simple dreams

Cosmo Cricket Jolly by Golly Wintry Owls

The title of tonight's post just makes me giddy! Why, you might ask? Well... the answer is simple, Cosmo Cricket is in the house and I just couldn't stand it, I had to create something immediately! There were so many other things I should have been doing, but...

Debbie has been killin' me with her fabulous, sewed creations and all the goodness she makes me dream about when she uses the Cosmo Cricket papers. Needless to say you can truly see her influence in my little mounded hills, it only made me wish for a better sewing machine here at work - LOL! Oh to be able to adjust my zig-zag stitches :)

The heat in the warehouse today was the complete opposite of this wintry scene. Just playing with this gorgeous, monochromatic color scheme, did refresh my spirits though.

I also adore these wintry owls and so creating this card was a snap (other than the sewing - LOL!) Using Natural White cardstock to coordinate with the soft white in the Jolly by Golly papers, I stamped the owl using Memento Rich Cocoa. Using only an E42 Copic marker and my colorless blender I was able to give my Snowy Owls a softened, aged look.

One of the products that I carry in the store, but haven't talked a lot about, or had time to use, is the Martha Stewart glitter set. When Maureen brought it by my office one day I just couldn't take my eyes off of the beautiful colors. Then when I saw the shaker top and the ease with which the top can be removed to return the glitter to the container, I just had to have it. This is the first post of what I hope to be many, in which I get to share some of these beautiful colors and gorgeous sparkle with you.

When I am determining which color to use, I simply lay it down on to the paper that I want to use. Next, I place a little of my 2-way glue in to a corner that I know I won't be using to do a final "test." If this meets with my approval I am set to go. This keeps me from having to recreate my project if I happen to pick a color that doesn't work well. In this case the Aquamarine Crystal was incredible with the Cosmo papers!

As you can see I highlighted the trees and the curvy hills with this gorgeous accent. You may also spot some items that I used to create this card that will be going up in our store as soon as I can get pictures taken and edited. We are adding a few more Martha Stewart punches to the mix. The snowflakes are incredible when mounted together with buttons and the small tag punch is perfect for those teeny, tiny sentiments from Memory Box and CHF.

I can't imagine having to wait any longer for these fab 6x6 paper pads to arrive. It has been well worth the wait and the begging! Julie and Eric, I thank you for listening to me and I hope that I can do your product justice!

Just as an aside, the Boyfriend mini decks are scheduled to arrive "hopefully" by next week, along with coordinating ribbon for the all four collections! I'm a VERY happy girl - can you see the ear to ear grin?!?

stamps: Wintry Owls, Warmest Wishes

ink: Memento Rich Cocoa Ink Pad, Distress Tea Dye Ink Pad

markers: Copic E42 and Colorless Blender

papers: Memory Box Robin's Egg Notecard, Neenah Natural White, Cosmo Cricket Jolly by Golly

other: Martha Stewart Essentials Glitter, Webster's Pages Classic Trim Collection, Marrakech Buttons, Martha Stewart Snowflake Punch and Small Scalloped Tag Punch (hopefully should be up later tomorrow)

Christmas Tree Dazzles with New VersaMark Dazzle

Finally, one of my favorite things from Summer CHA has now arrived in our store!!!

 

Yes, the VersaMark Dazzle grabbe my attention full force when I saw some of the projects that were created using it at CHA this summer. I knew then that this product would bring something new to our projects, especially those holiday projects that we like to shimmer and shine so much.

I have used the VersaMark Dazzle, Champagne on two parts of this project. The first was definitely easier to capture with the camera, but I'm not so certain I captured it in a good way - LOL!

 

I began by stamping my image on Neenah Solar White cardstock and then colored it with Prismacolor Color Pencils. I could have easily used Copics as well. I do not believe that this ink will affect the Copics in a negative way, but I did not have the time to experiment with that today and wanted to be certain that I created a project that would then "work" for this blog post.

I selected the Della Robbia tree because I have always felt that this tree could use a little gold shimmer to it, being Della Robbia fruits are often gilded. After completing the color I simply applied the Dazzle pad directly to the paper. WOWIE - do you see that shimmer?!? It really doesn't glare like that in real life, but with the flash and overhead lights trying to get the shimmer to show up - well... It really did Ü

The second way that I applied the VersaMark Champagne Dazzle was to the Aged Sheet Music Scrapblock. I began by applying Tea Dye Distress ink to the Scrapblock. I then used my small brayer and added the Dazzle ink over top the Tea Dye before stamping. The effect is VERY subtle - I was hoping that it would shimmer and shine a little more, but it only gives a hint of sparkle when applied this way.

 

I have shared another angle of the focal point that also catches the background in hopes that you can get a better idea as to the final outcome of this project. As you can see in the second photo the Champagne color does alter your white color tone ever so slightly, adding a soft gold.

I have yet to experiment with the Tsukineko Dazzle Frost pad. So watch for more information to come - hopefully tomorrow or the next day. I must warn you that we only received a small portion of our order in today and so they will probably zoom out of the store, so if you are thinking that you would like one in time for making holiday cards you may want to snap one up ASAP. I'm not certain when more inventory will be arriving or when we will be getting the Reinkers, but at least it's a start Ü

Other Supplies Used: Memory Box Frost Paper, Memory Box Amaranth Note Cards, Chocolate Pearls

Spellbinders Pierceabilities™!

Happy Fourth of July! It's time to CELEBRATE!!!

I hope you are all having a wonderful time celebrating your freedom with family and friends. I thank you for taking the time out of your busy day to come and visit with me here today. Especially since I believe this is going to be a post of epic proportion - LOL!

Perhaps in taking a glimpse at the card above you will not at first see what it is that I have to share in my sneak peek, but I hope that once you read through my post and send your message off to Spellbinders to enter the contest for today you will be back to take a closer look at the pictures to see exactly how it is that I used Spellbinders brand new product, Pierceabilities™, on these projects.

Today I have the pleasure of introducing a product that I proposed to the Caron's over a year ago when Nestabilities™ were being developed. I would like to say how proud I am to have been involved with Spellbinders in the conception of this product and take this opportunity to express my gratitude to the Caron's. I would like to introduce to you Spellbinders Pierceabilities™ by Ellen Hutson.

 

 

 

 

 

S4 165 Pinking Pierceabilities™ ($19.99)

(approx 5 5/8" long by 3/4" and 1" high)

 

 

 

 

 

S4 167 Victorian Pierceabilities™ ($19.99)

(approx 5 1/2" long by 1/2" and 5/8" high)

Pierceabilities™ - what are they? what will they do?

Each set of Pierceabilities™ will include two dies per package, along with a Transparent Piercing Template to aid in piercing. I will share more information regarding what this is and how it will be used in a future post.

Below are pictures of the actual dies - I am hoping that by sharing this picture you will be able to "see" what these dies will look like and thus get a better understanding of how they work.

 

So what will they do?

• Cut - these will cut just like your other Spellbinder Dies and Nestabilities™. Hopefully you can see the raised line along the lower edge of the die - this is the cutting line. Each Pierceability™ die being released at CHA will have a different edge design for cutting and embossing! 
• Emboss - the Pierceability™ dies will run through the Wizard and almost any other die cut machine. They will emboss just as the other Spellbinder Dies and Nestabilities™ emboss. You will use the same sandwiches which you have already learned (thank goodness Ü). Stacey Caron has put together a fantastic video demonstration for you showcasing how to use the Spellbinder dies in other die cut machines. Please follow this link to YouTube for a wonderful video demonstration!
• Stencil - again this feature is the same as all previous Spellbinder products. Airbrush, chalk, sponge - use the die as a stencil to achieve beautiful and unique results!
• Pierce - now this is where the whole difference comes in to being - thus the name Pierceabilities™ Ü. We toyed with the idea of having the die actually do the piercing, but after much thought we felt that you would be able to achieve SO MUCH MORE if you were allowed the flexibility of piercing by hand. This option allows you to pick and choose from different areas of the design, using the entire die or only a portion - whatever suites your project. Versatility and value have been foremost in our thought process in the development of this product. The looks you are going to be able to achieve... well, I'm jumping up and down in my chair right now!
• Not only can you do each of the above individually, but you can combine the above elements for an even greater variety of looks! Remember, with Spellbinders the difference is in the details.

These cards were made to share the basic looks that you will be able to achieve with the Pierceabilities™ alone. I was absolutely stunned with the beauty of their simplicity. What perfect wedding, anniversary, or thank you notes these would make. Just place a sentiment inside or on the front and your work is complete.

Details will be shown in future posts as to how I created each of the projects. Today is all about the eye candy and the drawing!!!

This card shows the basic function of the die used three ways - cut along the lower edge, embossed and pierced.

Next I wanted to share that you can only emboss and pierce - no need for cutting. This was repeated in two places on the card front to give it a completely different look than one "border" would achieve.

Not only did I want these dies to work on the 5 1/2" side of the card, but much thought was put into how they could possibly work on the 4 1/4" side as well.

