simple dreams

3-D Punched Tree Scene Christmas Card

What's up?!? Two posts in two days - I'm just giddy with excitement over having the opportunity to finally get some of these ideas that are in my head out on to paper!!! Finally the dreaded taxes are complete (for the most part) and I NEED to play - I've been getting a little punchy here lately with all that bookkeeping! (OK, OK - I hear the groans now from my VERY bad pun, so I'll move right along - LOL!)

I cannot begin to tell you how much fun it is to play with all these fab toys!

This 3-D tree is one I have seen on numerous occasions, I wanted to test it out with the new Martha Stewart Christmas Tree punch and I'm thrilled with the results. I can see all sorts of uses for this little tree! Replace the letter A in PEACE with a dimensional tree, or insert little trees in to the Kaisercraft Advent Calendar, put it on a tag, or create some rolling hills to decorate with a stand of trees... the ideas are endless - I wish that there was more time in the day!

Simply punch out five little trees, in this instance I punched two from the striped paper and three from the patterned green. It is important to score the trees right down the center before attempting to fold them. I like to use my Mini-Scor It for this part of the project. The score line that the Scor-it creates is so superior to any other type of scoring I had used previous to discovering this wonderful gadget. This allows for a very precise fold and makes it easy to fit them together.

As you can see I applied one tree at a time, putting Perfect Paper Adhesive (PPA - I love this glue because it does not "soak" the paper) on one half of the tree.

Then using my teflon bone folder I press the entire length of the tree to ensure proper adhesion.

Becky has been creating MARVELOUS sewing tutorials (for further inspiration visit In Touch - An Adventure in Sewing and the CLASSroom here and here.) It is so awesome to have her as part of our team that teaches and inspires. One of the tips that I find the most useful is when needing to turn my project I make certain the needle is in the down position and "skewered" through my paper.

Then lift the foot into the up position and spin the paper before continuing to sew. 

Using this method I was able to create my "corner star" for this card. This particular look would also make fab photo corners!

Using the star that is included alongside the tree, I mounded it with PPA and sprinkled it generously with Brownstone Glitter. Just a side note about this glitter. I must tell you that in looking at products to carry in our store I felt that the colors, selection and value of this set was excellent and therefore the reason for making it available to you. The zing this glitter gives a project is simply spectacular.

Be certain to allow it to sit and dry before moving it to your project.

One of the fabulous Webster's Pages pages made an ideal setting for the tree (unfortunately at this very minute we do not have any left up on the store, BUT a little birdie tells me that our stamp of the month packet is going to blow your socks off this month. SO be certain to stick close to your computer come November 1st to get first dibs on it!) along with the new Christmas Cheer Block made the perfect backdrop for this little tree. A little Webster's trim, stitching and glitter and project complete! 

Now go get punchy girls - Halloween is tomorrow night and the clocks "Fall back"... so you will have an extra hour on Sunday to do a little creating!

stamps: Memory Box Christmas Cheer Block

paper: Webster's Pages Home for the Holidays & Winter Wings, Memory Box Dill Notecard

ink: Memento Rich Cocoa

accessories: Martha Stewart Large Christmas Tree punch, Webster's Pages Home for the Holidays & Winter Wings Trim, Martha Stewart Essential Glitter - Brownstone, Perfect Paper Adhesive

P.S. For those who wonder what it is that I am up to during the day you can now find me on Facebook. Just search for Ellen Hutson and send me your friend request :) Have a safe, fun and creative weekend!

Bluebird Sketch and Technique Tag #1 Card Details

Sometimes it is all in the details and this card had SO many little details that I didn't address in my post on the CLASSroom. Well, with those missing details came a lot of questions and so I decided I would just put together an additional post for those who would like to know more about these little details. I skipped these because my post was already REALLY long and I didn't realize that they would be missed - so here they are for those who would like to replicate this project or would like to try some of these "other" techniques.

 

To color the bird I opted to use watercolors. I select which technique I am going to use when coloring in my images depending on the final look I want to create. I adore this little bluebird and did a Google image search to see what the "true" coloring of these birds would be. Once I saw the pictures I felt that watercoloring would be the route to take. I then went and selected my patterned paper based on the color scheme of the bird. The Hopscotch Graphic 45 paper is delicious and perfect in color tone!

I am finding these papers to be SO easy to use in my cardmaking because one side always has a scale that is appropriate and the color schemes are summed up in one word - YUMMY!

 

I stamped my Bluebird using Archival Jet Black Ink. Next I selected Distress Ink (Faded Jeans, Broken China, Weathered Wood, Fired Brick, Old Paper, Vintage Photo and not shown, Scattered Straw) to color this image. I used the dropper that is attached to the lid in these bottles to place one little droplet of ink on my non-stick craft sheet. I left the bottles on my surface to help me determine which droplet went with each color. Then using my waterbrush I painted in my little bird. There are a number of tutorials on the CLASSroom that talk about watercolor techniques. You will find that the colors will spread beautifully on your papers in the areas that are wet. If you do not want your color to float past a certain line, then do not wet that area of paper.

 

I have had numerous questions regarding the flower that I used on this creation. I should have known that this would be a rather elusive little item that need more explanation. The new botanical line of papers from Prima Marketing are superb! I have placed them in a number of different sections in the store to try and make it easier to find and figure out what they are for. I have put this line in two spots - Specialty Papers and Die Domain: Accessories.

These papers are phenomenal to cut with the low profile dies. In this case I used my Nested Flower die. I then inked the edges using an Ink Blending foam and Antique Linen distress ink. As you can see I opted to use the sponge only, making it easier to manipulate and just use one corner to add color to the edges only.

 

Hmmm - what else did I miss. I used the sentiment included in this month's special value "Gardener's Hands". Each month Cornish Heritage Farms comes out with a Stamp of the Month which is a 20% savings. Once our inventory runs out on this item we will then need to order these items independently and at a higher cost. So purchasing them in a set is a "good thing" if you like both images!

Last, but by no means least is the image from the exquisite Rummage Bin set created by Julia Stainton - Ornamental Beauty. This is a must have set for me - I LOVE the architectural like images that are included - they remind me so much of my interior design days!

I truly do hope that this helps answer some of those questions I left hanging with my technique post on the CLASSroom. I will do my best to create two posts simultaneously in the future. I am trying to keep those posts on the precise technique I am trying to share and not make them too lengthy, but when I get an opportunity to create my mind just goes wild and I throw everything in to the mix, but the kitchen sink it seems - LOL!

Upcoming DVD and Sweet Thing Valentine

Marianne has let the "cat out of the bag," so to speak. It is with a slight bit of apprehension and a great deal of excitement that I will be visiting the Copic booth #4147 at CHA this next week. It appears that they will have a preview of an upcoming video on display at their booth and guess who it features? Yes, you guessed it - it's me. I feel so privileged to have been invited by Copic to share my passion for their product and for airbrushing! Please be gentle on your reviews - LOL! This is the first time I have filmed anything and needless to say I am definitely not an expert in making "movies," but I am passionate about this product and about teaching and so I sincerely hope that you will learn something new and helpful from this upcoming DVD. The video crew from PushPlayPro were fabulous to work with and helped me feel comfortable with the whole "process." My understanding is that this video should be released in the last half of 2009 and that this is a preview only. 

What could be sweeter than "sweets" for Valentines? This little treasure of an image is SO easy to work with - it is from this year's Memory Box Valentine collection and is called Cake Stand. Not only does it work for Valentines, but it would also make a cute Bridal Shower or Wedding image.

 

As with many of my projects I decided to do a little experimenting to figure out what new look I could achieve. I began by inking the cake stand first with Dazzle Champagne. Having recently received the reinkers for these pads I have reinked my stamp pad and I am pleased to tell you that the result is much better than it was after using my pad a number of times. I had noticed that the bling had subsided greatly and so I am extremely pleased to see that using the reinker on the pad brought it back to life again. This is not where my experiment ends though. In the past I have used dye ink pads to emboss simply by first inking my stamp with VersaMark and then inking it with the dye ink. So I decided to try it by combining VersaMark Dazzle Champagne together with Memento Chocolate Chip - YUM!!! I topped this off with clear embossing powder and then heat set it.

If you try this technique I would like to make certain that you only lightly tap your "dazzled" stamp on to your Memento pad being you do not want to transfer all that bling to your otherwise pristine pad. If you do happen to get some transfer I typically will just use a clean paper towel to remove it and then add a little reinker to my pad following the clean-up. It's amazing what a "beating" my pads can take and still work as intended, but I always work quickly to clean up afterwards - not letting it sit and settle in for too long. The pad shown above has not been cleaned, so you can see that a little "bling" does transfer, but most is left on the stamp image as shown on the right.

 

I then added color to the flowers and leaves, as well as a little to the cake itself using Copic Markers. I whitened the cake a little with my Prismacolor white color pencil. Next I felt that my notecard needed just a hint of distressing being the papers I was working with had that feel. So I used my blending tool together with Adirondack Watermelon to distress the Cotton Candy notecard.

 

I'm not certain that you can see the bling in the cake stand, but being I know what I am looking for I can see the mica flecks from the Dazzle pad. The cake was begging for a lovely coating and so I applied glue using my 2-way glue pen and added Diamond Dust for a finishing touch.

 

I thought I would once again share my "tweezer tip" for tying ribbon. I am ALL thumbs and until my friend Taresa showed me this I would always struggle - now I can even tie bows Ü

Using some of the new Bittersweet paper, together with the new Memory Box Sugardrop, to add layers and scalloped pieces to accent the base of the cake stand pulling it all together.

 

Finally to complete this little card I inked my heart and kissed it with Paisley to remove some of the ink. I find that this technique works best when using a Pigment or Chalk based ink to stamp your main solid image, dye inks haven't given me as crisp a definition as the pigment inks.

 

I stamped this beautiful heart print on the interior, along with the sentiment, "hope your valentines is sweet! So get your sweet treats ready, Valentines is right around the corner.

New Lockhart Stamp Release - Buttermilk Hen

You have all been SO patient with me here - I hope that you have been finding my posts over on the CLASSroom, being I have been hard at work. Sometimes it gets a little overwhelming trying to keep up with so many different blogs - LOL! But I really want to keep my own personal "space" and so I will continue to do my best to contribute ideas here as well!

ETA: I am thrilled to tell you that Cindy has come to my rescue. (THANK YOU Cindy!) She will be helping me with the Inchie INKlings blog - yippie! Please head over to see her WONDERFUL project!

I ADORE the new Lockhart Stamp release. We have added a new category to the sidebar in our store to try and make it easier for you to locate these new images. They are simply SPECTACULAR!

