Blog Hop "For Those Who are Left Behind"

Welcome to this Blog Hop! The deadline for the Blog Hop will be 9am MST Thursday July 5th. So, you have until then to visit as many of the blogs as you can.

The title of this Hop, "For Those Who are Left Behind", was decided on by a group of gals over at CropChocolate.com, a wonderful.online scrapbook store. Crop Chocolate, is having an onsite crop retreat called "The Spring Thing" in the State of Utah. However, I was unable to attend this year, and so while the lucky ones are in Utah, some of us who couldn't make it decided to have a Blog Hop so that we could get our "scrappy on" also.

Each stop along this blog hop will have a  "Challenge" posted. The challenges are created by the blog's author, and you need to follow each blogger's instructions to qualify for some goodies being given away by CropChocolate.com. In addition, some of the Bloggers will be giving out "Blog Candy" on their Site. Just be sure to follow their individual instructions in order to qualify yourself for winning! Here is a list of the participating blogs. Visit them in order, or randomly as you find the time!

clayton528 – http://www.upinthenightwithkat.blogspot.com
Scrappy Canuck – http://scrappycanuck.wordpress.com/
Karey2005 – http://www.karey2005.blogspot.com/
by belle - http://stuffbybelle.blogspot.com
bethd488 - http://engineeringmemories.blogspot.com
scrapaddict-laura - http://scrapaddict4life.blogspot.com/
mom2tayandbay – www.talesoftayandbay.blogspot.com
raebae – http://kitchentablescrapper.blogspot.com/
NinaN - http://ninastimeout.blogspot.ca/
Christina - www.thriftysisters-chris.blogspot.com
Haf2scrap – (guest of centralnyscrapper) http://centralnyscrapper.blogspot.com/
**YOU ARE HERE!->  NanCDru – Char - http://craftychicchar.blogspot.com/2012/06/for-those-who-are-left-behind-blog-hop.html
I am giving away a very nice package for you stampers out there! And all I ask you to do is to become a follower of my blog (unless you already are), and to leave a comment at the end of this Post. I will determine who all followed those requirements, and then will randomly draw a winner from that group! I'm really hoping I can increase the number of followers I currently have, 33, to 50! So, good luck to all, and now on to my Challenge:

For my Challenge, I'm asking people to use their Alcohol Inks on a project of their choice. Use one or two colors, or as many as you like. You can use the inks on a card, a layout, a home decor item, or whatever your imagination comes up with! In order to give some inspiration, I am Posting a Tutorial I made using Alcohol Inks and a Candle!

Alcohol Inked Candle Project

1.      Supplies needed:

Tim Holtz Adirondack Alcohol Inks of your color choice (by Ranger)

-White or Neutral color Pillar Candle(s)

-Disposable Gloves

-Masking Tape

-Non-Stick Protective Craft Mat (15”x18” Inkssentials by Ranger)

-Old Newspapers  

-Waxed Paper OR Palette Paper

-Paper Plate

-Cotton Balls or something similar (I used the cotton from a prescription bottle!)

-Mini Mister filled with Ranger Blending Solution (OPTIONAL).

Cover work surface with a layer or two of Newspapers. Place “Protective Craft Mat” on top of Newspapers (if you do not have a Protective Craft Mat, just add another layer or two of Newspapers). Place a sheet or two of Palette Paper(PP) OR Waxed Paper(WP) on top of your Previous Layers. Cut the PP or WP so that it is long enough to “roll” your Pillar Candle back and forth on. Usually about 12” is a good length.

2..      Cut a small piece of masking tape and wrap it around the Candle wick. This will protect it from getting stains on the white wick of the candle, and also give you a “handle” to rotate your candle with.

             3.    Now put the Disposable Gloves on. 
             4.    Pick out the “lightest” color of your Alcohol Inks, or the color you want to serve as a “base    color” for your project.
             5.   Lightly squeeze a trail of this color onto the sheet of Waxed Paper.

Begin rolling your Pillar Candle back and forth through this color, until your Candle has a nice coating of this color on all sides. 

                    6.  Now Stand Candle upright on a clear spot of your Waxed Paper. Squirt a little of same color on the top of the Candle, and use the Cotton to spread and cover this area of the Candle so the entire Candle is now the same color
                    7.  Pick a different color and begin “dripping” from the top edge of candle, letting the Ink drip and pool and form its own patterns. Drip the Ink all around the candle from the top edge, and completing a “circle” back to the starting point. It is helpful to hold the wick while turning the candle, as you will not leave any fingerprints in the ink and you can see the coverage you are getting from your second ink color.

8.      Repeat with as few or many ink colors as you choose. This is where color patterns really begin to show themselves. Just remember to completely circle the Candle with your Ink as you are dripping it down. That way the Candle does not have any “empty” spots

                        9.   When you have finished with your Inks, place Candle onto a paper plate to dry.

Dry for about 24 hours If you want, embellish your candle with ribbon, charms, etc.. After 24 hours, all the alcohol has evaporated and you are free to burn and enjoy the Candle! Below are photos of the Candle, Embellished.

