Another Day....Another Dog

Yep...

Another day...

Another dog.

I am on a dog kick...

Can you tell?

I am also keeping to my "thing" 

about shorter blog posts.

Less chit chat...

more card stuff.

So here it is...

today's dog.

I think that he's a genuine cutie.

(LOVE his expression!)

The dog, hat, gift and bow tie 

are all from the Stampers Anonymous/Tim Holtz Crazy Dogs Collection.

I colored this guy and all of his accessories with Spectrum Noir Alcohol Markers.

I used the ScanNCut to cut out the bow tie...birthday hat..an the gift.

I used a Stampin Up punch create the banner pieces using white card stock and the same makers to add color.

I used a Marvy punch for the tiny hearts....also colored with the Spectrum markers.

The banners were colored...

and they were placed and positioned using a small length of red twine and mini glue dots.

I used LCI card stock for the mat layer and PTI card stock for the white base card.

The background color was added by using ink pads and Clarity brushes

(Don't know how I ever lived without Clarity Brushes!)

The hat and gift were positioned and attached with foam dimensionals.

Dimensionals were a bit too big for the bow tie...

so I rolled mini glue dots into little balls and used them to position the bow tie.

I stamped a simple "Happy Birthday" sentiment inside of the card.

Here's a close-up of the banner...and hat.

(Look at his expression!)

and  a close-up of the gift...

I chose to place the gift a bit to the right...extending it over the edge of the mat layer.

I've had all of the Crazy Dogs stamp sets...

dogs...accessories and sentiments...

for a while..

I am FINALLY finding time to give them a try.

(I have the cats as well....but like the dogs much more)

For this card...I used a full sized dog stamp.

(A few days ago, I shared a card that was created with one of the mini dog stamps.)

The Crazy Dog stamps, accessory set and sentiment set 

all get a thumbs up from me!

The expressions on each dog's face is goofy and adorable.

They're all terrific!

Thanks for visiting !

Wishing you a wonderful and creative day!

Michelle.

A Friend Is.....

Today I've got a super short blog post...

 I'm sharing a card created with a stamp set called A Friend Is....

by Penny Black.

I chose to color this sweet image with Spectrum Noir Alcohol Markers.

Background color was added by using Clarity Brushes 

and an assortment of ink pads.

The sentiment is one of the two stamps included in this stamp set.

The image was double matted using metallic card stock and matte card stock...

and was then placed on a white base card.

and...

here's a close-up...
This sentiment and image are a perfect match...
and I'm happy that I chose to create a card with it!

A sweet image + a sweet little sentiment = a very sweet card 

WOW!! 

I think that this is my shortest blog post EVER!

Have a wonderful day, my crafty and creative friends...

Thanks for visiting!

Michelle.

Wednesday: A Crafter's Companion Inspiration Design Team Day Project

I love creating cards with floral and nature-like images...

They're probably at the top of my card making list.

Next in line...

my #2 fave...

(and I admit to having an obsession with  this...)

are dog cards.

I find it difficult to not add great dog images to my stamp collection.

For this weeks Crafter's Companion Inspiration Design Team card

I chose to use two great stamp sets: 

Sheena's A Little Bit Sketchy EZMount Stamp Set - It's a Dog's Life

I love both the dog images in this set

and almost had to resort to doing an "eeeny-meeny-miney-mo"

in order to choose which to work with...
and...
to make sure that I didn't forget about creating a cat card...
for my cat loving friends...
I also created a card with
Sheena's A Little Bit Sketchy EZMount Stamp Set ~ MEOW

First...
I chose the image of the dog sitting in the grass...facing forward, from the stamp set.

I thought that he was lovely...

I stamped the image first with a brown-tone ink

and colored the images with Spectrum Noir Blendable Pencils.

After they were colored...

I used Clarity brushes and blue and green ink pads to create backgrounds.

Because I chose to create notecards (as opposed to greeting cards)
I did not include stamped images.

I added a gathering of 3 strands of natural twine as an embellishment.
On one card I knotted the twine...
and on the other card...I added a button.

Shimmering Card Stock was used for all mat layers.

