Dreamweaver Color Challenge--Purple and Yellow

This week's challenge is purple and yellow. I actually chose it for the team, because I really love complementary color combinations. Green and red seemed to Christmas-y, and blue and orange were already taken. I like purple and yellow anyway, because they are cheery colors. Here is my take.

I used two stencils on this one: the fan is Large Open Fan LJ 903 and the flowers are Cherry Blossoms, LG 644.

First, I "sludge" stencilled the fan on purple by putting regular matte white paste and yellow matte paste on my spreader and using them together. When this was almost dry, I noticed that there was a divet in the stencilled area. I also noticed that the yellow color had really overtaken the white, and that I had missed a spot on the bottom of the fan. The paper was wavy as well. I loaded my spreader with just white paste and spread it over again. It was then that I had my "happy accident". Because of the wave in the paper, the new paste skipped over the surface. It made a stripey color that I really liked, and a stucco type texture that I also appreciated.

While the fan dried, I used Sunshine Yellow Adirondack ink with a stencil brush on the background. I moved the stencil a couple of times to completely fill the background with the cherry blossoms. After the fan was totally dry, I repaced the stencil and used the yellow pigment ink on the blades. I then used opaque Sand Zig Embossing Powder on them and heated it. The stencil went back on one final time. I covered it with the cherry blossom stencil and used my stencil brush with Eggplant Adirondack Pigment Ink to color them purple. While they were still wet, I used Stampendous Purple Amethyst Pearlescent Embossing Powder and heated it. The color actually is purple, it just looks a little dark in this scan. Finally, I assembled the card.

I hope that the purple and yellow challenge has inspired you to create with stencils. If you want more inspiration, check out the other members of the team (links on the left side). Then, create something using our color choice and yet remarkably, wonderfully you. Post it and link it to the Dreamweaver blog. Enjoy, create, appreciate and share. Have great fun with your card, have a fantastic week, and stop by again soon. I will be participating in a July Fourth Blog Hop, which is actually on the 2nd. I am hoping you stop and hop.

Dreamweaver Fathers' Day Sketch Challenge

This is sketch week at Dreamweaver. Fathers' Day is right around the corner, too, so we decided to combine it with a Fathers' Day Challenge. Here is the sketch we used.......


......and here is my interpretation.


As you can see, I moved the sentiment, added a couple of things, and kept the background as one solid piece. If you look carefully, you can see that I also didn't exactly make it a "Fathers' Day" card, but more of a general masculine card. Why, you may wonder? Well, for one thing, I think that it is difficult to find a masculine card. This one can be used for anything from Fathers' Day, to congratulations, to a birthday. I went for the more flexible card. That is the pat answer I would give. Truth be told, though, I really like the fishing themed stencil LG 726, and my father DOESN'T fish. At all. So, I decided to make a card that I could use for any of my fishing inclined friends. The phrase is from LG 704, Birthday Words. I used LM 2003 as a focal piece because the scale fit with the idea of a circle in the center of the card. The pieces on LG 726 worked better for a rectangular vertical card.
So, on to how it was made. First, I pasted the lure LM 2003 on brown with the metallic silver paste. Then, I used the same brown cardstock and pasted LG 726 with the original, white paste. I made two extra of the fish, because I knew I wanted to have three. I selected the phrase I wanted from LG 704, and masked out the rest of the words with removable tape, pasting only the "It's Your Day" phrase.
When the paste was dry, I replaced the stencil and colored the basket with a combination of Distress Inks in Tea Dye, Vintage Photo and Walnut Stain, and Adirondack Pigment Ink in Butterscotch. I dried them with my heat tool before using my Versamarker and Zing Metallic Green Embossing powder on the straps.
I did the fishing pole in much the same way, coloring the handle with Burgundy Distress Ink and clear embossing powder. The rod was done with Zing Embossing Powder in Sand. The reel was with Stampendous Metallic Silver Embossing Powder. One of the things I love so much about this original paste is the way that it takes EVERYTHING from embossing powder, to ink, to glue.
The lure in the center was also done with embossing powders--it used Stampendous Amethyst Metallic, and a really old red powder by Commotion. Then, I used Zig pen glue and added Stampendous Flock in red and purple. The glue does not stick quite as well to the metallic paste (remember, this one was silver), so I have some patchy parts. I am fine with this, but wanted you to know it is no fault of the flock--which will be as thick and plush as you put it on.
Finally, the fish. This was the part that I was really looking forward to. I used Art Glitter Designer Dries Clear on the fish and glittered them. The silver is the Microfine, making the little "scale shine" that I had been expecting. I used Canadian Blue on the eyes and for some spots on one fish. Then, I used Pink Smoothie and Blue Boy to add a little color. I only wanted a little color, which is why I chose those specific glitters--they are transparent, and very subtle. By the way, I guess now would be a good time to mention that I am guest blogging for Art Glitter over the summer. My first post is here: http://artglitterblog.blogspot.com/2011/06/hologram-glitter-butterfies-t-shirt-by.html#comments.
So, back to the card. I cut everything out and used the TPC Reel Me In collection for the background papers. I popped up the lure, parts of the fish and the phrase. This image, complete with midday shadows, should give you an idea of how they were raised:


Now that you have seen my card, continue on and check out the rest of the cards on the Dreamweaver Design Team list. Get inspired, make your own, and maybe even link it to the Dreamweaver Blog. You can find it here: http://www.dreamweaverstencils.blogspot.com/
Come on, have a little fun! Play along with us.

Thursday Dream Schemes--Free Week

Here it is, finally. This is the turquoise/brown/kraft/neutral card I was initially going to post on January 27th. It is a recreation of the one I made for Lynell. This one is not for the faint of heart.

First off, the easy stuff. The background is a fabulous new raindrop background stencil that I did in the double glitter technique. I used two shades of turquoise that were very close, so the effect is very subtle.

Now, the details. I used the original white paste on the new owl stencil. I did it twice. On one, I used a Versamark pen on top of the dried paste with various colored embossing powders. When I reached the owl's back, I raked an Exacto knife through the hot embossing powder to create the feathered look. This really worked well, because the Opaque Zing powder that I used actually has two slightly different colored layers.

I used flock in the white parts of his stomach with the Zig Glue Pen. I did the same thing with brown on the other pasting.

Once finished with all the details, I cut them out and pasted them on the other paper. It created a nice 3D effect.

When I assembled the card, I popped the owl up a little, to show off all of his details.