Monday, February 23, 2009

Monday's Fun Day!

Thank you to all who left such nice comments on the Copics Demonstration post or emailed me privately. If anyone has any requests or questions or if something isn't as clear, please feel free to contact me.


I have been trying to play "catch up" at my craft table with various workshops and a few the cards that are due at the store for my next class (which will be posted very soon!)

The Copic blending technique tutorials are also being worked on. I had a couple of requests that came in that I am trying to work on in a way that will translate well online, iykwm.

In the meantime, it's time to announce last week's Monday's Fun Day winner!

Random Integer Generator


Here are your random numbers:

6


Timestamp: 2009-02-24 15:42:22 UTC

HEIDI! Congratulations!

She wrote:

I enjoy scrapbooking and am currently working on my youngest son's album to complete for his college graduation in May. I am up to his 10th grade in high school so I better get going!!! Thanks for offering your book as a prize.

Heidi, email me your mailing address and I will get this cute little book out to you in the mail! - whoopsie.daisy@sbcglobal.net

I made this little embellishment with my new Hero Arts Patterned Hearts set.

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First thing everyone asked me at the store was "What are you going to do with that set? Valentine's is over!" My answer was easy... four leaf clovers! Well... three leaf clovers too. :) My inspiration comes from a sweet girl I met up with at CHA. Laura Griffin posted a cute card and video on her blog, Dreaming Out Loud. Mine's more simple in that I just cut my hearts out after stamping them and then used a small circle punch to punch out a base and a glue dot to stick all of my hearts to. A button with piece of linen thread and some glitter around the button accents the center. I'll probably find some use for this lucky clover on a card or a scrapbook layout.

Now for this Monday's Fun Day giveaway, compliments of Memories Live On!

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To have a chance to win this, simply leave me a comment here about anything! :) You have until Sunday evening and I will post a winner that night before I go to bed.

I'll start...

Last night, as I was inking up my brand new Penny Black and Karen Stolper stamps, I realized just how much I love seeing those images coming to life with ink and color!

Have a happy day everyone!


Saturday, February 21, 2009

Copic Demonstration Information

Thank you to all who came to Memories Live On and visited with me in the back room as I demonstrated with Copics. I had a terrific time and I hope you enjoyed the time you spent at the store!

Here's a little recap of what we went over today:


What does the letter on each marker mean?

The letter for each marker represents the color family that the marker belongs to.

B = Blue
BG = Blue Green
BV = Blue Violet
G = Green
YG = Yellow Green
Y = Yellow
YR = Yellow Red
R = Red
RV = Red Violet
V = Violet
E = Earth
C = Cool Gray
N = Neutral Gray
T = Toner Gray
W = Warm Gray


What do the numbers on the markers mean?

Basically, the numbers represent the “qualities” of light, dark, and grays in that marker.

The first digit represents “saturation” or how vibrant the color is.
“0” will be very vibrant. “9” will be more earthy / gray.
** “E” Earth markers do not necessarily follow this. **

The last digit represents how light the marker is within that “saturation group”.
Anything with a “1” on the end will be lighter than a “5”, which is more of a mid-tone, and “9” which will be much darker.

Here's visual that might help...

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The Yellow Green marker is in the "90" group, which is as gray as it gets for this family color.
The YG91 is the lightest that I have in this group. Then I went to the middle of this group with my YG95. You can see that it is more saturated in color. Then the darkest marker in this color family is YG99 shows you just how much more earthier in tone and how much more saturated it is, compared to YG91.

The exception to all this is the E (Earth) markers.
Here's a visual:

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This shows you a little of the graduation in colors but this will not apply to all of the other E markers.


The Copic Markers:

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Copic (Original) – 214 colors*
Sketch – 322 colors
Ciao – 144 colors
Wide – 32 colors*
Multiliners - Black multiliners are available in 0.05, 0.1, 0.3, 0.5, 0.8, 1.0mm
- Brush Small (BS) and Brush Medium (BM).
- Colored Multiliners are available in sizes 0.05, 0.1, 0.3, and 0.5mm.

atyou Spica glitter pens
• Non-Toxic
• Acid-Free
• Archival
• Transparent (perfect for adding a splash of color or bling overlays)
• No-Clog Tip
• Pigment Based
• Contains micro glass flakes for beautiful sparkle
• Twice the writing length of other pens (Over 360 Yards)

There are 23 colors plus the clear glitter pen!
It is very important to keep these markers on their sides (horizontally).


