Fabulous Friday With Kate - A Layout - Start to Finish

This week Kate has decided to go through her creative process from start to finish.  She will be starting with a photo and ending with a work of art.  She'll take you through her creative process from paper selection through hand-made embellishments to finishing touches.

In part one of this two parter ----follow Kate as she selects paper, makes fabulous stacked circle embellishments and selects tools for the second half of the creative process.  Some highlights for those of you not on youtube:

• Papers don't have to be from the same collection, select a single color that will unify all your paper choices
• If inking the edges of your page elements, your page will be much more unified if you use the same ink for all edges
• Choose your photo first.  That will help you find your unifying color and patterns.
• When making page embellishments with papers that match your backgrounds, use the 8x8 or 6x6 papers, you will not waste an entire 12x12 with a few punches.
• Don't feel a need to make all your choices before you start....pull out things that you think you might use so that you can visualize everything as you work

And now.....the video link...

in this video i create a step by step layout using the new october afternoon sidewalks collection along with some pink paislee nantucket, studio calico autumn press, & pebbles fresh goods papers ... tons of homemade embellishments & lots of ink!!! enjoy! 

Thursday Thriller Sale

OK, so in case you haven't noticed, I am in purge mode.  There are some lovely products that just need to sprout wings and fly from here to someone's happy craft studio.  I have raised and nurtured them and now it is time for them to leave.  Many of them are just ones and twos...things that were listed and then not relisted.  Today the clearance items are 6x6 paper pads from Sassafras Lass. 

Apple Jack
Count Me In
Cherry Delicious
Indie Girl
Sweetly Smitten
Elie's Tale

Original price everywhere was $6.00.  Today you can get them at www.itsalwaysfabulous.etsy.com for only $3.00.  How excellent is that.

Lots of Glimmer Mists sold but a few still around at $3.50...take a peek ....you won't be disappointed.

Wild Price Wednesday

I have 22 different colors of Tattered Angels Mist that I just marked down to $3.50....that's right....3.50 perfect time to stock up for those upcoming holiday projects. Regular retail price of these mists is $7.00. Won't list them all here, but if you go to www.itsalwaysfabulous.etsy.com and type in Tattered Mist at the top of the screen (next to the little house) you will see them all.....well.....what are you waiting for..you know you want to peek.....

Guest Star Day

If any of you are old enough to remember the original Mickey Mouse Club (the one filmed in black and white with a very very young Annette Funicello

(if you don't know who that is, I highly suggest you google her...you are missing a slice of Americana) then you may remember that Tuesday is Guest Star Day.

Guest Star Day Intro Video

In keeping with that theme I would like to announce that the little blog here will be starting a Guest Designer program...our own little guest stars...You are all so talented and so crazy happy about what you do that I thought it only fair to ask you to share what you do with others.

About twice a month, on a Tuesday, I will be posting an introduction to our next Guest Designer.  There will be, in multiple postings, pictures of their work, commentary and techniques, links to their resources,  information about special offers and so much more.....I'm excited, how about you?

Our very first Guest Designer will be introduced next week on...of course....Tuesday.

Excited about the program?  Leave a comment on this post and next week I will announce the winner of a $20 itsalwasyfabulous.etsy.com store credit.

Don't forget to stop by on Fridays for Fabulous Fridays with Kate....whole lot happening here..

Recent Treasuries - Take a Peek at These

I have been very fortunate recently to be included in several Treasuries on Etsy.

The most recent is a fabulous collection called Chocolate and Candy and is a luscious collection of pinks and browns. See it here.  It features my pink burlap string which is 10 yards for only $1.00.

Also featuring the pink burlap string is a Treasury titled

Lucy Lovelace Slaps Vintage Upside the Head With Modern Style

 which is a fabulous collection of this, that and so many beautiful things.

For Halloween, two different treasuries featured my Jenni Bowlin Mini Halloween Bingo Cards

 

Ticks and Treats has everything from paper misfortune cookies to homemade sandwich cookies while October is Near has felted ball necklaces, retro orange chairs, and everything in between.

Stop by and take a peek at these fabulous treasuries.  You won't be disappointed.

7gypsies Artist Advent Kit - Limited Edition

and available....according to the 7gypsies blog (which I am mentioned on....YIPEEEEEE) at my Etsy Store

These are very limited edition....I'm only getting 12.... and I would suggest that you stop by and pick one up....they are fabulous..you get so much stuff..and this project will be a focal point of your holiday decor for years to come.

the entire 7gypsies creative team and staff have 
designed this season's MUST HAVE kit!

