Thursday 8 October 2015

My Grandma's Teacups: Turn your Cricut Explore into a Paper Doll Cutter Part 2

Well, did you get your Prima Paper Doll Stamp all set up in your Cricut Explore? Of course you did! I knew you could do it. If you need to go over what we did this is the link.  Now comes the really fun part. I hope you remembered not to drink your coffee near your precious paper.....oh the horror....but that's another post.

Making Your Prima Paper Doll


You know that plastic 12x12 box that you use to collect all those teeny time pieces of paper that are just too good to throw out. Yah, the one on the shelf collecting dust. Go grab that. This is a great opportunity to put those itty bitty scraps to work. (and your husband said you would never need them......be sure he sees you using them, as though you had this planned from the start....seven years ago when you began saving scraps of paper.) 

For the small layers like the dress, shoes and stockings I try to find scraps that coordinate in the approximate sizes I want.


 You will need to use large pieces for the doll base and backer.

 Small confession. I made a horrible paper choice for this project as I chose a slightly shiny surface that does not hold the ink well. A flat finish would have worked much better.


 Remember to think about where the shadows on the dress would fall. The area that flares gets the most light and the creases are darker.



I used a wet glue. I just find it easier than messing with popdots or foam squares. You can choose your favourite adhesive and I won't judge you harshly.

 As our friend Rosiland Burch taught us earlier this week. A girl's accessories are very important. So go ahead and bling her up. Then we are done. Yay, see how much fun they are!
Be sure to follow my Prima Doll Pinterest board for plenty of inspiration on ways to use these adorable creations.

Follow My Grandma's Teacups's board Prima mixed media dolls on Pinterest.

Wednesday 7 October 2015

My Grandma's Teacups: Focus On You Series: Confidence under stress



You  may be wondering why I am writing this series of posts on focusing on ourselves. Well I think it falls under the old adage of:


And it's true right? If we don't feel well, or are having a rough day it sets the tone for the entire house.

My husband tends to be the stern one in our household but if I get grumpy the kids know it's a big deal. It means they crossed some magical invisible line and they are quick to reassemble on the other side.

The purpose of these posts are in fact just to help us focus on little things that we can do to make sure our cup is just that much more full? fuller??

Transitioning from summer activities to the business of fall can be very stressful and added to that the beginning of shorter days and dreary skies it important to be extra kind to yourself (and everyone else if at all possible.) My plan is to share small things that we can do to boost our self esteem and overall demeanor.

It would be wonderful if we could all just go check ourselves in for a day of pampering at St. Anne's Spa. Realistically I doubt many of us have the time or the funds for such royal treatment.

So here is my quick tip for the day: Find a really great deodorant.

Seriously. You would not believe the difference you will have in your day if you find the right deodorant. There is nothing as distracting as wondering if you smell sweaty. These days it politically incorrect to douse ourselves in perfume so our deodorants need to be that much more dependable. I have tried the rollie type that go on wet and smell nice but make you feel like you need  to flap like a bird for the first half hour its on. I have tried the spray ons that I find don't last. I have used the clear gels that feel like I have jello under my arms and I have tried the white bars that I like but find that I am using them a few times during the day. Which I may add is strange because I don't usually work very hard and don't sweat much :)


My latest Buzzkit was from Secret.


 I use secret anyway so this was a good gig for me. It was for their new clinical strength deodorant. I don't get paid for sharing my opinion...which is just wrong....but that is for another day....I received a trial size sample. Guess what. The stuff really works. I used it this weekend. As you know I have been ill for the past few weeks and this weekend I knew I was staying home in y comfy clothes. I put it on after my shower Saturday and it was still working when I decided to get dressed Sunday afternoon. (Don't judge me...lol). Usually I would have reapplied my deodorant several times in that much time. I have a phobia of smelling sweaty. So if you are looking for a quick boost to your overall feeling of well being, I would suggest trying Secret Clinical Strength...I used the solid so I don't know about the gel one.



Find the little things that will help you feel your best....and be a good friend and share them with us.

Tuesday 6 October 2015

My Grandma's Teacups: Turn your Cricut Explore into a Paper Doll Cutter

So it's no secret that I am totally crazy about Prima Marketing's line of Julie Nutting Dolls Stamps. It seems I talk about them allot....ok...really really allot. But they are so fun to make. Some of my friends were less then excited about the stamps because they did not enjoy spending the time cutting out the multiple layers that make these dolls come to life. This diminished my joy somewhat as I wanted everyone to love them as much as I do.

