Category: Taniesa Vlasak

30 days of HAPPY MAIL: Challenge ACCEPTED!

Published on by Taniesa13 Comments

Hi Friends!!!

Have you heard about the 30 day happy mail challenge that is going on at Illustrated Faith? If not check out this video by Shanna Noel, Founder of Illustrated Faith where she talks about the challenge as well as the brand new Cards she designed that are available through DaySpring. *She starts talking about the details of the challenge at the 5:50 mark*

Affiliate Links used in this post where available at NO cost to you! Thanks for your support!

  I love what Illustrated Faith has brought to Christian Creatives, and I have grown deeper in knowledge and in my faith since beginning to create in and outside of my bible. I believe that Faith based art and papercraft is more than just for the pages of my bible , so when I saw that Shanna Noel (that incredibly inspiring and kind-hearted woman) was kicking off a 30 day happy mail challenge, I got very excited and knew I had to participate.  I also think this challenge can be different for everyone….. you can customize it to fit YOU.  That being said I will share what I have in mind for the challenge (as I see it) and how I will be approaching it!  The basic idea is that you send some old-fashioned snail mail to a different person every day for 30 days. That’s it in a nutshell. This doesn’t have to be super time-consuming or cost more than a postage stamp and paper. Email is quick and convenient and pretty much the norm when communicating with our family and friends. So when you actually receive a letter or card in the mail, it just FEELS special. Can you remember the last time you received a letter or card or gift in the mail? Did it bring you joy? I am betting it did. Who wouldn’t want to be apart of something fulfilling and FUN like that! We definitely need more Joy, more Kindness, and more encouraging and lifting each other up.

To make things easy on yourself, you might want to gather a few things and keep them organized by your desk or a designated spot. The supplies you will want to pull together will really depend on how elaborate or simple you want your happy mail to be (BOTH are good!). I am going to list a few basic things and optional things that I am setting aside for myself, maybe that will help you figure out what you want to pull together.

I encourage you to use whatever you have on hand and try to think of new ways to use the supplies you already own. I am linking my favorite things that are tried and true and that I really do love, but again, you do not need to spend anything to make this challenge work for you! Another option is to get together with friends and share supplies! Any excuse for crafting and fellowship sounds great to me!

 

Paper Trimmer: THIS one is my favorite and is by Tonic. I also really love THIS one by Fiskars.

Scoreboard: (only if you already have one, a trimmer can do the job just fine if you don’t) I am using THIS mini one which is by Martha Stewart. There is a number of them on the market though.

Bone Folder: I recommend THIS teflon bone folder, It’s a little pricey but it will last you forever and it will be the only one you ever use! The reason for the teflon is that when you use it to crease your paper you will not get that shiny streak on your cardstock that other bone folders leave behind.

Scissors: THESE Fiskars one’s are my favorite.

Cards and envelopes: (unless you are making your own of both) You can pick these up anywhere but THESE envelopes are my current favorite , and some of them have a slight shimmer. I also like THESE that are made of vellum. As far as card bases, I prefer to use this heavy weight cardstock HERE and cut and fold my own. This pack of 25 will make 50 A-2 size card bases. They also sell it in 250 count reams HERE. I find they are more sturdy and I like top fold cards better.

Your favorite writing pens: I really like my Illustrated faith pens because they dry fast and are permanent. I also like the Pigma Micron pens.

Envelope template or tool: (if you are making your own envelopes) HERE is the one that I use and love!

Adhesive: (wet, dry, or both, whatever your preference is) My prefered Wet Adhesive Currently is THIS ONE by Nuvo and for dry adhesives I am liking THIS one by Tombow since my old favorite has been discontinued. For a very strong dry adhesive I love THIS tape, and it comes in lots of different widths. It is great for applying glitter and foil to as well.

Coloring Medium(s) of choice:  (paints, colored pencils, water-soluble crayons, markers, etc…) Right now my color mediums of choice are my Daniel Smith Watercolors, THESE pearlescent watercolors from Prima, These Water Soluble permanent-when-dry pencils by Derwent, and my Zig Clean Color real Brush Markers that you can find HERE. all of these are available in various packages and some even come singularly.

Stamps: (clear, rubber, digital stamps work great too) Some of my current Favorites are by Honey Bee Stamps (especially the Sentiment builders), Lawn Fawn, Penny Black, Concord and 9th, Stamping Bella, Neat and Tangled, and the Creative Worship line of stamps by Sweet n’ Sassy Stamps.

Black ink pad: (and other colors if you wish) My favorite is THIS black ink pad for crisp lines which is also waterproof when dry. For copic coloring or any alcohol based ink I like using THIS particular Hero Arts ink pad. For colored ink I really love the distress inks and especially the Distress Oxide ink pads. There is a great deal HERE If you are looking for them.

Die cuts: (Ephemera, Die cut packs, Digital cut apart, Die cuts you cut from your Cricut or Silhouette) I love the die cut packs from Illustrated Faith and Bella Blvd., Doodlebug is another company I buy ephemera or die cuts from often.

Embellishments:  sequins, enamel dots, Stickles or Nuvo drops, Ribbon/Twine, Glitter, washi tape, etc…  I also Love my Glitter brush pen that you can find HERE.

So you got your supplies all set, now what?

Some people are choosing to swap addresses with their online friends and do the 30 day challenge that way, some are randomly sending out happy mail to various people they know, Some are sending cards to friends and family. You don’t have to know who you are sending to for the whole challenge, Like Shanna said, you could decide that day who you’re sending to or you can make a list one week at a time if that works better for you.  The HOW you approach this challenge is whatever works for YOU, and the great thing is, you can figure that out as you go along the 30 days, or you can plan it all out now.  That being said I will go ahead and share my ideas and plans for my 30 Days of sending HAPPY MAIL!

Every day I will be sending out some kind of Happy mail to someone. (basic idea, right? right! but read on!)