With some cardstocks, these dies will also cut through two layers. These examples are created using the Neenah Classic Crest Solar White - a quality, heavy cardstock. I cannot wait to see what other possibilities will unfold with time!!!

Yes, I used the new label, that Debbie revealed to showcase how you can pierce through our metal foil! This is a very simple design that just touches the surface of the possibilities of revisiting the folk-like pierced tin techniques!!!

Last, but not least I just couldn't help myself by sharing this little sneak peek of a clear album that I have made using the new Label 1 set in conjunction with piercing using the new Pierceabilities™. I can assure you that I will share the inside, as well as all the details regarding working with plastic, but there are more dies in use that I cannot yet reveal - you are just going to have to wait for the final reveals and my return from CHA Ü

 

Spellbinders Birthday Celebration

Sneak Peek Party Drawing Information

Drawing Information

Spellbinders will randomly pick one entry from each of the 14 Spellbinders Sneak Peek Blog reveals as stated in the "Rules". This name will be drawn to receive the die being revealed on said blog. These entries must follow all rules stated below to be valid for the drawing.

Entrants visiting all 14 Spellbinders Birthday Celebration Sneak Peek Blog reveals and correctly entering their information into the 14 separate drawings, as described below, will automatically be entered into a GRAND PRIZE give away of a new RASPBERRY WIZARD and a $500 retail value die package!

Rules

Any participant wishing to be included in the daily drawing for the Spellbinders Birthday Celebration Sneak Peek die give away must adhere to all of the following rules:

1. Participant must click on the provided drawing link on blog to enter each individual drawing on sneak peeks between June 30 and July 13.
2. Participant must type in the subject line the name/names of the die/dies being revealed.
3. Participant must send their entry for this blog before 12:00 midnight Central Standard Time on July 5th, 2008.
4. Participant is only allowed to enter each of the 14 Spellbinders sneak peek blog give away drawings one time per sneak peek. Participant must use the same email address daily to be considered for grand prize entry.
5. Spellbinders Design Team members and employees are not eligible for drawing.

Any participant wishing to be automatically entered into the drawing for the Spellbinders Birthday Celebration Sneak Peek Grand Prize drawing, must enter the drawing from all of the 14 blog reveals and follow all the above rules.

Please note:

• Spellbinders will only use email information to contact the winner.
• Spellbinders will not share this email address with any other parties.
• Spellbinders will not use this email information for advertisements of communications other than to contact the winner.
• If you wish to be included in further communications from Spellbinders, please go to their homepage and sign up: www.spellbinders.us.

Again the deadline for entering in the drawing for my sneak peek today, the Spellbinders S4-165 Pinking Pierceabilities™ and S4-167 Victorian Pierceabilities™, is midnight July 5th (Central Time). Don't forget to enter yesterday's sneak peek on Heidi Blankenship's blog Embellished Dreams before midnight July 4th (Central Time).

Click here to enter the drawing. If this pop-up link does not work or you use an email client that does not work with this pop-up box, you may copy and paste this address to send your entry via email to - newdierelease@spellbinders.us.

I hope to be able to share the winner of this portion of the sneak peek drawing with you on Sunday, July 6th. Best of luck and don't forget to enter the remaining sneak peek drawings!

Brand New Lockhart Images - It's all about Versatility!

It is always so thrilling for me to see the new Lockhart rubber stamps drawings! Then the anticipation of their arrival starts - I am so excited to share that Karen has just released 31 new designs! It was a bit of a surprise to me when I received the email notification today that they were up on her site and so I immediately set to getting them up on our site as well, being we already have a nice supply in our inventory.

I have elected to use THREE of them in this month's Stamp of the Month Packet and hope to share the information regarding this project in the next couple of days. We (well, more appropriately my DH, JJ - LOL) are still moving all of my supplies down to the office, but I hope to have that taken care of early this week as well. I have crossed my fingers and toes that my productivity will now be able to increase Ü

Versatility is always key when it comes to how it is that we can use a stamp. The apron in the new collection is just one example of how incredibly versatile Karen's stamps can be. The image on this particular design is approximately 2 1/2"w x 3 1/2"h. This larger size allows us to use the Itty Bitty images as well as some of the sentiments on the apron front. I am going to share the "naked" apron with you today and then some of the incredible options that Karen has colored to show the versatility of this stamp.

This is the apron in it's "naked" form - ha, ha! Below are just a couple of different possibilities for this marvelous piece!

Same idea - different colors and different doodling on the apron pockets.

Or make it masculine!

You could stamp this beauty on patterned paper and piece it together similar to my Robe and Bella post creations. You could also use Itty Bitty's to create a background or Backgrounders and masking to create other interesting versions. Add words like the new "Hot Stuff" or use it as an invitation with the word "Brunch" on the front. I am so excited to see the different possibilities you have in mind!

I'm behind on my Inchie INKlings challenges - it's high on my to do list this week. I will also be working at adding the new Memory Box 6x6 papers to the store and a few other goodies that we now have in our inventory, but I just haven't had an opportunity to get them uploaded.

Be certain to stop by our home page and sign up for our newsletter - I have a big announcement that I am planning on making shortly and you are NOT going to want to miss it Ü Perhaps you can start guessing as to what one special day is in June and in no other month this year. Talk to you soon!

Ranger Inkssentials Opaque White Pen

Product Update: Well ladies I can't believe the response to these pens. Unfortunately we are completely sold out. More are on order, but once again we need to wait our turn. I will let you know when I receive further information regarding our next order, but my understanding is that it will be sometime in April when our next shipment arrives. I'll keep you posted and thank you again for such amazing support!

OMGoodness - we just received a VERY unexpected shipment - the Ranger Inkssentials Opaque White Pen that I went so mad for at CHA. I wanted to post as quickly as possible so that you could take advantage of it during today's sale. I truly wish we had known earlier in the day being we have already shipped a bunch of orders, but they are here and up for sale now.

The ABC's of Inchies

Yeah - I'm back! I've been BUSY!!! There are some fun surprises in store for those who would like to participate. I'm not certain how many of you have noticed a new link on our store home page but we are putting together a mailing list for our current customers. Scroll all the way to the bottom of the page and you will see the link. Watch for this new form of communication - our newsletter to hit your in box shortly. Our team will be providing you with new tips and techniques to try out. You will also be the first to know of upcoming sales and events, as well as new items that are available in our store. Our goal is to keep our newsletter simple and informative. We will do our utmost not to bombard you with constant updates, so if you are interested and are not a current customer of ours then hurry and sign up now - we have some wonderful things to share with you soon!

One of those items you are going to be given a BIG hint at tonight! It has been some time since I have posted information about Inchies - they have not been forgotten. In fact Karen Lockhart and I have been working together with a new business colleague, Lisa Lee of Inchie Arts. We are thrilled to support her new adventure - she has been helping us out with solutions to our Inchie problems. Realizing that 1"x1" matboard squares are difficult to cut perfectly a solution was needed. Lisa has come to our rescue with some wonderful solutions. Wait until you see what she has come up with! I am not going to give away all the details yet so be certain to watch our blog, sign up for our newsletter and watch our store for changes!

As with all good things it is important to me that I do my very best to share as much information as possible in regards to new ideas. I want to get your creativity flowing, your enthusiasm for crafting stimulated - I want you to have FUN!!!

So here we go. Karen Lockhart has created THE most adorable accordion of Inchies - Inchies from A to Z!

With each post I will cover a new letter of the alphabet sharing from Karen's wonderful Inchie Accordion. I will also be adding my own ideas and inspirations for each letter of the alphabet. Tonight we are going start with A.

A is for Apple

Created using Itty Bitty Apple, decorative paper and Rub-On Alphabet letter.

We are also going to talk about the ABC's of Inchies. Whenever I hear about the ABC's of something it makes me think that I am learning the basics - it's back to those five W's.

Who started you on the Inchie craze?

I'm going to blame it all on Karen Lockhart - LOL! It's ALL her fault Ü She told me about them and then she started creating them. I fell in love with these tactile, adorable little squares she created and now I am creating them too - oh dear - I guess I'm a lemming!

What is an Inchie?

It is a miniature work of art that one can give as a gift, use as an embellishment, or trade with fellow crafters.

What size is an Inchie?

An Inchie should measure 1"x1" square - now technically I guess it will no longer be an Inchie if it goes past that size but do you really think someone is going to be measuring your Inchies - LOL!

What material do you use to create an Inchie?

I primarily use mat board and chip board as the base for my Inchies. Others create Inchies using fabric or cardstock. Use whatever you can think of! I plan on covering Inchies with Metal, make them out of clay, play with epoxy and glass, enclose them in UTEE, frame them with toothpicks and branches. Just wait until you see some of the beauties that Karen has created already!

What style should an Inchie be?

Contemporary, whimsical, quirky, quaint, collaged, simple, complex, unconventional - it doesn't really matter. Pick a style, pick a stamp, pick something that speaks to you and build your little piece of artwork around that element.

OK - so I created my Inchie - now what?