One of the first images I just have to cluck about is this darling Buttermilk Hen. I absolutely love the style in which Karen has drawn this cute little chicken - a touch of folk art together with those charming characteristics that make Karen's images so unique. Thinking that Buttermilk must be some special breed of chicken I asked Karen how she came up with the name. I was quite surprised when she told me about a Buttermilk Sky. Well, needless to say I had to google it and find a photo. As soon as I saw the photo I could envision the feathers on this sweet hen in a much more vivid way.

 

Today I created a simple little 4 1/4" square design using Crimson cardstock. Rather than sharing step-by-step coloring I will instead focus on a couple of other tidbits. The first is the background that I created using the Barbed Wire Backgrounder. Sometimes we can change the way that a background feels by simply stamping it twice (or three times, or...) I could have easily kept with the horizontal lines of this backgrounder and just stamped it one more time to create a background that was more in scale with the size of this chicken, but instead I decided to turn it and stamp it vertically to create a plaid barbed wire. I love how appropriate it feels with this sweet hen. Next I sponged the edges of the Natural White cardstock using Tea Dye ink.  

 

My next tip is to share with you how I attach buttons to my projects. At times I sew the buttons directly to the ribbon or paper, but when I'm not certain as to the best location I simply stitch thread through my button and finish it off with a small "knot". This can then be adhered to the project using a mini glue dot, making it simple to locate the best position for the button.

Please note the ends of the twill tape. Rather than using Fray Check to keep the ends from pulling apart you can add a more rustic feel to your projects by pulling the threads from the ends of your ribbon or twill and creating a frayed look that is at times more apprpriate.

 

Inside I need to stamp the sentiment, "just waiting for you" and perhaps put the IB Nest. This card will be the perfect greeting for an expectant mom who may not be in to pastel pinks and blues. It may also make a wonderful themed baby shower! I can hardly wait to see what type of "chicK' message you create with this charming hen.

Gold Leafed Three Wisemen

I have always loved the look of gold leaf! It is simply elegant - pure and simple. When looking through the Cornish Heritage Farms catalog today with the girls here at work Cathy said, "Wouldn't those Wise Men look good in gold!" The idea was born. All the silhouette Christmas images that Aimee created will work beautifully with this technique - you can find them spread throughout the CHF category.

 

This was a relatively quick card to make - unfortunately a little too quick - LOL! Yes, little miss impatient me did not wait long enough to let the adhesive set on the gold-leafed words above, but I decided to share this card anyway to help you avoid making the same mistake.

 

To begin you want your glue pad to be well inked with glue. I love to use my teflon bone folder to spread the ink evenly into the surface of my pad. This really scurries this process along and the teflon wipes clean so easily! (I use it to spread my ink on all my ink pads Ü)

 

I then stamped a parchment looking paper from my Scrapblock collection with Distress Tea Dye ink using the Aged Music Scrapblock. I then stamped the three wisemen over the top with my Glue Pad. As you can see the adhesive does show, thus making it easy to apply the gold leaf to the correct areas. I like to let my stamped adhesive sit for about half a minute before I begin applying the gold leaf.

 

A lot of gold leaf flakes come in these packets. I prefer to pull out a few leaves and use a tidy tray to open and spread them before I begin working on my project. Be certain not to laugh or sneeze, perhaps it's best to not even breathe when working with this product - LOL! One little puff and it can be all over the place, so I always work carefully when I have my gold leaf close by. This helps to prevent the beautification of my room and clothes Ü

 

I then take gold leaf and gently lay it over my stamped image. I lightly tap over the entire surface with my finger and then repeat pressing it gently in to place as shown above. Now is the part where patience TRULY helps Ü Walk away from your project for a while! Go do something else -cut the remainder of the paper pieces, get a drink of water, and even answer a few emails - LOL!

 

Once dry, (I think you should wait at least 15 minutes to make certain that it is set, perhaps even longer if you don't want the same effect as I received on my words above) lightly burnish it with an old bristle style brush.

 

Then moving gently in a circular motion, remove any excess flakes.

 

I collect the finer dust in a little rubbermaid container. You will be able to achieve an entirely different effect with this "dust." As you can see I just collect all the different colors in to this one container. There are five different packets to select from: Copper, Gold, Mixed, Rainbow and Silver.

 

As you can see in this closeup picture the different sheets of leafing start and stop with the subtle color changes for a beautiful effect. I find this look so appealing and hope to share my next gold leaf adventure with you soon.

This card was completed with the ribbon we are including in our thank you notes, a strip of Granola paper, Granola buttons and a Christmas Expressions sentiment. Thank you for stopping by.

Clearly Inspired

I am not certain where I saw a clear card with a layout similar to this - I should have written it down being I just can't remember, but I loved how the clear card was set off with a strip of cardstock all the way up the front and down the back side. This is such a great concept and immediately it was stored in my mind in that special spot of inspirational ideas to try.

Finding the right acetate is sometimes tricky and I have been looking for something that would be suitable. Wouldn't you know it - I already have it in my collection - LOL! This 10 mil plastic acetate works fabulously to make a nice, sturdy clear card. The most important part is to score the top (I really like the Scor It for this part being it needs a sturdy score to fold properly) then I bend it and lay a piece of scrap paper over it and using my Teflon Bone Folder I make certain to get a nice smooth fold in the plastic.

 

The new Urban Prairie collection from Basic Grey is made up of colors that are absolutely delicious. I was completely surprised that this was part of their summer/fall collection being it feels so springy to me. I needed to add some color to my day today so I grabbed this pad of papers. The stripe that is included in this collection is one of my faves and so I decided that less is more in some cases, especially being I want to hoard that stripe - LOL! So I cut a strip and layered it on top of a piece of Granny Smith cardstock.

All that was left to do was to stamp the butterfly from Kim's new Little Gal set (LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this set Kim! I have a house full of girlie girls all the time Ü), add a couple of Hero Arts Spring collection flowers, a few gemstones and my project was complete! Yippie, I now have another card ready and waiting for that "stash" I am starting for those occasions that slip by me when I'm not prepared. This could work for so many different occasions - birthday, thank you, or just because. 

 

All that is left to do is add a piece of white cardstock on the inside and write or stamp an appropriate greeting! 

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

How Do You Decorate Your Christmas Tree?

SPELLBINDER DIE UPDATE: We received an update on the Spellbinder Dies introduced at Summer CHA - it's a good news/bad news scenario. The good news is that packaging will now include directions for using the dies in most embossing machines. The bad news is that due to these packaging changes the date for the release has now been moved back to the last week of October. We will continue to hold your names on our priority list and as soon as we have more information we will be contacting you with what we hope will be good news only. Thank you for your patience and support through these delays!

One of my favorite times of year is the Holiday Season! The wonderful music, bright lights, beautiful colors and luscious greens that appear at that time of year make it feel so warm and cozy. As Karen developed her new series of trees we talked about the different looks that we found appealing and that suited her style of drawing. I was tickled to see these when she finished up her drawings! I have to admit that my eye immediately went to the design with the birds. Why birds? I don't know being I am actually terrified of them flying around me - LOL! But the sense of calm and beauty that I feel (if I am within a safe distance) gives me the warm fuzzies.

 

Supplies Used: Snowy Tree with Birds, Scrapblock Scroll, Neenah Solar White, Memory Box Dill, Basic Grey Mellow, Foof-a-la Button, Velvet Ric Rac, Liquid Applique, Crystal Snow Glitter, Prismacolor Color Pencils

I began by coloring the Snowy Tree using my favorite colors of Primsacolor color pencils - Chartreuse, Lime Peel, Olive Green and Dark Green; Sand, Goldenrod and Burnt Ochre; Scarlet Red, Crimson Red and Tuscon Red; Cloud Blue, True Blue and Indigo Blue.

 

To create a more "snowy" feel I used Liquid Applique. One must always remember that a teeny, tiny, very small amount goes a LONG way - LOL! I find that this is one of the most essential things to remember when using this product. The liquid applique is barely visible to my eye when I first apply it. I sprinkle glitter on the applique when it is still wet and then allow it to dry for some time. The final step is to take your heat embossing tool and warm the applique. This is when the magic happens Ü. As it puffs out it begins to appear just like fresh fallen snow! The texture it adds to this image and any other snowy scene is absolutely marvelous. If you have not used the product before I would highly recommend testing it out on a piece of scrap paper before applying it to your beautifully colored image. This will help you take the guess work out of how much to apply.

The background was stamped with the Scroll Scrapblock. I completely inked the background and then used my Ink Blending Tool to dab and remove some of the ink from the stamp image. I did not want the appearance to be even or dark - I wanted a more distressed look to the stamped background pattern. I then used the ink that was on the ink blending tool to add additional ink distressing around the edges of the image as well as all over the surface to provide a more "antiqued" look. Experimenting with your tools can lead to some marvelous finds. I would like to encourage you to try this method with your blending tool - my motto is always, "What can it hurt?" If it looks really bad I can just try something else Ü Usually though this experimentation is what leads to some fun little ideas that can create new and different looks.

Thank you for stopping by and don't forget to visit the Classroom because the girls have provided you with a TON of wonderful ideas, eye candy and tips!

White Color Pencil Technique with Browns

It has been brought to my attention that many of my regular blog readers haven't realized that I have added yet another blog to my growing list, that blog being the CLASSroom. So today I thought I would share with you the different blogs that I head up and what you will be able to find at each. The list of blogs I author are located on the sidebar of each of the blogs. This will allow you to hop from one to the next looking for new, fresh ideas or find the golden oldies back in the archives. Following are the blog names and what they are:

• simple dreams - this is still my baby and I will continue to share as many projects as possible right here with you. I am the sole author of this blog.
• inchie INKlings - this was my second blog that I started and totally dedicated to Inchie mania. Each month I host an Inchie Challenge and my goal is to continue with the Inchies from A to Z shortly. Life stalled me as I tried to get more organized and I have begun preparing materials to get moving on this once again! There is a new challenge waiting for you there with a prize each month for one lucky entrant! Be certain to check out the latest 3-D challenge.
• in touch - this blog is attached to our newsletter. Each month we send out a newsletter to our customers sharing new product information, special coupons and special projects created by the amazing group of designers who work together with me. The feature article is written by one of us and is saved to the In Touch blog, so that you will have ready access to the detailed projects and thorough instructions that each designer shares. You can sign up for our newsletter on the home page of our store (scroll to the bottom and fill out the box) or send an email titled Newsletter Request List to customerservice@ellenhutson.com. 
• the CLASSroom - Being an internet store I don't have a physical room to welcome you in to, BUT we do have a blog that we are working so hard to bring you fabulous projects on a constant basis. This blog is near and dear to my heart and it is brand spankin' new this month. As you all know I am definitely no wonder woman and thus being human there are times when I just don't have the time to blog as regularly as I would like. As the responsibilities of operating our business increased I have found less time to create and inspire. It is SO very important to me that I continue to provide you, my customers and readers, with as much education and information as I can possibly give. So I am thrilled beyond words to be joined by four of the most fabulous paper crafting teachers here on the internet!!! The Classroom is where I am joined by Cindy Lyles, Debbie Olson, Sharon Harnist and Trudee Sauer, together we will do our best to inspire and teach. So please add it to your favorite list of places to visit Ü

To welcome you all to our new "Classroom" we held a sale from September 10th through the 12th. Unfortunately during that time our site went down for an hour at a time on numerous occassions. We would like to extend an apology and an additional sale day to make up for the frustrations you may have experienced and to allow those who were not able to complete their purchases at that time at time to do so now. This special offer will be valid on Monday, September 22 only. This offer is valid on in-stock merchanidse only. Please note that once an item is no longer visible on our website, that means we are currently out of stock - so shop early! Upon checkout please type in the following promotion code exactly as shown to receive your "Back to School Follow-Up" discount - BTSF

Now on to my latest find Ü

Well you know me - I just can't stop myself when I find something I think is cool - LOL! In my quest to find the "perfect" black cardstock for doing the "White Color Pencil Technique" guess what else I just happened upon? Yep, you guessed it - BROWN cardstock. Not just one brown, but TWO! The first is a Golden Brown, camel tone and the second is a yummy Chocolate Brown. I just couldn't wait to try the White Color Pencil technique on these papers!