Some days it will be a handmade card that I have already made, or will make that will be going to friends, family, or even people like my mailman, or the grocery store clerk that always seems to remember my name, Maybe even my favorite barista at Starbucks (who does not get enough credit for making my coffee PERFECT every time!) I really like the idea of surprising people who go about doing their jobs but don’t just do their job, they do it with a smile, detail, pride, and kindness… that should be acknowledged  more I think, Even if it’s just a card saying, Hey! I think you are AWESOME!

I might also sent some postcards. Like THESE postcards from the Illustrated Faith Collection. You can even embellish those premade postcards or you can make your own postcards! See my post HERE where I show ideas for making your own postcards. How nice to make the people who handle your card along its journey, smile as it travels to its destination. If you’re sending a traditional card, you can decorate your envelope as well. It may even encourage some one that sees your happy mail to send some happy mail of their own!

I love giving little unexpected gifts so some of my happy mail will include some DIY gifts that are fun to make and fun to send to some unsuspecting friends or family!  Care packages are always a great surprise and can really make someone’s day.

A few cards of mine will make their way to some people I do not know personally, but who I am aware are struggling with something, They need to know they are loved and are being prayed for.

And maybe along the way there will be mini cards left on a windshield, in with a bill that has to be paid, or handed to a mom who looks like she’s had a rough day, a simple card with a note of encouragement. I definitely think little acts of Card Kindness can be apart of this challenge, Not everything has to have a stamp on it. You may also consider writing your message on a removable paper inside the card with another note that encourages the recipient to write their own message inside and send to someone they want to encourage! Simon Says Stamp actually sells THIS post-it style pad just for that reason! Look for a post coming soon that has directions on how to create your own!

At the end of the month I want to  know that I made 30+ people smile, feel special, be encouraged, and know THEY MATTER enough that I will take the time to create and send them (or hand deliver) a paper hug!

I do plan on documenting my Happy Mail Month on my blog as well as social media. Sometime during the month I might just do a video as well. Make sure to subscribe to my blog for updates or follow me on Instagram ( @taniesa ) where I will update as well!

SO How about you? Want to jump into the challenge with me? You don’t need anything fancy, Just use what you got, grab some stamps if you need to, and send some love for 30 days (and if you can only commit to a week, then that is ok, make it your 7 days of happy mail challenge!) I think that in the end, the person it will benefit the most, is really those of us doing the sending!

The fun starts Tomorrow , July 1st and wraps up on the 30th (but if you want to be the overachiever and go to the 31st, then you go, girl! I will cheer you on and may even do that extra day with you!)

As a special bonus I am going to do a random giveaway to one of my readers that participates in the Illustrated Faith 30 day Happy Mail Challenge too! A bundle of new paper crafting items that will be useful no matter what type of papercrafter you are….a Scrapbooker, Bible / Art Journaler, Cardmaker, Planner girl, or any other artistic papercrafter, There will be things in this bundle anyone would be able to use and enjoy!  There was no way to photograph EVERYTHING but there will be stamps and dies, washi tape, stickers, ink, embossing powder, embossing folder, roller stamp, sequins, and so much more stuffed into a large padded envelope! This giveaway is open to anyone (Yes even international!)

If you are participating in the challenge and you want to be entered to win my giveaway, Link up one of your cards between July 1 and July 31st using the blue Link up button below and on August 1 I will randomly draw someone to win! *Edited to note that you may link up as many times/projects as you would like during the challenge duration! I hope that it will add even more inspiration to others participating in the project.*

Stay tuned for more ideas for this happy mail challenge as well as what I am doing for my 30 days of Happy Mail!

Until then! Have a fantastic weekend!!!

*All supplies mentioned are linked within the blog post are in BOLD font. To enter TheCraftyPickle Happy Mail giveaway click the blue button below and link up one of your cards that is for the 30 Day Happy Mail Challenge hosted by Illustrated Faith.

How to add your project to the link-up : Click the blue button with the frog below. Add the URL link to where your project is located (blog, Instagram, Flickr, other) add the required info and enter! You should see the photo of your project below. I created a Flickr group for those of you that don’t have a blog or don’t want to blog but you do want to upload your projects and share. You can find that group HERE! If you have any problems or questions please leave a comment in this post or email me at Taniesa@thecraftypickle.com.

 

Creating with Pin-spiration and Essentials by Ellen

Published on by Taniesa4 Comments

Hey Crafty friends!

It has been a very busy few months! Because I haven’t been able to post as much as I like, I am bringing you not one but THREE cards today! These three cards have been inspired by the Ellen Hutson Pin-Sights Challenge in the CLASSroom blog this month. I would love to know which is your favorite! Leave me a message in the comments with your thoughts! OH! Also, make sure you see the message at the bottom regarding a HUGE two day sale going on at Ellen Hutson!

(Affiliate links listed below where available at no cost to you. Thank you for supporting this blog!)

These beautiful delicious shades of Strawberry, Orange, and Lemon just scream SUMMER and inspired me to play with my Copic markers, Daniel Smith watercolor paints, and of course my Essentials by Ellen stamps and dies. Laurel did an AMAZING job of putting this month’s inspiration board together. I find when I am stuck in a creative rut, using a mood board and/or a sketch really gets me kick started and my creativity tends to flow from there.

My first card share is one you may have seen over in the Ellen Hutson Classroom if you came over from the Ellen Hutson CLASSroom blog (If you have never visited me before, Welcome!) I was inspired by the bright yellow pop of the lemons in the table floral arrangement. The lemons gave me the idea to use the Essentials by Ellen “Stay Golden” stamp set and matching dies. I loved the sentiment “when life hands you pineapples…” “make Pina Coladas” and when I thought about the whole Life handing you pineapples it made me think of actual hands coming up from the bottom of the card holding up pineapples. I reached for the Avery Elle Hats Off stamp set which ended up being the perfect stamp set to work with the pineapples.

The background was done by layering Daniel Smith Watercolors. I did this on two different pieces of Canson XL 140lb cold press watercolor paper. I cut one piece of the watercolor wash paper down to 4.25 x 5.5 (A-2 card size) and the other piece of painted paper I used for die cutting. I cut out three different sizes of flowers in the stay golden die set and I used a Hero Arts Ombre Light Peach to Dark Peach to stamp the flowers on top. I used a combination of Cracked Pistachio and Peeled paint Distress Oxide inks to stamp the leaves. The white accents I drew in with a signo white gel pen.

