Mini Album

I love making mini albums.  They are such a fun way to document a fun little idea.

I don't know about you, but I can't really remember the rooms of my house growing up.  I have some photos of them, with people in them of course, but not of bedrooms and not of the whole room on its own.  So I was thrilled when Flamingo Scraps got the Maya Road Mini Coaster Skinny House album.

I used the new Pink Paislee Queen Bee line to alter the pages.  The colors and patterns blend effortlessly and, since they are neutral, they don't detract from the photos.

I also used lots of Webster's Pages trims, Prima flowers and E-line bling and bits of Maya Road chipboard from the Mini Scroll album.  I think it will be fun, years from now, to look back and see what the house looked like.

Hope you have fun with your next project.

Hugs.

Nancy

Our Hometown Favorites

My husband and I live far enough away from our families that we have visitors several times a year.  We are forever telling our family and friends about the various things that they can see and do here in Monterey County where we live.  So I decided to start an album that has nothing but our favorite local places to go, things to see and restaurants to eat at!   I had seen an album like this somewhere in a magazine... many moons ago... it's been stuck in my head ever since. :)

For the album cover, I dug through my stash of alphabet letters, grabbed a foam glitter heart and made my own little house embellie using the fabulous new Maya Road Our Town Singleton Stamps and some Ranger Glossy Accents from the store:

I stamped the image on some cardstock, colored with pencils, added a little stickles to the windows and cut it out before adding my glossy accents.

For my title page, I used some Lily Bee Audrey patterned paper, some of the fabulous new Prima Love Story in Kissing Red and a Maya Road chipboard butterfly.

I covered the butterfly with Turquoise Metallic Maya Mist and embossed it using the technique I wrote about previously.

Now that I have the album and cover page ready, it's time for me to get back in my scraproom and get to scrapping....

The picture is a little blurry, but here's one of our favorites, RG Burgers in Carmel and Monterey.  I used some of the fabulous new Pink Paislee 365 Degrees collection and another one of the Prima Love Story in Kissing Red. 

Do you have an album of favorite places you love where you live?

Found My Mojo

Pinky always laughs and says my Mojo doesn’t go away, it just hibernates!  It had been so long since I’d done anything creative for myself, I was wondering if I remembered how?!?!?

My sister got remarried, to the same guy, this January.  I took the photos for their small courthouse wedding and so decided to make her a chipboard album for her March birthday.

I started with a Maya Road chipboard album.  I decided on the Multi-Layer scroll book.  I Maya Misted each page using colors to coordinate with Pink Paislee’s Cupid Collection, which I used on the album pages.  I also used the Bella Brads, Borderlines and Patches from the Cupid Collection.  

I have to say that I really love how Pink Paislee will come out with a collection for a specific holiday but then designs the papers so they can be used for other occasions………I mean how many Valentine’s Day layouts can one person do?  This Cupid Collection was perfect for this little wedding album as it didn’t scream Valentine’s Day.

The gorgeous rose on the first page is one of Prima’s Love Story Roses and I criss-crossed Maya Road trinket pins underneath.  Then I sprayed it with Maya Mist Iridescent Pearl.  Pinky found me a Fancy Pants Simplicity Ribbon and Trims card that coordinated well with the Cupid colors.  I also used some Prima Say It In Crystals Swirls and Centers.  The scalloped edges of the album were just begging for some Maya Road Chandelier Beads!  I’m proud to say, I used some stash as well as all that new goodness from Flamingo Scraps!  The rub-ons stash got quite a workout as did the wedding embellishment drawer.

All in all, I’m feeling quite content.  I have a birthday present for my sister, I’ve preserved a piece of family history, but best of all, I woke up my Mojo!

Happy Scrapping!

Jubilee

Yummy Spring Colors!

Every couple of months, I find myself searching the web for the fabulous new Pantone Fashion Color Reports.  I love to see the color combos and from time-to-time, I love to get my inspiration from non-scrappy places.  And Pantone's Spring 2010 Report did not disappoint me this year!

So in the Report, you can find the Top 10 colors and this Spring they are:

I'm in LOVE!!!

The first thought I had looking at this color palette was the new Queen Bee line from Pink Paislee.

It has many of the same color tones as Aurora, Dried Herb and Ecalyptus from the Pantone palette!!

Of course, you can find many of the Pantone Spring 2010 Hot Colors scattered amongst other patterned papers in our store!  For example, you can find a shade of Turquoise in the Pink Paislee, 365 Collection:

And in the new Pink Paislee Bayberry Cottage you can find Amparo Blue and Tomato Puree:

Toss in a little Pink Carnation found in Prima's Flights of Fancy line:

And add a hint of Violet in the form of a Prima Ballerina Bloom:

And you have the perfect makings for any combination of these fabulous colors.

So hop on over to the Flamingo Scraps store and get all these fabulous new goodies in the hot hues of this spring!

Prima, Pink Paislee and Rangers, Oh My!

