DAMASK, Jim, It's Dream Schemes Thursday!*

Free choice week again for the Dreamweaver Stencils' Dream Schemes Thursday. This card was created from grabbing out of my "Kibbles & Bits" box...you know the place where you save the bits that didn't work for the project d' jour, but too good to throw away? The bottom panel was an experimentation in weaving cardstock through the Stripes stencil before running it through the Big Shot machine. This created  wider striping which was kind of cool. The focal point was cut from a panel where I sprayed various Memories Mists through the Large Damask stencil. The spray that remained all over the stencil was left to run through my Big Shot with a white panel of cardstock to press the color into the paper, leaving the embossed areas white. I love doing that. It comes out different every time! I added a Class A' Peel sentiment, some appropriate ribbon, and some gorgeous orange and red rhinestones. Now, you need to visit the rest of our group of fabulously talented ladies as listed at right, create your own free choice project, and link it to the Mr. Linky on the Dream It Up! blog.

Dreamweaver Stencils:
Lg. Damask (LX7001)
Stripes/Plaid (LX7002)
Memories Mists Iridescent Red (MMIR02) and Orange (MMIR05)

Stampendous Class A' Peels "Friendly Greetings" (AC961W)
red, orange, white cardstock
Big Shot machine
rubbing alcohol
ribbon
rhinestone stickers

*apologies to all Trekkies!

From Jugs to Vases to a Bluebird Landscape?

 Remember the two posts that I've done recently with the Stampendous Perfectly Clear "Vases" set? The "Beatnik Jugs" easel frame card, and the "Triptych of Vases", on their own were great examples of the versatility of the Stampendous sets of Perfectly Clear images. Both of those samples were polar opposites of each other, and amazingly enough, this card uses the same set yet again, and belongs in another category all of it's own. I designed this card for a color challenge for a recent magazine submission call. I thought it was a strange group of colors to put together, and I struggled with it a bit, but I think it works for this card. I used the branches from the Perfectly Clear

set as trees in a landscape, and the dot groups of images vaguely mimic leaves. I chose to highlight the deep blue-green color by stamping the birds from another Perfectly Clear set, "Tweet Cages". The torn cardstock completes the landscape. I added a simply tied twine and sentiment tag to finish it off. I like the relaxed simplicity of the final card. I wonder what I'll do next with that set?

Stampendous Perfectly Clear "Vases" (SSC1093)
Stampendous Perfectly Clear "Tweet Cages" (SSC1074)
Rich Cocoa and Bamboo Leaves Memento ink
Prussian Blue ColorBox Chalk ink
Wassau Crepe cardstock
Bazzill Candlelight, Blue Calypso, and Palo Verde
twine, tag punch

Lizzie Anne Designs Sketch #158!

This week is my opportunity for the Lizzie Anne Designs weekly challenge. My sketch design can be seen at left. Really simple. My version features the Simply Single "Ageless" and the swirly cupcake image from the Sixlets set, "Banner Birthday". Since chocolate cake with pink frosting is just about my absolute fave (next to German's chocolate), I went with the pink and brown color combo. I recently purchased this super-fun sprinkle paper from the Scrapbook Expo in Anaheim, so of course I had to use it. I added sprinkles to my cupcake with a marker and a little glitter for that extra sugary appeal. Hurry quick over to the Lizzie Anne Designs website and grab your own yummy stamp images to play along with us this week. Post your versions of the sketch challenge to the Lizzie Anne Designs Facebook page HERE. New releases are coming out this week on the first, so be sure to pop by again for a visit to all the team's blogs. I also have the 
 Project of the Month feature and spotlight in the April

issue of the Lizzie Anne Designs newsletter. Sign up for your emailed edition HERE. Have a sweet-as-a-cupcake week!

Lizzie Anne Designs "Ageless" and "Banner Birthday"
Rich Cocoa Memento ink
Copic Sketch Markers (E25, E35, E37, RV10, R81, R85, Y11, Y38)
Sakura Glitter Pen
Pinecone Press print paper
Bazzill Dotted Swiss cardstock
white and dark brown cardstock
ribbon, pompom trim
Nestabilities Scalloped circles
1/8 " hole punch, small slot punch
double-sided foam adhesive

Celebrate with New Jumbo Clings from Stampendous!

