Hello there! Today I am sharing a new discovery that I made using my Sending All These Things stamp set and my Minc. I love using my Minc and am always looking for new ways to use it; I’m also a big fan of stretching my stamps. I decided this technique would make a great video tute, so I filmed the whole process, this includes the first attempt that was a total disaster.

If you do not have time to watch the video, what I learned is that you can use any stamp set that you have with clear embossing powder. Turn your Minc on to the “1” heat setting until the light is green, then let it cool down for about 5 minutes and turn it back on, you can set it to, “0” this time and run your image through with the foil on top inside the carrier folder (or copy paper) and you will get a crisp, foiled image. This means you can now foil tons of images and get completely new looks!

I foiled this stamp 2 times, 3 if you watched the video, and added some sequins and starts to finish the card. Any heat foil will work, I used some Deco Foil and some Minc Foil and both results were gorgeous.

Until next time, stay safe in these crafting streets.

Happy crafting,

Gaby

I have linked the supplies I used below:

Sending All These Things

Sunshine Sequin Mix

Gab about COPIC Ciao Markers Refills

December 30, 2018Copic Markers, Markers, ColoringGabriela SimsComment

Hello and welcome to another crafty chat on my blog. Today I’m talking about ways to get more life out of your Copic Markers; my Copic of choice is usually a Ciao marker. I chose Ciaos because the come in 180 colors at a lower price point than the Sketch version. Quite frankly, those are enough colors for me and it allowed me to buy more colors when I was starting out. Ink refills are available for all of the Ciao colors as well as replacement Super Brush Nibs. But how to refill them?

You will need:

-Your dried out markers

-Matching refills

-A gram scale

-Some patience

To check all of my markers (approximately 105) and refill the ones in need (approximately 10) it took me about 1.5 hours.

I found many videos on the Sketch markers, but not much on Ciaos. The technique is the same, but the amount of ink needed varies. For a new Ciao, I weighed it with the caps on and found it to be between 10-11 grams.

I then weighed a marker I knew was drying out and got a weight of 8-9g. I put those to the side and then weighed my refill with the cap off, a full refill weighs about 26g with no cap.

Next, I removed my chisel nib from my marker and added 10-15 drops and the reweighed my refill, as the value decreased, I knew how many grams were transferred to my marker. I continued until I had added 2g to each dried out marker or brought the weight back up to 10g. A word of caution, 11g proved to be too much ink for my markers and I had to do some coloring on a scratch pad to run off the excess, I would stay as close to 10g as possible so you do not waste ink.

I also noted the markers that weighed in at 9g so I would know which refills I need to pick up soon!

I hope this tutorial was helpful for any other Ciao artists out there, until next time, stay safe in these crafting streets!

Happy crafting,

Gaby

Gab about Etsy

July 4, 2018Drawing, Shop UpdatesGabriela SimsComment

Hi there! So sorry I have been away, I was super bogged down with regular, but things have slowed down now and I have decided to reopen my Etsy shop. I think there is such a huge benefit to starting there because you have a built in audience; people who come there are already looking for handmade things. I have been updating items over there pretty regularly and will be getting back to blogging as well, starting with a post about the Tim Holtz Glass Media May which should be arriving at my house tomorrow!

Be safe in these crafting streets!

Happy crafting!

-Gaby

Sewing Clear Pouches (Easy)

March 1, 2018How to, Project Ideas, Tutorial, Sewing, Diy, ReviewsGabriela SimsComment

Hi everyone! I have been doing some sewing lately to keep in line with my resolution for crafting this year and I came across this amazing pattern for making clear pouches. I was on Pinterest and found this great pattern with some great pictures and easy to follow instructions. I was able to cut a bunch of these out and then sew them very quickly. I used ribbon for some of them, but eventually opted to just use the fabric and switch up the sewing order to assemble them faster.

If you have some cute fabric that you have been wanting to use, this pattern is great because the size is perfect for a travel makeup bag, pencil case, or toiletry bag. As you can see with the photos above, I got carried away and made several. If you are going to do any embroidery like I did, cut your fabric first and then just center the design in your hoop.

These will hold brush markers and colored pencils!

These are easy to mass produce and a little less intimidating if you want to make bags, but you are not super confident in your zipper installation capabilities (no shame, I'm just saying). Thanks for stopping by, until next time, happy crafting.

-Gaby

Quiltologie Mini Quilt Kit Review

September 13, 2017Quilting, Tutorial, Decor, Reviews, Crafts, Sewing, How to, DiyGabriela SimsComment

Hello there everyone! I saw these wonderful quilt kits at JoAnn and decided to try one out. They come with everything except the batting, fusible web, and thread, but if you quilt, you already have those things! The pattern has all of the cutting and piecing instructions; so you can get started right away even if you do not have any batting handy. I did my cutting all at once and then started piecing.

The most satisfying part was getting all of my fox blocks done. This is also the most challenging part, if you make it through this, everything else is a breeze.

I finished with some simple FMQ and this is now proudly displayed in my cube at work!

I had a great time making this and I was able to complete it in a weekend, but you could do it in a few hours if you focus. I think it's totally worth the price and if you use a 40% off coupon, you can get it for under $10. There are several patterns available, so if you want to start quilting, these are great! Thanks for stopping by, happy crafting!

-Gaby