Ink Recipes

I decided to do a little "cleaning out" of my idea folders & came upon these recipes for making your own inks.

We are all using ink pads more & more these days not only for stamping, but also on our scrapbook pages & cards for that dimensional, distressed look.

So now, when your ink pads run dry, don't throw them out! Juice them back up again with these simple, easy recipes that use just a couple ingredients that most of us have on hand!

Here's the "secret ingredient" that we've all heard of:
Yep . . . .Good Ole' Rit Dye . . . the kind our moms used when our blue jeans were too faded or they wanted to change the color of their curtains.

This company even has a color chart available so you can mix custom colors. Check it out at www.ritdye.com Click on Dyeing Techniques ~ Custom Colors

OK . . .so here is Recipe #1

Stamp Pad Ink Recipe

You will need:
1 baby food jar
1 pkg. Rit Dye Powder
Rubbing Alcohol

Add entire pkg of dye into clean jar & fill with rubbing alcohol. Replace lid tightly & shake until well mixed.

Embossible Ink Recipe

You will need:
1 baby food jar
1 pkg. powdered dye
1/4 tsp. rubbing alcohol
5 Tbs. glycerin

Start by mixing the alcohol with the dye into a nice, creamy consistency. Add the glycerin and mix well.

These recipes make enough ink for several refill of your ink pads. Store in the jars until ready to use. Then simply pour & spread over your old ink pads.

The Stamp Pad recipe is also a good one for tea-staining or colorizing your papers to match your projects like this one: This would look especially great on some extra thick mulberry or hand-made papers!

Give it a try & see what you think . . . just remember to wear some old clothes while you're experimenting!

Gift Card Holders

Here's a great way to present those boring, ho-hum gift cards that you're planning on giving this year. Make a unique Gift Card Sleeve!


This one is for my mom , whose special indulgence is stopping by her local Starbucks . . . .I bet alot of you can relate to that!


A simple, folded strip of cardstock is all that you need to make a pocket. Then secure a layered, co-ordinating wrap around it. Add a block on top showcasing your theme and make sure to ink the edges.
This is a great opportunity to use those decorative scissors that have been collecting dust!


I used Cricut's "Graphically Speaking" for the mug, steam, & the "Mmmmm"

And then dressed up the Slide-Out Tag with some rhinestones . . .



Here's another one that cutely (is that a word?) keeps a gift card to Blockbuster safe . . .
After all ~ what's a movie without the popcorn?




This time I added some doodly penwork around the edges for a fun feeling and also embossed the "popcorn" & top of the pull-out tag with my QuicKutz embossing die . . .



So give these guys a try . . . They're easy, quick, & inexpensive ~ A great way to use up the scraps you've got sitting around.

And it's so much more fun to give a blah gift card this way. . . .The recipient sure will remember it!

Buttons, Buttons Everywhere!

We've been seeing them more & more on all kinds of projects lately . . .from cards to pages to home decor' items. It seems as tho' they're back in style again!

Buttons . . .a very simple, everyday item, but what a "WOW" they can make when you add them to your scrapbooks, cards, or hand-made goodies.
You can purchase these treasures just about anywhere, but I, for one (and I'm sure there are many of you out there who have one of these critters), collect mine from 1 of my sons.

He's still at the "I must destroy all of my clothes" stage. So, when I come across something on laundry day that is no longer useable, out comes my good ole' scissors and snip, snip, snip . . . . the buttons (along with pockets from his blue jeans and some clothing labels) come off and into my stash


The wavy, button border on this BoBuuny page just screams "Little Boy"

Buttons will always give your Heritage Pages a time-worn feeling . . .
And here's an inspiration if you're wanting to customize your Christmas Tree Ornaments this year . . .this is a GREAT idea for a Teacher's Gift . . . just pick up a styrofoam ball & some stick pins . . .
Here are a few other ideas that we've found along our scrappin' travels to inspire you to save & use those wonderful, little, everyday creations we know as "Buttons".

Here's another card creation ~ compliments of BoBunny:And an obvious use ~ the centers of flowers . . . only these are layered with some rhinestones, as well:Here's 1 more idea to try . . . .
Those of you stampers out there surely must already have some embossing tools. So why not try stamping & heat embossing these little gems for a spectacular accent!
No matter what you come up with, buttons will add just the right little touch to make your latest project stand out with the "OMG" ~ "That's so cute!" factor. So give them a try . . . You'll be glad you did.

Stop back by The Shoppe's Blog soon for another inspiring idea. . . . .

We got a couple New Cricut Cartridges in at The Shoppe for you guys to try out. We rent them out (just like Blockbuster) so you can try them before you buy them -or- maybe you need a certain image only one time. It doesn't make any sense to purchase a cartridge if you'll never use it again.

