BG February 2013 Desktop Calendar

Hi, Everyone!  I know it's almost the end of February...but I wanted to share Basic Grey's desktop calendar with you.

You can download it here.  All I had to do was save it, open it, and set it as the desktop background.  I always look forward to seeing the new monthly calendar and maybe you will too.

I {heart} Basic Grey!

Live a Little, Love a lot

This year's Valentine's card that I gave to my sweetie was so much fun to put together.  I had a lot of fun just colouring the images with my copics.  The only idea I had in mind was this Greeting Farm stamp set, Oliver & Amelia - Lovey Dovey .  I knew it would be kinda masculine but still cute... 

I love using my Fiskars Stamp Press, especially when I stamp my TGF images.  It really helps them get even coverage.  I hate messing up when stamping the images because the paper can be expensive.  

Here are the colours I used for colouring skin.  It was my first time using the E30,31 (I used it on Oliver) and I like how it turned out.  I just added some E01 to make him look a little bit more pink.

Here they are with their skin coloured. 

Next I went on to hair.  For Amelia, I used E21, 23, 27, and 29.  I used a feathering technique going from lightest to darkest.

Here is the image with E21 and 23.

Then I added the E27 at the darkest places, like roots, and parts that should be shaded.

Lastly, I added E29 at the very darkest places.  

After that, I all do is used the lighter colours to blend out the darker colours and create nice shine.  It's hard not to overdo it (the blending, that is)...but I am very happy with the finished hair.  She is just so gosh darn cute, isn't she?  {Why can't my hair be like that??}

The copics on the left are the ones used for Amelia.  I only used the two on the right, E44 and E49 for Oliver.

He totally looks like he's wearing denim, doesn't he?  So that's what I decided to go with anyways...  Like my hair, I just coloured lightest to darkest with the darkest part being the seams and shaded parts.   

Here he is with some blending...

Here were the copics I used:

So she had to wear matching denim with sweet pink hearts.  :)  

And then he got a matching tie.  It's pink with a red heart.  <3

I carefully secured the spellbinder by attaching tape to the die and the outer paper (not the finished image) before running them through my Vagabond.  I am freakishly scared of gunk getting on my finished images, so as a rule, I always, always put a piece of note paper or copy paper overtop to prevent my just completed imaged from getting ruined.

I cut out matching denim paper and added some red and white baker's twine.

Of course, I added stickles to the hearts.  Iridescent for her and red for him.  

I tied a small heart heart (leftover from a die-cut) with a bow and did a small note with my copic multi-liner.

If you hadn't already guess, the boy is supposed to represent my *honey* (isn't he cute, lol)...

and this is *ME*...heehee.

A peek of the inside.  Just using up leftover die-cuts.  This stamp comes with the stamp and it was perfect.

I absolutely love you for checking out my blog post.  Wishing some kindness and love for the whole month of February.  

Products Used:

Stamp:  TGF, OA - Lovey Dovey

Copics:  Skin - E000,00,01,02,30,31; Hair - 21,23,27,29,44,49; Clothing - B34, 37, 39, C1, 3, 5, RV19, RV29

Other:  Tim Holtz Antique Linen Distress Stain, Owl Supply Baker's Twine, PTI Heart Border, Fiskars Punch, Spellbinders Labels 8, Fiskars Easy Stamp Press, Memento Tuxedo Black, Stickles 

Happy Valentine's Day

Hey, everyone!  Hope you are having a super awesome February.  Today is a special for me because it is a good excuse to do something nice for my sweetie.  After work yesterday, I was busy making yummy goodies for him to enjoy and a special card that I share more of the process of in the next post.

Here is the Valentine Choco House:

I used a Meiji Choco House kit and bought all the different chocolate and candy from Daiso.

Valentine Deco Choco Bar:

A great way to use all the leftover chocolate.

Valentine Card for my Honey:

The Greeting Farm Oliver & Amelia.  Aren't they so sweet?


And Valentine Nails!

Love is definitely in the air and I had so much fun doing everything.

Hope your day is special too!  Words to live by:

New YT info: My Japan Lifestyle - Intro

Hey guys, so in case you didn't know... I have started a new lifestyle channel about Japan (myjapanlifestyle).  I am so excited!  The biggest part was probably just filming my intro.  Now the hard part is over, it's all fun and games from here on in.  I also show a clip of the big snowstorm we had a couple weeks back.  There really was a ton of snow and it just kept coming.  Plus I talk a little bit about this and that.  I am open for suggestions on things I could talk/vlog about.  And if you could thumbs up my video and subscribe, I would much appreciate it.  Thanks!! 