I double matted the finished image after the twine was attached

The base card was cut and scored using Spectrum Ultra Smooth Card Stock.

I used foam dimensionals to attach the matted an embellished image piece

For the cat card...
I stamped the image...
and colored it with Spectrum Noir Blendable Pencils.
I added color to the background with Clarity brushes and an ink pad.
I finished the card by embellishing it with twine and a button.
I matted the image on Black Pearl Shimmering Card Stock and attached it to a base card.

These notecards are very "me"...

I am a true CAS card maker...

and so this look speaks to my own preferred style of card making.

The simplicity of a single image...

and a small assortment of colors 

along with a simple embellishment

all qualify this card as being CAS,  for sure!

Thanks for visiting my crafty and creative friends...

I hope that your visit here has inspired you to create a CAS card of your own today.

Michelle

Supplies: Stamp: Sheena's A Little Bit Sketchy EZMount- Stamp Set - It's a Dog's Life
                            Sheena's A Little Bit Sketchy EZMount- Stamp Set - Meow

Paper: Shimmering card Stock : Gold Dust, Black Pearl, Coastal Pearl

Ultra Smooth Premium White Cardstock Unscored 8.5" x 11"

Misc: Trimmer, Adhesive, Foam dimensionals, asst Stampin Up ink pads, Clarity Brushes, Colored & Natural Twine, Button
Coloring: Spectrum Noir Blendable Pencils:
                 For the Dog card: 085, 087,110
                 For the Cat card: 018, 063, 112, 115, 100, 104, 109, 110,112, 115, 116,118
Ink: Stampin Up Classic...assorted Blues, greens and yellow, Ranger Archival Ink (Brown) 

What to do With an Adorable Dog and His Dog Bone...THAT was THE Question

I almost always have a vision in my mind when I set out to create a card.

It usually starts when I get the urge to "use" a particular stamp...or stamp set.

Once I commit to the stamp...

my head races in fast forward to what I'd like to do...

What the card will look like..

how I'll color the image...

mat it..

embellish..

etc...

etc...

The other night, however...

I didn't have a vision in my head.

I just knew...plain and simple...

that I felt like stamping a dog...

and a bone...

from one (or more) of my Crazy Dogs (by Tim Holtz) stamp sets.

I didn't even plan their placement on the card stock.

I just stamped both.

No Rhyme.

No reason.

and...

I was okay with the possibility of coloring the images and throwing them into the trash..

IF need be

I was prepared that the trash might be their destiny.

Well...
as it turns out..

I colored the images..

and liked them!

However...

I had no idea as to what I wanted to do with them.

So...I went to Facebook to ask for some advice from other card makers.

This is what I posted:

I received lots of suggestion...

All sorts of fantastic ideas.

I set the little guy and his bone aside for the night...

and then..

the next day...

I had an idea!!

I was ready to make a card!

and...

THIS is the end result.

(I LOVE this little guy...his balloons...and his dog bone!)

What do you think?

I colored the images 

(Dog...dog bone and balloons....all form an assortment of the Crazy Dogs stamp set series)

with Spectrum Noir Alcohol Markers.

I drew the balloon strings free-hand 

and did the same with the little bow holding them together on the dog bone.
I created a multi-colored background with Clarity Brushes and a few ink pads

I stamped the sentiment also from a Crazy Dog stamp set ...and hand cut the sentiment banner.
Then added some color with the brushes.

I stamped the dog bone all over the front of a white base card with black ink to create a background.

I matted the image and mounted it onto the dog bone covered card front with foam dimensionals.

I attached the sentiment banner with dimensionals as well.

I enjoyed the creative process involved with this card.
Yes, I am...and will probably always be....a CAS card maker
(Clean And Simple)
But even CAS cards take you on a creative journey.
This little guy and his dog bone took me on a fun journey...
a creative journey...
with a great destination!

Thanks for visiting!
I hope that you take a creative journey of your own today!
Michelle.

Halloween Post Card Style Goodie Holder

I've always enjoyed creating Halloween Goodie Holders.

Usually, the goodie holders that I create

hold candy...
and they've been created in all sort of styles, shapes and with different folds and features.

