365 Warm Thoughts

Hello Friends
Everything is ready for Christmas at the Kimm BT household! The weather has been chilly, but no snow or below zero temps here in Memphis. My kids have been hoping for snow for Christmas, but I don't think they will get it. I have a holiday report and one last Christmas card to share with you. I just love this chubby jolly Santa image from Stampin' UP!



Kimm BT Holiday report:
26- days the Christmas lights and decorations have been up
38- minutes spent putting up the tree (kids did the rest)
12- Snowflake ornaments purchased
3- total hours spent shopping in a store
2- total hours spent shopping online
24- total glazed ceramic coasters made for gifts
60- Christmas cards made
12- cards that still need to be mailed to friends today
16- presents wrapped (3 for each family member)
1- decoy present
150- dollars under Christmas budget (yeah)
6- Favorite Christmas Carols to sing
5- Christmas parties attended
1- Church Christmas play
4- dozen Christmas cookies received from my mom and sister
3- cookies left to eat today;)
1- Christmas dinner planned and purchased
1- Child who still believes in Santa Clause
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365- Warm thoughts for you this coming year!

Kimm

More Glazed Coaster Tiles

Hello Friends
I've been a busy, busy bee this past week! My daughters were in a Christmas play at our church, our home school group had its Christmas party, another party with our bowling league... and on! I've been making more glazed coaster tiles for Christmas presents in between all these activities.
These are for my mom. I used Wild Blueberry and French Lilac Primary Elements over silver Pearl Ex. Instructions are in my last post.

A close up so you can see the silver showing through the natural cracks in the tile. The finished tile was edged with a blue velvet ribbon.

These are for my youngest sister and her new husband. I used two greens- Olive Vine and Lemongrass Primary Elements... very little of the gold pearl ex base shows through on these.

I also made a dozen for neighbors and friends... but forgot to get a pic of those before they were given!

Kimm

Keep You in His Care

Hello Friends
My card share today is a sympathy card featuring Our Daily Bread Designs stamps and the Faux Designer Paper technique from Technique Junkies Newsletter. I used chocolate chip, sahara sand, pacific point (colors from Stampin' UP) and a deep coffee color.
I'm having so much fun with the this designer paper technique! I hope you are too!
stamp credits- Our Daily Bread Designs, Stampin' UP!
Kimm

Dazzilng Glazed Ceramic Coasters

Hello Friends
This ceramic coaster set is SO dazzling with rich color and shine to the max! I made this complete set for a gift exchange. It takes a little extra time but is easy on the budget... especially if you have any of these supplies on hand.

You will need: Glazed ceramic tiles in black (my local Home Depot had them for 33 cents each), Folk brand Glass and Tile medium, Crystal Effects or Diamond Glaze, 2 colors of Pearl Ex pigments, multimedia brush and Tree House High Gloss Sealer. Optional: Primary Elements Polished Pigments color of your choice.

Step 1: Prime the tile by applying a thin layer of Glass and Tile Medium. Do not skip this step as the medium really makes difference in the final durability of the tile. Let dry 6-8 hrs. White tiles work too btw... just not as dramatic;)

Step 2: Prepare your Pearl Ex mixture- Mix approx. 2 tbls. Crystal Effects or Diamond Glaze with 1/2 teaspoon Pearl Ex until a smooth texture is obtained.

Step 3: Brush the Pearl Ex mixture onto the primed black tile. Allow some of the black tile to show through... how much is up to you. Let your brushstrokes show as well... it adds to the texture of the piece. Make swirls or crosshatch patterns with your brush... its up to you. Continue in this manner until most of the tile is coated. Repeat with a second color of Pearl Ex if desired. Here I used Aztec Gold and Sparkle Gold. Allow this to dry overnight (8-10hrs).

Optional: If you want an extra blast of rich color... mix your Crystal Effects (Diamond Glaze) with Primary Elements Polished Pigments. Use the same recipe as with the Pearl Ex... adding more or less of your Primary Elements to your liking. Don't worry about mixing your Primary Elements with any of the solutions... just mix the dry powdered pigments with Crystal Effects. Use a Kewl Tool to dab the color mixture over the tile. If you do not have a Kewl Tool... you can substitue a bathroom scrunchie (you wont be able to use it in the bath any longer). Here I used Hot Cinnamon... it is an awesome red!! Let this dry overnight (8-10hrs).

Last step: Spray your tiles with a glossy sealer. Hold 6-8 in. away and give it a good coating. If two coats of gloss sealer are desired, let dry between coats. I used Tree House Studios High Gloss Sealer... but have tried with Krylon Glossy Sealer and it works fine.
Finish your edges with 1/4" ribbon applies with a red line tape... press firmly to secure. Alternatively you can finish your edges with flat pearls or rhinestones. Apply cork or felt circles to the bottom corners of each tile.

Here is a close up for you... but it is hard to capture all the dazzle!

The glass votive holder was completed using the exact same steps. I'll be making more of these for my neighbors. Plan ahead 3 days as each layer needs to completely set before you add the next layer.

Enjoy!

Kimm BT

Watercolor Resist

Hello Friends
Looking for a quick way to color? Try the Watercolor Resist published in the current Technique Junkies Newsletter . Fast and Easy... and with your watercolor crayons you can obtain almost any color you need! This card also features the Torn Frames technique from the same issue.
Stamp credits- Stampin' UP!
Kimm

Flourished Christmas

For those of you bored with the standard red and green Christmas colors... I give you bright pink and white card with touches of warm orange for your holiday greetings. The background is the new Watercolor Resist from Technique Junkies (TJ issue Dec. 08) created with pink watercolor crayon and just a kiss of orange. Once dry, I embellished the flourish lines with Stickles Icicles glitter glue. The faux frost is punched from glitter paper and layered under the greeting (Fern punch by Martha Stewart). It's all very sparkly!
stamp credits- Hero Arts, Stampin' UP!
Kimm