I believe that you have a couple of different alternatives here. First is the collectability of an Inchie. This is what can make them such extraordinary fun! Invite a group of friends to participate and pick a challenge. Begin with something as easy as a color. For example - "let's all make green Inchies this time." Do your very best work so that you can be proud of that little itty bitty piece of artwork that is going out to your friends. When they arrive you will number them and enter that number in a journal (that will be letter J). You can then create a storage system (more to come on this topic as well - this time you only have to wait until B - Ü) to view them and keep them safe, or you can put magnets on the backs and attach them to a frame or a fridge or... (yep you guessed it - more to come on this as well).

The other alternative is one that more people can relate to - use them as embellishments, make them into jewelry, put them on a cardfront. As you can see there are no set rules - it is all up to you - what would YOU like to do with your Inchies?

Where do I go to get started? Who can help me?

• Well you can start right here at our blog, as I said we are going to cover Inchies all the way from A-Z. Hmm - do you think that I can come up with 26 different posts?
• You can also visit our store - soon something will pop up when you click on this Inchie link. I can't tell you when right now being then I would actually have to be ready at that time - LOL! But stay tuned it will be SOON!
• Karen Lockhart of Lockhart Stamp Company
• Lisa Lee of Inchie Arts - be prepared for good things to come. What you see is just the beginning.
• Cindy Lyles and Sharon Harnist - Inchie Arts designers extraordinaire
• Debbie Olson, Michelle Wooderson and Trudee Sauer - incredibly talented designers

When will the big reveal happen?

I guess you didn't see that little sentence above - I can't tell you this minute because then I would actually have to be ready - ha, ha! All I can say is SOON!

Why Inchies?

Because they are adorable, addictive, tactile little squares that delight and warm your heart. To see a grouping of these displayed together just makes you smile. You will have a hard time keeping little ones and old ones alike from wanting your Inchies, from playing with your Inchies :D I wish you could feel the delight that we feel when we set eyes on the fabulous creations that have been set before us. I hope to share the FUN that Inchies are with you over the next month or two.

A is for Airbrushing

A wonderfully quick way to add color to a white mat board Inchie is by using the airbrush. In creating this special little Baby Bee Karen used the airbrush to quickly create the background for this priceless collection of Inchies.

When using a light color tone it is so easy to airbrush the entire piece, stamp and then color without any effect showing through in the final colored piece. Be certain to stay tuned for more information regarding these cuter then bees knees Baby Bees!

A is starting at the very beginning

I am going to share a little project that I have been creating with you. I'm going to "start at the very beginning" and walk you through how it is that I have created these adorable little Worm Inchies. I know it sounds like it should be Inch Worms, but I think in this case they should be called Worm Inchies. Hmmm - I guess I must be getting tired I'm not certain which way it should go - LOL!

The first step in creating a group of Inchies is to determine the number you will be creating. I created 36 very special little Inchies. I began by stamping out 37 of these using my Adirondack Pitch Black pad - yep, one extra just in case I made a mistake. As you can see in the coloring progression above I began with the lightest Yellow Green. Being that I knew I was going to cut these out (yes, I am insane - certifiable I do believe) I didn't worry about staying within the lines and so I colored FAST. As I colored I held both markers, the YG00 and the YG03, uncapped in my hand. I would lay down the YG00 immediately followed by a hint of YG03, in the next stroke I would come back and blend the two colors again with the YG00. I colored in all the worms and then came back with the Melon glitter pen to add some glam to my cute little worm.

Then the cutting began - I was having WAY too much fun! Look at this - LOL!

See - it almost looks like an A - ha! ha!

Being that I had another project in mind that I wanted to create simultaneously I then created my own background paper. Creating background paper can be a ton of fun. I typically will use Microsoft Word to create my definition documents. Using Dictionary.com I look up the word I want to use. In this case it was bookworm. Maddi, my daughter is such a bookworm and well... I guess I'd best stop with that story before I give away too many details on the next project.

I then created an entire page by repeating the definition over and over again. If you would like to see this document take a peak here:  well shoot - that didn't work - I will try again tomorrow, my brain is just too fried tonight to get this link to work. You can even use this document if you would like to create your own bookworm Inchies. I printed this document out onto Solar White cardstock and then cut it up into 7/8" x 7/8" squares. Being that I had cut off the antennae of the Itty Bitty Inchie (the worm that is) I needed to stamp Inchie on to my little white squares. To be precise about the placement I did use my Stamp-a-ma-jig. This is still a tool that I use on a constant basis being I do believe I have a tendency towards perfectionism. (I can't believe I just told you all that - I'm certain you had no idea until now - right? LOL!)

Each little square was then outlined with a Krylon Silver Leaf pen and adhered to a 1" x 1" black mat board square.

(Sidetrack here yet again - but aren't those little worms just hilarious all piled up together! I just have waaaay too much fun when I get to do things like this!)

To attach my little pieces I still like to reach for my Quickie Glue Pen. It makes it so easy to keep my adhesive exactly where I want it. So I attached all my worms and voila - 36 Worm Inchies - or is it Inch Worms - what did you decide? See I even initialed them in the bottom right hand corner.

So what do you think I will be doing with these little creatures? Take a few guesses and in the meantime if you haven't purchased from our store before and you want to receive our newsletter, be certain to head over to our home page and enter your information pronto!

Remember - A is for:

• apple
• accordion
• airbrushing
• ABC's - as in basics - as in the five W's
• and the start of something that can be totally ADDICTIVE!

Tim's Tag Inspired

It's the talk of the town, or perhaps better said - the internet. Tim Holtz has a blog and he has WOW'ed us all with his amazing tags!!! Tim has always inspired me with his over the top creativity, so last night I finally had an opportunity to play with the myriad of toys that I have had sitting on my shelves since (embarrassed a little here) last MAY!!!

At CHA this summer I was a lucky girl - at the very end of the show, when most everyone had already gone, Tim was just finishing up his work at the Ranger booth. My good friend Mona Lisa introduced me to Tim and I had the opportunity to "quiz" him regarding the Ranger line of products and he demonstrated several of the techniques that he is well known for. We had a wonderful conversation and he made an incredible tag which I have in my collection of things I'll keep for a LONG time - LOL!

This little beauty shimmers and shines just like Tim's smile. I couldn't believe how nice he was after being "tormented" by all of us ladies, for all those days - LOL!

So in honor of Tim's tag challenges I decided to try and create one with an Ellen twist using the Lockhart Wreathe Angel. As you all know I love to airbrush and have had this idea in my brain for a LONG time - I wanted to try the Heidi Swapp Masks with the airbrush. Well the results are great - they can be repositioned and reused - a feature I do love. My only caution is that they are REALLY sticky. My first try out I stuck it to my tag and when I pulled it off along came the paper, sticking to the back of the mask. Well needless to say I decided to try something different with the next one and took my fingers and just patted all over the sticky backs to lessen the adhesive so that I could then remove it without pulling the paper off. I also did not press them down to my paper, but just laid them in place. They quickly adhere and that's when I sprayed.

The tag is a small manila one. I didn't have any of those lovely gimungo ones that Tim has. Can you believe that one? I guess it's time for another shopping trip Ü I positioned a couple of the leaves on the manila tag and then airbrushed using COPIC Sketch Marker Y63. I then spritzed with my special "Tim Concoction". I will share that below at the end of my post. After removing the masks I then very lightly airbrushed the entire tag once again just to add a hint of green to the leaf sections. I colored the angel with Prismacolor pencils and Copics after adding the embossed details to her dress. Copic Spica Glitter pen highlights were added to the ribbons and her hair. I used a Copic marker to change the color of the tag "circle".

Next I added dimension to the background paper by once again placing my masks on the Crimson paper. My secret to spraying in my craft area is this big box. I can tell you that my first spritz was not a pretty thing - LOL! I actually was holding my mini mister sideways and - a big OOPS! Needless to say I learned my lesson and now use a box instead.

Unfortunately you can not even begin to see the beauty of this paper. Talk about bling!!! I know that Glimmer Mist is the talk of the town and I am assuming that it is a "concoction" very similar to Tim's. What I love about Tim's recipe is that I have LOADS of product remaining to mix in other fun and funky ways, as well as a little pot of "bling" that still calls my name for other techniques I hope to share over time. (Or you can just stay tuned at Tim's blog - I'm guessing he will share all sorts of wonders with you all as well, being these products are his "babies"!)

So following is a simple "Tim Concoction". I use a clear mini mister so that I can see what is in each little spritzer. To this I add some color wash and Perfect Pearls. For this particular project I mixed Red Pepper Color Wash with Perfect Gold Perfect Pearls. Tim demonstrates on his blog how he has used a popsicle stick to add the Perfect Pearls to the bottle. I have a teeny, tiny spoon that I like to use. A little goes a long way. The result is oh SO Christmasy! I'm going to share a little secret with you regarding this month's Stamp of the Month project - I sprayed my flowers and background paper with this mixture too Ü The shimmer that these projects have just can't be captured with my elementary photography techniques.