 

Awwww, yes - it is totally cool. Not in that blackboard, sketchy cool type of way, but in a warmer, and yet still distinctive sort of look. This page was created using Kim Hughes new Twink stamp along with a branch from The Landing Pad. I do believe you could add a sentiment to a "Wise Guy" in your life and use this as a masculine card, perhayps you could even tell him to quit sitting around and get busy - LOL! OK, perhaps that's not the best idea Ü

I stamped the branch in Rich Cocoa Memento Ink on the Golden Brown cardstock and then placed a mask over top of it and stamped the background using Versamark ink together with Weave. This is one of my all time favorite backgrounders, the crisscross texture just seems to be perfect with such a wide variety of images.

Next Twink was stamped in Rich Cocoa on the Chocolate Brown cardstock. Using my White Prismacolor color pencil I then colored the image as shown. I then decided to add just a hint of Gold Prismacolor color pencil to Twink and his nest.

 

As you can see - a little goes a long way! This is such a quick and easy technique!!! I would LOVE to see you try it. If you do please be certain to post a comment with a link to your project!

White Color Pencil Technique

Karen Lockhart is always "playing" with new color pencil ideas and techniques. In one of our phone conversations just recently she began telling me about a couple of new color pencil techniques that she has been sharing with her students. This past week I needed to make an emergency trip to pick up stamps to fill orders and had the good fortune to spend a little time "catching up" with her. Karen showed me two different cards that she had used this technique on and so I snapped a picture of them so that I would have the time to study what it is that she had done. Below is my first attempt using this "White on Black" technique. 

 

Supplies Used: Lockhart Stamp Company Pears, Basic Grey Ambrosia (I am LOVING the orange!!!), Memory Box Licorice Notecard and Cardstock, Black Pearls, Adirondack Snow Cap Pigment Pad

This technique intrigues me for a lot of different reasons, with one of them being it will add to the variety of looks we can achieve using the Black Inchie Squares. The texture of their surface will be appealing and different to work with, being the surface on the Licorice cardstock is extremely smooth, and the tooth of the paper does not grab the wax from the crayon in the same manner. I will also be experimenting with other black papers to determine which one I like the characteristics of the best.

 

To begin I stamped the pears in white pigment ink on the Licorice cardstock. I really should have tried taking a second picture before proceeding because the flash really bounced on this one. Be certain to allow the pigment ink a short time to dry.

I then proceeded to begin coloring using only my white Prismacolor color pencil. Be certain to have a nice sharp point on your pencil as you begin to color, but before setting your pencil to work on your project color the scratchy tip off on a piece of scratch paper.

Marianne of Copic Markers has done several wonderful posts regarding shadows and highlights, so rather than repeating her fantastic lessons here I am going to instead link you to her blog and would like to suggest that you read through her posts on shadowing.

To color this image I elected to chose an unusual light source. Pretend that my light is in the bottom left corner. I opted to do this because I felt that I needed to add highlights to the pedestal plate on which the pears are sitting so as to reveal the detail in the base. Even though I know the theory behind shadows I still have a hard time actually following them through to completion. In looking at this image in it's HUGE state on the screen I can immediately see where I would make changes. I believe that in studying what I have done in a larger scale it will truly help me become better at it in the long run, so perhaps it is something you may want to try on your own work as well. Take a picture or scan and then blow it up on your screen to see where you hit it and where you missed it.

A tip I would like to share that does help me in figuring out my high points is that I go to each individual element in the group and put a little color highlight (in this case I used my white pencil) where I would envision the light first settling on that item. I then color using that as my "hot spot" on each element. The difficult part for me when only using white is determining the edges of the item and being able to separate it from the next element. Practice, practice, practice - I hope to do more of these and share with you what it is that I learn as I make each new attempt.

My final element in this creation was determining a layout, papers, and embellishments. For some reason the orange Ambrosia paper just spoke to me - LOL! I could have done an entirely black and white card, but the warmth that this paper provided to the overall image made those pears just feel like they would taste "yummy". Ü

The layout was determined solely on inspiration, I wanted to show off a lot of the orange paper and the black and white element are fairly bold or strong and so the assymetrical balance I was able to achieve with this layout seemed to work. You will notice the unusual position along the right edge. The small Quince pattern hangs just off the edge of the Mandarin with the Licorice matting aligning on the very right edge. The Licorice of the focal image then aligns with the Mandarin edge. The black pearls where then placed at the 1/3 mark of the Mandarin paper.

As I work with this more I hope to then add colored pencils on top of the white being this creates a whole other look that I think that you will also find intriguing! One thing I have learned though is to stick with something until I have come close to mastering it before moving on to the next step. I would love to hear your thoughts on this technique. Have you tried this before? If so what has your experience been. 

Christmas Angels

As many of you know one of my "simple dreams" has come to it's full realization - the dream to have a place on-line where we (Debbie, Trudee, Cindy, Sharon and myself) have gathered together in one spot to educate you and share our love of stamping/creating with you. You can find this community associated with our store in "the CLASSroom". I hope that you will visit and leave comments for the wonderful women who share their inspirations with us there.

I still plan on continuing to post here to my own personal blog and hope that you will continue to have the time to come and visit me on ocassion here as well.

Today I wanted to share a quick card that I made using some of the new Cornish Heritage Farm products we carry in our store. With Christmas right around the corner and the arrival of these wonderful stamps I was inspired to create a design that could easily be mass produced.

 

Supplies used: Trumpeting Angel, Modern Star, Aged Sheet Music, Christmas Expressions, Kim Hughes Mocha Chica Paper Pack, Vanilla Bean Notecard and Envelope, Neenah Solar White Cardstock, Adirondack Snow Cap (white) Pigment Ink Pad, Brilliance Crimson Copper, Distress Ink (Tea Dye and Walnut Stain), Ink Blending Tool, Making Memories Trim

To create this project I simply stamped the Aged Sheet Music on Solar White cardstock using Tea Dye ink. I then sponged the edges with both Tea Dye and Walnut Stain Distress Ink. The next step was to stamp the angel twice. Once directly on the sheet music and then again on a plain white piece of cardstock. This time I inked the angel with Walnut Ink and added shimmer to the edges of the angel using Crimson Copper. This addition of the Crimson Copper was for two reasons. The first was to bring the coloring of the angel closer to the coloring of the patterned paper I had selected from the Kim Hughes pack, and the second is to add a hint of shimmer to the angel itself to make it more of a focal point. It is incredibly difficult to capture these types of details in photos, but in person it is so easy to see why the effort makes so much difference.

I cut the corner of the sheet music at an angle that coordinated with the angels feet to help create a stronger focal point, as well, this gave me the perfect spot to attach a little "tag". This tag was so simple to create - I simply inked the word "Peace" from the Christmas Expressions set on white cardstock, cut it out and sponged the edges. After adding the patterned paper layer I quickly sewed around the exterior edge three times in a haphazard method to echo the distressed feeling of this card. 

 

I could have left the image as a single layer card, but wanted to add the emphasis of the two wings as shown below. A quick tip I have for cutting out detailed images is to move the paper when you cut rather than moving your scissors. It is so much easier to follow the tiny lines when you use this method. My second recommendation is to use a Quickie Glue pen on the finer details. In this case I used my ATG adhesive on the main body, but added glue to the feet, dress tail and trumpet with the Quickie Glue pen. I don't like get sticky fingers - LOL - and so this is the perfect tool for me Ü

Last, but certainly not least in my books, is the addition of an envelope that coordinates. As I have mentioned in earlier posts, I am truly in love with Adirondacks new Snow Cap pigment ink. I first inked the Modern Star with Snow Cap and then touched the tips once again with the Crimson Copper. As you can see it leaves an absolutely beautiful impression on this very dark brown vanilla envelope.

Thank you for stopping by and I hope to see you both here at simple dreams and over at the CLASSroom.

Copper Acorns

Thank you for your patience as we await the solution to our Typepad problems. Hopefully they will have a resolution soon, but it has now been two days since I last heard from them and nothing has been resolved yet. Oh how I wish I knew a lot more about computers!!!

So now on to some eye candy. I have received numerous questions about the foil and copper that we carry in our store. What is it for? How does one use it?

Today I am going to share a project that I created using the Pure Copper, Two Acorns stamp, and Labels 1 Nestability. I selected the copper because of the beautiful characteristics you can achieve when it is heated with an open flame. If you were to use the foil instead of the pure copper, the flame would burn the color from the foil and you would be left with a project that was not so pretty - LOL! So it all begins with the type of project you want to create. If you want to take advantage of the beautiful characteristics of copper, then be certain to select the Pure Copper to work with.

I began by cutting and embossing the new Label 1. We are still hoping for a September delivery date for the new Nestability dies, but do not have any word yet as to what the final date will be.

When selecting an image for this type of creation it is best to use an image that does not have a lot of little details. Those with a lot of fine detail need visual "editing" - you will need to select the portions that should be outlined. Therefore, I started with a fairly simple fall image to create this box cover.

When needing precise placement of a stamped image I always use my Stamp-a-ma-jig. To locate the position of the Two Acorns on the copper label I first stamped my image on the plastic mat that comes with the Stamp-a-ma-jig. By placing your plastic mat squarely in to the corner of the stamp-a-ma-jig and then stamping your image, also placing the stamp squarely in to the corner you can locate the exact position of the stamped image on your plastic mat. Locate this mat and your stamp-a-ma-jig in the exact location you would like to stamp your image.