* Copic and Wide markers have empty markers available that can be filled with any of the available 322 colors

The markers are different in the style of their bodies and replaceable tips as well as how much ink they can hold. For example, the Copic Marker is square body design which is very different to the oval body design of the Sketch markers and the round body design of the Ciao markers. Copic Markers can evenly cover 5 sheets of copy paper and streak another page before running out of ink. The Sketch marker will evenly cover about 4 sheets and streak 3/4th of another sheet of paper. The Ciao markers will cover even less.

Speaking of tips and designs, here's a closeup of the different tips and how small the multiliners can get. The .03mm is the smallest tip in the world! Marianne was on the phone with NASA and Copic almost made it to outerspace! Unfortunately, they wanted to get to .05mm. Phooey!

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Here's a little "tip"...

To make it easier on yourself to find the special end of your marker (ie. brush end or small tip end) just look for the dark gray band on your marker.

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I use both the Copic and the Sketch markers. For me, it really depends on the color that I am looking for and the overall effect that I desire… and sometimes the technique that I am using. Because of the option for replaceable nibs, I suggest going with color first and then with your personal preference for the style of markers.

I store them in groups according to their last digit.
0-3, 4-6, 7-9, neutrals & blenders

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What is the difference between the grays?

Cool Grays – bluish / “cool” (ie. metal, shadow on ice)
Neutral Grays – no tone, neither warm nor cool
Toner Grays – slightly warmer than neutral – “brown”
Warm Grays – browner than any of the other grays (earthy)

Black 100 & Black 110

There is a difference between these two black markers!
The 100 is “true” black… deep blue black.
The 110 is more of a “matte” black… slightly neutral gray black.
If there ever was a “T11” marker, it would be the Black 110.


Where to start?

I like to start with a color that I like.
Practicing with a few different colors that compliment each other is the way I would go before jumping in and purchasing different shades of the same color. I like to call it "Coloring with limited Copics". You can easily create different shades with the same marker by using it with just a few strokes (original color), going over it several times (darker), or using the blender to lighten it.

Once you are comfortable using these awesome markers and you want to build your stash, I would choose one or two colors from that color family that will naturally blend well together. To find these colors, simply stick to the same letter and first digit of your marker, and select another marker that is 2-3 digits between the last digit on your marker.

Let’s use “BV04” as an example. I could choose “BV00” and “BV06”

* On a side note, any of the “00” and “000” markers would be a good buy when thinking of ways to make your selected marker work without having to buy a lot of markers. I showed you how you can use “00” and “000” markers to blend using various techniques (ie. "plastic" and "tip to tip").

Now, if you want to take this a step further and find markers that blend across color families, then choose markers that have different letters but similar numbers. Also, be sure to stay close to the color families on the color wheel. It would be harder to evenly blend colors that are opposite of each other on the 322 color wheel.

Here's a visual:

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The Colorless Blender “0”

The word “Blender” is bit deceiving. This marker is not really a “blender” in the way you might anticipate it to be, but is more for lightening colors, pushing colors, and fading colors to white. I like to use the blender to bring two colors together more smoothly, create highlights, and erase mistakes (as best as I possibly can). It’s also good for wetting the area I am about to color so that when I do apply color to the moistened area, it will be much softer. Let’s not forget a few fun techniques using this “must have” blender.


“Bluing” to make your whites, whiter!

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I have read that color experts can distinguish somewhere over 300 different shades of white… the most brilliant white having a slight hue of blue. So in order to make your whites “pop” off the page, I suggest “bluing” your image. Go around the white parts that you want to stand out with a very light shade of bright blue, such as BG10. More often than not, it is just a little too distinct for me so I go back over the blue with my Blender pen and soften up the line.

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True white “snow”

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I have been asked how to add “true white” with Copics. We have markers with white in them but to get bright white on your projects such as snow, then I suggest using Copic Opaque White (water-based, thick white paint) or if working with less area coverage, the Signo White Gel Pen. The Opaque White is applied with a paintbrush as you are finishing your project and is much like icing on a cake. You can thin it out with water for a thinner glaze. This glaze is fabulous for adding highlights and thinning it down to make clouds in the sky or for making things look shimmery or shiny.

Let's see... what else did we go over?