This year,

I've switched it up a bit..

and...

instead go sending candy to my 6 great nieces and nephews...

I've decided to send a different kind of goodie!

I chose to create "Post-Card" style goodie holders this year
and..they turned out really cute!

(I'll be mailing them in an envelope...not as a post card)

WARNING: I got carried away with taking photos...

so...I've got lots of photos to share.

Some supply info first, though:

Stamps: Stampin Up (Cookie Cutter Halloween) and Reverse Confetti (Whole Lotta Happy)

Punches: Stampin Up (Cookie Cutter and smal Circle) and Martha Stewart (Bat)

Die: Reverse Confetti~Lacy Scallop Frame Confetti Cuts

Card Stock: PTI (Papertrey Ink) & Stampin Up

Print Paper: Julie Nutting

Coloring: Spectrum Noir Alcohol Markers

Misc Sequins

and now...

it's time to pull up a chair...

because..

I'm going to share ALL of the photos with you...

(Sorry for the photo-overload....but I couldn't pick just a few pics to share

because ALL of these guys are TOO cute!)

First up...

A group shot.

This is almost TOO much cuteness for one photo!

All of the little spooky characters were colored with Spectrum Noir Alcohol Markers...

and are from the Cookie Cutter Halloween Stampin Up Punch and Stamp set.

The little circle for the word "Happy" was punched out with a Stampin Up circle punch

and the bats were punched with a Martha Stewart punch.

The "Halloween" banner was hand cut...no die or punch was used.

When placing the frame...

I didn't use adhesive on the top of the Reverse Confetti frame die when adhering it 

so that it could be used as a pocket for the "goodies".

The little characters, the bats and the sentiment banner were positioned using foam dimensionals.

I used a few sequins to embellish and dress up the post card front.

and...

Wha-la!

A post-Card style Halloween Goodie Holder!

Now for a few close-ups

(This stamp and punch set is terrific...

Fun and easy to use.)

PS....the sequins that look blue in the photos

are actually clear iridescent...

More cuteness...

and finally...

this little guy..

possibly THE cutest of all...
(Do YOU have a favorite?)

and one more look at the goodie holders...

as a group.

These were F U N to create...

and I think that the kids will like the "goodies" that we'll be sending them this year!

Thanks for stopping by today...
Have a great day my crafty friends!
and...
Now it's time for YOU to start your Halloween card making projects!
Michelle

It's Wednesday!....Crafter's Companion Inspiration Design Team Project Day!

Hello my crafty friends...

It's Wednesday!....

and..

that means that it's Crafter's Companion Inspiration Design Team Project Day!

Just when I though that a Crafter's Companion Moonbeam Meadow stamp couldn't get any cuter...

I discovered True Love.

I've been on a little water coloring kick lately....

using my Spectrum AquaBlend markers...

and so I decided to put the paintbrush to this image..

and created a sweet little CAS (Clean And Simple) card.

How cute are these 2?!!

There's so much to love about this image...

It was fun to watch it come to life as I water colored it...

All of the little details that are part of this image make it great!

The little heart hanging on the umbrella handle...

The little mouse couple cozied up together as they float about in their umbrella 'boat"...

with their tiny little paws holding on to the umbrella's edge

the bouquet of flowers...

the duo of butterflies in flight

and the crescent moon sky that I chose to embellish with tiny little star-like rhinestones.

I double matted the image and mounted it on a shimmering base card

and love how the colors all come together...

and the sentiment, also form this stamp set...

is a perfect companion to this image.

How could I not fall in love with this stamp set?

I love everything about it!

and...

I hope that you've fallen in love with it too!

(I am thinking that my Moonbeam Meadow stamp collection needs to grow a little bit!)

Thanks for visiting today...

Wishing you a day filled with creativity...

Michelle.

Supplies:

Stamps: Moonbeam Meadow Everyday EZMount Stamp Set - True Love

Card Stock & Paper: Spectrum Aqua Watercolour cardstock

                                  Shimmering Cardstock A2 Prescored Cards (10pk) - Sky Blue

                                  Simmering Cardstock ~ Rose Pearl and White Pearl

Coloring: Spectrum Aqua Markers

Other: Trimmer, Adhesives, Ink, Paintbrushes and Water Receptacle, Self Sticking Rhinestones

   

BOO!...Again!

