simple dreams

The Story behind the Teflon Bone Folder

I don't know about you, but I love a good story about how a product came about. I thought I would share this with you because I found it so interesting!

The teflon bone folder is made by a family owned business. The inventor of this fabulous tool is a gentleman who has been a chemical engineer with over 30 years of experience. Part of his experience stems from the Ukraine, as that is where his family immigrated from over 18 years ago. When I met Yan over the phone I felt an instant bond with him - it was his accent. It is the exact same accent of my uncle. I too am from parents who immigrated to Canada (mine immigrated 82 and 74 years ago - they met and married in Canada). It turns out that both of my parents were born in almost the exact same location of the world as Yan. It is indeed a small world! But back to Yan's story.

He started this business about 7 years ago as a coating business and accidentally expanded into the bookbinding/conservation tool industry, and NOW the papercrafting world Ü. In meeting with a local bookbinder who needed assistance with her tools the discovery was made.

This bookbinder was also in a family business, passed down through her father over 40 years ago. They met with her in her bookbinding shop. Here she had all kinds of projects she was working on, such as old family bibles that needed restoration to books she was putting together for local schools. Yan was very interested in her business, being it was something he had no experience in, but respected highly being that it required much patience and expertise. She shared a lot about the business and happened to show them her bone folder that was actually made from metal! When they saw how she applied this bone folder they noticed that she had to be extra careful in sliding it because the metal being so dense, and the corners being rough left burnishing marks, as well as it was hard on the papers.

Yan's brain started "ticking", he's a very innovative man. So the story goes that it was indeed an accident that the discovery was made that there was a need for this tool, but if it wasn't for the vision that Yan had, this tool may not have never been invented. By the way, it is safe to say that when the bookbinder tested out the new product, she LOVED it! Customers now range across the United States and as far as England, New Zealand and further. The family is very proud of their tools and love being part of such a talented and creative industry.

The bone folders are made from Teflon unlike traditional bone material (or metal as in the first case). This composition gives the folder non-stick qualities, thus when you use your bone folder with glue it will NOT stick (such as for making boxes, bookbinding or now papercrafting!) or if you run it down the paper as you score your card you will not "shine" your paper as with the typical bone folder. They are also chemically inert, non-corrosive and non-contaminating. This makes it an ideal tool for conservators. So if you want acid-free, this is truly acid-free.

Recently at a conference in New York City, the 100th Anniversary of the Bookbinder's Guild, there were many individuals there that are current customers and everyone raved about the Teflon Bone Folder's. Testimonials are that "Once you touch one of these, you really can't put it down."

Well I kid you not - I feel the exact same way! I will never go back to using my old bone folder again and that is why I had to find this resource to share with all of you. I hope you enjoyed this story as much as I did when it was shared with me. Thanks for stopping by today and have a wonderful weekend!

Cuttlebug Wizardry

It worked! I'm SO excited!!! I had this idea that if I could find the Wizard Charm Embossing kit by Spellbinders I could perform magic on brass stencils with my little Cuttlebug. At my LSS, Make an Impression, I measured the plate in the folder and it was the magical 6" width - you should have seen the grin that resulted. So I hurried home with my little kit and pulled out one of my brass stencils and...

I used a tiny piece of removable tape to hold the stencil in place. I'm going to have to use a different type of removable adhesive though, because even the tape left a slight impression in the paper - LOL.

These are the wizard pads - two come in the package. ETA: New wizard kits come with two tan pads, rather the tan and black pad. Please replace the black pad with the tan pad wherever I have it listed as a suggestion.

Position your sandwich (a) spacer, brass stencil, paper, tan Wizard pad, black Wizard pad, chipboard shim, (b) cutting pad. Crank Ü

Now I just need to figure out how I want to embellish and use this.

Then I started thinking - pretty scary right?!? LOL! What else do I have that I could sandwich for texture? Hmmm, this is a "charm" embossing kit. Oh WOW, what about letters?!? So that is precisely what I sandwiched next.