A little piercing, some gold glass beads, a hammered brad (yet another cool Tim Technique and Tool), some Tarnished Gold Embossing Powder and my Tim inspired project is complete.

I hope that you have a relaxing weekend even though the holiday season is in full-swing. Take some time out to breath and create if possible and enjoy some wonderful Christmas music as you create. I have Sarah McLachlan's Wintersong playing in the background. Her voice is magical and just makes me feel warm inside.

ETA: I just wanted to take this opportunity to remind you all that once again Nichole is going to blow your socks off with her latest stamp sets - they unveil tonight. I would also like to thank Nichole for being such an absolute delight to work with!!! It is with sadness and yet a sigh of relief that I share with you that I will no longer be a part of PaperTrey's design team. As you all know my life has been VERY full this past year and it is becoming increasingly busier with each passing day. It is so important to try and maintain some sort of sanity and reduce the deadline stress load. It is so wonderful to have relationships with other women who do what I do and I look forwards to supporting Nichole and what it is that she does in the years ahead. Her talents never cease to amaze me. Thank you Nichole!

COPIC - what's coming?

The clock is ticking and we are scrambling - LOL! Yes, there is SO much to upload that I think it might be a long day or perhaps a short night :D

I have received many emails in regards to a number of things and I apologize if I haven't gotten back to you yet today. First - yes, the sale will apply to ALL items in my store. So what ever you choose to purchase tomorrow the discount will apply - it will apply to your Preorders for COPIC Sketch Markers and/or Spellbinders Nestability Dies, as well as the Lockhart Stamp Company new release images and ALL other items in my store - if its in my store the discount will apply! So head on over to Ellen Hutson LLC and check out the goodies. I will be working tonight at making items go live, so piece by piece they will become visible.

The sale again is 13% off for 13 hours (6:00am - 7:00pm Pacific Daylight Time - remember that is West Coast time!) We accept Visa, Master Card and PayPal. If you would like to place an order and you are an international customer please send an email to ellenhutsonorders@comcast.net during the sale hours and we will process these orders as quickly as possible. Remember the code is: 131313-V2

Tomorrow is going to be a super fun day right here on my blog. I will be doing some fun games that you are NOT going to want to miss!!! SO stay tuned throughout the day to be included.

Remember that the drawing for the challenge will be held tomorrow night after 7:00pm (that allows you almost one more day to complete your project!) - you aren't going to want to miss out on this!

Your comment to be included in the 131313-V2 Post Drawing must be submitted before 12:00pm tonight and that drawing will take place tomorrow morning.

So come and join in the fun tomorrow. Get your stamps, paper and ink ready as well for one more challenge Ü

New Dies - Now What Will I Need?

OK - so I'm telling you that the dies are universal, that they nest, yada, yada, yada - so what now? You might be thinking, "I already own a diecutting machine, (such as a Cuttlebug, BIg Shot, Sizzix, etc.) will these still work and what else will I need besides just the little metal die?"

I am going to link you back to the post on compatibility so that you can once again read the sandwich information for your particular machine type. If you do not see your machine listed then please contact Spellbinders to ensure that the machine you own is truly compatible. There are many machines on the market and I am not aware of all of them, so I apologize if I have missed the type of machine that you own.

In addition to your machine (and the dies of course :D) the following tools are recommended:

• Spellbinders Tan Emboss Pad (currently available in the Wizard Charm Embossing Kit)
• Spellbinders White Spacer Plates
• Extra pieces of cardstock or lightweight chipboard (example - cereal box) to act as "shims"

It has been an INCREDIBLY busy day already, but I hope to be back with my countdown project for the day as well as more information regarding the dies.

I am working on photographing everything and getting them ready for Friday. I will hopefully have the time to post more information here before then, but please know that I am working feverishly to share as much as possible in such a short amount of time. Thank you so much for your patience with me!

ETA: I just reviewed the current dies and compared them with the new Nestability Dies. The old dies were not designed in 1/8" increments and therefore do not have the same capability of forming the perfect layer. That is not to say that you can not layer with them - it is only to tell you that they are not perfectly layered with the new scallops. I also want to point out the difference in the embossed corners on the squares. The old dies had a rounded corner for embossing - the new designs are completely square and therefore have a much crisper appearance. Thank you Kar for your post below - I really appreciate you helping out answer these types of questions!

Strawberry Jam and SO MUCH MORE!

AAACK! I've been hurrying and scurrying with deadline after deadline. Life is a complete whirlwind - LOL. So I thank you once again for your patience. Today I'm going to try and provide you with a little eye candy, a few ideas and a little taste of what is coming :D

What's Happening Now:

1.  Memory Box Cardstock and more colors of Notecards and Envelopes are finally uploaded to the store! This cardstock is the same quality as the notecards. Memory Box is commited to making as little impact as possible to the environment. Their paper is made by a mill that uses certified sustainable forests for it's pulp. The paper is then printed with environmentally responsible soy-based ink. The paper has a beautiful, crisp white side and the opposite side is a selection of delicious colors that make me hungry - LOL!

We have also added a list of coordinating cardstock and note card colors to the Memory Box 6x6 patterned paper lists. You can see an example of this here.

More information is being added all the time to the website details, but at least it's a start. Some of the colors are missing and some need a little adjustment, but we are working on it and hope to have it all going 100% soon. Please remember that color can vary from computer screen to computer screen and that the images are the truest representation to the color that we are able to supply. More information will be added as to what other items coordinate with these colors to help make your shopping experience and color recognition easier. We are constantly working to upgrade information and hope to finish these projects over the course of the summer.

2. I say "we" because I have some wonderful helpers now! I would like to introduce you to Malena, Katelyn and Kelcie. They are an integral part of our team here - packing orders, upgrading computer information, making phone calls and trying to bring the same level of service that we have provided from the very first day. Being that they are all new I am trying to be certain that everything goes smoothly, but as with all things new there is a learning curve. I thank you for your patience with us during this transition. I plan on introducing the other amazing team players here soon. We are working on bio's and doing our best to just make each day happen with customer service being our primary concern!

3. Don't forget that there are a few days left to get your recipes in the mail for the Lockhart recipe contest. Delicious Pacific Northwest Treats await some lucky lady! So send in your entry now.

4. We are down to the last, of the last with the Stamp of the Month packets. If you haven't ordered one yet it may be too late. As with all good things you all never cease to surprise and amaze me. It is so thrilling to see how much you are enjoying these, but I'm down to the last one and my guess is that it won't be long after this post and it will be gone. (Perhaps I won't even get this posted and it will be gone.) Unfortunately the template that was included in the packet is the hang-up with this kit. They are completely sold out and no more are available, period. The good news is that there are still plenty of Strawberry stamps :D We are already working on the project for July and I can tell you that it's a good one :D :D :D

What's Happening Soon:

1. More AMAZING Lockhart stamps!!! You will not believe your eyes - these are incredible! Karen has truly outdone herself with the Fall and Holiday line-up. It is killing me not to share all the details, but as with all good things I must be patient and follow the guidelines - LOL! BUT she did listen to us and again has added to some of the amazing collections that are well loved! In addition she has started some new ones that are going to blow your socks off! Yippie - July will be here soon!

2. After much hard work and long hours a new "Designer Set" of Copic Sketch Markers will be available for purchase through the Ellen Hutson webstore!!! It was not an easy decision, but after much consultation, consideration and play time I have put together a list of 48 colors that will be made available to you soon. Now by soon that means some time in July - LOL! It takes a while to get all the "stuff" done, but I can assure you that much thought and preparation has gone into selecting these colors. Some are coordinates to the popular Stampin' Up! colors, but not all. In order to fill the "holes" that seem to arise when coloring, it was important to  "give up" some colors to make the set truly work for you. Karen Lockhart and myself have been working together closely with the Copic representatives (THANK YOU Marianne) and we feel extremely confident that the colors that we have selected will have a universal appeal. When you have 330 colors to select from in the first place it is no easy task breaking it down into "48 you can't live without these colors" group - LOL!

They will be available in 4 sets of 12, as well as 2 sets of 24. More details and projects and how-to's will be following in the upcoming weeks and I'm delighted to tell you that we are putting together an incredible group of talented individuals to showcase this product's amazing features and versatility. Just wait until you see the cool things you can do with these markers!!!

3. There is more, but shoot - it's getting late and I haven't even shared the project I created to inspire you to try new things :D

So here you have my latest creation for another idea using the strawberry stamp. I love to make strawberry jam and have been known to give it as a hostess gift or Christmas gift. This is just a fun little idea that you can use as a starting point in presenting your homemade preserves as a gift item.

To create the little dangley charm, I sanded some Translucent PolyShrink (details on how to sand). Using my Mega Scalloped Circle I punched through the PolyShrink - this was no easy task and I don't know that I can completely endorse this, being that I don't want to be responsible for any broken punches - LOL! I then stamped the image using Black Brilliance ink. After allowing the image to airdry and then using Prismacolor color pencils to color the image to coordinate with the Strawberry Jam topper I punched a hole for the cording and then followed the directions, shrinking it to this darling little charm. The last step was adding a few white dots to add a little texture to the otherwise smooth surface using the white Souffle pen. You could also place stamped tissue paper between the sealed lid and the ring for a completely different look.

