A Quick Sketch and a Get Away!

 My turn with this week's Friday sketch over at the Paper Craft Planet, and keeping it simple once again! I have to say that I cheated a bit here. Instead of creating the sketch and then creating the card, I went the opposite way. I had a pretty card that I had created for the Stampendous October 2012 catalog, and I thought that it would make a fun sketch...plus I got out of making a new card when I have absolutely no extra time right now! It's a girl-escape weekend! Woo hoo!

I created my version with a tent-fold card, so that the stamped banner could fold slightly around the edge. Don't you love the wavy sentiment from the Thoughtful Wishes Perfectly Clear set? Stampendous has a few of these styled in Fran Seiford's own hand-writing. The layered oval has been stamped with Cling Bluebird Branch, colored with Lyra Aquacolor...like crayons, but you can watercolor with them! Just use a wet brush over the colored areas to soften the colors. I hope this card provides you the incentive to break out your creative toys and play along with this week's sketch challenge. Upload yours to the Paper Craft Planet photo gallery with the SK041213 tag. Have a great weekend!

Dreamweaver Stencils: Memories Mists for Mixed Media

If you remember, the Dream Team challenge for the month of April is "Mists, Puddles, and Showers", and any possible spin you can put on that theme. Last week I went quite literal in using the Dreamweaver Umbrella, Rain, and Rain Words stencil designs. This week, I'm thinking misty...as in Memories Mists. Yes, I know, every crafting company out there has a mist, so what makes these special? A huge selection of colors available, including some iridescent and metallic, a choice of extremely saturated color, or less vibrant in hue. They don't get sopping wet. They dry fairly quickly, but not so much that you can't work with them first. I've tried several companies' mists, and I still come back to the Memories Mists. I'm done with the sales pitch, now, lol...so onto the main info...

I've had the jumbo butterfly stencil out for other projects this week, so I thought that I'd incorporate it into this mixed media card. I layered a few papers from the Cosmo Cricket Pixie-licious pad, die cut a couple of them to add on, and then started to play. I misted the butterfly on the right, using Lavender Tea Memories Mists. I mixed up a couple of paste concoctions. Did you know that you can mix various color mediums into the Dreamweaver embossing pastes? Yep. In this case, I used the MMs again. I used a bit of the Pink Lemonade and the Strawberry Daiquiri mixed into the Glossy White Paste to create the coral color that I used to paste the tiny butterflies and the "Hope" sentiment, but the real fun had come when I created the paste mix for the Kimono. I mixed a few drops of the Lavender Tea MM in with some Glossy White paste, just barely swirling the color into the white. I used my palette knife to apply a generous pile of the paste along my Paste Spreader. Of course, I had taped my stencil onto a cardstock panel with removable tape, as usual. Now for the pasting...as I spread the paste (working down the bridge lines, instead of against them), I sort of "serpentined" the motion to get the fabulous swirls of color in the design. I did this once again as I went back over it to remove the excess paste (save this in a covered container or bag for using another time!), carefully removed the tape and stencil (to clean immediately!), and set the kimono aside to dry. When dry I added the butterflies on top. When completely dry, I cut out the kimono and adhered it to the contrasting coral panel which I had machine embossed with the design. I was really pleased with the way the swirled paste had turned out...very marbled in appearance, and easy to do! Boy, do I love these mists! You will, too!

Don't forget to visit the rest of the team's blogs this week. Our "B" group is posting today, so you'll see a whole new spin on the challenge from last week. Once again, our guest designer, Alison Heikkila, is posting along with us as well:

Dream It Up!
Lea Kimmel

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

Be sure to play along with this month's challenge and link your creations to the linkytool on the Dream It Up! blog, or email pics of your projects to lynell@dreamweaverstencils.com. Oh, and by the way, did you know that you can find Dreamweaver Stencils' on Facebook and Pinterest, and our tutorials on Paper Craft Planet? Take advantage of the many social media ways to be creative with Dreamweaver!

Woodware UK: With Vellum, Sometimes Less Really is More!

