Celebration of Color

April Showers bring May Flowers - or so the old adage goes! No time of year makes me more aware of color than these wonderful weeks of spring. Here at the Pursuit of Craftyness, we decided to take a cue from Mother Nature and explore the great big world of color. All month long, the POC designers will bring you their take on a specific color medium. As always, we would love to see what you create, so leave a link in the comments where we can see your piece. We're looking forward to seeing what you create during our Celebration of Color.

If there are two things that I find hold true in crafting, it is that (1)everything old is eventually new again and (2)good tools are worth investing in. That being said, I'm going to kick off the Celebration of Color with a look at Twinkling H20s.

I've had my Twinkling H20s for about six years now - and they're just as great as the day I got them! They'll last for as long as you want to keep them, so they're a worthy investment. If you haven't been into crafting for very long, you might not be sure what these are; I've seen quite a few questions on message boards lately regarding them. Twinkling H20s are wonderful little pots of shimmery watercolors made by LuminArte, Inc.. They come in a wide range of colors that add a gorgeous punch of shimmery color to your craft projects. I mainly use them with stamped images, but they're certainly not limited to that niche.

This is a picture of how I keep mine. I actually have them in old Sizzix cases so that I can stack them. (I fit about 16 of the pots in a red-size case.) I like to keep them upside down so that I can see the colors.

So, where to start? Here's my favorite tip for success with using these with stamps if I know that I want to 'stay in the lines': emboss your stamped image!


This is a fun cupcake stamp from Lockhart Stamp Company. I love how their stamps are so detailed, whimsical and begging to be colored! Here I used Onyx Black Versafine. Tsukineko doesn't say that this ink is able to be embossed, but I find that if I sprinkle embossing powder (EP) right away, it gives the nicest, small amount of embossing - perfect for what I want in this case. By embossing the image with clear EP, I create little 'walls' that my watercolor will want to stay within.

Now I'm ready to paint! I decide on my color scheme and use my mister to add water to each pot.


The great thing about Twinkling H20s is that you don't have to be an artist to make them look good. Just start watercoloring like when you were a kid! I prefer a small bristled brush (because I am NOT an artist, and find I get the best control with a small brush. Here I use a Loew-Cornell size 4 round brush.)



I wanted to show you this out-of-focus picture to let you see just how shimmery these are. They can be tough to photograph, but your recipient will be blown away at just how shimmery they are in person! You can also see in this picture that I have used some Liquid Applique (Marvy Uchida) for the frosting. (If you're not familiar with this product, it comes in a pen form, goes on as a liquid and puffs up when you heat it with your embossing gun. Fun texture for small areas!) Because of the qualities of Twinkling H20s, you're not limited to painting on paper; you can see in the final picture that I painted the Liquid Applique, too. Shimmer and texture - what more can a Crafty Gal ask for?!



There it is, all finished and put together! I went with a simple card layout because I really want to make this painted image to stand out - with all the care you put into it, you want it to be the center of attention, right?

{Supply List - Twinkling H20s (Key Lime, Blue Ice, Sweet Lavendar, Sunburst, Ruby Red) Luminarte, Inc.; Cardstock (Sunflower Medium, Intense Kiwi) Prism; Stamps (Three Cupcakes, Happy Cupcake Day) Lockhart Stamp Company; Dies (Classic Rectangle Nestabilities, Ribbon Tags Trio) Spellbinders; Ink (Onyx Black Versafine) Tsukineko, (Colorbox Lime Green Fluid Chalk) Clearsnap; Embossing folder (Cuttlebug Swiss Dots) Provo Craft; Texture (Liquid Applique) Marvy Uchida; Ribbon (pink with yellow stitching) Creative Impressions}

Interested in other ways to use Twinkling H20s? I have two valuable resources for you. The first is the Luminarte website . The second is a fun,easy tutorial that my friend Heather Nichol's did for Papertrey Ink. You can view Heather's post on her blog here.

I hope this has inspired you to either pull out your old Twinkling H20s or to try something new. It's an incomparable color medium that packs a shimmery punch to all of your projects. Have fun experimenting with it.