I hope this inspires you to play with your stamps in a little different way and to remember the fun of shrinking your stamp images turning them into cute little "bellies". Thanks for stopping by and spending a little time with me :D

Fluff in a Jar - Fun Flock is in :D

Yeah - Fun Flock is finally uploaded to the store. I apologize, being that the pics aren't the greatest - IRL these colors remind me of scrumptious looking jelly beans. The colors are so pure and intense. I hope to update the pictures soon with larger samples, but at least it's a start.

Once again I used Fun Flock to create the Birthday Balloon in this month's Paper Trey Ink Little Lady gallery. Last night I talked about all the other looks this lady could take on. I saw numerous possibilities for flowers and with the Lockhart dresses being something I adore a little dress was on my mind. I was so tickled to see both Debbie and Lisa play out this idea!! Great job ladies - great minds think a like - right - LOL!

So here is my balloon version.

Being that I wanted to stamp Celebrate right in the curve of the tail and I'm lazy so I didn't want to mask :D the tail was stamped first using a VERY light ink. Next I stamped the "balloon" using Colorbox Petal Points Blossom Chalk ink. I like to work quickly and therefore heat set the ink so that I could move on. I stamped and created a reverse mask using Eclipse Tape. Place the mask over the balloon and then stamp the large flowers using The Essential Glue Pad. Flock with the Cantaloupe Orange (as you can see this is a GORGEOUS color - nothing like my poor little sample on my webstore site!). Press lightly with your finger and tap to remove excess flock. Repeat with the small flower using Pixie Pink Fun Flock. (Pixie Pink is the color I used on my Faux Velvet Ribbon card as well.) Remove the mask and you have this awesome textured balloon. Without this awesome texture this card would have been BORING - but the amazing quality this little embellishment adds is fabulous.

Nichole designs these sets with versatility in mind. Another thing you might want to note is that this trail is the perfect distance for piercing. Yes, perhaps I am the piercing queen - LOL! but again the subtle texture that it adds to this project helps make it sing. Be certain to stamp your greeting first and then skip that portion of the tail when you do your piercing.

I added tails to my balloon using orange velvet ribbon from the Gypsy (Romani) set and pink DMC floss.

If I could do it over I would tilt my balloon slightly - it's just a little off, but time is always of the essence as of late and so I just ran with it. Another awesome idea would be to turn the lady bug into a kite - Maybe if I get a minute I'll try that one :D

Butterfly Garden Stakes

Do you ever get an idea that you can hardly wait to try? This was one of those for me. I think I may have mentioned that one of my hobbies is gardening (well... it was one before hurting my hip - now it is mostly watching my family garden - LOL). Anyways - I love to add little things to discover amongst the beauty that nature provides. When I first saw the Lockhart butterflies I knew that at some point these would end up being a garden "prop". It all came together for me when the reality that Copics were indeed an alcohol based ink and therefore would work beautifully on metal, and glass, and vellum, and... the excitement level for these awesome little tools has shot me right up to Mars - maybe even Jupiter :D

So here you have my first little experiment - it certainly can use some finessing (notice the lack of antennae - way too excited to even remember such subtle details :D), but at least I hope it inspires you to start thinking outside the box with these gorgeous little creatures.

First I stamped on this awesome metal (I used the copper sheeting) using Brilliance black ink. I heat set it before continuing (be certain to use your tweezers to hold the metal because it gets HOT! - hmmm - how do you think I know the answer to that little problem? :D) Using simple little scissors I then cut out the butterfly - it is surprising how easily this metal cuts. I then took my small point embossing stylus and outlined the image. This was followed up by turning the image over and using the different sized ball ends to finish adding detail to the image. I really like these little stylus, first because they are ergonomic and therefore my fingers don't get as tired while holding these and using them. Secondly because there are six different sized ball tips starting with a VERY fine point.

The next step is the one that I was SO curious as to whether it would work. I was tickled pink with the results! The Copic Markers work beautifully to color the metal!!! I certainly need a little more practice to get it down, but woohoo - it's a start ladies! If you do not have any alcohol ink markers I am thinking that Sharpies would work as well and they come in a lot of delightful colors now as well.

To attach the butterfly to the 20-gauge copper wire I used Glossy Accents from Ranger. It took about a minute of holding it in place and then I could let it stand upright in a jar to complete the drying process over night. I curled the wire a few times around a pencil to get the curl and then voila it was ready to be planted :D

So tell me - genius, or what!?! LOL!!! Have fun making your own little garden stakes. Wouldn't they be darling to give to your mom's for Mother's Day? She could even put them into an indoor houseplant :D Have fun and please share your versions with me when you make some!

(3) Egg Salad

This little dress just cracks me up - ha, ha - maybe it just makes me boil. Oh jeepers - I'd better quit now!!! Look what happens when I'm tired and creating, or perhaps writing - LOL! BAD JOKES! REALLY BAD!

I just love the vegetable couture line from Lockhart Stamp Company. Karen was a personal chef for some time and I always love the little food creations she pens for us! This little Cobb Salad dress is so much fun to color. So this evening when I sat down to create, I pulled out my Prismacolor pencils once again because I just needed to relax. I should have been snapping pictures while I colored, so that you could see the layers of color that went in to this creation. Shoot anyways - that will have to follow at another time. But I hope that you can pick up the little subtle color changes within the leaves because I was thinking of Mesclun when I was coloring it. Also when I'm a little more ambitious I will color two of these images so that I can cut out some of the lettuce leaves and give it added dimension :D

Then it was time to design the layout. The egg shape was just popping out at me and I thought why not just play with that element and emphasize it. I LOVE the end result and will probably use this layout again with other images just to test drive it to see how effective it is without the egg. For a little texture I pierced the circle only on the white - it's all about the assymetrical design I have going here. I wish my brain weren't so fried - then I'd be able to try and give you a logical explanation, but there is no hope for that tonight (especially considering the sappy joke at the beginning of this post - LOL!)

So let's continue to celebrate! The invitation has been sent, the goodies are stashed, and now it's only a couple more days until the party begins. I can hardly wait to have fun with you girls this Friday!

(4) Peas and Carrots

Little creations are so much fun. Tonight I used two "Itty Bitty" stamps to create the background. I love how simple and quick it was to add some depth to this little creation. I've always loved these little clothes in the Lockhart Stamp Company baby collection and now I have the peas and carrots to go with them :D Oh what fun it is to make baby cards! Now I need to find a recipient - I think I know a few wonderful ladies with babies on the way - at least now I'm ready!

Once again I used a Memory Box note card and decorative paper, and an Arturo single reply card (these are patiently waiting on the shelf, just waiting for me to get them photographed and up on my site). I used two different sized corner rounders to soften the edges and create a little distinction to the shape. The velvet rick rack is Basic Grey (another addition needing to be uploaded to my store), teeny tiny little Hero Arts buttons with DMC floss dressing them up and a little piercing completed this project.

Just two more days and the big day will be here - phew - it's tough keeping up with this daily posting. But has been SO MUCH FUN reading your responses and sharing my excitement with you all!

131313

Hey sweet ladies I am SO excited to share with you the fun little promotion that I will be holding at my webstore!!! On Friday the 13th, for 13 hours you will have the opportunity to place your order with a 13% discount. This is for your entire order!

Starting at 7:00am and ending at 8:00pm PDT (Pacific Daylight Time) a little "switch" will be flipped behind the scenes to offer you my very first promotion. I know that I'm not able to do this very often, but I am so thrilled to be able to offer this to you. It is my way of saying a HUGE thank you for all the support and loyalty you have shown my little business.

All the new Lockhart Stamp Company images will be up on the site promptly at midnight or if I can get it all done before that magical time it might pop up just a little sooner. These will be available for purchase during the promotion as well!

SO let me repeat this one more time - on the 13th, for 13 hours you will receive a 13% discount on your entire order of products purchased at my webstore!!! All you have to do is upon checkout enter this code in to the promotion code area: 131313!!! (as shown below)

Also don't forget to enter your name for the drawing by leaving your comment on this thread telling me what state/province/country you live in, approximately how many hours you stamp in a day/week/month and whether you stamp most often by yourself or with friends.

Last, but certainly NOT least - you WILL WANT TO keep checking back here at my blog constantly throughout the day on Friday the 13th. Randomly throughout the day you will find little surprises that you are going to want to participate in! I'm not giving those secrets away - my lips are sealed!!!

I must tell you right now that I sincerely hope that I have this all figured out, so that there will be no glitches!!! I have been on the phone with the tech support people and I'm praying that this "not so tech savvy" brain of mine has done it all correctly. So keep your fingers crossed and spread the word ladies because we are having a party on Friday, April 13th.

Come join in the fun and play along with me!

