Be a powderpuff!

Last Saturday I had the pleasure of teaching classes for Quick Quotes at Scrapbook Expo in Ontario, CA. I had a blast, met someone awesome new people, and got to play with tons of Quick Quotes goodies!

During the class, we used Quick Quotes' exclusive ink pads, Powderpuff Inks. I love these inks!! I have used them before at Scrapbook Royalty events as Quick Quotes is a huge sponsor of Scrapbook Royalty. And at the San Diego Expo I got a couple of colors of ink for myself.

I figured I would not want all the colors. But let me tell you, after the classes I taught using a variety of colors of this ink, I want them all now!

These inks go on soft like a chalk, but dry like an ink. Have you ever tried to cover an item by inking with a Colorbox Chalk Cateye? Get a cloudy look? Well, you can ink and ink and ink with the Powderpuff Inks and you'll never get a cloudy look. I love it!! You get the look of chalks without the cloudiness.

Plus they look great on canvas. And they have a rounded end on one side of the pad and pointed ends on the other side. So for getting into tough corners to ink, the Powderpuff Inks are perfect.

Also, the pad does not fall off like cateyes do. I don't know how many times I had to stop a project to perform emergency surgery on a cateye.

I just wanted to share this awesome ink with you all--I still love my cateyes but I think I'm starting to like Powderpuff Inks even better.

Please check them out--they are about 3-4 times bigger than a cateye and cost about the same (or a little less depending on your LSS' markup) so you get alot of bang for your buck!

On a side note:
I, for one, ink like my life depended on it. I get pretty crazy with ink pads shredding, cateyes falling apart...you get the picture. So to save my ink pads, I've started using Ranger Cut n' Dry Foam. They sell it at Scrappin' Good Times if you want some.

It is like a dry ink pad that you can pieces off of. I press that into my ink pad to get some color on it and then use that to ink. If it shreds, then I can just toss it but my ink pad is nice and safe and unshredded. I save the used ones in a baggie and keep reusing them with the same color until they can be used no more. You can even wash to foam to get out the color and put a new color on. I took a class at CHA earlier this year where we used this same foam as an ink pad and then to make custom stamps.

You can also use make up sponges to get the same effect but they aren't as nice as the Cut n' Dry foam. Or you can ink the foam up with a re-inker instead of using a stamp pad. Just my little tip of the day for ya!

I'm off to pack for Desert Scrappers Retreats! Going out for the weekend to teach a couple classes and scrap, taking the whole family. I doubt I'll get much scrapping done but it will be fun to get out of the house with the family. Have a great weekend!

Happy Halloween?

Here's what the plan was: Katie was going to be a farmer and Matt was going to be a pea pod. We were going to load him in the wagon and surround him with veggies! Cute, right? But then he grew:

Guess he really did not like his legs being folded in half so he'd fit in the costume! So after much negotiating with the staff at Toys R Us we were able to exchange the 9 months size pea pod outfit he hated and get a cute cow one in 12 months size. The boy is only 7 months old-we had no idea he would grow this HUGE!

Too bad I did not have my camera out last night. Xaver dressed him in the cow outfit and the boy was grinning ear to ear! He loved it! We just put the finishing touches on Katie's outfit too -- she is going to a scarecrow. Pics will follow tomorrow!! Have a safe night! Don't eat too much candy!

I got double whammied by Tina and Jessica!!

I got tagged twice in one day by Tina K. and Jessica Guthrie!!!

So here goes (really have alot of other stuff I ought to be doing right now! LOL But, what the hey?! It's all in good fun)

1. Link to the person that tagged you and post the rules on your blog. Done
2. Share 7 random and/or weird facts about yourself See Below
3. Tag 7 random people at the end of your post and include links to their blogs I'm sorry, but I just gotta share the love, you know?
4. Let each person know that they've been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog I will probably fall short on this one...

Random Fact #1
I am the oldest person in my entire family (both my mom and dad's sides) who does not wear glasses. Who knows how I got 20/20 vision. I think I see things all fuzzy but every time I go to the optometrist, they say my vision is perfect. I must be an alien or something cuz in this family, everyone is as blind as a bat!