And last, but certainly not least, Sherry asked me to let you know that Parker and Emma's Mom won the RAK! :) CONGRATS! Here's her comment:

" Parker and Emma's Mom said...
http://hansenhappenings.blogspot.com/2008/04/april-showers-bring-may-flowers.html

Here is something I made this month to try to spruce up my scrap space a bit.

Love the blog!"

So, our Crafty friend, just be on the lookout for an email from Sherry for your info!

Thanks for stopping by the Pursuit of Craftyness today (and for reading through my first post!). Make sure to stop back and be amazed at the rest of the team's interpretations of May's Celebration of Color.

Be well. ~ Jenn

Laughing Cow

In honor of Earth Week this week, I decided to create a project using recycled materials. I saved this Laughing Cow cheese box a couple of weeks ago because I knew it could be made into something fun. So I pulled it out.



I also had an empty ribbon boobin to use, too.



I covered the inside and outside of the box with patterned paper. I used cardstock around the rim of the lid and added ric rac. And then I aded buttons to the top to give it a fun and funky feel.





I adhered ribbon to the bobbin and patterned paper to one side. I glued it to the bottom of the box. Then I placed a gift card onto bobbin, securing it with a glue dot.




Quick and easy! And the best part is that I now have an end of the year teacher gift. Plus, I played a small part in keeping trash out of our local landfill.

Supplies:
Patterned Paper-American Crafts
Cardstock-Bazzil
Buttons-Autumn Leaves
Chipboard Buttons-Making Memories
Ribbon-We R Memory Keepers
Ric Rac-Wrights
Ink-Clearsnap

Thanks for stopping by!
Anabelle :)+

Happy Belated Earth Day!

Earth Day was yesterday so I wanted to share a few projects I have designed which reuse/repurpose items that would normally be thrown out. I am in the process of moving my scrapbook room to the lower level of our home. I am also rethinking some of my storage and organization. I am trying very hard to stay on a budget for reorganizing and decorating my new space. Recycling a few items that would have been thrown away is definitely progress in maintaining my self-imposed budget! {smile}

One thing I had to change was the way I stored my pattern paper and cardstock. My previous method was not working for me. Rather than spend way too much on paper holders, I repurposed old shipping boxes from an online scrapbook orders. I traced the shape of a plastic paper holder than I had for magazines and trimmed the shipping box with a craft knife. Next, I spray painted the box using Krylon's Paper Finishes (Make it Suede) and allowed it to dry. I then trimmed the paper to fit each side & the front, then glued the paper in place. The "cardstock" label on the front is printed from a battery operated label maker/printer. I just inked the white label tape to coordinate. I have MANY more of these to paint and cover but I'm delighted with how this turned out.

The next recycled item I used were Crystal Light containers. I just tore off the labels, cut the paper to size, inked the edges and glued the paper in place. I want to add onto my pen storage so this is a perfect solution to keep adding on in a pyramid sort-of method. I just used glue dots to hold them together.

Here are both items:

This past weekend I was browsing Etsy and discovered a really cool Etsy store where she repurposes old rubber into pretty rings made with zip ties! I'd love to see any eco-friendly/recylcing type of crafts you've created! Just post a link in the comments!

Good Monday morning...

Hope everyone had a great weekend! We’ve been having beautiful weather here and I’m in the mood for all things Spring. One thing I enjoy doing is creating a little home décor piece for each season, this weekend I was inspired to create a quick & simple frame.

As soon as I saw the little birds on the Tinkering Ink “For the Birds” paper I knew I wanted to display them somewhere in my home. About 45” later this is what I came up with:





Supplies:

Tinkering Ink “For the Birds paper”
Sassafras Lass paper
Paper Salon chipboard frame
American Crafts thickers alphabet (chipboard & velvet)
American Crafts thickers shape
Creative Crystal stones
Clearsnap inks
Fabric-Tac adhesive by Beacon

Directions:

1. Cut bird from pattern paper and set aside.
2. Cut an 8”x8” piece of blue pattern paper and adhere to back of frame.
3. Adhere bird using foam adhesive as shown.
4. Adhere “Home tweet Home” using chipboard and velvet letter stickers.
5. Adhere crystals beside “Home” and to flower center. Finish with chipboard flourish on the top and bottom.

