who's got the button...

Good morning everyone!

Ready for another quick tip?  

Why don't we talk for just a second about BUTTONS. 

You know, those fabulous little things that hold your shirt together and adorn so many crafty projects... They sure are a popular thing, and I'm not complaining. I inherited a love of buttons from both my mom and my grandmother. =)

Sometimes, buttons work perfectly on your projects just how they are.... Other times, stringing a little baker's twine through the holes and maybe tying a cute little bow is the perfect touch.... But what about those times when neither one feels right? 

Why not try gluing your favorite color Metallic Accents to the center?  It adds a pop of color, practically no extra bulk, and it is a quick way to give your buttons a "finished" look!

When I do this, I use Ranger's Glossy Accents to adhere the Metallic Accents to the buttons. This way I know that they won't go anywhere.. even in the mail.  

Enjoy!

~Kassi

from basic to fab...

Happy Friday everyone!

Today I want to share a quick for those who either already make use of hybrid crafting, and those who think they may want to get their feet wet...

Hybrid crafting is a way to get the best of both the traditional and digital crafting worlds. I admit, I have been a die-hard traditionalist. I love the textures and the layers, and getting my hands messy. (my hands are often died with some sort of ink and splotches of paint. lol)  Lately I have been dipping my toes in the digital waters... I'm not giving up my traditional crafting, but I admit, I have fallen in love with digi papers. I can print up as many sheets as I need, without having to store them, I can resize the papers, and once printed, they can be used in any way I use my store boughten papers.

By this point you are probably wondering where my tip is coming in... Well, a great way to save money while still getting the look of expensive store bought paper is to print your own paper, then add some Creative Inspirations paint over parts of the pattern. It quickly takes your paper from basic to fantastic! Of course you can dress up ANY patterned paper by adding CI paint to parts of the design. It's lots of fun!

Enjoy!

~Kassi

use it...

Hello everyone!

It seems it is once again my turn to share a quick tip!

Do you remember this quick tip I shared a few weeks ago on coffee filters?

Well, why not take it a step farther?  When you use a coffee filter to paint in, don't just chuck it, use it!

(Don't misunderstand... I don't mean use it in your coffee maker!!!)

What I mean is, coffee filters can make great embellishments!

After getting this coffee filter all colorful, I stamped a couple of butterflies on it, cut them out, and layered them. It has a softer feel than if you did the same thing with regular paper.... So much fun!

Enjoy!

~Kassi

super secret magic tool...

Hey everyone!

Today's quick tip involves these...

Yup, paint brushes. However, these are no ordinary paint brushes. These are my super secret magic tool... 

ok, not really.

They're actually super cheap brushes from Walmart. ($2 for a bag of 30)

These brushes really are a fabulous tool though. Normally, when I'm are talking painting, I say you get what you pay for. Spending a little more money for a really good paint brush really can make a huge difference. However when you want to paint something with glue.... GO CHEAP!  I can afford to use and toss a 6 cent brush, I can't afford to replace expensive brushes all the time because they got ruined with glue. 

So don't ruin your good brushes! Keep those brushes nice for your CI paintings!

~Kassi

sticky...

Hey everyone! 

Is anyone else feeling amazed that it is September already? Yikes! Where does the time go?

Anyway, I have yet another quick tip to pass along to all my fellow crafters...

When ever you are painting (or inking, stamp, ect.) small items such as buttons, die cuts, or flowers, grab a sticky note. 

The sticky note has a strip of temporary adhesive on the back that is great for holding those small items while you colorize, and it gives you place to put your fingers to hold the item without leaving fingerprints in the wet paint! Fabulous, huh!

Enjoy!

~Kassi

clean up act...

Hey everyone!

I'm here again with another quick tip...

If you are a stamper, or if you read the tutorials I do each week, you are probably familiar with clear acrylic blocks... If your's are anything like mine... they get dirty quick!

I've got pigment ink, stazon, and dried Creative Inspirations paint on this baby... Although it does look lovely all CI sparkly, it bugs me to have dirty blocks!

Now I realize I am kinda OCD when it comes to keeping things clean, but in this case there is a good reason. When your blocks get this dirty, not only is it hard to see where you are stamping, it can actually keep your stamps from sticking to the block. 

