Lights, Camera, Action! CHA Summer has come and gone!

Happy Thursday, Everyone! Wow, I'll say it now and I'll say it again, these trade shows are like weddings. You prepare, worry, plan and with the snap of a finger, it's over. It was a pivotal show for me. The first in 8-9 Winter Shows and about 4 Summer Shows that I was not with Ranger...I was me! Thank you to everyone who came by to see me at Streuter or Amate, and to those who hunted me down. It meant a lot to me.

Karma also played well into this show. Getting to work with the Streuter Gluefilm(tm) and Gluefoil(tm) with the Amate Pendant Trays, as well as the DIY Bangles resulted in my being able to show new and fun ways to create jewelry that will equate into many new classes for store owners and educators to teach, and to me, that's what it is all about! It was also funny-I had been hooked up with the Bind-it-all(tm) and Teresa Collins' new paper lines and if I was able to make any samples with them, it would be great. I was so short with time, but was determined to make something. I ended up making covers for a book with the Copper Gluefoil along the lines of the "embossed" bangles that I showed off in my previous post, beating it to death with Tim's Texture Hammer and aging it with Pitch Black Adirondack(r) Paint. It turned out great...of course I took a quick, horrendous pic of it. I'm going to try and get a better one. Well, everyone over at Teresa and Product Performers' booth loved the book and we ended up fielding tons of questions at Streuter of "how'd you do that?"

I am in the process of working on another cover and will also do one with a complete step-out. There were also a bunch of embossed Grunge "charms" that hung off the binding of the book. The inside of the book was my first "solo" attempt at using the Bind-it-all, and I can tell you I could have done a lot better. Subsequent tries were perfect.

As you can also see by the photos, I was chosen by my dear friend, Ana Araujo as one of "Ana's Picks" for When Creativity Knocks, co-hosted by her daughter, Megan, with camera work and editing by Scott Pfeiffer. I've known Ana for over a dozen years and she is clever, crafty and with Megan, they are a crafty powerhouse to watch! They did a quick taping at the Streuter Booth on Friday. I look like a goof in many of the pics because I was supposed to be acting "naturally" and just to "do my thing", which was to work on one of the projects I was demoing. You can see that I used a vintage, wooden dress hem marker to display the finished bangles, as well as Rebecca's vintage bird cage for bandannaed Maya Road chipboard glued with Streuter's Gluefilm and finally, some white bird-themed jewelry display stands from Urban Outfitters, which worked out wonderfully for the show!

I'm not sure when this video is going to air on their site, but in the meantime, check out Megan's insightful interview regarding the Orphan Works legislation with Brenda Pinnick and Joanne Fink.

I ended up busier than ever at this show, so took no pictures (shame on me!). I'm going to have to rely on my friends that did take some pics to share (pretty please?!).

This weekend I'm teaching Melt Art(r) with Amate Pendants at Scrapper's Cove in Milltown, NJ. There's still openings, so contact them to see if you can make it to the 3-hour class from 10am-1pm. You'll learn some great techniques on creating professional looking pendants, as well as some basic jewelry making tips, creating necklaces that will be ready to wear by the end of the class!

Enjoy your weekend!

Robin

Absolutely Everything....truly has Absolutely Everything!!!

Hello, Everyone in Blogger Land! Boy, it was a busy week or so away, but a blast, as usual. The classes went well at Sue Gilman's Show. Thank you to all that were patient with my "gimpyness"...and to all of those that wished me the Happy Birthday Wishes. Sue was sweet enough to have birthday cake for me on Saturday evening when we were doing the Make and Takes. But wouldn't you know it, the only time I got up to go to the ladies room, THAT'S when they they brought the cake out. Murphy's Law, as usual!

