Custom Coloring UTEE

Today I want to share 3 ways on how to custom color UTEE.

It's quick, easy and lots of fun so let's begin...

The items I'm going to use are:

• empty container with lid
• small scoop or spoon
• colorant - To Dye For Ink; Alcohol Ink; Perfect Pearls
• Clear UTEE (you can also use Pearl)

Just a note ~ all of the finished examples were made using the same technique I showed you in the Cracked Glass demo. Add a bit of clear embossing ink to the paper, sprinkle, heat and add additional UTEE if desired.

To Dye For -

O.k. I thought I should let you know right up front this is not how you are supposed to use this ink. Yes, it is designed to be used with UTEE but it says right on the label that you add a couple drops to UTEE that has been melted in the melt pot.

We're going to ignore that label for now. ;)

This ink is VERY thick so just a couple drops added to the UTEE will do the trick. Once you add the ink, replace the cap and shake vigorously until there are no more globs and all of the UTEE looks like it has been covered.

Here are the results....The left side is one coat and the right has a bit extra. Now, this is the reason I love adding the ink BEFORE it is melted. Once you do melt it it gives the UTEE a unique marbled effect. You can see how the ink is thicker in some areas not so much in others. Once you begin to add additional layers it adds such depth and dimension to whatever you're working on it's amazing!!

Alcohol Inks

CAUTION - NEVER, I repeat NEVER heat UTEE that has been colored with Alcohol Ink before it is completely dry!!!! AI is highly flammable and will catch on fire!!!!!!!

That said, to mix simply add a few drops of AI to the UTEE. Recap and shake - once you are done shaking ~ REMOVE THE LID - Set aside to dry!!!!! I can't stress this enough ~ This is a VERY important step. (I'm not yelling, just want to be sure nobody sets their craft area on fire!)

and here are those results...never mind the black specks...I was bad and didn't clean out my tidy tray before I made this example (duh!). You can see the colors get more intense as you add additional layers but it still keeps that transparent look.

Perfect Pearls

This is one of my favorite ways to color UTEE...the PP's adds that iridescent shimmer which I just love. Simply scoop up a tiny bit of the PP and add it to the UTEE. Cap and shake.

This is what you get....I couldn't get the photo to pick up the shimmer but trust me ~ it's there!

I know there are loads more inks and powders that could be added to the UTEE but I have never done so. I can't say how they might react when the UTEE is heated. Just keep that in mind if you decide to give them a try. There are actually a couple things I'd like to try adding but this was all I had time for tonite. If I do give em a try, I'll be sure and let you know how they turn out.

A few things to keep in mind...remember that all of these examples were shown on white cardstock. The color intensity will change as you apply it to other background colors. Also adding these same colorants to Pearl UTEE changes the whole color scheme. Since it starts out with a shimmer all of your colors will have a beautiful luster and will look far different when melted. Below is an example of Berry Twist PP added to Pearl UTEE.

Told you it was cool!!

So there you go ~ 3 ways to color your UTEE! Hope you give it a try and enjoy playing around with em!

TTFN!!

Thanks & a question for you

I wanted to thank everyone who has posted or e-mailed me about my choice about not accepting the Craft Critique position. It's good to know you all agree with my decision :)

I had a question ~ when I post replies to questions in the comments section are you notified when I do so or do you only get to read them if you go back in and check? I've been wondering about that because I'm never sure if I should put my answers in the comments or just post them so you're sure to see them.

Off to write up the UTEE piece!

Craft Critique - Good News & Bad News

As it says in the title I have some good news and some bad news about the reporter position for Craft Critique.

I thought I'd explain a bit about the blog and what it does since there were a few questions about it. Basically they post reviews about new products, product comparisons and book reviews. They also host give-a-ways from time to time. They were looking to add new staff reporters and since I enjoy writing so much (and someone out there prompted me) I applied and was lucky enough to be accepted.