Remove the plastic mat and stamp your image by once again squarely locating your stamp in the corner of the stamp-a-ma-jig and evenly applying pressure to your stamp and transferring the stamped image to your project.

 

Unfortunately the glare on this picture does not give you the best depiction of this image, but it gives you an idea as to what the finished product will look like. I highly recommend Palette ink for stamping on metal. If allowed to fully dry it holds up fairly well.

In this case you can begin working fairly quickly after stamping. Being that I am right handed I work from right to left so as to not smear the ink on my project. Place a spongey pad, in this case I used our Ornare Piercing Pad (it's consistency is perfect for use with foil), beneath your project. Using a fine-tipped stylus outline the image as shown above.

Once complete you can flip your project over to see the image outline. You could now leave the project as shown adding color with glass paint or even Copic markers. (Copic markers will only give a slight variation to the color, whereas glass paint will allow you to give it more of a cloisonné or enameled look.)

It is now time to "puff" out the metal and give your project life. Once again work on the side that you stamped on. Using the diferent sized ball points on these stylus tools, as well as the finer point on the teflon folder add dimension to your project. Use even pressure when adding these details for best results. You may want to take a little piece of scrap metal and practice before working on your project to get a feel for the amount of pressure you will need to use to achieve the best results.

Now comes the fun part! My kitchen tools always seem to come in handy - LOL! Who has time to make creme bruleé anyways? Ü If you aren't so lucky as to have one of these little gadgets you can also use a lighter that works with a gas grill. I think (now I could be wrong here, but...) any type of mechanism that shoots a fuel flame will work with the copper.

Here you see me practicing to achieve the best results. Be certain to use tweezers to hold your project because the metal gets VERY HOT! To achieve the most beautiful rainbow effects I found it best to barely focus in on the copper and then pull back. If you heat your copper for too long it will lose it's lustre and the rainbow effect will be diminished. I did find that if you sand the surface again you can get a second chance at success.

To help reinforce the copper and pop it off the surface of the box ever so slightly I cut and embossed a second label of the same size from Craft-a-board. To make certain I did not leave a white edge I used a Copper Leaf pen along the edge. Then I simply used my ATG gun to run adhesive along the very edge of the label and affixed the copper to the Craft-a-board.

I then ran another layer of adhesive around the bottom edge and attached it to a little box that I had on hand for gift giving.

This side view allows you to see how "puffed up" the foil can become with steady even workmanship. Other little features of this project include:

• foil tape wrapped around the box lid (also heated - be CERTAIN to NOT do what I did. Being tired I set to it with my flame not realizing that the back was paper. Talk about not so intelligent to put it mildly. Perhaps you can come up with an alternate method that would be a lot wiser - LOL!)
• box top was stamped using the Small Houndstooth ScrapBlock and Tea Dyed Distress Ink
• box top edges were Distressed using Tea Dye ink and Blending Tool
• edge of copper label had additional dimension added using a tracing tool used in sewing

Fill this box with a bookmark, wine charms or some other fall goodies and you will be prepared with a very unique hostess or birthday gift box!

Stamp of the Month, April

It has been a long time since I posted anything using the beautiful parchment paper we carry. When creating using this paper one achieves such a soft, elegant look. So for the April Stamp of the Month packet I thought I would share this art form with you in a very elementary way to expose more of you to the beauty that can be created using these simple tools.

I began with specific limitations - as you well know one must think in advance in order to have supplies at the ready. This month I had preselected a beautiful springy ribbon and brads to use in my project, but I had not determined what stamp I was going to use. It occurred to me that April is Tulip season here in Washington state and I just knew that this image would translate into Pergamano so well. When coloring flowers I often times Google the particular flower I am coloring to use as a reference. Little did I know that there are EXQUISITE blue tulips! You must click this link to see some other incredibly gorgeous blue flowers Ü

Photo by Nedko

To begin I stamped my Tulips image using Palette, New Canvas on Parchment paper. I then gently heat set it being I am an impatient stamper and don't like waiting for ink to dry - LOL! Be careful to hold your heat source away from the paper though so that you don't "curl" it. Place your parchment paper stamped side down on a dark padded surface. I prefer to use one of the Pergamano Embossing pads, but beginners can use a black piece of cardstock atop a stack of papers. Next I used my Fine Stylus Embossing Tool to trace all the details of the image. As you can see the Fine Stylus, shown on the bottom, has a much finer tip than any other stylus I carry. I really like this stylus for detailed work. You can achieve an embossed look with other embossing stylus, but it will not be as precise.

Copic markers work fabulously on parchment paper! To color this image work on the back side (or opposite side) of the stamped image - the same side as you embossed on. Begin with the lightest colors - B23, YG00, and Y21 (special). Add depth and dimension with B29, YG63, G85, Y21, YR14 and E39. Below is a close-up of the finished image.

One of the little quandries that one runs in to with vellum and parchment is that all detail shows from behind. In this case I really wanted the image to pop. As a solution I then stamped the Tulips image once again - this time I used a very light blue ink pad, Adirondack 's Cloudy Blue - to stamp my image on white cardstock.

To hide the adhesive can be tricky. There are many new adhesives on the market - one is made by Tombow and I tried it at CHA, unfortunately I could still see it through the vellum and so I try to be clever in attaching my projects so that no adhesive will show. I punched holes in the parchment using my Making Memories Slot Punching Tool. I love that I can punch a slot in any location with this tool. I did learn though that one should use the Making Memories cutting board that comes with it rather than the Basic Grey Magnetic Precision Mat - I managed to punch my slot right through to the metal surface - oops! Fortunately I was able to reinsert the little piece and my mat looks as good as new, but I thought I would forewarn you so that hopefully you don't make the same mistake.

Then thread your ribbon through the slots and apply adhesive to the back side of your cardstock placing it directly behind your pergamano piece. Place your project into position and adhere the cardstock to your cardfront. As you can see I removed the parchment from the ribbon so that I could adjust the ribbon to be in the correct spot for tying my knot. Next apply adhesive to the back side of the parchment piece directly beneath where you will run the ribbon. At this point I realized that I wanted to "frame" the parchment and so I ran my E39 Medium Broad tip around the edge of the parchment.

Thread ribbon through slots and adhere the parchment attaching two brads in the upper left hand corner of the parchment aligning them with the knotted ribbon below. I also sponged a little Vintage Photo distress ink on the Ocean Blue notecard to pull it all together.

OK - so I'm a goofball - LOL! I made this post go live and I wasn't even finished with it. So there you have it - a sneak preview of what is to come later tonight Ü I hope that you enjoy this month's project and jump on board with a Pergamano style or parchment craft project!

Inchies from A-Z: B is for... continued

Product Updates:

Nestabilities have just arrived in Phoenix today! Can you see me doing a happy dance? So what does this mean for timing? It means that unfortunately our waiting game will continue just a little longer, but I want to assure you that these items will be included in our sale on Monday, March 17th as Preorder Items. If you haven't looked at or received our Newsletter Coupon please let us know so that we can forward it to you in time for Monday's sale. Or join our mailing list at the bottom of our homepage and we will try and get a current copy of our newsletter to you before Sunday evening at 6:00pm. It will be essential for you to enter this code to receive the discount.

Our Copic supply is also not quite at the levels we would like. We are awaiting the arrival of more sets of CD24D and Copic Gotta Have It All's. Our delivery dates for these items will be the end of March, so with perhaps a little anxiety (OK - so maybe it is more than a little being I truly like to ship your orders immediately) I will go ahead and put them up as Preorder items as well so that you can use your coupon.

B is for Bunny GIrl

Created using: Bunny Girl (this is the last opportunity to pick up this darling stamp being it will no longer be available once our inventory is gone); Copic Markers - Custom Y21, RV11, RV34, E55, E27, E39; Pale Gold Leafing Pen; Gold Glitter Pen

B is for Background

1. Basic Copic Background

Copic markers on the White Inchie Squares are BEAUTIFUL! There are so many ways to create intricate backgrounds, but for that post you are going to have to wait all the way until W. Can you make any guesses as to what the letter W stands for? So for today we are going to look at the Basic Copic Background.

Creating backgrounds for basic designs is simple. By basic design I am referring to an Inchie I create when I stamp directly on an Inchie Square. There are not a lot of layers to this type of design.

Begin by placing your stamp, rubber face up, on your work surface. Ink the surface of your stamp image determining where it is that you would like to position your Inchie on the image. Being that this stamp had recesses in the rubber on either side of the Inchie I was able to easily set my square atop the stamp. If I didn't have this recessed area I would have used my little "pull tab" for the back of my Inchie Square.

This pull tab is created using Blue Painters Tape. This tape is ideal for this application being it will not mar your surface when you remove it from your project.

After inking your Inchie Square using Adirondack ink it is essential to heat set your square. I have found that the porosity of the Inchie Squares does not allow the ink to sink in to the surface as readily as the Neenah paper and therefore if you go straight to coloring on a stamped surface you will more likely than not cause the ink to bleed.

As I colored the background of the image I began with my new Y21. (See this post for information as to how to make your own custom colors.) To create the sunshiney window effect I did pick up my darker Y21 from my palette and added it around the edges.

2. Paper Covered Background

So what can you do with all those bits of paper that you have left over from a large project? Well turn them into 1"x1" squares of course!

Or if you are not fortunate to have saved all your scraps then we do have a packet of Inchie Papers available for you to purchase. This fun collection of 108 patterned paper 1-1/2" squares will keep you supplied for quite some time. You can die cut or trace and trim before attaching them to your Inchie Squares. Each of these packages also contains two (2) Inchie Finders. These little 1" squares of yellow acetate are the perfect tool for "finding" a section of a prestamped image or part of a pattern. Simply place, trace and trim. The yellow color will hopefully help you spot it easier amongst the mish mash that occurs on most of our tabletops when we get in a creative swing.

Karen always has the best organizational tips! I absolutely adore this beautiful box she has put together to keep her Inchie backgrounds prepped and ready to use.

When sorted by color it makes it easy to find the perfect background for your art. Prepare some of these backgrounds for your projects in advance if you are not feeling "it". You know those times when you would like to relax and create, but you just don't have a long-term vision for what it is that you would like to create. Then start at a later time to create the elements or embellishments to complete your Inchies.

I will be sharing more of the backdrop for this little assortment at a later date. For now I just want you to focus in on the assortment of papers that Karen used on these little creations and how she added the focal points to each Inchie. I have to admit I am a bit envious of her beautiful handwriting Ü I would hate to think about how many beautiful Inchies I would ruin if I were to write in cursive on them - LOL! So if you are like me perhaps you might consider printing and cutting out words or stamping them and adhering them to the finished creation instead.