I've been having so much fun with my Prima Flights of Fancy Paper. The colors are so springy and the patterns blend together so nicely. I'm sad that my collection is almost gone, and unfortunately, it and the other Prima papers from Winter CHA are almost gone from the store.

If you've had your eye on these collections, now is the time to grab them before they're all snapped up. I am looking forward to receiving all the Pink Paislee products that I ordered. If you haven't had a chance, you should check them out in the store, along with the new Rangers product line including distress inks, Stickles, and Crackle paint.

Hugs,

Nancy

Maya Resist Tips and Tricks

Over the past few weeks, Susan and I have been hard at work playing with Maya Resist to show you all the cool things you can make with this fabulous new product!  But what have we learned about Maya Resist?

1. Maya Resist loves paper.  If you put it on too thick, it will actually pull the paper off with it!  How do you avoid this problem? Go very slow and light on pressure when you first start using the bottle to get used to it.

2. Maya Resist does not love mulberry paper.  A good example is the white prima flowers.  If you put it on too small of an area, it will not work as a resist.  I suppose the mist loves the mulberry paper a little too much... it soaked right in around the resist.  It also pulls a little of the paper with it when it comes off.  How do you avoid this problem?  Cover more area with your design so that the bleeding of the ink will not erase the resist by soaking the paper underneath it.  And lightly spray your paper.  The more mist, the more likely it will soak up from underneath the resist and destroy the image you are trying to resist.  If you like shabby chic, this technique will work perfectly for you -- a white prima flower will have a distressed soft look.

3. You do not want to shake the bottle.  I dropped mine by accident and it caused air bubbles which disrupted what I was trying to do with it.  Handle gently to avoid creating those air bubbles!  Another good thing to do is to dab a little on a piece of scrap paper or a paper towel before you start applying it to what you are using.  I saw the most bubbles when I first started applying it.
4. Let it dry completely.  Let the paper dry too if you mist it. I made the mistakes of bumping it while the resist was still wet -- it stuck to my finger -- and I also didn't let the paper dry which caused the cardstock to tear a little bit.  Patience is key.
    
   
   
   Dry resist is the darker, clear looking vertical lines and the wet resist is the lighter horizontial lines.
   That said...
5. The Maya Resist drys really fast!  I was surprised actually that depending on the area it was ready in a few minutes to spray mist over it or ink across it.   I think it's anywhere from 5 to 10 minutes depending on how thick you have applied the resist.
6. Is it dry?  I found myself thinking that everytime I tried it on something else.  It looks more clear and darker blue when its dry than when it is wet.  Give it a few minutes and touch lightly with your finger.  Worst case it will be a little tacky and stick slightly to your finger but it shouldn't damage your image you drew with the resist.
7. Maya Resist does not like porous surfaces.  Think canvas, fabric or grosgrain ribbon.  We tried it on a canvas banner and it will not peel off!  Anything that has crevices and areas it can sink into will cause it to grab hold and not come off.  How do you fix this?  Add a layer of gesso to the canvas first, let it dry and then apply your Maya Resist.  The product just needs something to prevent it from going into all the little tiny holes in the canvas.  And don't worry, you can still apply your mists or paints to the gesso on canvas!   Just keep in mind that it will intensify the color of the mist and you will lose a little of the glittery sheen.

Anyone else have any helpful hints for using the Maya Resist?

Spring has Sprung

Spring really has sprung here and I am enjoying being outside in the beautiful sunshine.  This time of year, everything is so green and fresh.  And speaking of fresh.  I am loving the fresh, bright colors in the new Prima paper lines.

Here I used more of my farm photos (this time of Ainsley) and the scraps from an earlier project to make this colorful layout.

Flamingo Scraps products used:  Prima Marketing Raspberry Tea Paper Collection, Glitter Cardstock Stickers, Solid Flowers and E-line pearls.  Maya Road butterfly and Deborah font chipboard, Cotton Candy Maya Mist.

I cut the frame out of a larger piece of paper, saving the gorgeous quilted pattern for a later project.  And, of course I misted the chipboard for a quickly finished look.  And I have found the, what I feel, is the perfect place to do my misting.  This cute little pail from the Target $1 spot.  I saw Marion Smith (from Prima) do this on her UStream Video.

I place my goodies to be misted inside, on top of a stack of coffee filters.

And mist away.  When I am done, I can lift the top coffee filter with all my goodies right out.  The sides of the pail keep mist from spraying all over my workspace.  And, the best part, if I want to use the heat gun to quickly dry my items, they don't go blowing everywhere.

Hope you are having a great day.

Hugs.

Nancy

FOUND: Awesome Banner!

So I am frequently on the hunt for fabulous scrappy decor items.... and I stumbled upon the katie.bee.creative blog. How adorable is this banner by Katie Watson?!

And check out this fabulous use of Maya Resist to make these distressed chipboard letters:

So click on over to Katie's blog and see even more fabulous ways to use all your favorite Maya Road products!  And thank you Katie for sharing all your beautiful work!!