WELL...the bad news is that there is a no-compete clause in their contract which states that I wouldn't be able to conduct any activities on my blog that goes on at Craft Critique. Basically it means I wouldn't be able to share anymore product reviews, product comparisons or be able to introduce you to any new (or different) companies - stamp related or other wise....or have give-a-ways in relation to any of these types of things.

When I started this blog I wanted it to be a place where I could share information with everyone without restrictions. So even though I would enjoy the writing end of it ~ when it came down to the copper tacks (I like copper better than brass) I decided that Ink Stains (and you guys) are more important to me in the long run and decline their offer to be one of their new staff reporters.

That's the good news btw at least I hope you feel it's good news - LOL!!!!

So you can look forward to all of the reviews, comparisons and new companies (oh! and give-a-ways) I have planned to bring you in the following weeks, months and hopefully years!

Be sure to check back later today as I will continue working with UTEE - today I will be sharing different ways to create UTEE custom colors.

UTEE Cracked Glass Technique by Roni Johnson

Well, here it is friends! My very first YouTube video!! (eek ~ I'm so nervous!!!)

Hope you enjoy it :)

Flu Season...ICK!

Check out all the wonderful cupcakes and other goodies at Gracescakes' Photostream!

I'm sure you've been wondering where the heck that darn video has been huh?

Well, as luck would have it ~ it's flu season here in Indiana ~ I *thought* we were going to make it though this year without having to deal with it BUT my oldest son got it from his boss and decided to share it with ALL of us :( So for the last several days we've all been very ill.

I guess it's almost to epidemic proportions locally (which I didn't know until now). Bob said that he has had 4-12 kids missing from each of his classes for the past week or so. Over 1/2 the kids were gone in his math class on Tuesday!

We are finally rejoining the land of the living and can at least eat solid foods again.

So I will be getting back into the swing of things and hopefully at least have additional examples of cracked glass and hopefully the video very soon. I will also be sharing some ideas on how to custom mix UTEE for your own colorful rainbow of UTEE!

Hope you're all well and flu free!!!

Take care everyone!

UTEE Cracked Glass Technique

Today I wanted to share one of the most requested techniques...Cracked Glass. This is such a fun and easy technique once you know a few secrets.

You will need the following:

• 
  
  Image - stamped, a collage image, photo, etc. I am using Tuscan Rose collage images.
• 
  
  UTEE - Ranger Industries
• 
  
  Clear Embossing Ink - Ranger Industries
• 
  
  Embossing Gun - Ranger Industries
• 
  
  Non-Stick Craft Sheet - Ranger Industries
• 
  
  Distress Inks & Ink Blending Tool - Ranger Industries

Instructions:

Just a few things before we begin...now, I know many people claim that you "have" to heat the UTEE from the bottom or underside of your project to keep it from blowing away. I am not one of those people. While heating from the underside may help with fly-away bits of UTEE it is one of the two reasons people shy away from this technique. The other most common reason people don't give cracked glass a try is they think it's messy. I am here to tell you that it is NOT necessary to heat from the bottom and it's only as messy as you make it! You'll see what I mean below so let's get going.

1. Apply clear embossing ink to the entire image. By applying the embossing ink you eliminate the need to heat from the bottom. The UTEE will stick to your image no problem at all!

2. Cover the embossing ink with clear UTEE.

3. Heat the image and melt the UTEE.

You will notice that after you have melted the first layer of UTEE it will resemble an orange peel.

4. This is where the mess begins for most people. Now, you can place your image into a box lid to help corral the stray fly-away grains of UTEE. I personally don't do this because I have found a simple solution to prevent most of the mess. By following these simple steps you will be able to get through this step with minimal mess:

• 
  
  Heat one area of the image until the UTEE is molten. (working in small sections helps)


• 
  
  Turn your embossing gun away from the image - immediately sprinkle UTEE crystals onto the molten area. You will notice that some of the crystals start to melt on contact!


