Take Your Pick Tool

Basic Pattern Decorative Masks: Victorian

July 9, 2020

Decorative Masks Part II

Card made with Basic Pattern Decorative Masks, Victorian style

Basic Pattern Decorative Masks (item #150697) come in a set of 4 masks, sized 6 x 6″ each. They are thin and pliable, plastic in nature and easily cleaned. The enclosed insert lists 5 different methods you can use when you create with these decorative masks: spritz, sponge, trace, emboss and texture.

The variety in the Basic Pattern Decorative Masks is wonderful, and this set has something for everyone. Part I in my mini series on Decorative Masks focused on the Dot Mask, and creating a textured background. To see that post, which contains great information and card making tips, click here.

In Part II of my mini series on Decorative Masks, I have focused on the Victorian Mask and the spritzing technique. I find this technique useful with any mask, and can use it in any color as well. Let me show you the fun of spritzing!

Spritzing Technique

Are you looking for big impact in card making on a low budget? I have news for you: spritzing is the way to go! The Stampin’ Spritzers (item #126185) cost $3 for a set of 2. Classic Stampin’ Ink Refill (in the color of your choice) costs $3.75. All you need now is rubbing alcohol or water, and you have the mixin’s for some wow.

Stampin' Spritzer and Classic Stampin' Ink Refill

The magic mix of spritzer lasts a long time, since a little goes a long way. In fact, I still had some left-over from another project, as can be seen in my blog post, here.

Tips For Mixing And Using The Stampin’ Spritzers:

*Stampin’ Spritzers can be used to spray color saturation on your paper.

*Add 6-8 drops of Ink Refill to the opened spritzer (protective cap pops off and spritzing mechanism/tube screws off) and dilute with rubbing alcohol or water. Rubbing alcohol is preferred to water, since the alcohol base dries quicker. Percentage on rubbing alcohol bottle is not crucial.

*The more liquid, the lighter the overall color. Add more ink or more liquid until you are happy with the result. Experiment!

*Shake your spritzer well before each use to avoid settling or separation. Store your filled spritzer upright.

*Spritz with care! You can use an empty card-board box to place your paper in and spritz away if you are concerned with making a mess. I find that having a great clearance around my work surface ensures that nothing gets an accidental coating of color from over-spray.

*Before using it on your project, you may need to flatten your finished color-spritzed paper. Drying time will vary depending on the liquid choice used and humidity levels in your home.

*Watercolor Paper or Shimmery White Cardstock work nicely with these wet procedures. And don’t rule out Glimmer Paper for extra sparkle.

*The spritzer bottle is easy to clean, just wash with soapy water and rinse. Don’t forget to clean the inner tube and spritzer mechanism too.

Set Up For Spritzing Success

Spritzing can be done with or without a mask. Just like in my previous Decorative Mask post using Embossing Paste, I highly recommend securing your paper and mask to avoid shifting mid-work while spritzing.

I took advantage of a Tombow Removable Adhesive Tape Runner, and secured my cardstock to my graph paper. This kind of tape runner allows temporary holds, and is easily removed without tearing or residue. In fact, when I rub my finger across the removable adhesive, it crumbles away like pencil erasing. Only a very small amount is needed here.

Next, I secured the Basic Pattern Decorative Mask Victorian design in the exact position I wanted it to be. This time I used Painters Tape to hold the mask down. I made sure I did not cover my cardstock with the tape.

Time to spritz! I applied an even coverage over the entire Decorative Mask. The alcohol scent can be strong, and liquid that does not hit the paper will remain on top of the mask. I absorbed the extra fluid by blotting with a paper towel.

By taping down one side of the mask only, I was able to lift the mask once it was dried off, to view my handi-work. I decided to spritz some more in certain areas, and placed the mask back in its original position to do so.

My paper dried quite quickly, and it did not need to be flattened before use.

Just Saying Hello

The light purple of my spritzed masked cardstock needed a strong coordinating hue to back it up, so I chose a Blackberry Bliss card base. To go with the soft pastel-color focal background, I added in Soft Sea Foam green, too.