I thought the sentiment looked best in a circle shape so I stamped it on a lighter painted scrap of watercolor paper and heat embossed that sentiment with WOW extra fine clear embossing powder. I gave the flowers different levels of dimension by gluing some down against the paper directly and others are on one layer or two layers of foam tape.

I stamped and colored the hands border stamp from the Avery Elle Hats off stamp set with my copic markers. I stamped or drew on some accents that reminded me of hawaiian print shirts. Some patterns I accented with my white signo gel pen. I added a little foam tape behind the hands and the pineapples to make it look more like these hands were actually holding a big pineapple. I took a little Black Soot Distress ink on a ink blending sponge and lightly brushed the edges of the panel to give a vingnet look.

To finish off the cover I added some Pretty Pink Posh confetti and used my spectrum noir clear glitter brush pen to add a little sparkle.

When you open up the card you see the continuation of the sentiment which I stamped with Versafine Onyx Black ink and heat embossed with WOW super fine clear embossing powder.

The drink filled coconut is from the “Stay Cool” waffle flower stamp set which I stamped and then colored with copic markers. I added a little Glossy accents on the straw to make it look like a shiny plastic straw.

I think this is a great encouragement card to give to a friend who has had a bad day.

The next card was inspired by the beautiful florals in the photo as well as the gorgeous “Bed of Flowers” Essentials by Ellen die. I had several pieces of watercolor paper that I was practicing watercolor washes with. Not wanting them to go to waste I thought I would cut them up with this beautiful die and piece them back together on a piece of cardstock that I covered with Be Creative tape.

I used the darker die cut negative pieces more to the center of each flowers and going lighter as you got to the edge of the flowers. I put green watercolor negative die pieces in between all the roses.

Once all of the pieces were glued down I matted the pieced together panel with a piece of gold mirror foil cardstock. I die cut two vellum hearts from the Essentials by Ellen Folk Heart dies as well as the Congrats die from the Essentials by Ellen zipper panel die set. I wound some gold thread around each end of the die cut and glued the ends to the back of the panel. I then glued that panel down to a peach colored cardstock card base.

I think this would make a fantastic wedding card.

My next card started out just as watercolor practice, with some beautiful Mondo Flowers from Ellen Hutson.

I took the Essentials by Ellen Mondo Peony flower and stamped that on Arches cold press watercolor paper with Versamark ink. I heat embossed the flowers using clear extra fine embossing powder from WOW. I painted the florals using a mix of colors from Daniel smith paints in Quinacridone Rose, Rose Madder Perm, Transparent Pyrrol Orange, lemon yellow, and pearlescent shimmer. The leaves are painted using Sap Green. I liked my practice piece so I masked the flowers and stamped the Essentials by Ellen Mondo Hydrangea. I heat embossed this flower the same way and then I painted the flower using Daniel Smith quinacridone purple.

The background got a light wash of blue by using Daniel Smith manganese blue hue. I set the florals aside to dry and I painted another piece of watercolor paper with the colors on my palette. Once that was dry I cut it using the largest Lawn Fawn fancy scallop rectangle die. You might notice that you can’t really see a shine of embossing powder on my card. Once the florals were dry my piece was warped quite a bit so I took a piece of copy paper and folded it in half. I placed my card in the middle and down on top of a microfiber cloth. On a no steam setting I ironed the paper protected card until it was flat and quickly removed the paper. The scrap paper absorbed all of the embossing powder leaving me with a one layer card that kept those white lines that I stamped with.

I cut down my floral piece, matted it on gold mirror cardstock and foam mounted that piece on top of the scalloped watercolor panel. That was adhered to a heavy card base.

Inside the card I glued a die cut Many Thanks from the essentials by ellen die and a scrap of that gold mirror cardstock. I stamped the florals in a very pale gray ink and colored them with Copics in various colors in the 00, 000, and 0000 shades.  I thought this added a hint of color but light enough to write over when you write in the card.

I hope you found some inspiration in the Ellen Hutson Pin-Sights inspiration piece as I did. Now its your turn to create something fabulous and participate in the challenge. One random participant will be chosen to win a $50 gift certificate to Ellen Hutson. Head on over to the Ellen Hutson classroom blog for more details. I cannot wait to see what you create!

***There is also a HUGE 15% off everything sale going on at Ellen Hutson Today and tomorrow, June 15-16 2017! Use code SUMMERFUN to stock up on the amazing products I shared with you today and more! I am off to get some new items that has been on my wish list!***

If you are interested in any of the products that I used in my projects today I have listed them below as well as linked them within the post. You may also click HERE for multiple online sources of some items. I tried to make it as easy as possible if you are wanting to find something that I used.

Thank you so much for stopping by!

Misti and Honey Bee Stamps | A perfect match!

Published on by Taniesa120 Comments

Hi Crafty Friends!

Welcome to the Honey Bee Stamps and Misti Blog hop!

You should have arrived here from the blog of the Amazing, Lydia Fideler!  If you are starting with my blog today, make sure you go back to check out Lydia’s post as she is the first person on the hop!

I was so excited when I found out that we would be working with the kind folks over at My Sweet Petunia. I have had my Misti since they first launched and It is the most used stamping tool in my craft room!

Today I have a fun little project for you. Instead of making a card I decided to make this cute little tissue box that holds those purse/pocket packs of tissue perfectly.  I took inspiration from the Honey Bee Logo and the My Sweet Petunia logo for my colors.

Today I will be featuring the Bless Your Heart stamp from Honey bee stamps ( and don’t tell Melissa…. but if you look closely, you might see a couple of stamps from our April release coming up VERY soon! I had to sneak something in 😉 Shhhhh! )

Making the tissue box is super simple if you have a paper trimmer, scoreboard, and scissors.

Cut a piece of Cardstock to 8 inches by 7 1/2 inches. I used a piece of Strathmore mixed media paper. Both because I planned on doing some watercoloring but also this is super sturdy for a tissue box.