Then one afternoon it struck me (not literally) but I figured out that if we eliminated the fussy cutting around the various layers the ladies could just enjoy the process of stamping and colouring the dolls. Bravo, I have my moments of brilliance. So I set to work creating cut files for my Prima Dolls. Some people will be aghast that I would suggest this. I am aware that some people will use this technique for evil and do the print then cut but I need to remind those folks not to get too excited because that feature only works on white paper. So follow along with the doll stamp of your choice. It;s a long process but you will only need to do it once and then you will have years of enjoyment dressing up your creations.


So the first step is to get an image of your stamp:

You could be very ambitious and scan your stamp or you can just google the stamp and borrow an image to use.


Now then, time to get to work. Log into your Cricut design space and start a new project.





























Select all the layers for your doll and bring them into your design space. You may notice a few extra specks you missed when erasing. Take a moment and clear them up using an extra shape and the slice tool. This also works to straighten up any wiggly parts that you did not get a perfect image of. ( I get this allot because I have shaky hands). Remember to work with a duplicate of the piece you are working on so that you can have a fallback if something goes wrong.








The rest of the tutorial will be in the post on Thursday! 

Go Ahead, Its already posted



Monday 5 October 2015

My Grandma's Teacups: Focus on You Series: Guest Post By by Rosiland Burch, Handcrafted Jewelry Designer


"Wearing Fierce Jewelry Makes You Feel Fabulous”

Women wearing fabulous jewelry that builds the self-esteem and confidence, is something that I get to experience with clients all of the time. Working with these extraordinary women on the daily bases, gives me the opportunity to peer into their world to see why they love wearing fabulous jewelry as the main accessory in their wardrobe as they conquer the world.

As a world renowned handcrafted jewelry designer, my job is to create beautiful jewelry that will transform each client into the fierce woman, who’s ready to take on life’s chances. We are talking fabulous everyday women, who takes on families, careers, educational pursuits, or reinventions due to life’s changes. These are the women that I have the absolute pleasure of accessorizing with fabulous jewelry.


 Now let us tell the truth!  We as women have a lot to deal with as we take on the cares of the world, which often takes the focus off of our personal needs as women. We get so caught up in taking care of home, meeting deadlines at work, or running businesses that we neglect the fact that we need to sparkle, while we are being the queen on the chessboard in the game of life.  That’s right, I said “sparkle.” Yes, I am talking about wearing jewelry that will start conversations or make you feel like you should be on the front cover of Vogue.  Fabulous baubles such as necklaces, statement pieces, chokers, earrings of all sizes and shapes, and rings with amazing color should adorn your ensemble. Believe me when I tell you that your favorite jewelry pieces can make a difference in how you perceive your situations in life. Walk with me for just a moment. Let’s say that you get up feeling some kind of way, “PERIOD”. You don’t really have time to recalibrate your thinking because you have to get everyone as well as everything in order before you leave, this includes yourself. So in the midst of everything,  you are thinking about what you are going to wear from head to toe as well as how fast you can get it on, so you start the day that you feel should end before it gets started. Now, this is because you are thinking about everyone else but yourself. Now, imagine restarting the same day with same set of circumstances. This time, you are taking a few extra minutes to plan your look. So now, you get to plan what you wear, which now includes the new or favorite jewelry pieces that makes you feel so empowered when you wear them as you take on this hellish type day. This change or sense of empowerment you feel comes from how you feel when you put on those pieces of jewelry that simply takes you somewhere within yourself that makes you feel fierce, powerful, and fabulous in your own right. Even I, have a kickass statement necklace that makes me feel like I am on top of the world!

Article by Rosiland Burch, Handcrafted Jewelry Designer
Website:  www.stojewels.com

Friday 2 October 2015

My Grandma's Teacups: Being A Little Wish-y Washi

Delight! My order came in yesterday and inside a very small inconspicuous box was a wonder of washi that I spent much to long drooling over. I can't believe how excited this pretty tape makes me. Its like each little roll holds the promise of a great crafting project just waiting to be explored. I know this is far from the last order I will be receiving as I think this just might be my new favourite embellishment. I think it is perfect for the Bible Journaling that I am hoping to start soon.

Check out my haul:



These are all from the company called Love My Tapes and I think I am in trouble because there are over 100 designs available.

This is not like the washi I have purchased before that feels flimsy and fragile. This tape has a real depth to it. I feel like it will hold up to my plans for using it in my planner and bible journal. The colours are very vibrant. (My photography does not do it justice).

