My Fave Tools

So, I have been meaning to write this post for ages, but there is always something to side track me! When did I get so busy?! I love love love that the shop has taken off in the last couple of weeks but I am definitely scrambling. I have some exciting news and I have new products to share, but that can wait!

I know that many/most of you who read this blog are crafts enthusiasts yourself, and if you're anything like me you love reading tips and tricks that other crafters have to share. I wanted to talk a little bit about the tools that I use every day and couldn't live without, I hope this inspires you!

Number One:

Cutter Bee Scissors. I love these scissors so much, I could never be without them now! They are small, sharp, and accurate. I do a lot of hand cutting and I would be lost without these. They can get right in and cut out the tiniest details. They are comfy to hold on to, and don't give my hand a cramp. I have had my pair for almost one year now and I use them for *everything* and they haven't dulled at all yet! Best of all, you can get them at almost any Walmart or Scrapbooking store for about $10. I have even seen pink ones around!

Number Two:

Basic Gray Rub On Roller. This thing is great not only for rub ons, but I use it for other things like cleaning my cricut mat after cutting and for cmoothing paper down when gluing. This tool is the best for applying rub ons though - it has a ball point end. Much easier than a popsicle stick!

Number Three:

Adtech Glue Runner. This thing is my baby! There are many glue runners on the market, but Adtech is cheap and widely available. It comes in dot glue (repositionable, good for paper) and a stronger version that I like to use for things like ribbon and felt. This one is available at Walmart and the refills cost $4 for 2 - a good price for me, I go through 4-5 refill packages a week sometimes.

Number Four:

Fiskars Threading Water Punch. I love a good scalloped edge, who doesn't? I use this punch in many of my products, predominantly cards and gift card holders. You can scallop any edge and it will look good, if you ask me! This is a punch that is definitely worth the investment.

There we go! These are my favorite tools! What are yours? Tomorrow I will post about some of my must have products so check back!

I snagged one!

I managed to snag a treasury on etsy last night... I filled it in quickly, but here it is! :) PLEASE click on it and give it some love if you have an etsy account! It would mean the world to me!



My typical colors... I cannot escape from pink! And I wouldn't want to... lol. I am off to get ready for a lunch date with a good friend who is home for Christmas from Ontario! yay!




Here is a shot of some cards I made yesterday - the weather is terrible so I can't get any good close up shots... but I wanted to share em!

See ya'll later!

Photo Wednesday? lol

I had to bribe Matt to give me the laptop by promising to talk about the Blue Jays on my blog, so - here you go Matt ;)

The blue jays have won ten consecutive games in a row and he thinks they might have a chance to make it into the playoffs. They are his favorite team, so he's naturally very excited about this prospect.

Now onto the fun stuff - Photos!! I took a bunch of photos today (finally). I was even able to make a small paper craft now that my space is a bit tidier, and I cleaned up my supplies after I was done. I really wanted to just leave them on the desk, but I am commited to trying to keep the studio tidy now. Enough chatter, let's see the pictures :)


Some polymer clay buttons I have on the go. I've developed a good system and can make them pretty quickly. I hope to paint some nice designs on them and then glaze them and offer packages in the Paper*Cakes etsy shop.


The little craft I spoke about earlier.. just a little tag. I had this pre-made tag in a drawer, and just worked off of the blue background color. It seems boy themed, maybe for a birthday gift for a little boy or a shower gift for a mom expecting a boy. The back is completely finished and professional, with a place to write. The tag itself is oversized, so it can be used as a card/tag in one.


Lastly.. I've been working on a little 'entryway' station. It's actually on a wall in my living room (the stairs are behind) just before the entrance to the kitchen. (When you walk into our home, you basially walk into the living room. We have a teeny townhouse.) I wanted to create a little nook where people could sit and put on shoes, while having jackets and bags handy. I found the boards with hooks in them at a discount store for $2.99 each and painted them red. My hope is to make a cushion for the bench, get a little end table to sit where the laundry basket is in the photos, and maybe hang a few pictures above the rows of hooks. For now it works :)

Click HERE to visit my flickr account and see a few more detail shots and additional projects. I have also been uploading flea market finds and a few shots of Jude.

10 days until we leave for the wedding...

..and unfortunately, I'm sicker than ever. Starting to freak out a bit, but I finally got an appointment with my family dr. so I hope he can fix me! I'm in a lot of pain, which sucks. Due to the afforementioned, not much has been going on here at chez Ling. On Sunday, PEI caught the tail end of tropical storm Hannah and it resulted in about 3 inches (90 mm) of rain.

Took a quick trip to the flea market and picked up a couple things I'll post photos of later. I also managed to do a bit of yard-saling and took a trip to value village, so I have a few things to post. The most awesome find was a big pile of special edition Martha Stewart livings - like the holiday ones and decorating issues - all for $0.25 yay! Have also been working on my little entry way and progressing nicely... must catch up on taking photos!!

I am getting excited for the Alberta trip/Wedding, but I am soooooooooooo tired of all of the planning. I am starting to feel slightly regretful, wishing I had taken the money spent on the wedding and gone away on a trip or something and just eloped. So, I really hope the wedding is worth everything. A lot of money and sweat equity has gone into this one day, and to end up looking back and regretting it would really suck. Here's hoping everything is amazing :)

I took some pictures of the invites the other day.. so I'm going to close this post up by sharing them:




There are a few more images on my Flickr Photostream