Altered Basics Blog Hop!

 

Welcome to the Altered Basics Blog Hop! The Clearsnap Design Team is inking and altering our Basic Necessities, a variety of packaging materials and containers released at the CHA-W 2012 show in Anaheim, CA earlier this year. These "Basics" allow you to create custom inkpads, mix your own color combinations of Smooch Spritz and Glitter, as well as provide a blank canvas for cute altered gifts, like the adorable tins our My First ColorBox Stamps are packaged in. You might recognize packaging from some of your favorite Clearsnap products like the salt shaker style jars from the Donna Salazar Designs Fairy Dust Glitter, an uninked ColorBox inkpad, and the Clear Boxes our Smooch Spritz Assortment Packs are packaged in. We think these Basic Necessities will allow your creativity to soar!

We're also excited about giving away a set of select Basic Necessities items as prize for one hop commenter! Just click on the blogs each day, browse through the post and check out the "Altered Basic", and then leave a comment about your favorite Basic Necessity to be entered to win.

For an extra entry, post the secret phrase "I love the Basics!" on our Facebook Page here: http://www.facebook.com/Clearsnap

We'll choose one winner from all of the comments on March 9, 2012!

March 7, 2012
Clearsnap Blog: Tami Sanders: http://clearsnap.blogspot.com

Sabrina Alery: http://sabrinaalery.blogspot.com

Mary Dawn Quirindongo: http://mypinkmexico.blogspot.com

Jean Okimoto: http://davebrethauer.typepad.com/inkollage

Daniela Dobson: http://danieladobson.blogspot.com

March 8, 2012
Clearsnap Blog: Jean Okimoto: http://clearsnap.blogspot.com

Steph Ackerman: http://stephaniescraps.blogspot.com

Jennifer Priest: http://hydrangeahippo.blogspot.com

Charlotte Jenkins: http://suepup.blogspot.com 

  

Don't forget to leave a comment about your favorite Basic Necessity on each blog in the Hop (click on the chart above to make it larger or view on Page 85 in our online catalog). Happy Hopping!

          ---the Clearsnap Design Team

And now, here's Tami Sanders to share her project using the NEW! Altered Basics!

Tami here, I was VERY excited by these new products! I feel a little bit like a mad chemist; being able to mix Clearsnap products and colors to create new custom creations! I was particularly excited about the uninked pads, which is the item I chose to work with.

Clearsnap already has bunches of Multi Color Inkpads; which are wonderful, but what if you don't find one with the mix of colors you wanted? Or, thinking outside the box --- and straight lines, how about creating a custom pad with a swirl design like I did...

I was inspired by the eyeshadow palettes that have sweeps and swirls of different colors. I remember looking at them thinking "THAT would be a great idea for an inkpad"! And now, thanks to the new Altered Basics line, I can do it.

But don't stop at swirls, how about polka dots, or radiating circles, or maybe plaid! And although I decided not to on this particular pad, you can blend the colors together where they meet using the tip of a bone folder or a strip cut from a credit or gift card. And although I chose to go BRIGHT, a pad using vintage browns would be gorgeous!

A few notes about creating a multi-color pad...

• use only Clearsnap Pigment Ink Refill Bottles to apply color to the uninked stamp pads; the pads are not designed for use with Chalk or Dye Inks.
• make sure you pattern isn't too "skinny"; thin strips of color will be hard to maintain and you can easily turn your pad into a nice muddy brown color if you aren't careful!
• move slowly and squeeze gently as you apply the ink to the pad; you want the color to be even and don't want large "globs" of ink.
• once a color has been applied, use tip of bottle to gently work ink into the pad.
• make sure you use enough ink, but don't over saturate; check the side of the pad, you can see if the ink is working it's way down into the pad.
• it's best to let the pad sit at least an hour so that the ink can soak in.

And an important note about using your multi-color pad...

• make sure you clean your stamp EACH TIME you apply ink; because unless you are VERY careful to set your stamp in the EXACT SAME place each time, you will transfer ink and mess up your pad.

Here is the card I made using the CUSTOM inkpad I created...

And here is a short 3 minute video showing how to make the inkpad AND the card...

SUPPLIES:

Clearsnap Products:

• Altered Basics: Uninked Stamp Pad
• ColorBox Pigment Ink Refill Bottles: Lime, Orange, Marigold, Canary, Turquoise
• ColorBox Pigment Ink : Orange and Marigold
  
• Top Boss Embossing Powder: Opalescent Clear
• ColorBox Stylus & Tips: Oval Blending Tips

Other Products:

• Stephanie Barnard: Butterfly2Build
  
• Hampton Art: Happy Birthday
• Hero Arts: Music Background
• The Twinery: Caribbean, Mandarin and Lemondrop Twines
• Bazzill Basics: White and Lime Cardstocks
• Beacon Adhesives: Zip Dry
• 3L:Scrapbook Adhesives: Small White 3D Foam Dots
• Vintage Button

Tools:

• Trimmer, Scissors and Heat Gun 

So start thinking about what YOU can do with all these NEW! Altered Basics products from Clearsnap!

And please DON'T forget to visit the other Design Team Members blogs to see what fabulous project THEY have to share! And leave comments about your favorite Altered Basics too, so you can be entered to win!

Your next stop on the hop is...
Sabrina Alery: http://sabrinaalery.blogspot.com

www.tamisanders.com