3. Other Background Ideas

• Stamped Backgrounders
• Prismacolor Color Pencils
• Twinkling H2O's or Watercolors
• Old Book Pages
• Word Documents such as Definitions, Special Words

These are just a few of the ideas that I could come up with today/tonight. I hope that they inspire you to try a myriad of different background techniques when creating your Inchies!

A is for Adorable - Lis Inspired

Stamping with friends is SO much fun! Last night my buddy Lis came down and ate some yummy cake with me to celebrate my birthday Ü I've been telling myself this past week that with each year that passes I must be getting a little more "learned" - can't think of it as getting older - right?!? So instead of celebrating with a birthday card I thought I'd go back to the very beginning of days when babies are simply "adorable" and celebrate those days instead.

One of the huge benefits of stamping with my friend Lis is that she stamps differently than I do. She will create key elements for her cards, using the oh so clever techniques she has learned over the years. Some of the techniques she has shared with me are from the courses she has taken, others are just things that are trial and error. So I just started to "trial and error" with her Ü. Using many of the fabulous stamping products that are tucked away in my cabinets brings glee to my heart. I am quite tickled with the finished trials of today. At first I questioned them, but I create with an end picture in my mind. I created my elements wondering if they would be good enough and WOW - they all came together when the finishing touches were added.

I began with the letter "a". Lis was playing with her grungeboard and I was loving her results, but instead of grungeboard I had Cosmo Cricket chipboard Alphabuttons. We discussed the merits of these different materials. Lis had also created a piece using a chipboard button and it really intrigued me. So I started off on my little journey emulating and learning from what Lis had done. I painted the chipboard with a handy white Paint Dabber allowing it to dry. Then the Large Polka Dot backgrounder was stamped over the white background and embossed with clear embossing powder. After heat setting the powder I then rubbed a Lettuce Paint Dabber over the letter. This is when the trial and error part started for me - LOL! Timing is obviously of the essence with this technique. You are supposed to let it dry a little and then rub off the excess paint with a damp tissue or wipe. Well this little exercise happened a couple of times before I felt like the color and look of the letter was "good enough".

I couldn't leave well enough alone and so at this point I inked up the Paisley backgrounder with Silver Encore and stamped my letter, quickly realizing - oops I shouldn't have done that if I wanted to keep the polka dots exposed. I grabbed my heat gun and began heating it to see what effect this would have. Not liking where it was headed I grabbed a paper towel and quickly wiped the entire letter. This is when accidents can turn into beautiful discoveries. You can not see it in this picture, but the letter has an almost irridescent quality to it and woohoo - the polka dots were still in place. Yep, a happy mistake.

I then took my blending tool and added several different Distress Ink greens to the edges of the letter. I love the soft feel that this spongey tool gives to my projects. This was followed by edging the letters with a Silver Leafing Krylon pen. Yeah - I had one fabulous element for my card and a fun adventure and new discovery that I wonder if I'll ever be able to emulate again - LOL!

The next component was the brown piece of cardstock. It is also difficult to see the beauty of this piece, but here is a closeup to try and give you a better idea of what it looks like.

This piece was created by taking Vanilla Bean CS and stamping the Paisley backgrounder using a Perfect Medium ink pad. I could have used an embossing ink pad or Versa Mark pad, but this is the one that was convenient - LOL! Once again I used clear embossing powder and then heat set it. I followed this application by sponging over the top of it in a circular motion using Distress Peeled Paint and my blending tool. This helped bring my brown cardstock closer to the brown/greens that were in the decorative paper I had selected from the new Memory Box Sprout collection.

Last but certainly not least was the little Sweet Pea that would be the focal point of the card. I stamped it on Arturo using Palette Burnt Umber (this is a waterproof ink) and watercolored the image using a waterbrush and Lyra watercolor crayons.

A scalloped classic circle, a little more sponging, some piercing, brushed silver brads and some pink gingham ribbon and wheeew - I was finished. Woohoo - I made it all the way through - did you? LOL! I think it took longer for me to describe this process then it took for me to actually make the card Ü So my final thought for today is don't be afraid to experiment - sometimes you discover fabulous things by doing so!

Monochromatic Bugs

As we go about making cards we sometimes get stuck in a rut. Being that many come to me for guidance in coloring most of my creations incorporate coloring to some degree, but I also enjoy stamping without doing any coloring at all. When I need a really quick card I go back to some very basic stamping techniques. The Lockhart Stamp Company images are ideal for coloring in, BUT they are also adorable just simply stamped on colored cardstock or patterned paper.

I thought about stamping each bug in black on the circles I had cut out using the smallest Nestability circle die. The more I thought about it the more I realized I wanted them to just be a subtle part of the card and not jump off of the paper as a black image would. The final destination I wanted your eye to settle on is the floral piece. Monochromatic stamping is subtle - select an ink color that is slightly darker than the color of cardstock you have selected and stamp your image in this tone on tone format.

It was quite easy to eyeball and stamp each bug in the coordinating ink color, but if you are afraid of missing and having to start over you can always pull out your Stamp-a-ma-jig. It is a tool I use often, but found unnecessary in creating this card. I then placed the circles back in the Nestability die and embossed the images. I find it easiest to cut, stamp, and then emboss.

I am loving my new CHF backgrounders! They are allowing me the freedom to be a "Stampy Stamper". This is a phrase that Mona Lisa coined and it describes me to a "T" - I love stamping and to have the freedom to create distinctive papers that coordinate has given me much pleasure Ü The scale of the Large Polka Dot backgrounder was perfect for this card.

One other design element that I thought about as I created this card was the repetitiion of the circles - it's a LOT of circles I used, but it was this repetition that I felt would bring a strong statement to this card! If I could nudge my focal line of circles over to the right about 1/8"-1/4" then my layout would make me much happier - yes, it's the perfectionist in me. I should have laid my circles down before applying adhesive - LOL!

To finish this card off I felt that the sentiment "It's the little things in life that matter most" would be perfect with all these little bugs. Try creating one of these tone on tone, circle cards and link me up girls - I'm still waiting to see what you are all creating!

Background Fun

I got quite the chuckle when I saw Debbie's post - her creation is OVER THE TOP beautiful. So why chuckle you ask - well I chuckle because she used the Bride and Groom. Over the weekend I had started the creating of the card for this post - guess which images I used? Yep, you've got it - the Bride and Groom - LOL! And yes, I was begging Karen Lockhart for this groom, so please buy it - LOL! I absolutely am thrilled with how well this couple fits together - they truly do compliment one another.

It's the season for wedding preparations. With all the summertime weddings coming up it is now, that many brides (and grooms) are working eagerly towards getting ready for their big day. So why not start thinking of how you will surprise them with something hand-made on their wedding day.

Weddings typically have a soft edge to them and so in thinking through this creation I felt that I wanted to use simple Pergamano techniques to create an ethereal feeling to the image. I began by stamping the groom using Palette New Canvas ink on the Parchment Paper. To get my placement exact on the bride I did the exact same thing as Debbie - I pulled out my Stamp-a-ma-jig. It is a tool I just can't live without being I always like to stamp with precision.

To bring out the softness of the white stamped image I used a combination of two different embossing stylus - both the fine stylus and extra small ball. Once the image is dry I flip it over on to the specially designed embossing pad and draw over the stamped outline using these fine-tipped stylus. Once completed I then colored the image on this side with Copic markers. Copics work SO well on Parchment paper - they truly allow you to get a watercolor like feel to your images.

When teaching stamping classes as a Stampin' Up! demonstrator there were two ink pads I always recommended to a beginning stamper - one was black and the other was VersaMark. The subtle watermark or color tone change that occurs on most cardstocks when you stamp an image using this particular ink pad is subtle, yet distinct. I would like to take this opportunity to let you know that Memory Box Cardstock is made completely different then cardstock that is colored all the way through and therefore VersaMark does NOT leave a watermark on Memory Box Notecards or Cardstock. So for this creation I used Certainly Celery cardstock from Stampin' Up!

As you can see from the finished creation inking the Scalloped Lace Backgrounder with VersaMark and stamping on cardstock leaves a beautiful, monochromatic impression.

This beautiful addition allowed me to create a simple card with a lot of WOW factor. The window was cut and embossed using a rectangular Nestability, and white pearls were affixed to help complete that "wedding-like" feeling.

Now for my storage tip Ü I have taken a few pictures to share how it is that I am storing my backgrounders. First I run the paper insert that comes with the backgrounder through my Xyron machine - laminating both sides of the insert.

I then remove the backing on the backgrounder and attach it to the back of this insert as shown below.

When I ink my stamp I just leave my backgrounder on this laminate covered piece and lay it face down on my work surface, tapping the ink pad evenly over the entire backgrounder.

Place your cardstock on your background in the desire location as shown below.

I then flip the scrap paper that I am working on over the top of this "sandwich", lightly holding the card in place.

Next I gently rub my hand over the entire surface. Lift and remove.

Look how beautiful and crisp the image is Ü Thank you to Julie Ebersole for the wonderful tip of using the scrap paper I am working with - no longer do I go running around looking for a scrap piece of typing paper when I am getting ready to use my backgrounds - LOL!

Being that I know others like to feel the stamp in their hand we do have an alternative for those who prefer this method. We have found a beautiful acrylic block that is just the right size for use with backgrounders and other large stamps.

Having the ruler grid allows me to easily line the stamp up perfectly. As well the finger grip positions make it more comfortable to use.

I have a rather small hand - 8" from tip of my thumb to the tip of my pinky when my hand is fully stretched open. I can still control these blocks due to the finger grips that are in place.

Another method for those who already own wood mounted backgrounds that have a decal in place on the front is to remove the backing on the Smart Cushion or EZmount stamps and temporarily affix it to the face of a wood mounted background. Once you have finished stamping clean the stamp, remove it and place it back on to your storage surface.

One last little bit of information that I would like to share in regards to storing Smart Cushion or EZ mount is extremely important.

Please Note: It is not recommended that you store any of your Smart Cushion/EZMount Stamps on Acetate Sheets. Acetate is made with chemicals that will react with the Smart Cushion/EZMount and any other cling cushion type product, making an almost permanent bond between it and the cling. Acetate products include transparencies and many binder inserts. Laminate sheeting is not supposed to have the same effects and therefore the reason I am really excited about being able to use my Xyron for this purpose.

