Taylored Expressions' January Release Day!

Happy Thursday Taylored Expressions Fans,

Today is Release Day! Wahoo! This month is a Petite-Palooza! That's right, a perfect mix of petite stamps and matching die combos. Today, I am showcasing a sweet, petite stamp set and die combo, called Happy New Home.

Okay, this little stamp is just AWESOME and so versatile. I know I will be getting a lot of mileage out of this duo. The stamp offers sentiment stamps for both new homeowners and for saying Thank You to a wonderful hostess.

For my project, I decided to try my hand at tumbled marbled tile coasters I had pinned from Pinterest.  I believe in pinning and doing, and this stamp set was just too perfect not to use for a project like this =) There are several ways to create tumbled marble coasters. Various crafting bloggers use a variety of methods ranging from using StazOn ink with chalks, StazOn ink with StazOn ink, StazOn ink with Copic Markers or using scrapbooking paper/photographs with Mod Podge. The possibilities seem limitless. 

I am interested in the bright range and depth of color that Copic  makers provide; plus a bonus, another way to show my hubby I am actually using these awesome, but very expensive markers whenever possible. Most individuals would say to stay away from StazOn ink and Copic markers, because you do run the risk on ruining your nib if the solvent ink and alcohol come into contact with one another. However, Sharon Harnist at PaperFections offered some great advice on how to work around this. 

First, I thoroughly cleaned the tumbled marble tiles with rubbing alcohol to remove any grit and debris. Next, I let the tile dry before stamping my image with StazOn ink (black). I let it dry from anywhere from a few hours to half a day. I then stamped my image and heat set it with my heat embossing tool. After this, I did let my tile continue to dry for a day. Once completely dry, I started coloring my image. The tumbled marble tiles are very porous, so I started off with a light wash of color and built upon my color from there. This allowed me to see how the alcohol ink reacted to the tile. Once I got a feel for how the color was absorbed, I went back and added more color and shaded where necessary until the colored image looked right to me. 

During this entire process, I was still careful NOT to let my Copic markers come in contact with the outlined image. From my experience, the alcohol did disperse a little bit once applied to the tile, which helped with coloring up to the edge of the image. Both the StazOn ink and Copic markers are permanent, so I chose not to seal my coasters. However, if you want a glossy finish, fellow crafty bloggers have suggested Krylon Clear Coat or Rust-Oleum Crystal Clear Enamel. Lastly, I added a bit of self-adhesive felt to the back to protect the furniture. 

This set is for a dear friend who recently moved. I hope she likes her new coasters.

Well that is it for me today, crafty friends. However, the fun is never over with the crafty designers from Taylored Expressions. Please do hop on over to the Taylored Expressions' Blog for a full listing of newly released products and a complete listing of participating designers. Also, more crafty inspiration awaits you in the Gallery, so don't forget to check it out. You will be glad you hopped on over! See you next time!

Smiles,


Keia

Project Supplies: Lowes (tumbled marble tiles), Michaels (StazOn Ink)

Happy New Home with Coordinating Dies	*sunshiny day
*bikes & trikes	*copic markers

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