Time to score! Start with the 8″ length at the top.

 

Then turn your paper 90 degrees and score again.

Once you did your scoring, take a bone folder and burnish / crease all of your score marks. Then grab your scissors for some trimming.

to make the cutting easy, I first cut along the score lines on the sides that had the double score line close to each other. then I trimmed away the pieces you see above.

Before I assemble the box I wanted to do my stamping and coloring. Because I am working on a textured surface, the misti tool is even more helpful. Let me show you….

I could have lined this up at the top of the misti but instead I decided to use my creative corners to give it a little push upwards.

You’ll see above that my first stamping didn’t go so great, which is normal for textured papers. I Just re inked and stamped again.

MUCH better!

Then I die cut a little hexagon for the tissue opening.

I have a handy little tip for you. Instead of taping your paper down to watercolor. Flip over your misti and attach your projects with magnets to the backside. This will hold your project down while you color or paint.

I sketched out some hexagons with a watercolor pencil by Prima.

Then I water colored the top of my tissue box. The watercolor honeycomb reminded me of the Honey Bee logo and website. I didn’t have a pink Petunia but I did have this cute little daisy (which may or may not be a stamp from a brand new stamp set coming soon) So I painted that pink. Of course my little bee is yellow and black. You can’t tell too well but there is a lot of glitter accents from my Wink of Stella glitter brush pen. And I even mixed a little Gold watercolor in my yellow for the honeycomb.

If I tilt it just right you can see just a bit.

After I was done watercoloring I cut two side pieces to 2 1/4″ x 1′ from yellow polka dot paper and two longer side pieces to 4 1/4″ x 1″. I inked the edges of the yellow paper with some Black ink and for the black & white paper I inked it a bit with some Fossilized amber distress oxide ink and then some black distress ink over that.

I adhered those down with some Scor tape and then glued the small long flap and one of the sides together. The other side of the box i left without adhesive so this box could be refilled.

How cute would this be to hand to someone who has some bad spring allergies or a seasonal cold. I think it would make just about anyone smile. I mean look at that cute bee!

I have one more fun “tip” to share with you all. I love my creative corners but I really wasn’t sure how to store them. I wanted to be able to keep them with my Misti and my mini misti and not have the pieces all over the place.

I had this stampin up box and it was just the perfect size. I took a cd sleeve and made a pocket for the inside to hold my mini misti grid paper, my grid transparency and a scrap piece of plastic I use to stamp on sometimes. On the other side my Creative corner pieces fit perfectly!

I cut my packaging to fit on the inside of the stampin up case.

If you don’t have a case like this you could do the same thing with a 5×7 photo case.

Here is a few photos of the final project. What do you think?

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Next stop on the hop is the talented Ilina! Buzz on over and show her some love!

 

Here is a list of everyone participating in today’s hop. Don’t forget to comment at each blog post for a chance to win!

Taniesa Vlasak <—-That’s me!

Organizing December Daily, Desk Maid system review, AND A GIVEAWAY!

Published on by Taniesa10 Comments

Happy Friday!!!

I don’t know about all of you but I am SOOOO ready for the weekend!

Today I am reviewing the Desk Maid system from Totally Tiffany. I recently moved and the new home had a bonus room that was a perfect craft studio. I did have the challenge of limited wall space and a bunch of built-in shelving nooks. I have always had a lot of success organizing with shelves on my wall but this would be a bit different. I was searching for ideas on the internet and came across the new Desk Maid system. Intrigued by it I talked to the kind folks at Totally Tiffany and they graciously sent me a 4 piece set to try out as well as their clip and create rotating board.

I am also showing my December Daily organization at the bottom of the post…. It’s a long post day, friends… but fill of good stuff and a giveaway! Read on!

Here is the Desk Maid collection…

This is the 4 piece set full of supplies. (as shown on the Totally Tiffany website)

Totally Tiffany Desk Maid system

After receiving the full Desk Maid set I knew that this was going to be a fantastic solution for my built-in shelving issue. I loved the product SO Much that I turned around the next day and ordered 6 more 4-piece sets!

I am still in process of organizing my room but I got a big chunk done, and thanks to the Desk Maid system I was able to condense what was in three of these built-in shelving units to ONE! Seriously… it was crazy how much space this saved! Take a look!

Organizing with Desk Maid | Totally Tiffany Desk Maid review by Taniesa Vlasak

 

Organizing with Desk Maid | Totally Tiffany Desk Maid review by Taniesa Vlasak

It’s like candy for my eyes!  I love seeing my supplies, it helps me remember to use them. I love having my coloring supplies and tools right at hand. And while it is stored in this shelving unit, I can easily take whichever Desk Maid unit(s) back to my work table when needed. It keeps it nice and tidy and when I am done I just put the Desk Maid organizer back on the shelf and my work table stays uncluttered.

These pieces have a ton of versatility. You don’t JUST have to organize your craft supplies (think kitchen organization, makeup, office supplies, and more). You can even use them for specific project organization. You will see how I used the Pen & Ink Palace, Tool Caddy, and the Clip & Create Rotating Design Board to organize my December Daily supplies for this year further down in my post.

The Pen and Ink Palace holds all 80 colors of Zig Real Brush markers with room for your watercolor safe ink pad, an acrylic block, swatch chart, and more room at the top, I have a opalescent watercolor set in the top of mine.

Organizing with Desk Maid | Totally Tiffany Desk Maid review by Taniesa Vlasak

Organizing with Desk Maid | Totally Tiffany Desk Maid review by Taniesa Vlasak

On that same shelf you will see 5 Tool Towers all lined up in a pretty little row. This houses like items together of pens, paintbrushes, ink blending brushes, water brushes, markers, blending stumps and gamsol, chalk pastel pencils, watercolor pencils, and various tools. Easy to see what I have, easy to grab, and easy to put away!

Organizing with Desk Maid | Totally Tiffany Desk Maid review by Taniesa Vlasak

Organizing with Desk Maid | Totally Tiffany Desk Maid review by Taniesa Vlasak

The next shelf down holds my Gelatos, Distress crayons, PITT Markers in one Pen & Ink Palace, A tool caddy sits to the right of that with some specific project tools that I am working with now, and to the right of that is three Pencil Perches holding all of my Faber-Castell Polychromos pencils.

