Saturday 28 July 2012

YAY!! Saturated Canary YT DT announced!!!

Hi There Guys,

As my lovely followers on here and many cherished friends on Facebook will know, i am a Saturated Canary addict!! LOL......i just love the gorgeous characters, every single one of them and Krista's work is phenomenal....... oh Krista? she's the ever so talented artist and mama of the stamps that make her company Saturated Canary.......Recently, i started a little venture with Krista, to start a YouTube Design Team, and Krista made a DT Call Out to all those girlies, and boys out there, to see if anyone was happy enough to make videos, to show us how they use the lovely characters and a tutorial of how they make their masterpieces! As the YT DTLeader/Coordinator i had a part to play in who we chose to be on the team, and oh so hard that was, some very talented people were to be given good news and some equally very talented people were to be given bad news, its not a nice thing to do, so i left that bit to Krista, oops, sorry Krista......well, she is the boss, hehehehe!!!
Two of Krista's lovely designers from her well established challenge blog, have decided to come over to the YouTube team, and i want to say a personal Hi, lovely to meet you and i look forward to working with you, Carisa & Mary....huggles, girlies....and myself and Krista chose 3 new girls for the team, welcome to Fabi, Yani & Penni, i look forward to working with you girls, xx
I know quite a few of the Challenge Blog designers, and Guest designers and they are great friends, and i have equally met some new girls who are fast becoming good buddies!! Soon, the 'new, very exciting' Saturated Canary Channel will be launched and i do hope you all come to visit us on YouTube, on our blogs, and i'm sure my fellow team mates will post their links on Facebook too, like i do.....so, all thats left to do is say, look out for my launch post and get ready for some great videos, laughs and most of all.... fun!!!!
Hugs&Blessings, Vick xxx

Wednesday 25 July 2012

RIBBON GIRL

Hi Guys,

If you haven't heard of this shop, it is a must, to say their service is good is understating them, i had made an order a couple of weeks back and i ordered late night on the Sunday and my order was delivered first thing on the Tuesday morning, i couldnt believe this service?? they wouldnt have got my order and picked it until the Monday yet it was on my doorstep on Tuesday!! WOW i thought it may just be a one off, and i give credit where credit is due, and i don't tell you about places i shop unless there's a reason, well here there is, i ordered some things Saturday this time and my order was here Monday morning!!! wow, how do they do this?? Absolutely amazing my crafty friends.......i showed you a pic of my last little haul, this time i wanted to show you the beauty of some shocking pink lace, green faux silk ribbon and i am in love with their scrunched 60mm wide taffeta ribbon, i showed you the copper coloured one i bought, last week on here, this time i bought the aubergine coloured one and the lilac, simply stunning..........if you are looking for the aubergine one to buy it is listed as 'rich burgundy', so here are a couple of pics, hope you give Mary&Andrea the mother & daughter owners of Ribbon Girl a chance they are awesome ladies!! Thanks ribbon girls, their link is at the bottom of the following pics.............




You can find the girls HERE enjoy, Hugs&Blessings, Vick xx

Monday 23 July 2012

LADYBUG CRAFTS

Hi Guys,

I do hope your week has kicked off nicely!! The weather here is around 74deg so quite warm, luckily for me stuck in my room, there's a breeze!! Right, what's with the title i hear you say? well on Saturday i received a lovely email from Sam who runs Ladybug Crafts, inviting me onto her new Challenge DT, as this is a new Challenge blog it hasn't been launched yet but will definitely be launched in the next few weeks, i sure will post when it is up and running with my first design! Sam has got a shop though, HERE so check it out!
Hope your week is a good one! Hugs&Blessings, Vick xxx

Thursday 19 July 2012

MEADOWLARK (PRIMA A4)

Hey there my fellow crafters,

You may have noticed that over the months i periodically feature my newest papers, just to show you how they look, as websites very rarely give you a close up and the way i do it doesn't breach copyright.  So, my latest love is from Prima (who would have guessed?)  as all my paper reviews are Prima, in the main, lol........Anyway, i digress, the paper is MEADOWLARK in A4 format.....ooh i am inlove.......again!!!......us crafters are soooo fickle, aren't we?
I am a feminine, frilly frou frou kind of woman, yet love love vintage, so i love the grungey, grubby look, but i have loved, for as long as i can remember, the 'SHABBY CHIC VINTAGE' look.....all the country cottage florals........ a 500 year old cottage or barn is my ideal home and when i win the lottery, my words to that home will be "Come to Mamma"!! LOL.........so,  these papers are right up my street, or countrylane, whatever the case may be!!!..... they just need grunging up a little....... a bit of distress ink here and there and the odd, ripped, distressed edge every now and again !! and you have yourself a grungey, vintage floral look which is my all time favourite look, im thinking of grunging my whole house with loads of distress inks and cut and dry foam................oh wait, it already is 'Shabby'  im just missing the 'Chic'......... PMSL........so here are the papers, in (my mind)   'ICE CREAM SHABBY CHIC' colours, from delicate blues, and (parma violet) lavenders, through to babygirl pinks and luscious lemons........hope you like!!!