Strawberry Delight (5)

Creating this card this evening made me hungry!!! I was so thrilled that nestled in my fridge were some red ripe strawberries. So I quickly snapped the picture before savoring these delightful berries :D

Once again I created a simple, quick card with just little hints of character. This time I used the white Arturo cards being that I wanted a crisp red and white design. Watercoloring and color pencils are quick ways to color in this marvelous little image. I created three layers - the card front, the bowl cut out and then an additional layer of the two strawberries. The bowl was glazed to look like porcelain using the clear glaze pen and the strawberries were given a slight shimmer with the glitter pen. Bumping these out on dimensionals, adding a hint of red and white gingham, a little piercing and the design was complete.

Tomorrow I plan on sharing some of Friday's plans. I can hardly wait - Friday the 13th may just be your lucky day, so don't forget to leave a comment on this thread.

Happy Easter (6)

I wanted to take this opportunity to tell you all to have a wonderful day! This is the thank you note that I created to take with me to give to my Aunt and Uncle who we are joining to celebrate Easter. The tulips are in full bloom outside and it is turning into another beautiful day here in Seattle. Have a wonderful time with your family and friends and celebrate the precious moments of life!

I'm such a goof. I took this picture and after uploading realized that oops - I forgot to show you the pretty little butterfly stamped on the back of the envelope - LOL! So just use your imagination being that I need to run :D I also wanted to show you that I love to use coordinating colors with the envys - mixing and matching makes it fun and interesting.

Happy Easter! (and I do think that it may be Passover as well. I am embarrassed that I don't truly know, but if it is please accept my apologies and enjoy your very special celebration too!)

(7) We asked for it and Karen listened :D

"Itty bitty surprises" - Karen has listened and has put together a line of "Itty Bitty" stamps that are so incredibly cute!!! and THE perfect size for envelope decorating. I was bouncing in my chair when I first laid eyes on them (insert big enormous grin on bouncing figure here).

It only took seconds to add this little cupcake to the front of a pink Arturo envelope. I took a couple of my new Copic markers to color them in, frosted it with the Souffle pen, glazed the cherry and added a little sparkle. This provides so much more character to an envelope and takes so little time.

The "Itty Bitty" stamps also look insanely cute grouped with one another and framed in the center of a large mat. So let Karen know what you think of these little cuties by leaving your comments here. There are eight adorable images and a few of you actually spotted the little pear two days ago. So there you have your "pair of pears" - the large pear grouping and the itty bitty pear :D I thought I had given such a clever clue - LOL! Don't forget to enter your comment on THIS thread to enter yourself in the drawing on April 13th.

There are MORE good things to come and they will slowly be revealed over the next six days. I'm so excited to share what I have up my sleeve for Friday, but anticipation is half the fun!!! So keep anticipating because I think you will enjoy the little celebration I have planned for you - at least I hope you will - LOL!

Off to create one more treat to share for tomorrow. I must get it created and try and put the post on a timer so that it will be set to wish you a happy Easter as I am off with my family enjoying our day together with more family members.

Itty Bitty Surprises... "Peared" with Watercolor Tutorial (9)

ETA: I'm bumping this message to the top so that you all will remember to enter your comments before midnight on April 12th to enter in our "Friday the 13th is Your Lucky Day!" drawing. Please be certain to leave your comment on this thread! Good luck to EVERYONE!

"Never miss a chance to celebrate!" Life brings all kinds of things and when the opportunity to celebrate presents itself we should truly take advantage of those occasions and have a wonderful time! SO with that the countdown continues! Be certain to read to the very end of this post to find out why Friday the 13th might just be YOUR LUCKY DAY!!!

I would like to start this post off with a huge THANK YOU to those who support my little business. You have no idea how much your support means to me and my family. I thank you from the bottom of my heart! Many of you have requested information as to how it is that I do my thank you notes that are included in with the orders you receive. I started by hand coloring each note with color pencils, but then realized I needed to step-it-up a notch when it comes to speed. So following are my little secrets :D I guess they won't be secrets much longer - LOL!

Products used: Palette Noir Ink (sometimes I use Burnt Umber - depending on whether or not I think that brown would be better then black), Stamp, Adirondack Reinkers, Lyra or Stampin' Up! Watercolor Crayon, Stardust Glitter Pen, Arturo Note Card (Buttercream shown), Watercolor Brush with fine tip, tray. (items noted in blue are in stock, but not yet added to my webstore - sorry - I wish I had more time in the day and night :D. If perchance you do not want to wait any longer for these items just pop me an email when you place an order and I will add them in to your current order).

For this project I decided to use a colored Arturo note card so that you could see what it looks like to lay color on top of an already colored card. As you will see - it can create an AWESOME look!

Begin by dropping one little drop of each color in to your palette. I kid you not when I tell you that one drop can last for between 50-100 thank you notes! Depending on area colored in and intensity of color. I do not clean this palette between sittings. You can easily rehydrate the color with a droplet of water from your waterbrush if it happens to dissipate on you.

Lay down a wash of the color Carmel to all of your pears - it will appear uniform as shown in the pear on the left. Make certain that the depth of the color on your waterbrush is not too intense. This is the reason for all the little scribbles all over my scrap paper - LOL. I typically will "test" the brush before placing it on my image to see what the intensity of the color is. If the color is too intense I will add a droplet of water to the little "bowl" to lighten the color. I work quickly, so that when I lay down the second layer of color the first is still quite wet. This allows the more intense color to bleed into the first layer. You will see a little more pooling in these pictures then is typical just because I was snapping pictures and therefore not working quite as quickly. So if you like this look just allow your image to dry slightly. I also added a tiny hint of watered down Red Pepper to this image.

Next I colored the bowl celery, and added a hint of celery to the right side of a few pears. As you can see from this picture I usually have my dark side on the left (and no I'm not referring to my Star Wars dark side - ha, ha). It is just easier for me to color my "dark side" on the left at all times. With the bowl you will see the color darken some on the right as well, just to try and create a somewhat rounded shape to the bowl. I have no technical watercolor training, in fact a lot of what I do is by the seat of my pants - LOL! I keep falling back on to my interior design training and thinking in terms of overall balance, focal point, interest, etc. You will see a watercolor crayon now laying in the picture. I take the tip of my watercolor brush and just touch it to the crayon to add highlights to my green. Being that I typically only use three reinker colors I sometimes add in watercolor crayons for that little added umph.

Last but by no means least I use the glitter pen to add little hints of color to the image - just to make it shimmer. I use a VERY light hand to add this detail so that I don't end up with a streak down my work. It is odd how when I captured these pictures my lighting and the camera lens REALLY picked it up. It is not nearly as noticeable IRL - go figure.

SO - if you read all the way here to the bottom I'd like to share how you can participate in the little celebration that I will be holding on Friday, April 13th. There will be a drawing for a pair of pears, and a few other fun items that I carry in my store. I'll tell you a little more about this itty bitty surprise tomorrow. Many of you are so observant that I think you will spot one of the little surprises that will be unveiled over the next few days, but I guess we'll see now won't we? I know I'm such a tease - just ask my kids - LOL!

To participate in this fun little drawing all you have to do is leave me a message in this post telling me:

• what state or province you are from (and if you are some place else in the world you are welcome to leave me a message as well),
• how much time you spend stamping each week (or month, or year for those of you who spend too much time reading blogs and not enough time stamping - LOL!)
• and if you usually stamp with a group or by yourself.

That's it - do it all before midnight on April 12th and on April 13th a random number will be drawn and the announcement made. So start your engines ladies and post away. I hope to share more goodies and snippets in each of the upcoming days, so stop in whenever you get a minute.

Friday the 13th... let the countdown begin (10)

Ten days and counting ladies! Ten days until you will get to see all the new images Karen has drawn for us to play with. I am going to add that they are not all butterflies, but I just can't help myself yet and continue to be enamoured with them! I LOVE the butterflies.

Yesterday was a simple, quick design. Today I went all out and went for complexity :D I thought I'd share the whole creative process with you being that I'm starting my write-up at a reasonable time - LOL! (That time being before midnight :D)

It all started with the Basic Grey Perhaps paper as inspiration. I wanted to share a more elaborate version of what these butterflies could be. I went in search of a small, overall paper design that was an appropriate scale, to be my inspiration when I spotted two large random designs. A lightbulb went off! Why not perch the butterfly on a large blossom, or hide it amidst an array of blossoms. So I stamped my butterfly in Palette Noir black and began my coloring process. I must say that I am VERY pleased at how the Palette ink held up to my coloring with the Colorless Blender as well as the color markers.

As you can see I selected markers that were reminiscent of the colors in the Basic Grey paper. With the yellows and browns I layered colors to arrive at the correct end color, first laying down the lightest color and then coming back over the top with the darker or complimenting color, if one was available. I colored little swatches below the image so that you could see the original colors I started with. I have a total of 32 markers I am currently working with; Sketch, Original and Ciao. I hope to give you a total breakdown as to what I like about each so that you will be able to determine better what would work for you. Being that I only had one red/violet color I used the colorless blender to add dimension to the shapes I colored with that marker. The Perhaps paper has variation within the colors, so I tried to emulate that look in the butterfly.