I will post some pictures once my new planner arrives. I am still waiting for the journalling bible I want to be released.

Here is sneak peek at the planner I have ordered:



Don't forget to follow my on Pinterest as I explore all the wonderful uses for all the Washi I am wishing for.

Follow My Grandma's Teacups's board Wonderful Washi on Pinterest. Follow My Grandma's Teacups's board Bible Journaling on Pinterest. Follow My Grandma's Teacups's board Planner Printables on Pinterest.

Wednesday 30 September 2015

My Grandma's Teacups: Marker Mayhem: Which Marker is best for you?

Hi Guys. I an super excited that you have been sharing lots of love on my Copic posts. I have to tell you working with alcohol markers is amazingly fun. It is also really expensive to build up a collection. I did some research on other brands of alcohol markers and found that the price difference is definitely something to look at. Lets face it, I like to think I am a pretty fantastic crafter but I am certainly not at the artistic level of the people that require Copic markers.

These were some of the alternatives I looked at:



  • Le Plume
  • Sharpie
  • ShinHan
  • Bic
  • Copic
  • Spectrum Noir
When you are looking  at purchasing alcohol markers I think you need to really evaluate how much you plan on using them. This will skew the numbers tremendously. For some a set of Sharpie or Bic markers would be a perfect choice as they don't need allot of colours and won't use them so often as to have to replace them. For others having a marker that can be refilled and nibs changed will be the most cost effective.


Brand # Colours Refillable Nib Replaceable Price
Le Plume 35 Colours and one blender available No No $2
Spectrum Noir 168 Colours Yes Yes $2-3
Copic Ciao 180 Colours Yes Yes $5-7
Sharpie 24 (some are limited edition) No No $1.50-2
Bic 36 Colours No No $1.50-2
ShinHan 204 Colours Yes Yes $4-5

I have used the LePlume  Markers. They were actually the first kind I purchased as they were readily available at my local Michael's. I personally did not enjoy working with them. The nib seemed a bit unwieldy for me.

I have used Sharpie and Bic markers in a pinch but because of the limited colours I did not make this my go to marker.

I have had a set of ShinHan markers for about a year. I think it might just be me but I find it hard to get the same blending effect as my Copic markers.

Copic Ciao have been my favourite to work with for some time. It was a long process to grow my collection though as up until recently they were not sold in my area and I had to rely on Ebay and Scrapfest to make my purchases. I liked the Copic because it seemed sensible to me to purchase a marker that I could keep using indefinitely by refilling it using Various Ink refills and Copic Nibs. Our group had started collecting Copics as well as we have been learning the various techniques but at $6-7 a marker it's hard for many people to build a workable pallette.

Over the last few days I have spent allot of time researching Spectrum Noir markers. There are a ton of free resources for this line and the price point makes it more appealing for the average crafter, like me. For this reason I have listed my Copic and ShinHan Touch markers on my clearance site and I have ordered the Spectrum Noir Collection. This way the ladies in the group can get 6 markers in a pack every month instead of 1 or 2. Using this method we will all have complete sets in no time at all.

Monday 28 September 2015

My Grandma's Teacups: Washi Wonder


I have a small confession to make. I never got the whole Washi Fever everyone seemed to on this past year. It seemed every papercrafting company and craft direct sales line was toting a boatload of washi tape in every width, colour and pattern imaginable. I did not get it....its paper on masking tape right? I was mildly intrigued when I started to see videos pop up on YouTube with people making their own washi tape using markers and inks on medical tape.I even went so far as to purchase a few rolls of it from the dollar store, but alas I have a couple of rough and tumble boys that required it before I got a chance to alter it.

I have always loved planners and as I watched all the instagram and Pinterest posts go by I noticed a new trend. Washi Tape seemed to have taken over the monthly and weekly calendars of all my friends.

It did not stop there. I started noticing it in home decorating posts and party favours. How did this simple combination of scrapbook design and tape gain such notoriety???? The short answer is...because it's so simple. Without getting out your scissors, paper or glue you can personalize everything from planners to light switches. Now a $1 notebook from the dollar tree can be customized to look like the high end journals from Indego and Chapters.

So this is my official surrender. I am jumping in. My next order that should come in next week will include a large assortment of Washi Tape. I have no definite plans for it yet, but you can be sure that I will be scouring the pages of Pinterest for ideas. Be sure to watch out for my next haul video (hopefully on Periscope) to see what I have to work with.

