MFT WSC519 WaterBaby

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hello everyone- it's been a while since i've posted here! i've been very sick with bad allergies and a terrible headcold for almost 3 weeks! feel like i might be turning the corner this morning- but it's windy and cold again today so we'll see how we do (please think good thoughts- it's been really awful!)

MFT's WSC for last week was to watercolor an image- i'd never done that before (other than played a little with some pencils and blender pen- but that's not a water brush!) coincidentally, i had also ordered some ingredients to start experimenting with homemade bath bombs. the idea for a cute bath set hit me the moment i saw my brand new Pure Innocence cutie from MFT- this one is Lather Rinse Repeat- isn't she just adorable in her tub of bubbles?! you gotta love that sweet rubber ducky too! ca-ute!

all i had on hand was a Strathmore watercolor pad so i stamped the image on a piece of that using Brilliance graphite black ink. i used clear embossing powder over the ink and heat set it well to ensure my watercolors wouldn't run the image. it really worked great! i made a few of these to have some extras on hand.

i had a set of Winsor & Newton watercolors that i got on sale at dick blick years ago (the little tiny half cakes in a box-it was around $10 for the set and comes with mixing wells and a brush) i dug those out & got to work mixing & coloring. i have to say i was hesitant to put the first swatches of color down, but then i just let go & started to play and not worry about it (you can always stamp off and emboss more!) the process was relaxing and fun and it forced me not to rush things. very zen. very cool. totally give it a go!

here's a closer view:

click image to enlarge


this card is straightforward but some things to note:
i used a ticket corner punch (SU) on the image & on the mat.
patterned paper is by Basic Grey (kioshi line)
i popped up the little ducky in his puddle that i had painted separately.
i used an MFT Fossil note card for the base, and some MFT glittered garnishes for embellies. Ribbon is from MFT too.

here's the inside:
just a simple white emboss of the sentiment.

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the bath bomb bag is an MFT gusset bag
i cut a label with my nesties, and stamped the same PI image using a light brown ink for a lightly colored 'watermark' effect:

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the back of the label has some instructions and the sweet ducky image from the same stamp set.
the instructions i simply typed up (i used the Cheri font it's a free download) and printed out & added to the bag:


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if you're looking for supplies or starter kits, try Bramble Berry

Bath Bomb Recipe
ingredients:
1 part citric acid
2 parts baking soda
fragrance if desired (i used an oil blend)
colorant if desired (i used lilac la bomb colorant- it's an fd&c based dye in a glycerin base)
witch hazel in a spray bottle (you need several spritzes)
something to mold with- ice cube trays, plastic easter eggs, plastic ornament molds or soap/candle making molds, sand molds- anything!

directions:
mix the citric acid & baking soda thoroughly in a large bowl.
sprinkle fragrance (i used .5oz for 1 lb. citric acid/2 lb. baking soda-see note below*) over dry ingredients and mix well.
add colorant and mix well (to your liking- i used a quarter of the small bottle of colarant) again.

here's the tricky part:
while stirring the mixture spritz some witch hazel over the bowl- like 6 pumps or so and incorporate it well. you don't want to dump in a bunch of liquid or it will start fizzing on you. just a light spritz at a time, 6 times in a row. i needed about 4 sets of short pumps to get the mixture to clump together & hold it's shape in my hand- it will vary based on your temp/humidity. basically if you pick it up and can mold it in your hand like damp beach sand you're done- start packing it into your mold right away. over fill the mold, press it together (if using the ball ornament mold) let it sit a minute or two, then release the mold (one side at a time on the ball mold- gently tap & lift off one end of the mold, then the other) set to dry on some wax paper for about 2-3 hours.
enjoy!

