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

getting highlights...

Hello everyone, and happy Saturday! 

Today, I'd like to share a tool that I recently bought, and love! I'm not claiming to be an expert on it, but I have enjoyed playing with it. =)

It is called a Dabbing Brush by Inkadinkado. 

 It comes with the brush, and three different shaped foam tips.  The brush is nothing to write home about, but the foam tips are great!  They are a foam applicator that is very similar to the popular kid product "Fun Foam" with a sturdy plastic base. This is different from the ink applicators that I have seen that use a softer foam. (Don't get  me wrong, those are fabulous too, and I use them a ton!) The best way I can describe it is the difference between using sand paper, and a sanding block... Both are good, but they both achieve different things. 

 The foam tips snap easily into the end other end of the paint brush. They can be left loose to move easily  in the ball and socket joint---

Or, by pushing them in farther, it locks them in a perpendicular position. (This is what how we will want it for todays technique)

And, guess what? The circle tip fits PERFECTLY inside the lid of your Creative Inspirations Paint jars! This makes getting a nice thin layer SUPER easy!

Ok, so what do you do with this nifty little tool? Well, you can use it in a lot of ways to apply ink and paint to your projects... My current favorite way to use it is to quickly, easily, and beautifully apply CI paint to the high points of embossed paper. 

Step 1: Using your favorite way to dry emboss, emboss your paper. I used Provo Craft "Floral Screen" embossing folder for mine.

Step 2: Shake your jar of Creative Inspirations Paint. You should always do this before using to ensure everything is well mixed, but the goal of this shake is to get some paint on the inside of the lid, so don't be afraid to really shake! I'm using the vibrant "Aqua Marine".

Step 3: Load your circle foam tip with paint by lightly dabbing it into the lid. You should end up with a nice thin layer. 

Step 4: gently brush it over your embossed paper. Because of the stiffness of both the base AND the foam, it quickly covers only the highest portions of your paper. Soft foams can sometimes squish down into the debossed areas if you aren't careful. This is why I'm LOVING this tool for this technique.

And that's it! Easy, huh! And it goes really fast too!  The end result is beautiful bright and shimmery highlights!

Clean up is super simple too... CI paints will wash right off this applicator with a little water and a rag. You are then good to go for your next shimmery project! 

*Disclaimer: I do not work for Inkadinkado, and I'm not getting paid to sell you this tool. This is just a  another quick tip/technique from me to you. =)*

For this card, I took the highlighted piece I did above, cut it into squares and put together a quick mosaic.  A little stitching on the sides for accents, add a sentiment, and you are done. Great for those "I-need-a-card-quick!" moments. =)

Enjoy!

~Kassi

tips and tools

Hey all you wonderful people! I'm gonna shake things up a little. *something I'm good at... LOL*

Anyway, because of the changes made to the DT, and how late they came, I told the DT that they could have this week off. So, you gotta put up with me today... sorry. :)

I promise, next Thursday we will be back on schedule with the DT challenge projects that I know you all love!

However, I don't want you to leave here today feeling uninspired, so I thought I would show you a peek at some of the tools I find myself using all the time with the CI paints and a few tips and tricks I've learned along the way.

Wow... so when I was grabbing a bunch of tools for that picture, I realized just how many things I really use with the paint. I guess that also shows how versatile the paints are... I didn't put in everything I use with the paints, cuz that might have made for a longer novel than Twilight... hehehe...

ok, I'll start with the obvious... paint brushes. I use different sizes depending on what I am doing, and how large of an area I am trying to cover.

I also us a water brush (the kind that you put water in the handle...). I find this works well as an eraser if I get paint were I don't want it. Because the paints are water based, you can use water to remove paint. (you need to work fast, and it works better on water color paper than plain cardstock, but it is always worth trying.)

Fantastix are fabulous for watercoloring, blending, shading, etc. I plan on doing at least 1 tutorial featuring them in the near future.

I also use stamps a lot. Sometimes I use the paint as ink, other times I emboss an image with embossing powder and paint it in. (the embossing powder helps define your lines, and keeps your paint from spreading where you don't want it.)

Finger daubers are a great way to apply paint to a variety of surfaces, including your stamps.

I use Cut & Dry foam (by Ranger) to make my own stamp pads with the ink. (this is also why I have a wooden spoon from the single serving ice creams... it spreads the paint over the foam very nicely... kinda like spreading butter......)

Q-tip are great for taking paint off of the embossed areas of your image. Just get one end damp, and you have an nice controlled way to touch things up.

Have a tiny area you want to paint? No prob! Grab a tooth pick or skewer....

My mister is a must have for me. I use one by Ranger, but, you can use any mister you want. I use mine to mist paper and ribbons before painting, water down the paint, and just about anything I need a little water for. *side note... when you are near the end of your jar of paint, sometimes the paint is kind of thick... a squirt or two of water, shake, and you are back in business*

That jar of pink... that is my water for washing brushes. (yeah, I should have put clean water in before taking the photo, but hey, at least you know it is well used...)

Having sticky-notes is like having extra hands! Place any small item to be painted on the sticky side of the paper, and it stays in place while giving you something larger to hold on to. It won't rip your paper, or leave sticky residue... FAB!

I was at a beauty supply store a while ago, and I found disposable lip brushes, and lip gloss applicators. They are so fun! The brush is soft and small, and the gloss applicator is like using a very small sponge. Because I am not worried about spreading germs while painting, I wash and reuse.. (I only wash and reuse with paints!!!! I wouldn't reuse on me!)

That blue rubber band is actually off of broccoli... However, it is absolutely perfect! It is approx. 0.5 inches high, and 1.25 inches across. It fits just slightly snug around the lid of the paint jars and give great grip when a lid is being stubborn. *sometimes a little paint gets on the threads of the jar/lid, and when it dries, it effectively makes your jar stubborn to open. This rubber band has fixed that problem every time.*

Last in this list, a craft sheet. Can I just say how much I LOVE these things?!!! It makes clean up a snap, allows me to mix paints right on my table top, and nothing sticks permanently to them! The only thing you have to be careful of, is not to poke it with anything sharp... it doesn't like having punctures in it.... I know... I've injured a few this way....

I guess I really should have added my heat gun.... 'cuz I am way to impatient to wait for things to dry on their own!!!

So, there you have my list of things I use most with the CI paints... did you notice how many of those things you probably already have in your stash, or somewhere in your house? Yup, no fancy, expensive tools.... Just you and the paint, and what every you can find to paint with. *sigh* Sometimes, simple is just plain refreshing!

Ok, one more quick tip before I sign off for the day... One of the first things I do when I get a new jar of paint (after all the ooohing and aaahing and drooling have passed) is to take the back of a paint brush and dip it in the paint. I then dab that onto the lid. It makes for an easy color reference, and quick find of colors.

Well, I hope you all have a fantastic weekend!

I'll be back on Monday with another tutorial.... Which reminds me, have you entered our current blog truffle drawing? If not, you still have a little time. You could be the lucky winner of 5 jars of Creative Inspirations Paint. To sweeten the deal, the winner gets to pick which ever colors they want! Click HERE to find out exactly what you have to do to enter... it's easy, I promise.