Stampin' Up Sunday- Pretty Kitty

Hi there!! So happy to see you here! Today is Sunday and that means it's time for Stampin' Up Sunday!

In the past I have tried to use only current Stampin' Up products for my Stampin' Up Sunday projects but after I went through all my supplies I discovered that the majority of my supplies are all retired. So I decided that my Stampin' Up Sunday's will just focus on a current stamp set. 

Today I am focusing on the super duper cute Pretty Kitty stamp set. Seriously, A-D-O-R-A-B-L-E!! 

I used copics for my coloring today but I'm excited that Stampin' Up has just come out with Stampin' Blends which are alcohol markers too! I haven't had a chance to try them yet but I've heard lots of good things about them!! If you're looking for a new coloring medium, why not check them out!! You can read more about them HERE!!

I also have a tip to share today! I think I've shared it before but in case I didn't, here's how I have my swatches of ink and cardstock. 

I use a retired scalloped oval punch (you could use any punch or die) and then use a hole punch on one end so I can put it on a ring. I write the color on the swatch. For the inks, I stamp on one side of the whisper white oval and write the name on the opposite side. I find this so handy in matching colors or if I am not sure what color cardstock I grabbed! (on mine I have it separated by current, retired and also cardstocks I don't have inks to match).

Have the most wonderful day!!!

Stamps~ SU Pretty Kitty, 
Ink~ Memento Tuxedo Black, SU Pumpkin Pie, SU Early Espresso, SU Tranquil Tide, 
Cardstock~ Copic Xpress-it, SU Pumpkin Pie, SU Whisper White, SU Early Espresso, SU Tranquil Tide, SU Sweet Sugarplum, 
Designer Paper~ retired SU designer paper, SU Fresh Florals designer paper (I was lucky to be gifted a few samples of this fab paper!)
Other Goodies~ copics, SU Layering Ovals Framelits, SU Brights Enamel Shapes, SU Stitched Shapes Framelits, retired SU Bitty Butterfly punch, SU Pearl Basic Jewels, retired SU ribbon, retired SU enamel shapes,


Remember, you can shop for Stampin' Up supplies anytime at my online site! Click HERE and happy shopping!!

A little clarification on the MISTI and Quilting Template

I seemed to cause quite a ruckus by my little tutorial/tips below with the MISTI as I had lots of emails about the quilting template. I made a little video (I am NOT a good video person so bear with me) to help explain!




Here is the link to Lydia's tutorial on this which is MUCH better than mine!

I hope this helps explain it a bit better! and I will work on my video skills! LOL!

How Danni uses the MISTI

I have a friend who is considering the MISTI and was asking some questions so I figured it would be easier to "show" here how I use it. 

I took these photos very quickly so they aren't the greatest. 

I learned by other bloggers and wrote a post on it HERE, if you want to check out some other links/tutorials that might help you.

I have the original MISTI and this shows the grid paper pad that you get with it too.

This shows how the black foam mat comes out for stamping with unmounted rubber stamps (which is what I had on my desk). I bought extra magnets and yes, they are super strong! Be careful! I saw someone had the clever idea of putting washi tape on them for "handles" and that has helped me so much.

Once you are ready to stamp you just place your paper down, place the magnets and then I lay the stamp on top of the paper.

Then I close the lid so the stamp can adhere to the top (this is like applying the stamp to an acrylic block).

I bought these plastic quilting templates at Michael's. I cut one down to the size of the MISTI. I use these so that I can see exactly where a rubber stamp is going to stamp before stamping on the paper! Takes the guess work out of it!

Next I ink up my stamp, place the quilting template on top of the paper and close the MISTI lid, pressing gently. When you raise the lid you can see the placement of your stamp perfectly and know whether you need to position it differently or not. If it's where you want it, you can remove the quilting template, wipe it clean and stamp directly onto your paper.

My stamp was where I wanted it so I just stamped it. The advantage with the MISTI is that if it doesn't stamp perfectly you can just ink it up again and stamp it again without any worries of the paper moving.

If you are using clear stamps, you put the black foam piece in the MISTI and then put the paper in, the stamp and then stamp since you can see exactly where the clear stamp will stamp.

Hope this helps a little bit! I must say I swore I didn't need this tool. Resisted for a very long time and now I don't know how I lived without it!!

If you have any questions, feel free to email me!

Organizing my stamps and dies

My friend, Shirley, saw the photo I posted of Alyssa helping me pick out which stamp to use~~ this one~~

and asked me to share more of how I keep track of my stamps so that's what I'm doing today.