 Stampendous' new Jumbo Cling stamps are the talk of the internet right now, and it's easy to see why. These wonderful new images make a bold statement in whatever crafting project that you are into at the moment. Visit the Stampendous blog, website, FB fan page, and YouTube and you will find so much inspiration that you won't know what to try first. I chose to create a birthday banner for the January 2011 catalog, using the new "Jumbo Cling Happy Birthday" set which has two wonderful images, the huge sentiment and the flourish design as seen on the blue panel of my banner. I stamped the flourish over each panel for continuity, but I also used the new Perfectly Clear "Counting Birthdays" for more great sentiments in birthday mode. Each bright, happy panel was corrugated, distressed, spritzed, and decorated and bordered with fun print papers. All were attached to a long jumbo rick rack string with cardstock loops and brad fasteners. Then I proceeded to break out my jar of ribbon scraps for added fun. You know how I love my pompoms, so of course large sparkly ones were added to the tips of each panel. The new Jumbo Clings are perfect for
banners for any occasion, as well as home decor, fashion accessories, fashion, scrapbooking, or imagine this...a greeting card! Gasp! Lol. Run, don't walk, to your nearest craft store and/or laptop and get some of these for yourself. Be sure to post your creations and give us a link so we can be inspired by you!

Stampendous "Jumbo Cling Happy Birthday" (CRS5009)
Stampendous Perfectly Clear "Counting Birthdays" (SSC1114)
Clearsnap Smooch Spritz in Peaches & Cream, Sun-Kissed, Carrot Cake, and Pink Sprinkles
Tsukineko Rich Cocoa Memento ink
Bazzill cardstock
Anmerican Crafts, October Afternoon prints
Nestabilities scalloped ovals, Labels Trio
EK Edger punch
Marvy Corrugator
Creative Impressions jumbo rick rack
sparkle pompoms
ribbons, brad fasteners

Triptych of Vases Card

 A couple of week's ago I posted a black and white stamped and embossed easel card (see HERE) using the same set of stamps from Stampendous as I've used for today's post. Both projects were featured in the October 2010 catalog. I love the versatility of this set. The previous post had an "artsy-fartsy" look to it, where this one is more bright and fun. Very simple to replicate...just lay out the strips of cardstock, stamp your images as desired over the three panels and emboss in white. Adhere to the card front off-set for added interest, and add an embossed sentiment and ribbons. I really love how on the first panel, you can see the texture of the cardstock through the embossing.

Stampendous Perfectly Clear "Vases" (SSC1093)
Stampendous White Embossing Powder (EP100)
Versamark ink from Tsukineko
Bazzill cardstock
ribbons (Target)

PLEASE NOTE!

If you are here for the Play Date Cafe with Lizzie Anne Designs color challenge, please scroll down...slowly...really slowly...hee hee. Or if you are in a really big hurry, click HERE!

Dream Schemes Seasonal Sketchiness

This week's Dream Schemes is twice as much fun for me. Lynell is away visiting her family, and asked me if I would take over the blog post for this week. Yippee! Team member, Louise Healy created our Sketch #4 as shown to the left. For the Dream It Up! blog, spring took over with a touch of Easter. For my blog, I paste-embossed in white on black the Birds on Bare Branches stencil. Once dry, I replaced the stencil and chalked color and shading over the dry paste. The picture doesn't show it very well, but I added a bit of crystal glitter to the branches. The inside of my card features a background created with the Stripes/Plaid stenciled with gray ink on lighter gray cardstock. The sentiment of "Tweet Friend" was created using two different stencils, Vertical Friend, and Bird Words, and was simply sponge-stenciled in ink. Obviously, if you look at both of my cards created for this challenge, you can tell that I'm a little confused as to whether or not I'm happy to see winter gone and spring here. That could be because, though it technically is spring, it was snowing up here in the High
 Desert of California today. Kind of bizarre! So, now that you've seen how much fun I've had with the sketch this week, be sure to visit the blogs of our fabulous team. I can hardly wait to see what they come up with! Please create your own version of our sketch, post it and link it to our Mr. Linky on the Dream It Up! blog site. We love it when you play along!