By the end of Monday, I packed up my car and followed Kate to her house, where we crashed! I took the next day off, relaxing and vegging out in front of the television. I almost felt guilty...almost! The rest of the week was a blast. I've known Kate from over the years with CHA, Sue Gilman's Show, as well as from attending Tim's Retreats. We have such fun laughing! She had always been asking me to come and teach, but the schedules did not always work out. This time it did. I was there to help her with her Bus Tour. 4-5 stores each had a bus that went all across Massachusetts. It was a chance to cross-promote one another's businesses and to see what everyone else had. While Kate has just about Absolutely Everything, there's still a few different things in some of the other stores....There were make and takes and demos at each store as well as snacks and fun.

As for the Make and Take, we had a good one with a Maya Road chipboard house coated with the new Adirondack(r) Pigment Ink, stamped with a Hero Arts stamp and pigment ink, then bandannaed with the new Inkssentials(tm) White Opaque Pen(a real shocker, huh!?). (As an

aside, check out

Roni Johnson's side-by-side comparison of some of the most popular pens....pictures tell a thousand words!). Everyone had fun with it, and once everyone got set up with the Make and Take, I headed over to another table where I had Melt Art(r) set up and proceeded to show what you can do with UTEE(tm) and Memory Frames(tm) and Amate Pendants...it was exciting to show "newbies" the world of Melt Art and now we'll be looking at when I can come back to teach again! I will be headed back to Massachusetts in about three weeks, teaching with Melt Art Jewelry, the Bandanna Technique and Pigment Inks (3 different classes, not one!) at Scrapbook Cupboard, which will also be a lot of fun!

I also taught classes...Bandanna Memory Glass, Chipboard and Background Techniques Calendar and "Birds of a Feather", which was different types of birds and tons of techniques. Kate has a great customer base and a fabulous staff. And lots of laughs, jokes and goofiness abounding. LOVE YA, KATE!

I had also come to learn that Kate has the various visiting teachers put a little of their art on her wall...and I had to come up with something! How can I compete with Laura Mika, Tim Holtz, Artgirlz, etc.? Well, with my usual silly slant on things, and since I was doing so much with chipboard, I created...tah dah!!!!!: Kate's Neighborhood. I painted the little world of sky, grass and sun with the Adirondack(r) Acrylic Paint Dabbers (which worked wonderfully on the walls, by the way!) and then pigmented, stamped and bandannaed a bunch of Maya Road houses, letters, bugs, flowers, tag and a crown (of course!). I also had a blast with a newer stamp line, Paper Relics...thanks HRH Patti Euler! I also adorned the skies with Julie Van Oosten's absolutely awesome Owls. They were part of one of my classes, but I'll share those in depth in a future blog and show off the many different owly looks that were created!

Enjoy the wall! Robin

Leap Year Technique of the Week: Adirondack(r) Pigment Ink Stamp Pads

Happy Tuesday! I've not done a Technique of the Week lately, but was itching to play with these Maya Road Sheer Sheets. I'm not sure what Caroline and Deborah initially thought how these should be used, but I instantly looked at these suckers as stencils or masks! So, what I've got here are coordinating Adirondack(r) Pigment Ink Pads in Cloudy Blue/Sail Boat Blue and Denim; I wanted opaque coverage on the watercolor tag that I created from an AccuCut(r) tag die, plus Ink Blending Tools and Foam.

Here's a close-up of one of the Sheer Sheets. At CHA I played with one that is filled with a wonderful collage of butterflies. They also have swirls, stars, hibiscus-like flowers and some hearts n' swirls....they are such a nice and sturdy vinyl (I think vinyl?); the bottom line is that you can really work with these things. They are sturdy. The key to this is to use as a stencil/mask you will need to really hold or use a repositionable adhesive if it's too much of a gorilla for you to hold onto!




Step One: Using the lightest color of pigment ink, load up the foam with the ink (you will have more control doing it this way than direct from the pad as too much ink may "squish" under the Sheer Sheet.