This will be a quickie blog post...

A few weeks ago I shared a card created with a Top Dog Dies Ghost die set

(Top Dog is no longer in business..and I cherish my collection of TD dies.)

I needed to create another ghost card...

and so I used the Top Dog ghost dies again...

but this time chose some different prints to switch it up a bit.

I wanted to put googly eyes on these little guys...

but the googly eyes that I had on hand were too large...

so...instead, I defined their eyes with a simple dot of a black marker.

(Note to self: Buy a few pkgs of googly eyes in assorted sizes)

As I noted in the prior ghost card blog spot...

don't be disheartened about Top Dog going out of business...

and not being able to purchase this set of 3 ghost dies..

There are SO many wonderful ghost dies available now from different vendors...

You'll be sure to find a set that YOU like

as much as I like this one.

Before I share the photos...I can tell you that...

The white base card was created with PTI card stock.

(My #1 fave card stock for creating base cards)

The Prints were chosen from a few different 6x6 paper pads

The ghosts were positioned and placed with foam dimensionals.

The black mat layer behind the ghosts is black metallic card stock.

and the Halloween-y sequins are from Katscrappiness

The speech bubble and "BOO" are part of the ghost die set

and...

a close-up.

I love the pierced edge on the ghosts

and the way that their eyes and mouth are embossed.

The die cuts come out of the GEMINI die cutting machine WITH the embossing in place 

after the first pass through the machine...

so I didn't need to pass them through the machine a second time to emboss.

The chevron print behind the ghosts was cut with a Wonky Stitch die set...

as was the print layer beneath it.

The Wonky wavy stitch detail on those mats gives the card a playful, casual feeling, I think....

as opposed to a straight stitched line which can sometimes seem more formal.

Like the prior ghost card...

this was a fun card to create...

and for me..

using multiple prints on a card is a step away from my usual style of card making 

(Typically, I rarely use prints...but of late, I AM trying to use prints more often )

I have a feeling that this wont be the last ghost card that I create 

before the arrival of Halloween.

This die set has become a favorite of mine...

Have a great Monday my crafty friends...

and thanks for visiting!

Michelle.

A Truckload of Autumn

I haven't had much time to create amid the chaos of the Garage Sale prepping...

I've really missed my daily creative time in the studio.

Right now, the studio is almost inaccessible...

jammed up with odds and ends..

bags...bins and boxes

filled with things that I've set aside while unpacking and sorting...

Things that need to get put away in the studio.

(aka..the "keeper" things from the Garage Sale clean out

To summarize:

THE STUDIO is a SHAMBLES

and a RIDICULOUS INSANE CHAOTIC MESS.

Wanna see?

UGH

oh yes...and...just because there wasn't ENOUGH chaos...

We brought the deck furniture cushions into the studio for a few days...

because of the rainy weather prediction.

UGH UGH UGH

Clutter clutter cutter...

makes me insane insane insane.

This photo has the potential to make me hyperventilate...

it suffocates me.

(and you're not even seeing the bins and bags that are lined up from the Studio's front door...

and go all away around the table....on the floor....)

That's the bad news...the chaos..the mess...

The good news is the photo below.

Under the weatherproof tarps are 60 bins...

60 BIG storage bins FILLED with what I will be selling!!!

YAY me for purging...

I am looking SO forward to the sale this Saturday...

hoping that at the end of the day...

that the pile under the tarps will be a teeny tiny pile....

and barely there!!

Better yet...

I'd like to sell EVERYTHING...

and have nothing to put under the tarps!

Imagine that!!

 Okay enough about me and my Crafting Garage Sale chaos...

I actually have a card to share!!

(Created the other day...before the Studio became inaccessible)

A few weeks ago..I realized that I wasn't using any of my dies that often...

So...I decided to make a few die cut cards now and then..

I am SO ready for Autumn..

Apple picking...

Pumpkin picking

The magnificence of Autumn foliage...

Cooler days...Crisp Fall air...

Sweaters...

Thanksgiving...

I love all of it.