Hugs & Blessings dear friends, and have a great Thursday!!! Vick xxx

Wednesday 18 July 2012

EVENING ALL

Evening guys,

I thought i would show you something else that ties in with what i have been doing the past few posts, they have all been about, not letting your stash hold you back and to make it work for you!! I bought some lovely stash yesterday and posted my mini haul on here today, however, i wanted my blingy button to match my blinged up scrunched taffeta bow, and oh that bow is gorrrrrrrgeous!!!!  I thought,  "how about spraying the bow with some Cosmic Shimmer Mica Misters" (similar to Glimmermists and Lindy's Gang, to my U.S friends) and seeing as the ribbon is a copper brown colour i used a subtle shade of mica spritz 'Sunlight Mist', just to enhance the natural beauty of this colour and fabric, its so sumptious!!

The blingy crystal button is absolutely stunning but didnt go with this particular coloured ribbon, maybe a black, or silver but not this colour so i thought "Aha!!!! i know i will use my trusty promarkers so i chose 'Burn't Orange' as the browns were not strong enough, they were too translucent instead of a little translucent, anyway, here is the whole game in pictures, hope it gives you ideas to play with!!!! Hugs&Blessings xxxVick


P.S Oh by the way, the C.S mister also makes the ribbon harder and crispy, lol, i kinder like that,  as it keeps its shape, its more like a wired ribbon now, with a crunchy feel, lol xxx







HANDY STORAGE

Hi Guys,

I just came across some boxes last week at Poundland Sorry guys its Poundworld and thought i would show them to you and give you the heads up to get some yourself if you can!! I only bought 2! stupid or what??..........I have fitted all my 54 Promarkers, and 43 Whisper pens in 1 box, (see pic below) they are only £1!!!! each, amazing value considering they have lock clips on the sides and a handle, fantastic value for money and ideal for our craft rooms, Huggles, Vick






MY SCRUMMY HAUL

Hi Guys,

What a sunny day it is today where i am, i hope its nice where you are too, although it is quite windy! If my printer was working ok i would have printed out&coloured in one of my many Saturated Canary digi's i think 'Windy Day' would have been very apt, she is adorable too, of course!!

 Anyway, seeing as i have no card to show you today, i thought i would take a pic of the goodies i bought from The Ribbon Girl that arrived yesterday! All this glitz and glamour for under £20 and that's with the postage too, what a great haul!!

I love the Faux Diamante Mesh, its very blingy!! and compliments the buttons i bought in large (crystal) round and small crystal heart buttons. My favourite part of the stash i bought is the sumptious Scrunched Taffeta 60mm wide ribbon, oh my word, i am in love!!! and that white cotton lace is to die for, wish i had of bought a couple of metres  more of these 2 items especially!! I will soon start thinking up ideas to work these goodies into my projects and i just know im going to enjoy looking at them and then putting them away again, lol...........im like that and i know hundreds of my friends are like that too, these beauties are going to end up being hoarded stash instead of using stash, typical, you buy something cause it looks good and you get all these ideas of what to use it on but it becomes hoarded stash cause its just too nice! LOL........anyway, im leaving you with a pic hope you like it........Hugs&Blessings xxxx

Sunday 15 July 2012

SC. LET IT RAIN (green never seen card)

Hi There Crafters,

Here, as promised is the card i made from my 'lime green' promarkered flower and Saturated Canary digi 'Let it Rain' and in the U.K that'd be right, LOL.....although we havent had any rain for a few days now, its 'birdsong shining' in my garden! I call it that cause the birds around my garden never stop singing and i mean, NEVER, usually you hear that wonderful sound 4-6am but these buddies of mine chirp away morning, all day, at night and even through the night when they feel like it, i love the sound they make and so many different sounds too......just wish i wasn't so immobile i would love to birdwatch, shame cause my bedroom window is higher than my bedside so i have to stand up to watch.........anyway, here is my card i made with that gorgeous bright green and if you haven't read it, have a look at the post below this, it may give you some tips you didnt think of!! Hugs Vick xxx




Ingredients i used for this card

Saturated Canary digi 'Let it Rain'
DP the green one behind is DoCrafts Papermania 'Rose Garden' & the pink and yellow polka dot is 'Beach Babe' from Fancy Pants Designs
Butterfly is promarker enhanced to match but is originally from K&Co 'Wild Saffron'
Multi layered flower from my stash (originally yellow) coloured with Promarker and sprayed with Cosmic Shimmer Mister 'Sunlight Mist' you can see a bit of the mica but more evident in real life
12mm pearl brad, coloured in with Promarker
Bright Green RicRac from stash
Bright green gem flowers from stash
Pink flowers and Foliage all from my stash

Its a little different from my norm, but i hope its brightened your day!! Enjoy your Sunday!!! hugs x

Saturday 14 July 2012

GREEN NEVER SEEN!!............until now!!