Well, it is time to crawl into bed. I hope that you enjoy my version of the bride and groom as much as I have enjoyed Debbie's! Be certain to take a peek - her watercoloring is incredible! Thanks for stopping by and be certain to read my post of two days ago for a little surprise at the end - you have one more day Ü

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 Airbrush Mania - Part 1

OK - I'll admit it - I am totally diggin' this airbrushing stuff. I'm not certain why that is, but all I can say is that it is completely and totally addictive. I am having such a ball just learning how to finesse this tool. Nothing much to show for my work yet at this point, but I am learning and it has been SO much fun!

Tonight's post is more of an educational post. I have had many of you ask me about the ease of use, what color value range works the best, etc. and so I am hoping to help answer some of those questions with this post and future ones.

It all begins with this - the tools:

I have selected to carry the ABS-1 system in my store being that I believe that when you purchase something you want it to do the best job it can and again be able to be stored in a realistic manner. I also want to have everything that is necessary to do the job when I set forth to try something new. The other products offered by COPIC are all well made, but in my opinion this is the best set to start with. The system comes with everything above, except the larger air can. I must say that the small air can it comes with is really only a "starter" can. The Air Can 80 that it comes with supplies about 15-20 minutes of air to work with. The Air Can 180 lasts for about 40-45 minutes. You will be pleasantly surprised by the number of projects you can create with this amount of air. When you air brush you typically use just short little bursts of air using only seconds at a time. You can not spray for long periods of time with this type of system being that the air can gets too cold and will not work after a while. This means you can't just sit there and air brush for long lengths of time. So I have found that my air can is lasting well. I will also admit that I am such an addict that I am looking in to purchasing an air compressor being that I believe that this is going to be a life-time addiction for me :D

I am going to share some pictures of how easily this system goes together. It comes with complete instructions and I HIGHLY recommend reading these before beginning to do anything with your new toy. There are precautions listed and advice that will really improve the quality of your work. Following are the basics.

Unfortunately I forgot to take a picture before I attached the air adaptor (the can in the picture above) to the air grip (the little trigger mechanism). It easily screws together - sorry I missed this piece, but I didn't want to waste any of my precious air by pulling it apart again - LOL!

At the other end of the hose is a valve that houses the air regulator. The regulator does just what you think it will - it regulates the amount of air that is released from the can. The little screw at the top of the system is how you release the air.

I find it easier to attach this valve by holding it firmly in my left hand and turning my air can on to the valve/regulator by rotating it counterclockwise.

Be certain that your valve is opened as shown above before attaching, otherwise you will hear a "psst" as the air starts going out and it might startle you. If your hose is attached at the air adaptor/air grip it will stop you from loosing air, but I still recommend that the screw is in the position shown above. You will also want to be certain that you don't open that screw too far because guess what it comes COMPLETELY OFF. At that point the air just goes escaping in to the air. Guess how I found that out?!? LOL. So play with all the parts before you start putting your gadget together to familiarize yourself with all the little twisty parts before attaching it to your air can.

As soon as you have your pieces attached it is best to place the air can in to the foam grip stand that is provided in the kit.

Please note that you must NOT shake the air can or lay the air can on it's side while operating. The liquid within the can becomes so cold that it can cause frostbite. Now that's cold! Somehow this liquid can escape if the air can is on it's side, so be certain to place it in the foam grip whenever you are using your air brush. Fortunately I can tell you that I have not experienced this little dilemna (yet) - which actually surprises me being that I am apparently accident prone - LOL!

So with that you are ready to snap your marker in place and start creating magic. COPIC has put together some information on their website that is also helpful. This is only the beginning of the Airbrush Mania series I am putting together. I believe that as it becomes more common place we will see some incredibly innovative ways of using it. Hmm - what about temporary tattoos, or streaked hair, or ... OK - that may be a little much, but it is so fun to think about. I hope to share some of my innovations with you being that I am just having fun with it right now. I like to try spraying everything, including my fingers (but that is purely by accident :D)

OOPS - I forgot to add - the markers came in and went right out to their respective homes. Guess what - I am now completely sold out of some of the sets yet again. More are on order, many more - but patience is a virtue and I refuse to put them back up as a preorder item until I know what the correct ship dates are going to be. I am so sorry we continue to sell out of them at lightning speed, but please know that I am doing my best to get an inventory in stock that will not keep you waiting. So once again I am doing my utmost to be patient. Thank you all again for your continued support and I hope that I receive some magical news from my COPIC representative when I call tomorrow. I'll be updating on all items again once I receive updates. THANK YOU!

Stamp of the Month, August

In creating this month's Stamp of the Month Packet I once again wanted to bring you a project that you could utilize for your upcoming Christmas cards, as well as use the Angel in other ways. Therefore I picked the Harvest angel and paired it up with colors that would say Christmas instead of Autumn.

I know that in the past you have found the color progressions to come in handy and so once again I snapped photos as I colored in the image. I will admit that these are not the best photos. It's funny how the awkward angle makes a difference, but hopefully it allows you to see how the colors were laid down on the image to create the shading.

The first colors I used were Cream, Chartreuse and Scarlet Red.

The next layer included Sand, Limepeel and Crimson Lake.

The last layer of colors included Goldenrod, Dark Green and Crimson Red.

By continuing to layer the colors, leaving some lighter spots to "round" out the angel I tried to make her colors coordinate with the beautiful Dill and Crimson papers that I had selected to include in this months kit.

As a finishing touch I mounted the angel on the crimson paper and mounted this on the Elegant Holiday paper. To show off the beautiful two-sided feature of these papers I curled the layers back ever so slightly to reveal the crimson underside. Mounting this on the dill note card and adding that final layer of piercing makes this layout just a little different. To pierce I resorted to my old faithful SU piercing template. That tool has been indispensable when it comes to my cardmaking. Below is a close-up view of the pattern that I used on the crimson paper - adding the antique copper brads gives it the finishing touch.

I hope that you enjoy this month's kit and that you get 10 more cards made for your Christmas assortment!

Using the Wizard, Shaped Cards and Window Tutorial

Yippie - I've made it downstairs and I'm finally able to concentrate enough to start answering emails and do a little writing. My foot is up and so here goes. Thank you to all for your well wishes and patience with me. Katelyn and Kelcie are here helping in ways that were never part of "the package" - they are working hard to keep up with the orders and messages, as well as helping me with the girls. I'm not certain what I would do without them! Hopefully by the end of the week we will have caught up on all the emails - so if you have sent a message and haven't heard from us please do not hesitate to send another because the first one might have gotten "buried" in our inbox.

Thank goodness I had taken pictures of this project previously so that I could write this tutorial. Now I can just sit here and edit pictures, doing the write-up from my comfy place right here on the couch :D With a laptop I can even lie down - foot propped up on the end of the couch and just type away - LOL!

One of the beauties of the Nestabilities is the option of making shaped cards. You may all remember this card:

Tonight I will take you through how I position the Wizard when I use it, how I cut and emboss the shaped cards and how I create a window in my cards.

Positioning the Wizard

If you watch the Spellbinders video showing how to use the Wizard, you will see immediately the difference in how I place the Wizard as I work. Envision that I am standing at the bottom edge of the picture above. The handle is to my left with the little button located on the top pushed down. If you need to reverse the direction or run your project back and forth through the Wizard you just push the button from the opposite side and it reverses the direction. This button also makes this tool perfect for left-handed crafters! I recommend that if you currently own a Wizard and you have trouble operating it as shown in the video just keep flipping it around until you find that perfect position just for you. Thus making this die cutting machine Universal in more then one way.

Now if I wasn't holding the camera in my right hand you would see that I hold the white mats in my right hand at a slight angle downwards as I insert the plates between the rollers. Using my left hand I run my hand over the rollers moving from left to right - this locks the mats in place.

After the mats are locked in place I put slight pressure on the left end of the machine with a couple of fingers - it's kind of difficult to see my fingers on the far left, but they are there.

The Wizard is different from other die cut machines on the market. Its handle is utilized in a different way. It does not go round and round in a circle, rather it is a "ratchet" type of device that moves between 9:00 o'clock and the 3:00 o'clock position. In my case I move the handle from the left to the right, bringing the handle back up to the 12:00 o'clock position and repeat until the plates are moved through the machine.

Being that the Wizard is all metal it has strength like no other machine on the market. I am told that it literally can have a car driven onto it and it won't crush it.This ratchet type of system allows for great pressure to be exerted on the plates. This pressure can cause the plates to rocket out of the machine when you come to the end if you are not prepared. But you should know that if you have a really tight sandwich in any machine you can rocket your plates out of any machine. I managed to whistle a plate half way across the room with my Big Shot when testing different materials in it as well.

What I do to make certain that my plates do not become projectiles is as I roll the plates through the machine I hold the plates as they come to the end and therefore I don't send them across the room - LOL!

What I have enjoyed the most is that the impressions produced by the Wizard are incredibly clean and crisp, AND I no longer have to deal with broken and warped plates like I did when using the Cuttlebug and Big Shot. That is not to say that you can't get clean and crisp impressions with other machines - the difference is that you just need to know what sandwich is going to work the best for your particular machine or do a little experimenting.

This is the reason for the compatibility sandwiches we have put together. Spellbinders has already done the work figuring out the sandwiches for many machines on the market so that you will not need to figure it out yourself. I would like to remind you to look back at these whenever you have a question about your type of machine.

Making Shaped Cards

With the Wizard you will need the Master Mats, Spacer Plate, tan mat and die of your choice. For cutting your sandwich always utilizes the Master Mat, Spacer Plate, die (face up), notecard (or whatever else you would like to try cutting) and then topped with the other Master Mat. Please see the Compatibility list for your particular machine.

Place your folded notecard on the die as show above, with the scored back lining up along the inside edge of the scallops as shown - be certain to set it to the side of the cutting portion of the die. If you do not want to have any embossing on the edge set it completely clear of the scalloped shapes. Run it through your machine.

If you would like to add embossing to the card then leave the note card in place. Remove the spacer plate and place the tan mat on top following it with the Master Mat and run it through the machine again.

Cutting Windows

To add a window to my card front I determine where it is that I want the window to be. I then measure to determine where on the spacer plate I am going to adhere the die.

Using my ATG adhesive I place a small amount of adhesive on the back side of the die and position it in place on the white spacer plate. This holds the die firmly in place and keeps me from having to make guesses as to where it is.

I then use temporary adhesive to hold my notecard in the exact place I would like it to be. Please note how the scoreline of the note card aligns perfectly with the edge of the spacer plate. This ensures that I don't get an extra "line" in my note card after running it through the Wizard.

My sandwich with the Wizard is always the same for cutting - Master Mat, White Spacer Plate, Die (face up), paper (or felt, tin, fabric, etc.) and then the other Master Mat. The sandwich for embossing is also always the same - Master Mat, Die, paper, Tan Embossing Mat, Master Mat.

