Saturday, May 25, 2013

CAS Rainbow Hello

We are having a very odd weather experience in Minnesota this spring. Snow fell into May and now we've had a week of non-stop rain. It's all good as it was a fairly dry winter so the added moisture is welcome. Just makes it difficult for the farmers to get into full swing. The best part about rain? The rainbows!!! I've had this image colored and glittered for almost a month. I know if I want to finish out the progressive challenge over at CDAC, I'd better get it finished as there are two more images to create with before the end of June.

Thanks for looking! Spicey Cat Chick =^..^=
My Creation
Image Detail
Inspiration
Ins and Outs ~ CAS Rainbow Hello
Stamps: Back to Paper Rainbow image and sentiment
Paper: Stamping Up Whisper White, DCWV
Ink: Copics (B0000, 39; Y000, 08; R29; YR68; G19)
Accessories: Stickles (Christmas Red, Orange Peel, Yellow, Green, Dark Blue, Icicle)

Happy Couple in Purple

Wedding season is upon us! I'm kind of at that in-between age where most of my friends are already married, and their kids aren't old enough yet to walk down the aisle. So, I don't get to make wedding cards that often. My boss's daughter recently got married so I was excited to come up with something. Her color was purple and she's a sweet, fun girl. This image from Kenny K was the perfect fit.

Thanks for looking! Spicey Cat Chick =^..^=
My Creation
Image Detail
 

Inspiration
Ins and Outs ~ Happy Couple in Purple
Stamps: Happy Couple (Kenny K)
Paper: SU Whisper White, DCWV
Ink: Laser Printer, Copics (Skin: E000, 00, 11, R11, E04; Hair Man: E40, 42, 44, 47; Hair Woman: E21, 25, 29; Clothes: E81 (dress), C1, 5, 7, 9 (tux); Flowers: V17, 91, 95; BV0000
Accessories: Clear Star Gelly Roll; Lavender Liquid Pearls

ATS Turquoise Linky Party is LIVE

It's time for a new Linky Party over at All That Stickles. For the next two weeks we are looking for Turquoise Stickles creations. I used an image from Fresh Brewed Designs, one of our AWESOME sponsors, to create a card for a friend. She's been our local librarian and is leaving us - boo hoo! I can only be happy for her as her hubby has a great job opportunity and she is expecting her second child. As a member of the library board and an avid library user, I will miss her cheery face.

I hope you dig out your Turquoise Stickles and join us at the party! Thanks for looking! Spicey Cat Chick =^..^=
My Creation
 
Image Detail
 
Inspiration
365 Cards Day 100 ~ Word Wednesday: Discover I'm discovering the world of reading through a mermaid.
365 Cards 143 ~ Pick-a-Pattern and use it two ways on card I used polka dots on my card base, within the stamped frame around the verse and created a polka dot pattern around the image.

Ins and Outs ~ Reading Mermaid
Stamps: Fresh Brewed Designs Akilah the Mermaid, Stamping Up verse and label
Paper: SU Whisper White; Basic Grey Hello Luscious; The Paper Studio; DCWV
Ink: Copics: E000, 00; YR14, 18, 21, 23, 24; BG09, 11, 49, 57, 72; YG93, 95,97, SU Basic Black and Pumpkin Pie
Accessories: Stickles (Turquoise, Paprika, Goldenrod)

Furry Friend Family for OSC

Hello and welcome to the long weekend! At least it is for us in the US as we celebrate Memorial Day. It looks like it might be cool and rainy which means I might find some time to craft! Well, in between the never ending to do list at the house and popping in to the office to try and catch up on some projects.

This week at One Stop Crafts we are looking for Furry Friends. Ellephantastic is sponsoring us and gave the DT some adorable images to play with. I love Roger and Rosie and this is such a cute family image. Play along and you could win!

Thanks for looking! Spicey Cat Chick =^..^=
My Creation
Image Detail

Inspiration
Ins and Outs ~ Furry Friend Family
Stamps: Ellephantastic Roger, Rosie & Junior; Stampin Up Raining Flowers; TLC Verse
Paper: Stampin Up (Whisper White, Raspberry Ripple, Sahara Sand), DCWV Card Base
Ink: Stamping Up (Sahara Sand, Raspberry Ripple); Copics (W1, 3; YR21, 24; R11; E30, 33, 35, 41, 43, 44, 47, 49); Laser Printer
Accessories: Stamping Up (Border Punches; Raspberry Ripple Stitched Satin Ribbon; Color Spritzer Tool; Stickles – Cotton Candy, Gold)