So...I thought that I'd bring a little bit of Autumn into the Studio...

with this Autumn-y card.

Actually...2 cards!

(Same sketch...same dies....same stamps...different prints)

The dies are both by Impression Obsession

I used metallic card stock to die cut the truck and pumpkins 

I chose a few different Autumn-like patterned papers from an assortment of 6x6 paper pads.

I stamped and created a sentiment..

I hand-cut the matted banner...

and punched the smaller sentiment tag.

I used a die to create the shaped mat layer behind the truck.

Here's Version #1

(I'm not thrilled with the photo...bad lighting..and its not clear.....sorry)

The truck is metallic brown...the tires are black metallic...

the pumpkins are orange metallic.

(Wish the colors showed better in the photo)

I matted the sentiment banner with the same metallic brown.

 Here's a close up..

Version #2

Ugh...The other photo wasn't clear...this one is too light...

But you get the idea 

Here's a better view of the brown metallic card stock used on the truck ....

Aren't the pumpkins great!

I love the details on the truck & pumpkins.

(*I don't love the poor photo quality.)

So there you have it...

A truckload of Autumn.

I am SO ready for Fall...

Bring it on Mother Nature!

I'm not sure when I'll be able to find a clear spot 

at the Studio worktable...to create a card or two...

Hopefully...I clear a few feet of space soon...

because I am already missing spending time in the Studio!

I'll try to remember to take some fun photos of the Garage Sale

and wilder them with you...

and.

I am keeping my fingers crossed that when I take a photo of what I didn't sell...

that it's only a bin or two!

have a wonderful and creative day. my friends...

See you after the  Mega Crafting Garage sale!

Michelle.

(PS...Local crafty pals...I'll share the Crafting Garage Sale flier below...

and will hope to see you on Saturday!)

It's Wednesday! ~ Crafters Companion Inspiration Design Team Project Day!

It's Wednesday!

and that means that it's

Crafter's Companion Inspiration Design Team Project Day here at my blog!

It's been a while since I've created a water colored card...

and...

I've been wanting to ink up Sheena Douglass' A Little Bit Sketchy Magnolia Blossom

so...

I got out Magnolia Blossom...

and...

Moonbeam Meadow Everyday Stamp Set ~ Just a Note...

and...my Spectrum Noir AquaBlend Markers

along with some other supplies...

and got busy!

Isn't this Magnolia Blossom image beautiful?

and...

It's perfect for water coloring.

I stamped the image with waterproof ink onto Spectrum Watercolor Cardstock.

I misted the card stock lightly with water...

I chose the AquaBlend marker colors that I wanted to use...

Then I scribbled the marker colors on a large acrylic block..

and painted the image by picking the color up off of the acrylic block with a wet paint brush.

I gave a light wash of color to the background

as well as the small handcut banner.

The sentiment is a stamp from the Moonbeam meadow Just a Note stamp set

I let the painted image and color washed banner air dry...

then matted the image on Pearl Black Shimmering Cardstock.

The beautiful lacy print paper is from

the Sara Signature Floral Delight Paper Pad.

The sentiment banner was positioned and attached to the card using foam dimensionals.

Magnolia Blossom was a great image to create a card with.

The blooms are big..and beautiful...

and perfect for allowing me to enjoy water coloring....

something that I LOVE doing.

I hope that you've enjoyed my Crafter's Companion Inspiration Design Team project, this week...

and I hope that you've been inspired to get out your own water coloring supplies...

to create a beautiful water colored card of your own. 

Have a wonderful day, my crafty and creative friends!

Michelle

Stamps: Sheena's A Little Bit Floral EZMount Stamp Set - Magnolia Blossom

              Moonbeam Meadow Everyday EZMount Stamp Set - Just a Note

Paper & Card Stock: Watercolour Cardstock

               Ultra Smooth Premium White Cardstock Unscored 8.5" x 11"

               Shimmering Cardstock - Black Pearl 

               Sara Signature Collection Floral Delight - 12"x12" Paper Pad

Coloring: Spectrum Aqua Markers colors: Desert, Leaf Green, Boulder, Sepia, Scarlet, Begonia,      

                Peach

Other: Trimmer,  scissors, adhesives, foam dimensionals, paint brushes & water receptacle

SaveSave

Gone Batty

I've got a quickie blog post today...