Hey Boys&Girls,

Whilst stuck in bed i have been doing a fair bit of colouring with my beloved Promarkers!  I noticed a couple of weeks ago that i have been using a colour i hated, with a passion, for the majority of my life! GREEN and bright green at that! I've even started decorating my bedroom in Japanese Jade Green (which i could always stomach) but zesty lime green? no way jose!! However, this week i replaced some drying out Promarkers and bought some new ones, two zesty greens, i obviously had a couple of greens for leaves and foliage but this is called LIME GREEN and it is........

So, i have just taken a couple of pics to give you ideas of making your stash work for you! I used this lovely new bright green of mine on my favourite digital stamp designs, from Saturated Canary, this one is called...'Let it Rain'......so, i used that particular Promarker, and made my stash work for me,  i coloured some light yellow flowers i had from literally 7years ago, with the bright green and, a 12mm 'normal green' pearl brad, making it the exact colour of my digi stamp because you are using the same coloured Promarker. 
Because they are solvent based markers, they permanently colour things, don't forget that, they aren't just for colouring in pictures!!! make your stash work for you, hope i've given you some ideas today, Have a great weekend!!!

****TOP TIPS****think about other ideas.....ribbon, seam binding, lace, fabric, plastic/acrylic buttons,  diamantees,  peel offs, stickers, gems, pearls, brads, flowers, paper, foam, sequins, chipboard shapes and flourishes, diecuts & many more .......have a think, i bet you can find more things of yours, to colour, if you thought about it!!





****TOP TIP**** When colouring in ribbon, seam binding, fabric & lace, make sure you put some scrap copier paper behind the fabric whilst colouring it in and allow each layer to dry before you colour again IF you are doing more than one coat., so that you don't move layer one off before it dries........So, look out for this baby on a card very soon, Hugs&Blessings Vick xxx

Wednesday 11 July 2012

SATURATED CANARY DTCALL

Hey there my friends,

Today i have something  a little different for you to a card, although i will be back later with a card, (my W.O.C challenge card)  I wanted to tell you some good news for me and then some good news for you, if you like doing YouTube videos, or even if you haven't tried them before but just know you could do well, we all have to do our first one to start doing them in the first place......dont we?

Anyway, Krista, the artist and owner behind Saturated Canary Digital Stamps HERE  (and now launching at CHA @ Little Darlings Booth) her Rubber stamp range, whoo hoo!! Krista is having a DTCall for some designers on YouTube. There will be, for the first time ever, a Saturated Canary Channel!! yay (worth checking out when it goes live)  and 6 designers whom will work that channel, 3 of which are already chosen, 2 of the girls have popped over from Krista's blog challenge DT and the other one is the 'leader of the pack'  moi, yours truly, lol, so predominantly you would be working with me and a lovely group of girls, as i am the DTLeader with Krista as our overall boss, but not exactly a boss cause she's too stinkin cute and lovely to be bossy but you know what i mean!! LOL.
Anyhoo, there are 3 spots left, if you watch the video (link below) that Krista has done for this Call she will give you the email address to send your little video clip to.  Krista thought, and i agreed that it would be a great idea to have the potential Design Team submit their video piece to her email address, that in turn you won't feel everyone has seen your submission and there is less pressure on you all, as you will feel happy to know that there will only be a couple of people seeing it, not every woman, man and his doggy, aww!!
So, the requirements, as a YTDT member, you will be required to put out one tutorial video piece a month with one of Krista's creations as the focal point, thats it guys, thats all, Krista is fairly relaxed and doesn't put upon us stringent rules and regulations, it is a fairly laidback team to be in, so whats stopping you? watch what Krista has to say and have a go, i'd love to work with you!!  and besides......we'll have a right ole giggle.....
Hugs & Blessings, Vick xxxx


Here is Krista's video :


And myself and Krista just want to say she isn't falling asleep there in that shot, hahaha, its YouTube's sense of humour, LOL xxxx  GOOD LUCK MY FRIENDS AND MOST OF ALL, HAVE FUN!!!! hugs xx

Sunday 8 July 2012

My Saturated Canary challenge card

Hey Guys,

I have been bedbound for over a week now so have had plenty of time to lie here and get bored stiff, lol, so i have been watching a lot of t.v mainly the crime channel!! and had time to colour my digis!

