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Sixth Street Sundries

Emily Midgett

Introducing OLO Markers!

Hi there! If you’ve followed my blog for any length of time, you know that coloring is basically my favorite thing to do in my craft room. I love so many mediums and brands, and I am always excited to find and try a new brand, and today’s post is super exciting to me, because I’m helping to introduce a brand spanking new brand of alcohol markers: OLO Markers!

*OLO provided these markers for me free of charge, but the opinions within this post and my video are my honest thoughts on the product*

These alcohol markers were just introduced to the public during the last few weeks at NAMTA/Creativation in Florida, and if you search on YouTube there are some fantastic videos showing them in action at the show. I was lucky enough to be sent a full set of markers from OLO, and I’ve had an absolute blast playing with them over the last couple of weeks! I have a video below or here on YouTube that shows them in action.

Like traditional alcohol markers, the OLO markers feature a brush nib and a chisel nib, and they come in a wide variety of vibrant colors. These markers do, however, have a few unique qualities that make them wonderful tools to have in your craft room.

  • These markers come with both brush and chisel nibs, but you can easily customize the markers by putting either a long, paintbrush-like handle on one end, or making both ends brush or chisel nibs. Your choice!
  • Each marker half contains 2 mL of solution, and instead of being suspended within a core inside the marker, the ink solution is free-flowing, allowing you to use 90%+ of the ink. The core inside traditional markers means that only 65-70% of the ink inside the marker is useable, but the ink within the OLO markers is free-flowing, which means that you have seamless flow when putting your marker to the paper.
  • When you run out of ink, you can purchase individual cartridges that simply screw on to the marker. Super easy-no weighing, no messy dripping, just unscrew the old one, screw on the new one, and you’re ready to go!
  • The nibs are super high quality and will last a very long time, but replacement nibs are available and are very easy to replace in the marker itself.
  • Colorless markers are available, which are great for adding textures, to dilute vibrant color, and to help touch up any mistakes.
  • These markers will retail for $6.99 each and come with 4 mL of ink total, making them a super economical addition to your coloring collection! The OLO website also has some special introductory pre-order pricing, which you can check out HERE.

The OLO website has a downloadable chart that you can print and color in yourself like I’ve done here. You can see how unbelievably vibrant all of these colors are; the color families are grouped together so that it takes the guesswork out of selecting which shades will work together.

One way that I like to familiarize myself with my coloring mediums is to create swatch charts like this. I simply cut white cardstock into 2×2″ squares, and add and label my favorite blends for each family, and add them to the coin pockets that we papercrafters use for our ink swatches, so that I have a quick and easy reference when I’m ready to color an image! I have created swatches for most of the color groupings, so that you can see the wide variety of colors available.

I am especially excited about those purple blends, because they will fill in a very noticeable gap in my alcohol marker color spectrum! These markers will work in conjunction with my other coloring mediums, and I’m so excited to keep playing with them.

These are a few examples of some of my drawings that I’ve colored using these vibrant markers. You can see the incredible depth and dimension that you can achieve. I’m seriously impressed! I even used the chisel nib side to create some custom ombré colored cardstock to create my word die cut. I can’t overstate how smoothly these markers blend.

Now, until 4/24/22, OLO is offering special introductory pricing for preorders. They are offering a variety of packages at a discount, ranging from a set of 16 markers all the way up to the full 128 markers (with which you would receive a full set of replacement cartridges for free- an incredible value), which you can check out on their website. Click HERE to see all of the details. This super special pricing only lasts until 4/24, so be sure to get your order in early to take advantage of this remarkable deal! The markers are expected to ship in midsummer, perfect for when it’s hot and sticky and you just want to sit in your cool craft room and color to your heart’s content!

Also-feel free to use the color combinations that I’ve shown in the swatch cards in your own coloring. 🙂

Many thanks to OLO markers for sending me these beauties to use in my craft room!

Thanks so much for stopping by today, and have a marvelous day!

*affiliate links used at no extra cost to you. I appreciate your support!*

Altenew April 2022 Gardens Around the World Collection Release Blog Hop + Giveaway ($300 in total prizes)

Hi there! Altenew is releasing their new collection for April today, called Gardens Around the World! We are celebrating with a blog hop; you should have arrived here from Bridget Casey, and your next stop is Teresa Litchfield. I have some inspiration for you today using the beautiful new Castle Garden stamps and dies. Let’s get started with the details!

I began by stamping some of the gorgeous blooms from Castle Garden on some watercolor paper using embossing ink and adding some pearlescent white embossing powder. When I want to keep things light and bright, I like to use white embossing powder, and the pearlescent powder adds an element of elegance. I used some pretty purple and blue shades from the  Artists’ 24 Pan Watercolors to add some delicate, feminine color to the flowers. I especially love that hydrangea image- so dainty and pretty!