Bethany's Valentine Challenge

Yay! BAcraftygirl is having a challenge!
If you haven't already seen her video or want to check out the guidelines, watch her video here:

So, I love the colour purple and knew I could make cute cards for this.  Though only one was required, I made two.

Card number one:

I used my Copic 0.08 Multi Liner to draw the dashed line.

Close-up of the butterfly

Just loved this saying:

The tinsel string tied at the top for added sparkle.

Card Number Two:  

Close-up on the butterfly:

I used wire and attached it to the back to make his antennae.

I used the same saying here and added glitter glue to the heart.

I tied some American Crafts Twine to the side of the card.  More purple!

Oh, don't forget to watch my video and like, comment, subscribe!  

So now you know my fav colour is purple.  What's your fav colour?

Products Used:  Giddy Bugs - Paper Smooches, American Crafts - Twine, Beautiful Project Life Stamp  - Two Peas x Hero Arts, Stickles (Crystal Ice, regular prism colour), Studio G Glitter Glue (purple), Tinsel String, Copic Markers (BV0000, 000, BV01,02,04), Copic Multi Liner 0.08, Ink (Memento Tuxedo Black, Brilliance Graphite Black, Memento Rich Cocoa), Wire, Cardstock

Stickles Ice Versus Stickles

After wanting to compare the regular Stickles and Ice Stickles, I tried two types out and  decided to share the results with you guys.  I ordered this particular Ice Stickles from simonsaysstamp.com.  After looking online to decide which of the Ice Stickles to order, I decided on the Crystal Ice bottle.  The regular kind of Stickles comes from the three pack at Michael's (gold, prism, green) and I used the prism bottle which is the actual same colour as the Crystal Ice.  

Here is a picture of the Ice Stickles close-up.  (If you click on the pictures, you can view them even more close-up.)  The pieces of glitter are a lot chunkier than the regular kind, so it comes out a lot thicker.  And it's really shiny!  

Stickles is finer, smoother, and the end result is pretty much flat.  But it is sheer and a little more subtle with a strong resemblance to fairy dust.

  

Check out the two side by side:  

Ice Stickles Versus Stickles - before drying

Ice Stickles Versus Stickles - after drying

All in all, I think both of them are great for different things.  This butterfly looks cute with either Stickles!  If you want something a little more sparkly, I'd go with the Ice Stickles.  If the intended result is subtle and elegant, I would go with the plain Stickles.  Which one do you use?  What do you think?  

Products:  Stickles and Ice Stickles - Ranger, Giddy Bugs Stamp Set - Paper Smooches, Beautiful Project Life Clear Stamp - Studio Calico x Hero Arts Two Peas in a Bucket Exclusive

Japanese New Year's Card 2013

開けましておめでとうございます。  

Akemashite-Omedetou-Gozaimasu!

Happy New Year!

2013 is the Year of the Snake.  Only two more years and I will have completed a full rotation of the 12 years in Japan.  Time flies when you are having fun!  :)

In Japan, people often send out New Year's postcards that are usually delivered on New Year's Day.  If you get a card and didn't send that person one, it is customary to send a card in return.  If you buy your stamps and postcards in advance, you will get ones with a lottery number on them and when the new year comes, the recipient has a chance at a lottery to win prizes.  I have never won.  LOL. 

Though most people often print their cards at home or order them, I have always made them myself (since I started stamping that is).    Here is the postcard I created.  I attached it to a cardbase with some washi paper for an elegant, but cute Japanese card. 

I chose the word stamp because of the cute snake face inside the し and the cherry blossoms that were combined with the kana.  The image stamp was picked because I liked all the elements - the rising sun, Mount Fuji, kanji, and the snake wrapped around it all.  And I am glad it did choose it because it was fun to embellish. 

The back was stamped with my personal name stamp that couldn't be more appropriate.  Love this kimono-dressed girl! 

Were you born in the Year of the Snake?  I'm a monkey!  (No kidding.)

Don't forget to check out my process video, subscribe, and leave a comment! 
[Process video on my YT:  makescrappygoodness]

Products used: 
Paper (Postcard, MFT Wild Cherry, Japanese Washi Paper), Stamp (Kodomo no Kao), Ink (Kodomo no Kao Sakurasaku, Tsukineko Brilliance Graphite Black, Stampin Up - Blushin Bride, Chocolate Chip, Poppy Parade), Stickles (Lime Ice, Cotton Candy), Glitter (Martha Stewart Carrara Marble, Limeade), Water Pen