 

Notes: 

-Colors used on this project are: Sail Boat Blue; Wild Plum; Purple Twilight; Sunshine Yellow. For the base color on this project, I used the “Sail Boat Blue”. I did NOT use the Mini Mister for this candle.

-After you have made a Candle and are feeling comfortable with the process, try making a second candle. For this candle, you can turn it up a notch by using a “Mini Mister” filled with Alcohol Blending Solution, and spray the Solution on various parts of the Inked Candle. This will give you a look similar to the effect you get if you ever used salt on watercolor paints.  The Blending Solution will spread the color and somewhat “lift” some of the color if you have a spot that has too much color or is too dense.

-Below are pictures of a Candle made using “The Alcohol Blending Solution” Technique.

I hope you have enjoyed using your Alcohol Inks to make a unique and beautiful candle. Just remember, you decide when you are finished. If you are happy with how your candle looks after using two colors, then you are finished. If you want to add more colors, then do that. Just be careful and look all around the candle as you add each color. You do not want to add TOO much, or you may end up with a “muddy” look. Most importantly, Have FUN!!

CC Challenge #18 "The Recipe" Using StampersBest Stamps

Where has the month of June gone?  In just a few days it will be Father's Day.  So, I finally "got my craft on", and came up with this card to celebrate his special day:

The Swordfish Stamp is from StampersBest. (At stampersbest.com, If you use the Code CharB during checkout, you will save 10% off your Order!!)  I first stamped it with black ink, then embossed it twice with clear embossing powder to give it that just out of the water "wet look". Unfortunately, the picture doesn't show that detail very well. It does show up better if you click on the picture and enlarge it. The patterned paper is from MME Union Square line, the metal corners from Tim Holtz, and the pearls are from MM Bravissimo.

On the inside of the card I used another StampersBest Stamp, The Fishing Lesson,  for this humorous quote:

I hope my dad enjoys his Card, and has a wonderful Father's Day!!


 I would also like to enter this card in the following challenges:

Cooking It Up With Katie #97 - Texture a Metal Man!

Anniversary Shadowbox

 This project is a Shadowbox I created for my sister and BIL's 27th Anniversary. They have been through a lot recently, and I wanted to make something special for them.

 I began by "fussy cutting" along the damask shapes to create a "frame" for their photo. I also fussy cut from another sheet of the same patterned paper, along the damask patterns from the top to bottom of the sheet. I then cut them further to fit around the framed area. Next, I took a piece of lace and hand pleated it, using Glossy Accents to secure each pleat! After creating the pleated lace, I attached it around the cut-out frame using the Glossy Accents, then attached a strand of pearls over the "seam" of the pleated lace.Then I placed the picture of my sister and BIL behind all this and secured with adhesive.

The Bravissimo I used was three separate pieces. The "Happy Anniversary" used on the top of the page is actually a "center" sentiment piece. In the lower right corner I took a Bravissimo semi-finished teal rosette, and used a sentiment center "It's Your Day" on top of that. To beef the rosette up, I attached some box-pleat ribbon around the bottom of the entire rosette.

 Near the top of the page, on either side of the frame, I placed the dates of their marriage and the date of their anniversary using MM Paper Reverie silver letters, on top of two Spellbinders cut-outs. At the bottom of the frame I attached a TH metal flower and pearl bangle. I added two Anna Griffin butterflies and added some stickles, along with MM Paper Reverie Noir butterflies and some Prima Pearls! After I was completely finished, I enclosed the layout in a shadowbox frame, and called it done!! Everything used was from either OMC or CC, except for the following: shadowbox, TH Pearl Bauble, Anna Griffin Butterfly(2), misc. lace and pearl strand for "frame" (stash), Spellbinders die, Glossy Accents adhesive, and stickles-Crystal.

I would like to enter this project into the following challenges:

Cooking It Up With Katie #96  - Celebrate w/ Ribbon & a Die Cut 

CTO Challenge #65  -Thinking of You (use a flower)  

 MIM #93 -  with Bugaboo Stamps  

Whimsy Inspirations Challenge - Things with Wings 

Get Hippity with Ippity  - Challenge #22: Color Challenge Inspiration

Tuesday Alchemy - Challenge #18: Anything Goes

 

"StampersBest" Rubber Stamp Haul

Howdy everyone! This is a quick post today to show you a photo of some rubber stamps I recently received in the mail. They are all from a great company called StampersBest, and they are all made here in the good old USA!

This company has many things going for it, among them their great selection, prices, & customer service.  They also include a free stamp with every purchase you make! You gotta love that :)

AND, you can save 10% off of your order (any size) if you use my Code: "CharB".  Just type in CharB without the asterisks during checkout, and immediately save 10%!! What a Great Deal :-)