Dreamweaver Thursday: Playing with Polly

We are kind of having a free-for-all with our Dreamweaver posts today. Some of us are mixing the Clear Scraps collaboration in with our Dreamweaver and Stampendous products, and some of us who had no Clear Scraps, are playing with whatever we want to...so, check it out...

Polly wants to play today, so she has a plethora of positively perfect products to peek through. The base of the card was machine-embossed with the Dreamweaver Crusade Background, with  Bamboo and Rich Cocoa Memento from Tsukineko® brushed over the embossed surface. Using the Cling Jumbo Parrot set from Stampendous, I colored the separate parts with Copic Sketch Markers, cut them out, and machine-embossed them with the I-Beams stencil design. These, too, were brushed with ink...Sand Memento. Two Dreamweaver Monstera Leaf Dies were cut from more of the olive cardstock, and brushed with Bamboo ink. A panel of kraft cardstock was stamped with the Cling Old World Map image, inked, and distressed around the edges before being adhered to the card. The remaining portions of the "plethora" were layered and adhered along with a strip of burlap, a stamped sentiment from the Perfectly Clear Wild Sayings, and a healthy sprinkling of Stampendous Fran•tagé Mica pieces. Don't you just love how well the Dreamweaver line mixes in with their new family at Stampendous? I do!

Here's the links for those on the team who are posting for Dreamweaver Thursday:

Stampendous Blog

Louise Healy

Pam Hornschu

Laura Drahozal

Lyn Bernatovich

Kristine Reynolds

Alison Heikkila

Jamie Martin

Stampendous and Clear Scraps: Clearly Creative

The Stampendous and Clear Scraps teams are having a transparently good time this week, and we'd love for you to visit our blogs for fun inspiration and an opportunity to win a fabulous prize package. We have three prize packages, each of which will include our Cling Jumbo Filigree Stamp Set, a Jumbo Perfectly Clear Acrylic Handle, PLUS a Clear Scraps Mixable Album and some extra acrylic accents! Comment on our blog and each designer’s blog of the day throughout this week of our hop and the winners will be announced Monday, May 18th. Please click the Official Rules for all the info on winning.

Clear Scraps are an amazing product, clearly designed for all of your favorite art media. You can read all about it on their website, as well as find locations to purchase this terrific line of products...and their blogsite is full of suggestions for incorporating these goodies along with products like Stampendous and Dreamweaver.

Here's what I've created for today's post:

This page is the perfect example of how the perfect embellishment can MAKE the project. I created this scrap page featuring pictures of my son, Matt, and his track racing that he loves so much. He also loves to fix things, change things, add things, and always has.
Therefore, using the Dreamweaver Stencils' Gears background was appropriate. This was paste-embossed in Matte Black, and sprinkled with Stampendous Aged Taupe and Aged Bronze Embossing Enamels, and then heated for plenty of texture and shine without looking blingy. The rest of the background was a few stamped images from Andy Skinner's Industrial and Steampunk Cling Sets licensed by Stampendous. Finally, the wonderful Clear Scraps Gears border which I daubed on more of the Matte Black
Embossing Paste, and sprinkled with a bit more of the enamels, and heated slightly. You have to keep the heat tool far from the surface or the acetate border will warp a bit. Once cool, I swiped a bit of Black StazOn ink around the edges. I'm really happy with how this turned out, and hope that he will be, too.

Today's link list:

Stampendous Blog

Pam Hornschu

Clear Scraps Blog

Stampendous: Liberty for All

Lady Liberty is the personification of the freedom and liberty that have brought so many to America, including some of my ancestors. Sometimes we lose sight of that in the light of current events, and political dissension. But, as a whole, I really feel that we all can come together for freedom, for liberty, for home.

My post today features the new Stampendous Cling Lady Liberty, stamped twice on mint cardstock, with liberty herself cut out and popped up over a corrugated background. This focal panel is adhered over a matted gray panel stamped with the Cling Stack Art Regal Bird set (background only). A banner with the new Cling Free and Brave sentiment is adhered at the top.

