The Woodware UK Team is Singing "Buttons and Bows"

 As I'm writing this post this week, I'm humming the "Buttons and Bows" song from "The Paleface", with Bob Hope and Jane Russell. (If you are too young to remember this movie, google it!) The reason for this is that he Woodware UK team was challenged this week to use "Buttons and Bows", something I love to use on my cards, so much so that I am featuring two cards today. The first is a super simple everyday card. I used three colors of ink pads to create the background for the embossed in white Stampendous Cling Jumbo Dahlia. A doubled up loop of orange and yellow organza ribbon with a button and twine bow were the perfect finishing touch.

 This second card features the Dreamweaver Stencils' Rooster which I paste-embossed with a "sludge" mixture of Glossy Red and Matte Yellow Pastes. Using the two pastes separately, I created the plaid border with the Stripes/Plaid stencil. A bright, cheerful mix of buttons adds to the whimsical feel of this card.

Remember, the entire Woodware UK team are creating with Buttons and Bows all of this week, so check the Woodware blog for links on each day!

Recycling With French Flair

Well...we've recycled, reused, repurposed, and renewed everything within our grasp this month. This has really been a fun challenge for the month of April for the Stampendous team, and we hope that you've had fun playing along as well.

For my final post for the month, I decided to go French...as in baguette, that is! I picked up a loaf at the Trader Joe's when I was "down the hill" last week, and saved the paper wrapper bag that it came in. This became the basis for my card. I broke out the Stampendous Cling I Love Paris image, stamped and embossed it in Aged Black Embossing Enamel. Then I stamped and embossed the Cling Leaf Swirl with Aged Copper Embossing Enamel, added several sprinkles and puddles of both enamels indiscriminately over the card, before finishing it off with a scrap of pompom trim, ribbon, twine, and the foil cap from one of my favorite bottles of wine (unfortunately...not French)... I just liked the regal crown imprinted on it! Besides, if you are drinking wine while creating, you are entitled to a little artistic license...even in recycling!

The winner for this month's challenge will receive this fabulous Perfectly Clear Mother's Love set:

 Be sure to play along with us in May as we are full of great gifty ideas! Meanwhile, check out what the rest of the team has been up to this week:

Stampendous Impressions!

Janelle Stollfus

Jennifer Dove

Lea Kimmel

Jennifer Ingle

Pam Hornschu (me)

Wendy Price 

Susie Moore

Taylor Usry

Tenia Nelson

Wendy Jordan

A Little Birdy Told Me...About the Dreamweaver Challenge

 Feeling the love of the Dreamweaver Stencil's "May Flowers" challenge this month? We are down to the final week in this challenge, so I really wanted to provide a happy project to encourage more to play along with us...like YOU!

Ever have a creative idea in your head, that amazingly turns out just the way you planned? This project was mine. I had bought several of these darling unfinished wood birdhouses at JoAnn's for $1 each. They are about 5" tall and 4" wide, the perfect size to have a little fun with...and I did. I broke out a few of my Ranger products...Adirondack Paint Daubers In White and Pool, Claudine Helmuth Studio Acrylic Paint in Yellow Pastel, and Enamel Accents in White. Those Paint Daubers are soooo awesome! Great way to paint items without breaking out all the messy supplies. Here is what I did:

1) I daubed, swiped, and brushed on the Pool and Pastel Yellow paints.
2) I "white washed" over the surface by dry-brushing white paint over the surface.
3) I distressed the edges with a sanding block.
4) Using the Black Eyed Susans stencil from Dreamweaver Stencils, I taped it onto the flat side of the roof with removable tape. I stenciled the design with the Pastel Yellow, pouncing off excess paint before pouncing paint into the design in an up and down motion, to avoid getting paint under the stencil bridges.
5) I wanted to stencil the Bird Words onto the front of the house, but let's face it, the design of the house was not going to let that happen. So, here is what I did...I stenciled the words onto a piece of thin tissue paper. I traced the outline of the house and the heart opening, and cut out the piece of tissue. Then I coated the front with Beacon Adhesives Fast Finish Decoupage, placed the tissue on top,  and brushed more decoupage over the top.
6) I added little white dots of Enamel Accents to the roof.
7) Some ribbons and Prima flowers with a glitter brad were the finishing touch.

Remember we want YOU to play along with us with our challenges. Break out those floral stencils, etc., and create something only YOU can. Either link your creation to the Mr. Linky on the Dream It Up! blog, or email a picture of your creation to Lynell@dreamweaverstencils.com. We love it when you play along, so we post your creations on the Dream It Up! blog, as well as the Dreamweaver Stencils' Facebook Page (have you LIKED us yet?). Even better, this month TWO people have the opportunity to win one set of these two stencil designs:

For more inspiration, take a wander through the Dream Team's fabulous creations:

Dream It Up! blog
Pam Hornschu   

Laura Drahozal  

Louise Healy  

Wendy Jordan  

Terrece Siddoway 

Kristi Van Doren 

Georgia Sommers 

Lee Kellogg 

Liz Martin

Cherylynn Moser 

Jessie Hurley

Woodware Uk/Clearsnap Blog Hop

We're having a blog hop!!!