You can either set it out or attach a ribbon to the back and hang on the wall. :0)

Now for the fun part… I want to see what you come up with (or have done in the past) using your crafty skills to make something to display in your home. It can be paper crafts, sewing, knitting, whatever. Just link me to your creation (present or past) and you’ll be entered to win the Autumn Leaves “Foof-a-life” book and Around the Block tape writer (plus who knows what else I might throw in).

I’ll draw a winner next Monday. ;0) Have fun creating!

ETA: The randomly picked winner is: "Parker and Emma's Mom said...
http://hansenhappenings.blogspot.com/2008/04/april-showers-bring-may-flowers.html

Here is something I made this month to try to spruce up my scrap space a bit.

Love the blog!"

Thanks so much for playing along, loved looking at everyone's creations. :0)


Sherry

Happy Friday!

Miki here and not only do I paper craft, but I love all kinds of crafts! I especially love to read and learn about all different kinds of crafts . Here at the Pursuit of CraftYness blog, we hope to show a variety of things. It’s all about inspiring each other and if we can get someone to try something new…even better!

I have always wanted to learn how to sew, so last summer I took the plunge and signed up for a sewing class. It was great learning the basics, especially how to read patterns. I am by no means an expert, but I enjoy all the fun fabrics there are to choose from and making something. Just like I do with paper! I have found many, many sewers online that are so willing to share their expertise along with patterns they have created for anyone to use.

I wanted to share this great link for an adorable purse on the Tiny Happy Blog.

Shoulder Bag

Her instructions are very easy to follow and she did a great job with posting photos. I don’t know about you guys, but photos sure help me follow along when I ‘m learning something. So grab some fun fabric and give it a try this weekend!

Here’s my version of her great purse and I used fabrics from the Free Spirit Chocolate Lollipop Collection.

Thank you Tiny Happy for such a great tutorial and inspiring blog!

Let's have some FUN!

Good morning friends! My name is Melissa, and it's my pleasure to be here today blogging with you. I have a fun challenge in store if you're up for it.

My challenge for you involves the above card and THIS card from my friend Teri's blog. Isn't her card beautiful? I was asked to host a challenge at Split Coast Stampers this week, and the challenge was to find a card I thought of as very inspirational, then create my own based on the basic design of the card. So...my take is the card above---and I can't wait to see yours too! I loved the process of taking someone else's design and incorporating bits of myself into my project--so enjoyable. So....you can check out more details here at Split Coast Stampers, and load in your cards in their gallery...or just link them here if you'd rather. Either way....let us see what you've come up with using Teri's card---I can't wait and I sure don't want to miss out on seeing your beautiful creations!

Let me know if you have any questions.

The supplies I used in my card are:

Bazzill cardstock

Making Memories paper

My Mind's Eye paper

Making Memories flowers and buttons

Doodlebug sugar coated brads

Basic Grey stamps

Crafty Secrets vintage image

Ranger ink

Enjoy your day!

Melissa

Our First Set of Projects!

Welcome to the Pursuit of Craftyness! We are sooo excited to be able to share our creativity via this blog. We have lots of neat things in store, so check back!

In celebration of this new beginning, we have put together a fun challenge. Julia created a card sketch and some of the designers have created cards and projects appropriate for “new” situations. You are invited to play along with us and post links to your creations. We’d LOVE to see them. Meanwhile, make yourself comfy and enjoy the eye candy.




New Home Card
Designer: Linda Beeson

Materials:
Patterned paper and punch out shapes – Loveland/Scenic Route Paper
Fluid Chalk stamp pad – Clearsnap
Tonic Paper Distresser
Rub-on words and letters – Making Memories, Luxe and Deja Views
Button brads – Making Memories
Scallop scissors – Fiskars
Machine sewing

Bloom Where You're Planted Card
Designer: Jennifer Ellefson
Finished Size: A2

SUPPLY LIST:
Cardstock: (Aqua Mist) Papertrey Ink, (Classic Linen Natural White) Neenah
Patterned Paper: (County Fair Prize Pig) October Afternoon
Stamps: (Polka Dot Basics, Spiral Bouquet) Papertrey Ink
Ink: (Aqua Mist) Papertrey Ink, (Creamy Caramel) Stampin' Up
Die: (Petite Oval Large Nestibilities) Spellbinders
Ribbon, button: craft supply