So, newly added to our Cricut Library are StoryBook(my new favorite!), Graphically Speaking, & Sports Mania.
Shelley has already hosted a class make-n-take using the StoryBook . . .She did a Prince & Princess page set.

This is an idea I saw on the Cricut newsletter . . .Here is my version using StoryBook for the Lettering & the Cock-a-too and Home Accents for the swirls. This was made for my mother-in-law for a Christmas gift this year . . .You know ~ those hard-to-buy-for people!

It might be hard to see, but I stamped & heat embossed the letters with clear powder to give them a shiny, stand-out detail:
And to finish it off, I added some red rhinestones . . . you can never have enough bling!

Haven't had a chance to play with Graphically Speaking yet, BUT it's got some of the coolest word & number phrases!

And, well, what can I tell you about Sports Mania?! The name says it all . . . and boy, it sure does have it all!
Soccer, Wrestling, Hockey,Volleyball,Running,Tennis,Basketball,Martial Arts, Baseball,Football,Softball,Swimming, Golf,Coaches, Awards . . .Did I miss anything?
We'll be hosting our 1st Cricut Crop of the new year on Saturday, January 3rd. We know that many of you will be getting ( or just got) a Cricut Machine for Christmas & won't know where to begin. So plan on joining us that day to get started. Click on The Shoppe's Calendar (above & to the left) to get the details. We've already begun to plan for January!

We just received an order from Pink Paislee here at The Shoppe so we thought today we'd share a few projects the girls at PP came up with using the Tinsel Town collection:

Here are some cards to start you out . . .

Here's a simple wooden frame just dripping with goodness!

Can't forget to dress up your holiday tree . . .



Oh my! . . . I'm getting dizzy just thinking about all the wonderful pages that can be created with these papers too! . . . anything & everything baby & girlie!

Wine & Dine Idea

OK . . .We're back again with another wonderful idea using your scrapping & stamping stash.
This idea came from BoBunny . . . We loved it so much, we created our own!

This year, when you're giving the Gift of a Bottle of Fine Wine, step it up a bit further! After all, whoever receives this gift will need a set of glasses & coasters to go with it!

We used some fancy rub-ons for ours, but you can also stamp on these using StazOn Ink. The coasters are 4x4 marble or ceramic tiles. Make sure to wipe them down with some rubbing alcohol to remove any dust particles and afterward, give them a coat of clear acrylic spray to seal them! You'll also want to glue some felt squares to the bottoms to avoid table scratches . . . .

Now, don't forget to make matching goblets . . .

And a customized label & tag for your wine bottle . . . .
Stack them & wrap them up with some frilly tulle and you'll have a beautiful, unique gift that the hostess will always remember!
Make a set as a gift or even for yourself, but most of all have fun with this project . . . .TaTa till next time!

Saturday's Card Extravaganza

Today we're gonna share the cards that were made at The Shoppe's Holiday Card Extravaganza Class this past weekend.

Class participants visited with 4 different instructors throughout the afternoon, creating a total of 12 cards ready to be mailed out for this season's greetings. Everyone learned a new technique or style by making cards with the different teachers.

Here's a glimpse at what they took home . . . . .

We also have our Card Swap Board here at The Shoppe.

This is a *FREE* service for anyone & everyone to take advantage of.

All you need to do is bring in a card you've made & you can swap it out for another that you like! FREE . . . .Yep ~ No Charge!

Oh . . .What Fun!

We got the "Oh What Fun" collection in at The Shoppe from 3 Bugs in a Rug. Really, really cute papers & tags . . . .sooooooo many possibilities!

Here's a great idea that the girls from 3Bugs had to share . . . .

Candles A-Glow

Today we're gonna share a quick, easy, & inexpensive home decor' project. This would make a wonderful, unique gift as well . . . .
We've put together a beautiful candle setting using plain clear votive candle cups.
For the candle wraps, we've used pieces of white vellum that have been embossed with texture plates & the QuicKutz Tool. You can also use any of the Cuttlebug or Sizzix Embossing Folders, as well. Just remember tho' . . .The smaller your candle cup, the smaller your patterns should be!

After that, we dressed them up with some thin red satin ribbon & floral layers put together with a white eyelet.

For a beautiful presentation, we've placed them on a flat round mirror that we've stamped a flourish on with white StazOn Ink. For an extra added glimmer, add a few clear rhinestones!
This will make a wonderful Hostess Gift for the upcoming holiday parties on your schedule.

Or make one for your child's teacher, the next door neighbor, or your pastor's wife . . .

Don't forget about yourself! Match a set to your bathroom or place it in the front window for a welcoming glow to passersby.

We hope that you find some inspiration in today's project . . . .TaTa till next time!