Welcome to the
Woodware and Clearsnap
Spring Gifts Blog Hop!!!

Whether you're getting ready for Mother's Day (US), graduation season, or just because, these gifts ideas can be made with a few Clearsnap inks, Rollagraph Stamp Wheels, and Woodware Craft Collection Clear Stamps. All week long we'll be sharing inspiring gift ideas on our blogs here:

Clearsnap Blog
Woodware Blog

I had so much fun playing with the Clearsnap products for my Woodware UK project! I took an ordinary unfinished wood frame, and made it extra-ordinary! I used Mandarin Ancient Page Re-inker and a sponge to color the base...works perfectly as a wood stain. I stamped the Clearsnap Rollagraph "Faux Postal" with the deepest color from the ColorBox Fluid Chalk Ink Queue "Sand Dunes". Unfortunately, my rolling wasn't as perfectly straight as I would have like, so I disguised it a bit...I used my Frost White ColorBox Pigment pad directly to swipe a "white-washed" look over the surface. To emphasize this further, I sprinkled on Stampendous White Embossing Powder, brushed away the excess (leaving convenient brush strokes), and heated this. Now my fun Rollagraph images aren't as prominent as I would like, sooooo...I stamp-rolled onto tissue paper with Chestnut Roan ColorBox Fluid Chalk in Cat's Eye. I love how the colors work together! I cut each section or "stamp" out and decoupaged them onto the frame with Beacon Adhesive's Fast Finish Decoupage. Love this product! Goes on thin, dries clear, and fast! I also decoupaged one of the tissue "stamps" onto a square Canvas Corp mini canvas. When dry, this became my framed focal point. I still felt like the project needed just one more thing, know what I mean? I broke out my Metallique Copper Card Candi and adhered them around the edge to mimic upholstery tacks. I love how they look on this!

 

Head on over to the Clear Snap Blog  and the Woodware UK blog to see what they've created today!! And don't forget to follow Clearsnap  on twitter and Facebook and you will find Woodware on Twitter and Facebook too.

Happy Hopping!

 

We're having a blog hop!!!

Welcome to the
Woodware and Clearsnap
Spring Gifts Blog Hop!!!

Whether you're getting ready for Mother's Day (US), graduation season, or just because, these gifts ideas can be made with a few Clearsnap inks, Rollagraph Stamp Wheels, and Woodware Craft Collection Clear Stamps. All week long we'll be sharing inspiring gift ideas on our blogs here:

Clearsnap Blog: http://clearsnap.blogspot.com
Woodware Blog: http://www.woodware.co.uk/blog/

Head on over to the Clear Snap Blog to see what they've created today!! And don't forget to follow Clearsnap  on twitter and Facebook and you will find Woodware on Twitter and Facebook too.

Happy Hopping!

UK Television Gets Fran•taged!

I am excited to announce that Stampendous' very own Fran Seiford will be appearing on the United Kingdom’s ONLY dedicated Craft Channel – Create and Craft TV! Fortunately for us here in the U.S. we can watch online as she shows all of Britain her fantastic Encrusted Jewel Technique using our new Fran•táge Embossing Enamels to create dazzling and elegant cards with a simple sprinkle and heat process!

 

We’d love you to watch Fran live from the UK, so we’ve made a chart of the times her shows will air. There are three different shows, so don’t miss a minute of this exciting event! For one of the shows she’ll be joining the UK’s famous Craft Diva Dawn Bibby. Please be aware that times can change at the last minute, so check the TV Schedule tab on the Create and Craft website for the latest scheduling.

 

You can watch Create and Craft TV at http://www.createandcraft.tv
We know you can’t purchase these items from the show (unless you are lucky enough to live in the UK), so we’ve put them in a special category on our Website for you to purchase there. You’ll find all the products she’s demonstrating in the Create and Craft TV Category. Look for it on our home page at http://www.stampendous.com.  Once the shows have aired, you’ll be able to access videos of her project creation from this location as well.

Join us in cheering Fran on in this new adventure!

Trash to Treasure Beneath the Sea

The stupendous Stampendous  gals are at it again this week...recycling, repurposing, and reusing for the month of April! Nothing hits the "round file" this month, and everything is fair game to be stamped, cut, encrusted, and Fran•taged! 


