simple dreams

Cards for Kate

There is a little girl and her family who need our help. They need all the prayers and positive thoughts we can offer - please visit www.prayforkate.com for more information.

As I prepared to send my own daughters off to school today my thoughts went out to the McRae family. To be blessed with healthy and happy children is one of the greatest gifts I have been given. I cannot ever begin to imagine putting myself in their shoes. I do know how hard it was as my Dad fought his cancer, so I can never imagine what it is like to fight that fight with my child.

There are three very special ladies doing something special for Kate and her family. Jennifer McGuire, Jana Millen and Kristina Proffitt have organized "Cards for Kate" and I want to join in, and hope to brighten this family's day and give them courage, by sending a card for both Kate and her parents.

As I thought about this adorable little girl, I wanted to create something that would bring a smile to her beautiful, sunny face.

I thought this cute little Panda could present her with a bouquet of flowers...

and some special stamped hugs. My hope and prayer is that sweet, little Kate will soon be healthy, happy and running around enjoying life; that she will soon be sent off to school!

Creating something for the parents was so much harder for me. What do you say to someone enduring such incredible stress? When things are not right with my children I just wish that I could take their place and yet we all know that this is impossible. I turned to this stamp because as I read through this verse, it reminded me again to believe, to have faith and courage. I want these parents who are complete strangers to know that there are many out here in cyberville who are sending our positive thoughts and prayers, in faith that their daughter will soon be healthy once more.

So each day I will think positive thoughts as I send a prayer for Kate. I hope you will join in this mission of encouragement. Inside I shared a verse from Scripture Essentials in hopes of giving this family courage in the long days yet to come. Head over to Jennifer's blog for the full details!

stamps: Garden Panda, Cutie Pie, Get Well Centers, Paisley Scrapblock, Cancer is so Limited, Scripture Essentials I 

paper: Basic Grey Lemonade, Basic Grey Lemonade Take Note, Memory Box Key Lime CS, Websters Pages Hello Beautiful Journaling Cards,

ink: Distress Ink Pads - Antique Linen, Tea Dye, Walnut Stain; Memento Rich Cocoa and Tuxedo Black

markers/pencils: Copic Marker - W1

other: Memory Box Azalea Pink Jewels and Mint Pearls; A Muse Heart Twinkle Stickers; Martha Stewart Classic Butterfly, 3-in-1 Classic Butterfly, Monarch Butterfly, Glassene Butterfly, Doily Lace Edger, and Mini Heart Scallops Edger; Icicle Stickles, Fancy Tags, Inkssentials Opaque Pen, Spica Glitter Pens Set B

Bear Hugs

As a working mom sometimes it all gets so overwhelming. I question whether or not I should still be at home with my children. In the long run I know that the choice that I have made is the right one. We found a wonderful camp for Trina to attend during the summer months. Each day she enjoys a wide variety of outdoor activities, has made many new friends and has gained self-confidence. One of her favorite activities is a sleep-over they plan for Thursday night. She takes her sleeping bag and sleeps under the stars (weather permitting.)

It is so important to me that I try and do little things for her that will remind her of how special and important she is to me. She has been asking for "mail at camp" the last few days and so today I hope that she enjoys the card I created especially for her.

I felt that the Kim Hughes Bear Hugs stamp set (now PRECUT as well) was the perfect choice! Making smores at camp is just one of the many activities Trina enjoys. As well, I want her to feel the warmth of my hugs, even though I am not there tonight.

 

To create the window through which the fire appears I used two circle Nestabilities. I first cut my Twilight paper to fit the front of a Mango notecard and then cut and embossed a circle in it. Using this sheet as my guide I then placed the next size die within this window, removed my decorative paper and cut a circle creating a window in the mango notecard.

 

The fire is stamped and colored on the card interior. It reflects the sentiment that she makes me feel all warm and happy inside. The fire is colored with Copic markers and has orange glitter sparkling in the firelight.

The twigs with marshmallows are fastened between the two layers. To make the marshmallows "poofy" I used liquid applique.

