Clean and Simple to DIE For!

Since there were five Thursdays in January, you have the opportunity of having some extra time to link your CAS creations for the monthly challenge. But, before you head off to do that, check out what the Dream Team is inspiring you with...

My card features the brand new, and my favorite, Leafy Branch Die. Be prepared to be seeing this one over and over again on my blog. Fun and versatile, I've only just begun to create all the ideas that are swimming in my head.

Since we are keeping it clean and simple, I die cut one from thick black cardstock, and one from teal metal and adhered them to the card. I finished off by pasting the sentiment in Matte Black. And that's it!

Here's the list for the team:

Dream It Up!
Louise Healy

Cyndi Bundy

Terrece Siddoway
Cherylynn Moser
Lyn Bernatovich
Pam Hornschu

Lea Kimmel

Woodware UK: We're Shaking Things Up This Week!

The Woodware team is shaking things up this week...in the form of shaker cards. Though mine isn't truly a shaker "card", it makes a great little giftie.

I used a leftover clamshell package from something that I'd purchased recently, and this became the container for my shaker. However, you could easily use one of the Stampendous Mini Stuftainers that Woodware carries. I stamped and embossed in White Embossing Powder Francoisé' new Dragonfly Clear Magic Single on black cardstock, and added bright pops of color with Sakura Moonlight Gel Pens. I added a sentiment from Jane Gill's Clear Magic sets, stamped in black, and also inserted a piece of acetate to protect the stamped and colored image from whatever goodies I decided to tuck into the shaker portion. In this case, I went very girly on my treats...lip balm, bubblegum, and hair clips in bright, happy colors. I also tied some girly ribbons to the hang tag of the clamshell container.

For an extra bit of bling, I applied a Dragonfly Peel Off sticker on the outside with some great Mark Richards crystals in a variety of colors. (If you don't happen to have all of the colors, you can use permanent markers to color the clear ones to match your creations!)

A larger shaker leaves plenty of room to go crazy creating these for every occasion, and for everyone on your giftie list, but if you happen to have the thinner and smaller shakers, you can have fun filling them with confetti, glitter, Card Candi, sequins, pompoms, etc.

Remember, all of this week the team will be posting their shaker creations, providing YOU with plenty of inspiration to get shakin'! Be sure to check the Woodware Blog daily!

Dreamweaver Stencils: A "POP" of CAS

Who doesn't love bright and colorful? Especially in combination with a Clean and Simple (CAS) card? Easy to do in multiples. Great wow factor. Generalized enough to be perfect for everyday. This is that card.

Featuring two newly released items from Dreamweaver...the Pear Nesting Dies, and the Pop Rectangles Stencil...such a fun combination.  The base panel is aqua cardstock with the letterpress technique: Spray the stencil with Memories Mists Diet Cola. Place the stencil face up on the base plate of your embossing machine. Place cardstock face down on top of sprayed stencil. Layer the rubber mat and TWO clear plates on top, and run through the machine. The ink transfers to the panel and the panel becomes embossed at the same time. Easy peasy.

The larger pear was placed cutting side down on the cardstock panel on the bottom cutting plate of my Big Shot Pro machine. The large leaf was placed above it, and the smaller pear within it. The second cutting plate was placed on top before running through the machine. I saved the large pear cutout and the leaf for another card, and used the panel that the die was cut from. This was adhered to my card with foam tape, along with the smaller pear. A few rhinestones mimic the seeds and add some sparkle and more dimension. A clean and simple pop art piece.

If you haven't linked your own CAS creations to the Dream It Up! blog yet, what are you waiting for? You can find all the info necessary there, and the opportunity to win a fun new stencil of your own. Plus, "like" us on Facebook to join in the fun there...weekly contests, prizes, and a great place to share your love of stenciling with over 600 of our fan family members. Meanwhile, visit our B Team as they demonstrate their own easy peasy creations:

Dream It Up!
Lea Kimmel
Louise Healy
Stacey Rumsby
Terrece Siddoway
Wendy Jordan
Pam Hornschu
Cherylynn Moser

Don't Touch That Color Dial! Black and White is Cool, Daddio!

No need to adjust your dial. This week's post is in black and white! A great opportunity to point out the power of contrast. The Woodware team has been challenged this week by the Crafty Cardmakers to demonstrate this, and have been posting some amazing creations which you can view on the Woodware Blog.