Flights of Fancy

Last weekend we had simply gorgeous spring weather.  What could be better on a day like that then a trip to the farm.  The new Flights of Fancy paper from Prima was a perfect complement to these spring photos.  While I used many pre colored flowers, I also decided to custom color many white Eline and Innocense flowers as well as my floral lace trim and my Calcutta leaves as well as my background paper.

Flamingo Scraps Products Used:  Prima Marketing; Flights of Fancy paper in Ladybug, Glitter CardstockStickers, Patterned Flowers and Solid Flowers, Alabaster Roses, Innocence Wedding Pearls, Fairytale Roses in Pink and White, Homespun Bittles, Mini Roses,Calcutta Leaves, Monarch Centers, E-line flowers and E- line Bling.  Maya Road; Chipboard butterflies, Mist in Pink Carnation, Cotton Candy, Blue, Avocado Metallic, Iridescent Pearl, Ranger Industries; Glossy Accents, Stickles in Platinum and Cotton Candy.  White Flowers with border trim.

I love using my mists to color the flowers as they give such a pretty sheen, but I really wanted much more control, so I used my paintbrush.

I dropped most of the paint into the center of the flower, allowing the mists to travel thru the mulberry paper with just a little help from my brush.

When I wanted the color a little less vibrant, I sprayed the flower first with my iridescent pearl and then painted the color.  The pearl mist wet my flower, "watering down" the final color.

Thanks for looking.  Hope you are having a great first day of Spring.

Hugs,

Nancy

New Pink Paislee is in the Store!!

So we have our fabulous sale in progress.... and now
we have brand new Pink Paislee in the store!! 

Hurry on over to get your Bayberry Cottage and 365 Degrees Collections.... the Queen Bee collection will be in the store soon, so keep an eye out for it!!

Last night I made two cards:

The first card is a birthday card for my husband and I used Queen Bee.  His birthday is tomorrow and I'm looking forward to a little overnight trip to the beach we have planned for Saturday and Sunday! 

Outside:

Inside:

From Flamingo Scraps: Pink Paislee Queen Bee (coming SOON!)

Other supplies: thread, sewing machine, kraft cardstock, crate paper rub-ons (happy birthday), basic grey rub-ons (i love you), black chalk ink, prima flowers (really old ones!), making memories yellow jewel brad

And I made a second card, this one for my sister-in-law who just found out this week that she has a residency in pediatrics at a teaching hospital!  Of course this requires congratulations!! :)

Outside:

Inside:

From Flamingo Scraps: Pink Paislee Bayberry Cottage (in the store NOW!!), Ranger glossy accents (to glue down butterflies in center only -- coming SOON!!)

Other supplies: black thread, sewing machine (decorative stitch on the inside), Martha Stewart butterfly punch, Fiskars apron lace punch, sharpie pen (handwritten Congratulations)  

More to come from the new Pink Paislee lines...

Hope you enjoy your weekend!

As Promised....Chipboard Technique

I don't know about you, but having been in the craft mindset for a number of years, the diversity of supplies is often overwhelming.  I have so many bits and pieces left over from all types of crafts.  Here I put my old puff paints to work.

This is a simple technique that involves only a few items.  Chipboard, puff paint, UTEE and a heat gun.  Here I used Maya Road's Deborah font.

Begin by painting a thick layer of puff paint onto the chipboard.  I find it best to spread the puff paint with a brush rather than the applicator tip, as using the tip tends to clog the bottle.

After completely covering the chipboard with paint, sprinkle on your UTEE.  And now.....wait!  and wait, and wait.  I usually do this first so as to give the paint plenty of time to dry.  You want the paint to be dry when you go to heat set the embossing powder.

After heat setting, you are ready to go.  Such a pretty, textured feel to the chipboard.

I hope you enjoy this technique.  I find it very handy, not just with naked chipboard, but you can also use it to alter chipboard letters you already own, but maybe don't just love.  And, you are only limited by the colors of paint and embossing powders you own.

Now, if I can only find something to do with the hundreds of pony beads.  lol

Happy St. Patricks Day!!

Are you feeling Lucky?!  Today marks the first day of our big sale!!  Most items in the store are deeply discounted anywhere from 25-50%, some even more than 50%!!  In honor of today's holiday, here's a bunch of green goodies you can pick up in the store:

Prima E-Line Flowers Confetti Cake Lime (32% off!!)

Prima Blooming Retro Collection Apple Tree patterned paper (25% off!!)

Webster's Pages Nature's Storybook Collection Plant and Nuture patterned paper (25% off!!)

Daisy D's Wonder Years Collection Paper Grab Bag (Already 79% below retail price!!)

Maya Road 1" Square Pigment Leaf Green Ink Pad (49% off!!)

Looking for more than just green?  Check out this fabulous layout by Susan made with Prima's Rebellious Collection:

And did I mention the $5 Maximum shipping?! Hurry, the sale ends March 22nd.  Happy shopping!!