Here's a close-up of the application of the first color. Since I'm my own photographer, I couldn't hold the Sheer Sheet and ink at the same time, so something had to give...! What is important to remember is that you are more or less "pouncing" in an "up and down" motion, applying the ink; NOT in a circular motion as you would when edging cardstock, as you will bend or move the stencil. Trust me on this!







Here's what the finished layer looks like. Now, on its own, this would be great for a nice spring card, Easter card (remember, Easter's early this year!), Baby card, etc. It's a nice bold image that can be overstamped or used as a background for a photo. You get the picture!




Step Two: Okay, now to the next color-the Brights! In this case, Sail Boat Blue. If you have the time, quick mist the Sheer Sheet with water to wash off the first color of pigment ink. It's not a big deal, but just makes less ink transfer to the next color. You can use the same Blending Foam, but if I was going to make a bunch of these, I'd probably have a different foam for each color. Now-the key to this fun look is to move the Sheer Sheet just a bit so it is a little bit off register from the initial ink application.



Here's another close-up to see what it how "off" it needs to be moved to make an impact.







See how great this looks? You can click on the photo and it should open up to the much larger file. In case you can't, here's another close-up!






Step Three: Okay, you know where the next one is going. Repeat what you've done in the previous steps, cleaning off the stencil again, replacing the stencil but moving it AGAIN so that the third layer, the Denim Adirondack Pigment will not overtake the rest of the colors...it's almost going to look like 3-D!








Here's another close-up; again; it's just a subtle layering of color, but in the end, boy does it pop!










See how it looks? Get those crazy 3-D glasses out (no, not really!). I just love the look of all the colors. I've broken this tag down to most simple of finished products, but you can conceivably create an entire 12" x 12" page, then use it for die cuts for title pages, layers for a card or scrapbook page. You can create the look almost old, vintage wall paper by using Distress Inks(tm) (my mind is now thinking of too many things...one at a time!).





For the finished tag, I just stamped a sentiment from Impression Obsession with the Denim Ink (yes, I know I included an Archival Pad on the initial photo, but, what the heck-it's my technique to show and I changed my mind :-)!). With the Ink Blending Foams containing the Cloudy Blue and Sail Boat Blue, ripped the edges around the stamped square and edged it.

I hope you like this technique! Once the Pigment Inks and Sheer Sheets are out, I'd love to see what YOU create!

Inky Hugs, Robin

Creativity Overload!?

Happy Weekend! I can't believe that Ranger U is almost over already, and it just started! Every time another Ranger U comes around I feel like I'm getting ready for a wedding. Prep, prep, prep-it's over! A wonderful group, too! We've got attendees from: United Kingdom (3), Ireland, Scotland, Sweden, Canada (2) as well as New Hampshire, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Maryland, Florida, Illinois, Texas and California! And all for the love of Ranger! I always get so pumped with all of the excitement and energy in the room. And the creativity! OMG!

I also wanted to share the talent of one of the attendees, Wendy Vecchi. If you haven't heard of her, watch out. I think you will know who she is, soon!!! The wonderful alphabet exemplar is from Rachel Greig and, of course, Maya Road chipboard, oh, and no surprise...Distress Ink!

Well, I'm absolutely exhausted, so I'm going to crash. I just wanted to share the "creative love"!

Inkingly,

Robin

It's Finally Fallen Fall!

Hello Everyone! Just a quick post. Boy, does it feel like the season already. I'm already running late making my way up (finally) to my friend Nadine's. Soldering fun and playing with her pup Moxie's foofie toes!

Here's the frame I created last weekend when I was at Rubberbuggy last weekend. I demonstrated the Tim Holtz(tm) Distress Crackle Paint(tm) using Maya Road's Chipboard. Who'd a thunk that her store's name would fit perfectly with the addition of the #5 for her store's anniversary?! As you can tell, I love teaching the Bandanna technique!

Everyone have a great weekend. I'm off to NY...keep on posting your comments and I'll let ya know the winner of the stamps by Monday!