I know I have shared this before but I couldn't find that post so here it is again. 

I don't remember when I started my "stamp catalogs" as I call them but it was years and years ago. I am a very visual person so I wanted something that I could look at and see what I had, see the actual sizes and whatnot.

So every time I get a new stamp/stamp set I stamp it in my catalog and put the name/company of the by it. I have some sections based on company but many are lumped in one misc. section as they were stamps from companies I didn't know I'd end up with a large collection from. I've thought about re-doing the catalogs and putting them truly by stamp company but that seems like too big of an undertaking for me at this time so I am happy to continue with what I've got...for now.

Currently I have two notebooks, one that has all my stamps from The Angel Company, CTMH and Stampin' Up in it and the other one has all the other companies. (Excuse the photos, it was hard to take them without a glare from the page protectors)

I also have a "catalog" for all my punches and dies. I find it helps me to see the exact size that a die/punch plus it helps me see them all so I can choose more easily. Every time I get a new punch or die I add it in the catalog. I only have two sections, Stampin' Up and all others. Again, I've thought of re-doing it but again, too big of an undertaking right now so I just continue as is...for now.

So there you have it! that's how I keep track of my stamps and dies/punches!

Have a great day and I'll see you back here soon!

About inks

Did this as a tip to one of the groups I'm on. Put it here for reference and in case it might help someone else.

I'm no expert by any means but I do have several books on stamping and such so here's what I found.
I took this from Creative Stamping For Scrapbookers by Memory Makers Books

Dye inks dry very quickly and have a thin, transparent effect much like watercolor paint. They are not typically fade-resistant or waterproof, although some are becoming that way.
Pigment inks, which offer opaque, vibrant color, are waterproof and fade-resistant. They dry slower.

Watermark ink is a clear pigment ink that turns paper a darker shade than it's original color. This is what VersaMark is and I know many people use this to emboss with.

Embossing ink is clear or lightly tinted pigment ink that is specially formulated to hold embossing powder well.

Solvent ink is formulated for use on non-porous surfaces like metal, glass and plastic. Staz On is a solvent ink.

Chalk ink is a type of dye ink that dries to a matte finish and has the appearance of colored chalk.

Metallic ink is avaliable in a variety of colors adn has a shimmering finish.

More from The Rubber Stamper's Bible by Francoise Read

Dye based inks are water-based, non-permanent and usually come with a felt pad. (Kaleidacolor and Ancient Page are some examples)
They are translucent, dry quickly and can be stamped on most types of paper. Images do appear brighter and crisper when stamped on white glossy paper.

Pigment inks are slow drying and drying time will also depend on the weight and texture of the cardstock you use.

Resist inks are formulated to resist or repel water-based dye inks on glossy paper. The VersaMark inkpad can be used for this as well as for a watermark or also to act as a "glue" for chalks and paint powders.

Fabric/Craft Inks are multipupose inks that can be used on fabrics, wood, leather, shrink plastic, and unglazed ceramics.

Permanent/Solvent inks are available in both water and solvent based forms and can be used on most cardstock as well as wood, acetate, shrink plastic, glass, metal foil, leather and acrylic.

I also use mainly Palette inks so here's about them: Hybrid ink is a blending of the best of dye and pigment into one pad. This all purpose ink has the archival qualities of pigment, dries quickly like dye and works great on all surfaces. Acid free, archival and fade resistant.

So there you have a little bit more about inks.........

Heat Embossing Tips

For one of the groups I'm on I am putting out tips every week on different things. Thought I'd put them here as well. I'm no expert, just things that help me.

When I first started embossing I hated it. My powder would melt funky, it never looked right, I had stray "dots" on the paper. Yeah, I hated it. Then I asked, got tips and now I enjoy it. So here's a few things that helped me.

- Rub a dryer sheet over the paper you are embossing. This reduces static electricity so there aren't any stray dots on your project, or at least fewer strays. There are also products out there for this but I have found a dryer sheet works well for me for now.
- Hold the heat gun 3-5 inches away from your paper and move it in circles constantly. This helps to give a more even melt.
- Use a piece of aluminum foil under your paper. This helped me so much! It helps the heat be reflected back and heats more quickly and evenly.
-Always be sure you are working on a surface that is heat resistant. I've melted a few spots on my plastic table. I use a cheap cutting board.
- Practice, practice and practice!!!