I then selected some darker toned Prismacolor pencils to add another layer to the colors in the butterfly and bring them closer to the colors in the paper. I felt that this worked really well to pull the two together and gave me courage that I don't need all 330 Copic Markers to create with - LOL!

Here is my finished butterfly just as I was ready to cut it out. After coloring with the pencils I added a hint of the Sakura glitter pen - I wish I could capture the shimmer this adds to this little creature.

Now is where you are really going to laugh - I got ambitious - yes, me - LOL! I pulled out my sewing machine!!! The Perhaps paper was just begging to be "quilted" - ha! ha! I ran my sewing machine around the exterior edge of the flowers that I wanted to draw attention too and add texture too as well. Julie Stainton has done a WONDERFUL tutorial on using your sewing machine - it is a must read IMO!!! Next, I made little wire antennae, added some Basic Grey ribbon and a Karen Foster brad, layering this all on top of a Memory Box note card. The big finale was approaching - I decided to add a Basic Grey rub-on being that the swirl just felt right. Well darn girls - I thought I had it all rubbed down nicely, but when I pulled up - drat it - the "birthday" portion pulled up and was wonky. Yep, I like the word wonky - it's the only word I can use to describe that sucker. In hind sight I wish I had just left it off - oh well, what's a girl to do?!?

So there you have it another butterfly to inspire you in your future creations.

Sneak Peak - Butterfly Bliss...

I am in the midst of butterfly bliss :D There are a lot of butterflies available to rubber stamping fans and many of them that I love, but there are none like the ones that will be released soon from Lockhart Stamp Company. I am thrilled to give you a sneak peak of one of the new butterfly images tonight. Think chintz and plaids, stripes and checkers - these little goodies are going to flutter to many new homes I do believe :D

I have had SO MANY new toys to play with and NO TIME!!! Talk about frustrating - well tonight when JJ and I finished up packing the last of the boxes from today's orders I was determined to finish at least ONE card before heading to bed. So here I sit - pleased as punch with my little effort for the night. Awww - it feels good to stamp! Even if it is simple stamping.

If you haven't seen the Arturo note cards yet, you are truly missing out. This is the soft blue - I may try and retake the picture during daylight hours tomorrow so that you can see the soft blue a little better. To complete this card I stamped the butterfly image with Palette Noir ink. I then used my brand spankin' new COPIC MARKERS to color the image in. (OK - can you tell I am excited?!?) I can hardly wait to share all the amazing information I am compiling about these AWESOME markers with you. I will share coordinating colors to the Stampin' Up! ink colors, along with a step by step tutorial on completing some of these little projects. These markers ROCK!

As with everything, I do believe that practice makes perfect, but holy cow ladies - this is the first image I have colored!!!! Being that I don't have a ton of colors I highlighted and added "drama" with a little color pencil work. WHAT A COMBO! I truly wish that this card could jump through the screen to you so that you could see the beauty; the intensity of the colors! Friday I am attending a convention where the Copic markers will be demonstrated. I can hardly wait to share with you girls - I think you are going to get a giggle out of some of the "artwork" I'm going to share. It is only in my imagination right now, but... it's going to be GOOD! :D :D :D

So without further ado...

The little trail was pierced using one of my fav little tools - a piercing stencil. When using these stencils you don't have to use the entire stencil! I love to just choose a little segment of the design to add additional texture to my project. I could have added some pearls or twinkles, but the simplicity of this design screamed at me to just "leave it alone".

I am going to try and share new images each day with you - the upcoming Lockhart Stamp Company release has such fun new designs!!! I can hardly wait to share them all with you. Giddy - yep, that's me - new stamps, new tools, new toys - they truly make me happy :D :D :D

Teflon Bone Folders

Good morning ladies - I just realized that I had to pull the teflon bone folders from my store because I sold out of the smaller size. I do have the larger size now in stock, but haven't had a chance to photograph them and get them posted. I will do so shortly. The new version of the bone folder is 6 1/4" x 3/4" x 3/8". It is just as fabulous as the smaller version, but unfortunately costs slightly more. Yan felt so badly about not being able to send me the ones I so love that he did pass a special savings along that I am sharing with you. Typically these retail for $21.00, but I will be able to sell them to you for $19.00. I am hoping that he will soon have his mold back for making the smaller ones and that Dupont will hurry up and get him the Teflon that he needs to manufacture these awesome tools.

If you are placing an order and would like one, just shoot me an email and I will add it to your order behind the scenes. In fact with all this "blabbering" I will just go ahead and load it into the store without the picture and hope to add the picture later today. Thank you for your patience!!!

Those impossible to find Giga Scalloped Oval punches...

are in my store now. I decided I would try and help any of you who are still searching for these impossible to find punches - the Giga Scalloped Oval :D The punchout measures 2 1/4"w x 3"l.

I had ordered 18 of these for a special group of ladies back in OCTOBER! It has been nothing but a headache trying to get these to them! BUT I have gotten a lot of inside details from Marvy Uchida as to the holdup. I know that they are only able to bring in a limited quantity each month and those are spoken for through the month of February, perhaps now it's March or even later - LOL! So when this opportunity presented itself I thought I would try and help as many of you, my wonderful friends, as I could. These punches are just the right size for the little Lockhart Company Stamp dresses. I only have a limited supply, so I will try to keep a VERY close eye on my store, so that when they are gone, I will pull them immediately. I am jumping up and down that I can now get these sent off to these special ladies in my life!!!

Cherish Accordion Album

At long last I sat down yesterday and put together the project for my next class. Too much to do - to little time!!! LOL!

The idea for this entire accordion came from my desire to use the Basic Grey Blush paper (all of it Ü - unfortunately, I couldn't quite achieve that goal without having it UBBER busy - LOL!), together with the Lockheart Folk Heart.

I am so excited with the finished project!!! I am only going to give you a sneak peak of one of the inside details to whet your appetite. Once I have the supplies ordered this will be my new class kit. I would like to share this creation with those who would like to create a treasure, to share with a loved one or just sit on your own shelf, a treasure that showcases something that you cherish! I'll give you a hint as to what is on the inside of mine - they are bright and they are beautiful - they are my treasures and I cherish them Ü

The little heart above is the Lockhart Lock Heart Ü Get it Lockhart LockHart - oh man - I had better get to bed early tonight - LOL!) What I love about this little stamp is that it is turning out to be an ideal stamp to try so many different techniques with. The little locket above is stamped on the patterned paper, cut out and then selectively colored. I hope to find time to showcase this wonderful little stamp in other ways before the big "V" day is upon us.

So now it's just compiling the list of materials, ordering them, photographing everything yet again and then it will be ready to put in the store. Please expect it some time mid-summer - just kidding - LOL! BUT this next week is over the top and then it's CHA so I do know that realistically it won't be until sometime in February that this kit is ready. Thanks for your patience and I hope to start getting a little ahead of the game with my class kits, rather than WAY behind as I currently am!

Have a wonderful weekend and I hope you enjoy this sneak peak.

Lockhart Stamp Company Winter Release

Happy New Year everyone!!!

First off I would like to thank you all so much for your heartfelt responses!!! I have my fingers crossed, my toes crossed, my legs crossed - LOL - you get the picture! I am hopeful that our Credit Card company will be able to help replace my camera. I will be certain to let you all know what happens. BUT please, please, please remember to always be certain that you understand your "gear" so that you don't end up in a similar situation to mine!

Next I must tell you I am incredibly excited about the new releases!!! They are soooo cute and I do believe there is a little something for everyone. I can't seem to resist the cuteness factor of many of these images. The ideas are just rushing around inside my brain and I hope to get some time to get it all out Ü

Yesterday evening my niece and I went on a creating spree together - well we thought it was going to be a spree, but being that we both like things extremely well done our spree turned in to only one "very well designed" (said tongue in cheek, with a whole lot of laughter) card. Just a little background on my niece - she has studied graphic design focusing on the digital aspect of design and so between the two of us we have quite the design background - LOL! We are both what you might term perfectionists as well, so you can see where this story is leading. The card we designed is replicated below. The one we made last night is actually a wedding card and so the main image was the A Muse bride and groom, but being that I have my brand new untouched Lockhart stamps I just had to play with one of those today instead, when I remade our card from last night. This card we made only took HOURS to finalize on the details because we kept coming up with "better" ideas as we went - tee hee!

I will not go on any more but just share the picture of the final product and then do a little explaining.

front of card and coordinating envelope

pocket inside of card to hold cash, check or gift card Ü

So what do you think? was it worth the hours of love we put into it? (insert big grin).

It started with the piece of vellum I had created weeks ago when I was playing with my Cuttlebug. I had ran it through the Cuttlebug using the Fiskars texture plate and Wizard Charm Kit. I LOVE how vellum looks embossed and have since ran my CB folders through with vellum inside, brass templates, etc. We wanted the card to be simply elegant and it had to start someplace, so this was it.