The bear was stamped on one for the patterned papers and highlights were added using Prismacolor pencils to add contrast, shadows and light. The Opaque Essentials pen was used to create the white of this adorable bear's eye. She is then popped up with dimensionals. In real life it is easy to define the bear from the background. I just wasn't able to capture a very good picture of this, but I think you can get the feel of it.

I will be thinking about my sweet girl as she climbs into her sleeping bag tonight and hope that she has a restful sleep under the stars, and that she knows the love I have encompassing her in my "bear hugs."

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!

I Love You to the Moon and Back!

When my girls were little we would read book after book. I always seemed to have my favorites though because of the way they would point their little fingers at the pictures or would anticipate the next page and help me "read," being they knew the story so well.

Karen Lockhart created an adorable IB Goodnight Moon with this last release and the memories came flooding back when I first saw the image. One of our favorite books was "Guess How Much I Love You." So today I created this little card to give to Katrina as her "after birthday card." Sometimes no matter how hard I try to get it "all" done I seem to fail, so this year I decided that an after birthday card is just as special as an on her birthday card Ü

 

Using papers from the Sweetbay Memory Box collection I created the little foursome representing our family. Being I didn't have the exact sentiment I wanted I opted to use a journaling box and penned the sentence from one of our old favorite books on to my label using my Copic multiliner. I stamped, colored and cut out the IB Goodnight Moon and popped it off the surface of the label.

 

Using the Stardust glitter pen I added just a few stars behind the moon, added a little bling to the "ribbon" and balanced the bottom corner with a few gemstones in a coordinating green to the Prismacolor pencil colors I used on the moon and "ribbon."

We now are reading Roald Dahl books, but I think I'm going to pull out this old favorite book and give Trina this card tomorrow night when we have a chance to sit and read together again and I can share the story with her about how she once would "read" our favorite story with me. I'm not certain what's up with all the sentimental "mutterings" as of late, but I hope that you don't mind me sharing this part of my life and creative process with you. Thanks for stopping by to share in my life.

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.

Copic Airbrush Experiment with Silhouette Images

Yes, I am still alive and kicking - LOL! Life has been VERY busy and I apologize for the neglect of my Simple Dreams blog. I have been working hard just to keep projects up on an almost daily basis over on the Classroom, so if you don't find me here, be certain to come and visit us over there!

Now for those who are coming here from the Classroom, you really didn't think I was going to spill the beans on the reverse image - did you? LOL! For those who have not yet visited the Classroom, you will want to take a peek at the other project that I created using this same technique. Hopefully between these two projects you will have a fairly good idea as to how to give this technique a whirl and will give it a try.

One of my goals is to always try and be inventive! Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. This time I really think it worked great! I am so thrilled that I now have another way to use my airbrush system, as well as stamp images that are of the silhouette variety!

 

As a side note I would like to suggest that you pick up the Memory Box Gingercake collection sooner rather than later. I have been begging Dave to make a few larger runs on his new lines of papers, because they are magnificent! Unfortunately I barely get them up in the store and they are completely sold out. The variety in this particular paper pack has allowed me to create some absolutely stunning and different color combinations for this holiday season.

Now back to the real reason for my post. I began with the Dove image - I love the elegant feeling of this image and thought that combined with the sentiment, "Let there be peace on earth," from the Mona Lisa Christmas Expressions collection, I would have an absolutely gorgeous creation for the upcoming holiday season. There are many images that this technique will work with in our collection - just look for ones that are of the silhouette variety.

 

As you can see in the picture above I have stamped two doves, the one on the left is using regular VersaMark and the one on the right was using VersaMark Champagne Dazzle. I am still searching for techniques that really make this pad "dazzle" as I know it can. I felt like I hit a home run with the direct to paper technique, but have been a little disappointed in some of the other things I have tried. I will keep at it in hopes of hitting a few more WOW's.

As you can see the UTEE did adhere better to the Dazzle pad. I'm not quite certain why being I have just reinked my VersaMark pad.

I won't bore you with the same step-by-step instructions here, you can read those on the Classroom. Instead I will try and point out any differences from that original post.