So... my simple solution?

Instant anti-bactireal hand gel. It cuts through the ink and the dried paint. It is fabulous! Never worry about paint drying on your blocks again. =)

Enjoy!

~Kassi

a little gloss...

Hey everyone! 

Ready for another quick tip?  

For extra shine and dimension, apply a layer of Glossy Accents (by Ranger) over your painted areas.  The result looks fabulous, and it seems to really accentuate the sparkle of the Creative Inspirations Paint!

Doesn't that just look yummy! =)

Enjoy!

~Kassi

coffee clean up

Good Morning everyone!

Since no one in my house drinks coffee, you wouldn't think I would have many of these floating around....

Actually, I do. 

The reason?  They are a very inexpensive way to keep your work area clean. There is nothing worse than spending hours on a project then putting it down in a wet puddle of paint. Trust me. 

So here is my quick tip...

For all small embellishments, flowers, ribbons, etc. use coffee filters!  Just place your small item in and paint away. A little temporary adhesive on can help hold your item in place while you paint. When you are done, simply throw away the filter. 

This helps keep messes confined and makes clean up a breeze!

Happy painting!

~Kassi

spouncer it...

Hey everyone!

I'm here with another fabulous tip... or rather a fabulous tool!  The best part.... these are CHEAP! LOL!

I'm always looking for new ways to use the Creative Inspirations paints, and that also includes tools! One of my new faves is this Spouncer by Plaid.

These are little round sponge pouncers on a stick. (ok, so they look more like gumdrops on a stick, but maybe that's just cuz I'm hungry...)  They come in various sizes, which is nice. I picked up a variety pack of 8 at a big name craft store for under $5. They are usually found with the paints and wall stencils. AND, they are reusable! (ok, so they are meant to be disposable, by why waste a good thing?)

So, why do I like them?  Well, they are a great way to get a soft speckled texture as well as a denser coverage, and everything in between!  They make getting a distressed edge with the fabulous CI sparkle a breeze!

When you are done, simply wash out with plain water, squeeze extra water out, and let dry. EASY!

*HINT: it really doesn't take much paint to load these up... Just put a little CI paint on the inside of your lid and pounce into it. The less paint you have on your sponge, the softer the effect. Too much paint will end up in strong circles.... which would work too if that's what you want!*

I'll be sharing another fun way to use these Spouncers tomorrow, so be sure to pick some up, and join me tomorrow for some spouncin' fun!

Enjoy!

~Kassi

storage tip...

Hey everyone! 

I'm here today to share a quick tip on storage. 

When I first got my Metallic Inspirations and Jeweled Inspirations, I knew I needed a good storage system to keep them all organized and easy to access. I found this container made for bead storage, and it works great! Don't all those colors just look amazing! 

On the top side of the lid, I have stickers over each box labeling it with the color and size so I know exactly what I need to order when running low. 

Another great way to store these is in the daily pill counter boxes.. You know, ones that hold a week's worth of pills divided into the days...

Enjoy!

~Kassi

mix it up..

Hey everyone!

I'm here once again to spread a little inspiration with a quick tip...

Even though Creative Inspirations Paint come in 59 fabulous colors, why stop there?  There are limitless color possibilities when you step into the fun world of mixing!

This color was made with appox. 2 parts Royal Blue to 1 part Sunshine...  

Here are some basics to get you started:

blue + yellow = green

blue + red= purple

red + yellow= orange

color + white= lighter color

color + black = darker color

color + brown= muted color

What colors can you make?  I'd love to hear what mixes you use!

~Kassi

don't forget to brush...

Hello everyone!

Today's quick tip is all about dental care...

OK...

maybe not dental care as much as the common dental tool known as a toothbrush. Yup, a regular, cheap, soft bristled toothbrush...

This amazing tool has been in my crafting toolkit for sometime now.  

Why?

It's the perfect way to clean stamps!  When ever you are using mediums other than ink on your stamps, you need to make sure you get it ALL cleaned off of your stamp before it dries so your stamps don't get ruined. The toothbrush quickly and easily removes paint, gesso, clay, modeling paste, glue, etc from all the little nooks and crannies of your stamp with out doing any damage.  I use it on both my rubber and clear stamps.