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Stickled Ice Cream Tutorial

Did you all have a FABULOUS time on the All that Stickles Ice Cream Shoppe hop? As promised, I'm bringing you all the nitty, gritty details of my ice cream cone creation. It's really pretty easy, just give yourself lots of drying time for each step. I'm not the most patient person so needing to wait for the 'ice cream' to dry and then the Stickles was pure torture! Especially considering I was working on it during 3 days of rain. Are you ready? Let's get started by gathering your supplies.
  • cardboard toilet paper rolls (paper towel or gift wrap rolls will also work, just trim to size)
  • styrofoam balls
  • Ivory bar soap (or Ivory snow laundry detergent if you can find it)
  • craft glue
  • drinking straws or wooden skewers
  • grater (think shredded cheese variety)
  • bowl
  • paper towels (it will get messy)
  • warm water
  • paintbrush (optional)
  • craft paint (optional)
  • Stickles (MANDATORY, of course)

First step is to get your 'cones' ready. You can leave the tubes as is, if you'd like them to stand on their own (great for place holders, table decorations, etc.). I recommend this option for your first attempt. You need to have a spot for the cone to dry for extended periods of time and it's easier if they can stand on their own. If you want to go the sugar cone route, trim the tube in half and cut one side in a semi-circle. Start small as you can always trim further.
Do a practice roll to see how your cone takes shape. Then add glue under the flaps to secure. Hold in place for a minute and it should stay. Make sure you have a 'holder' that this style cone can sit in where the ice cream won't touch anything.
Option: I've seen these created using REAL ice cream cones (either style). I didn't have any on hand so I created my own. Just be careful as the real thing will be quite fragile. That might be a good option for your second or third attempt.

While the cones are drying, prepare the ice cream portion. I used one bar of soap which was just right to cover 3 small styrofoam balls. Grate the soap into a bowl, it will look like this (parents need to do this part).

Now let the kids have some fun. Gradually add a little bit of warm water to the bowl and dive in. I just filled a measuring cup with water and added splashes at a time. Mix and mash with your fingers until you get the texture you want. Mine resembles a thick cottage cheese.
 

The more you work it and the more water you add, the smoother it will become. Remember, this is SOAP so if you add too much water you'll lose the solid and end up with a bowl full of bubbles. 

Depending on your skill level, you can glue the styrofoam ball onto the tube now, or place the ball on the end of a straw or skewer. Since this was my first attempt, I went with the straw so I didn't destroy my tube with soapy hands. I recommend using a knife (adults only) to pierce a hole for the straw or you will probably just bend the straw and get frustrated. One decision you need to make before applying the soap mixture is if you want to paint the styrofoam ball first. Not necessary as the ball can be completely covered, but an option if you want to have a splash of color peeking out. In my examples you'll see I have one with a pink ball. Painting styrofoam is a whole different tutorial, not as easy as you think. If you want to paint the balls, I recommend using the smooth styrofoam and not the rough/pitted style. You can skip the soap part completely by gluing a painted ball on the tube and then decorating with Stickles. Just one of the many ways to make this project your own.

Okay, back to the task at hand; layer on the ice cream! First set your ball on the tube and trace a line on the ball where they connect. That way you know how far to apply the mixture. It will make things easier if you cut along this line so the ball will slide onto the tube. It gives extra stability to your end project and keeps you from crushing the tube when you try to adhere the ball. Trust me on this one.
Use one hand to hold the straw/skewer and the other to pat on the soap mixture. Work your way around the ball to your line. You don't need to go too thick, just keep smoothing out your layer until you are happy with the look. Now that I'm familiar with the process, I will glue the ball to the tube prior to adding the soap mixture and just wrap a few paper towels around the tube so I don't get it soapy.

I had enough mixture to add cherries to the tops of my cones. They are still pretty rough and I didn't glue them on yet. If you glued your ball on prior to adding the soap mixture, you can add some drips along the edge of the cone. Once dried they will help hold things together.

Wash your hands and use your wet fingers to smooth out the ice cream. I just added water to my soap bowl and dipped my fingers in. You can leave it as rough or as smooth as you'd like. Here are my smoothed out cones ready to dry. You can see my example where I painted the ball first. You'll need at least 12 hours to let the soap mixture dry. As I mentioned I was dealing with a humid environment so mine weren't completely dry the next day, but they were dry enough to add the Stickles.

Now comes the REALLY fun part, decorating your ice cream cones. I pulled out my Stickles and got busy. First up were the cherries. I used Christmas Red to create a spiral.