Starting October 10, the Gypsy Journal blog will 

be taken over by our creative team and they're 

inviting YOU to create with them. 

 purchase your kit NOW before the fun begins!

There are only a limited number of kits available

learn new techniques and unique ideas from each of

the 7gypsies designers and staff as you complete

each section of your vintage mini clip receipt holder.

Only 12 - that's all they would let me get....so let me know if I can pack one up for you.

Spellbinders - The entire collection at your fingertips

I am so pleased to be able to post that the entire Spellbinders collection is now available for you to browse and order here.  The catalog has been put together to make it easy for you to shop...not only for all the spellbinders products, but also the Candi paper dots products and the Want2Scrap pieces that match your favorite Spellbinders dies...that includes bling, chipboards and so much more.  And the best news?  All the items in the catalog are priced at 20% off .....every day.  No waiting for a sale or coupon....this is every day.  Remember that these dies work in your Big Shot, Big Kick, and Cuttlebug machines....which makes the possibilities endless.  The price list is shown here and is exclusive to ordering from me.  Find something you like?  Email me at sue.stoughton@gmail.com with the item numbers you want and I'll be happy to put together an order for you.

 

Price Code	MSRP	The Fabulous Price Here
D2	$3.25	$2.60
E3	$3.50	$2.80
D4	$3.75	$3.00
E1	$4.00	$3.20
F1	$5.00	$4.00
G1	$6.00	$4.80
H1	$7.00	$5.60
J1	$9.00	$7.20
K1	$10.00	$8.00
P1	$15.00	$12.00
U1	$20.00	$16.00
X1	$25.00	$20.00
Y1	$30.00	$24.00
BB	$40.00	$32.00
EE	$50.00	$40.00
EF	$60.00	$48.00
FF	$70.00	$56.00
HI	$80.00	$64.00
KL	$140.00	$112.00

Fabulous Friday with Kate - Distress Stains, Sparkly Flock, and Scrapping with Your Scrap

This is Kate's video that is just packed with information....in words the contents are:

hello friday!!! so this week i changed things up a bit! instead of doing a tutorial on a technique i will show you some great new products, how to use them, and what i made with them.

the first product is tim holtz distress stain   this stain comes in the variety of colors the same as distress ink and  stickles.  Distress Stains are fluid water-based dyes for papers and other porous surfaces. They come with a built-in spring-loaded dabber top, which makes them perfect for quick and easy ink coverage of backgrounds and larger areas. There are lots of ways to use them, but my favorite three ways  are 1. apply directly to paper 2.apply to craft mat (or other non-porous surface) then smear paper in ink 3. apply stain to a red rubber stamp and use it like ink.

By applying the distress stain directly to an embossed card front i created this card

pink paislee has come out with several wood alpha sets called expressions workshop  a number of paints, stains, dies, and inks can be used to alter this alpha.  using distress stain on them is one technique that will allow the wood to show through.

crafts lounge makes sparkly fluff.  a hybrid of flocking and soft metalic shards.   this product is so much fun.  no heat required.  just apply a wet adhesive to your project, pour on sparkly fluff, give it a little press, shake off excess and you have added dimension, texture, and dazzle to your project.  here i  have stamped an image of a pine tree, colored it with copics, applied sparkly fluff and it gives the appearance of snow on the image. how cute is that?

the last thing i cover is what i like to call 'scrapping with scrap' hehe ... we all have little piles, folders, even drawers of little itty bitty scraps lying around.  that leftover strip from border punching or that last little square you just cant part with ... so dont ... scrap it!  (layout pics) in this layout i have taken a variety of scraps, cut outs, stamped words and created a layout. i did not cut one piece of this paper from a 12x12 sheet ... it was all headed for the scrap drawer never to be seen again.  

i hope you enjoy this episode of fabulous fridays with kate and head over to itsalwaysfabulous to purchase products used

To see the video that accompanies this posting....click here

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07BtkOXjIaE

SALE HALLOWEEN SALE HALLOWEEN SALE HALLOWEEN

but I don't want you to think it is all about Halloween.....

If you go to the Halloween Section of the Etsy shop at

http://www.etsy.com/shop/itsalwaysfabulous?section_id=10287951

you will find 121 items related to Halloween....not necessarily about ghosts and cats (although there is some of that) but also grungy things and distress stains in fabulous colors related to the season and perhaps stickles and tim holtz stamps and ribbons.....sigh....I just get so carried away.

For U.S customers, purchase $25 in products from this section and get 1/2 off your shipping, purchase $50 in items from this section and get your shipping free.  Canadian customers who purchase $25 in items from this section get 5% off their purchase of items from this section and $50 in purchases from this section gets you half off your shipping.