Inky Hugs,
Robin

A Potpourri Monday

Hello, everyone! Here's a bunch of fun and different things today.

1. THE CONTEST: I think I may have freaked out some people with my collection of stamps, so I'm going to offer a choice of two collections-I call one (that I posted yesterday) the non-traditional set, and the one I put together tonight, traditional. You'll see I've got some fun Holiday ones as well as some fun images that have an "open" space which is perfect to include a picture or photo. Some of the companies are Effie Glitzfinger's (an oldie but a goodie), Magenta, Impression Obsession. SO, the winner will have the CHOICE! I've only had a few comments posted! No one wants stamps!?

2. Here is a great sample Caroline Lau shared with me. She's one of the owners of one of my favorite companies, Maya Road. She made a pumpkin by using one of her foundation circles and a chipboard comma from Heidi Swapp. clever or what!? See how much fun this looks with the Tim Holtz(tm) Distress Crackle Paint? She then added a bit of matching Distress Ink over it. This helps make the cracks become more prevalent and "pop"! I love, love, love their chipboard. I'm going to continue you through the journey of the Cat Book through the week. I've also not forgotten about the Ink Techniques with the roses in vase stamp!

3. Last, but not least, I was psyched to get an email from Joan Miller today. My knotted necklace with her bead is posted on one of her pages. She also has an awesome bunch of birds that I MUST HAVE. The Robin, of course...duh!

Well, off to do more soldering. I'm on a bit of a roll. Enjoy the evening!

Inkingly,

Robin

TOTW #5-"Dab it, Dab it Good!" (Think DEVO)

Hello, my painty friends! Onward and upward with the world of Ranger Adirondack(r) Acrylic Paint Dabbers and some fun ways to work with them. Here's a picture of Minnie...I've not yet shown a picture of her, but doesn't she look like a Holstein? The background is painted Watermelon (Brights), and what is better to do with a dabber shaped in a circle? Make circles!!! "Load" the dabber with paint and then just press...don't worry if the circles are not exact...they're not supposed to be! Again, I've used Maya Road Chipboard Book and Letters. They've been painted with Pitch Black and the spots were from Teresa Collin's foam stamps from Junkitz loaded with Snow Cap White. See how great it works and pops? I absolutely love using the Black and White dabbers because of the contrast it provides. I also like to cut out the detail of at least one image, as the background really allows the image to stand out!


This next page is really one of my favorites, as it shows how great the paint dabbers are with any type of stamps, whether clear, foam or rubber! I worked with Stream as the background, highlighted with

Brights Pool and edged with Lights Aqua...can't beat it. The "window" is created with Maya Road's Foundations chipboard and the flowers from Technique Tuesday. When working with a detailed stamp, dab on the paint, then just lightly swipe to evenly distribute the paint on the stamp so it's not blobby...some images have been loaded with one color and edged with darker tones...it all works!

Last, but not least for the evening are the cats...the best! These are FUN stamps from Movable Parts...there's a head, body, tail, legs...you use them in different ways and can have the front or back of a cat in unlimited numbers of positions. I loaded the "Minnie" cat with White, then created her moo-ey splotches in Pitch Black. Don't worry about messing up the dabber...it's okay! You can just dab or wipe it off. For the "Oliver" cat, I used Pebble, then swiped with the matching tones of Mushroom and Lake Mist. I love this one so much because not a picture was used, but it's still a "picture" of two of the cats!

This weekend is going to be busy. I'm have fun with my friend Kris Hoffer at her store Rubberbuggy and help her with demos to celebrate the 5th Anniversary of her store. She's also going to have the wonderfully talented MaryJo McGraw there! I also have a bunch of stained glass frames to do! So much to do, not enough time, but still aways fun!

Have a wonderful Friday! Robin

TOTW #4: A little Dab'll do ya!