Then I used my paintbrush to blend the spiral into a solid covering of the cherry. This can be tricky if the soap isn't completely dry as it will repel the Stickles. I used the paintbrush to pounce in the blank spots. Once I was happy with the cherry, I added in the sprinkles. This is where you can go crazy with a color theme or use whatever Stickles colors you have. I used Crystal Ice Stickles along the edge of the ice cream and cone to cover up any gaps.

I tried a few options to show you how they turned out. I liked the spiral cherry, so I left one as is.

I did the other cone in a more subtle design. I used my paintbrush to pain the Stickles into place. Since Stickles is just colored glitter suspended in a clear glue, the glitter separates out so the color isn't as saturated.

The next step is more waiting while the Stickles on the ice cream dries. You can either be done once the glitter dries, or you can go one step further and decorate the cone. I used Cinnamon Stickles to create the pattern you see on a sugar cone.

Be careful with this one as you need the ice cream part to be completely dry so you have something to hold onto. You don't want to mess up your lines and have to scrap the cone at this point. I admit, the waiting to dry portions are the longest part of this project.

Here are some close ups of my dried and completed project. I cut one tube down, left one full size, and crafted one into a cone.

Tip, use a craft glue that dries clear, I didn't. You can see my white glue line. My layer of Crystal Ice camouflages it a bit. This isn't a craft for those who like perfection, WAY too many variables in it. It's all about the process and having FUN. 

I'm pleased with my painted cone. It kind of looks like a double scoop cone with vanilla atop strawberry. If you are ambitious, you could go for 2 scoops by using 2 balls. 

Here are the dried cherry variations. The swirl is fun and whimsical. 

And the closing shot of all three. They remind me of bubble gum ice cream, a favorite of mine as a kid. It was like having two treats in one! 

Whew, that was a long one! Did I keep you interested? Are you ready to dive in and create your own ice cream cones? I had all the supplies in my craft stash but the soap, I bet you do too! If you want to hang the ice cream cones, cut a piece of ribbon, form a loop, grab a stick pin and attach to the top of the ice cream cone (pin securing your ends of ribbon). You can make a string of cones for a party decoration or for decorating a Christmas tree. Ax the cone piece and go for a snowball look if you prefer. If you have loose glitter on hand, you could sprinkle it over the ice cream while its wet. The glitter should stick and dry right into the soap. I didn't have any luck trying to mix the Stickles into the soap mixture before applying. The soap is white and pretty much covered up the glitter flecks. If you want to preserve your cones, spray them completely with a clear shellac/varnish. I'd go for 2 or 3 coats. If handled carefully, you should be able to keep your cones on hand for a few years.

I hope you will give this craft a try and always remember Stickles makes pretty much everything better!

Thanks for looking! Spicey Cat Chick =^..^=

I'm entering in just a few challenges....

Stickles Used: Christmas Red, Dark Blue, Yellow, Glam Pink, Firefly, Glitz Sequins, Crystal Ice

Sunday, May 19, 2013

ATS Ice Cream Shoppe Hop

Welcome to the Ice Cream Shoppe Hop brought to you by the All that Stickles design team!


Summer is almost here... and that means it's almost time for summer's favorite treat... ice cream! Bring on the cool scoops of your favorite ice cream flavor mine happens to be mint chocolate chip, the never-ending list of toppings, and of course, you can't forget the cherry on top!

Today the All that Stickles design team has created many different ice cream-themed projects for you to savor. :) And what's our favorite topping?! Stickles, of course!


For my project, I made a Stickled Ice Cream cone created from supplies I had in my craft closet. Did you ever make snowballs or ice cream cones as Christmas ornaments using cardboard rolls, Styrofoam balls and Ivory soap? Or do you remember seeing them on your grandparents tree? Well, I'm bringing back the craft! It's inexpensive, a bit messy in all the right ways, and perfect for kids (with adult supervision). Once the cone was created I got busy with Stickles. The sprinkles, cherry, drippy edge of ice cream and texture  of the cone are all created with Stickles.


Pop in on Tuesday and I will give you the step by step tutorial here and the ATS blog.

We have blog candy for those who are a follower of All that Stickles and leave a comment on every stop of the hop! Winners will be announced Wednesday May 22nd at All that Stickles.

5 Digi Stamps of Winner's Choice

1 Stamp Set of Winner's Choice

$15 Gift Certificate for Digital Stamps

10 Digis of Winner's Choice

Your next stop is the freezer for some ice cream so you can get inspired to create your own ice cream creation! If you do, hop back to All the Stickles and add a comment linking your creation!