I have lots of digi's from various companies but many of them are from Saturated Canary, i just love the feel they have, so light and fun, i suppose much like the artist&owner, Krista Smith, such a lovely young lady!
Anyway, the challenge this month is to 'BLING IT ON'  and you can enter HERE......now personally, i don't put a lot of 'blingy' things on my cards, things like glitter! however, there is an urge to throw everything shiny at a card when you're given permission to do so.. LOL!! but i restrained myself to a charm, large pearl brad and a little crystal clear glitter.
The digi i have used was a free one that you can get from the challenge blog, and is a nod to Breast Cancer Research, the reason i used this digi is that i am making a few of them to donate to the local hospice to raise funds, and have added the 'HOPE' charm to each card. I truly 'hope' you like my card!

Full card shot!



The 'HOPE' charm


The Angled shot



Ingredients i used to make this card

'Boobylove' digi from Saturated Canary
Spellbinder die
PVA glue
Flowers from WOC
Crushed Silk Ribbon from my stash
12mm Pink Pearl Brad from WOC
DP from Papercellar
Glamourdust (crystal)
'HOPE' charm
silver jump rings
Coloured with Promarkers

Hugs&Blessings, Vick xxx

Thursday 5 July 2012

MY 1ST TWINCHIE

Hi Guys,

Tonight i entered a challenge to make my own twinchie and the challenge blog is run by some of my treasured friends from Facebook! I have never done a twinchie before and for me personally, doing something this small creates more problems than i would have thought, it is, for me easier to have a canvas much much bigger, lol!!!
Anyhow, i was delighted to see that in a drawer in my studio i found some 'Stampbord' that i had bought approximately 6 years ago, and it was a variety pack (all different sizes) and i found a few pieces that just happened to be 2x2 inch, that's a stroke of luck i thought to myself.

I have done a pretty basic twinchie but am quite chuffed with myself as i managed to do one in the first place, lol, my friend's challenge blog on Twinchies really intrigues me so i thought, however basic,  i'm gonna have a go!!
I have used an old stamp from Graphicus and inked the 'stampbord' up with an old Big and Juicy pad.
Hope you like what i have done, thanks for looking, Hugs&blessings, Vick xx


You too can enter this challenge, just make a piece of art 2x2 inch and enter! You'll find inspiration and the place to enter  HERE .........Good Luck!!!!!

Wednesday 4 July 2012

CONCLUSION ON WHICH CARD

Hey Folks,

Well, i have checked out the D.I Markers on the last 2 card/thick paper swatches. Even on 160gsm card/thick paper, the markers work lovely and even though water is added, the colouring doesnt even show through on the other side of such thin card, so i now know that i can use any of the cardstock i have with these pens!!

Below is the 240gsm card, i only have A5 pieces of this but its the idea you need



Below is the 160gsm card/thick paper, this is great to know as the people who have printers that won't take thick card will more than likely have 160gsm card/paper which will go through most printers


Hope i have helped people with questions of what paper or card these markers will watercolour with!


Thanks for looking guys, Hugs&Blessings, Vick xx

Tuesday 3 July 2012

D.I MARKERS ON CARD

Hey Guys,

Last night i did 2 colour swatches with my new Tim Holtz Distress Markers to see how they react when agitated with water in two types of card that i have, i aim to try them out on another type of card later, the first one is Bockingford Watercolour Card 300gsm, this one is textured but you can buy smooth, i only have the textured kind.



The next colour swatch was done on the underside of Centura Pearl Card 300gsm





Going off the results i got on these two swatches i am, so far, very happy with the markers strong pigmentation, and their qualities when water is added.  I have 160gsm card & 240gsm card to do a swatch on later today!  I will soon be doing a product review on these markers as to their use with rubber stamps and digi stamps, so if you want to see my findings please make sure you check back. If you are on FB i also link my blog posts to my FB account, so lookout on there too! Happy Crafting people, and see you soon!!! Hugs&Blessings, Vick xxx

JUST BECAUSE

I made this card sometime ago and came across it tonight, so i thought i would post it, just because, i love Poppies!!! So i hope you like it..........hugs&blessings xxx

 This is the full card shot

 A close up


The Angled shot! Hope you like!

Ingredients i used for this card

White hammered card
Wine coloured linen card
Gold Brads
Smooth white cardstock
Poppy stamp from Sheena Douglass
Promarkers in Red Cardinal and Poppy, apple and khaki
Cream flower handmade by me
Red Poppies from Wild Orchid Crafts
Natural lace from Wild Orchid Crafts

Monday 2 July 2012

GOT MY D.I MARKERS YIPPEE!!!

Hi Folks,

Well, i spent ages in Google on Friday last week, looking for the cheapest price on the net in the U.K of Tim Holtz Distress Ink Markers and i found them, Craft World, craftologyonline.com £75 for the whole set! I ordered just before 9pm on Friday night, they were dispatched Saturday morning and in my mitts Monday morning!!! WOWSER!!!!!!  now thats what i call a great service! Can't wait to play with them tomorrow!! Hugs Vick xxx