Remember that I had said these shelving units are deep? they get deeper as you go lower because of the wall angels. Because I had so much space behind these units, I placed product behind that I don’t necessarily grab all the time.

Organizing with Desk Maid | Totally Tiffany Desk Maid review by Taniesa Vlasak

Behind the Pen & Ink Palace I have two Stadium Arrangers filled with embossing powders, reinkers, and mists.

Organizing with Desk Maid | Totally Tiffany Desk Maid review by Taniesa Vlasak

In the center and to the left (behind the pencils) is another two stadium arrangers that I am still working on filling. The back is currently holding washi tape and the one more in the front has some empty 5×7 Iris cases that I am planning on using for some kit organization. In the middle of these 4 stadium arrangers I have placed a lazy susan and several ink tins from Tim Holtz. These hold my Distress ink cubes, Altenew Crisp Ink cubes and Some hero arts and Simon Says Stamp ink cubes.

Organizing with Desk Maid | Totally Tiffany Desk Maid review by Taniesa Vlasak

I can spin the ink around to find what I am looking for if needed. I mostly use these smaller ones for traveling and my large ink pads at home but they are easily accessible if I need them.

totally-tiffany-org-1The Crafty Pickle Organizes!

On the last shelf you will see a Pen and Ink Palace that I am using for my December Daily Project on top of the Clip & Create Rotating Board. Beside that I have a plastic box for my acrylic blocks and then an acrylic nail polish rack I picked up from Amazon to hold all my Nuvo Drops and Enamel accents (some are missing because they are in my December Daily supply stash)

In the very back of that shelf is extra organizers I have not used yet and empty containers. I am thinking about using this for back stock of supplies like cardstock, adhesive, etc in the future.  I still need to paint these shelving cubbies, they were unfinished when we purchased the home. I am painting them white which will help the colors and supplies stand out even more.

I think that the Desk Maid system is fantastic for organizing your craft supplies no matter if you keep them on your desk, In your Ikea Kallax, on a shelf, or whatever setup you have. The 4 piece set comes packed so well too! Surrounded by cushion and boxed separately to minimize the risk of damage. I was really impressed by that as well as the quality of the items. I like them white but you could easily paint these lightweight wood organizers any color you wish.

Here is a quick video review I did on the Desk Maid system.

I decided to use two of the pieces of the desk maid system for my december daily organization. Take a look at the quick video where I show you what supplies that I have gathered and organized for my December memory keeping!

I LOVE that this system holds so much and takes up so little space on my desk!

I am super excited because the kind folks at Totally Tiffany have generously donated a 4 piece Desk Maid set for one of you! To enter the giveaway just click the link HERE and you will be taken to a sign up form, That’s it! Easy peasy. Winner will be announced on 11/23 at 6:30 pm Pacific standard time so be sure to check back. I will update the top of this post with the winners name.

I have listed the items that I have shown in today’s post below with links as well. I believe there is a black friday special going on where you get a free glue gun holder with a 4 piece Desk Maid set purchase!

4 piece Desk Maid set

Clip & Create rotating design board

Thank you for stopping by for today’s review and December Daily organization. I have more ideas coming for these great organization pieces so be sure to subscribe to my blog and youtube channel so you don’t miss any organization inspiration!

Have a great and crafty weekend!

Taniesa Vlasak | TheCraftyPickle.com

 

A winter card with Kat Scrappiness and Hero Arts!

Published on by Taniesa3 Comments

Hi Friends!

Happy Thursday! Today I have a fun card that can be used for Christmas or any occasion. When I saw this Birch Background die at Kat Scrappiness.com I knew I wanted to create a card with this die taking center stage.

To pair with this fantastic Die I chose the beautiful Hero Arts color layering Deer stamp set. I love that you can layer different ink colors quickly and not have to worry where your shading will go.

Dear Friend Winter card for KatScrappiness.com | Taniesa Vlasak www.thecraftypickle.com

I knew that I wanted the trees to have some dimension to them so I took a piece of adhesive backed foam and a piece of adhesive backed cardstock and I stuck the cardstock on top of the foam. You could always use a product like stick-it to glue the cardstock to the foam, these were just in my supply stash. I find that it is easier to glue foam to a intricate die cut prior to cutting if at all possible. I cut the cardstock covered foam with the Birch Tree Background die in my big shot a couple of times to ensure everything cut though. This will smoosh your foam down a bit but it will puff back up.

Dear Friend Winter card for KatScrappiness.com | Taniesa Vlasak www.thecraftypickle.com

I carefully removed the waste from the die cut leaving just the background. I removed the adhesive backing on the foam and placed this on a piece of heavy weight cardstock that I have blended a bit of Broken China Distress ink on. I kept the ink darker at the top and lighter at the bottom.  After that was glued together, I took  W-01 and a W-03 Copic markers and added some shading to the trees. This added a bit more dimension and texture.

I stamped my deer using three shades of hero arts ink that I had on hand (Soft Sand, Latte, and Brown Bark) and then stamped the final detail stamps in Versafine Onyx black ink. I cut the deer out with the coordinating die set then popped the deer up with the leftover scraps of foam from my trees.

Dear Friend Winter card for KatScrappiness.com | Taniesa Vlasak www.thecraftypickle.com

I took some of my favorite sparkling snow sequins from Kat’s shop and glued them down on the blue panel with some Ranger Multi Medium Matte finish adhesive so that they looked like snow falling. To finish off the card I added a sentiment banner from the same Hero Arts stamp set.

I love the multiple layers on this card and it really came together quickly. I could see so many possibilities with this background die. It’s great for all seasons!

Dear Friend Winter card for KatScrappiness.com | Taniesa Vlasak www.thecraftypickle.com

I hope you enjoyed my card today. I appreciate you stopping by. Please check out the links below for supplies I used today.

Have a wonderful day!

Taniesa Vlasak | TheCraftyPickle.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

Products used today (Affiliate links used if available):

Create your own Handmade Postcards!

