This is Rebecca and I get to introduce myself to you as Domacreatrix for the month of April, and you can call me Trixi!

I wanted to showcase a technique that will help you reduce, re-use and recycle using your stamps to create Faux Cloisonne.  The supplies you'll need are:

• your favorite stamp set ("open" images work best, but play around with your stamps)
• Embossing powder, use gold or any metallic
• Versamark Pad (or your favorite metallic ink that you can emboss with)
• Catalog or magazine
• You will also need a heat gun (not pictured) and paper scissors

1.  Choose a page from the magazine

2.  Ink up your stamp - stamp and heat emboss the image.

3.  Cut the image out and add it to your card front.

See - its as easy as 1-2-3!    Are you ready to go try it for yourself?  Here are two samples I made:

Please play along!  You can upload your project to our gallery, your blog, or any photo hosting site (like flickr , two peas or splitcoast) and then post a link to your project here in our comments.

For anyone playing along - I have a fun blog candy prize for you.   An assortment of Graphic 45 Spring Edition papers in 6 x 6 sizes, some pretty Prima flowers, a blank Maya road binder for you and maybe a few other goodies thrown in (let me surprise you!).  To enter, just make a creation and add your link to the comments.  You can earn a bonus chance by letting me know what types of tutorials or challenge themes you would like to see here!

So, you think you're a true Vampsmutslut? You know everything there is to know about your favorite series? Then maybe you are ready to RP!! Some of you remember when I first became interested. Yes..it's all Beth's fault...again.One day ,on facebook, she posts "I've just been friend requested by BLAY" (side note: for all you poor unfortunates who have not read The Black Dagger Brotherhood books, Blay is a vampire). Who knew there were hot vampires on facebook? Well, I went looking. My first FB RP friend, Lassiter the Fallen ( yes, he had already fallen BEFORE I met him ), also BDB. Yup, an angel..who coulda seen that one coming? Took me oh-2 seconds to stop being nervous. My first line? " How do You Talk To An Angel?".(the Blue October Song, not that other shite) Now me and that angel watch Oprah together and listen to Flogging Molly. I now have tons of vampire friends...some I even know ..um..quite well...(we had crazy sex in the shower) .

So..thinking ,my life is pretty much as cool as it can get..I mean I'm friends with Butch and Z! , I am talking with another friend, ironically, another angel, ( *kisses* Lysander)who told me I could be a character too! I'm thinkin, not effin way! Then..it happened....I stumbled on a call for Rpers! Could I do this? HELL YEAH!! So, I contacted Lothaire ( yes THAT Lothaire) and now I am official!! I am not much of an Rper...I'm constantly chasing Lycae around ( even if RUNNING AWAY would work better..hey one good full moon and I might forget all about my shower) and maybe one day..I'll get my own BOOK!

It's tough being an Rper without a book..especially a girl one. It means you don't have a significant other, and with the majority of RP fans being female, finding men who A) read..B) read vampsmut and C) WANT to RP is harder than you would think. I mean considering if men got a clue and knew they could have Crazy computer sex all the time and all they had to do was get a few facts down- it would be a perfect world.

And Just like the PNR , and crafting world..I have met some very cool friends!!! ( hey Heather, Martha, Char, TJ, Ami and Christa!!) Learned I am not the only freaky girl I know.(MTH..4 evah) and silver duct is the little black dress of industrial tapes.( Who knew I would  find someone who loved duct tape as much as me?) My fellow characters are amazing people..I am probably pretty crap at it, but they never tell me! ( to my 'face") oh, and if you are a man reading this, have read IAD, we need a Bowen before Mariketa loses her shit.

So, now I know you are all thinking I am too geeky to live, but I am freakin having So MUCH FUN!!! and who knows..I may get my dream Lycae yet.

Who can say the exact moment you become addicted to anything?Where is the line you cross between 'obsession' to "addiction"?The Moment 'really interested" becomes that 3am when you still have 129 pages to go and you KNOW your tomorrow is in ruins but you are Physically unable to  put that book down and leave that world.I know when it happened to me, do YOU?

Like all your finer addictions, there was a seemingly innocuous catalyst, your ' gateway drug'. For Photographers it's that first cheap piont and click camera that you captured your first amazing picture that seemed more like magic that leads to that cannon digital SLR that ate into  your kids college fund. For crafters, it's that  rubber stamp of infant feet  for your first handmade announcement that led to that room full of tools, adhesives, colors and cutters.

For Vampsmutsluts around the world, at least for this one--it was Twilight. I hear the audible gasp from those who know me-"But Tia" you sputter " you really don't do YA well" True, and TWILIGHT was not my first beloved vampire series. I was in love with Lestat De Lioncourt WAY before Edward Cullen sparkled his way into my mind, my heart...and let's face it..my panties. But , alas, I never got the feeling that I was what Lestat wanted, but Eddy..mmm..he wanted me to "be safe' . For 4 books I was enthralled, but it was like really long, frustrating foreplay, and I was not alone in my frustration judging by the vast oceans of TWILIGHT fanfic..NONE of it was YA..we wanted Edward and Bella to get it on already. Even when they DID in Breaking Dawn- all we got was the aftermath..feathers and broken headboards-BLEH. I wanted more-I wanted the next, longer ,more satisfying high....but where to go?

YOUR DEALER.

I met my vampsmut dealer on TTIC- Beth 'vampsmut guru" Shultz. She understood me. She knew what I needed. I needed Wrath-The Blind King. Lover Mine was my first, pure, naughty high.It was when I knew what Edward was saying when he uttered "exactly my brand of heroin". I was addicted. I was planning days around time to read uninterrupted. Spent Days in a haze of exhaustion because I stayed up all night with Zsadist, Eric Northman (Sookie #4..oh yeah), Acheron, Bones,Nykyrian,Viper,Jagr and "The Hawk".Not to be outdone, my #1  cause of love induced insomnia...JAMIE FRASER.

But this addiction has a better part then otherworldly lovers and excitement, my fellow addicts. Somehow they all tend to be super talented, creative, crafty and fabulous human beings. I love to be with them. They are my Coven Sisters. My very best friends. That is why I created this site..so we can be together, chat, dish, link to each others blogs. I am even more addicted to them. My touchstones to my inner goddess. My enablers! My fellow screen lickers..to you I say "Hallo Kitten"...