 

As you can see in this picture it is easier to see the Dove using the Champagne. I did add another layer of fine embossing powder over the dove on the left. I was afraid that it wouldn't be thick enough if I didn't. To do this I immediately added some regular clear embossing powder (EP) on to the heated image and this helped to thicken the layer of EP.

As you can see I used two different Copic colors for this image - W3, Warm Gray #3 and B95, Light Grayish Cobalt. These two colors blended beautifully with the paper I was eyeing.

 

There are times I wish that I could see other's projects as they are putting them together and so I opted to snap this photo of one of the ways that I adhere ribbon to my projects. When attaching two ribbons to a project it can sometimes get a little tricky trying to position them to overlap ever so slightly. I typically will attach red liner tape to my project and then attach the lower strip of ribbon to the lower edge. I then add my next layer. This allows me to keep it fairly smooth and even.

 

The dove shown below is the VersaMark Champagne Dazzle version. As you can see from this picture the champagne color is no longer visible. I will share the reverse image with you at a later date so that you can make your own analysis of what happens in the ironing process. Have I at least gotten you curious to try this now? I hope that I am teasing you just enough to get you to try experimenting with this process and your new ink pads! I would really love to see links to anything you discover!!!

Unfortunately I didn't get a good impression when I stamped my sentiment. I was so bummed, but out of time and just didn't have enough time to do it all over again (insert sad face.) I used a button from the Granola collection - it was a perfect match for this paper! Sponging the edges of my Blue Poppy note card and my dove "tag" with Antique Linen distress ink pulled it all together.

Thank you for stopping by and I hope to see some fabulous new creations from each of you soon! Link me to your projects ladies!!! I love to see what you create Ü

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 [email protected]. 
• 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!

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.

Going Crazy...Wanna Come?

When thinking about what to create for today's blog post Rummage Bins, Round and Round We Go! was the first thing that came to mind.

We have just returned from a long road trip where we drove back home to the Calgary, Alberta area to visit with my Mom and siblings. It was so nice to see them, but now the reality of life is back - LOL! We are getting ready for school and let me tell you that between work, back to school shopping, fall sports, dance and then more work - oh man I am spinning in circles!!!

Other new products I used to create this project and that are now available in our store are:

• Basic Grey, Ambrosia  (also available are Eva and Offbeat)
• Hero Arts, Assorted Clear Round Gemstones

So I thought I would leave you with a smile, a quick note to tell you that it's good to be back and a silly invitation to join me as I spin circles - LOL!

Harvest Lantern and Selective Piercing

Coloring is one of my absolute favorite things to do. The moment I laid eyes on the new Harvest Lantern stamp I began salivating - LOL! This image is a coloring dream Ü Being I was just coloring for pure enjoyment this time I failed to write down which colors I used. I have to admit that it was so enjoyable to just color for fun, so I apologize for not writing down the colors I used this go round. I promise that I will color this image again and then list the colors.

To color this image I used my Copic markers together with Prismacolor color pencils. I am only guessing here, but I think perhaps I used at least 12 of each to add the depth to this project. I then used my Clear Glaze pen to add a glassy finish to the Hurrican Lantern, as well as some Spica glitter pens to add a little shimmer and shine to the whole creation. Marianne has talked about the Copic Opaque White - I have found that I am too lazy to use a paintbrush, so instead I pull out my Inkssentials White Opaque Pen. With this pen I can achieve similar results without the hassle of cleanup - as Martha would say, 'It's a good thing". Ü

The Mango notecard was stamped with the Oak Leaves backgrounder. Rather than inking it up in one solid color I used three different colors of Ranger Distress ink to add variation to the image unfortunately this detail is really hard to see it in this photo. I inked the entire image with Scattered Straw, added a little Mustard Seed and then topped it off with Tea Dye.

I then used one of my new Pierceabilities, S4 173 Fancy Scalloped, to add the piercing and embossing to the right edge. As we get closer to the arrival of the Pierceabilities (sometime in September is still the projected date) I will continue to do tutorials showing how to use them in different ways. Our list is growing and so if you would like to be added please be certain to email us at [email protected].

