Choose to Shine

Hi my crafting friends!  It's Wednesday and that means it is my turn to host the blog post for Dies R Us.  Here's a little peek.

You find all the details for this card and TWO more right HERE.  Hurry on over and check it out!

Toodles!

~Kristina

Coffee...because adulting

It's here!  It's here!  It's the very first day of the Coffee Lovers blog hop and I'm super excited.  Let's jump right in and show you my card.

This card sentiment is so true.  I definitely need coffee to make it through the day being an adult!  

Here are some details about my card.  I used a coffee bean stencil on the kraft layer and used Rich Cocoa glimmer paste from Nuvo.  The watercolored piece under the coffee cup was created using dark brown brusho, gold paint and water.  Once it was dry, I ran it through with a coffee ring embossing folder.  I think it's the Tim Holtz Alterations one by Sizzix that is no longer available.  I'm not sure who made the coffee bean stencil either as there is no markings on it.  I also cut it down with one of the Tim Holtz deckle dies.  I used a larger deckle die to cut down the coffee bean piece.

I used Versamark ink to stamp the coffee cup onton dark brown cardstock.  I sprinkled gold embossing powder over it and melted it with a heat tool.  Next I added a bit of color with Prismacolor colored pencils and a white gel pen.  I fussy cut it out with scissors.  The sentiment comes from the same Freshly Brewed blueprints stamp set (linked below).  I also stamped it with Versamark ink but this time used Hot Chocolate embossing powder from Nuvo.  Then I just started putting the pieces together!

I have a white, top fold, A2 sized card base.  I glued on a dark brown cardstock and then the coffee bean piece.  I added foam tape to the back of the brusho piece and put it in place.  Next I put foam tape on the back of the coffee cup and glued it down.  I went around the edges of the sentiment piece with a brown ink pad, added foam tape and put it down.  And it's a wrap!

If you'd like to play or hop along with the Coffee Lovers blog hop, head HERE.  Don't forget to use #springsummer2019clh

See you really soon!

~Kristina

Neenah Solar White Shop at: SBC | EH	Tombow Mono Multi Liquid glue Shop at: SBC | EH	VersaMark Watermark ink pad Shop at: SBC | EH	Therm O Web Foam Tape Shop at: SBC | EH
Canson Watercolor paper Shop at: EH	Hero Arts Gold embossing powder Shop at: EH	Nuvo Glimmer Paste Rich Cocoa Shop at: SBC | EH	Tim Holtz Stacked Deckle dies Shop at: SBC
Stampers Anonymous Freshly Brewed blueprints Shop at: SBC	Nuvo Hot Chocolate embossing powder Shop at: SBC

Brusho tips and a video!

As the weekend draws to a close, I wanted to share with you my latest storage adventure.  Plus my very first YouTube video!!

I love Brusho pigment powders but I was unhappy with the containers themselves.  I had simply used a push pin in the middle of the lid to make a hole.  When I wanted to sprinkle some out, I removed the pin and then put it back.  The bottles aren't very pretty and they don't seem to store really well due to the odd shape of the lid and the push pins.

I recently purchased some of the lovely Nuvo Shimmer powders and it got me thinking.  They have a super cute bottle that dispenses cleanly.  Off I went to search for something similar I could transfer the Brusho powders into...and I found it!

I found these bottles on Amazon.  You can find them HERE.  I read through a lot of reviews and decided these were the ones I wanted to try and at less than $15 for 25 of them I felt it was worth it!

Here are what all the individual pieces look like.

There is a tab on the Brusho powder that you peel off in order to pop the top off.  

The top comes off nice and easy after that.  I used the little funnel that came with the bottles and slowly tapped the powder into the funnel.  When it started to clog up, I just gave the funnel a few taps with a dry brush (or whatever is handy) and it fell right through.  It doesn't take very long at all.

It fills the bottle a little over half way.

I wrote the colors on the bottle side and bottom with a sharpie.  I may go back and add a white address label but I haven't decided yet.  I also wanted to swatch the colors as I was working my way through transferring the powders.

Sandy Allnock has a wonderful and FREE pdf on her blog.  Which you can find right HERE. It is the BW Swatch Charts PDF.  It's awesome.  You ROCK Sandy!!

So I used the dies I had on hand which aren't the same shape as the chart but I don't mind.  I sprinkled powders on my octagon which is cut from watercolor paper.  Then I gently spritzed it with water and let it dry.  I made a small pile of the powder, added water and used a brush to paint it on to a scrap piece of watercolor paper.  Once dry, I used a regular hole punch.  I found that it is the perfect size for the top of the cap and all you need to adhere it is a glue dot!

Here is a picture of the caps with their dots attached.

Here is a picture of my swatches.

And that's it!  I am pleased with my results and think they will be much easier to store and use.

Now, I did mention a video.  I posted my very first video on YouTube so take a look if you are interested.  I have much to learn about making videos but it was fun!

Thanks for stopping by!

~Kristina