I sandwiched them with duct tape

and paper - I can hardly wait to try some other materials such as vellum, thin metal... Can you imagine the possibilities? I'm also thinking I want to find some Paper Glide - this is supposed to enhance your dry embossed image detail. I love crisp details!

OH WOW - what about those Fiskars texture plates I have sitting in the drawer that I purchased years ago and did "NOTHING" with!

OK, so now I'm thinking about all the stuff hanging around here that I'm going to be able to squish in my cute little Cuttlebug to create texture and interest on my projects. Paper clips, chipboard, textured ribbon like ric rac, coins - man what else did we do paper rubbings with when we were kids? Oh yeah baby - this is one cool little tool. RUN, don't walk to your nearest store on Black Friday Ü

If you have been squishing everything in sight to see what type of impression it will leave please chim in below and share with the blogging world your miraculous finds and fantasmagorical ideas Ü

So I took a couple of the things I sandwiched and made a card to express my feelings at this time of year.

Once again I am thankful for so much! There is so much I am grateful for: family, friends, hope, faith, the many of you who have been here sending your thoughts and prayers my family's way. Please know that I am thankful for you! Your support and encouragement - they mean the world to me - I appreciate you! Have a wonderful Thanksgiving day!!!

Cuttlebug Updates

I thought I would post the additional information I discovered regarding the uses of the Cuttlebug (CB). After creating with my sister, Betty over the phone she taught me what I will need to do in order to use my CB with my brass stencils. I am SO excited being that I have some absolutely gorgeous stencils.

Create a "sandwich" as follows:

• CB A pad
• CB B pad
• computer mouse pad which is fabric on one side and a rubbery material on the other. This mouse pad should be slightly less than 1/4" thick. Place the mouse pad rubbery side up.
• paper (less expensive paper only needs one pass through, Stampin' Up! and other heavier weight papers need 2-3 passes to get a crisp clean image)
• CB B pad

I can hardly wait to find an inexpensive mouse pad. I looked high and low and the only one we have I didn't dare cut up - LOL! I'm also going to see if I can find a Spellbinder Wizard Rubber Mat - I think that will be the perfect selection as well.

For those who own a Sizzix, you will be thrilled to know that the CB embossing folders and die cuts work with it too. I tested this for a friend yesterday and it worked great - it just took a LOT more work.

Hopefully I will have some pictures to share soon. I have a serious case of Cuttlebugitis that's for certain!

The "Bug" has Bitten!

You all made me do it!!! You are all enablers!!! I have a serious case of "Cuttlebugitis"!!! Read here for more information and you will see why you should RUN, not walk, to Michael's this week and purchase this little green wonder!!!

There is a coupon in this weeks paper once again and it does not have an exclusion on it! You may have to talk to the manager, being that I had to "discuss" at length that the Cuttlebug is an entirely different product than the Cricut. There is a sticker on the Cuttlebug box that says it is made by the same manufacturer as the Cricut and they are trying to tell us that due to this reason we can not use the coupon. This is WRONG - do not leave the store without using your coupon to purchase it. They must honor this coupon and I do believe that if you are on the fence, jump over right now and use that coupon before the Cuttlebug is added to the exclusion clause.

So... I have Cuttlebugitis BIG time! Julie made me want a "crank" style diecutter when she brought over her Big Shot, but I was patient - I waited and waited and waited... Well that is I waited until I saw the thread over at SCS and realized that the coupon from Michael's was burning a hole in my pocket. I realized that if I didn't run to the store right away they might be out, or they might start putting an exclusion clause on the coupon, or... Well I just had to have it!

Yes girls - it is FABULOUS! I picked it up late yesterday afternoon and look what I cranked out in a matter of minutes this a.m.

Look closely at the pale chartreuse flowers. First, I used one of the Cuttlebug embossing folders on the Memory Box cardstock and then I cut it out using my Sizzix Paper Sculpting, Daisy. I can hardly wait to get more of the embossing folders. I love the fact that the Memory Box cardstock has a white core - when dry embossing like this you can then just take your Lucky Squirrel sander and remove the color from the surface with ease, getting a beautiful contrast with the paper below. Hopefully, I'll have a chance to put these little goodies into a card form over the next couple of days.