Here's the complete lineup:
Cathy you are here!

Thanks for hopping! :) Don't forget to check out our Cotton Candy Linky Party!

Saturday, May 11, 2013

Glittery Angel Wish

Sometimes beautiful things happen when you least expect it; in life and in crafts! I love being part of my design teams but sometimes hit a wall on what to create. This week we are challenging you to Add Some Glitter at One Stop Crafts Card Challenge. Milk and Coffee Stamps are sponsoring us and gave the DT super cute images to play with. I printed out Angel with the Stars and got stumped. I scoured my favorite blogs for inspiration, but nothing was clicking. Then I noticed the corner of a paper pad sticking out of an abandoned Archiver's bag. What? I bought something and left it in the bag? How long has it been since I was at the store? Weeks? Months? Does anyone else find lost treasures and feel like they just got a gift? I flipped through the stack and was giddy when I saw the pastel patterned clouds. PERFECT for my sweet, whimsical angel. I grabbed my supplies and started in with ink and sparkle. I know the perfect little girl to get this card. She's a late bloomer in the world of losing teeth and has been waiting a long time for the Tooth Fairy to visit. Stick with me here, as I know this isn't a traditional tooth fairy image. But, my sweet girl has a book that explains the tooth fairy waits to come for your tooth until she finds the perfect spot for it in the night sky. That's because she takes your teeth and turns them into stars. I love how the angel is kissing a star while she flits through the clouds.

Okay, now that I've bored you with my story, page down to see my creation. I went a bit crazy with my Stickles and created angel/fairy dust all over. If you like to play with glitter, come and join us this week at the OSC.

Thanks for looking! Spicey Cat Chick =^..^=
My Creation
Image Detail

Ins and Outs ~ Glittery Angel Wish
Stamps: Angel of Stars (Milk and Coffee Stamps)
Paper: Cool Summer DSP (Carta Bella); DCWV; Stamping Up Whisper White, Vellum
Ink: Copics: YG11, 23, 25; E000, 00, 11; C00, 1; G21; R81, 83, 85; Y11; Laser Printer, Stardust Gelly Roll Pen
Accessories:Stamping Up Lucky Limeade Ribbon; Stickles (Crystal, Lime Green, Thistle, Icicle, Firefly, Diamond, Yellow), SU Butterfly Sizzlit, ABC Stickers

Stickled Pink Pig

Hello friends! I have a fun to share with you today. I just LOVE this image from Digital Delights. My oldest childhood friend grew up on a farm and would torture me during sleepovers by making me help her feed the pigs. I may have grown up in the country but I am NOT a country girl! For as long as I can remember I've given her pig themed gifts and cards. This one is destined to end up in her hands. We are launching a new Linky Party at All that Stickles today. For the next two weeks we are looking for your COTTON CANDY Stickles creations. Which happens to be the perfect color for my pig!
I hope you'll join in the fun. Thanks for stopping by! Spicey Cat Chick =^..^=

My Creation
Image Detail
Inside
Inspiration
Ins and Outs ~ Stickled Pink Pig
Stamps:Piggy Topper and Verse (Digital Delights)
Paper: SU Patterns Pack II and Cardstock
Ink:  Laser Printer, Copics (R000, 00, 02, 11, 14)
Accessories: 
Cotton Candy Stickles, Glossy Accents

Saturday, May 4, 2013

Splish Splash Spring

I haven't been able to play in the House Mouse and Friends challenge for awhile, and I SO love these little critters. Since winter has stalled out in my neighborhood (there were flakes flying yesterday, May 3rd), I am crafting with spring and summer in mind. The HM challenge is weather related, so I went for SUNNY summer skies. I've been eyeing the Washi craze and finally picked up some rolls. I had fun using the patterns to frame out the card. I like the effect laying the stripes over the dots. I might have to play with Washi a bit more!

Thanks for looking! Spicey Cat Chick =^..^=

My Creation
Image Detail
Inside

Inspiration
Ins and Outs ~ Splish Splash Spring
Stamps:House Mouse Image
Paper:Stamping Up (Gumball Green, Whisper White); Riverbank Revels DSP 

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black; Copics (V20, 28; C00, 1, 2; G82, 94, 99; E000, 21, 30, 31; BG000, 11; R11, 85; YG63, 67) 
Accessories: Crystal Effects; My Minds Eye Washi Tape