• 
  
  Turn the heat gun back towards the area you are working on holding it 6-8" off the surface of the image. Slowly lower the heat gun until all of the UTEE has melted.


• 
  
  Repeat the above steps until you have an even layer of UTEE over the whole image.

You can see where I have added the second coat of UTEE to the center of the image. It begins to take on the appearance of a sheet of glass.

5. Repeat step #4 until the image looks like a smooth sheet of glass about the thickness of an epoxy sticker (approx 1/16" thick).

6. Let the image cool for about 1 minute. NEVER try to pick up any project when the UTEE is molten or just heated. IT WILL BURN YOU!!!!! Trust me on this ~ I have had burnt fingers more than once due to my impatient. ;)

Once cooled, peel the image off of the Non-Stick Craft Sheet. If you have UTEE that extends beyond the image, trim it off while the UTEE is still warm.

7. Place the image in the freezer to cool. I usually place it in there for a minute or more depending on what else I'm doing.

8. Remove the cooled UTEE covered image from the freezer. Bend the cold UTEE where cracks are desired.

Now, just a word about cracking the UTEE...this is not an exact science. Once you bend it there's no going back...you can't control where or how the cracks travel in the UTEE. They have a mind of their own so just go with the flow :)

9. Continue cracking the UTEE until you have achieved the desired effect.

10. After you're satisfied with the cracking, apply Distress Ink (color of your choosing) to the surface of the cracked UTEE. Some people use the IBT but I normally just rub the ink pad directly onto the UTEE - it's quicker IMO. Work the ink into the cracks using the IBT.

11. (optional) I like to pick pieces of the UTEE off the image (carefully) to expose the image below and give it a bit more distressed look...like some of the "glass" has fallen away after years of neglect. You can see this on her chin and on the bottom of the image.

Another example:

Now, you will probably end up with some melted UTEE on your Non-Stick Craft Sheet as seen below....

No worries...after it has cooled, it can easily be scraped away with the edge of an acrylic block, side of a Distress Ink Pad or other straight edge!

And that's all there is to it! I told you it was easy and if you follow some of the tips I have suggested it's not nearly as messy as what it could be.

Tomorrow I'm going to try to have a video showing the whole process...If I can figure out where to put my camera (note to self...I really need to get a tri-pod!!!) as well as a few more examples.

Till then ~ have a great one!!!

Some Fun News....

Check THIS out....

Yep, I'm a new staff member for Craft Critique!

How cool is that :) I can't wait to get started!!

UTEE vs Regular & Fine EP's

Many people have asked about UTEE - what it is and what to do with it so today I thought I'd start off with showing what exactly UTEE is and how it compares to other embossing powders.

First, UTEE stands for Ultra Thick Embossing Enamel - this is actually the trade marked name for Ranger's brand of thick embossing enamel. There are other companies out there that do offer a thick embossing powder but they aren't as readily available as Ranger's UTEE is so I'm going to stick with theirs since that's what most people work with.

The major difference between UTEE, regular or fine embossing powder is the particle size. You will notice that the UTEE particle sizes is 4x+ larger than the regular embossing powder particles.

When it is compared side by side - Fine (l), Regular (c), UTEE (r) the difference is remarkable.

When I teach classes about UTEE I like to explain and compare it to the various sizes of sugars found in the marketplace. There are a vast array of sugars available for a number of specific needs - the same can be said for embossing powders. For example, everyone knows you use regular white sugar is the most common and widely available variety used in homes today. The same can be said for regular embossing powder which is the work horse if you will of the embossing world. It can be found virtually anywhere. Some lines on detailed images may blend together but still yield acceptable results.

Confectioners or Powdered Sugar is sugar crystals ground into a fine powder is reserved for special purposes such as making icing, confections, whip cream and "dusting" baked goods or drinks. The embossing powder equivalent would be Fine, Super or Ultra Fine Embossing powders. These powders offer up amazingly crisp, clear, defined results especially when applied to highly detailed stamped images.

