Happy!

Crafting Tip #38

Crafting Tip #38: This tiny vacuum is made to pick up crumbs on a desk but it is invaluable to pick up tiny pieces of paper in your work area. It was about $9 and I got it on Amazon. Use search words "mini portable desktop sweeper".

Creativity

Crafting Tip #37

Crafting Tip #37: When making card sets, one of the easiest ways to make a variety of cards that coordinate is to make a big batch of your own background papers and use bits of them on each card. The bright card backgrounds here were made with sponges swiped across very smooth white card and blended.

Crafting Tip #36

Tip #36: Buy old books with yellowed pages at yard sales to create background papers with. On this strip I clear embossed flowers and then sponged over.

Crafting Tip #35

Crafting Tip #35: Using your Misti/Platform stamp your background in white. Then slightly move the card and stamp again in color. It gives interesting depth on colored card stock.

Crafting Tip #34

Crafting Tip #34: Just a light bit of pastel behind white die cut images makes them pop!

Pastel

Enjoy

Special Day

All dies from Ali. Hair is Fun Foam.

Crafting Tip #33

Crafting Tip #33 Rock N'Roll Technique. Ink your stamp in one color and then roll the edges over another pad to pick up another color for the outside edges of each image.

Crafting Tip #32

Crafting Tip #32. When real buttons were the rage on cards, I purchased several really pretty ones, only to realize that they do not go through the mail for regular postage. Also, they tend to fall off, or press through the packaging, or get damaged. Around this time I got a pretty really looking set of button dies and have found them so versatile and it solved all the problems I had with real buttons. Here are some ways I have used them.

Crafting Tip #31

Crafting Tip #31
If you cannot find a background paper to go with your image, consider just stamping it randomly on a piece of card and you will immediately have something that coordinates.

Crafting Tip #30

Crafting Tip #30 is one of my favorites. I use my Label Maker all the time. Attach a sticker to the back of a die that needs special instructions. I never remember which dies need a metal shim or a grocery bag or maybe both, so I label the non-cutting side of the die and it runs right through and stays stuck so you don't have to experiment the next time you use the die. It is also great for stamp packets, drawers, notebooks, and even to put sentiments on cards.

Crafting Tip #29

Crafting Tip #29 Sponge lightly and then stamp over that with the very same color. This is great for a snow effect, but looks really cool with colored inks too!

Technique from Crafting Tip #28--below

Technique from Crafting Tip #28

Crafting Tip #28

Crafting Tip #28: DTP (direct to paper) is an old technique I learned long before there were nice papers to work with that were pre-made. This is another reason I like the small ink pads. Also if you "swipe" them a bit you get better coverage.

Over 2 Dozen Teacher Cards--This is how I store samples I want to save

I Asked Gina K Designs a Question

I asked where her dies were made and this is the answer:

Gina Aurelio Krupsky Donna Kingsley Coffeen China. And the reason they are manufactured in China is because of two things. 1. There is only one die manufacturer here in the USA who manufactures for small companies and they take months to produce and tend to put their larger clients in the front of the line. 2. I like to sell my dies de-tabbed so my customers don’t have to cut them apart. I used to have my dies made here in the USA. My price is EXACTLY the same in a China except they de-tab for us. We investigated the company we use and have a gentlemen from London who works there and is in charge of our account. They are a clean, beautiful facility and they pay a living wage. Not all do but there are many who do. And the ones that do aren’t cheap. My die designs have NEVER been stolen. My stamp designs have. And they are manufactured here in the USA.

Manage

Hula

Do Not Meddle

Crafting Tip #26

Crafting Tip #26: I used to waste so much money on sentiment stamps that I would only use a couple of times. I have since started a little notebook with sentiments I like that I can computer generate when I need one. I particularly like to use song sentiments.

Enjoy!

Beach Girl

Butterflies

Bee Happy

All dies and embossing folder from Ali.

Crafting Tip #25

Crafting Tip #25: Make up a bunch of tags and when you need a card, just attach one to a pretty card background.

Mice