For this first card, I used the die cut watercolored hydrangea from the Castle Garden set as the focal point for my card. It reminded me of a little bud vase on a vanity in a lady’s bedroom from the Victorian era, with crystal perfume bottles and crocheted lace doilies, so I die cut a Floral Lace die from some white cardstock and snipped it apart into several pieces. I adhered the watercolored hydrangea die cut with  Instant Dimension Foam Tape, then arranged the lacy bits to be peeking out from behind the hydrangea. I adhered them with some dabs of liquid adhesive just at the base, to allow the edges to organically curl up off of the white card base.

I added a simple Thinking of You greeting from the Castle Garden stamp set, stamped in Tanzanite ink on a strip of white cardstock. I popped it up with some more foam adhesive and added a few iridescent white pearls to finish it off. Super simple, but very elegant and feminine!

For my second project, I used the beautiful corner image from Castle Garden, again watercolored in beautiful blues and violets. I wanted to let the floral image be the star of the show, so I created a simple background using the Leaf Frame die, cut from white cardstock and adhered to a white A2 card base using liquid adhesive to keep the dimension subtle.

I adhered the watercolored floral die cut using foam adhesive, then added another simple greeting from Castle Garden. Some more iridescent white pearls finished things off simply, but with a touch of shimmer and shine.

Well, that’s all for my projects today! Now for some fun giveaway information:

$300 in total prizes! To celebrate this release, Altenew is giving away a $50 gift certificate to 2 lucky winners and a $25 gift certificate to 8 winners! Please leave a comment on the Altenew Card Blog and/or each designer’s blog post on the blog hop list below by 04/20/2022 for a chance to win. Altenew will draw 10 random winners from the comments left on each stop of this blog hop and announce the winners on the Altenew Winners Page on 04/22/2022.

Your next stop on the hop is Teresa Litchfield. Thanks so much for stopping by today, and happy hopping!

Altenew Craft Your Life Project Kit: Fragrant Florals Release Blog Hop + Giveaway ($300 in total prizes)

Hi there! Altenew is releasing their latest Craft Your Life Project Kit today, and we’re hopping along to show it off! You should have arrived here from Mindy Eggen, and your next stop is Rosie Neustaedter. This month’s kit, Fragrant Florals, is a beauty: a huge floral bouquet, coordinating die, stencils, and embossing folder. Here’s a peek at this month’s kit:

If you are finding these kits irresistible month after month, you can always subscribe to ensure that you get first dibs on them when they’re released and, bonus, you get them at a discount with your subscription! Check out the details here.

For my project today, I created a vibrant pink and mauve card using the Fragrant Florals, allowing that beautiful anemone bouquet to sit front and center! I stamped the beautiful bouquet on some watercolor paper using Obsidian Black ink, heat embossing it with pearlescent white embossing powder to create a lovely pearly charcoal image. I used the Artists’ 24 Pan Watercolors to add some lovely pinks and pine greens to the image.

I began my watercoloring by adding a great deal of water to the image, then dropping in some diluted shades of mauve, plum purple, and a few touches of indigo. After it had dried completely, I added some details using more intense shades of the same colors used for the background, using my damp paintbrush to pull them out into a smooth fade. I die cut the finished watercolored image using the coordinating die.

For the card base, I blended some Hydrangea ink around the edges of a bright pink card base, then added the watercolored floral die cut. I added a greeting from the new Fragrant Florals stamp set, heat embossed in white on some medium gray cardstock. I popped it up with some foam tape and added a few shimmering purple gems to add some more sparkle.

Well, that’s all for my project today! Now for some fun giveaway information!

$300 in total prizes! To celebrate this release, Altenew is giving away a $50 gift certificate to 2 lucky winners and a $ 25 gift certificate to 8 winners! Please leave a comment on the Altenew Card Blog and/or each designer’s blog post on the blog hop list below by 04/18/2022 for a chance to win. Altenew will draw 10 random winners from the comments left on each stop of this blog hop and announce the winners on the Altenew Winners Page on 04/20/2022.

Your next stop is Rosie Neustaedter. Thanks so much for stopping by, and happy hopping!

Altenew Craft-A-Flower: African Daisy Release Blog Hop + Giveaway 

Hi there! Altenew is releasing their latest Craft-A-Flower set today, and we’re celebrating with a blog hop! You should have arrived here from the Altenew Card Blog, and your next stop is Jaycee Gaspar. The new Craft-A-Flower: African Daisy is a lovely new addition to the Craft-A-Flower family. These layering dies are always so fun to play with, and you can create so many unique looks depending on your color and cardstock choices! Here’s a peek at this month’s Craft-A-Flower:

If you love layering dies, you should definitely subscribe to the Craft-A-Flower series to receive each month’s die set at a discount! I have a crisp, white on white project to share with you today, so let’s get started with the details!

I began by die cutting the layers of the daisy flower from white cardstock and layering them together using liquid adhesive. I cut the foliage and stems from some minty green cardstock for some bright, contrasting foliage to help emphasize the different layers of cardstock of the daisies.

For the background, I die cut the beautiful Dotted Tile Debossing die from some more white cardstock. The subtle stitching creates a lovely textured background for the sweet daisies!

I adhered a white oval Create A Wreath die cut to the stitched card front using some foam adhesive, then arranged the daisies and foliage to be kind of exploding out of the frame, adhering them with some more foam adhesive. I added a greeting cut from the Thank You for Being My Friend, cut from both vellum and black cardstock. Finally, I added a few iridescent white pearls for some sparkle!