Dreamweaver Stencils:
LG733 Birds on Bare Branches
LX7002 Stripes/Plaid
LS1002 Vertical Friend
LG734 Bird Words
DEP Embossing Paste

Plus:
GM220U Stampendous Multi Ultra-fine Crystal Glitter
Tuxedo Black, London Fog, and Lady Bug Memento inks
red and black decorator chalks
black linen, gray, and Bazzill Red Devil cardstock
double-sided foam adhesive

Play Date Cafe and Lizzie Anne Designs! Yippee!

 Oh, boy, it's a play date! Even better...it's a play date with COLOR! The inspiration for color play is this gorgeous picture to the left...full of bright light, wonderful blues and purples, and a hint of green. My version features images from Lizzie Anne Designs, specifically the "It's Good to Be Queen" mix, and "Everyday Sayings" (which just happens to be on sale!). Since I didn't happen to have any patterned paper with the blue and purple colors together (I know, how can that be considering I must have half a ton of paper!), but I did happen to have  this paper with these pretty blue flowers over it. I added to the pattern with the Paisley image and the Dots image. This panel of paper was placed over an embossed paisley cardstock panel of dreamy blue, with bits of violet borders added. The Tulips image was colored on the rubber with Copics, spritzed with Blender fluid and stamped. A touch of additional shading was added with Copics, a white pen, and a bit of glitter. Layers of Nestie die cuts, popped up, and a little bling added finish this off. Have fun hopping around to the rest of the Play Date Cafe group, which this week includes all of our wonderful Lizzie Anne Designs team as listed at right. While you are at the Lizzie Anne site, be sure to check out all the fabulous images on sale through Sunday in the Overstock section. 40% off! Woo hoo! Since this is a Play Date, be sure to play along!

Lizzie Anne Designs "It's Good to Be Queen" and "Everyday Sayings"
Memento inks: Summer Sky, New Sprout, Grape Jelly, Lulu Lavender
Copic Sketch Markers: G07, G21, G27, FYG2, BV00, V09, V15, Blender fluid
Glue Pen, White gel pen
Stampendous Multi Ultra Fine Crystal Glitter
Nestabilities Labels 4
Impressabilities Paisley
MME Tres Belle paper
light blue, violet, off white cardstock
pearl and rhinestone stickers
double-sided foam adhesive

Iguana Love You Forever

 Quickie post today. I actually planned to post this before Valentine's day, but somehow that just never happened. It's soooo cute though, you gotta love this sweet image from Stampendous, and it occurred to me that it would be a perfect tuck-in-the-lunch-box note for a child. The image was stamped multiple times in order to paper piece the heart and the iguana, and to pop her up a bit. A little pink Dot Sparkler bling was added to highlight her spots, mimicked by the DP. Happy stamping!

Stampendous Iguana Love (CRV195)
Pink Dot Sparklers Class A' Peels (AC672HSP)
Onxy Versafine ink from Tsukineko
Rouge and Jade ColorBox chalk ink from Clearsnap
Bazzill Grasshopper and Petunia CS
Melissa Frances "Nick" DP
buttons, twine
double-sided foam adhesive
white gel pen

Ceramic Coasters with Dreamweaver Stencils

 A couple of weeks ago I posted two coasters in similar colors and patterns done with Stampendous images, and promised to post some created with Dreamweaver Stencils. Well, here they are. Like I said these are very similar in that the background was done the same as the previous two so that they could all go in my living room as a set. The background once again was created with a couple spritzes of Memories Mists in Teal, which I rubbed into the surface before wiping off the excess. I heat set this with my heat tool. (Warning...tile will get very hot and stay very hot!) When cool, I stenciled the images with Black StazOn ink sponged through the stencils onto the surface of the tiles. The dragonfly tile was done with a background of the Flourishes
stencil, with the Dragonfly over the top. The Heart and Key come together on one stencil, but I placed them on the tile differently. Both tiles were heat set again. A little sponging of the black ink around the edges was added and heat set. When cool, I gave both a light spray finish of Krylon matte finish spray. Little felt circles were stuck on the bottom to protect tabletop surfaces from being scratched. As I pointed out in the previous posting, these tiles can be purchased at the big box home stores for under one dollar each. A set of these can make a wonderful gift, or a great craft fair project. Who says stamping and/or stenciling has to be for cards only?