My version features the Stampendous Perfectly Clear Vase Set, or as I like to call it...the Beatnik Jugs. I love the funky fifties look of this easel frame/card.

I took an ordinary chipboard frame, covered it in Versamark ink and Stampendous White Embossing Powder in two layers to create this enameled-looking frame. When cool, I wiped talcum powder over the surface to resist static before I stamped the various vases/jugs...overlapping, adding the included design elements, and then embossing in Midnight Black EP.

Then I used a panel of black cardstock, and matching the elements as they would cross over the panel, I embossed these in White on the black before adhering behind the opening. I created an easel back with black cardstock, adding a large brad fastener to hold in place. I stamped a sentiment from the set on a punched circle and adhered it to the back of a clear acrylic tag, tied to the frame with ribbon.

The end result? Cool....Daddio!

Dreamweaver Stencils: Featuring New Releases from CHA with CAS

Yesterday was the final day of the CHA (Craft and Hobby Association) show in Anaheim, CA. This is an international show featuring vendors from all over the world, and for retailers only. This is where the various stores will choose the products that you will fall in love with in the next few months. Dreamweaver had a wonderful booth this year, featuring new stencils, dies, products, and techniques to inspire you.

Since this month our challenge is "Lose the Weight: AKA Clean

and Simple", my posts for the challenge need to follow this.

For this card, I chose a soothing soft aqua cardstock for the card base and main panel. For the panel, I used the new Petite Fern die, and simply cut it from the aqua panel as well as a panel of mirror cardstock. The panels were layered, and the mirror die cut was adhered to the front.

The sentiment was easily pasted with a bit of regular Embossing Paste tinted with a small amount of Iceberg Color Solutions ink. The end result is a beautifully, elegant, thoughtful card for those occasions when someone needs a bit of sympathy.

Our "A" team are posting with the new releases as well, so check them out here:

Dream It Up!
Laura Drahozal
Lyn Bernatovich
Pam Hornschu
Heidi Erickson
Louise Healy 
Cyndi Bundy 

To view samples of the new designs from the show, visit and "like" our Facebook page.

Woodware: A Bit "Sketchy" for Content

This week I am at CHA...Craft and Hobby Association's big convention in Anaheim, California, USA. I live near here, so it wasn't a huge travel for me, but my Woodware teammates have traveled from the UK to be here. It has been wonderful to see them all, or it was until the team leader, Dorothy, reminded me that I needed to create something for this month's sketch challenge. Yikes!

In my hotel room, I threw several bits and pieces of partially finished items of my Dreamweaver samples for their booth over my bed. Fortunately, I had packed a small kit of scissors, glue, foam tape, and a paper trimmer (with only the scoring blade with me), and a few scraps of paper. Dorothy had brought some of the new Woodware Clear Magic stamps, of which I chose the new Birthday Textbox which I stamped in brown ink over a distressed tag. I used a portion of the new Leaf Frame on the ends of the long purple strip. All the layers were ink distressed, and the final piece was Dreamweaver's newly released Leafy Branch DIE! 

You'll be able to find these new products at your local stores very soon! Well, all except the dragonfly dangle...that was an earring as that hole on the tag was screaming for something! Lol!

Well, I'm off to the show again!

Dreamweaver Stencils: Get Ready for New Toys!

Welcome to Dreamweaver's CHA Release Week! This week and next the Dream Teams will be posting sneak peeks of our newest designs...STENCILS AND DIES! The teams have had so much fun stretching their creativity to show you the most inspiring ways to use these new products. If you just can't stand to wait until your local stores get these in, you can order online from Stencil with Style!

 Since we are also trying our best to stick with the challenge for this month, "Losing the Weight: AKA Clean and Simple", we're trying to stick with simple techniques for these posts. Not so easy as when you have new toys, you really want to go all out!

My card features the new Crusade Background, designed by Wayne Harlow as a Zentangle background, and officially recognized as such by the Zentangle Certification people. The other stencil that I used is the new Floral with Dots. One of those perfect for any occasion unique designs that Wayne does so well for us at Dreamweaver.