Well, that’s all for my project today. Now for some fun giveaway information!

$200 in total prizes! To celebrate this release, Altenew is giving away a $50 gift certificate to 2 lucky winners and a $20 gift certificate to 5 winners! Please leave a comment on the Altenew Card Blog and/or each designer’s blog post on the blog hop list below by 04/13/2022 for a chance to win. Altenew will draw 7 random winners from the comments left on each stop of this blog hop and announce the winners on the Altenew Winners Page on 04/15/2022.

Your next stop on the hop is Jaycee Gaspar.

Altenew 8th Anniversary Blog Hop Day 3 + Giveaway (over $2,000 in Total Prizes)

Good morning! We’re hopping along again today to celebrate the Altenew Anniversary. You should have arrived here from Michelle’s Cards & Stamps, and your next stop is Michelle Short. You can also start back at the beginning at the Altenew Blog. How long have you loved Altenew’s innovative and utterly gorgeous products? Well, I have loved them almost since the very beginning of their journey eight years ago, which is what we’re celebrating this week! Altenew is turning 8, and it’s so exciting to see how much they’ve grown, introducing new lines of supplies and coloring mediums, to the stunning 3D embossing folders that have breathed new life into an older tool, to the marvelous monthly kits and subscriptions featuring unique and beautiful new flowers to enjoy each month, to the incredible floral stamps and dies that we come to expect from Altenew at each release. I am so proud to have been part of the Altenew Card Design Team since January 2021, and it’s such a joy to work with these beautiful products. Here are a few of my favorite projects from the past year:

2021 was an unbelievable year in the industry, and Altenew’s new releases each month did not disappoint! Such beautiful new kits, subscriptions, and innovative products!

You know how some people love mac’n’cheese or mashed potatoes when they’re stressed or just need a warm hug in the form of some gooey, cheesy comfort food? Well, watercoloring is my crafty “comfort food.” I always can turn to watercoloring when I’m feeling low or stressed, and the floral stamps from Altenew have provided countless hours of watercolored “comfort food” for my psyche. Paired with their beautiful Artists’ 24 Pan Watercolors, it turns stress into pleasure. For today’s project, I created a pair of mini-slimline cards using one watercolored floral image from Simply Spring. Let’s get started with the details!

I began by heat embossing the massive image from Simply Spring onto some watercolor paper with gold embossing powder. I then used the Artists’ 24 Pan Watercolors to add lots of color to this beautiful floral arrangement. I am trying to do more color mixing to create completely custom colors from within the 24 shades included in the watercolor palette, and I love the slightly muted color palette that I was able to create with these incredibly vibrant shades. Once the image had completely dried, I splattered some gold metallic watercolor on the entirety of the image using a couple of shades of metallic watercolor from the Metallic Watercolor 14 Pan set. I die cut the entire image when it had dried completely, then ruthlessly cut the image right down the center using my trimmer.

Because I had cut the image down the center, I was able to create two cards using the two halves! I cut down two white mini slimline card bases (3.5″x6″), then die cut a Nesting Slim Labels die cut from some heavyweight vellum. After approximately arranging my florals and where I wanted them and determining the placement for my sentiment and vellum label, I trimmed the vellum die cut in half.

I blended some Strawberry ink on both card bases behind where I wanted the floral pieces to land, then splattered them with some more metallic watercolor. While the watercolor was drying, I die cut a couple of greetings from Simple Greetings using some matte gold foil cardstock. I find this matte gold foil complements the gold embossing and golden metallic splatters quite nicely. I also die cut a few sparkling gold glitter sprigs cut using the Branches and Berries die set.

Once I had die cut all of the components, I began to assemble the various die cut pieces on the card fronts. I used lots of Instant Dimension Foam Tape to adhered the floral die cuts, while adhering the glittering sprigs using liquid adhesive for lots of dimension.

I adhered the matte gold die cut greetings to the two halves of the vellum labels, then added those to the card fronts, hiding the clear foam adhesive behind the solid die cut words. The final step was to add one more touch of metallic gold with some matte gold pearls. I love the mixture of different forms of gold on these cards-shiny gold embossing powder, matte gold sentiments and pearls, shimmery gold metallic watercolors, and sparkling gold glitter paper. The different gold elements really add a level of richness and luxury to the cards!

Well, that’s all for my projects today. To celebrate their 8th anniversary, Altenew has compiled some utterly incredible prizes to give away during the blog hop!

Over $2,000 in total prizes! Altenew is giving away a $80 Gift Certificate to 5 lucky winners and one Altenew Academy Online Class($8.95 value) to 15 lucky winners. There are also 26 awesome companies/crafty friends who are celebrating with us, and they are offering the following prizes:

Your next stop on the hop is Michelle Short. Thanks so very much for stopping by today, and happy hopping! Happy Anniversary to Altenew, and may these first eight years be the start of a very long and creative presence within our industry! I can’t wait to see what incredible products you bring to us this year!