The bride's dress is a soft white and so I started gathering things to make a soft monochromatic card. We used the Memory Box eggshell notecard and envelope; Iridescents, Cryogen White CS, and Worldwin 48# Vellum. I then started pulling out the embellishments that I thought would lend themselves to this feeling of understated elegance - thus the Making Memories Pearls and May Arts ribbon.

We worked using the rule of thirds to establish the face of this card. If you dissect the card front and place your focal point where the vertical and horizontal thirds meet it will be an interesting diversion from the perfectly centered image that balances an image symmetrically.

We used the Create-a-Cut scallop blade to once again add a quick touch of elegance to the vellum and felt like we hit the stroke of genius (OK - so I'm saying this sitting here LOL) when I pulled out the Interference Gold Pearl Ex to bring that special twinkle to the interior of the card and to the envelope. The Swirls stamp is once again from the Rhonna Farrar clear stamps put out by Autumn Leaves. I must say I love these stamps and many of you have asked me where I found them. Unfortunately I am having a hard time finding a place for you to find them. I purchased mine when I was in MN this fall at Archivers. I have since seen them in the 2 Peas store, but they always seem to be sold out. If I get wind of a resource I'll either snap a bunch up and put them in my store, or let you know where you can find them, because they truly work magic with so many of the Lockhart images :D

One last thing is the font selected - it is Existence Light. I am truly a font-a-holic Ü This one just had the perfect simple, yet elegant, touch to it and Tara was able to work magic with the placement and sizing. I'm proud of the work that we accomplished together and hope that you gain a little "insight" into the creative process we shared in last night. Lots of giggles, different supplies set aside that we thought might be good, and a lot of kerning and experimenting with type and here is the end result :D

Paper Flourishes

Here it is ladies! The tool that I have been having fun with is made by Made Easy Incorporated® and is called the Create-a-cut™. I am literally bouncin' up and down with the little paper flourishes I have been creating. Look at these delicious little embellishments I have created in the last short while just slicing, dicing, punching and scoring. Have you been ogling the Doodlebug Paper Frills™? I certainly have and this is why I am over the top excited about this cutter!!!

ETA: Many of you have asked where you can purchase one of these cutters. Please follow this link to find purchasing information.

Below are a few samples I created using the cutter. The possibilities are ENDLESS!!!  I find that this is so much more incredible than the frills only because I have a limitless variety of paper on which I can work my magic – WOOHOO!

In this sample I used the Scallop blade together with the Classic blade. First I edged the Memory Box Key Lime card front, so that it would contrast with the white interior. I then cut and scored the polka dot Memory Box Christmas Brights funky polka dot. Next I cut the strip of red using the Classic blade on both sides, mounting it on white cardstock, piercing it and adding the sparkly green KI Memories brads. What a funky little strip indeed.

Next – do you see what I’m trying to convey with the group of cupcakes stamp? Juanita deserves a huge round of applause for pushing me over the edge on this one. Do you see the tree shape? I figured if I colored the cupcakes all green and added some little “star lights” with the star on top it would turn into a Christmas tree. What do you think?

To make this pocket I once again used the Scallop blade. I guess I really like that one – LOL! I actually really like them all and so I find it hilarious that all my samples that I put together today focus on this blade. First I cut the top edge of the pocket fold, turning it down and punching the holes with my crop-a-dile. The crop-a-dile works fantastic for getting these holes pretty even. This is when the Memory Box two-sided cardstock is fantastic – look at that awesome color contrast! Then I scored the front of the fold with the Scor-It and sewed between the two lines. I also cut the lower white strip with the Scallop blade, but just sewed it to the card front after attaching my patterned KI Memories paper.

The sentiment is one of my fav A Muse stamps – it reads Sweet…Holiday Wishes. I think it is the perfect accompaniment to these sweet treat holiday cards. The tiny twinkle stars are A Muse Creative Candy and the large star is by KI Memories. The paper clip and ribbon are also KI Memories. I love their new holiday grouping and I just had to have the little “test tubes” that are filled with the most fantastic little bellies Ü

My review and detailed pictures of the cutter, along with a ton of information should be next! Hang in there – it’s on it’s way Ü

Glory Filled Days

I just wanted to pop in and say a quick hi and thank you all for the amazing messages sharing in my excitement over the last few days. I must tell you that life has been magical! Yes, magical!!!

I know how much my family loves me!!! They cleaned like crazy for me! While I was off having fun with my girlfriends they cleaned our house, made beds up for my guests and were jumping with glee that Mommy was having fun! My DH even made pancakes and coffee for breakfast because we girls had stayed up so late and were slowpokes in the morning - LOL! You have no idea how that makes me feel - I'm all warm and fuzzy inside and so therefore I must keep it shorter today than most of you would probably like, but I MUST spend the remainder of the day having fun with them!!!

Thank you to the wonderful ladies who shared in our dinner date at the Melting Pot - it was awesome fun getting to know you better!!! Let me tell you that the Melting Pot is indeed a dining experience everyone should have at some point in their lives.

Here is just a little glimmer of the amazing creative process that occurred in the morning hours after we were fully awake. You all know Julie's passion for diecutting!!! Well I am a born again diecutting addict! I have the Sizzix machine and loads of diecuts, but have I used it much??? NO!!! Well Jules brought along her Big Shot and let me tell you - it indeed is a BIG SHOT! Envy over the ability to just roll out those dies will more likely than not push me over the edge with this baby. Jules and Lis punched from the felts I had collected after the Creating Keepsake article had come out this past year about Sizzix"ing" felt. They punched out loads of chipboard and some other goodies as well.

After they left my excitement could not be contained and I started punching everything - LOL! I punched leather, velvet, transfers, transparencies and the A Muse epoxy circles (Linda if you are reading this - here's another WONDERFUL use for those epoxy circles - it's the glitterfied blue flower with the brown brad at the lower left corner :D. Unfortunately my camera wouldn't focus on the shimmery, shiny surface and so you truly can't see the amazing beauty first hand). I embossed on the chipboard to make my own hardware - and well you could say I've been going a little crazy with this little gizmo. I guess now I should probably put some cards or items together using these little punched creations - LOL!

Enjoy oogling just some of what was punched and do tell if you are catching the diecutting bug? Chim in if you have and share what you have been punching away at!

Memory Box Update

Thank you all so much for sharing with me the type of product you are interested in.

Yes, the envelopes are colored and match the notecards. Memory Box really does make a striking product line.

The patterned papers coordinate with the colors of the cardstock to help take the guesswork out of the "mix and match" portion. Each package contains five-6x6 sheets of 10 different patterns (50 sheets total). Each pattern is represented in two different color options for a total of 20 different selections to choose from in each package. Following is just one of numerous packages to select from:

Elegant Holiday

Based on the responses I have received I am leaning towards the following:

• 10 notecards/10 envelopes in 18-20 of the colors using the regular shopping cart feature.
• By special order I will offer the entire product line of colors, because frankly they are all gorgeous - I just have to start someplace without completely breaking the bank - LOL!
• 25 notecards - this is the best price option - anyone on a budget will really like this option. These will be offered in "seasonal" colors. So hopefully in the next week or two (depending on if I can get the shipping and tax issues working on the site), I will have the colors you could use for Christmas cards - Holly Berry, Dill, Meadow, Squash (gold), Blue Poppy, etc.
• 6x6 patterned paper - seasonal options and my favorites.
• 12x12 paper would also be available by special order.

Thank you again so much for helping me figure this out!!

Nicholas and Daddy's Joy

I just wanted to let you all know that "The Flurries" limited edition stamps are sold out. "Nicholas and Daddy" are going fast as well, so if you would like to own one of the Lockhart Stamp Company limited edition stamps from this year please email me with your order soon.

This idea was rolling around in my brain last night when I was supposed to be going to sleep Ü I've included a photo of most of the goodies I used in this card so that it would help answer questions you might have. A couple of things to note that will help you in this process are:

• Chalk inks work beautifully on the clear stamp alphabet. (note the acrylic will be stained after, but it doesn't affect the quality of the stamped image at all!)
• Color your image before you punch it out - this will allow you to color right to the edge with an "even" hand.
• 1 3/8" circle punches fit beautifully within the Creative Candy circles - this allowed me to still have a tiny edge to glitter, but gave me the maximum amount of the stamped image.
• The mini micro twinkle from the Creative Candy works wonderfully on the top of a regular sized brad Ü

I hope you enjoy the "joy" this card is bringing to my day today!

Creative Candy Ornaments

I just had to play with the A Muse Creative Candy clear stickers. As soon as we made the monogram in Mary's session I knew that I needed to make ornaments with these. Later as I was looking through the cards that Jen had made in Julie's class I started laughing - guess what she had in her assortment. Yep, you guessed it - the cutest little ornament made with a Creative Candy clear sticker. They come in a number of shapes - circles, scalloped circles (these are my favorites - see the keychain in yesterday's post), scalloped squares and scalloped ovals.

I just couldn't resist putting the sweet little face from the Lockhart Puppy in a Stocking as the focal point of my "ornament" and then I used the A Muse sentiments "Sweet.....Holiday Wishes" and inside "from our house to yours." So sweet and simple.