New Glue, a review and A Freebie

For a long time I've tried to stay away from using ATG tape.  Mainly because of this cost.  Back in the 90's I used a wonderful refillable liquid adhesive that had a unique  roll-on dispenser. It was the perfect adhesive and it was affordable. to make a long story short, the glue and dispenser went off the market and I was forced to find a replacement.
I make a lot of cards, a really lot of cards so I have to consider the cost that goes into making them. Because I use the best possible papers and inks I want to have the best adhesive possible holding it all together.  So far using the ATG gun has been the best type of adhesive, but it is really too expensive and I still have to have on hand, score tape and several liquid adhesives.

About  a month ago I came across a glue called 'The Best Glue Ever'  I bought a bottle and I've been putting it through it's paces.  My hope was to have one 'go to' glue.  One glue on my desk, one glue on my order list  - saying good by to paying ATG prices.  I calculated by usage, my one bottle of BGE @ $7.49  makes as many cards as $24.00 worth of ATG Tape.  And I don't have to worry about a "bad roll" or changing the tape in the gun.

It even replaces my glue gun!

I have used this on every surface in my card making repertoire

Glitter paper

Glitter 

Foiled Paper 

Metallic Paper

Embossed Papers

Fabric

Fabric and Metallic Trims

Charms

Vellums

Tissue Papers

Chip Boards

Paper 3D Embellishments

This won't replace my foam dimensional tape - I don't need it too!

it will replace my liquid hot gun and tape glues.

Here is an example card I made using Best Glue Ever: 

Metallics, glitters, embellishments, heavy papers, thin papers.

the card has no wrinkling, warping or buckling. 

I'm sharing this as my honest, unpaid for unsolicited review because I found something I love as a card maker and something that will help me save money!

Here is my Freebie for your card making!

Thanks for stopping by,

Ginny M

A sweet little card for a sweet Blessing

Our family is growing again!

Thanks for stopping By!

Ginny M  AKA Noni!

Word Art Wednesday!

It is Word Art Wednesday Anything Goes Challenge!  For this challenge, we have a special team up with the Design Team of Graciellie Designs!
This is especially for me because I am on both design teams!
Gracie's designs work wonderfully with the beautiful Word Art digitized by Karen Murray on the Word Art Wednesday

I hope you Join in the fun with this great Bible verse, 

Devotion and a beautiful set of cards to inspire your crafting and help you to send a blessing to someone near or far! Enter your card you might win a $15.00 gift certificate from Graciellie Designs! 

This week's Verse From Karen Murray

I read that and I thought Lord Help me!!  I'm still saying it!

this is not only instruction, it is an attitude to adapt into our lifestyle!

For this verse, I selected this Graciellie Design 

Wonderful verse and I thought the image was perfect for Karen's scripture!

as my regular DT post, I kept with the vintage theme:

even though there is dimension on this card it is still very mailable!  A great card for a young person, a good reminder that life is a gift and one we need to nurture! 

Thanks for stopping by today and I hope you join in the fun and remember to keep this important verse in your heart!

Ginny M

Tea For Two

One of my DT partners picked the Two for Tea Set by Graciellie Designs March release.  I thought I'd really like to have it myself, So I purchased my own set!  They just remind me of the beautiful teacups both my grandmothers collected. One grandmother favored fine English china and the other the European Pearl Lusterware - it made for a very beautiful collection!!  Between moving and children and house fire, I am afraid not one of them has survived.  Buying the set of stamps was a whole lot easier than locating and displaying 100 or so teacups!  So I made a set of cards to save as invites to future lunches.

I printed these cups on pretty chintzy looking paper from Anna Griffin 

I also printed the teacup rose separately - to do this I masked the teacup from the rose on my computer I did this first in the color it comes in and then changed it to gray

I went with the softer gray

I colored the roses, fussy cut the teacups

Gave teh tea cup a coating of crystal effects to make it look more like china

And Here they are 2 of each style:

Fun little project!!  Think how nice these would look printed on your papers!

Thanks for stopping by!

Ginny M 

Photo prompts and a freebie

Last week my friend Pat posted a picture of her blooming Pink Jasmine. Pat lives in Southern California, Land of sunshine, unlike where I am living, land of snow.  Pat is the owner of the company Paper Temptress and I though I'd really like to make her a card using her products.