Leave a comment with your favourite use for Washi Tape, or post a link to a picture of your Washi Stash. Be sure to follow my Wonderful Washi Board on Pinterest to get some inspiration on how to use this sticky wonder tape.




Follow My Grandma's Teacups's board Wonderful Washi on Pinterest.

Sunday 27 September 2015

My Grandma's Teacups: Prima Stamp Giveaway


Just because Vicki Gee is such a wonderful person we are going to have a giveaway of a Prima Julie Nutting stamp:...
Posted by My Grandma's Teacups on Sunday, September 27, 2015

Tuesday 22 September 2015

My Grandma's Teacups: Sneak peek at some of my favourite Christmas collections

I have officially caught my first really bad cold of the season. It has been a good excuse to cozy up with the September New Goods Catalogue and preview the new lines available for Christmas crafting. I know you don't want to think about Christmas yet, but if you are planning on creating homemade cards or papercrafts its time to start thinking about supplies.

Fabscraps: Christmas Joy Collection


Fabscraps has become one of my favourite paper suppliers. I love the vintage feel and muted colours in this collection. I can see some lovely cards being created with this paper.





This collection from Graphic 45 was previously released but I am glad to see it make a comeback. It features all the traditional colours and themes that I remember of Christmas' in my childhood. I have purchased the stamps and paper for a mini album I want to make before Christmas. If you are looking for a more Victorian feel for your crafts, the new "A Christmas Carol" line is already available.

Kaisercraft: Yuletide Collection



My Minds Eye: Joyous Collection

This may be one of my favourite collections this season. I love the oodles of goodies that you can get to coordinate with the paper line. It takes the guesswork out of matching up colours in embellishments.



Don't forget the trim and twine to finish off your projects. Maya Road makes beautiful twine.

Monday 21 September 2015

My Grandma's Teacups: 5 Ways You Never Thought To Use Your Embossing Folders

As a crafter I try to make sure that I invest in products that I will be able to get a lot of mileage from. That is why I tend to to shy away from buying oodles of premade embellishments, single purpose tools and basically anything that I am not going to be able to use for many years. There is nothing worse than buyers remorse after purchasing a really cool crafting supply only to see it languish on your workbench waiting for a purpose.

 One of the most versatile papercrafting tools that you can get are embossing folders. You can buy the expensive sizzix or cuttlebug folders (and I have many times) but if you want to build a large selection Darice makes a huge collection of folders that are just as good (and about 1/3) of the price). The reason that I am so crazy about embossing folders is their versatility. You can do so much more than just dry emboss paper.

 

These are five of my favourite techniques.

  1. Letterpress 
  2. Wax Resist
  3. Glitter
  4. Foil
  5. Double Emboss

Letterpress:

This technique involves inking directly on your folder and then embossing the paper. The inlaid areas become inked while the embossed areas remain untouched. You can also ink the alternate side for a reversed look.

This is a wonderful video that illustrates this technique well.

Letterpress with Stampin' Up! Embossing Folders


Wax Resist:

With the use of some wax paper and an embossing folder you can create amazing patterns to use as resist (it does require an iron though) luckily for me I have one that I have rarely used :)

Wax Resist Techniques | docrafts Creativity TV


 Glitter


You can never have too many ways to apply your glitter. This is such a fun technique and it makes such an impact on cards. This has a big "WOW" factor.

Foil

Whip out that Reynolds Wrap because you are going to think of at least 20 things you are going to want to make with this technique. It also looks amazing with alcohol inks applied to it.

Double Emboss

This just takes your embossing up a notch. Be sure to use a juicy Versamark pad for this so that you get a really good application.

Friday 18 September 2015

My Grandma's Teacups: Graphic 45 By The Sea Layouts






As I was organizing my studio (ok, I lost some stamps and was just moving piles of paper around), I came across our club layout from August. I wanted to be sure that I shared it with you because if you have not worked with this line yet drop everything and go get some before it retires. It is very vintage and classy in true Graphic 45 style. I did find the colours a bit 4th of July but it was fun to work with as a beachy backdrop to some of the summer pictures I snapped of the kids.

The collection was challenging to work with from a design perspective because even the "solids and stripes" type patterns were very busy. The images were so cute though that it was definitely worth the effort.

The layouts are from the Cricut Artbooking cartridge and I think that they were a perfect match for the playfulness of this line.








Scrapbooking

Wednesday 16 September 2015

My Grandma's Teacups: Copic Club #2

Have you been practicing with your Copic markers this week? I hope you are following along with our club as we explore the wonder of working with alcohol markers.