Here is a comparison of the footprint to my "OLD" Sizzix - I say old because I don't know that I'll ever use it again. Craft garage sale here it comes!

The Cuttlebug takes up FAR LESS room. Even when open it only uses about the same space as the Sizzix "did" (teehee - I've already removed it Ü). The suction is incredible! Even when cranking the chipboard through, it stayed securely in place. I do believe it is important to have a clean smooth surface on which to attach it, but it holds PERFECTLY!

Yippie skippie! It takes the Sizzix dies! I measured the bed and a 6x6 piece of paper needs to have about 1/16" trimmed off the edge to fit through properly. After I took this picture I realized that I could fit these dies in "sideways" and they would still fit perfectly - so the tray is a wonderful width!

When you crank your dies through the machine you will hear some snap, crackle and popping - but it's all OK. Just keep crankin'. I had to take a picture of my cutting pad just to memorialize that virgin cut (and share the effects that you should not be concerned about). Replacement cutting pads are not expensive and I do believe that these will last for quit some time.

So here are the first things I have tried:

• felt

• chipboard

• Sizzlets

I thought I'd share this photo to show how I laid out four letters simultaneously using different patterns of paper behind each. The look of different papers together intrigues me and so I'm looking forward to layering these patterns together to create some little words Ü

My adventure with the Sizzlets hasn't been perfect, but I know I'll get there. The directions that come with it do NOT work with the Sizzlets. I think they must work with the Quickcutz, but being that I don't have any of these I can't tell you. The depth of the Sizzlet is to thick to use with the optional C cutting board. So I tried it with the B cutting board and as you can see it did not cut out all my letters. Then I tried inserting an additional piece of cardstock - it still did not cut out the detailed letters. Finally, I tried inserting a thin piece of chipboard - this did work, but I can't recommend it being that I had to crank so hard I was wondering if I was going to snap my handle off. I had to finish it, because I had started and was in the middle. But believe me, I was holding my breath while trying this. I do believe that this will work beautifully as well, once I get the correct size determined to add as my additional layer. I'm just not quite there yet.

That's all I have time for right now. I hope you find this helpful and if you have any hints, suggestions or products you have tried your Cuttlebug on I would so appreciate and love it if you would post your comments below!!!

Thanks and have a wonderful day!

Create-a-cut™ - How does it work?

ETA: Unfortunately we no longer carry the Create-a-Cut and I do not know where it is that you might find it. Thank you so much for your interest.

The design of this cutter is ingenious - at least I think so (insert big, silly grin). The cutter comes with one set of blades in place - then beneath the cutter there are two slots that hold the additional two sets of blades right there within easy reach. The blades are removable and are held in place by the "handle" locking into place. Squeeze the handle and you can remove the blade and insert a different one. The key is making certain you push it completely into place before you begin cutting.

 

The only additional tool you will need that does not come with the cutter is a wide, clear Fiskars ruler. This helps keep your projects square, assists you in making cuts that are in increments less than the 1/2" guide that is located at the top of the cutter and allows you to cut your paper into the tiniest of smidgeons by holding it in place underneath the cutting bar (do not hold the paper with your fingers - you just might loose them if you aren't paying close enough attention.) I use the Fiskars ruler by bumping it up square against the top of the cutter and then placing my paper square against the ruler, putting the Gripper on top of the paper next to the protective wire.

The cutter comes with this black Gripper. I have found that this holds the paper in place beautifully until your paper disappears under the protective wire. Then I switch to my Fiskars ruler - it has worked like a charm to help me get those tiny cuts. (Just don't push the ruler under the blade - guess what - it won't cut your paper if the ruler is under there - LOL!)

When it comes to cutting small pieces I also use the Fiskars ruler to make certain that my project is square. As you can see in this picture you can then align your corners up perfectly with the cutting blade and you will get a perfectly scalloped square each and every time. I'm LOVIN' this!

WOOHOO - this was my first try ever and I nailed it! So if I can do it I'm guessing you can too!