So don't be afraid to use your Creative Inspirations paint on your stamps... just don't forget to brush!  =)

~Kassi

coming clean...

Hey everyone! I hope you are all having a wonderful Friday and looking forward to a fabulous weekend!

Today I have a quick tip to share with you...

Have you ever noticed just how hard it is to get all the shimmer from the Creative Inspirations paint out of your paintbrush?  Now you all know I'm a girl who loves to sparkle everything up, but when the shimmer builds up in your paintbrush, the brush gets hard, and eventually will have to be replaced.  This is where my tip comes in...

Peg board... get one!!!

Ok, let me explain.  What I mean by "peg boards" are plastic boards with lots of little pegs on them. You sometimes find them at craft/art stores by the fine art brushes along with other brush cleaning stuff.  You can also find them in the kid's craft section with something called "Perler Beads".  Perler Beads are little plastic beads that you can arrange on the peg board, then iron, and the beads all fuse together to keep your design. (I spent hours playing with Perler Beads when I was growing up!)

Anyway, get one of these amazing little peg boards and put it in the bottom of your jar of water you use to clean your brushes. (or in your sink if that's how you roll).  When cleaning the Creative Inspirations Paint off of you brush, gently scrub the brush across the pegs under the water... It makes a world of difference!

Enjoy!

~Kassi

look at them jars...

Sorry we are late on our post today. Anyone who tried to post yesterday using Blogger will understand that they had major problems!  And then I wake up this morning to my internet not working.. I tell ya, I never really believed in the whole "Friday the 13th" but the way today has been going... =P

Anyway, today I have a quick tip for you...

Have you ever noticed just how darn cute the Creative Inspirations paint jars are?  Well, why not recycle them?  Once you have used up all the paint in the jar, don't throw them away!  Instead, soak the jars and lids in warm soapy water for a while. The paint will soften and come right off with just a little scrubbing around the threads of the jar.  Once they are clean, let them dry. They are then ready to be used as mixing jars for custom mixed CI paint colors, or as containers for your small embellishments like brads, rhinestones, and sequins!  

How do you reuse your empty jars?

in the prime...

Happy Friday everyone!  

I'm here today to share a quick tip.

Have you ever tried to paint a chipboard piece with your Creative Inspirations Paint, and found yourself disappointed by the dull color?  Well, the is because the paints are translucent... The dark color of the chipboard can be seen through the paint leaving it looking like the piece on the left.

I painted both of these chipboard puzzle pieces with Sea Foam  CI paint... So how did I get the vibrant color to show up over the brown of the chipboard on the second piece?

Simple!

I used a base coat of gesso.  Gesso is a white primer that is often used to prep surfaces for painting.  Just like putting a primer on your walls, putting gesso on your chipboard will make a world of difference!

Simply brush on (or sponge on) the gesso, allow to dry, then paint with your choice of CI paints.

You can find gesso in the painting section of craft/art stores.

Take time to be creative this weekend!

~Kassi

quick tip: extra time...

Hey everyone!

We don't have any company info or news for this week, so I thought I would share a quick tip!

Creative Inspirations Paints dry quickly. Now, this is usually a good thing... after all, who likes to sit around and watch paint dry? LOL! However, there are times when you just need a little more "wet time" (time when the paint is still wet).  

Quick tip: Extending Drying Time

Scoop out desired amount of Creative Inspirations paint onto a non-porous surface (acrylic blocks, or old clam shell packaging works fabulously!).  Now, add a few drops of Clear Glaze Base, and stir. Technically, this product is made for faux finishing with acrylic paints, but it will work for this too.  It won't change the color or shimmer of the CI paints, it just extends the drying time so you have time to work.   This is especially helpful when you want to achieve smooth blending. 

There will be an upcoming Saturday Tutorial, where I will share with you a fun way to use this extra "wet time". It is a technique I really love using!

In the meantime, if you are interested in trying this out, Glaze Base can usually be found in craft stores right by the acrylic paints. 

Have fun!

~Kassi