This new image is great for 4th of July and Memorial Day cards, but think how great it will be on your travel journals as well?

Here's the links for today's team posts:

Stampendous Blog

Pam Hornschu (you're here)

Louise Healy

Wendy Price

Lea Kimmel

Patriotic Panache with Dreamweaver and Stampendous

Who doesn't love fireworks? They are definitely associated with 4th of July in the United States, and other national holidays around the world. My post today features the Dreamweaver Fireworks Embossing Folder, machine-embossed into Core'dinations Vintage cardstock in, of course, red and white and blue. Each section was sanded to reveal the design. If you do three full size panels, and cut them in threes, you now have the supplies to create three complete cards. The finishing touch? A layered banner stamped with portions of the Stampendous Perfectly Clear Happy Greetings and the Vintage Lower Case Alphabet.

Here's a link list to those of the new Stampendous/Dreameaver team who are posting today:

Stampendous Blog

Pam Hornschu (you're here)

Louise Healy

Alison Heikkila
Amy Hurley-Purdie

Laura Drahozal

Lyn Bernatovich

Woodware: Painting the Pansies with Pinterest

Each month this year, one of the Woodware designers have been selected to choose a theme for one of the weeks. My choice is "Inspired by Pinterest" as it is one of my favorite sources for inspiration. Just take a look at this amazing watercolor below! Wonderful vibrant colors with lovely, watery effects.

Artist Linda Virio on Pinterest

My version is more on the cute side, but I loved the idea of the House Mouse Designs® critter painting the pansies! I figure that magic would have to have a part in the process, as depicted by the swishes of Stampendous Multi Crystal Glitter Mix applied with a glue marker. Before I reached that point, here's how I created the  background...

Using the Stampendous Creative Palette, I placed a few drops of Dreamweaver Color Solutions Alcohol Inks in Cosmo Pink, Iceberg, Lemoncello, and Pumpkin on the surface, added several drops of the blending solution, and used a can of "air" (purchased in an office supply store) to move the colors around. I placed a panel of Stampendous Mixed Media White Cardstock over the inks to pick up the colorful swirl. You need to move quickly as the inks can dry quickly, but you can re-wet them with more blending solution. The solution is also perfect for  cleaning the surface of your palette. There will be staining, but it will be transparent.

Once the panel was dry, the House Mouse Designs® Painting Pansies was stamped in black ink, and a bit of coloring with watercolor pencils and a waterbrush on the design to bring it all together. A fun button and ribbon for embellishment and a quick stamping of the sentiment from the Stampendous Perfectly Clear Life Words complete the card.

Don't forget that the entire team are playing with my theme this week. I can hardly wait to see what they'll come up with! Check each day on the Woodware blog.

Stampendous with Dreamweaver: Honoring the Brave

I created this two years ago in honor of America's Memorial Day, celebrated every year at the end of May. Here's what I wrote...

"In the USA, we honor the service men and women who have given their lives for our country in protection of our freedom and democracy, this time every year with Memorial Day. It's a time where families and friends get together for a relaxing celebration, and between bites of barbeque, fruit salad, and a couple of beers, we try to remember what this day is all about. Because others gave of themselves in the ultimate acts of bravery, we have the opportunity to enjoy the pleasures of picnics and parties. To some this may seem frivolous, but as the Bible tells us, "There's a time for laughter and a time for tears...", and Memorial Day is a mix of both.

I created a card in memory of these Americans, as a giant Thank You to them all. Featuring Dreamweaver's Bold Thank You and Star Swirl stencils, I did a marbled pasting of both, with a Joseph's Coat technique on the background panel. Something new which I only learned recently in conjunction with the Dreamweaver Teacher Certification* workshops that were taught last week in the Chicago, Illinois area.