Coarse or Sanding Sugars are also specialty types of sugar used for a specific purpose. The large crystal sizes makes them ideal for sprinkling on top of baked goods. Highly visible it reflects light and adds a bit of glitz to an other wise ordinary product. THIS is where UTEE fits into the embossing picture. It too offers up unique and amazing results. Not ideal for embossing detailed images it can offer satisfactory results to some bolder stamped images. It is idea for adding extra depth and dimension in 2 or 3 layers where other embossing powders would take 10+ layers to even begin to compare.

Here they are side by side.... you can click on the images to look at larger photos if you would like. You can especially see the difference in the before heat is applied. The UTEE has lots of open space between the granules where the Extra Fine EP is one solid image and the Regular EP falls in between.

You can actually see (and if you were here feel) the difference between the three powders. UTEE offers a much higher lift than either of the other two powders. You can also see that the UTEE has a rough pitted surface with one coat. The other two are much smoother and have an even texture.

I hope this first glance at UTEE has answered many of the questions you may have had and has you wanting to see more!

Tomorrow I will begin to show you some basics on what you can do with this very unique embossing powder.

I also have some way cool news to share but...

alas ~ I have to wait till I get the o.k.

Till then you'll just have to guess - LOL!!

(nope, it's not another book although I would LOVE to write another.)

The Book is on Amazon....sort of!!!!!!!!

Wooo Hoooo!!!!

I got an e-mail from Amazon today (you know one of those "hey! wouldn't you like these?" things) so it got me to thinking that sometimes they had books on pre-order before they were out...and they DO!!!!

Teach Yourself Visually Collage & Altered Art BY ME!!!!!!!!!

OMG ~ I am so doing the happy dance! It's finally feeling real real real! Up till now it's been sort of a fun dream to live but now it's getting closer! I CAN'T WAIT!!!!!!

Oh yeah....this isn't a commercial or anything I promise ~ I'm just excited since it's almost here - LOL!!

YAHOOOOO!!!!!

Spring....

HAPPY SPRING!!!

I hope you had a great first day of Spring :) It was beautiful in Indiana...as long as you were inside looking out. Bright and sunny but man oh man that wind was COLD!!!

What started out as a dismal, stressful day ended up pretty darn good. My dad and I headed to Kendallville to their library book sale. We scored LOADS of great books (42) for $26.50!!! Can't beat that. We're going to use them for a variety of things. Dad is going to cut some more shape books, I'm going to use a few of them to make altered books with drawers and the rest are going to be torn apart for ephemera packs I'm putting together.

If that wasn't good enough, Eric and I went to a new consignment/thrift shop also in Kendallville and found 4 dictionaries, 6 - 40/50's era school books and a set of encyclopedias all for 20.00!! I was talking to the owner about books and he told me he was going to have way more ava. as soon as he got them organized. We talked a bit more and he asked if I'd like a part time job helping him to organize them for him!! I jumped at the chance ~ he's got TONS of book and I will be working for store credit ;) Woo Hoo!!! Not as good as cash but almost. I get to organize them and you all know how much I love to organize things. Anyway, it was a rockin finish to the day!

I know I said today was going to be a card sketch but I just couldn't figure out how to make it into a sketch so I'll just share the card. I have to tell you this card came to mind because I had several partial sheets of cardstock that had been cut-offs to make a 9x9 project. Very long and very skinny ~ just had to do SOMETHING with them so here goes....

Spring has sprung!

The front is a piece of MatteKote Cardstock from JudiKins that was stamped with Perfect Medium and dusted with several colors of perfect pearls. "Spring" was stamped using Archival Ink and embellished with White Pigment Ink Pen and Stickles Glitter Glue.

You open the right side to reveal....

then you open the left side.....

The flowers are Wildflower Stamps, stamped using Distress Inks and Distress Stickles. The butterflies are Fontwerks stamps, Distress Ink and regular Stickles.