Published on by Taniesa2 Comments

Hi there friends!

I know lots of you out there love to make handmade cards. One thing I don’t see too often is handmade postcards. They are super easy to send, and very inexpensive. I had the idea during TheDailyMarker.com’s 30 day coloring challenge to take my daily coloring and put it on a postcard and just send it to make someone smile. Not all my projects made it on a postcard but I did do a few and I really loved the result. Postcards can be something simple as a Hello friend! or a notification to your friends and family that you have moved.

There are some great products for making your own postcards. First product that I LOVE is the Strathmore watercolor postcards. These are preprinted 140 lb cards on watercolor paper making it so easy to color and send your postcard. I got mine at my local craft store with a coupon making them very inexpensive.

Create your own postcards | TheCraftyPickle.com

Here is a fun stamp from Amy Tangerine. This comes from her Better Together collection.

Create your own postcards | TheCraftyPickle.com

A side note about the stamp above. This stamp is Acrylic and not Photopolymer. I recommend using a stamp positioner tool or a misti to make sure you get a good impression.

There are also other great stamps out there that you can use to build your own postcard backing.

Create your own postcards | TheCraftyPickle.com

 

Create your own postcards | TheCraftyPickle.comCreate your own postcards | TheCraftyPickle.comCreate your own postcards | TheCraftyPickle.com

First up is a simple hello friend postcard made with Mama Elephant brushstroke florals stamps and Sunday Sentiments stamps. I stamped these florals in various shades of distress ink and softened edges with a waterbrush. I also splattered some black ink afterwards. Sentiment was stamped in Simon Says Stamp intense black ink and then I ran the card though a dotted die. This card is a standard A2 card size and not the traditional 4×6 postcard. Postcards can be a range of sizes and does not have to stick to the 4×6 but double-check if you make it larger, that you do not need extra postage.

Create your own postcards | TheCraftyPickle.com

Next we have another Hello postcard, this time with Honey Bee Stamps “Say What” stamp set as well as their “brush stroke alphabet” stamps. I did some spotlight coloring on this one with copic markers. Using grays for the outside and colors for the center circle. After I was done coloring I adhered my postcard back with multi medium matte. If you want the postcard to look seamless make sure to take some ink around the edges.

Create your own postcards | TheCraftyPickle.com

Here we have a thank you postcard that I made for my daughter’s Aunt. Small Talk Stamp set by Mama Elephant with alphabet stamps from Illustrated Faith and Studio Calico. Mostly distress ink blending on this one and zig clean color real brush markers to color in “Aunt”. I also went over the letters with a Spectrum Noir clear sparkle pen once dry.

Create your own postcards | TheCraftyPickle.com

This is a soft thank you postcard using the Not too shabby and kindness stamp sets from Honey Bee Stamps as well as the Kindness die.  I die cut the white panel from Bristol cardstock and sandwiched a piece of Simon Says Stamp Audrey Blue cardstock between that panel and the postcard side. I used my Clarity Stencil Brush to apply Peacock Feathers Distress ink around the postcard. After stamping with Simon Says Stamp intense black ink, I colored the images with Zig Clean Color Real Brush Markers.

Create your own postcards | TheCraftyPickle.com

Finally we have a postcard I made for my friends and family announcing our move which is happening this September. This was made with two fabulous stamp sets, “I heart books” and “Moving Sentiments” by Three Room Studio. They were colored using Zig Clean Color real brush markers on Canson bristol cardstock. I printed off custom postcard backs that I created in Photoshop.

Create your own postcards | TheCraftyPickle.com

Create your own postcards | TheCraftyPickle.com

Another great idea is to take your premade postcards and stamp outlined sentiments like this “Thank you”. This is a great idea for kids to personalize a thank you note to family and friends when needed.

Create your own postcards | TheCraftyPickle.com

Create your own postcards | TheCraftyPickle.com

Because I made a postcard in Photoshop for my projects I thought you might enjoy using it too. Click the link below to download your copy. Print out on your favorite cardstock and cut to 4×6. You can color directly on the back or if you do it separately then adhere together with your favorite adhesive.

Download your FREE postcard printable here!

Free postcard printable | TheCraftyPickle.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you so much for stopping by. I sure hope you got some postcard creating inspiration today. I would love to see what you create! Please leave me a link to your project via your blog, Instagram, Flickr, or other so I can check it out!

Listed below are the links to the products I have used for these projects as well as postcard projects I have done in the past, and planning on doing. Affiliate links may be used, which means if you make a purchase, I receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. I really appreciate your support toward the costs of running this blog.

https://static.inlinkz.com/ppr.js

Thank you so much for stopping by today! I will be back this Thursday with the Honey Bee Stamps HONEY HOP celebrating the new release! For now, I am back to packing!

Have a wonderful week!
Taniesa Vlasak | TheCraftyPickle.com

Ellen Hutson LLC PIN-SIGHTS Challenge | Hidden Gift Shaker Card

Published on by Taniesa6 Comments

Hi there Crafty Friends!

I hope your weekend is off to a fabulous start! I thought I would kick off my weekend by participating in the Pin-Sights challenge over at Ellen Hutson.com.

EllenHutson.com Pin-Sights Challenge

You can find out more by clicking the link HERE (and see some AMAZING project entries!)

The challenge was to take Essentials by Ellen product(s) and pair them with one of your favorite companies products. I have really been enjoying the latest Honey Bee Stamps release and decided to pick something from my Honey Bee stash!

I LOVE the essentials by Ellen stamps, dies, and other papercrafting items so this was a great challenge to hop into and jumpstart my creativity. Today I will be working with the Essentials by Ellen Bohemian Garden stamps and Zipper Panel die.

Essentials-by-Ellen-Clear-Stamps-Bohemian-Garden-by-Julie-EbersoleEssentials-by-Ellen-Designer-Dies-Zipper-Panel-by-Julie-Ebersole

I will also be using the Kindness stamp set by Honey bee stamps.

Honey-Bee-Clear-Stamps-Kindness

Today I wanted to mix things up a bit and I thought… “What if I used the zipper panel in the back of the card rather than the front?” This way the recipient could see the gift when they opened the card but take the gift card out when they were ready.