The last little tidbit I would like to share is this little envelope liner template. Using some of the new Twiggy paper from Memory Box I was able to add a colorful decorative liner to my envelope above. Adding a liner to your envelopes is just one of the things that you can do to make your cards appear even more unique and special.

Be certain to take a peak at Debbie's blog today to see how she used the Pierceabilities on her project. It is absolutely gorgeous!

Modern Influence

In my previous post I talked about how the black and white with the pop of an accent color was inspired by the Spring magazine from our local mall. Well the cover of this same magazine also grabbed my attention in a big way and so I decided to replicate it in a card as well. When I saw this very modern, artsy cover my mind immediately went to the butterflies. I chose the Checkered Butterfly because I was drawn to the two circles in the lower portion of the wings. The boldness of this image is so different from the typical "Ellen" look - I just had to share this side of my personality with you Ü

Being a multi-tasker and all I decided to nail down a number of the CHF challenges in just one post - LOL! Time is of the essence these days Ü

The first challenge I missed was partial backgrounder stamping - fading or stamping part of a layer. The texture in the dress and artwork in the magazine photo were wonderful to emulate for this particular challenge. I used the Rice Paper backgrounder to create the striations in the Raspberry cardstock and the Scratched Grid backgrounder to create the uneven appearance on the Lagoon cardstock. To create this uneven texture I place my backgrounder face up on my worksurface. I do not ink it evenly to begin with and then when I place my cardstock on the surface I let my fingers do the walking, so to speak. Rather then pressing evenly over the entire surface I only lightly press in an uneven manner on the areas I want to catch the detail. To really make the white pop off the raspberry cardstock I did use white embossing powder and was careful to only leave a small amount on the surface, brushing away any excess from many spots.

The next challenge was to stamp on anything but paper. I have been dying to show you why I purchased and added clear buttons to my store. VERSATILITY - gotta love it. I began by creating a little tab pull for my button as shown below. I love using blue painters tape for this type of use being it always comes off easily.

As you can see I placed my Scratched Grid backgrounder face up and then inked it with Palette ink. Using the tab on the button I was then able to set it straight down on to my backgrounder, ink it up and then pull straight up. I then allowed this to sit and dry. Now how long it needs to dry I am not certain being I never get to complete a project once I start it - LOL! So mine sat for maybe an hour before I got back to airbrush it. I doubt it takes anywhere near this time to dry, but... I'm just not certain. To add color to the buttons I then airbrushed them with my Copic Markers. Gotta LOVE versatility! Being the buttons are clear I used embroidery thread to attach them - neatly stitching them into place.

Last but not least I just needed to add some additional texture to the base white. Piercing is always one of my favorite fallbacks for adding texture in an inconspicuous manner. I love the fact that the Nestability dies are open in the center. I used a larger size Nestability circle as my outline to aid in keeping my piercing "round". I could never eyeball round - LOL!

Hopefully this post will once again leave you with a "cool idea feeling!" Gotta love a few good challenges for bringing out the creativity within each of us and the CHF challenges have been so much fun! So I challenge you to try something from this post - use the sketch, use the partial stamping, use the button idea, use the piercing or use the magazine ad with the mod colors. Just sit back create and enjoy!

Backgrounder Blitz - Hot and Spicy

Sometimes I just have to create to have fun - this creation was one of those! I am constantly inspired by the things that I see around me. Recently a brochure from the local shopping mall arrived in my mailbox. It was fun to sit down and quickly browse through it. What impacted me the most in this particular issue was the clothing in multiple ads - they were all black and white with just a touch of some sort of accent. That accent was a bright/bold color! This inspired me to just go for it and see if I could bring a similar feeling to a card I had in mind.

I stamped the backgrounder (Open Circles) and the image (Chilis and Cilantro) using Palette Noir. The stamped image was immediately followed with embossing powder. I had thought that I would just leave the image black and white and so I wanted to the black/white detail to pop.

The color pop was added with this beautiful, wide red satin ribbon. BTW what do you think about this ribbon - I would love to hear your response as to the width! The I added the black gemstones. I must admit that I was wondering what on earth one would do with black gemstones, but this hit me like a lightning bolt - talk about bling!