I trimmed a small piece off of my spritzed paper, and set it aside for another project.

Adjusting the size of the spritzed masked cardstcok

I was looking for a generic, large sentiment for this card, along with a basic die cut. So, I pulled out the stamp set, Tasteful Touches (item #152562) and inked “just saying hello” in Blackberry Bliss.

Tasteful Touches Stamp Set and Blackberry Bliss Ink

Next, I die cut the sentiment using one of my new favorites, the Tasteful Labels Dies (item #152886).

Victorian Flowers

The Many Layered Blossoms Dies (item #153582) provide two large open flower die cuts, which can be used individually or combined. I wanted a lot of my spritzed masked background to show, so I chose the thinner outline of the dies to use.

I die cut the flowers in Purple Posy CS, so they would not compete with my light purple background.

Many Layered Blossoms Dies and Take Your Pick Tool — The Take Your Pick Tool (item #144107) and Take Your Pick Die Brush Tip (item #149655) are great for getting all the fine die cuts removed quickly and easily. Here, I chose to keep some of the cut-aways intact.

I love to add some greenery to my flower cards, but the Many Layered Blossoms Dies do not provide any leaves. Instead, I took small scraps of Soft Sea Foam CS and die cut just the leafy outer areas of the bolder die image.

Stampin’ Up! brought in a new version of Adhesive Sheets (item #152334), and I was so happy to use them on the smaller die cut flowers. This double sided sticky paper works wonders where glue or tape are impossible. Simply remove adhesive on one side, attach to cardstock, die cut, and you have an “instant sticker”.

Small die cuts from Many Layered Blossoms Dies and Adhesive Sheets — I mistakenly thought the small flower dies would combine together to make two-toned flowers. The thinner flower dies are meant to go on the outer flowers of the large flower die.

Award Winning Ribbon

All this ribbon and not one is in the color I am looking for today. But, I have a super simple solution to make white ribbon the right ribbon!

Did you know that you could color white ribbon with any color of Stampin’ Blends and create the shade you want? My favorite ribbon to do this with is the 1/4″ Crinkled Seam Binding Ribbon (item #151326).

Coloring the Crinkled Seam Binding Ribbon with Stampin' Blends

I chose the light Soft Sea Foam Stampin’ Blend, which was the color of ribbon I was looking for. I placed the ribbon on my Silicone Craft Sheet (item #127853, also great for use with glue and tape) and used the broad tip brush to swipe color along the ribbon. The ribbon soaks up the color and dries quickly.

Layering on the card front — I used Tear & Tape Adhesive (item #138995) to secure my ribbon and the ends of the leaves. My sentiment die cut will cover this area on the finished card.

A Little Hello

Remember that small piece of spritzed masked cardstock I cut away for another project? It was perfect for a mini card.

Mini’s are easy to make: cut a piece of cardstock 3 x 6″ and score at 3″ for a 3 x 3″ card. The mini cards fit the 3 x 3″ Envelopes (item #145829) for big impact.

Mini Card with Itty Bitty Greetings Stamp Set — Itty Bitty Greetings Stamp Set (item #151331) is no longer offered as a wood mount option. Yours will come in cling (red rubber) stamps.

As you can see, spritzing with the Basic Pattern Decorative Masks is easy and versatile, and another great way to incorporate masks into your projects. If you need any of the supplies I used in my cards today, head over to my online store, https://juliemakson.stampinup.net.

Cards made with Basic Pattern Decorative Masks

There are lots of options and uses left to explore with Decorative Masks, and I will continue to cover them in my ongoing mini series. Be sure to check back in, to see what I come up with next!

May 27, 2020

Those tiny sequins and small embellishments can be trouble for many. Our fumbling fingers don’t always work. But where there is a paper-crafter, there is a tool! And pick up style tools are popular in many shapes and forms.