Recommended Cardstock:
Coconut Swirl (Bazzill)
Neenah Classic Solar White 80lb. smooth finish
Pure Luxury (Gina K Designs)
Select White (Papertrey Ink)
Georgia Pacific (Walmart)
Simply Smooth White (Prism)
Strathmore Smooth Bristol
Stampin' Up Whisper White (some don't care for the glossy finish)




Recommended ink:

Memento Tuxedo Black (dries quickly and does not need to be heat set
Brilliance Graphite Black (must heat set or heat embossed but has a beautiful rich color)

I will post a few more things about Copics soon, including a few fun techniques that I showed during the demonstrations. Be sure to check back on Monday for a Copic Marker Monday's Fun Day Giveaway!

In the meantime, if you have any questions... please feel free to contact me at:
whoopsie.daisy@sbcglobal.net

Thank you!

Jane

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

My boys

I realized that this was never posted last night so I'm going to send it through now.
I'm sorry for the delay! It's sort of crafting related... more like proud mommy moments. :)

My boys are rough and tough, silly and goofy, adorable and cranky, crazy full of energy... all at the same time. They never cease to amaze me.


I just wanted to share a couple of things that I am so proud of that each of the boys did this week... aside from being told that my 4 yr old has a swing like Tiger Wood's. Seriously? Get outta here! lol!



Keiji came running to me, very proudly showing me his first written words.

Here he wrote his name:



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Here Keiji sounded out and wrote "CAT"


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Now how cool is that?!


Last night, my husband showed me something Ken had "secretly" worked on in his room for about a half hour. Get this... a pop-up card! *thud*



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He's in Kindergarten and he's making pop-up cards better than me!


Frightening.

Oh, hey! I found a couple of pictures of Keiji's first week of golf lessons.

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He has been begging to play golf since he was about two years old. I thought he was too young then. I waited until he was sure this is what he wanted to do. I don't golf much . My father loves the game but can't really play any more. My in-laws go golfing regularly. Maybe it just skipped a generation but the kid's a natural! :)

Thanks for letting me share!

hugs,

Jane







Monday, February 16, 2009

A Rainy Day MFD!

Monday Monday, so good to me,
Monday Monday, it was all I hoped it would be.

LOL!

I like that song.

How was your Monday?

Mine was rainy but full of laughter.
I hung out with a few good friends sharing some fun stamping ideas.
Here are some pictures I took while we hung out at Michelle's home.
** Thanks Michelle! I had a terrific time, as always! **

Jasper is ready to stamp!
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Baby Jackson sound asleep in Mommy's arms.
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Jackson all cuddled up in Auntie Michelle's arms.
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I have pictures of swaps and such but since I don't have a watermark, I thought it wouldn't be fair to put up pictures of other crafter's works on here without protecting them. I decided that I am going to send the card that I swapped into SU so wish me luck! :)

However, I do have a rainy day Monday's Fun Day, courtesy of Memories Live On!

This is a fun read! You'll laugh out loud!

"Snippets: Mostly True Tales from the Lighter Side of Scrapbooking."
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Here I am with Lain Ehmann who graciously came to Memories Live On in December without books for a book signing.

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You can have a chance to get this book just by leaving me a comment here.
Tell me if you are into scrapbooking and if you are... what are you working on?
I'm working on my boys' first years. :) I'm really behind. LOL!

Have a terrific evening!

hugs,

Sunday, February 15, 2009

Sunday night inspiration

I wanted to join in on the fun over at Hero Arts so I came up with this card:

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I just got this stamp from Memories Live On a few days ago and I LOVE it!
Jennifer McGuire used it at CHA for a make & take and I have wanted it ever since.

Stamps: F5158 Heart Winged Butterfly
Ink: Tuxedo Black Memento, Copic Marker Black
Paper: SEI Mimosa, Stampin' Up Whisper White
Pearls: Kaiser Scrapbook

Isn't the SEI Mimosa paper just beautiful? It has some shimmer to it too. When I stamped the butterfly on the SEI Mimose "Chartreuse" paper, the glossy part of the paper cause the ink to "puddle" so I had to heat set it. I went over the lighter part of the ink with my Copic Black marker to darken the butterfly. I think it looks prettier all black.

Here's another quick card I came up with for the store:

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Stamps: Imaginisce Twitterpated Collection Snag 'em Acrylic Stamp "Foxy"
Ink: Rich Cocoa Memento, Copic Markers (E29, E33, E00)
Paper: Three Bugs in a Rug - Butterfly Kisses "Lady Bug" and "Dragonfly"

Come back later for Monday's fun day...

hugs,
Jane

Saturday, February 14, 2009

Happy Valentine's!

I hope you had a wonderful Valentine's! Did you do anything special? I had fun teaching my class at Memories Live On. Thanks again to all who took the class... you are all so wonderful! Next Saturday, I will be at the store from 1p - 4p demonstrating with Copics, so if you have time... please stop by!