Another example of hitting it right the first time is shown below. By placing your finished width card on top of the blade and positioning it over the blade so that you get the scallop to start and stop in precisely the place you want your valleys/peaks to be, you will receive a perfectly placed cut each and every time!

Awww - the beauty of tools I could have never, ever imagined.

I haven't even begun to play with the deckle (or ripped as it is called) blade - oh, and I completely forgot to mention that there is a straight edge blade available as well. I have some fun ideas up my sleeve with that one, but just haven't had the time. Could you all please grant me my wish that I have more hours in my day, or that my body would function beautifully without sleep, or ??? Perhaps cloning - is that the answer - LOL!

I'm sure I forgot something in these lengthy posts, but I'll try and post as I think of things. I hope to inspire you with the fun things that are just jetting through my brain since beginning to play with my new toy! Please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.

Good night everyone and hopefully I'll be back tomorrow with more goodies, but it's another crankin', busy day at the Hutson house Ü

Nitty Gritty Details

ETA: Unfortunately we no longer carry the Create-a-Cut and I do not know where it is that you might find it. Thank you so much for your interest.

When reviewing a product there is always the question - "Where do I begin?" So I decided I'd begin with what I first did when using this cutter.

BIG OOPS! Always read the directions before you start or you'll get this:

Being that it is a guillotine cutter one gets in a bad habit of pulling the handle towards the board or other blade - needless to say you can NOT do this with this cutter. Being that the blades are made to fit together precisely by moving the handle straight up and down you can not "torque" on the handle or you will ruin your project and perhaps the blade in the long run.

So when you receive your cutter it is best to read through the information that is in enclosed. I learned VERY quickly that a very light touch is needed to get wonderful cuts. I will not tell you that it has all been perfection since that point - if I don't pay attention to what it is that I'm doing I'll end up with a mess again, but if I work consistently I can assure you that I have been receiving the most beautiful, precise cuts.

When you first install the blades you need to raise and lower the blade carefully to make certain it is completely aligned. It is best to start practicing on text weight paper. This allows you to cut super easily and learn the motion that works the best. I would like to suggest that you not hold the end of the handle - this gives you the tendency to use the blades incorrectly. I have developed the habit of holding the handle on the side where it curves down and my cuts are coming out clean and perfect. Just be certain that you keep your fingers on the top of the handle and NOT under it!

As you practice try different types of paper. As I said text weight papers cut beautifully, Memory Box papers cut beautifully, most regular scrapbook papers cut fantastic. The only paper I have had trouble with is several of the Stampin' Up! cardstock sheets - not all packages, just some. It appears that the fibrous texture of this paper makes cutting a little more tricky. You can see though in under the Classic blade section below that it does cut the Stampin' Up! cardstock great as well - it is the red that is shown in the picture. It just took me more practice with the Stampin' Up! papers than it did with the others.

Following are some examples of what I have been able to accomplish with the different blades. These are all examples of strips of paper I just cut in a hurry and then started playing around with piecing them together. The combinations are limitless and I hope to share more as time allows.

Scallop Blade

• scalloped edge on both sides, different widths - layer different patterns on top of one another
• scalloped edge only on one side
• punch holes, weave ribbon, paper pierce
• scalloped edge on both sides, slightly offset to make rope
• group different colored pieces together to create a border
• use two piece to create a negative space, then in between put words, or string ribbon, or...

Classic Blade

• same thing all over again only different lines
• use your Scor-it to add decorative details to your "Flourishes
• add accents such as brads, flowers, sequins, sewing, stamping on the face of your "paper flourishes" (see examples in earlier posts)

Small Wave Blade

I LOVE the look of ric rac that this blade provides!

• stamp a linen texture on your paper before cutting and it will look like real ric rac
• layer with it
• edge with it
• can you see how small of strips one can cut with this cutter - woohoo - I love little details!

I think that I'm scrolling and scrolling and scrolling so I'm going to break here and move to another post to show you how I use it. See you again soon Ü

Create-a-cut™ Details

ETA: Unfortunately we no longer carry the Create-a-Cut and I do not know where it is that you might find it. Thank you so much for your interest.