I laid down inked stripes of Ladybug Red and Danube Blue Memento on glossy cardstock. Then I pasted the Star Swirls over the top in Translucent paste. When dry, I applied Galaxy Gold Brilliance ink over the entire surface, before using a damp paper towel to remove the ink from the pasted portions. These previously pasted portions resisted the ink, making it simple to wipe away. I used my heat tool to "set" the ink afterwards. The Thank You was marble pasted, allowed to dry, and cut out to pop up off of the card.

Happy Memorial Day to everyone! May all of us remember those who came before us, and work still to provide us with the opportunity for every celebration we have. This is a day of respect and remembrance."

The Stampendous team are honoring our home of the brave all of this week. Please follow along for some patriotic inspiration...

Kristine Reynolds

KLIK, KLIK, KLIK...BOOOO!

Welcome to the final day of the Stampendous/Klik collaboration! If you've missed any of the details, you can read them below. Be sure to check out any of the days that you may have missed this week! More chances to win!

Klik Interchangeable Jewelry from Metal Complex is a fantastic new line of DIY accessory options. With two snap sizes and dozens of settings to snap your creations into, this terrific product is fun to play with for every level of crafter. There are tons of pre-made snaps so you can just “klik and go” to change up your look. But this week we’re playing with the Metal Complex Snap Bezel Blanks so we can craft our own masterpieces of wearable art. Along with this collaboration, we are working with Envirotex Jewelry Resin...an amazing product to easily make the jewelry of your creative dreams! 

Yes, there will be prizes...three random winners will receive a prize package that includes Klik Snap Bezel Blanks and jewelry components, a package of ETI Resin and a Stampendous Eclectic Perfectly Clear Stamp Set. To win one of these awesome prize packages, you need to comment on the Stampendous blog and that of each Stampendous designer in the list provided below. Eligible winners are those comments that provide a valid email and indicate a U.S. Mailing address. Here are the Stampendous Official Rules for all contests. Commenting will close Sunday, May 3rd and winners will be announced the afternoon of May 4th.

Here's what I've created for today:

I was channeling my inner "Alison" for this one, Alison being my good friend and teammate, Alison Heikkila, who loves to think outside the "pretty bonbon box". This first version features the Stampendous Cling Skull Roses, stamped in black StazOn on a 2 1/2" circle of white polyshrink. A bit of talcum was wiped over the front and back before heating to prevent it from sticking to itself, and then flattened with an acrylic block. This was the perfect size to fit inside the large Klik bezel. Using a glue marker, I applied a bit of glue on the flower and sprinkled this with Stampendous Micro Glitter in purple. Two tiny glowing green rhinestones were adhered over the eyes. Now to mix the Envirotex Jewelry Resin...follow the package directions, avoid a really humid day, and pour a small amount into the bezel until it domes. Let it cure 12-24 hours. I placed mine between two pencils since the snap on the back of the bezel prevents it from laying flat. Any tiny bubbles can be softly blown away. Two of the smaller bezels were filled with a mix of Fran•tagé Color Fragments in Trick or Treat mix, and Hot Lime, and Amethyst. More resin was poured over these. If the pieces float to the surface, just poke them back down with the tip of a needle or wire. Once cured, the finishing touches were an attached chain, and black leather cording. The cross and the "jewels" were colored with Copic Sketch Markers. I inked, and glittered a paper flower, and attached a portion of it to the underside of this bezel piece. 

My second interchangeable bezel, was created with the same process as above, but using the Stampendous Cling Tomb Elements image. More of the Color Fragments were added before the addition of the resin, and just as the others, was set aside to cure 12-24 hours.

I have to say that I really enjoyed working with both the Klik products as well as the Jewelry Resin...so simple to create some wonderful jewelry pieces! Now it's time for you to visit the rest of the line up for this final day!

Stampendous Blog

Lea Kimmel

Pam Hornschu

Amy Hurley-Purdie

Lyn Bernatovich

Jamie Martin

Janelle Stollfus

Wendy Price

Tenia Nelson

Metal Complex Blog