Day 2 of 2011 Holiday Gift Guide + Giveaway

(Here is Day 2 of 6 of my holiday gift suggestions. You can find all the products HERE.)

Since you adore your crafty loved ones so much, I am back today with 10 more gift ideas. Remember, if you click on the links to head over to Simon Says Stamp, they will be 15% off and free shipping over $75. What a great deal. Or you can contact your local stores. Now… on to the ideas…

You may be wondering why I am suggesting giving masking tape to your loved one. Ha… this one is quite different and so useful. Eclipse Art Masking Tape is basically a large roll of sticky notes – with the whole back being sticky. I use this product for two things. One is to make the masking technique super easy. The second (and much cooler) use is to cover the back of my cards while I ink and stamp to prevent it from getting messy. It works like a charm and is a must-have. Love. (Click HERE for more info.)

I adore high quality tools that can be used over and over. Memory Box Dies fit the bill. They are made in the US of steel and cut the most intricate of shapes like butter. My favorites are the Butterfly Delight, the Maribelle Butterfly + Selena Butterfly (die cut two and put them together to create a butterfly-shaped card), Puffy Clouds and Crisp Bows. Love them all. Oh, and Memory Box is a great company. (Click HERE for more info.)

Yesterday I talked about how great Distress Inks are. Another fabulous ink is the Hero Arts Shadow Ink. This is a soft ink that dries smooth and beautiful. It is perfect for the faux letterpress technique with embossing folders. This ink is also the best choice for subtle backgrounds and stamped images with lots of solid space (since it doesn’t end up splotchy). My favorite colors are Soft Pool, Soft Sand and Soft Leaf. Or you can get them all HERE for a discounted price. (Good choice. She’ll love you for it. Click HERE for more info.)

This is my newest obsession and something I think your crafty gal will love. Ranger has these great Foil Tape Sheets that are an excellent way to add shine to a project. The are big adhesive sheets so you can die cut a shape from it and add it to your project. So easy and fun to use. (HERE is a card where I used it. Click HERE for more info.)

Whether your crafter is into bling or not into bling, these silly-yet-cool embellishments will work for them. They are little Hero Arts Dots and they look frosted. The perfect amount of subtle shine. Just put one Mini Glue Dot or dot of Glossy Accent on the back of them and you are set. I highly recommend these dudes. And believe it or not, the Earth Dots are my faves. (Click HERE for more info.)

So, there are a lot of black inks in the market. But one stands above the rest. The Hero Hues Black Dye Ink (also known as Memories Black) offers crisp, dark, black images every time and doesn’t bleed with watercolor, distressing, etc. This is the ink to use with everything… except Copic. (For Copic, you need a different ink, but it isn’t that great for other things. More on that later.) This ink is a necessity for every stamper. (Click HERE for more info.)

Recently two of the best companies teamed up – Hero Arts stamps and Sizzix die cutting. They now have stamp + die and stamp + embossing combos. These are a delight. I highly recommend these! Once you use them, you will will be an addict. My favorite combos are the Artisan Fern, Silhouette Vines, Antique Flowers & Butterflies and Floral. Here is a video sharing how they work. (Click HERE for more info.)

Background stamps are a great tool for every stamper to have. But even better are background stamps that work for any style of card. They are hard to find! But this Hero Arts + BasicGrey Flower Dot Pattern is the answer to any card background. If you ever visit my blog, you know I use it a lot. (And it never gets put away in my craft room. I don’t even bother.) So pretty! (Click HERE for more info.)

You many have seen your crafty loved one use mists or shiny sprays before. However, nothing compares to the “pearlized water” that you can create on your own with two products. Just get an Inkessentials Mist Bottle and Perfect Pearl Pigment Powder. Put this in a box under the tree along with a note that says: “Put one teaspoon of Perfect Pearls in a Mister bottle full of water and shake like mad. Keep on hand for pearlized water techniques and sparkly finishes.” It will be a big hit. Promise. (Click HERE and HERE for more info.)

Crafty folks love to watch videos of other crafty folks creating. Nothing is as inspiring. I mentioned some online classes on Day 1, but here is another video gift idea for you: Hero Arts Hero Hues Technique DVD and Hero Arts Technique Garden DVD. Both are packed with videos, card ideas, downloads and more. (Click HERE for more info.)

And for today’s giveaway I have one of each of these Hero Arts DVDs to give away! Just leave a comment by Wednesday night for your chance to win. Good luck.

I’ll be back in a couple days with Day 3 of my Gift Guide. Have a good one!