American Crafts Toolkit - a must have for crafters.

As a craftsman (well women) I love a good tool. And if you give it to me in kit form even better! But the real bonus is when it comes beautifully packaged in a handy and sturdy tin. Oh and a little bit of pink helps too. This is what the new AC i-Tool kit offers you along with its super functional tools inside. This all in one kit is all I need when I need to create on the go. It has everything I need all in a very cute tin that is compact and travel friendly. I used this kit along with a single adhesive to complete my Project Life Cover page for 2014. I really needed nothing else apart from a few embellishments to dress up my page. I liked that I didn’t need a stack of things to be creative and didn’t even have to be at my usual work space to complete the page.

Here’s how I used the tools in my kit…

Embossing tool
I had a little PL card with a heart printed on it but apart from that it was pretty bland. So I used a little rub-on and added it directly onto the heart with ease using my embossing tool. This instantly gave my heart some character.
Paper Piercer
To further dress up my heart I used the paper piercer to make evenly spaced holes around the edge of the printed heart. I then used embroidery thread and a sewing needle to sew my heart in a bright pink thread to add some colour.
Hammer
I added a chipboard Prima element to a pink PL card using Tombow Mono Multi adhesive. I then made a small hole in the top edge using the hammer and eyelet setter with the hole tip on the front. I then added a brad. Opened up the legs on the back and hammered them flat to prevent them from catching on the pockets when I insert it. I also hammered the brad on the front to give it a well-worn and stressed look.
Eyelet setter
I again used the hole maker from the eyelet setter to create small holes directly onto a quote I printed. I then backed the holes using bright pink paper and adhered it to my green base paper. The pink is no visible against the green and makes for an interesting effect.
The rest of my page was completed with some sewing on my sewing machine, lettering and photos. All the cutting was done using the handy scissors included in the kit.
This makes for a really handy gift for anyone starting up a creative hobby like card-making, scrapbooking or even for back to school teenagers. I know my niece would love a kit like this. this is a fabulous gift and a must have for every crafter.
Products used
i-Tool Basics Toolkit [AC 400002]
Project Life Mini Kit - Childhood (100 Cards) [AC 380047]
Project Life Core Kit - Blush (616 Cards) [AC 380041]
Project Life Photo Pocket Pages - Design A (12 Pages) [AC 380004]
Tombow Mono Multi Glue [TB 62191]

Marion Smith Scrapbooking papers and elements.

Have you seen the new Marion Smith Scrapbooking papers and embellishments? well they are a real treat!
This is Marion Smith, and I am totally in love with the beauty of her paper ranges and embellishments. The problem is what not to create with this amazing range, because the possibilities are endless. So I settled onto a range of decorative “homes”, simply because I needed something to display in a little empty spot in my work area. And since the colours of the MS papers and embellishments were a perfect fit with my French farmhouse look I was totally sold on the idea.
I started off with cutting a few off cut pieces of wood into rough house shapes. I then covered them in a layer of gel medium and adhered the patterned paper to the wood, covering each paper with another layer of gel medium and letting it dry. Gel medium is different than Modge Podge and in my opinion a much better product. Gel medium is an artist quality product that acts as an adhesive and a sealant, but best of all is that is pulls the paper down into an even finish – perfectly every time.
Once the paper dried really well I sanded the edges to remove any excess paper and then started with my decorating, of course my favourite part. I used a couple of the patterned papers to fussy cut some elements, added stamped sentiments, pretty blooms and the beautiful Junque & Gems embellishments as part of my decorating. All the elements and colours thrown together make for a pretty mix of vintage glamour, utter romance and classic elegance. As a finishing touch I used some gold leafing on the slopes of the roof for added bling.
i love the soft colours and designs of the papers - so beautiful!
some washi tape and Teresa Collins words add even more charm to this range.
Products used
Marion Smith Garment District 6x6 Paper Pack [MS 101022]
Marion Smith Junque & Gems - Early Birds [MS 101028]
Marion Smith Mad Tea Party 6x6 Paper Pack [MS 101030]
VersaFine Ink Pad - Onyx Black [TVF-82]

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