Well as you can see it just didn't feel as "hot and spicy" at this point as I thought it would. It was OK, but... So I pulled out my Copic Markers and added some color Ü

Now we're talking! A little Crackle Accents on the Cilantro and Glossy Accents on the Peppers, another larger black gemstone to cinch the waistline and voila - we have "Hot and Spicy". 

So what can you do with a "Hot and Spicy" card? I thought this bold little number would make a wonderful congratulatory card for someone who has been making an effort to lose weight - or how about an anniversary card?

What inspires you? Where do you get your ideas? Curious minds would love to know Ü

Velvet Stamping and Emboss Resist

ETA: Please note that there are new posts following this one - I placed it as a sticky until the drawing for the blog candy is complete. Thank you for stopping by!

Have you heard the news? Cornish Heritage Farms is having a major league "Backgrounder Blitz" over this next week!!! We here at Ellen Hutson LLC are thrilled to be playing alongside them and will do our best to stimulate your creativity and give you new ideas as to how to use these wonderful stamps as well!!! In honor of this special occasion we will have a week long promotion beginning today on the CHF backgrounders in our store. Be certain to enter the code: CHFFun in the Promo Code area as you are checking out to receive a 10% discount on all backgrounders that you order from us during this week.

Today's post is to play along with the wonderful challenges CHF has created for this week. The first backgrounder challenge is to create a card using Lisa's awesome sketch!

There are two techniques I would like to share with you that I used as I created my project for today's challenge. The first is a real WOW in my opinion and I haven't seen it done much lately.

VELVET STAMPING

The key to success with this technique is the velvet that you select. I find that a man-made velvet works the best. In this case I used a velvet ribbon that is 100% rayon. This technique is one that works beautifully with the deep-etched red rubber backgrounders!!!

Place your backgrounder face up on your work surface, I used the new Sophisticated Swirls. I preheat my regular large iron with it set on rayon/polyster. Spritz the face of the ribbon generously with water - I have a mini mister filled with water that I always keep by my work surface, it works fabulously for misting the velvet. Place velvet face down (fuzzy side down) on the backgrounder and then iron from the backside of the velvet. I would typically place a piece of typing paper between the ribbon/backgrounder and the iron, but I wanted you to see the layering process without it being covered. Press your iron down firmly and move it about on the ribbon surface so that you do not create a hot spot.

It is SO beautiful and elegant in real life - I hope that you can get a sense of the beauty from this picture.

EMBOSS RESIST

This next technique is one that I have always loved. From the beginning of my stamping adventures there has always been a sense of wonderment as I watched embossing powder melt. Now being I photographed and worked this portion of my project before deciding to use the velvet I didn't quite think it through enough - LOL!, so my final project doesn't even use this beautiful creation. But at least you get the idea as to how to complete the background of the card I will share below.

Tip: Before I  begin I want to share how it is that I keep my Clear Embossing Powder. Being it is one that I use a LOT I purchased a large supply and placed it in a rubbermaid type of storage container. I do this so that I do not have to clean up the powdery mess that can occur if you use a tray. I love the convenience of just spooning the powder on to my project and letting the excess fall back into my container!

OK - on with it Ellen! To begin I place my backgrounder face up on my work surface and ink it completely with a "sticky" ink. In this case I used Perfect Medium, but Versamark or any other Clear Emboss Ink will work as well.

I then spoon the embossing powder on to the inked paper surface and dump the excess powder back into my tub. I then heat set it using my embossing heating tool. Be certain to watch the surface as you do this so that you don't overheat it and melt the powder until it is completely gone. When it becomes glossy that is the time to move on over with your heat tool. It is like magic as you watch the surface begin to glisten in the light.

Now it is time to make the background pop! Ink your brayer using a dye ink - I love using the large brayer being it covers the background completely in one motion. This does not mean that you do not need to go back and forth across your surface a number of times, but it does make it so simple to get an even ink coverage. I used Adirondack Lettuce as the main color for this project.