My creation for this week features the new Cling Mermaid Kiddo, stamped and colored with Copics (about 25 different shades which I was too lazy to list). I used my Nesties' circle dies to cut out a portion to encapsulate along with some of the Steel Blue and Fresh Green Crushed Glass Glitter. I die cut a corresponding circle to frame the "capsule". I stamped and embossed in Aged Ivory the Cling Shell Background on kraft, tore the edge, adhered more of the Glass Glitters, and added the remainder of her tail and hair (didn't want to waste that portion...it was colored really nicely!)


What was my recycled item? The capsule of course! Somewhere in the past, brad fasteners came in this clamshell packaging which I saved for the perfect occasion...and this was it!


Check out what the players for this week have been up to:

Stampendous Impressions
Lea Kimmel
Pam Hornschu
Suzanne Czosek
Melinda Gleissner
Wendy Price 
Taylor Usry
Tenia Nelson  
Wendy Jordan

 
You have until Thursday, May 3, 2012 at 11:59 PM EST to add your direct link to our collection at the end of this post (or on the Stampendous blog).  You do not have to use Stampendous products, but we sure love it when you do!  As an extra incentive for playing along, one lucky crafter (drawn at random) will receive this fabulous newly released Mother's Love Perfectly Clear Stamp Set . 

Due to shipping restrictions, the winner must have a US address.  We hope you have a chance to play along with us (you may enter as many times as you'd like!) this month...Happy Crafting!

Dreamweaver Floral Fun

 The entire month of April, Dreamweaver Stencils is challenging the Dream Team and YOU to play along with our "May Flowers" theme.

I chose to attempt a watercolor look with this Long Stem Daffodil. Using a predominantly pointilism technique, I colored inside the stencil design with my Copic Sketch markers. Once this coloring was complete, I kept the stencil attached, spritzed the back with rubbing alcohol, and machine-embossed the panel. The spritzing produced a two-fold effect...it spread the ink in a watercolor wash appearance, plus encouraged a deeper emboss. Then I paste-embossed with the Translucent Paste over the embossed surface.

The panel was trimmed, matted, and adhered over the top of a machine-embossed Big Dots on patterned paper panel. A sheer ribbon and epoxy sentiment provides a bright, fresh, Spring statement.

Remember to play along with us this month by linking your floral creation to the Mr. Linky on the Dream It Up! blog, or email your creation to Lynell@dreamweaverstencils.com. We love to feature your creations on the blog, as well as the Facebook page, plus you have the opportunity to win one of two sets of these stencil designs:

For more inspiration, take a wander through the Dream Team's fabulous creations:

Dream It Up! blog
Pam Hornschu   

Laura Drahozal  

Louise Healy  

Wendy Jordan  

Terrece Siddoway 

Kristi Van Doren 

Georgia Sommers 

Lee Kellogg 

Liz Martin

 Cyndi Bundy 

Cherylynn Moser 

Jessie Hurley

Woodware UK and SCS...Two Birds, One Stamp Set!

This is the second time this week where I've had a color challenge in my favorite colors! Woodware UK asked the team to create in turquoise and brown...two yummy shades that I've been in love with for about six years now. Even our bedroom is decorated in those colors with a pop of poppy for a little added fun.

For this card, I used the Stampendous Perfectly Clear Nest Egg set, stamped and embossed with Chocolate Embossing Powder on aqua and kraft cardstock. The layout design is from this week's Split Coast Stampers' sketch challenge #381. Excuse the pun...but I thought that I'd kill two birds with one stone. Um. Yeah.

The basic look is CAS (clean and simple), with the added pizzazz of some Stampendous Frantage Essentials...Powder Blue Color Fragments and Bronze Crushed Glass Glitter. Fabulous products that add wonderful texture and color to any project. My favorite way to adhere these is to use Ranger Inkessentials Glossy Accents, but even a glue marker works well.

Remember, all of the Woodware UK team are playing with these colors all this week. Visit the Woodware UK blog each day for the link du jour!

Feeling Lost? Looking for Wonderland?

If you are here for the Altered Alice blog collaboration, please scroll down through the following post.

Gourmet Rubber Stamps...A Challenge and a Goodbye

This is a sad posting day for me. Today will be my last post with Gourmet Rubber Stamps, and the team of amazingly talented ladies that I have loved to be a part of for the last year and a half. That is, if you count being with them as part of Lizzie Anne Designs before GRS licensed their images, and with these, the two fabulously gifted artists...Tricia ( Lizzie) Ulberg and Meredith (Anne) Ethington. The wonderful part of this is that the internet provides the opportunity to continue friendships and inspiration, that would have been difficult otherwise. So, I know they'll still be a part of my life. Even still, this was a very difficult decision for me. I've been feeling torn in too many directions lately, and needed to make the decision to back off just a bit and to re-focus my priorities.

We were challenged this month to be inspired by the picture at left. What a gift to me as these are my favorite colors in the world. Love blues and greens, particularly lime and aqua...even my studio space is in these colors!