For the front panel I did all my stamping in Versamark ink and heat embossed with Hero Arts white embossing powder. I did ink blending at the top and at the bottom with distress ink (colors listed at the bottom of the post) and mixed some Daniel Smith watercolors to color my floral images. I did add a vellum flag out of Essentials by Ellen 40 lb vellum and heat embossed the same as the card. For the final touch on the panel I added some Sparkling clear sequins with some Ranger Multi Medium Matte.

Hidden Gift Shaker Card | TheCraftyPickle.com

I set the front panel aside and went to work on the rest of the card. I made the shaker pocket from an Essentials by Ellen small stamp storage pocket and Be Creative tape. (I probably would have used my fuse but we are moving and it is packed up in a box at the moment). I printed my message on the same 40 lb vellum from Essentials by Ellen using my laser printer and cut it to fit inside the stamp storage pocket. I added the die cut “Enjoy” which is also apart of the zipper panel die set. Once that was dry, I added the pretty pink posh sequins, Prima beads, and Distress glitter.

Hidden Gift Shaker Card | TheCraftyPickle.com

I reinforced the center part of the zipper panel as Julie Ebersole has shown in her YouTube video (See bottom of post for video) with a piece of Neenah cardstock that I blended some distress ink on. I added be creative tape all around the back panel edges being careful not to cover the zipper stitched marks. I then added my gift card in the middle and placed the finished shaker pocket down on top of the tape. To hide the rough adhesive edges I made a frame from the large stitched rectangle dies from Lawn fawn and adhered that to the top of the shaker pocket.

 

Hidden Gift Shaker Card | TheCraftyPickle.com

I love that you can see the gift card through the vellum but the message still stands out. The shaker adds a fun playful confetti party like feel.

Hidden Gift Shaker Card | TheCraftyPickle.com

Here is the view of the back . I started lifting the bottom up……

Hidden Gift Shaker Card | TheCraftyPickle.com

But then I decided I wanted to show you all how cool it looks when it is opened up all the way!

Hidden Gift Shaker Card | TheCraftyPickle.com

What I love about putting the zipper in the back is that the front stays pretty and intact so you can still display as normal if you like.

Hidden Gift Shaker Card | TheCraftyPickle.com

This card was a lot of fun to make. Let me know in the comments below if you would like to see a video tutorial on how to assemble a gift card like the one shown today.

If you have never seen the zipper panel from Ellen Hutson yet. Check out this how-to video that Julie Ebersole (the designer) made. The die is just genius!

Links to the items I have used are listed below.

https://static.inlinkz.com/ppr.js
Thank you for stopping by. I hope you found my card project inspiring. I love giving gifts, but making gift packaging pretty is extra special!

Have an extra fun and crafty weekend!

Taniesa Vlasak | TheCraftyPickle.com

Turn your art into your own custom flair embellishments!

Published on by Taniesa3 Comments

Hi Crafty Friends!

Today I wanted to share with you something new and exciting in our Etsy shop! Starting today, you now have the option to create your very own flair buttons in two different ways!

Make your own custom flair buttons with your artwork, stamps, washi, photos, and more @ TheCraftyPickle.com

First, you will need to download our TCP Flair template (found HERE) then print the template on your favorite paper. I used Neenah solar white 80 lb cardstock but anything 80 lb or lighter will work.

Make your own custom flair buttons with your artwork, stamps, washi, photos, and more @ TheCraftyPickle.com

Then gather together all the supplies you would like to use to create your flair. You can use different types of coloring mediums, stamps, washi tape, anything smooth and flat will work.

Make your own custom flair buttons with your artwork, stamps, washi, photos, and more @ TheCraftyPickle.com

Now for the FUN part! Doodle and color your heart out! Hand letter some phrases for your project life album.  Customize monograms or personalized buttons for gifts. Create cute page markers and charms for your planners. Use your favorite stamps (even digi stamps if your handy with photoshop) to create a unique embellishment! Little planner stamps work perfect for this project and most stamp sets have small images that are an inch or smaller. Make sure that you keep your artwork in the center circle, the rest will be cut off when making the flair.

Make your own custom flair buttons with your artwork, stamps, washi, photos, and more @ TheCraftyPickle.com

Once you are finished creating your little 1 inch works of art, Cut down the sheet so that it will fit in the envelope you are using. Keeping two or more circles per cut is preferred but not required.

Make your own custom flair buttons with your artwork, stamps, washi, photos, and more @ TheCraftyPickle.com

Go to our Etsy store listing HERE to order the amount and type of buttons you would like. If there is a different amount you are wanting than what is listed in our shop just send a custom order request and we can adjust the totals for you. Once you place your order we will send you the mailing address to send your artwork to.

Make your own custom flair buttons with your artwork, stamps, washi, photos, and more @ TheCraftyPickle.com

Once we receive your artwork we will send you a confirmation email so you know we have it in hand. We will then cut and create your flair for you and then ship it back. Remember that if you are requesting traditional flat backed flair you will get our signature low profile flat flair style making them perfect for projects that you don’t want to add a lot of bulk.

Make your own custom flair buttons with your artwork, stamps, washi, photos, and more @ TheCraftyPickle.com

Usual turn around time is 2-3 business days (sometime sooner) If a rush is needed please check before completing your purchase so we can make sure we can accommodate your request. 

Remember, not only can you create traditional flat backed or pin backed flair buttons, but there is other options as well!

Flair / Button options @thecraftypickle.com

I did mention that there was TWO new listings to create your own custom flair. The next option is super easy. Simply grab your favorite papers, Journaling cards, and scraps. Make sure they are NO SMALLER than 2 inches by 2 inches. Pop those papers in an envelope and once you complete your purchase though our store we will send you the mailing address to send these papers in. You can find this shop listing HERE.

Make your own custom flair buttons with your artwork, stamps, washi, photos, and more @ TheCraftyPickle.com

We will then turn your collection of papers, cards, and/or scraps into your made to match embellishments! This is a great way to get unique flair to match your favorite paper lines and core kits.