How do you know which one is right for you? Or even where to start? I will cover some of the basics to help you get the right tool in your hands to help you pick up those little project decorations. And maybe assist you in keeping them off the floor, where the vacuum finds them days later!

Helping Hands

Of course the first tool at your disposal, as you work, is your own hands. And more importantly, your fingers. Some of my fellow crafters swear that long fingernails are helpful, while others say they just get in the way.

It is really hard to get a good grasp on the tiny embellishments and sequins, let alone position them properly onto our paper. Why do they make cute things so small?

So, even though hands and fingers work some of the time, there are better ways to go. And tools are the answer!

Scissors Vs. Tweezers

Take your pick of tools: scissors or tweezers — Both scissors and tweezers can be useful pick up tools.

The battle over scissors and tweezers as top pick up tool is a tough one. They both essentially do the same work when used for small embellishments.

When you hold either of them in your hand, you approach your chosen item and then close the tweezers or scissors under and around the embellishment to scoop it up. While it is still in play on the tool, you position the embellishment onto your project and ease it into place.

Scissors

The best thing about using scissors as your pick up tool is that you already should have them in your craft area. Obviously they are useful in many ways!

Sometimes it can be hard to get the right grip on an embellishment using the scissors. The hold requires fingers and thumbs to complete, plus some dexterity. And practice.

Things I Use Scissors For

Cutting paper
Opening packages

Tweezers

This is another item you probably already have somewhere in your home, if not particularly in the craft room. So they would be a good choice for a pick-up tool in a bind or on a budget.

Tweezers need a different grip from scissors, but again there is a motion needed for opening and closing. With the tweezers, you have a little more ease of grabbing hold of small items and moving them around as needed.

Things I Use Tweezers For

Removing splinters
Playing Hasbro Game, Operation

Placement Tools

I find it interesting that when there is a need, there is a product. Therefore, placement tools were invented. And crafters bought them and there was much rejoicing.

QuickStik

The first placement tool I bought is called the QuickStik. It is sold by a company called We R Memory Keepers. There are 2 functions to this tool. One end has a sticky putty substance that grabs small items, and the other has a hard plastic spatula that scoops things up quickly and easily.

While I rarely use the putty end, I love the hard plastic spatula. Could it be wider? Yes. The important thing is that it is firm, unwavering. I compliment it on the solid nature of its existence.

Take Your Pick Tool

After I had owned and loved my QuickStik for some time, Stampin’ Up joined the pick up tool game and offered a new tool. This one is called the Take Your Pick Tool. It is the jack-knife of pick up tools!

The Pros of the Take Your Pick Tool

Like the QuickStik, the Take Your Pick Tool is handy for scooping up small embellishments with the spatula end. And it has a putty end as well. In fact, the Take Your Pick Tool comes with 2 of the putty ends, so you have a replacement right away! (Of course, additional refill packs are available if needed).

But wait…there’s more!

I did mention the jack-knife like resemblance, right? This tool also has a paper piercer (known as a pokey tool), small and large stylus (for scoring), and protective end caps. Sold separately is the Take Your Pick Die Brush (with 2 foam pads), that also easily attaches to the tool. This is useful for cleaning small paper stuck in your dies and on die cut paper itself.

So with a quick change of attachments, you have the ability to do 6 different jobs with one tool. One tool. And super useful, as space in the craft room is typically limited (here I speak for myself as I have a tremendous amount of supplies!).

The Cons Of The Take Your Pick Tool

If I could change 1 thing about the Take Your Pick Tool, it would be the metal spatula end. I like that it is wider than the Quickstik, but I don’t like that it is flimsier. It has some give and bend to it that I am not necessarily a fan of.

And while I really appreciate that there are so many attachments to this tool, they have to be kept somewhere. Yes, they are small and easily inter-changed. But I am the type of person who bought 2 of these tools, just so I can keep all my job functions at the ready. Immediate gratification!

Take Your Pick Tool with Take Your Pick Die Brush Attachment — Both of my Take Your Pick Tools have various job functions covered. I can easily switch the large stylus to the small, and the spatula to the paper piercer. The die brush and putty ends of each remain constant in place.