Here is the photo of the  Jasmine:

I looked in my stash for  Jasmine flower stamps and I came up with a few, I'll share the one I used:

This  Card became pretty intense in color,   I used this 6x6 pad for a background paper

For my base, I used an opulent Gold Mica paper from  the spring collection 

Distressed a Cricut cut frame:

My color selections

and The Card:

Here is an extra freebie for you, Because I love flowers!

I hope you have a great day!

Thanks for stopping by,

Ginny M

Special April Pre-Release!

At Graciellie Designs we have a wonderful April Pre-Release!  I've teamed this up with sumptuous  Pearlized paper from Paper Temptress!  I'll show you the Card first and then share the details!

                                             Here is the set!   I love the sentiments too!

I pulled up two photos for color prompts 

I printed on Neenah #80 solar white

and 

Swatched my colors

I keep these swatches to help me remember the colors that work - I file them in a small tea box by alpha order - it works for me.

I dry embossed this beautiful Pearl paper called White Diamond  , 

Fussy cut and for the inside of the card:

I printed the hummingbird as a little greater!

These beautiful digital sets are so reasonably priced and if you use this coupon "Ginny10" you will receive 10% off!  

I hope you are having a great day and I appreciate your stopping by!

Ginny M

Thistle make you smile and a freebie!

I saw a quote on a card somewhere and thought, I should make a card myself with so I di!  Yay Computer and fancy fonts!

I created the thistle from a vintage botanical picture and added the fun font. 

Hope you like!

This is the freebie, right click and save:

My Card: 

Just sweet and simple!

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

Ginny M

New Beginnings Card and AP coloring tips

I wanted to make a card for a friend that I knew was having a struggle with the normal wear and tear of everyday life.  We all know if you have lived long enough the old saying "this too shall pass"   I don't want the sentiment to "say this too shall pass"  I wanted a sentiment that would offer a little more positive feeling.  So as I was looking through my digital catalog of stamps  I came across the perfect sentiment and a beautiful flower to go with it!

Here is the card, read on for How-to details!

Here is my set from Garciellie Designs

I wanted something vintage but not drab,  The card needed to be cheerful!

I picked my papers and embellishments

This is my fancy ribbon storage system:  a 13x14 sterilite drawer

I discovered something new in the paper world last week: the Paper Doily Store.

all of the doilies are hand died by the shop owner and everything is packaged so beautifully, I will be able to make a few cards just from the pretty packaging!  

I pulled out my pens and I have started doing something new, maybe you already do this, but this is a first for me.  I was testing the pen colors and decided what a great idea ( this is a tip)  to create a swatch book of the colors I would be using for future reference.  I love my markers but I do not love the colors, the colors are not well represented on the cap color code!  

I wrote on the back of the swatch card the card and type of flower I colored with it.

I printed up my images on Neenah #80 solar white from Paper Temptress , changing the black default ink to a dark brown.  A word on surfaces with coloring; The processing of paper changes as the need for medium acceptance changes.  Much of what we use in the craft industry is a scale down from the commercial world.  Long before Neenah Solar White was Neenah Soar Whtie for alcohol pen coloring it was one of the highest quality offset printing papers (.  This paper goes through a rigorous process of surface polishing, That is why it is so smooth, It is made with a long grain pulp and that is why the ink does not feather on the paper.  80# is my favorite for printing and #110 for card base.  It ha a beautiful appearance and "hand" or it feels good in your hand!!

I laid in my basic colors and then began to add detail with pencil

Here is another tip using AP and Pencil:  I dip my pencils and blender pen right into blending solution  AKA Denatured alcohol or you can use 90% rubbing alcohol.  Works beautifully! 

Bottom flowers are done much more simply:

I fussy cut all the images, added a little liquid pearls to the center, let that dry and gave them a coating of white glue, this makes the flowers very durable,

And here is the finished card:

I hope you like my little coloring tutorials, like most things in lift practice helps!

Thanks for stopping by,

Every day is a new beginning!

Ginny M

This card has been entered into  Simon Says Stamp Monday challenge: Handmade flowers