Being that I wanted a more distressed look and did not want the white to pop off the paper I then used my iron to "melt" the embossing powder into a piece of scrap paper. Iron over the paper covered image completely - then move your scrap paper to a new location and repeat. Do this until all sheen has disappeared.

I then used my Ink Blending Tool and Adirondack Pesto to distress the edges and "buff" out some of the white in the center of the image.

My focal image is the Lockhart Delphinium and Peony Watering Can. These are two of my favorite flowers and I can't believe that I hadn't given this beauty any "love" yet. To color the image I used a combination of Copics and Prismacolor color pencils. This truly is my favorite combo. The intensity and dense coverage that the Copics provide, followed by the Prismacolor pencils which just grab the tooth in the top surface of your paper gives such incredible depth to your image.

I began with the Copic Markers - BV000, R46, R81, Y21, Y21 Special, YG00, YG63, YG95, B21, B23, W1, W3.

I truly wish that you could all see this image up close - the detail that jumps out when you add the Prismacolor color pencils (Limepeel, Goldenrod, Burnt Ochre, Process Red, Warm Gray 80%, Pink Rose, and Imperial Violet) along with Spica Glitter Pens (Gold, Sky and Pink) is so "purdy".

As you can see I used a square nestability to cut out the image and emboss it. Little mini brads were added to the corners just to draw extra attention to the focal point. Instead of the Sophisticated Swirl background I created above I changed it out for a much more subtle Weave pattern. It would have been great if I would have actually thought ahead to the completed project, but hey now I have an awesome sheet of patterned paper that I can use for a future project Ü

To help celebrate this fun learning experience and backgrounder blitz we would like to give away two of my FAV backgrounders - yep that's right. All you need to do is leave me a comment below telling me which backgrounder is YOUR FAVORITE! You have until Tuesday morning to leave your comment - at that time we will do the Random Number Generator thingy and select two names from the comments section.

The first number drawn will receive the Lined Paper backgrounder and the second number will receive Grid Paper.

For yet another FABULOUS technique you must head over to the CHF Forum and read Mona Lisa's Distress Ink Burnt Edge it is WAY cool. They also are running some of the most fun challenge's - like the one I posted above.

Have a wonderful weekend! I'm going to give it my best effort to play along with the Backgrounder Blitz challenges - I have been missing creating!!! So check back in soon if you get the chance Ü

Stamp of the Month, March

OMGoodness - I can not believe it is March!!! AND I can not believe that Easter is in March - March 23rd to be exact! Can you ever remember Easter coming so early??? In thinking about what would be appropriate for this month's Stamp of the Month, spring fever hit me. I am SO very ready for sunshine, warmth and pretty colors outside! Being those colors are not yet here I just had to use bright cheery colors in this month's creations. Lockhart's Dottie Bunny has hit a soft spot in my heart. I don't know if it is the folksy, cute factor or the little polka dots - LOL!

One of the things that I heard from you is that you enjoyed the simplicity of some of the projects I have created recently. So I took my lead from that and created TWO easy projects for you to replicate using this month's Stamp of the Month packet.

The new collection of Memory Box decorative papers, Sprout, has some of the most wonderful images to use as backgrounds with rubber stamps. I love the scale, diversity and color range within each collection! I began with the Dottie Bunny and selected a very simple tone on tone portion of the floral background to stamp the bunny on. I then colored in the circles with my E27, Africano, Copic Marker. Cutting out the bunny is so very simple and allows you to add depth to your project.

Next I selected a patterned paper that would make a wonderful scenic background and selected "just the right" piece of that pattern to cut out my backdrop. I did use my largest rectangle Nestability to cut and emboss this layer, but you can also just cut a rectangle if you do not own the Nestabilities.

I would like to share the following tip when you work with background papers. If the color of the image on your background paper is not exactly what you want, then simply adjust the color with Prismacolor color pencils or Copic markers. In this case I used Chocolate Prismacolor color pencil to add a little more of the correct brown tone to the leaves - this really helped aid in bringing the entire card together and added a little more texture to the area I wanted the eye to focus on. Place this decorative paper on top of the Vanilla Bean cardstock and punch your holes. I then added adhesive to the back side of this element, but did not place it in position until I had threaded my ribbon. Once your ribbon is threaded you can then affix this element and tie the knot.