Your Job, Your Tool

As you can see, there are many options to use when picking a tool to help you place those tiny embellishments. I am sure if you look around your kitchen or regular tool box, you can come up with ingenious everyday items to aid in your crafty work.

But if you want to use the Take Your Pick Tool, item # 144107, in your craft room, you can find it in my online store, https://juliemakson.stampinup.net. Be sure to add this handy item to your next order, and craft like a pro!

Basic Card Making Kit

January 31, 2020

What’s In Your Bag, Crafter?

Maybe you’ve been invited to a card making event, and you were told to bring your basic card making kit. What is this, you think to yourself, if you are new to the world of paper crafting. Or perhaps you have been crafting for some time, but you are curious as to what others may carry in their kits.

Carpenters have toolboxes with wrenches and bolts. Athletes have gym bags with sneakers and sports equipment. Business professionals carry satchels with laptops and files. The best dressed paper crafter has their basic card making kit.

This is my card making kit. It has 12 different types of adhesive! — Kits, like luggage, can be stuffed to the brim. It’s not the size that matters… it’s what’s inside that counts!

Like purses or backpacks, a well-stocked card making kit is typically jammed full of everything but the kitchen sink. After all, you wouldn’t want to be at an event and not have something on hand that you might need!

Therefore, let me break it down and talk about my Top 3 No Nonsense Necessities versus a few of the Endless Extravagant Extras.

The Basic Supplies

Adhesive. Projects that involve layers of paper need some tape or glue to keep them from coming apart at the seams. Most paper crafters use double sided tape, or tape runners. With a quick zip, zip, zip, you can attach items easily. I find that glue dots are also super handy for placement of tiny bits and pieces.

Snail Adhesive is double sided, permanent tape. It is easy to apply and refill. — Every paper crafter’s fear consists of running out of tape in the middle of a project. Always have refills on hand. Or stamp with a friend and use their supply!

Scissors. At a typical event, the paper for your project is pre-cut. But scissors are useful in the additional trimming of ribbon ends, fussy cutting and more. Sharp scissors, although dangerous, are best.

Bone Folder. This must have tool helps you to get crisp folds. You can smooth and secure paper layers with it. I like that it works to break up paper fibers, or curl and shape. It is also great in removing layers that were taped incorrectly.

More is More

Take Your Pick Tool. Let me tell you, this is one superb helper! This baby boasts of paper piercer, mini spatula, small and large stylus and a quick picker upper. When you add the additional attachment (sold separately), you can brush clean your dies. I love this tool to help ease the edge of the new style “cling” red rubber stamps off of clear blocks.

This multi purpose tool helps simplify meticulous tasks. — My favorite use of this tool is removing adhesive back embellishments from their packaging and applying them easily to projects.

Wink of Stella Glitter Brush. Okay, glitter. But not in a bad, make a mess kind of way. This glitter is securely contained in liquid form inside the pen housing. It is brushed onto projects in paintbrush fashion. This glitter dries quickly, and the effect is a shimmer accent that is just lovely.

Dimensionals. Projects really pop off the page when they are given a lift upward with these double sided foam adhesive dots. Stampin’ Up! offers them in 2 sizes, regular and mini. Originally, they were only made in white, but now they are available to purchase in black. I find this beneficial when darker coverage is required.

Your Kit, Your Way

Stampin’ Up! draws shoppers in with their vast array of fabulous stamps, tools and paper. But they also cover your need for the basics. So, shop my online store, https://www.juliemakson.stampinup.net to fill up your card making kit with some vital supplies today.

In conclusion, starting with the basics is the way to go when compiling your basic card making kit. Sometimes it’s all you really need! As you begin to experiment in paper crafting, it is, without doubt, easy to add more to your kit.

And let’s face it, when you are away from home and crafting among friends, don’t worry that you are missing something important from that basic card making kit…sharing always occurs.