Yes, this is a simple card to create. All you do is grab a bottle of Memories Mists (I used Lavender Tea  color), get a cardboard box that will catch overspray (my favorites are the ones from Costco that are pretty much three-sided). Spray the mist over the top of both stencils. Place your cardstock panels on top, and press with your fingertips until the ink has transferred (it helps to wear gloves or use a paper towel to press as the ink will let the world know what you've been up to...including your hubby who thought you were spending the day doing laundry).  Mat your panels with a coordinating cardstock, and you're finished. I went just one step further. I cut a piece of white Faux Linen May Arts ribbon, and using the same technique as the card, transferred the pattern to the ribbon. The ink did bleed out on this, but the effect is almost like tie-dye.

Now, leave me some nice thoughts before heading off to visit the team members that are posting today:

Dream It Up!
Louise Healy
Stacey Rumsby
Wendy Jordan
Pam Hornschu
Cherylynn Moser 

Heidi Erickson
and special guest designer this week:
Jenn Dove

 

Woodware UK: A Boring Retirement? Oh, No...The Best is Yet to Come!

Don't you love it when a creative idea comes together that looks like you've spent hours on it, when in reality it only took a few minutes? This is one of those cards.

The Woodware team has been challenged with the theme of retirement. Since every person that my hubby and I know that have retired recently is anxious to spend more time on their boat, or buy a boat, I thought this BRAND NEW, RELEASING THIS WEEK AT CHA IN THE USA, Sailboat* design from Dreamweaver Stencils, would be the perfect choice!

Using the Artist Canvas Pad, I cut out a panel of canvas. Then I took a couple of larger stencil brushes and my Splendor Circus ink pad, and swiped bands of color across it to mimic a sunset on the sea, with a bit of reflection as well. Then I used the Dreamweaver Glossy White Embossing Paste and my Spreader to apply the paste across the stencil design onto my sunset background...and let it dry. (You can speed up this process by placing the panel on an electric fry pan or other warming tray on the lowest setting.)

Meanwhile, while that is drying, I stamped the Clear Magic Single "Yet to Come" sentiment with Versamark ink, and embossed with Stampendous White Embossing Powder on a separate panel, to pop up on top of the finished card.

I'm super excited to see a few of the Woodware ladies this week at CHA in California. The weather promises to be perfect...warm and sunny. Meanwhile, be sure to check out their posts all of this week for inspiration on retirement themed projects!

 *Soon to be available through Woodware in the UK.

Dreamweaver Stencils: A Birthday Party for Losing Weight? Hmmmm...

Did you know that we're celebrating the Queen's birthday this week? Well...the Queen of Stencils, Lynell Harlow, that is. Actually, her birthday is on Saturday, but we're surprising her by posting birthday cards in her honor today. Nothing like making you feel OLD sooner than necessary, right Lynell? You'll even see a few familiar names in our lineup, as some of the teaching team are whooping it up for her as well.

In addition to our birthday party, we are also beginning a new year and a new monthly challenge. In honor of all those resolutions we hope to achieve, our challenge is "Losing the Weight...AKA Clean and Simple (CAS)". If we all try really hard to simplify our design-work without losing our creativity, we can all say at the end of the month that we've lost some weight! Maybe not off of our waistlines, but at least off of our cards! Gotta start somewhere!

My card today features the super quick and deceptively simple Molten Magic technique using the Flower Corner stencil. Simply paste with one of the glossier sheens, sprinkle with Metallic F/X powders, and apply your heat tool until bubbly! No waiting for paste to dry, and no excuse for standing around eating cream puffs and jalapeno poppers leftover from New Year's Eve either!

I created a pocket on the front to add my sentiment tag and a gift card as well. (I'm working on getting Lynell addicted to coffee. So far, it's just sugar free vanilla lattes with soy milk...*snore*.)
The end result is a card that took 10-15 minutes to make (really!), and looks amazing!

So, now is your opportunity to see how the rest of the team is celebrating the Queen's birthday and losing weight at the same time. Think it's possible? Why don't you play along with us, and post your light as a feather creations to the linkytool on the Dream It Up! blog!

Dream It Up!
Laura Drahozal
Lyn Bernatovich 

Pam Hornschu
Heidi Erickson
Louise Healy 
Cyndi Bundy

Lee Kellogg
Liz Martin
Terrece Siddoway
Lea Kimmel

Cherylynn Moser 
Kristi Parker Van Doren