Our club met last Thursday for our second session working with Copic markers. One of our members was truant last time (something about an ear infection...geeesh...no dedication) so we did a quick recap of the types of Copic markers available and the Copic Colour Code. If you missed my post with reference to the Copic Colour Code you better take a quick peek Here



We attempted two new techniques in this session:


#1 Colouring and shading using only one marker

#2 Transferring ink from a dark marker to a lighter one before colouring

The first technique just requires that you lay down you base layer of ink and then go over the areas that should have a shadow several times. Its important to let the image dry between layers. You can achieve a very nice look using this technique and it is great for all of us that are just beginning to collect markers. 

The second technique was a bit harder to get the hang of. The process itself was easy, simply touch the darker markers nib against the lighter colour nib and colour, but it took some practice to get the colours that we were after. I think at the end of the day we decided it was easier to do the 3 marker technique we originally learned as the effect was quite similar.

Next Copic Club we are going to be working on FUR!!!! Lets hope I can find my Popcorn Bear stamps by then.

Hope you are enjoying playing along with our Copic Club.



Copic Markers

Monday 14 September 2015

My Grandma's Teacups: Copics Club Session 1

Our first Copic club was in August and we had so so much fun practicing colouring random stamped images. We began with an overview of the copic colour code. Bet you didn't know there was a code did you? Well, there is, and once you understand it you will be able to follow the rules or throw caution to the wind and create beautiful pieces of art.


So what is the Copic Colour System?

The Copic Colour System identifies and labels each Copic Colour based on the color’s individual: Colour FamilySaturation Number & Brightness Number.Copic color system

  • The Colour Family indicates what sort of color, i.e. red, blue-green, orange, etc.
  • The Saturation Number indicates how “rich” or how “dull” the colour will appear (higher number = more dull)
  • The Brightness Number indicates how “dark” the color will appear (Higher number = darker)
Is that all clear as mud? Well as you practice with your markers it will start to make sense. You will recall in one of the earlier posts that I suggested you buy your markers in groups of three. Therefore you would look for 3 markers with the same Colour Family, Saturation Number and Brightness numbers within 2-3 levels of each other. This will give you  a base colour and then two shades for adding shadows and detail.

We started with the Copic Skin Tone Doodle Pack as I tend to have allot of stamps of children that we will be using. These doodle packs make choosing coordinating colours a breeze.
We focused on the three marker technique using the lightest colour as the base and then building the shadows from there. It takes some practice to lay down a perfect base without streaks. Small circles allow you to keep working on the wet edge. We found flicking the darker colours made it easier to place the shadows.

This is a great time to start your copic binder. Print off a free template from the web and practice different colour combinations to see which colour tones you like the best.

Thursday 27 August 2015

My Grandma's Teacups Scrapbooking and Craft Supplies: Copic Resources

Yep, still on vacation with the kids. I can't believe school is just around the corner. Anyone that blogs about great school lunch ideas please get in touch, I dread the idea of all those empty containers to fill with some magical equation of foods that will somehow delight my kids.

It occurred to me that I neglected to tell you that you need to start a binder for your Copic Adventures. You will want to keep a record of different colour palettes and techniques you have tried and liked. Have no fear! Copic had a great library of resources that you can print and use. There are also numerous free printables of other people's creations, but honestly its more fun to make your own.




Free Printable Copic Resources















Don't forget to follow my Copic Crazy Pinterest Board to stay up to date on my latest finds.

Follow My Grandma's Teacups's board Copic Crazy on Pinterest.
Copic Markers

Tuesday 25 August 2015

My Grandma's Teacups Scrapbooking and Craft Supply: Copic Craziness is Contagious! Beware

Last week our papercrafting club decided to do a bit of an introduction to alcohol markers. We basically went over the different kinds of markers that are available, how to use the Copic Colour Wheel and then we got down to just stamping and colouring. Time flies when you are having fun, it was just after 10 when we called it quits. We were having so much fun making all our stamped images come to life.

I did not want to leave you all hanging while I wrapped up my summer camping so I put together a quick round up of some really great Copic tutorials you may want to check out. Feel free to follow my Pinterest board Copic Crazy


Follow My Grandma's Teacups's board Copic Crazy on Pinterest.

Here are a few I think you will really like:

About my Copic Markers; An Update by Britta

My Creative Process- Karen Giron

12 Essential Lessons for Copic Users (Debbie Hodge)

Remember: Practice makes perfect!
Copic Markers