First....a note about the garage Sale...

and then...a card..

I am totally involved with prepping

for this Saturday's GIGANTIC Crafting Garage Sale.

I've got 60 HUGE storage bins filled with card making supplies to sell!

I've been sorting and pricing everything...

and am looking very forward to the Garage Sale.

If you're local to Long Island...or live in NYC/ the 5 Boros...New Jersey or Westchester..

c'mon over...

I promise ...you'll find lots of insane bargains!  

I haven't had much time for card making lately.

(it's all abut the Garage Sale right now)

But...

I DO have a Halloween card to share...

How appropriate that I am calling this blog post..."Gone Batty"

(Some might say that "Batty" describes me...with all of the garage Sale chaos I've got going on)

I recently shared a card here on my blog that was created with dies from Top Dog Dies..

a company that was at the top of my "favorites" list.

Sadly Top Dog went out of business...

But..the good news is...

I have oodles and oodles of their dies.

(I must admit...I often fantasize about Top Dog opening up their web store again)

A girl can wish...can't she?

Anyway....

Here's my batty Halloween card...

created with  Top go dies sets

One set is the tree branch with the hanging bats...

The other die set is the flying bats.

I die cut the tree and hanging bats once...

using black metallic card stock for the bats...and woodgrain brown card stock for the tree branch.

and then..

I die cut 2 sets of the bats...also with Black Metallic card stock.

I blended some ink with my Clarity Brushes to create a moonlit night sky...

I hand cut and stamped the sentiment pieces

then added some color to each with the brushes and ink

I arranged and attached he bats...and the sentiment pieces...

then matted that entire piece on Black Metallic card stock 

and wha-la!

I've got a batty Halloween card!

Here's a close-up...

I have a few different bat die sets..

but I like this one best...because of the embossed details on each bat.

(You can see the embossed details better in the photo above )

I also like this set because none of my other bat dies have a bat with down-turned wings.

This set does!

So that makes this die set a fave...for sure!

I have to say..

I am missing being able to spend wonderful long days and evenings in my studio...

but preparing for the garage sale is front and center right now.

Soon enough..I'll be back in my studio...

and hopefully 60 storage bins of crafting things will no longer be here...on the premises!

Have a wonderful day my crafty friends..

thanks for visiting today...

if you're local...I hope see you on Saturday...

You can't imagine how much I WISH that ALL of my fantastic crafty on line friends

lived nearby...

so that you, too, could visit us at the Garage sale!

Michelle 

Alcohol Marker Storage

Well, my crafty pals...

It's countdown time...

The big gigantic ridiculously enormous crafting garage sale is just one week away...

I've got 36 monster sized storage bins full of card making "stuff" to sell...

and today, I will be going through the final 50 bins to see what's trash...
what's "sell"
and what's "keep"

Then...the pricing begins...

My goal is to be completely ready by Wednesday.

That's my self imposed deadline.

Wish me luck!

Today, Gary will be working with me..
doing the heavy lifting and moving of things..

and hopefully...by the end of the day...
the last 50 bins of "stuff" will have been looked at...gone through...and moved to the selling area.

I have to confess...

I am already "keeping" much more than I wanted to keep...

I'm not sure what I'll do about that "problem"...

But...

that's a situation for  another time...

Right now..I need to finish going through the remaining bins...and get things ready for next weekend.

It should be a fun day...

there will be 13 of us...

all scrappers and card makers...

selling our de-stashed items.

I wish that ALL of you lived nearby so that you could stop by for some insane bargains.

IF you DO live nearby

c'mon over...

With all of the Garage Sale Prep going on...

I don't anticipate having much time to create...

which means there's not a lot of card making going on...

or sharing my cards here at my blog..

But....for those of you who have asked about how I store my Spectrum Noir Alcohol Markers

I did have time to take a few pics to share with you.

I've been in my new studio for about 8 months now...

and...

since "moving in"...

I've gotten lots of questions from fellow card makers

about how I've organized things.
Everything.