* fragrance note: these were HIGHLY scented bombs- truth is they came out too strong for us and too big! i've been breaking them into quarters & using just a small piece at a time! still works great- just don't get the pieces wet when you break them up!

also- i don't recommend using these for young kids- fragrance free ones would be ok, but lots of fragrance or certain types of oils can cause some stinging in little eyes or in any little scrapes or cuts!

whew- that was a bit longwinded eh?! lol! thanks for hanging in there!
need to take more meds & make a quick thank you note before school is out today! hope to be back soon!
{{GIANT HUGS}}
^o^
-g

rockin' teacher card

please click image for a larger view!

i made this card for a teacher at my daughter's school (she's not my daughter's primary teacher, who got the magic card) but this teacher helps out and does a lot of activities with my daughter's class, so i thought it would be nice to remember her for teacher appreciation week too. this particular teacher is super cute and fun, with amazing style so this cheeky rockabilly girl from the greeting farm was the perfect stamp choice.

i stamped her onto an MFT perfect paper panel with memento tuxedo black ink & colored her in with copics. i had to add a little belly button bling too with a tiny swarovski crystal i also added some glossy accents to her shoes so they looked 'patent leather'. found some oldie but rockin' paper with skulls & cherries (creative imaginations, caution girl line) in my stash that was perfect to put behind the cut out, popped up image, along with some silver metal star brads.

here's a peek at it upside down so you get a better look at the glossy shoes & dimension: please click to enlarge images!




i cut the card base out of black cardstock with my scalloped nesties, and the circles were also cut out with nesties. i paper pierced small holes in each scallop along the card base and finished off the inside with a simple white cardstock scalloped circle, and an awesome 'You Rock' sentiment from MFT's Tweeny Tween Rock On/Pure Innocence set:


Ms. Jen totally LOVED it (i was so glad!) along with the gerbera daisy plant we potted for her. i am lovin making these little round cards- you gotta try some!!
thanks for looking!

in other news, we are all sick at the same time with insane allergies and headcolds (from the allergies no doubt)- Mimi got it first, gave it to me, who then passed it along to the hubs, so now within a week or so we're all runny nosed (& at other times congested), itchy eyes & throat, sickie sounding people! i'm the hand washing drill sergeant around here LOL! thankfully none of us are running fevers, or feeling too bad- but i so hope it'll warm up & everything will stop blooming soon- LOL- NEVER thought i'd wish for the 100's+ ;)
{{GIANT HUGS}}
-g
^o^

SIStv i will miss you so

it's sad that SIStv is closing down forever on May 15th. many SISters, including myself, have definitely felt this was coming for quite some time. if you wanna a last peek at my scrappy gallery there- please check it out quick LOL!
i will forever be thankful for the friends i've made there and for the awesome challenges, classes & tutorials SIS offered. i began a total newbie and loved the creative challenges and supportive environment- i took risks and expanded my skills and fell in love with all sorts of crafting. i'll always remember the Project Catwalk in 08/09-an international scrapping contest filled with incredible talent & inspo. i will forever be blown away by the fact that i made in thru weeks of challenges and into the top finalists of that competition, out of hundreds of fellow contestants. (i completed Round 3 of the finals and my last week projects are some of my very favorite creations ever!) i will truly miss everyone at SIStv. i wish nothing but blessings and happiness for Jeanette and her family as she lets go of SIS and starts following her next dream! farewell and thank you SIStv xoxoxo

happy mother's day!

to all the wonderful Mom's-even those of just furry babies!!
{{GIANT HUGS}} and wishes for a wonderful day! Love Ya Lots!
XOXOO
-g
^o^

love how this card turned out- it was so fun to make!
i used MFT's Mother's Day stamp set (set is partially available as digi).
i stamped it twice using momento tuxedo black on perfect paper panels. i colored the background with copics. i also stamped it a third time onto some lovely BG paper (from green at heart paper pad). i cut out the dress from the patterned paper and Quickie Glued it to the background colored image. The other image was colored with copics too & then the arms & flower pot were cut out and glued on top of the paper dress- toughie to cut but so CA-UTE and the dimension is way cool!
i busted out the glaze pens and played around on this image on top of the coloring- the flowers were textured with white, greens on the leaves, and clear, white and yellow on top of the pot to make it look like real ceramic. i LOVE how this turned out! tiny princess pearls were glued to the tiny flowers around the image. i used some deep brown cardstock to mat it. i popped the whole image up using the awesome white boosters from Jody i stitched BG papers to the background mat & adhered the panel to the MFT fossil note card.
some gorgeous MFT ribbon and a tiny button finish it off.
here's a closer peek at the image details:


here's the inside:

the sentiment and tiny flower were stamped on a creme paper panel scrap. more of the cardstock & BG paper were stitched together and added as a base.