Kevin sent me roses! They smell so lovely and look amazing on my craft table!

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I have some Valentine shares that I worked on this week...

Thank you gifts:

Matchbook sweethearts

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Peek-A-Boo Box with Kisses:

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From my "Stampin' Kids" workshop:

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Valentine gifts:

Gift card holder:

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Valentine card:

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((hugs))
Jane

Thursday, February 12, 2009

Come on, let's HIP HOP together!!

Before we get started, I need to let you in on something I just signed up for...
Saturday, March 28th
WORLD RECORD UNITY BLOG HOP
Angela's goal is to pull off a 200 person blog hop. I know that together, we can do it!
OH, YES WE CAN!! Join in on the fun!
Just click on the blue words and it will lead you straight to the thread.

Okay! Let's HIP HOP!!
I know y'all love getting free stuff.

Come on now... 'fess up! Free stuff is good!

Hip Hop on over to Unity and check it out for yourself!

Spend $10.00 get ONE stamp FREE
Spend $20.00 get TWO stamps FREE
Spend $30.00 get THREE stamps FREE... and so on!
This includes shipping!!
Uh huh! That's right! Your shipping counts toward FREE STAMPS!


Ready to HiP HoP with me?

First up is The Stamping Scrapbooker, Amber! OMG! You must check out her super adorable BABY BOY PLAID in Bashful Blue baby card!

Sweet Brooke! Her blog always makes me smile. "Whateva"... how cute is that? Most of you know I collect owls so you must know what I think of the owl that's on her banner! Take a look at the two layouts she has to share with us! Both are just FAB!! Love that blue she used!

A girl after my own heart! Go look at her heat embossing and cutting! Hee hee! I love her! Joslyn has posted a darling little card using the "Rain and Flowers" kit.

You will love Maren's three cards! Just when you think you didn't need those stamps! lol!
Her attention to detail is amazing!

Ever go to the dollar section of let's say Michael's and buy a few notebooks "to alter someday"? You are going to love what Patter did! She made a notebook for sketches! The idea is very clever but that cover... this kit is a must have!

From The Willow Garden come three pretty cards by AJ! Can you take a guess as to which is my fave of the three? Let's just say I am ready for Spring! lol!

Jimmi always knocks my socks off with her work! Her two Valentine cards are gorgeous! I think it's the way she combines colors with patterns and paper... just fabulous stuff!

Oh boy! I spy Daisy D's! I {heart} Daisy D's!
The lovely Laura has gone and done it now! LOL!
I was in the mood for distressed and *poof* I got my wish! It's wonderful!

You must run now... that's right. RUN over to Inky Paws (Jeanne) and take in her very chic birthday card and yummy hot air balloon, and then... STOP! That owl is "OWL MINE"! Just go check it out and tell me is it not the most cutest and the most shabby chic owl card you have ever seen?

Ready for some yummy treats? Check out this sweet treat topper by the one and only Heather B at In My Thoughts.

Hip hop over to Lynn's scraptastic blog, Pieces of Me. She has two layouts from the heart that are simply adorable! I just love all the little details that she adds to all of her layouts! My fave is the closeup of the stickpin with the "love" tag and thread. Beautiful stuff!

Jen just makes my day with her layouts. I think that she must have one fantastic sense of humor (or terrific outlook on life)... it really comes across in her work.

Do you like ladybugs or butterflies? Natalie has both to share... one really cute Ladybug Card and a fantastic Pottery Barn Kids inspired Butterfly made of buttons!

The talented Anne-Marie has a beautiful love-inspired layout to share on her newly made-over blog. I just love the heart with the ribbon accent and the "love you" tag.

Another fresh and fun scrapbook page from the ever creative Renee! The checklist on the layout is a must see! That picture of Mason is so adorable!

Next up is Jennifer over at The Buck Stamps Here with an adorable layout of her sweet little boy and two pretty cards. He's just the cutest little toddler!

Have you seen the new hearts background stamp? It's lovely!! Heather has made a beautiful Valentine card with it. Love all those layers!

Love what Linsey has posted for us! Let's just say it has to do with chocolates! :)Yummmy! The card that she has posted is so cute!!

I found a couple of seriously cool cards over on Wendy's blog, She's Gone Crafty. The textures that Wendy uses on her cards are just fabulous... really looks incredible in the photos.