What do you think? Sound like fun? Download the template and give it a try, There is no cost until you actually purchase the package you want to order. It is so much fun seeing something you create yourself made into a fun embellishment or accessory.

I hope you are as excited about these new options in the store as we are! Let us know what you think and share with your friends about this fun new option and you could win a $5 gift certificate to our shop! Click on the rafflecopter giveaway for several chances to win (you can enter every day) winner announced on 6/18/15!

a Rafflecopter giveaway  ****Giveaway closed. Congrats to our winner, Tina! I have sent you an email with your Gift Certificate code to the Etsy shop. Thank you to all that entered!****

Happy Crafting!

Taniesa for ThecraftyPickle.com

Illustrated Faith: Thankfulness

Published on by Taniesa13 Comments

Hi Crafty Friends!

When Shanna asked me to share my journaling bible with you all I was honored (and a little nervous because I just started). I grew up thinking that you weren’t supposed to write in your bible. Not that anyone told me that, I just assumed because I never saw anyone do it before. To be completely honest I have very rarely picked up my bible in a long time. Now, I find myself wanting to dive into my bible several times throughout the day and the word really stays with me more than it did before. Using my creativity and my love for Jesus has really made this something very special to me.

Today I am sharing pages on being Thankful. Being thankful when everything is going just right is easy (for me) but it was the being thankful with times were really very hard that I had to learn. My husband was out of a job for almost a year; our marriage was rocky not to mention the 5 kids that we were raising were hard at times. We started going to church and I started thanking the lord for EVERYTHING even the hardship we were finding ourselves in, because though that I knew that he had a plan (and he definitely did). By having a thankful heart though the rough times we stop focusing on ourselves and focusing on the only one who is really in control and TRUSTING in him. My prayer for all of you today is that you have a heart full of thanksgiving not just this month but 365 days a year.

In addition to a few pictures that I will post here, I thought I would share a little video talking about a couple of my pages and what I used.

Colossians 3:17
For this page I used some die cuts out of watercolor paper, colored with distress ink and water accented with some gold paint. The sequins are some from the autumn mix in my etsy shop and just glued on with a little bit of glossy accents. I added a transparency page for the final touch. I printed the verse on the portion covering the text and the “Be Thankful” over the journaling column. In the video I show how to attach the transparency in the bible. There is also a thin strip of gold washi tape covering the glue in the center; you could easily skip this step because the glue really isn’t noticeable.

Illustrated Faith: Bible journaling @thecraftypickle.com

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
For this page I did a lot of stamping, I used the hopscotch alphabet from Close To My Heart and some stamps designed by Shanna for Butterfly Reflections Ink. I stamped everything in a permanent dye ink because I knew I would be doing some water coloring. To add color to the page I used the Neocolor II crayons. I added touches of glitter with my wink of stella pen (hard to see in the photo) It is also what I use over the verse(s) that I journaled about.

Illustrated Faith: Bible journaling @thecraftypickle.com

Here is a video sharing a bit more info.

If you haven’t already, please head over to Shanna Noel’s blog. I am giving away a NIV Note takers bible, I hope it blesses someone who needs it.

Illustrated Faith: Bible journaling @thecraftypickle.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Finally, if you haven’t checked out the WONDERFUL journaling bible community on Facebook, click HERE. We would love to have you!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Happy Journaling!

The Crafty Pickle

A Thank You card and a Project Life card using Flair

Published on by Taniesa9 Comments

Hi Crafty Friends!

Today I have teamed up with Scrap your Scraps to share some ideas using Flair buttons! I wanted to share two different ideas using some brand new Flair that I just added to The Crafty Pickle Etsy Store.

First up is a thank you gift card holder that I made using my silhouette and a flair from the Cozy Fall Set. I adore Autumn and pumpkin spice latte’s are my favorite!

Coffee Gift Card @TheCraftyPickle.com

I used some cardstock I had on hand and cut out the card design on my Silhouette using design # 29511

Coffee Gift Card @TheCraftyPickle.com

 

I die cut a tag from some cardstock scraps I had, added a little bit of decorative trim and attached it with a little clothes pin. I attached the PSL (pumpkin spice latte) button with some tombo xtreme adhesive. You could also use a button from the Starbucks flair set too, I just wanted to go for an autumn feel with this card.

Coffee Gift Card @TheCraftyPickle.com

 

The inside has room for the coffee gift card as well as a little room to write a personal message.

Coffee Gift Card @TheCraftyPickle.com

 

Once it was all finished I slipped the card into a clear envelope and tossed in some of the exclusive autumn mix sequins from The Crafty Pickle Etsy shop for a little added fun touch.

Next up I have a project life card that I am sure anyone can find use for in their album, Mine is usually inspired by one of my teenage boys dodging the camera. For this card I am using the Photo Not Available flair from the Everyday Photo #2 set

No Photo Available Project life card @TheCraftyPickle.com

 

To make this card I took a white piece of heavy cardstock that was in my scrap pile and cut out the camera design on my silhouette (Design #41015)  The design called for several shades of gray but I only had two shades on hand so I just cut everything out of the white cardstock and colored the pieces with my copic markers (N8, N6, N4, N2, Y15, and Y19) I also used my wink of stella glitter pen and my Stardust gelly roll pen by Sakura

No Photo Available Project life card @TheCraftyPickle.com

 

I attached a few sequins (that are always included in my flair packages) and attached the Photo Not Available flair with some Tombo Xtreme adhesive. The base card is a Becky Higgins Project Life grid card.

No Photo Available Project life card @TheCraftyPickle.com

As you can see above my flair has a very low profile making it ideal for page protectors of all types, especially pocket pages. It’s about the same dimension as chipboard or thickers.

If you haven’t visited The Crafty Pickle Etsy shop recently you might be surprised to find over 30 new flair sets including our new color patterned pop collection and some special limited edition sequins mixes.

Make sure you Stop by the Scrap your Scraps blog for even more flair inspiration, Not to mention a fun giveaway from The Crafty Pickle Etsy Store too!!!

Happy Crafting!

The Crafty Pickle