Dreamweaver: A Change of Bloomin' Plans

My original intention for this final week of our "Bloomin' Spring" challenge, was to post completed pictures of a larger project that I started working on this week. Those of you who follow Dreamweaver on Facebook (and LIKE us...you really LIKE us!), have seen a few behind-the-scenes pics (including the one at left) of this process. However, it's taking a bit longer than I expected. For some reason LIFE keeps interrupting my creative time. Geesh! What's with that?

So, I decided to show off a pretty card that I had done with the same Nouveau Wisteria stencil about a year ago, just to show the dramatic difference you can achieve with every Dreamweaver stencil and technique! Now I haven't finished deciding on the final steps of this vase, so I'd appreciate any and all suggestions either in your comments on this post, or on the Dreamweaver Stencil's Facebook page.

I can pretty much guarantee that the end result will be nothing like this card in color or technique. This card was created using various Dreamweaver Memories Mists (Mango Lemonade, Strawberry Daiquiri, Blue Lagoon, Teal, and Green), including the background which was letterpressed with an ink-misted Cathedral Window design. Some wonderful May Arts ribbons and trims were the perfect finishing touch...as always!

Be sure to visit the rest of our team in their final hurrah as the 2012 team. Our 2013 team will begin posting next week, so be sure to come back and bolster their egos with lots of ooohs and aaaahs!

Dream it UP 

Laura Drahozal  

Louise Healy  

Terrece Siddoway 

Georgia Sommers 

Lee Kellogg 

Liz Martin

Cherylynn Moser (posting late on 3/28/13)

Kristi Van Doren

Pam Hornschu (me)

Woodware UK: Around the World

I just love it when a plan comes together...quickly. I woke up this morning with a brain flash that I had forgot to create something for the Woodware UK challenge this week. I scrambled out of bed, whizzed up my green smoothie (trying to eat healthier), and rushed upstairs to get to it. Of course, waiting on my computer was a slight hint, hint, nudge, nudge, wink, wink, from Dorothy...our sweet, wonderful, fearless team leader...um, yeah. "I'm on it", I told her, as I rapidly pulled out a mega pile of Stampendous new travel stamps in both clear and cling format, scooped up several ink pads, sheets of recycled cardstock, and my handy dandy score tool. Oh, yes, by the way...the challenge is Around the World, hence the travel stamps.

I knew exactly what I wanted to create...a travel satchel for holding all the little bits from my trip to London, Birmingham, and Dublin. While I was there I tried each day to send myself a postcard from wherever we were that day, with the British postage (they really have cool postage). I wanted a place to tuck all of these postcards, plus the Underground tube map, the bus maps, tickets, business cards from places we visited.

I scored cardstock like a mad woman, down the sides to form pockets, through the center to create an accordion fold for standing up, and an extra pocket to go on the outside flap. I swiped brown ink all over the edges for a distressed look, and then broke out the stamps. These are awesome travel images. So many iconic images, along with wonderful sentiments perfect for those who love to travel. I used them all randomly, and for the purrfect addition, I added Catifur Columbus on the front. Yes, you read that correctly. Those Stampendous people love their puns...good or not-so-good.

Remember to see what the other traveling team members have created for this week's challenge on the Woodware UK blog. Visit your local stores as listed HERE to purchase these items, or if you are in the USA, you can purchase from the Stampendous site.

Supplies:
Stampendous Perfectly Clear Air Travel and Baggage Claim sets
Stampendous Cling Catifur Columbus, Old World Globe, Suitcase World, Better Travel
Woodware Recycled Cardstock
Dye inks in brown, black, orange, rust, navy
hook and loop fastener dots
Spellbinder rectangle die
Woodware Groovy Boxmaker and Cardmaker

Dreamweaver: Floral Challenge and Big News!

Going CAS for this week's challenge card. I created this floral card, but using Memories Mists in Strawberry Daiquiri through the Rose Bush stencil, and the ink left on the surface of the stencil was used as a letter-press on a second panel. Therefore, the positive and negative images of the design were created. Super simple to do. I cut the panels in squares and then triangles, and adhered them to my card. I stamped a wonderful sentiment from Woodware UK's Clear Magic design by Francoíse Read called "A Good Friend" with StazOn ink on an acetate panel, and attached simply with brads.