These dies allow you to place your window wherever you would like in your card front. There are no limitations as to where it can be placed. It is one of the biggest features that makes me gleeful - LOL!

Cutting Frames

Cut your shape out of a scrap of cardstock being certain to allow enough extra space for a larger die cut to follow.

Position the cut out over the top of your next die shape, centering it over the die so that you can not see it.

Cut - you could also add embossing at this time, but I chose to make this frame without embossing.

WOW - that took a long time - it is now the next night! I'm still in the exact same spot as I was yesterday though - LOL! Hopefully this makes enough sense to help those who would like to make shaped cards, windows and frames, as well as answer the question regarding how I use the Wizard.

Flowers in Chintz Progressive Coloring Techniques

This little post is a thank you to all those of you who have purchased the Flowers in Chintz this month. I promised a progressive coloring "lesson" of sorts earlier this month and I am finally getting down to it - so if you haven't purchased your Stamp of the Month be certain to do it before June rolls around! I have a new choice coming up that I think you are all going to be delighted with :D

Be certain to double-click on this image to open it larger on your screen as you read the information below.

In my opinion, no one colors like Karen Lockhart! I have had the pleasure of coloring with her and learning from her. I asked Karen if she would be willing to share with me one of her coloring progressions so that I in turn could share it with you. Above is the example she created.

Before beginning to color I always suggest to my students that they color on a scrap paper first - one that has the same "tooth" as the project that they will be working on.  A wonderful test is to see how "light" it is that you can color. Using a light hand is the key to success in coloring when not using Gamsol or some other blending solution. Get your depth of color by laying down many layers of color; allow the paper tooth to still be visible. This technique allows you to create so many more colors then you could ever receive from one dark layer, or one color blended with Gamsol.

If you think about your coloring project as if it is a decorating project you will be able to control what it is that you are doing to a higher degree. Putting an accessory in a room that is not even painted is not typically the best method of creating a successfully balanced and designed room. An analogy that Karen has come up with that I absolutely LOVE is to think of creating your little piece of art with these three words in mind: Prime, Paint, and Decorate.

In the first stage of priming your project you wouldn't zero in on one little corner and complete it - you would cover all the walls with your primer coat. The first layer of this image was created by applying Sand, Deco Pink, and Lavender on the flowers; Chartreuse on the foliage; Blue Slate on the vase and Sand and Pale Sage on the "window". This helps you define your project - it is the stage where you determine where your colors will be placed. If you look very closely you will see that neither Karen or I "stay in the lines" - color when allowed to "fuzz" outside the lines helps blend the image and bring color in to those "empty" areas.

In the next stage of "painting" your project you will add Ochre, Hot Pink, and Parma Violet to the flowers to further define them. Kelly Green will be added to the foliage and another layer of Blue Slate and some China Blue will be added to your focal image. You can also further define your "window" at this point. Think of the "frame" as a sunny window - darken the edges leaving more of the white tooth of the paper showing directly behind the image - as though the sun were shining in from the back.

Last, we are going to "decorate" our image by further enhancing it to add more detail and interest to it. Dark Brown is added to the flower centers, Process Red and another layer of Parma Violet to the flowers.  Dark Green is used as the last layer on the foliage and Copenhage the last blue on the vase. Add a little Gingerroot and a little more Pale Sage to the window. You will notice that by repeating the same color numerous times your intensity will increase. Don't overwork your project - stop before you go to far! You can always come back to it after letting it sit for a while and determine whether it truly needs more color.

I thought I would take this opportunity to remind you of some other information I have shared previously about color pencils:

• Color Pencil Techniques
• Color Pencil Tips
• Color Pencil Removal Tips
• Color Pencil Glossary

Coloring is such a relaxing thing for me to do - I absolutely love to just sit and color in images. I hope to share a different color version of this same stamp using the same technique, but I doubt it will happen this week. I still have house guests (my family is still visiting), my girls are in the final throws of preparing for their big dance recital - rehearsal, pictures, etc. You name it, we have it happening again here at our house this week - LOL! So please forgive my inability to get everything done that I would like to.

I would also like to add that many of you have requested the paper Karen and I use when we color and I am thrilled to tell you that I have gone ahead and placed this item in the store. Nothing seems to compare to this paper, Neenah Classic Crest (Solar White, Classic Natural White, and Classic Cream), when it comes to coloring using Prismacolor color pencils and even Copic markers.

I thank you again for your continued support and enthusiam!!! I sincerely hope that this little "tutorial" of sorts helps you gain some insight into coloring this awesome Lockhart image!

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.

Doodling 101

Finally as promised - doodling 101. The basics of doodling are one of the topics I will be covering in the class I prepared this sample for. Following is just one of the tips that will be covered in the class I am offering at Make an Impression here in Issaquah this March. I know, I know - I need to update my class schedule!!! Yikes - life just has too much happening right now.

One of the things that I share with my students is that in order to gain control with your pencil and pen you need to practice. Nothing helps you gain that control like tracing! Remember when you were a child and you traced and colored and did dot-to-dot. These were all exercises we did to gain control of our small motor skills. If you haven't practiced in a while you will have probably lost a lot of this skill. So my suggestion today is to practice tracing! You ALL can doodle - learn to trace again and it will come Ü

Many of you know that I am so very happy when you use my designs to educate yourselves, to make cards for family, friends, etc.  You also know that I think it is incredibly valuable to credit those who were the artists who created something in the first place - therefore I do not propose that you trace other fabulous pieces of art and then pass them off as your own. Please give credit where credit is due. The bird image in the following examples was made by some wonderful artist for Basic Grey and the other designs were stimulated by this same line of paper. I wish I knew who the artist or artists are behind the Blush line because I think it is absolutely stunning and therefore selected it to try and share how you can learn to doodle and gain the eye and hand control necessary to begin to doodle within the confines of a stamp. From here you can expand into larger and larger areas and pretty soon you can doodle an entire page (OK, so maybe not, but at least you'll have a starting point - LOL!)

First get out that old handy dandy light box - you know the one you no longer need for dry embossing since the arrival of the many wonderful "crank machines" such as the Cuttlebug, Wizard, Big Shot :D Or if you don't have a light box just grab some tracing paper and start that way.

Select the design you think will work for your project and place it on the light box, topped with an inexpensive sheet of copy paper, the thinner the paper the better. For some odd reason I prefer the copy paper over tracing paper - I'm not certain why, but perhaps it is because I find my pen works better on it. I almost always use the Zig Millennium .005 black pen. This size fits perfectly with the Lockhart Stamp Images. (I have the pens here, but still need to photograph them and enter them into the store. Yet another thing to do - LOL. If you place an order and want one please just send me an email and we can add it to your order.)

Trace the design that appeals to you.Try to work in long smooth strokes not lifting your pen from the paper. Don't trace everything - just pick and choose what appeals to you.

Copy and reduce the size. In this instance I reduced the image by 50% and then 50%, 65% and 78%. This gives me several different sizes to choose from when working with my stamped image.

Determine which size suites your project. In this case I felt the bird would work better facing the opposite direction, so I flipped it and traced it again using my light box.

I then stamped the teapot on my favorite cardstock for coloring on due to it's excellent tooth - Neenah Classic Crest, Solar White. The teapot is one of the Lockhart Stamp Company images that is the perfect size for doodling within. Position your reduced copy beneath your image and trace, but...

only trace the portion of the design that fits. Then shift the design, modifying your original image slightly by doing so, and finish tracing.

This is where I begin looking at the rest of what is inspiring me. I picked a design out of the flowers on a coordinating paper and just started drawing one of the details on the remaining elements freehand using a pencil. Draw this portion VERY lightly. After your design is completed trace the refined design with your Zig pen. Allow the ink to dry and then use kneaded rubber to erase your pencil guidelines. Many times I add in more pencil lines than what I use in the end, but it gives me a guide to avoid mistakes.

Once my design is complete then I select my color pencils. As you can see I choose anywhere from 2 to 4 pencils from each color family. I scribble them on my scrap paper and then lay it all out with the color scheme I will be working with to determine whether I have selected the appropriate colors.

I begin coloring by placing my darkest or strongest color first - balancing it around my little piece of artwork. I color until I have the balance in my piece and it blends in with the colors I have selected.

I should have taken one more picture at this point, but... imagine this little image above with some glitter on the cinnamon rolls, and a little glitz on key elements using the Sakura Stardust pen. It just twinkles :D

SO here is my completed project that is the example for Make an Impression, the store I am teaching this class at in March.

I hope this encourages you to try your hand at learning to doodle!!! Pull out your light box and practice tracing! or grab that basic tracing paper and just practice tracing, tracing, tracing. You will gain control of your fingers and your eye will start seeing the lines that compose a basic image. If you truly think about it, all it is, is straight lines, curvy lines, angled lines. dots... - it's learning to see how an image is put together, but that is a whole other series of lessons. For now just trace and get started using those little tiny muscles in your fingers Ü

I would love to have you come and leave a comment linking me to your practice pieces - it is so fun for me to see what you are all making with your stamps!!!

Doodling Over-the-Top

Last night I was stamping "virtually" with some of my friends. One of the challenges was to use the color scheme red and caribbean. My mind immediately went to the Lockhart Teapot and exploded. So I thought I would share one of my more "over-the-top" doodling sessions with you all, being that doodling is sort of a topic I enjoy.

I'm not certain if any of you have heard of Rosanna, but the tea, table and dinnerware she creates is absolutely stunning!!! (I wish I had loads of room and $$ so that I could collect the entire line). Her red dot series, along with a piece of Wild Asparagus "birthday" paisley/yellow paper were the beginning inspirations for this card. Now being that I am such a "gifted artist" (insert huge explosion of laughter here!!! - you girls just crack me up with your comments - I love you all so dearly and you certainly know how to make my day :D) I just went for it and doodled the design on the teapot with a very fine tipped pencil. I then follow this up with my Zig .05 Millenium pen - this is the perfect size to go along with the images that Karen Lockhart creates. I will be putting these in my store as soon as I have the time to photograph, enter, etc. because I WANT you all to start trying your hand at this fun little artistic endeavour! Upon completion I then take kneaded rubber and erase the pencil lines.

Now, for those of you who believe that you can't draw a straight or curvy line to save your life I am going to share a wonderful way to begin this adventure. Look for it in tomorrow's posting!!!

Unfortunately I took a side adventure on this image and you will note that the white on the teapot is not truly white. I was able to get it close to white again by once again using my kneaded rubber to get rid of the red I happened to smear all over the image. My misadventure began when I decided to try this fabulous new product on the surface to make it shiny like porcelain - NOT! What was I thinking?!? Prismacolor color pencils have a wax base and goofy me tried a "waxy" product called MicroGlaze on the surface. BIG OOPS! I will talk more about this product in the near future because it IS totally awesome, but it is NOT totally awesome when it comes to color pencils - LOL!