At last – the information you have all been so patiently (or perhaps impatiently) waiting for me to share. Pictured below is the new cutter I have recently acquired – I did not want to share it with you until I knew for certain that I really, truly did love it! I thought I would, but I’m a cautious individual when recommending tools and I had not had enough time to experiment with it and give you as much information as possible, before I start selling these online. Now that I have had the opportunity to play with it… well, I’m so thrilled with the little “Paper Flourishes” that I have been able to create. Please look in earlier posts for several of the cards I have made featuring the "Flourishes" I created using this cutter. Please let me know what you think – I would love any and all feedback, criticism, whatever!

The Create-a-cut™ is made by Made Easy Incorporated®.

This cutter is a guillotine style cutter. It comes with three decorative blades:

• scalloped
• classic
• deckle

 

Most people want to know how much it is going to cost before they even tempt themselves – so here it is – I will be selling the Create-a-cut™ with it's three blades for $109.

The second option is the Create-a-cut™ Kit.

This kit includes the Create-a-cut™, an additional blade (small wave), an accessory tote and a carrying case on wheels. This kit sells for $179.

The Create-a-cut is warranted against defects for one year after purchase. Made Easy Inc. will service or replace any defective or broken part without charge on the condition the damage has not resulted from improper use.

So there you have it - the cutter I have been excited to share more about. I will review it in the next post in order to try and keep these to a fairly reasonable length - LOL! Thanks for stopping in and sharing in my excitement. As most of you know, I'm a gadget girl and this is one gadget I am so thrilled to have in my possession Ü

Paper Flourishes

Here it is ladies! The tool that I have been having fun with is made by Made Easy Incorporated® and is called the Create-a-cut™. I am literally bouncin' up and down with the little paper flourishes I have been creating. Look at these delicious little embellishments I have created in the last short while just slicing, dicing, punching and scoring. Have you been ogling the Doodlebug Paper Frills™? I certainly have and this is why I am over the top excited about this cutter!!!

ETA: Many of you have asked where you can purchase one of these cutters. Please follow this link to find purchasing information.

Below are a few samples I created using the cutter. The possibilities are ENDLESS!!!  I find that this is so much more incredible than the frills only because I have a limitless variety of paper on which I can work my magic – WOOHOO!

In this sample I used the Scallop blade together with the Classic blade. First I edged the Memory Box Key Lime card front, so that it would contrast with the white interior. I then cut and scored the polka dot Memory Box Christmas Brights funky polka dot. Next I cut the strip of red using the Classic blade on both sides, mounting it on white cardstock, piercing it and adding the sparkly green KI Memories brads. What a funky little strip indeed.

Next – do you see what I’m trying to convey with the group of cupcakes stamp? Juanita deserves a huge round of applause for pushing me over the edge on this one. Do you see the tree shape? I figured if I colored the cupcakes all green and added some little “star lights” with the star on top it would turn into a Christmas tree. What do you think?

To make this pocket I once again used the Scallop blade. I guess I really like that one – LOL! I actually really like them all and so I find it hilarious that all my samples that I put together today focus on this blade. First I cut the top edge of the pocket fold, turning it down and punching the holes with my crop-a-dile. The crop-a-dile works fantastic for getting these holes pretty even. This is when the Memory Box two-sided cardstock is fantastic – look at that awesome color contrast! Then I scored the front of the fold with the Scor-It and sewed between the two lines. I also cut the lower white strip with the Scallop blade, but just sewed it to the card front after attaching my patterned KI Memories paper.

The sentiment is one of my fav A Muse stamps – it reads Sweet…Holiday Wishes. I think it is the perfect accompaniment to these sweet treat holiday cards. The tiny twinkle stars are A Muse Creative Candy and the large star is by KI Memories. The paper clip and ribbon are also KI Memories. I love their new holiday grouping and I just had to have the little “test tubes” that are filled with the most fantastic little bellies Ü

My review and detailed pictures of the cutter, along with a ton of information should be next! Hang in there – it’s on it’s way Ü

Sweet Holiday Wishes

Who would have thought that a cupcake would make a wonderful holiday card? The things that Karen Lockhart comes up with never cease to amaze me. I arrived at her place one day to see a series of festive holiday cupcakes on her coloring table. I asked her if I could play with her idea and this is what I came up with. The little holly leaves are just added using a fine-tipped Zig Micron pen.