Close-up of the Distress Stickles - mmmmm don't they look like colored sugar :)

So there you go...

it's a great way to use up those cardstock strips you may have lying around!

Now, I can't let spring go without having a give-a-way so tell me what your favorite thing about spring is and you'll be entered to win the "SPRING" word stamp shown on the front of the card ...( well actually you get a new one - not the one I used) and some hand dyed/distressed tags in an assortment of spring colors!

You have until 3-31 to post!

Good Luck and Happy Spring!!

btw, my favorite thing about Spring...well, actually I have two - the first is green...green grass, green leaves, the little green sprouts of the daffodils & crocus. After soooo many long months of yucky brown grass, bare trees and snow it's nice to finally see some color around here.

The second thing I love about spring is the birds are returning...as a matter of fact the last couple days I have had the pleasure of being serenaded by the robins which have recently returned! It's a wonderful sound after months of cold dark silence!

Profile Pic

I almost forgot to mention...I finally added a pic to my profile. This is for those people out there who have been bugging me about having no pic.

It is of course only about 40 years old but it's my most favorite picture I have of myself - LOL!!!

I'd much rather be behind the camera instead of in front of it.

Technique Requests & More

I ended up having to go back to the dr. today for a return visit to see how my bronchitis/URI/whatever was coming along so I didn't get to play like I wanted. :( Boo Hisss! Terrible when things like that get in the way of crafting isn't it.

BUT, Phinny reminded me yesterday that I never shared the list I compiled of techniques that everyone posted or e-mailed me. I didn't keep track of numbers but there were several that were repeated by many people. Below is a list of what everyone said they were interested in seeing....FYI - I lumped some techniques or products into one group since they were similar.

These first few were the most requested above and beyond the rest...

1. UTEE - anything and everything to do with this ep.


2. Image Transfer Techniques


3. Shrink Plastic - seems everyone has it but doesn't do anything with it.


4. Old = New - new or different ways to use old supplies (chalks, stickers, pattern papers, etc.)


5. Beeswax - everything about it.


6. Collage - How to + examples of finished collages


7. Multi- Media Art - Dimensional art incorporating more than just paper.


8. Metal - etching, patinas, rust, mesh, etc.


9. Fabric/Trim/Ribbon - ideas for using them on cards, ATC's, LO's & other projects


10. Clear Stuff - working with acetate, transparencies, acrylics, etc.

While these didn't make it into the top 10 there were still multiple requests for many of them....

1. Plaster Frames - texture, stamped, etc.


2. Masking - the rubber stamp type of masking - not the stencil type


3. Distress Metallic Paints


4. Distress Stickles


5. Masks - Tim Holtz/Heidi Swapp type of masks - incorporating the large masks into smaller projects


6. Watercolor techniques for stamped images


7. Flat Gift Ideas - suitable for mailing


8. Alcohol Inks - more, more, more!


9. Charms - all sorts


10. Glimmer Mist Ideas


11. Sticky Back Canvas


12. Pearl Ex


13. Canvas Techniques or projects to make out of canvas.


14. Mica


15. Dry Embossing


16. Mod Podge projects


17. Clay/Paper Clay


18. Twinkling H2O's


19. Gesso/Texturing


20. Altered Books/Altered Journals


21. Angelina Film


22. Card ideas and tips on how to come up with card lay-outs


23. Solar Plate Etching

Now you might be wondering what the blue highlighted techniques are all about...these projects, techniques or products are included in some way in my book :) That doesn't mean I won't share these with you, I just have to be careful about which techniques I share.

Since tomorrow is Friday I thought I'd share a card lay-out with you and a few other goodies over the weekend. Next week I will start sharing variety of UTEE techniques since that seems to be the most popular request. After that, I plan on sharing several image transfer techniques that I didn't have room to fit into the book.