You must visit Chelsea and take a good look at her amazing layout! I'm telling you, I am seriously in the mood for distressing. lol! This layout is just SO pretty! Taylor's story has touched my heart too. I just love that quote that Chelsea used on her layout that she took from one of the posts by Taylor's mom about Taylor's battle with cancer.
"Hug and kiss your kids and play like there's no tomorrow" ~ Gina Jones.

Hang in there! We're almost at the end!

Up next is Christi! I just love visiting her blog! This layout of hers is precious! Her two cards are so cute! Funny... I keep seeing that birdie paper everywhere. Hmmm....

OMG! Robyn! Stunning work! She has a gorgeous layout to show you and a card that will make you say "WOW"... guaranteed!

THAT's IT! You did it!

Now don't forget to stop and shop at UNITY and check out all of those ONE HUNDRED New releases are! You still have today to shop, shop, shop! Go, go, go!!

hugs,
Jane

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Happy Birthday, Keiji... and a MFD winner!

I can not believe it!
My baby is 4 today!
I am so grateful for the time that I have with him in preschool this year.
I teach the 3's program at MACC (Moreland Area Community Center - Eastus Campus) and I have to say that having him in my class has helped "slow" down time a little. I feel like I have been able to spend good quality time with him that I wasn't able to do with Ken when my oldest was a toddler... something I regret.

So here he is with his first 4-yr old birthday card in the mail from Kevin's Aunt Mariko and Uncle Ray. In the background, you can see the poster that the teachers and children at MACC drew for him. :)

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I will have more pictures from Keiji's birthday later tonight!


Hero Arts (last week) had a birthday challenge.
Here is my card...

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I didn't realize I had a Sparkle Clear Set called "Sweet Moments" until I was going through my stamps. I thought it was a fun set to work with for the birthday week challenge. :)

I used paper from Imaginisce (Summer Cool "Chocolate Double Dip), stamped on Pink Pirouette (SU) and layered that on Close to Cocoa. The images were stamped in Rich Cocoa (Memento) on the pink cardstock and again on Pure Luxury white cardstock.

Copics were used to color in the images (R27, R29, RV10, RV11, BV04, E51, BG10, blender pen). Images were cut out and I used a glue pen and red glitter on the hearts of the cupcakes. Edges were distressed with a sponge dauber and Chocolate Chip (SU). I pierced the edges of the Close to Cocoa cardstock and wrapped both pink/brown layers with linen thread. Everything was mounted with pop-up dots.


Now for my MONDAY'S FUN DAY WINNER!!

The winner of one beautiful Hero Arts heart stamp and red chalk ink pad....


Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

11

Timestamp: 2009-02-10 17:33:33 UTC


That would be...
chinamomxtwo said...
I like the CPS challenges.
Love the card--great Heart! and I need that ink!
Thx for the chance to win

CONGRATULATIONS!!

Email me at: jane.matsumoto@sbcglobal.net!

Have a happy day, everyone!

hugs,
Jane

Saturday, February 07, 2009

Pop up gift card holder tutorial

This type of gift card holder was the one I had out as a Make & Take at Memories Live On in December. I received an email from a customer who had attended, asking me for a template. There is no template for this gift card holder so I decided to create a tutorial for her... and for you. Please keep in mind that this type of gift card holder has been "out there" for a couple of year now and there are many online tutorials on it. I learned how to make this on SCS and do not know who actually created it first.

Let's get started!

Start with a piece of cardstock trimmed to 4-1/4" x 11"
Score it at 3", 5-1/2" and 8".

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Fold your scored cardstock in half at 5-1/2"

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Fold one end at 3" up and over the middle

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Flip over and fold the other side in the same way

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Open up and grab the inside fold.
You should be able to see the gift card holder starting to form.

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You will need the Word Window punch to create the slot across the middle center for your gift card. The 1-3/8" circle punch is optional.

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Take the Word Window punch and start at one end of the inside of your gift card holder.

Start about a 1/4" in from the end and punch once.
Move the punch over until you are 1/4" in from the other end.
Punch.

My sample shows that I started in a lot more than usual. I went back after taking the pictures and punched off a little more from each end because my gift card could not fit into the slot.

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Again... 1-3/8" circle punch is optional.
If you choose to use it, this is what it looks like:

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After you are done punching, it should look like this:
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I like to stamp first and then I add my sticky strip tape in the very middle of the gift card holder.

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Add the gift card and tie it closed with a ribbon or use a scrap of 1" x 12" cardstock to create a wrap around the gift card holder.

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Now you try it!
Let me know if you have any questions!

~ Jane