The wonderful scalloped strip was created using my amazing new cutter (more information to follow shortly - I'm in the process of reviewing all the positives and negatives) and the crop-a-dile. It is fantastic being able to set the depth on the crop-a-dile so that each punch is the same distance in without a lot of thought having to go into planning this out. I am having so much fun with this cutter creating a "Doodlebug" type of effect similar to their paper frills.

The paper is Memory Box, these are in the Christmas Brights collection. I love how the KI Memories accents (paper clip and brad) work perfectly with these colors.

The greeting is an A Muse sentiment that I masked off and stamped only the "sweet" completing it with my Dymo Labeler and some of the colored tape I had purchased ions ago to do something like this.

In hindsight I wish I had made the card a 6x6 size, so that my greeting didn't feel squeezed, but it will have to do for now. It just felt wonderful to stamp this creation tonight. Now it's off to bed and hopefully I'll have time to write my review about the cutter, do my projects that are due this week, and finish up my website. I can hardly wait to share the wonderful papers and stamps with you that I have lined up!

ETA: Many of you have asked where you can purchase one of these cutters. Please follow this link to find purchasing information.

Buzzing around like a Bee!

That would be me - LOL! Just a few quick pictures to share a little more information regarding the cutter. I haven't received mine yet and so I am waiting with baited breath, but I just wanted to share three of the different cuts I have been able to try. There is one more decorative blade that I haven't seen yet and so I'm excitedly waiting for my package to arrive.

I will be sharing more tidbits about this cutter when I have my hands on my own to test it fully Ü But it does cut 12x12 paper as you can see in the picture below:

Last, I would like to share the start of a book I began in the Junkitz CKC class that I took. I wanted to see how "big companies" taught their classes Ü It was great fun and I look forward to continuing work on this as time allows - the Junkitz product was fun to work with and as you can see I've started adding my own touches (some of those yummy diecuts). I do believe I'll have to change out that photo and the placement of the two flowers is off - it's really bugging me - LOL! But I thought you'd enjoy seeing it anyways.

One little tip in regards to these rulerz bookz is that you can use alcohol inks to change the color of the ruler - I really like how I was able to make it "green" to make it more me and blend in with the project better Ü

More Tools Ü

Sorry girls I just had to share a few more tools with you that I use constantly. I'll apologize in advance if it adds another item to your wish list, but I use these all the time and LOVE them. The folowing have been added to my Tools of the Trade album on the left:

• ATG Tape Guns
• Power Punch
• Eclipse Tape
• Color Pencil Tools
• Retractable Blade Knife

I tried to include a little explanation with each picture to let you know why I find these tools helpful.

It bites just like a croc!

Croc-a-dile - oh I mean Crop-a-dile - I swear this baby can take a bite out of anything!

So here is my project of the day - yes, day - I had so many diversions today that it literally took me all day to get this thing completed - LOL!  BUT I'll be oh so happy when I go shopping and can have the perfect tool for coordinating the embellishments I use in paper crafting. Boy does it feel good to be organized and in such a lovely and precise manner at that Ü

After some help today from friend's I think I've figured out how to get the perfect placement - so I thought I'd share my discovery and technique with you all. Following is my adventure for the day Ü

Punch it through as many layers as will fit in the "gap" - it punches like buttah I tell yah!!!

Once you have all paper punched insert screw posts and voila the handiest little bunch of paper you've ever put together. I do hope this helps any other organizational crazies or crop-a-dile challenged friends out there in cyberworld!

Tool Time - White Gel Pen comparison

If you have joined me from SCS skip to the picture below, the rest of the information is the same. Thanks for stopping by and I hope this can be of help in some way.

