Stretch your dollar...

I thought I'd share this.. I don't know about anyone else, but I use alot of my stampin mist cleaner. I, myself, find that the original bottle of cleaner (while it smells great) makes me sneeze...it's almost too strong. So about 7 years ago I started using a seperate spritzer using 1 part stampin mist, and 3-4 parts water...Since I have done this, I have saved alot of money on cleaner--and my stamps still stay clean! Not only that, I can say that I have had the same original bottle of the mist for about 2 years! It's a way to stretch your dollar and buy more stamps!

Stampin Up Wheel Tip

One of the things I absolutely hate doing is buying more products than I really need. With my wheels, I typically do not use them for anything more than a card. If this is the way you use your wheels, then this tip is for you! Instead of buying all those cartridges, you can use your ink pads to ink up your wheels. The length of the stamp on the wheel will easily cover a 5.25 inch width. I love this because it also saves some time.... the time it takes to *FIND* the cartridge and put it in the wheel (at least in my organized mess!)... The only downfall is that you have ink your wheel in between uses. This tip works best for the jumbo wheels... only 2 runs through the ink and its done! Try it!

DVD tins

I've had alot of emails asking where I purchased my DVD tins. I purchased them at http://www.effectuality.com/ .

Here is what they have to offer for the tins:


Quantity Discount Your Cost

100-199 You Save 5% $1.188

200-499 You Save 10% $1.125

500-999 You Save 15% $1.063

1000 or more You Save 17.5% $1.031


The company is in Canada. These are the Canadian prices. Their shipping is reasonable too. Check them out!

Merry Christmas!

Organization idea

Here is an idea for DVD tins... Because of the low price of these tins I bought quite a few of them. So this is a perfect idea to get more use out of them! I love the idea that my acrylic stamps can be stored so that I can see what the stamp is! The regular CD cases are smaller, so this makes it great to have with large size stamps. On this one I used both sides to store 2 different sets. I covered the front and the back respectively..

Stamping Tip

This is just my own personal thing... But when I am stamping I use freezer paper under my projects. I use it to practice on, paint on, stamp on, etc. Sometimes I cut it out and use pieces for masking.. It is so handy because the inks and paints do not leak through to your table...
It also comes in handy for taking notes, or writing ideas down...

Blender Pen Refill Recipe and Technique

Just FYI....

This is the recipe I use for the blender pen refill:

1 part glycerin (can be found at walmart)
2 parts distilled water
1/4 tsp of rubbing alcohol


Or you can use this one:

2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons glycerin
5 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon rubbing alcohol

This can be really messy, so store it in an airtight container... Even those have a tendency to leak... I use one of the tiny tupperware cups. I have had my refill mix for a really long time--just that tiny little bit!

If you use the refill recipe with your ink refills, I personally like to just dip the tip of the aqua painter into the blender pen refill and mix it on a palate with a small amount of ink (instead of filling the painter with the blender refill fluid). I usually have scratch paper to the side to dab off the extra ink and to play around with the colors. I also have a small container of water to rinse the painter off.. Give it a try!!

Stamping tip

Do you ever find it hard to get some colors off the rubber of your stamps or brayer? Try this... I use Kiss Off. It comes in a stick and costs about $4-5. It works great to get most of those nasty stains off your stamps.. Not only does it clean, but it conditions too.. It won't dry the rubber out on the stamps like some cleaners do. You can find it at most stamp stores and even in some variety stores.. You can also go to http://www.kissoff.com/ ... I have used this for years. It works really well, especially on black ink. You have to use it right after you stamp your image if you want it to come completely off. The best part is that you can use it on clothes too!