There is some HUGE news being announced today on the Dream It Up! blog, so head over there to check it out. Then you can see what the team has been up to with flowers for this week:

Dream it UP  

Laura Drahozal  

Louise Healy  

Terrece Siddoway 

Georgia Sommers 

Lee Kellogg 

Liz Martin

Cherylynn Moser

Kristi Van Doren

Pam Hornschu (me)

Woodware UK: A Lacy Impression

For those of you who follow my blog on a regular basis, this card will seem vaguely familiar. I created this a few years back for a Stampendous catalog. It's always been one of my favorites. I don't usually go all out on ornate and frilly, but for this one I did. So I'm posting this for the Woodware UK "Lavender and Lace" challenge this week. Technically there is no lace on this card, but the overall impression is lacy due to the images used.

This is a tent card, super simple to create. The layered hearts dangling in the oval are the Stampendous Ornate Heart, stamped and embossed with Crystal Embossing Powder...one of my faves as it's clear and sparkly at the same time. The background on the inside is the Petals Nouveau Background cling stamp, and was also used on the lavender/purple panel in front with purple dye ink. Behind this panel are Dot Scallop Border Class A' Peel stickers in mirror finish, to match the mirrorboard on the inside panel, as well as the dangling heart. The card is finished off with loop-edged satin ribbon, a few paper roses, and a slim sentiment from the Stampendous Perfectly Clear Formal Frames set.

The Woodware UK team have been posting each day with something new for the challenge, so check them all out through the Woodware UK blog.

Keep On Scrollin'

If you are here for the Dreamweaver post, please continue to scroll down, but take time to see the flowers along the way!

Flowers are Poppy-ing Up at Woodware UK

Not only is the Dream Team going floral for the month of March, but this week the Woodware UK team is blooming with spring as well. It doesn't matter that they are up to their eyeballs in rain and snow across the pond, they are still charged up for some happy flowers. And who can blame them? Especially, when you have such a wonderful selection of floral supplies as Woodware carries!

It was a tough decision, but I chose to work with this beautiful, whimsical Poppies Field Clear Magic set, designed by Francoisé Read for Woodware UK. It's been a while since I've done any form of watercolor, so I broke out my Aquarel Watercolor Pencils and my Sakura Koi Waterbrush, and colored madly in and out of the lines created by embossing the design with Stampendous Shabby Pink Embossing Enamel. I added a bit of a Fran•táge flair with a spattering of Shabby Green Embossing Enamel as well, heated from underneath to not lose all the bits. A wonderful slender sentiment comes with this clear design, and stamped with StazOn ink on vellum, was a pretty overlay over the Woodware UK Self-adhesive White Lace. And of course a little bling from Mark Richards Crystal stickers.

Have you seen what the rest of the Woodware UK girls have been up to this week? You can check out each day's post on the Woodware UK blog.

Remember, all of these products can be purchased at the stores listed on the Woodware UK website. In the USA, both Shabby Enamels can be purchased through the Stampendous website as well. So...get shopping!

Stencil Simplicity for Floral Fun

The Dream Team is in to their second week of the Bloomin' March challenge, and there are no lack of fabulous blooms to choose from!

For my post today, I chose to use designs with a bit of Celtic flair to them...the Nouveau Rose and Rose Bush tall stencils, and I used them very simply. This card is the perfect technique for a stencil beginner.

Both panels were run through my Big Shot Pro machine (any embossing machine will work), with a specific "sandwich" to protect the stencil:


1. Place stencil face down on base plate.
2. Place cardstock face down on stencil. (Spritz back with rubbing alcohol if available.)
3. Place Embossing Details mat on top of stencil.
4. Place TWO clear flat plates on top of all, and run through machine.

The bottom panel was simply machine embossed. The top panel was cut from Co'ordinations cardstock, and once machine embossed, the surface was sanded to reveal the core color. A pretty ribbon and a beautiful embellishment pin finishes the card in elegant style.

