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Create, Laugh & Play
with Stephanie

The great debate... Paste Vs Ink

5/19/2020

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Chalk Couture has two great products -- Chalkology Paste & Ink. However, you may be wondering do I need paste or ink for my project?
For many projects it will be personal preference of which product you enjoy working with. However, for a few items you do need to select the correct one for desired results.

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Chalkology paste is perfect for projects that will not be washed or those you want only temporarily.  The paste is designed to be removed with water and rubbing.  Perfect for chalkboards, windows, appliances, walls.  As with any product certain colours may stain (often removed with the Chalk Couture board eraser), so use caution on non-replaceable surfaces. You can also use paste on artist canvas, wood, plastic, metal, fabric (that won't be washed), paper and glass.

Chalkology Ink is designed to be permanent once heat set, meaning you can wash it and your design will stay.  Any item that can handle heat (from your  household iron, heat press or oven) is perfect for ink!  If you are not planning to wash an item, many other surfaces will work with ink even if you are unable to heat set it.  We have even used Ink on sticker vinyl & HTV, this allowed us to heat set the sticker & then apply to the non-heat item (such as a water bottle with a plastic insert). 

Check out our many Facebook live videos to see the wide variety of items we have pasted & inked.

Tips for surfaces:  The smoother the surface the better your transfer will adhere, therefore less paste/ink leaks.  Surfaces like barn wood and inexpensive artist canvas often work better with sanding and either painting or applying a sealant as a layer before your transfer & paste/ink.

You can seal your paste to give your project more permanency by spraying a sealant on top.

The great thing is that your designs use very little product! So test, try & play.
The only surface I have found so far that doesn't work with either product is Silicone... because let's face it, even burnt cookies don't stick to that!
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Technique Tuesday- Paste & Peel

5/12/2020

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PicturePaste & Peel with Chalk Elegance
Chalk Couture transfers come in 5 sizes (5x7" to 18x24") with 38 colours of paste and 23 colours of inks.  That means there is a whole lot of potential for your projects.  Whether you are new to chalking or just getting fancy with your designs "Paste  & Peel" is a technique every chalker needs.
Paste & peel is about as simple as it sounds... paste a little & peel the transfer up.  But why?  As we know the chalks dry quickly, so when you are tackling an extra large transfer, multiple colours or you are new and learning, occasionally you need a little more time. Paste and peel will buy you that time! Of course we are making our sure paste is the right consistency first ;) .
There are two ways to paste and peel--
1. Paste your section & peel up only that part of the transfer allowing the paste to dry. This is a great technique if you have parts that need to stay lined up (like fonts). 
or
2. Paste & peel the whole transfer up, dry and then place the transfer back on- lining it up carefully.
Both ways achieve the same result.
Check out our demo video to see this in action!

Now go play with all those colours and play with your big transfers!
Happy Chalking!
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Exclusive & Hot

5/11/2020

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We all know that Club Couture is the club to be in.  Central office always pre-orders plenty for those who join last minute.  Of course, there is limited extras available and this means it's while supplies last for those who  love it & decide to join the club after seeing the current month.  Over the past year I can confidently say that I have seen that extra supply last most of the current month.  However, the last few exclusives have been on FIRE! This round- May 2020 is the first time in my designership that I have seen the current club transfer SELL OUT only 9 days into the month. Yes that's right it was so HOT it is sold out & retired!

Lesson learned... Club Couture is nailing it with their exclusive designs and they are popular with members.  So if you want to be guaranteed to receive these HOT designs you need to be in the club prior to the 1st of the month.

Now excuse me while I go check my mail box as mine should be arriving any day now!
Happy Chalking!

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Perfect Paste ... success in the drip

5/3/2020

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Chalk paste
Your Chalk Couture products are designed to give you DIY projects that are quick and relatively easy!  A key to that "easy" success is the consistency of your paste.   Sometimes this consistency can make or break your final product.
Now you are wondering "what is this perfect consistency? "  We are looking for a consistency that many describe as a "sour cream" or "cake batter" consistency. It's a slow drip.  Check out the video below for a visual.

"That many describe as a "sour cream" or "cake batter" consistency."
When your paste is too dry it will be hard to spread on, it will dry very quickly (often giving that really distressed look).  If your paste is too wet (watery), you will often end up with leaks under your transfer image. 
There are a couple of reasons the paste changes consistency.  First off the Chalkology pastes are chalk turned into a paste.  The various colours have a range of pigment added, this pigment will affect how fast/ slow your paste hardens.  White, for example, has no pigment and you will find it often needs a stir!  Blue Jay & other heavy pigmented colours may be a great consistency but need a quick stir to get the pigments evenly distributed.
Second the chalk paste air dries quickly - which is awesome for our projects!  This means though that as the lid is off your jar it is starting to dry it there as well. 

So now you want to know... How do I fix this?!   Well the good news is this is the easy part!  Simply add a small amount of distilled water & stir.  Start with a small amount, however if you add too much water there are two easy fixes. Leave the lid open for a little while & let the paste air dry (stir it occasionally) or add a small amount of cornstarch & stir.  Distilled water is suggested as it is free from impurities (we don't want things growing in that jar!).
There are a couple tools I find handy to have on hand for quickly prepping my pastes.
1. A small spray bottle with distilled water in it.  You can use one like this
2. Stir sticks- Chalk Couture has two products that work really well.
The Multi-Tool is made of the same material as your squeegees & designed to perfectly fit the inside edge of the jar. It is great for stirring & scraping all the chalk together. It also has a small end for applying chalk to your fine detailed projects .
The mini stir sticks, are sturdy and perfect size to have many on hand for a quick stir.   Avoid wooden stir sticks (like Popsicle sticks) as they can wick the moisture out of your paste.
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There are other factors that can affect your paste. The Chalkology paste do not like to be frozen. Unfortunately many of us live in winter wonderland a good part of our year!  Sometimes the pastes freeze in shipping. Don't stress! This is fixable. Simply let your your paste warm to room temperature and then work to obtain the perfect paste consistency.
If your paste is really hard (this can happen if you haven't used it for a long time) and you just can't get it smooth and dripping by stirring. You can try the warm method.  Simply microwave it for 10 seconds or less & stir.  repeat if necessary. You could also try warming your distilled water & stirring. 
The very odd chance you have a brand new paste you just can't get to mix properly (hey things happen)  call customer service, they are AMAZING and will help!

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Tips for consistency success project after project.
Store your paste jars flat, not on their sides.  The pigments may leak if stored on the side.
Spritz a small amount of distilled water into the jar when you are done your project. This will put a little moisture in for the next time.
Ensure the edge & lid are clean.  A nice tight seal of the lid to the jar will help stop your moisture from leaking out.
Chalk often!  Okay-- that's just fun to do ;)

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The Vault is Open!

5/1/2020

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What an exciting start to May!  The transfer vault has been opened and 3 very well loved transfers are back in the mix.  The crazy and exciting thing about the Vault is that it's limited quantities & very limited time so you have to grab the awesomeness while it's in stock! We always hope that if it sells out day one that they will add just a little more (because clearly it's what's in demand!).

To make May even better Club Couture customers receive 50% off items in the last chance section AND they added so much to that!

I feel as though they are gearing up for an awesome summer catalogue release!

Which vault transfer is your favourite?
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    Stephanie Nixon

    A busy mom of three finding me time, therapy and fun with Chalk Couture and crafting!
    I strive to help you find your creative confidence through DIY crafting.

    In Stettler, Alberta

    Chalk Elegance with Stephanie Nixon

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