With all the talk of discontinuation of the White Signo Pen I thought I would share the comparison I have done of the three white gel pens I have in my collection. Using each pen I wrote it's name and followed it by five white dots - each was done in the same manner so that I could figure out the differences from one to the next. In hindsight I went back in and wrote the letter e to test it against the pooling that occured with the Gelly Roll pens, this is not shown in the photo. Here is my analysis for what it is worth:

Signo pen - slightly shiny surface, very little "dimension", easiest to write small letters, (but I have been having trouble with my tip not writing and ended up having to rewrite this word several times to get it to come out "clean"). The letter "e" did not pool. One other side note is that I needed to write slowly with the Signo pen in order to get even covereage. Ink dries immediately.

Glaze pen - shiny raised surface, "dimension" similar to embossing, dots were super easy to create, I needed to be careful to not overload an area with ink, first writing came out charmed.  You must allow for dry time with this pen.

Souffle pen - slightly shiny raised surface, "dimension" similar to embossing, dots were super easy to create, I needed to be careful to not overload an area with ink, first writing also simple.  You must allow for dry time with this pen.

Analysis - I like them all - LOL! I can see a use for each. So as with any experiment your conclusion can be biased to suite which product you are personally trying to promote - ROTFLMBO Ü

 

It started with only one!

Yes, it really did!!! I started with just one - now look at these beauties - LOL. Yikes they had better stop coming out with new products - where am I going to put them?

Gelly Roll pens - the name alone is rather addicting - why do they have to name everything after food items that are simply divine? Just thinking about the names makes me realize I need to go and eat some breakfast - now I'm hungry - LOL.

It started with the Star Dust and to this day it is still my favorite Gelly Roll. Some people use the word glitter, other's say sparkle - but well I now have a new word thanks to the class with Karen the other night. Her word is "shimmer" - and oh shimmer it does! What is so fabulous about this pen is that on cool tones it appears silver, on warm tones it appears gold. It is extremely difficult to photograph, but the effect it gives to your work will truly stun and amaze you. It just steps everything up a notch. You will never regret buying this pen as your first Gelly Roll. BUT I must add that if you buy this one... well look what happens. Click on the shoe below and it will pop up so that you can really see it SHIMMER!!!

Then I added the Clear Glaze - another MUST have in my opinion. Most of you are familiar with Diamond Glaze or Crystal Effects - well this is that product in a pen! You can control it like none other, putting it in the smallest of places and the beauty of it is it dries quickly. On this Lockhart shoe the Clear Glaze just makes these shoes come to life - it is just incredible IRL.

So... I had to purchase ALL the glaze pens - LOL. They are beautiful!!! They add a transparent, 3-D dimension to your work very much like embossing does - only this is quick and easy - no mess to clean-up. You can use these pens on plastic (transparencies), shiny paper, glass, metal, vellum - I'm guessing the list goes on, but I haven't had a chance to experiment any further than these. AND you can do it in the tiniest of spaces - just one little dot, or write a word, or...

Then we have my new favorites!!! Souffle pens - there is something about their name alone that makes them delicious. Yep - gotta go eat breakfast now!! The current colors are sooo perfect for spring and summer - I'm secretly hoping that they come out with new ones by the fall! Yeah I know - where am I going to put them?!? These beauties are also fabulous for many different surfaces - they are even suggesting that you embellish your cell phone with these. Can you imagine the doodling possibilites for those who like "busy"? I'm a clean sorta girl and so my cell phone won't be seeing these except for perhaps my signature - maybe that way I won't accidentally pick up my DH's phone 

I've got to go eat something after this little review - LOL! I will continue with the Souffle pens a little later.

Today's Tool

Cardstock - I'm not sure you can really call this a tool, but my feeling was that it is an item that I can't make most projects without. So... for me it's one of my most important tools!

What is it about cardstock that just grips me - for me it's one word - COLOR. Oh how I love COLOR!!! Trendy, current and yet flexible! Being that I'm on this quest to discover new products that are carried in most stamp stores I have gone in search of a product that will suite my needs without a lot of running to and from to accomplish this and I have discovered a cardstock I'm tickled with. My first reason for being thrilled with it is it's COLOR Ü Look at these delicious colors - WOW, WOW, WOW! Not only does Memory Box have delicious solid colors they have fun, adventurous and a wide array of patterned papers that coordinate. One stop shopping - I likey!!!

