Woodware UK and Crafty Cardmakers: Gearing Up for Father's Day

We are pleased to again be playing along with the CraftyCard Makers this week, the challenge will be open on their blog for two weeks. If you would like to play along with us please check the Crafty Card Maker rules then use the link on the Crafty Card Makers Blog to add your card or if you are not a blogger yet you can e-mail your card to Dorothy as usual Dorothy@woodware.co.uk  and she will post it and add it to the Crafty Card Makers Blog. 

 My card for this challenge is super simple to put together, with color and texture for added fun. Using the Stampendous Cling Patent Man as the focal point, stamped with Onyx Versafine on a cork panel, he is layered over a gears background (Stampendous Cling Clockwork Gears), with a gear border (Perfectly Clear Steampunk Gears), and the perfect sentiment (Stampendous Perfectly Clear Guys and Gears)!

What have you got planned for that special dad? Need more inspiration? Be sure to visit all of the blog links from the Woodware UK blog, as well as the Crafty Card Makers!

Dreamweaver Stencils June Challenge: PIN-spiration at It's Best

Welcome to week one of our June challenge...Pinterest Inspired! Each of our team members will be posting this month with creations inspired by links on Pinterest, which is so easy to do. Who doesn't become inspired by Pinterest? It can be a huge addiction, but also a great source of knowledge and ideas! I should know...I have 100 boards with almost 7,000 pins on them, including a board of "My Creations", all projects created by me. There is a Dreamweaver Stencils board as well...a group board where our design team posts their creations, and our followers can find inspiration and ideas as well. Feel free to Pin our projects to your boards, and/or to use them as your inspiration for this month's challenge. Be sure to link your creations to the linkytool on the Dream It Up! blog, or email pics to lynell@dreamweaverstencils.com.

For my project, I'm not going to share too much info, as it is the featured Dreamweaver tutorial on Paper Craft Planet for this week. All the supplies and instructions can be found HERE. I will, however, share with you the link where I became inspired to create this:

http://pinterest.com/pin/101542166571465946/

The Pinterest version uses stencils created from freezer paper using the computer die cutting systems. My version uses the Dreamweaver Stencils' Electric Guitar, Guitar Words, and Large Cathedral Window.

Check out how our Dream Team A gets inspired this week:

Dream It Up!

Jennifer Dove
Laura Drahozal
Lyn Bernatovich
Pam Hornschu
Heidi Erickson
Louise Healy
Jessica Griffin
Cyndi Bundy

Dreamweaver Stencils: The Steampunk Clock is Ticking Towards Father's Day!

It's almost time for Father's Day, and if you're looking for a quick and fun project to show the dads in your life just how talented you are, how about trying something like this?

Once again, I used the Sizzix ScoreBoards Die Box with Scallops, and though it has a more feminine style with the scallops, I think that I succeeded in making this more masculine (or even appealing to the Steampunk crowd! I machine embossed the top flap with the Dreamweaver Steampunk Clock, and the main portion of the box with the Houndstooth pattern. Then I went a bit crazy distressing with ink...Tuxedo Black and Rich Cocoa Memento. For more dimension, I embossed a piece of the Mercart colored aluminum with the clock, sanded off the colored a  bit, and used some Black StazOn reinker over the surface. I spritzed a small amount of rubbing alcohol (isopropyl) on a soft cloth and rubbed away some of the black ink, leaving the clock looking distressed. With layers of Tim Holtz Gears and chipboard gears, and brad fasteners, and a snippet of May Arts Cotton twill tape (also distressed), I had the look that I was going for. I added a matching gift card pocket to tuck inside with a gift of a cup of Joe (or two). 

This was my creation for the Tiny Treats challenge at the Dream It Up! blog. How about playing along with us? Link your own creation to the linkytool on the Dream It Up! blog, or email pics to lynell@dreamweaverstencils, for a random chance at winning your favorite stencil design! Until then, check out what our "B" team has been up to this week, and leave them some love. Oh, and me, too!

Dream It Up!
Lea Kimmel

Louise Healy
Stacey Rumsby
Terrece Siddoway
Caroline Duncan
Pam Hornschu
Cherylynn Moser

Woodware UK: It's OMBRÉ, Hombre! For the Tough Guy!

This is a great time of year to have a stash of masculine cards on hand...for graduations, birthdays, and in the USA, Father's Day in June. This is a great card for each of those occasions, and demonstrates a very trendy look...ombré. The definition of ombré in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary is, "Having colors or tones that shade into each other —used especially of fabrics in which the color is graduated from light to dark".

I was able to achieve the look in the background by first using Dreamweaver's Glossy White Paste with the Houndstooth stencil over a black panel, and setting aside to dry. I also used the same paste with the Men's Tie stencil, and set that aside to dry as well.

Now's the time that I broke out my Dreamweaver Color Solutions Alcohol Inks, the blending solution, and the clever applicator that has a dual purpose of storing the felt discs. Each end of the applicator has a hook fastener to apply the disc to. On one end I placed a few drops of Lemoncello with a few drops of the blending solution. Then I tapped this color over the houndstooth panel on the top to the bottom, covering all the white areas. I flipped the applicator over, and added a few drops of Paprika red with some blending solution, and tapped this over the panel from the bottom and up about halfway. Flipped again, and blended slightly between the colors to create the graduated color effect.

On the tie panel, I taped the Stripes/ Plaid stencil over the tie, and applied the same inks through the stencil one way with the Lemoncello, the other way with the Paprika, and a slight shift of the stencil to tap what's left. Each panel was matted with a contrasting cardstock, two brad fasteners were added for the buttoned down collar, a fun "tie tac" brad sentiment finished it off. This is a fun technique, turns out unique each time, and a simple way to produce cards quickly. No more excuses to not have a masculine card on hand when you need it. Oh, and just a hint...you could easily apply this technique to a feminine card as well!

Be sure to check out the rest of the Woodware team this week as they inspire you with some great masculine ideas. Leave them some love as you go! Here's the link to the Woodware UK blog.

WW Sketch 13: Queuing Up for the Tofu Barbecue!

OMG! Is this not just the CUTEST piggy ever? He is a Francoise Read design for Woodware UK, and I love, love, love him. He comes as part of a This Little Piggy clear set with two fun sayings..."This little piggy..." and "hogs and kisses". Seriously, you know you have to have this! While you are at it, you need to get his pal, Chubby Kitty!

Following the Woodware UK sketch challenge #13 this week, I thought I'd create a Father's Day card for the hubs. He loves to grill and barbecue (yes, there is a difference!), so I thought a BBQ related card would be fun for him.

Don't panic, though! This little wobbly-eyed piggy is going to the TOFU BBQ! He's too cute to become anyone's chops and ribs! Notice how he's dressed for the Q? He has his denim jeans on (stitched and all), and his napkin pinned around his neck...so bring on the sauce!

He was stamped and embossed with Stampendous White EP on kraft cardstock and cut out. The two background panels for the sketch match, and I added a cute belt and buckle with the sentiment added. I punched out the BBQ letters using Sizzlits. This could easily become a great invite for a summer occasion, or as in my case, a Father's day card for the "piggy" in my life!

Come play along with the Woodware UK team this week. Link your own version of this sketch for June, and you might win a fabulous prize!