Sound like a good plan? I hope so :)

If you do think of a technique, project or product you'd like to see just let me know. I'd be more than happy to do what I can to share it with everyone!

Happy Day Friends!!

Leafing Flakes - All Over Effect

Hey Everyone!

I hope you all had a wonderful St. Pattie's Day :) It was totally amazing here in Indiana yesterday ~ first off it was sunny and 74 degrees!!!! That is unheard of for this time of year but oh so very welcome!

We also had another big "happening" here yesterday as well ~ actually, it was the reason I didn't post this final installment about the leafing flakes. My *baby* took the test and got his drivers learning permit!!!!!!!!!!! OMG ~ I sprout about 10 new gray hairs ;) Seriously, he's a really good driver...yes, he's a farm boy and has actually been driving for about a year now following tractors and such ~ shhhhh! So we celebrated last night :)

Now, normally the boys get/got their practice driving with their dad but I think I'm going to let him drive us to tutoring tonite...wish me luck - LOL!!!

I've had several questions about the Sepp Leafing flakes so I thought I'd share it here with everyone.

How big is the neat box they come in?

Each box is 4 1/2" x 3" x 1 1/2" it holds 5 grams which I know doesn't sound like much but these flakes are lighter than a feather. You can't even feel them in your hand they are so light.

How far do they (the leafing flakes) go/last?

Well, I tell you ~ I have used the same 4 boxes on all of the examples I've made for the blog as well as on several projects in the book. Two of the boxes don't even look like any has been used, one box has about a 1/4" space from the top and the other (my favorite mix) is about 1/2" down from the top! They last a looonnnnnngggggg time!

How much do they cost?

Well it looks like anywhere from 11.00 - 17.00 a box depending on the mix and where you buy them. I know that sounds a bit expensive but when you look at how most of the other leafing flakes sell for 8-10.00 for 1 gram it's a huge savings.

Here are a couple of places I've found that carry them on line....

Artist & Craftsman Supply the flakes are actually on sale right now!

Guilded Planet

I hope these help :)

And on to the All over Effect....

I tell you I love this stuff so much I decided to cover and entire sheet of paper with it. I thought it would be fun to make some die-cuts from this paper and oh my...they turned out awesome!!

These were cut using a Sizzix die but I'm sure most would work since the flakes add virtually no height/bulk to the surface of the paper.

I also wanted to show you what it looked like if you wanted to stamp on the leafed paper. I used the same stamp on all of the examples. I thought it was a nice choice because there are solid areas (flower heads) and delicate areas (stems) to show how the flakes take to various mediums.

I did want to mention that if you do stamp on an all-over leafing you will want to burnish the flakes. I know I know ~ I said I didn't burnish - normally I don't. If I'm using the leafing as an accent or with other techniques I don't burnish. I like the lumpy bumpy look. For the stamping though you really need to. It gives you a smooth surface and it also ensures that all of the flakes stay put.

The first example was stamped using Archival Ink. Depending on what angle you look at it the ink almost disappears but turn it a bit and it's very clear.

I used Adirondack Acrylic Dabber to stamp on this example - it's much more visible but since it's acrylic paint it's not as finely defined as the ink.

NOW, this is my favorite example...I stamped it using Adirondack Pigment Ink and added Black Embossing Powder. Just look at how stunning the deep rich black is on the leafing! It's simply beautiful.

So there you have it...all over leafing die-cut and stamped!

Just gotta love those flakes :)

Tomorrow we'll start fresh with something new... I haven't decided exactly what yet but hope you stop in and check it out.

Hope you have a wonderful evening!!

Happy St. Paddy's Day!!!

Top 'o the mornin to ye all!

I hope you're all wearing green today ~ don't want anybody out there to get pinched ;)

Did you know that there are more people of Irish decent in America than in Ireland it's self? I was surprised when I heard that on the Today show this a.m....Pretty wild huh?