Speaking of style...check out the rest of our wonderful Dream Team as they reveal their own versions of a Bloomin' March:

Dream it UP  

Laura Drahozal  

Louise Healy  

Terrece Siddoway 

Georgia Sommers 

Lee Kellogg 

Liz Martin

 Cyndi Bundy 

Cherylynn Moser

Kristi Van Doren

Pam Hornschu (me)

Be sure to visit again next week as we introduce our new Dream Team 2013 to you! So exciting!
Don't forget to follow us on the Dream It Up! blog, our Facebook page, Pinterest, and Paper Craft Planet's Dreamweaver Thursday Tutorials!

Sketches and Backgrounds

Having a "sketchy" week with the Woodware UK team, with number 21 in the lineup of sketches. A nice basic design, leaving plenty of leeway for creativity.

As I just returned from my trip to the UK, and only now am beginning to thaw out, I found on my workspace a pile of products that I was working with before I left. I had designed a short class for the Stitches craft show in Birmingham, England, which included the Dreamweaver Metallic F/X powders, various inks, cork, etc. I had discovered how fun it was to create a background on the cork by applying Versamark ink over the surface, and using large stencil brushes, "rouging" in colors of the mica powders to mimic a sunrise/sunset effect. When stamped over the top with a dark ink, the contrast is quite striking. On my background papers, I stamped Jane Gill's "Gone Fishing" clear stamp to coordinate with her "Casting the Bait" image on the cork, only in softer colors. I had some bits and pieces left of stamping on cork, and a fun old game piece to add on. Now I'm ready for whichever of my hubby's friends has a birthday next!

Check out what the rest of the girls have been creating for this challenge, and link your own for an opportunity to win from the Wookdware UK blog. Remember, you can purchase any of these products for the stores listed on the Woodware UK website.

My Bloomin' Bits and Pieces!

The Dream Team is all abloom for the month of March, and who could blame us? Haven't we all seen enough gray, dreary, rainy/snowy days of winter? It's impossible to be depressed when flowers are in abundance, even if it's just a hint sprouting through the snow.

My card today screams warm and tropical sunny days, and was created with leftover bits and pieces from my trip to the UK for the Stitches craft show in Birmingham, England.

Lynell and I were demonstrating stencil techniques, and teaching mini classes in the huge Woodware booth, which also provided the opportunity to play a bit with new or forgotten techniques. Judith had handed us a box of Sakura Cray-Pas...an oily/waxy form of pastels to experiment with. Kind of like crayons for grown-ups. We were creating backgrounds on cardstock by blending various colors of the pastels. Lynell tried to paste-emboss on top of one of these backgrounds, but when she tried to use the Molten Magic technique on it, heating the pasted item just made it want to peel off. In the process, it left a "ghost" image of the design, which was very cool, but kind of a waste of the pasting effort. I played around until I could mimic the ghosting by using a cotton swab with rubbing alcohol to remove color through the Dragonfly stencil design. The result looks very much like batik. To add more interest, I paste-embossed the Daisy Background in Translucent paste over the surface which was very subtle, but you can see in the above pictures how cool it looks.

The Daisy background was also stenciled using the same Cray-Pas over the machine-embossed panel of the Daisies. I rubbed a few colors of the pastel on my Ranger craft mat, and using the Dreamweaver stencil brushes in a rouging manner, applied the color over the surface of the raised design. With the addition of a couple of Prima flowers and a fun new canvas-covered button, my blooming card was complete.

This is the perfect example of why you should always save the bits and pieces that are great on their own, but didn't work for some other project that you were working on. You never know when those pieces will become the jumping off point for a whole new spurt of creativity!

Be sure to visit the rest of the team's blogs for more inspiration, and play along with the team for this month's challenge. Just link your own "bloomin'" creation(s) to the link on the Dream It Up! blog, or email pics of your creations to lynell@dreamweaverstencils.com, for an opportunity to be this month's randomly selected prize winner.

Dream it UP  

Laura Drahozal  

Louise Healy  

Terrece Siddoway 

Georgia Sommers 

Lee Kellogg 

Liz Martin

 Cyndi Bundy 

Cherylynn Moser

Kristi Van Doren

Pam Hornschu (me)

Wendy Jordan