Tiny Toes Card
Designer: Melanie Douthit

Supplies:
Cardstock: Bazzill
Patterned Paper: Daisy D's; Making Memories
Die Cuts: Fancy Pants
Buttons: American Crafts
Safety Pin: Making Memories
Die Cut: Provocraft
Chalk Ink: Clearsnap
Other: Ribbon



Follow Your Heart
Designer: Sherry Wright

SEI papers (Dill Blossom)
Sassafras Lass die cut edge
MME die cut
Chatterbox quote
Fancy Pants trim
Creative Crystal stones
Zip dry adhesive by Beacon

Create Notebook
Designer Kelly Anne Grundhauser

Supplies:
Small Steno notebook
The Paper Company-Corrugated Paper
Coredinations Cardstock
Mustard Moon Alpha Stickers
Provo Cuttlebug Script Embossing folder
Foofala Button
Fiskars Circle Punch
Prima Flower
Colorbox Fluid Chalk ink
Sand Paper
White Thread

Inspire Card
Designer: Melissa Phillips

Supply list:
Bazzill cardstock
Collage Press, Basic Grey, and Fancy Pants paper
Provo Craft Cuttlebug die cut
Making Memories ribbon, buttons, flower, and sticker
Ranger Stickles glitter, and ink



A Fresh Start Card
Designer: Anabelle O’Malley

Supplies:
Lace Cardstock-KI Memories
Patterned Paper-American Crafts
Paper Frills-Doodlebug
Buttons-Doodlebug
Glitter-Ranger Stickles
Floss-DMC
Font-French Script


The Higher You Bounce Card
Designer: Stacey Stamitoles
Supplies:
Cardstock: Bazzill
Paper: Making Memories
Chipboard Butterfly: Joann's
Rubon sentiment: DCWV
Ribbon: May Arts
Rubon photo corners: Creative Imaginations
Brown ink: Ranger

Oh Happy Day Card
Designer: Julia Sandvoss

Doodlebug Cardstock
K & Company Brenda Walton & Tim Coffey papers
K & Company Wedding Grand Adhesions stickers
Bo Bunny Anna Sophia striped paper
Bo Bunny Double Dot ribbon
Heidi Grace "Greetings" stamps
Paper Salon "Cogratulations" stamp
Heidi Swapp Jewels
Making Memories Velvet brad
Jenni Bowlin Jouranling Card
ColorBox Chalk Inks


New Nest Card
Designer: Jessica Witty

Supplies:
Rubber Stamps: Pretty Birds set by Kim Hughes for Cornish Heritage Farms
Cardstock is Kraft, Chocolate Chip, & Shimmery White by Stampin' Up; orange is Bazzill
Patterned Paper: Organized One Word by KI
Ink: Basic Brown, More Mustard, Pumpkin Pie, Creamy Caramel by Stampin' UP
Ribbon: May Arts
Punch: Marvy

Have a wonderful weekend!

Welcome!

Welcome to the Pursuit of CraftYness blog!

We are a creative group of crafters who have joined together to form the Pursuit of CraftYness. We are the former designers who made up the Paper Salon DT. Recently, the company's plans changed with regards to our team; our friendship prevailed.

We decided to form the Pursuit of CraftYness to continue in our creative journey, together. Our team consists of: Anabelle O'Malley, Fiona Carter, Jennifer Ellefson, Jessica Witty, Julia Sandvoss, Kelly Grundhauser, Linda Beeson, Melanie Douthit, Melissa Phillips, Miki Benedict, Sherry Wright, and Stacey Stamitoles.

Watch for a post (later this morning) with projects inspired by a sketch that Julia Sandvoss put together for us. We decided "transition, new beginnings, changes..." would be a great focus for us. Many of us had been on the design team for 2-3 years, so we are dealing with a transition/change that most of us had not experienced. We are so thankful to have each other as friends and to collaborate as creative artists.

We will be posting 2-3 times a week and each of us will rotate in authoring our posts and sharing our crafts. We will post challenges for reader participation, share our tips, ideas and even have a few giveaways along the way. We hope you will join us in on our creative journey and craft Your own stYle.