Another tip I would like to share is in regards to placing your punch for the holes. Look carefully at the picture below and you will notice two little Sharpie Marker lines on my punch. They are hard to see so I put white arrows indicating their placement. This ensures that I reach in the same distance each time I punch. You can also use your Crop-a-dile to do this, but if you don't own one this is the next best thing Ü

To complete this card I added some brads to help bring balance and interest and placed my bunny to jump over the bushes.

This month I just couldn't stop with one card though - LOL! The next idea hit me like a rocket and I just had to share it with everyone as well. It all began this time with the egg. I purchased an egg shaped McGill punch last year right before Easter - did I use it? NO! What a shame - so I pulled out the punch and created the egg. What could be more odd, yet cute, than a bunny jumping out of that egg? Ü

I will include a copy of this egg, hand-drawn, in this month's packet for those who don't have the punch or who don't feel comfortable drawing a cracked open egg. You will then be able to trace the version that I created.

The next adventure I will share is how to create the tag. Being that I didn't have the exact sentiment I wanted, in the exact size I wanted, I decided to create my own. I selected to use a whimsical font call Witchcraft - OK, so I really don't like the name, but I love the font - LOL! The key to getting precise placement is quite simple. First, print out the font on a regular sheet of typing paper. Next cut out your tag and holding it up to a light source affix it to your typing paper precisely over the printed area, centering as need. I typically use a permanent adhesive being that when I pull it off the typing paper it is the typing paper that will tear and not your decorative cardstock, but I have also used temporary adhesive and it seems to have held quite nicely. Then just reprint by sending that typing paper back through your printer a second time. Voila - you will have a precisely printed label. Filling in the letters with some additional color brought the lettering out a little more. I felt that the striped paper had the appearance of grass and so selected it for this label. The holes on the label were just a little too large for the brads so I punched a little 1/4" circle out of coordinating cardstock and affixed it to the label. Then the brad fit nicely to hold the label in place.

Last but not least I added some texture to the background using the wonderful CHF Paisley backgrounder inked in a coordinating pink (I believe I used Stampin' Up!s Pretty in Pink or perhaps it was Adirondack Shell Pink - I forgot to write it down and now my memory is failing me - arrgh). Prepped the coordinating stripe, egg top edge and bunny tail with 2-way glue and blinged it with this awesome Iridescent Glitter.

So get hoppin' girls - you don't have much time this year to get those Easter greetings prepared and sent!

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!

Backgrounders - what makes them special?

It was with great interest that I learned the story of Cornish Heritage Farms (CHF) and the details regarding their backgrounders. My little discovery in backgrounder history started about a year ago. It has been an absolute privilege and delight to be able to work with and get to know Richard and Liz Pomeroy, the owners of this family owned business, over this past year. I am VERY much looking forward to meeting them at CHA in a couple of days! I hope that you enjoy the tale of the road to backgrounder discovery that I have followed.

I fell in love with background stamps as a Stampin' Up! demonstrator. It was one of my passions to "collect" background stamps and use them to create distinctive papers and looks. I do believe that I owned almost every Stampin' Up! background available - LOL! One of the details that intrigued me greatly was the discovery that SonLight Impressions was the manufacturer of the first background stamps that Stampin' Up! carried. When Stampin' Up! grew they decided to open their own plant and manufacture their own backgrounds. DId you already know this? It was one of those "duh" moments for me - no wonder I loved the CHF backgrounders! Backgrounders were actually "the" first backgrounds created - LOL!

CHF purchased SonLight Impressions in 2005 and they have strived to provide their customers with well-made, high quality products at fantastic prices and with great service. There are little details that we as consumers don't really pay much attention to, but it is this attention to detail that makes a deep-etched red rubber stamp completely distinct from acrylic stamps or lesser quality rubber stamps.

So what makes this difference? It all begins with a metal master plate which is usually made by an engraving company. This is typically done with a chemical etching process - the deeper the etching the higher the rubber image will stand up away from it's background. This is where the "deep etched" part comes in to play. It costs more to make a deep etched master plate, but the difference truly shows in the detail. Cornish Heritage Farms uses this deep etch process to create their stamps.