I love working with vellum in my paper-crafting. It can be annoying to photograph, but the soft, almost misty quality of vellum is just beautiful. That is why I was really looking forward to this week's challenge for the Woodware team...using vellum.

However, for some reason, I really struggled with my creation. I had that vision in my head (you know the one) of exactly how I wanted this card to look, and it just was not happening. So, I took the whole project back a step, and kept it simple. When you are using a stencil design as detailed as this Dreamweaver Butterfly, you really don't need much of anything else. It embossed into the vellum beautifully, as well as the lavender cardstock for the base of the card, so I just showed off those details, and added a beautiful sentiment stamped in purple from the Woodware Clear Magic set designed by Jane Gill, "Modern Spray". The three gingham Card Candi add a bit of dimension and whimsey.

Those of you who really know me, know that doing anything CAS is difficult, but in this case instead of adding more, I took it back a notch to CAS, and was happy in the result.

Remember to check the Woodware UK blog each day to discover the various ways to play with vellum. Want to buy these supplies? Check out your local creative store HERE!

Dreamweaver Stencils: A Shower of Talent with the Dream Team!

Welcome to a new monthly challenge with the Dream Team, and welcome to our new Dream Team! Today's a big day for all of us, as we introduce the wide variety of creative inspiration from our talented ladies...so wide in fact that we've divided our team of twelve into two teams, who'll post twice per month each. In addition, we have a guest designer this month to provide a unique take on creating with Dreamweaver, Alison Heikkila!


The Dream Team, as well as Dreamweaver, are heading off to new challenges and new horizons...all aimed at providing more and more crafters the opportunity to learn and share and experience the art of stenciling in its many forms. Paper-crafting, scrapbooking, home decor...there is virtually nothing in life that can't be made a little brighter, and a lot more beautiful with the addition of some wonderful Dreamweaver stencils and products.

Our challenge, and YOURS as well, is to create whatever inspires you with the theme of "Mists, Drizzle, and Showers". Now, open your minds up to the possibilities! Yes, you can think literally of rain, or you can think of the figurative. Maybe add Memories Mists to your project. Create a misty, drizzly mood. It could be on the edge of creepy, or just that relaxed feeling of a rainy day, curled up with a cup of tea, and a good book. It's up to you. But WE want to see what you come up with, so please post your creations on your  blog, an online gallery, and link it on the Dream It UP! blog, or email pictures of your projects to lynell@dreamweaverstencils.com.

My card for today is more literal. I used the Dreamweaver Umbrella, Rain, and Rain Words, in a pointillism technique with my Copic markers. I then pasted Translucent Embossing Paste over the umbrella for more shine and dimension. I inked some "rain drops" over the panel, and paste-embossed in yellow the sentiment on some wonderful May Arts cotton ribbon. For more info on the steps of this card, please check out my tutorial on Paper Craft Planet this week.

Speaking of May Arts...look forward to seeing great quantities of their line of ribbons, and trims, and cords, oh my! We will be working as partners in craft for the next year. This means that WE will get to play with their fabulous product, and their team will play with ours!

Here's the list of our team players for this week including our guest designer:

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

Woodware UK: No, Not Catch 22...SKETCH 22!

Want another fun sketch challenge to add to your collection this week? How about playing along with the Woodware UK team with Sketch 22? Create your own version, and follow the directions on the Woodware blog for a chance to win for the month of April!

My version features a background of g•c•d studios "Cloisonne" paper, mounted on Core'dinations cardstock, with Core'dinations punched circles. The circles were stamped with the Clear Magic Viva La Plume background design by Jane Gill. Then each circle was run through my embossing machine with the Dreamweaver Dragonflies stencil to emboss, and the embossed surface sanded to reveal the design.

I added some fun WW Masking Tape "Stockholm" down the left side, with a sentiment sticker, and a few of Mark Richards Self-adhesive pearls. A bit of ink and edge distressing takes this more to the shabby chic edge of design.

Be sure to follow the rest of the Woodware team as they play with this sketch. It's always fun to see what a different take each of us has on these challenges. Don't forget to leave some love for everyone through the week...we all need the ego boost!

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