

So my conclusion...

I can use ALL of my markers and have a great time!

I know, sucky review/comparison.

Now you know why I never do it!!!

But if there are any question you have, 

please do not hesitate to ask and I will try to let you know anything I can.

Now on to the cards...

Just so you know...you can click on the pictures to see them bigger.

You can do that with all of the pictures on my blog.

I played with the Birdie one a lot as you can tell from the next couple of cards.

Pink Bird-Day

Blue Bird-Day

Green/Purple Bird-Day

Pink/Purple Bird-Day

Next I did some Birthday Fishes cards.

This one is dressed in Pearls.

This one in Rhinestones.

Then I did a girl...pretty in pink.

So I hope you enjoyed my pseudo comparison.

I'm sorry that it wasn't much help, 

but I guess the bottom line is...

If you cannot afford the more expensive markers, you don't need them.

Just color smaller spaces at a time and blend.  It will work.

Now on to my nail portion of the show.

This week I was in a blue mood...when aren't I?

So I decided on a Doticure.

It was really easy to do.

I have a couple of different sized dotting tools, 

but you can do it with some toothpicks, 

bobby pins, regular straight pins.

I first painted a pastel blue as my base,

then dotted away with various blues and white.

Try it out and if you do, post your link below.

I'd love to visit and see.

Take care and thank you so much for visiting.