Okay, so now I'm doing acronyms...going to hell in a handbasket...TOTW= Technique of the Week!

As you can tell, there's a lot of animal themes in my work at times...when you don't have kids, this is the closest thing, I guess. I'm going to do a few posts on Ranger's Adirondack(r) Acrylic Paint Dabbers. They are truly the bomb. I've never really been a great painter with the bottles, brushes, the dreaded water jar of brushes, etc., so this is a dream for me.

The paint is similar, but not the same as other Acrylic Paints...there's something special with the formulation that allows it to go through the dabber. Now...what's a dabber? If you push down on a new dabber, you'll feel there's a button thingie...this is the valve that, when depressed, allows the paint to flow, but when not depressed, stops the paint from dripping out all over the place. Coooool, huh!? When using them for the first time, prime the dabbers (a.k.a. get the paint going). Don't hammer....no hammers allowed! When you turn the bottle over, give it a little squeeze and PRESS down...no hammering...think about it-when "hammering" away, all you're doing is making it "open/close/open/close/open/close"...if the dabber had a voice it would be saying, "Make up your mind!?!?!? Do you want the paint to come out or not!?" Since we want the paint to come out, a constant press...and voila!-it'll be on the Craft Sheet in no time and you'll be good to go.

Now, if you've not used the dabbers in a while, do not despair. Sometimes people think they are "dry", but they're not...the paint on the dabber just has to "rewet" again so the foamwill let more paint from the bottle to come through. There are a few ways to do this: keep the dabbers stored upside down, or spritz some water on the Craft Sheet and rub the dabber across the water. As the paint "rejuvenates", when the valve is depressed it will again allow for paint to flow! Be patient, it works! Well, enough of that...check out Ranger's website for more info...there's lotsa good stuff on it!

As for my "Meowy" book, I made this at a Simply Cropping weekend in Absecon last year with Jen Starr and her friends. I had never been to one and she talked me into it. I was at a bit of a loss as to what to bring, so I decided to JUST concentrate on the book and to learn what to do with the dabbers. The chipboard book is from an awesome company, Maya Road. Because I had so much lumpy stuff on each page, I cut off the binding and punched holes into it and used binder rings to keep it together. I made the cover to look like my cat Minnie, my "Holstein" cat. I first dabbed the whole thing with Snow Cap White, then used a paint brush and painted the detail with Pitch Black. The chipboard letters are also from Maya Road. I dabbed them with Brights Raspberry, Sunshine Yellow, Pool and Sunset Orange (for those that don't know the Coordinating Colors, click here!) The diamond pattern is one of Teresa Collins' Foam Stamps she did with Junkitz, but any stamp will work. I stamped in the corresponding Lights colors (Pink Sherbet, Lemonade, Aqua and Peach Bellini). I love the look of this, simple but effective. The color does the talkin'!

The first page of the book was of my Pearly girl. I used Lettuce for the background then did a dry swipe with the coordinating colors (Willow and Citrus), creating a sanded or worn effect.

The dotted circle stamps are from Art Gone Wild and the alphabet from Club Scrap. These are rubber stamps, but look how great they stamped!!! I dab first, then just lightly "swipe" across the stamp to evenly distribute the paint. I don't want to much or it will "mush" the detail of the stamp image.

The nested flowers are again from Maya Road and were painted with various colors of the dabbers (for the teeny weeny flower centers, I held the chipboard with tweezers). When dry, I nested the pieces together and used Glossy Accents as an adhesive...it's the BEST! My trick: use your finger to evenly place a light coat on the back, so when you place it down, it won't squish out from underneath...I guarantee you'll be happy with the results!

I know I'm giving lots of info, but I always think knowledge is power. I want everyone to have a great result with these paints, as I do every time. I love this book and everyone enjoys looking at it (or at least that's what they tell me!). I'll post some more pages tomorrow with additional tips and techniques.

Enjoy the Day...Paint Away!

R.