thanks for looking! i have some other projects from this week posted below so please scroll down to see them!
i have a few other things still waiting for me to blog too but i have to get ready to go out for our Brazilian Churrascaria celebration this afternoon! the hubs birthday is today too so we've got lots going on today!
see ya soon!
{{HUGS}}
-g
^o^

teacher week project 2

if you're looking for my magic card post it can be found here!


please click image to see the detail

hello again! i'm back with another teacher appreciation week/Mother's Day gift that i created this week and it's one of my favorite gifts to give- bath salts! who doesn't enjoy a long, hot, relaxing soak in a tub when they get the chance? (...and for us Mom's with young kids, those baths are few and far between!) i love to mix my own bath salts- it brings out my inner medicine girl and helps to soothe the body & mind. LOVE that! i shop for my bulk salt making supplies at the San Francisco bath salt company. my empty jars come from all over- ball jars from Michaels (but hot glue the small inner lid to the ring so it can't separate anymore & get lost), but i also have a few of these awesome 16oz squared jars from MFT- i especially love these because MFT's label stamps fit them perfectly, there's no lumpy printing on them, and if my kiddo drops one it's plastic so no worries!

for this gift, i used MFT's Time for the Bubbly label set- it's perfect for when i make my own gifts, but it's also great for any pre-packaged purchased items or gift cards too- remember almost anything can be dressed up with stamps & pretty papers!)

i stamped my label image twice on MFT perfect paper panels, and again on some gorgeous Basic Grey patterned paper (from the Lemonade collection- one of my all time favorite paper lines- this particular paper is called Dandelion.)
i carefully cut out the background 'wall paper' area from the patterned paper stamped image (including the top bubbly border).
From one of the thick paper panels, i cut out only the tub/WTG's legs/the rug- and colored it with copic markers. because the paper panels are so nice & thick they add instant dimension when glued on top of the patterned paper. that left one more plain stamped image on a paper panel to use as the 'base' to piece all the other cut outs on -the floor of this piece was colored with copics to look like wood. the words 'bath' and 'salts' were stamped on scraps of the paper panels, trimmed and inked with quick swipe from a pink petunia dew drop! the bubbles were made using white opal liquid pearls. the finished label was then cut out & mounted onto some pink cardstock. the little scoop is held on with a pink rubber band under the lid.

i added a heart border with a Martha Stewart punch to another cute paper from the Lemonade collection to go around the sides of the jar. i used red line tape to adhere it. then i put the label on the front. a nestie cut shape of the Dandelion paper, a ribbon and button bow finish off the lid:



The bath salts inside are geranium and honeysuckle.
here's my mix:
1 cup of Dead Sea salt (from Israel)
1 cup of Utah Red Sea Salt (from the Great Salt Lake)
1 cup of Epsom Salts
10 drops each of 2 essential oils.
Mix all thoroughly.
Add 1 or 2 generous handfuls to very warm/hot water right under the tap and allow to dissolve. soak & enjoy!
makes appox 25oz of salts (enough for a large jar and a couple of 5oz bags)

{{BIG HUGS}}
-g
^o^

teacher week project 1 (photo heavy post)

click on these images to enlarge them:


this week was teacher appreciation week so there were lots of projects to be made. we potted favorite flowers into pretty planters for several teachers- tulips for my daughter's teacher, as well as one of Kathy's amazing magic cards- her amazing tutorial can be found at this thread on Splitcoast Stampers it's project two in the thread. This card was quite difficult for my skill level and took a long time! DD's teacher absolutely LOVED it, so it was totally worth staying up half the night for a couple nights creating it, LOL!