Dreamweaver Stencils:
LM193 Dragonfly
LJ890 Flourishes
LG672 Heart & Key
MMIR04 Memories Mists Teal

Black StazOn ink from Tsukineko
ceramic tiles
felt protective dots
Krylon Matte finish spray

Swingin' into Spring!

Quickie post in honor of Spring. I've been going into simple mode lately. This Stampendous "Tree Swing" image was stamped and embossed in white. A little shading added with Copics. A strip of fun paper, a button, and twine on the side, and finally an epoxy word that exemplifies this fabby new image from Stampendous. Happy Spring, everyone!

Stampendous:
CRP121 Cling Tree Swing
EP100 White Embossing Powder

Plus:
Studio 121 Epoxy Words
October Afternoon paper
Bazzill Kraft cardstock
Versamark ink
Copic Sketch Markers (YG03, YG11, E21, and E31)
corner rounder
button, twine

Oh, Baby! It's Lizzie Anne Designs Team Challenge

 Ooooooh, baby! It's the Lizzie Anne Designs monthly team challenge, and we are all getting our inspiration from the Pottery Barn Kids site. So many cute things on their site, but HERE is the picture that I chose. I love the elephants and the light blue in the bedding. I went with this darling image from last year's "It's Good to Be Queen" mix set. I matched the argyle stamp with it, and used the congratulations from the "Everyday Sayings" Little Bits set. Once I finished the card, I had this notion in my head of creating a bib-shaped gift tag decorated with the same images. I used my Spellbinders Nestabilities to die cut the elements. I photographed these with the baby afghan that my MIL had made for my oldest son when he was born (he just turned 25 this week!), and a stuffed elephant that he had. I really enjoyed this challenge as I rarely have the opportunity to make baby items. I think this set will probably go to my very pregnant hair stylist, who is having a boy in about eight weeks. Now take your own nursery tour to the rest of the team's blogs to see how they
were inspired by PBK. Play along with us and post your creations to the Customer Gallery at Lizzie Anne Designs.

Lizzie Anne Designs "It's Good to Be Queen", "Everyday Sayings"
French Blue ColorBox Chalk Ink
Recollections and MME papers
light blue cardstock
Nestabilities Circles and Lacey Circles dies
ribbon, button, twine
tag punch
baby bottle with M & M's ( yum)

"When Irish Eyes are"... DREAM SCHEMING!

 This week is free choice week again for the Dream Scheme team. Since it just happens to fall on St. Patty's Day, I thought I'd create another card for the green...seriously green...lots of green! I used the "Go Green" stencil, machine embossed on the card, and sanded the surface to show off the embossing (works best with Coredinations cardstock). The sentiment was simply run through the Big Shot on metallic gold cardstock. I did the double glitter technique for the "Round Doily" stencil, and covered the hearts from the "Cupid and Heart" stencil with flock. If you'd like to try the double glitter technique yourself, here is how it goes:
1. Place double-sided adhesive on cardstock panel.
2. Rub back of stencil with coconut soap (or other high-fat content soap). This will prevent the stencil from sticking too well!
3. Pour background shade of glitter over surface, and rub in thoroughly to ensure complete coverage. Pour off excess.
 4. Peel off stencil. Pour secondary color of glitter over remaining spaces and rub in. Ta dah! Soooooo simple and sooooo effective!
Note: For the hearts, place double-sided adhesive on cardstock panel. Cover adhesive with flocking, once again rubbing in thoroughly. Trace the hearts from stencil on back and cut out.
This card has sooo much texture which provides lots of interest despite the predominance of one color...green! Happy St. Patty's Day!
Be sure to hop around to the rest of the Dream Team as well as the Dream It Up! blog. Play along and link your creation to Mr. Linky on the Dream It Up! blog. We want to be inspired by you as well!

Dreamweaver Stencils Product:
LX7000 Go Green
LL598 Cupid and Heart
LG655 Round Doily
LS89 Celebrate
DHHS Hawaiian Coconut Soap
MPDS Double-sided Mounting Paper

Stampendous Emerald Green Ultra Fine Jewel Glitter
Stampendous Gold Ultra Fine Jewel Glitter
Stampendous Envious Green Fun Flock
Coredinations cardstock
Metallic gold cardstock
heart brad fastener
Big Shot, sanding block
double-sided foam adhesive