Random Fact #2
I am a disabled veteran. I can actually get a handicapped placard for my car--but I'm not sure I wanna be in gimpy (as my dad calls it since he is gimpy too) parking just yet. I don't feel that old yet.

Random Fact #3
Here's a fun one: Xaver is exactly one foot taller than me.

Random Fact #4
I have never done illegal drugs in my entire life. Ever. In the Army as part of my background check they interrogated me about everything I ever did--they were always trying to trick me into confessing that I had done drugs--too funny! Drugs just never had an appeal for me. I just don't understand the draw...

Random Fact #5
I only wore a bikini once to the beach. Never again either! Especially not with this "after kids" body!

Random Fact #6
I used to publish an underground music 'zine when I was in high school. I got ads from record companies, into concerts for free, got all my CDs for free...feels like I lived this whole other life when I think back on it. Some time if you're over my house, ask me to show you some copies of the 'zine--it was pretty cool if I do say so myself! LOL I think that is where I got my eye for layouts is from newspaper stuff. I see alot of that kind of alignment in my pages I think.

Random Fact #7
I listen to electronica, darkwave, and sometimes I still listen to industrial. Who'd have thunk it? I used to flourescent orange hair too...that "other life" thing I referred to above, you know?

Tag you're it now ladies!!!!
Sandy aka Scrap Dog--a super talented and friendly scrapper (we have the same birthday too)
Trisha aka Scrappin' Sista -- a great friend and scrapper, leader of Who Gives A Scrap?
Adriann -- another talented scrapper!
Scrappy Nan -- all around awesome lady and bind it all expert!
Kristin -- super nice scrapper pal!
Scrapperlicious -- the things this lady can do with ink--scandalous!
Char -- so very talented, super nice!!'


Whew--all 7!! Some of the people I know already got tagged so finding 7 was hard! LOL

Happy tagging!

3D on the Cheap

I don't know about you, but I love the look of "popped" up items and pockets on layouts. This "look" comes with its challenges:

• Foam squares or circles do a mighty good job of popping stuff off the page--but they can be expensive and the plastic tabs you have to peel off to reveal the adhesive can be a pain.
• Foam tapes can be pricey as well, though I do prefer these over all 3D adhesives on the market because you can cut the length you'd like.
  
• 3D glue dots are pretty snotty--if you smoosh your item too hard onto the page, the item can become dome shaped instead of popped because the entire dot is adhesive, not just to top and bottom.
• Pockets made from paper alone don't allow for many items to be stuck inside. Also, depending on the adhesive you use, the insert may get stuck on the adhesive on the side of the pocket when sliding it in and out.

Here's the cheap-o solution: CHIPBOARD! I've been using chipboard to do 3D effects and pockets for a while now and everyone seems to love the effects: It's cheap, most of the time you can get it for free, and its rigidity is a plus! Add a little PVA or good liquid adhesive and you've got instant 3D action.

Here's how:

POCKETS:
Cut 1/2" thick strips of chipboard from a scrap-you'll use these to line the edges of the pocket. You need two strips as tall as the pocket and one strip as wide as the pocket. Glue the bottom strip to the bottom inside edge of the pocket. Glue the other two strips ot the sides of the pocket, trimming any chipboard that hangs out over the top. Adhere the strips to the page--this forms the pocket. You put no adhesive on the top. There is enough room in this pockets for severla pictures and inserts pull in and out nicely.

POPPING:
Adhere a scrap of chipboard to the back of the item you wish to "pop". Layer more chipboard scraps to get a higher effect. Adhere to the page.

Have fun "popping"!

Grungeboard by Tim Holtz

PUH-LEASE someone tell me where I can buy this stuff!!!!

I saw this video on YouTube (posted by someone on sb.com):



This stuff is like chipboard that does not tear--but it is even better! I never watched those YouTube things all the way through but this one had my attention. Oh I would so love to get my hands on this stuff!

So if you know where to get it, please let me know!! Thanks so much!