Funny how mistakes can lead to fun new concepts though! This misadventure led to me cutting out the image and determining my final layout. So if you like this layout just make mistakes and start "inventing" off of them Ü

One last little tidbit of information is in regards to the products used on this card:

• Memory Box Holly Berry and Jade cardstock
• Lockhart Teapot
• A Muse Sentiment
• Judikins Paisley Background
• Outlines Rubber Stamp Dot Background
• Word window punch - punched longer than typical
• Impress red brads

Watch for more doodling adventures to come this week Ü

Doodling Boots

Just one of the things I adore about the Lockhart stamps are the open areas that Karen leaves when she draws the images. There was some discussion as to whether the boot should be complete or an open area left. I totally voted for the open area! So this is how the stamp now looks:

One of Karen's amazing talents is the ability to make one stamp look SO many different ways. Below is a series of the boots that Karen Lockhart colored and presents to each and every store that purchases this stamp. I LOVE the swirl design on the left. This is created by using the Soft Grip fine tip embossing stylus on the paper to doodle your design. Then as you color over the top with Prismacolor color pencils, the detail of the design pops right off the paper like magic! She then followed it up with the wonderful Sakura Stardust pen to add a little glitz - what a perfect patriotic celebration boot this is!

The sentiment beneath these boots just had me giggling! Oh the meanings you could think of with this one - Karen just cracks me up! (in a good way Ü) I can hardly wait for the rest of this line to hit the machines!!! There is more to come and it is a killer waiting for them - so Karen if you are reading this PLEASE HURRY! LOL!

So you might think - I CAN'T DOODLE! That is where I would like to make some suggestions, because I believe we ALL can doodle!!! Below is a simple way to start. Find a piece of patterned paper that has a simple design and use it as your guide. The polka dot paper from Making Memories was the basis for this whole card design. It comes in a pad and has coordinating sheets that really make it simple to use. I selected this pattern to start with to share how easy it is to make a doodled design.

A little tip on creating round circles that I have discovered is to start your design by placing your pencil at 10 o'clock or 2 o'clock. Each time I do it this way, my circle is "more circular". If I start at 12 o'clock, for some odd reason I end up with more of an egg shape. I hope this little trick helps some of you get rounder circles Ü

Another tip from this card is the lovely little grommet on the lower right. As you all well know I am totally a gadget girl!!! If there is a new tool I MUST try it - bad, bad, bad! Well maybe not so bad Ü This little pink ring is from Making Memories latest tool kit - the Grommet Kit. The first point I would like to make is that I LOVE the end result, BUT getting there was quite the task! I think I might contact Making Memories and ask about the whole layers thing and if I have a faulty punch. Being that it is easier to have everything line up when it is all affixed I put my three layers of paper together before "punching" out my circle with the "circle cutter" included in the kit. I kid you not when I tell you that I pounded on this baby no less than FIVE minutes to get these holes punched!!! FRUSTRATING, but in the end totally worth it being that I LOVE the look.

Inside the card reads:  Hope you have a boot scootin' birthday bash... girlie! "Girlie" is peeking through the grommet from the inside. I should have taken a pic of the inside but... so I'll just describe it instead. I punched the word with a 1" circle punch and layered it on top of a brown flower that I punched using my cuttlebug die Ü

So with that I would like for you to explore doodling within the interiors of your Lockhart stamps!!! Some of the other images that come to mind that are fabulous for doing this are:

• teapot
• slippers
• sweater
• the angels!!!

and NOW

• the boots Ü

So watch for more doodling lessons and ideas to come! Have a wonderful and creative weekend!!!

Remember - Scor-it, Gotta Have-it

Do you remember one of my first posts here on my blog? Yes, it was a fav tool of mine that I have repeatedly said you can not live without Ü I received a little snippet from one of my distributors on Friday and I want to connect you with the fabulous tutorial, "Card Keeper", that Club Scrap has put together for Craft TV Weekly.

They also have an itty, bitty project on Craft Weekly that is so reminiscent of this project I did as a guest artist for Splitcoaststampers Dirty Dozen two long years ago - LOL! Being that this information is well past the date that I have promised not to share this picture outside of SCS I am going to post here for all to see. It will also give those of you who are not members of the special SCS Fan Club a little taste of some of the fun things that get posted to their website each month. It is so worth being a supporting member of SCS!

I certainly wished I had a better method of scoring back in those days. Now, I don't have to wish any longer because I have my Scor-it and I'm creating some things that I can hardly wait for the day to be able to share them with you. All this working for a living stuff, kind of keeps me at bay sometimes with what I am able to share. So I will try and just create more that will just be eye-candy right here!

ETA: I just realized that I should probably give a little information regarding this project - otherwise you might all be emailing me - LOL! The tags were created using little rectangular pieces of balsa wood that I had purchased from Packaging Specialties. I think I have seen them at Impress as well - but, being older and all I'm forgetting these details - LOL!

I dyed these little wood pieces using reinker and used my leaf punch (which I do believe has since been discontinued) from SU! The quotes were all found at my favorite quote site - The Quote Garden. To get the quote on the front of the coin envelope I printed on plain paper, then used temporary adhesive to attach the envelope to that spot and ran it through the printer again.

I used one of my all time favorite stamp sets at that time, "All Natural", to embellish the pockets and cover. Mica chips were then added using Diamond Glaze to give it that natural, funky feeling.

I must admit I'm laughing at the fibers now Ü I would probably go with a linen thread or something more "natural" or simple now. It is fun to see styles evolve, especially one's own - LOL!

You can also view more projects now that Scor-it has developed the project of the month. If you are still doubting whether you need one of these gadgets - doubt no longer!!! Good things are yet to come with how you can use this tool, but the basics are the basics! AND the basics are crisp, clean, beautiful folds in your projects!!!

Cuttlebug and Texture Plates

WOW - it's been a busy and wonderful weekend around our house. Our Christmas tree is in the house, my DH has the outside lights all up and much of the Christmas shopping has been completed. Very little creating has taken place other than a couple of things for upcoming publication calls.

Many of you have been asking me about the texture plates and I hope that it is alright with you that I post the answer here to save some time. I truly appreciate your enthusiasm and hope to keep creating new, fun things with my CB.

To use the Fiskars texture plates I make the following sandwich:

• Plate A,
• Fiskars texture plate,
• cardstock or paper,
• tan Wizard pad,
• black Wizard pad (Editted Yet Again - The Wizard kits once again have a black pad and a tan pad),
• (sometimes a very lightweight piece of chipboard or another piece of cardstock - run it through the first time without and see what type of impression you get. If it isn't very deep then add a shim of cardstock or chipboard),
• Plate B.

Hopefully this will help get you started on your road to success. I have also heard of machines popping apart with the use of Sizzix dies. I guess I'm feeling extremely lucky right now being my little machine is still holding tough, even after the stuff I've run through it. I am LOVING this little gadget!!!

I do believe that the Wizard Charm Embossing kit is essential to running these other items through the CB and getting a good impression. I'm going to try and order some of these and put them into my store so that anyone trying to find them can continue to create to the fullest extent that this little bug will allow.

ETA: Spellbinders has created a new packet of Tan Embossing Mats - these are perfect for using in the Cuttlebug and other manufacturer's machines to emboss with the Nestabilties, Fiskars Texture plates, brass stencils etc. Please see the compatibility charts for information regarding your machine.

Sewing on Cards

Well the lazy girl in me was totally pushed aside during our retreat in "Minnesconsin" Ü The girls (Lisa and Robin) had this AWESOME little machine (well darn the link didn't work - just go to Home Depot and in the search mechanism type in the word Janome - it's the $54.99 model I'm eyeing) and they let me "test drive" it. I learned how to sew at a young age and have sewn on cards before, but my "real" machine has been quirky - the tension just doesn't want to leave that poor cardstock alone. Then I purchased a cheapo ProvoCraft machine - let me tell you - do NOT waste your money. Look at what I was able to do with some of the fabulous Recollections Stampin' Up! paper and this simple little machine :D I'm so excited - I might just get one and sew on my cards more 'cause I LOVE the look!!! As soon as I saw this I knew I had to use the Lockhart stamp "Heart Wreath" - it is perfect with this paper!

OK - so here is a picture up close of what my "test drive" included. I used every stitch on that machine on this little piece of paper. The key is to adhere your "patch" pieces to a solid piece of cardstock first and then just sew away! Thank you Piney, LZ and Robin for the opportunity to allow me to play! Make certain to pull your threads to the back side - I then just taped them off with cheapo scotch tape (quick and easy) and voila - a LOVELY pieced together background. I do believe I'm loving this shabby look.

Here is "test drive" number two for this blog entry. Well you all know my fascination with tools and inks - well the one and only Julie HRR got me going and as you noticed she posted her box to her blog yesterday - filled with those beautiful little ink pads. Well I've been testing - a girl's got to know if she's going to teach others :D But first I "need" to show you these cute little numbers all ready to roll in my NEW CRAFT LOCKERS!!! (I'm REALLY trying to get organized so that I don't waste time looking for things. Hopefully I'll be able to post the new pictures of my "disaster" area shelving soon - currently much of the product is still ALL over the floor!!!) Look at these tempting beauties.

Test one - Fabriano notecards and watercolor (note card above Ü) Not much of a difference - I think the difference is more due to the amount of pressure I put on the stamp than the ink.

End result after watercoloring - PERFECTION - woohoo that means 36 colors to use that I can watercolor with!!!

Hopefully I'll be back tomorrow to share my next Palette Ink adventure with you all. I do believe I have found a fabulous new ink to play with thanks to the discussion over on SCS earlier this month!

Finding Inspiration

This is to help any of the ladies looking for Jaron Winder's Inspirational Journal idea. I have wanted to make one of these ever since I saw his, but just haven't gotten around to it. Unfortunately I didn't open it to take pictures of the inside, but hopefully you can get some inspiration from these pics.

Titles read: Color, Layouts, Artwork, Titles and I don't remember the last one that the twill is covering (insert sad eyes). In the color section he would pull picks from Crate & Barrel, Pottery Barn, clothing ads, etc. He would paste them into his journal and then collect and paste 3-4 punched out circles of color that would coordinate with the ads for color inspiration. It was quick and easy with no mess.

Jaron pulls all kinds of things from Magazines, every type of magazine. The Jen/Ben portion of his presentation had us ROTFLOBO! But look what he did with that idea! Then the colorblocking! He really was inspiring!!

So in a nutshell look at everything around you for inspiration! I hope you all find this little entry inspirational Ü