ok so you start with an image. i chose the adorable Apple for You, a favorite PI image from MFT. i stamped it on a perfect paper panel (MFT) & again on acetate. i used black brilliance ink- i stamped and set the images aside to dry overnight (note-i've had terrible luck trying to use brilliance ink and coloring images too soon- you really have to heat set this ink or be VERY patient & wait for it to dry thoroughly before coloring.) while the ink set, i went about building the base. my finished card size is 5.5" square. i cut 2 different patterned papers from Cosmo Cricket (Boyfriend and Fly a Kite paper pads) one is cut at 5.25 square and the other is 5 inches. in the 5.25 piece, i cut out a center window using a scalloped nestie. the inner piece is adhered to the 'frame' paper using mounting tape around 3 outer sides, leaving the top open (without tape). the entire window/backer mat is then adhered to the yellow card base using foam mounting tape and again, you leave the top open without tape. the next day, i colored my image on the paper using copic markers. leave lots of white space around your images. i then over-layed my acetate stamped image on top of the colored paper image so they line up. you staple them together, trim them, then decorate the top of the tag to hide the staples (trimming as needed to fit in the base- be sure to carefully read the tutorial steps- Kathy does an amazing job of explaining every detail!) Basically, the acetate part of the tag slips in front of the patterned paper, and the colored paper image goes behind the sheet so when you pull the tag from the top, it magically changes from black & white to color- so super cool- check it out:
OK- here's the base card again:

here's the magic tag starting to pull up:

EEK- here it is! the tag pulled all the way:


then you push it back down & it's back to black & white- so cool!!
of course- the recipient can always choose to display the whole tag in the front window too:

the front is finished off with one of my very favorite sentiments ever (also from the Apple for You set) a couple of red baby braddies and mounted on some red cardstock (also MFT).

here's a view of the whole tag with the acetate separated:

close up of coloring:


here's a look at the inside:

more of the patterned paper, the other sentiment from the same stamp set, and a lovely die cut shape using the brand new MFT Die-Namics scalloped scallop die- i LOVE this new die and can't wait until my other ones arrive! you NEED these!!

whew! that was a lot to post!!
i have so many other things to share with lots of pics, but they'll take several posts over the next few days. this year, my sweet hubs birthday falls on Mother's Day so it's a double celebration weekend for us- so i hope you'll forgive me if it takes me a bit to get everything up! it takes me forever to upload & write it all- sometimes longer than the projects LOL! is it just me?!
anyway- here's a quickie 'sneak peak' at some projects.


collage made using Shape Collage a free mosaic making software!

i'll be back with more soon!
{[GIANT HUGS}}
-g
^o^

WSC 4.28.10-just in time!

please click images to enlarge.

hi again! this week's WSC is all about KISS (Keep It Super Simple!)-all the deets are on this MFT blog post and boy did this one ever come in handy!
i need to have 45 Mother's Day cards finished & delivered to the state Veteran's home by next weekend so they can be distributed to all of the wonderful ladies on Sunday! could never happen without a super simple card-especially since this week kicked off with an extremely stressful start! anyway- these are little cards that pack a lot of heart- i really wanted each veteran Mom to have something special that she could display and not have it take up much room (the residents have a hospital room set up, with 2 people per room and a shared bathroom)- a little 3x3 inch card seemed just perfect.

i used MFT's heavyweight cardstocks in bubblegum, snocone, banana split and sour apple for the bases. all the scraps from making the bases were cut using the new fantastic MFT DieNamics scalloped scallop die with the cuttlebug--oh how i loved using up all those scraps & man i am LOVIN' this die & can't wait to order the others at the big release party tomorrow night (from 5-7pm Pacific Time--please come hang out with the whole MFT gang & my fellow junkies on the MFT forum at SCS) i was lucky enough to get this die in a VIP kit i ordered a couple of weeks ago! so so cool!
anyway- i used some of my favorite Scenic Route patterned papers for backgrounds. i stamped a beautiful sentiment from MFT's Clearly Sentimental about Mothers onto creme perfect paper panels and cut them out. i inked the edges with a soft blue cat's eye ink, punched a hole in each sentiment strip with the good 'ol crop-o-dile and tied a small ribbon knot. 2 sweet MFT glittered garnishes finish off each card (i LOVE these and will be refilling my stash immediately- i panic that i will run out LOL!) super simple and easy to 'assembly line'.


The inside is finished off with the sentiment from another fave MFT set- Mother's Day (digi only available here)-you'll see more of this set later this week as i'm using it for another card
i have only a few more left of these minis to finish off and they'll be ready to deliver!
thanks for looking!
{{GIANT HUGS}}
-g
^o^