Then the metal plate is used to make a matrix board. This is a negative plate of your images. There are different materials used to make these matrix boards - some withstand a little pressure and others withstand a lot. Well, CHF wants their images to stamp with precise detail and therefore they use the materials that will withstand a lot of pressure.

The rubber comes on big rolls. Guess what - there are different types of rubber. The denser the rubber, the better your stamped image detail will be. This of course costs more as well, but CHF continues with their pride in quality by selecting the densest rubber available. This rubber is cut to fit the plate size and put into a vulcanizer with the matrix board which has the stamp images impressed into it. Heat and pressure are applied. The greater the pressure, the greater the certainty that the rubber will get squeezed into each and every crevice of the matrix plate.

Therein lies the beauty of a red, rubber stamp - detail. Detail that will not be lost or damaged when the stamp is inked repeatedly or heat is applied for special background techniques.

I believe that Cornish Heritage Farms has achieved their mission and so it has been with great delight that I accepted their invitation to be a part of educating, selling and using backgrounders on a daily basis. Their new designs continue to be innovative and current - I am thrilled to be able to work with CHF!

Yesterday I shared the first of my new Lockhart image designs - today I wanted to share another new design and a different way to use your background stamps.

I began by coloring the image of the Leaves Backgrounder with Lyra Watercolor Crayons. Stampin' Up!s Watercolor Wonder Crayons are the exact same and I believe that Lyra probably makes them for Stampin' Up!

I then use a Mini Mister filled with water to lightly spritz the surface. The fine mist from this spritzer seems to be perfect for use in creating special effects when stamping. Next I placed my cardstock face down on to the colored stamp and rubbed my hand evenly over the entire surface. The look that results reminds me a little of those tie-dyed/marbled Easter eggs that Katrina likes Ü

This is where I decided to try something a little different - I wasn't certain if it would turn out, but I thought I will never know if I don't just try it. The jury was definitely still out once I had stamped the image, but after watercoloring in the cute little carrots and composing my card - I think I like it!

It is difficult to see in this photo, but the image from the background stamp is ever so light in behind the colored in pattern of the carrots. It really is ubber-cool in person!

Once again I selected an idea from Dave's book when composing this card - this one is from page 43. So many of you have purchased this wonderful book and I really want to help you put it to good use - thus the page references for you to be able to see his original idea and the twist I have used with his design. I am hoping to encourage you to begin looking at ideas you see in a new way.

Below is another sketch for you to try. Each of the little circles represents an embellishment, with the focal point layer separated by a small "gap".   

OK - so what is with the bright red lines on this sketch? I wanted to share with you how it is that I select the positioning of my focal point when designing a new layout. Many times I use the rule of thirds. Divide the project into thirds both vertically and horizontally with "X" marking the spot where you are trying to lead the viewer's eye. This is the approximate position that you should try to place your focal point image.

This will be my last creative post for a few days. I will try and find some time to log on from Anaheim. I have so many thoughts I have wanted to share with you regarding trends, what I think will be new, yada, yada, yada. Why is there just not enough time in the day (or night) to do all of these things? Here's to hoping for a few minutes here and there to bring you some of the fabulous creativity that will be my viewing pleasure over the next few days!

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

CHF Backgrounders have arrived!

You guessed it!!! I am so incredibly excited about the latest additions to our store and hope to share and educate more about this product line in the next few days. My eyes are a little googley at this point being it took a bit to enter all the pictures and data - LOL! I had hoped to create another project to share with you tonight, but it always seems to take me longer to upload data than I anticipate.

Watch for more to come in the next couple of days. I plan on sharing why it is that I elected to carry the unmounted versions of the backgrounders. I will share how it is that I use and store them. As you all know the most important things to me in the products I carry are fabulous quality, excellent value, and most importantly the ability to be truly creative with the product.

The Cornish Heritage Farm backgrounders are all of these plus much more. So stay tuned for additional information and some creative stimulation.