Funds will be refunded to your paypal when I print your shipping label.  Discounts on shipping applies to total order shipping, not just the shipping on the items from this section.  Is this too confusing?  Have fun shopping and let me know if you have questions.

Come back in a little bit for Fabulous Friday with Kate.

It's My Birthday and You Get the Present

On the 14th, I will be 29 again.  My children are in their 30s now and I have been highly encouraged to raise my own age to at least 39 but I am holding out for another grandchild before I acknowledge my advancing age.

The two digits of my real age add up to 10.....no, not 73 for you jokesters in the room, but all that you need to know is that since my digits add up to 10, that is the percentage of the discount you will receive off your order if you use the coupon code HAPPY29 at www.itsalwaysfabulous.etsy.com

Coupon code is good only till midnight September 14th, 2011 so don't delay.  Take advantage of the coupon.....

Pink Paislee Has Arrived

So, for those of you Pink Paislee fans  who have been waiting, the Phantom and Nantucket lines have shipped and there are some fabulous items in stock now and selling quickly.

First....in addition to the Hocus Pocus items from last year's Halloween collection (selling at incredibly low prices) there are items from the new Phantom line... 6x6 papers and clear stamps.  The stamp set is 24 stamps (and how fabulous are they) for a mere $8.25.

Secondly.....paper, stamps and ephemera from the Nantucket line.  This is beautiful product in very beachy colors....perfect for scrapping your summer adventures or just your everyday life in soft pastels.

Stop by and take a peek at these products in addition to some new Unity Stamp offerings that just arrived yesterday.

Fabulous Friday with Kate - Distress Stains and Creating Your Own Resist Paper and Embellishments

Kate has sent along a great video this week......

Using stamps and embossing powder, she is creating embellishments like this:

1.  Stamp the image that you want to work with using Versamark or some other slow-drying ink.  Cover with your choice of embossing powders and heat until the powder 'sets' and your powder is melted on your paper.

2.  Using either a blending tool (tim holtz or inksentials foam pad holders) lift ink from your choice of distress ink pad and apply the ink to the area of your embossed image using a swirling motion.  Don't worry about your embossed image ....the ink will not stick to it.... 

3.  Cut out your image to use as an embellishment or repeat the process over multiple images to make a border or background.

See the video for details as well as more techniques using distress inks, craft mats, embossed images and more.

Click here for the video on youtube and look at these great samples using the techniques on the video.

Studio Calico arriving next week.....watch this space for news on the arrival.....

OCTOBER AFTERNOON SIDEWALKS - SHIPPING SOON

I just spoke to the fine folks at October Afternoon and they said that the Sidewalks line is shipping soon....possibly even this week.  12x12 paper will be available in sets of 1 or 2 of each style sheet...whichever you prefer but you must buy the set

Several of you have requested to be notified when the products are on their way .......so this is the notice that they are coming soon.

Want to reserve your favorite items from this line and get them shipped as soon as they arrive?

Go to http://www.octoberafternoon.com/line.php?line=SW

to see the entire line.

Send me an email at sue.stoughton@gmail.com with a list of the items you want.

Your email will reserve those products for you.  I will notify you when it arrives and send you a paypal invoice. 

Everything you see on the site is available except the rubber charms.

Happy shopping and let me know what I can put aside for you.

Labor Day Clearance Sale

OK, so I have been busy marking down prices.......you don't want to miss this sale.  I have over 85 items priced to clear.  I will be adding more over the weekend but put what you want in the cart now and checkout.  If you find more later in the weekend, just put a note in the comments and I'll combine your shipments and refund you the excess shipping.  Some notable sale items:

All Wendy Vecchi Art Parts and Stamp Sets - 50% off
7gypsies Clear Acrylic Stamp Sets - Selected Styles - $2.00 - Originally $14.95
Tim Holtz - Selected Products - 50% Off
Studio G Paper Collections (8 sheets paper/alpha stickers/chipboard stickers/epoxy brads) $3.00

And on.....and on......and on.....

I don't run a sale like this often, so you will want to check this out.




www.itsalwaysfabulous.etsy.com     in the top search box on the screen - type in clearance - and you will get the listing of all the clearance items.

happy shopping and let me know if there is anything I can do to help.

Fabulous Friday with Kate - Unity Stamps

Todays video from Kate has lots of fun information - all using Unity Stamps.  Some Christmas stamp sets (a very cute card paper pieced), some excellent change-ups using a set from Jillibean Soup and so much more.  Take a peek at the video....you won't be disappointed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1JNXWOzFQs