Since I am leaving the team (unless they invite me back as a guest designer!), I chose this image from the Lizzie Anne Designs line, "Ship",  and "The River Bends" sentiment which is perfect as I say goodbye, "If my ship sails from sight, it doesn't mean my journey ends, it simply means the river bends."

Painting the Roses Red for the Stampendous/Altered Alice Month

"After a time she heard a little pattering of feet in the distance, and she hastily dried her eyes to see what was coming. It was the White Rabbit returning, splendidly dressed, with a pair of white kid gloves in one hand and a large fan in the other: he came trotting along in a great hurry, muttering to himself as he came, `Oh! the Duchess, the Duchess! Oh! won't she be savage if I've kept her waiting!'"-- Chapter 2; Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

The entire month of April, Stampendous is playing along with the Altered Alice blog featuring the Perfectly Clear Wonderland set. If you missed my first project, you can find it HERE.

Today's creation was done in painting-the-roses-red. I doubt that's the color name for this Co'ordinations' cardstock, but it is for today! I stamped and embossed  the new Stampendous Cling Jumbo Cottage Rose (available at your local stores now, available online April 21st) on the upper right corner with Fran•tage Aged Black Embossing Enamel. I added a stamped, embossed, inked, distressed, and torn panel, matted with black cardstock, with a distressed Queen of Hearts playing card tucked behind. I sprinkled and piled Aged Black and Shabby White Embossing Enamels over the card, and heated from underneath until melted for that Fran•tage Encrusted look. I stamped and embossed Alice with Midnight Black Embossing Powder, cut her out, and adhered her to the card with bits of adhesive foam tape.

Be sure to visit the Altered Alice blog to see the challenge creations, as well as the fabulousness by the Altered Alice team. Remember, they are having a challenge over there...and the prize? This WONDERful Wonderland clear set:

More samples and info can be found on the Stampendous Impressions! blog as well.

Dreamweaver and Stampendous Final Hop Day!

Get ready to be inked, pasted, encrusted, stenciled and stamped! All of this week the Dreamweaver Stencils' Dream Team and the Stampendous Design Teams will be providing some "Dream-pendous" inspiration for you, with multiple opportunities to win some fabulous prizes from both companies. Each day this week, you will be directed from both the Stampendous Impressions' blog or the Dream It Up! blog to the players du jour for your oohing and aaahing pleasure. Everyone will be playing on Saturday, the 14th with our final hop for the week. This is your opportunity to see how to mix and mingle your creativity...if you are a stenciler, you will be fascinated at combining stamps with your first love. If you are a stamper, you will be wowed at how stencils can add to your impressions.

My post today takes the collaboration of Dreamweaver Stencils and Stampendous to yet another level. The Stampendous challenge for the month of April, is to reuse or repurpose something on your project. Such an easy thing to do when you are going with the distressed, collaged look.

I stamped the Cling Bird Post on pale yellow cardstock twice, cutting out one of the birds to layer.

The base card is kraft, and was machine-embossed with the Dreamweaver Stencils' Quatrefoil design before rubbing Rich Cocoa Memento ink over the embossed surface to highlight.

My repurposed items? The chip tag was die cut from the thin cardboard of a pasta package, machine-embossed to match the background card, and ink-stenciled with a sentiment from DW Bird Words. The flower was die cut from the bag that breakfast cereal comes in (probably Lucky Charms!). I used Dreamweaver Color Solutions Artist Grade alcohol inks to color, and stamped a portion of the postcard image over it with Black StazOn. And...the more obvious item, is the postage stamp that I saved from one of my MILs letters from family in Germany.

Everything on this card has been distressed and inked and coffee spritzed (ooh, another reuse!) to tie all the elements together.

If you've missed the previous five days of this hop collaboration of Dreamweaver and Stampendous, just scroll down (leaving some love along the way)!

Be sure to leave comments as you tour the blogs (with your email addy!) for a chance to win* one of three combined sets of these Dreamweaver and Stampendous goodies:

Leave me some love before you "gear up" for the next player:

Dream It Up!
Stampendous Impressions!
Kristine Reynolds
Cherylynn Moser
Susie Moore
Lynn Mercurio
Laura Drahozal
Pam Hornschu  
Wendy Price
Liz Martin
Taylor Usry
Jessie Hurley
Krissy Fossmeyer
Cyndi Bundy
Jennifer Ingle
Georgia Sommers
Melinda Gleissner
Kristi Van Doren
Stephanie Lee
Wendy Jordan
Suzanne Czosek
Terrece Siddoway
Lee Kellogg
Janelle Stollfus
Louise Healy  
Jennifer Dove

*For shipping and handling purposes, USA/APO/FPO/Canada winners only.