If you do;t already know about me...
I'll start out by telling you that..

I'm a BIG Felix-Unger-type

a Neat-nik...

Organizer...

Tidy-freak.

(in THIS way..I Am my Mother's daughter)
I DO NOT function well in an untidy environment.
I was this way as a child..
I was this way in my profession
(my office looked like an Ikea ad)
and I am this way in my homeland personal life.

Everything in my studio has it's place...and that place is labelled.

However..

real estate space in the studio has become precious..

there are no vacancies...

(haha)

Every inch of shelf space...

...every drawer
every inch of everything is accounted for. 

So my Alcohol markers  made their home in an unexpected place...

by necessity.

At first.....I wasn't pleased.

But as time passed..I realized that I love the way they're organized..

and I love where they are "parked".

For me..

it' works wonderfully.

So..here we go...
I'll show you how they're organized and stored..
and where they're "parked"

I LOVE LOVE LOVE the ArtBin SemiSatchel.

I have quite a few of them in the studio

and use them for large die  that are stored on magnetic cards...

6x6 paper pad storage

and completed card storage.

The semi satchel is a great size..

VERY well made...

very hefty and solid..

it has a secure lock...

heavy duty dividers 

and a great sturdy handle.

You can find the Semi Satchel on the internet 

priced anywhere from $12 to almost $30...

 If you plan on ordering after you read through this blog post...

be sure to shop around!

When I placed my Spectrum Alcohol markers in the Semi Satchel

I opted to keep the boxes that they came in...

I cut off the lids and was left with the box only...

you can see the individual boxes in the satchel in the photo below

You can also see the dividers that come with the satchel.
The boxes just see as a holder...
so that when I take markers out to color...
the remaining ones don't flop of and fall down
(see...I told you that I am an obsessive neat-ink.)

I chose to organize the markers by color family...

When you order them..you may have an IG marker in one set...and an IG in another...etc...

so..

I did NOT keep the sets together in the configuration that they come in when you purchase them.

Instead...I gathered up all of the same color family (by letter coding) and put them together...

This made sense to me for choosing colors and blending with ease.

The markers that you see here are the complete set...

all of the sets currently available.

IF they come out with another set...I am in trouble!

haha

because as you can see...

this case is FULL.

I also deliberately chose NOT to have all pinks and reds together....blues together.. etc etc

because for me...that is confusing to the eye when choosing colors to work with.
I didn't want to look at the markers when coloring..
and look at a sea of color that made no sense to the eye.
So I chose to put some contrasting colors next to each other.
To y personal eye...they stand out much better...
and allow me to choose colors with ease.

When finished coloring...I ALWAYS put the markers back in the spot designated for them..

(Emphasis on A L W A Y S....they never get returned to another section of the satchel)

After just a short time...

I knew the "layout" within the satchel contents by heart...

and now...I can reach for a marker blindfolded...

For me...this system makes coloring so easy.

So while it's great to have all of the markers organized in one place...

the dilemma was....where to keep the Satchel.

I am TRULY out of space.
No space vacancies in the studio.
ZERO

After a big mental duel with my neat-ink tidy self...

I negotiated...with myself...(haha)

for a spot on the floor..

right next to the main desk.

A spot where I keep my Stampin Up ink caddy

(because I was not willing to give desk, counter or work table space to the caddy.

The floor space is kind of a "dead " space...

So putting the Satchel there seemed like the best option.

(well....if I really want to think about it....it was really the ONLY option.)

and so...

here's the satchel...
the markers are in the FLAT position...

next to the ink caddy...

and my back-up trimmer.

(Those wheels are my Raskog ....parked on the far right)

They're easy to move out of the way when I want to get into the drawers under the counter...

So...

for me..this works.

So there you have it...

my simple organization and storage of my alcohol markers.

Now...I am going to huddle..football style...with Gary...
confirm our plan of attack for the remaining 50 bins that need to be sorted etc for the sale...
and get this job DONE.

If you live in the NYC.. Long Island...New Jersey...Connecticut...Westchester area
take a ride and visit us at the garage sale next weekend.
I promise you some crazy & amazing bargains.