I am amazed at how popular St. Patrick's Day is...I never realized it until after I had posted the St. Pat's Quotes/Proverbs list on the blog. I have been getting loads of hits on the list - I'm not sure if people are making cards or just want to have a few good Irish quotes/proverbs ready to share with others. Either way I'm glad I have them to share. I'm going to try to get another list of quotes up soon but it takes a while to type them all out.

Well, it's time for the drawing for the Pot 'O Gold goodies ~ a mini rubber stamp set and some gold leafing flakes - X2.

The lucky winners are.....(as determined by random.org)

iammaryburke said...
When I lived in Louisiana, I used to love looking at the green scum that collects in the swamps. Swamps are actually quite beautiful!
March 13, 2009 7:21 AM

And

Vicki Holdwick said...
My favorite green thing is a new leaf - actually kind of yellow green, but wonderful to see anyway. It has been winter here for so long, I am anxious to see the green of Spring.
March 13, 2009 9:04 AM

Please e-mail your snail mail addies to me ladies!

No fear if you didn't win...

I've got a few more fun goodies in store for you real soon!

Now, it's time to THINK SPRING!!!

Newspaper Article on My Book!!!

Hey guys!

Remember I told you the article came out in today's living section of our tri-county paper. WELL...it's on-line too!!! So here it is - Altered Arts by Bob Braley.

IF you want a sneak peek into some of the projects shown in the book the article also has LOADS of photos - way more than the print article. Everything you see in the pics are in the book somewhere!

I am so happy with it and I'm very glad they put the last line because it's so very true.....

"Johnson’s advice to prospective artists wondering about trying a project: Just do it. “There’s no right or wrong in art,” she said. “If you like it, then it’s right.”

Well, let me know what you think!

5 People You Meet In Heaven....

Well, I had planned on sharing another fun technique with you using the metal leafing flakes but it was such a nice day out today here in Indiana. Much nicer than it normally is in March (almost 50 degrees!!). So I spent the day out at our farm with dh and Bob just messin' around and supervising their work ;)

This evening after supper dh put on a movie I had never seen...5 People You Meet In Heaven.... Oh my, now I have to first tell you I'm a sap...I cry at songs on the radio, sad or even happy stories, you name it. I cry at the drop of a hat! WELL, I'm telling you what...be prepared - this was a 12 tissue movie for me (yes, I counted - lol!!) It is just a really amazing movie and it makes you stop a moment and think about your own life. It made me realize how lucky I am and how thankful we should all be for sharing our lives with others. It also made me think about how in the end everyone is connected together in one way or another and that we're all just sharing one big lifetime....

So.....thank YOU for sharing your life with me!

(told you I was a sap!!)

(((((((((((HUGS)))))))))))

Oh yeah...and I'll have more fun leafing stuff to share tomorrow ;)

By the way...It's been so much fun reading what every one's favorite green thing is. I forgot to share what my favorite green item was. I think it would have to be green grass...I love the smell when it's freshly mown and I really love to walk bare foot through it. Next would be a hay field...yep, I'm such a farm girl ;) Anyway, that's my favorite green thing.

I almost forgot...TOMORROW my article comes out in the newspaper!!! I can't wait to see it! I never got to see what the reporter was writing so it's going to be a total surprise. I hope it's nice whatever he said - LOL!! I'm going to go to the store first thing in the a.m. and pick up a copy or 6 or 7 ;) LOL!!!

More Leafing -n- Zig Glue Pen Examples

O.k. I wanted to show you a few more examples of what you can do when you combine leafing flakes and the Zig Glue Pen....

These first couple examples are just doodles and highlights using the existing designs on pattern paper. Just think of it as doodling with glue!

And here are a few more examples of stamping with the Zig & leafing flakes....

Way cool huh?

Tomorrow I've got one more leafing technique to share with you tomorrow...it's an all over technique which really adds a cool bit of glam to any project!

Hope you've all had a wonderful week and an even better weekend in store for yourselves!

Take care and take some time for you!