The second reason I fell in love was get this - NO COLOR!!! Yep, I am a woman of strange contrast I guess. For me the fact that the opposite side of this cardstock is white scores big time! I like the crisp contrast from the outside to the inside, I like being able to print or stamp my sentiments and be able to read them easily.

And last, but not least - envelopes. I love coordinating envelopes Ü Being that the inside is white I can always use a white envelope, but I now have an added bonus - colored envelopes that coordinate.  WOOHOO - COLOR multiplied x2 - I'm a happy girl!

So feast your eyes on this scrumptious ring of color and ask away if you have any questions! I hope you enjoy viewing one of my fav paper lines!

Teflon - who would have thought?

I have always been a "natural" materials kind of girl and so when I was introduced to the teflon (yep teflon just like the non-stick pots and pans) folder I determined that natural is not always best. Now this is a photo that was reallllly hard to catch the difference but I hope you can see it. IRL it is extremely noticable - the left side of the fold was made using the teflon folder and the right was made using the bone folder. I hope you can see the shine that the bone folder leaves - the teflon side is beautiful Ü

They are a little pricey - I paid $15 at Paper-Source, but I am so very glad that I did because once again the level of professionalism stepped up a notch. Tools are key to good-looking cards - if you don't have the right tools your card can be beautiful but just not quite everything you want them to be. I don't know how many times I have been disappointed by that "shine" after using my bone folder. So it is bye-bye natural and hello teflon at my house.

Tool Time - Cordless Wonders

These are new additions to my collection and I think I'm in love. They are sooooo cute and little - I will be able to pack my bags before I head out to teach and not lug the corded wonders that are about 4-6 times larger. I included the picture of the Fiskars punch so that you could see the size of these new toys.

They use butane to heat - one fill of butane will last 4.5 hours according to the manufacturer. It is a little tricky to begin with and you have to be VERY careful (that is a whole other story I'll share sometime) because they do get VERY hot. But awesome tools and very space efficient

The first is for heat embossing - the cool thing is that there is no air movement so it doesn't blow your EP all over the place.

The second tool is a soldering iron. I am using these for some fun projects that unfortunately I can't share quite yet, but needless to say this little device is so far superior to the corded wonder I have used in the past.

Thanks for checking in - hopefully tomorrow's tools will be just as fascinating - LOL. TIme to get to bed - I'm tired Ü

Tool Time!

I promised that I would start a little tool time post Ü These are tools I absolutely LOVE!!! and can't live without - I will try to add to this each day until I'm finished. Unfortunately life happens and I don't have nearly enough time to do what I love - share information ÜÜÜ

So here goes - there is nothing like doing a class for a group of 14 girl scouts. They are so enthusiastic and fun to be with, but...

take a look at this stamp - egads!!! Being that we were stamping on Shrink Plastic they needed to use Staz-On, well believe me it stayed on - LOL.  I tried cleaning these stamps using Staz-on Cleaner, Stampin' Mist, Kiss-Off, and even resorted to bleach - yes, bleach. I was desperate to try and get the image to stamp somewhat clean again. They were sooooo gooped up. Well, they have looked like heck for over four months now until...

last night when I performed my test - I sprayed the stamp lightly (yes, lightly) with Ultra Clean and rubbed it lightly on the Rubit-Scrubit and WOW, WOW, WOW - sprayed a little water on after and used a paper towel to dry. All I can say is that if this doesn't show off the quality of this stuff --- nothing will. So if you like your stamps neat - this is a product on your must have list Ü

And yes -- it was worth having them mess my stamps up!!! Look at what they made - these were all 10-yr-old girls BTW.

Scor-it - gotta hav-it!!!

Can you tell which score was made using my old Fiskar's rotary scoring blade and which is made using my new Scor-it? THIS is an AMAZING tool - if you were questioning whether or not you needed it - you NEED it Ü