Have a great Saturday, my crafty friends!
Michelle.

Good Things Come in Small Packages ~ Day 2

I'm back today with another card that was created with 

Pink & Main's Doodled Flowers 3x4 stamp set.

Today's  card is the second of 2 CAS cards created with this great little stamp set 

that has lots of great stamps as well as a wonderful sentiment stamp.

All of the stamps are perfectly sized for A2 card making.

Yesterday's card was fun card to create...

and this card was fun as well.

I started out by cutting the card stock pieces/mats...

then creating the background with yellow and ink pads and Clarity brushes.

I stamped the sentiment

and then stamped each flower and leaf to create this centered arrangement for flowers.

I "colored" each flower and leaf with Spectrum Noir Sparkle Pens

 then assembled the card.

The image layer was double matted...

first with purple metallic card stock...

and then a mat of gold metallic card stock.

This was the first time I have "colored" with these markers...

I've used them many times before...

for sparkly "highlighting" over an already colored image...

but I've never used them for completely coloring an image..or images.

I found then easy to use...

(the brush tip allowed me to apply liquid sparkly color with precision 

to even the smallest  of the images...

and...

the sparkly finish is beautiful.

*Note: I am NOT a sparkle lover...

but am loving the fine shimmery finish that these markers offer.

Here's a great close-up of the "sparkle" 

Pretty....isn't it?

It' almost like a sparkly dusty finish...

very fine...

but very visible.

You can also see the narrow 1/8" mat layers in this photo.

The flower centers needed a little something...

so I added a small little rhinestone to each center to give the card a little bit of zip!

This sweet little Pink & Main Doodled Flowers stamp set

is a great little stamp set...

and a great addition to my stamp collection.

It will be a stamp set that I reach for time and time again...

either to use a few of the stamps...

or to use all of them...to create a grouping or arrangement like this one.

Thanks for visiting...

I hope that this card has inspired you to create a floral card of your own!

Michelle.
PS....Thanks Dayna for gifting this great little stamp set to me!

Good Things Come in Small Packages ~ Day 1

I've got a great little Pink & Main stamp set called Doodled Flowers

to share with you today...and tomorrow.

This 3x4 little Doodled Flowers stamp set is proof positive that 

good things DO come in small packages!

I'll be sharing 2 Doodled Flowers cards with you here at my blog...

one today...

and..

one tomorrow.

Today's Doodled card is a very CAS card....

or as I sometimes call them...

CCAS...

Clean Crisp and Simple.

The bright sharp colors of the flowers against the white background 

and white card stock layers 

definitely qualifies for the added "C"...for CRISP.

There's just something abut a neat and tidy white card with bold color that makes me smile.

So without further ado...

here's the first of the two cards...

A CCAS  Doodled Flowers card.

So what do you think?

CCAS?

Credit for the beautiful bright flower and leaf colors colors goes to Spectrum Noir Alcohol Markers,

I love love love striking colors against white

and I'm already thinking that I'd like to use this sketch with an assortment of different sentiments.
Each flower center was finished with a tiny little rhinestone. 

I just love the mini scalloped stitched dies

and thought that they'd work well with Doodled Flowers.
I used a smaller scalloped rectangle for stamping...
an a larger scalloped rectangle as a mat layer.
I also cut a straight edged mat layer and adhered it to the white base card

The stamps in this set are fun to work with.

They/re the perfect size for creating and stamping your own arrangement.

Each leaf and flower that you see...

along with the beautiful sentiment

are part of this wonderful stamp set.

I especially like the smallest leaf 

because it was the perfect size for filling in small spots that needed "something"

and pulled all of the separate images together to create the full arrangement.

Here's one last look at this very CAS card...

or as I say...CCAS card!

This Pink & Main 3x4 set is one that I foresee myself using over and over gain.

Thank you Dayna for gifting this wonderful stamp set to me!

Thanks for visiting, my crafty friends.

Don't forget to stop by tomorrow for Doodle Day #2

when I'll share another Doodled Flowers card with you

and have you leaving here knowing that you NEED to get your crafty little hands 

on this wonderful little Pink & Main stamp set!

See ya' tomorrow!

Michelle