CHA Sneak Peek Week Day 5--The Final Peek

I am posting this Thank You card as a thanks for attending the Dreamweaver Sneak Peek Week. I hope you have had a great time. I know I have enjoyed showing off these stencils. This is what I did today. The new background stencil is LX7012 Waves and Dots and the Thank You stencil is LL3022 Festive Thank You. I ran each stencil through my Cuttlebug with the Details Embossing Mat and white cardstock. I misted the back with Isopropyl Alcohol first to loosen up the fibers and make a good impression. I left the stencil on the cardstock and used a stencil brush to quickly color it with Adirondack Pigment Ink. I then removed the stencil and covered the ink with Stampee Bonding Powder and shook it off. I heated it with my heat gun until it melted. I put clear Stampee Foil over the top of the whole thing and put it inside a folded piece of regular copy paper. Then, it all went through my laminating machine. When it was out, I quickly pulled off the foil in one movement. Then, I mounted everything and was done. The actual card is much shinier and more holographic than the picture. Don't forget, these stencils will be released at CHA next week, so if you like it, let someone at your local shop know so that they can order it. Meanwhile, check some more new ones out with the rest of the team (links on the left). Get inspired and make something Valentine's Day to link to the Dreamweaver blog. You could win one of two fabulous prizes, so get to work! I will see you next Thursday for the reveal of the new February Challenge.

Thursday Dream Schemes--Sketch Challenge

Here is this week's challenge sketch. I don't know why, but when I first saw it, I thought of the Honeycomb Stencil LJ 806. I just couldn't get that thought out of my mind, no matter how much I tried. I just couldn't figure out how I wanted to execute it. Then, I went to CHA and met a wonderful Australian lady named Julie Makela. She showed us a technique with Stampee Crafts foil that was PERFECT.

First, you emboss the image, either traditionally or with a machine. (I chose traditionally).

Then, you use pigment ink to stencil the image. (I used Adirondack in two colors of yellow).

While the ink is still wet, pour the powdered glue on it, and heat. It can't overheat, nor does it matter if it is a little undercooked at this point, so there is no pressure.

You then place the foil over the top of the image, and send it through a thermal laminator. I used the transparent color Cracked Ice and just purchased the laminator at Target for under $30.

Finally, you let the image cool a little and then pull the foil off quickly, in one fell swoop. (Think Bandaid).

This was REALLY easy, and just look at the beautiful results. Even more stunning in person, this honeycomb sparkles in holographic colors when hit by the sun.

So, then I began to think about the details. Bees were an obvious choice. I looked for the extra bees that I used on the card that I had published. (Stampers' Sampler Dec/Jan 2010-2011--shameless plug!). Not finding them (of course), I decided to recreate them. This is how I did it:

I conditioned and rolled out black polymer clay.

I used bee stamp (by the now defunct Cornish Heritage Farms), to press the design into the clay.

I cut around the bee with a craft knife.

I rubbed a little Moonstone Metallic FX onto the wings with my finger.

Then, I baked the bees according to the polymer clay instructions.

After the clay cooled, I glued yellow flock into the stripes using Art Institute Glue and added Purple Stickles to the eyes.

Then, it was time for assembly. I used My Mind's Eye paper, dark teal cardstock, and a stamp by Cornish Heritage Farms. I attached the bees with Glue Dots.

I was very happy with this card, which I promptly gave to my aunt--whose husband keeps bees!

Happy Valentine's Day--Virtual Valentine's Day Blog Hop!

Hello, everyone. Today is an addition to our regularly scheduled Dream Scheme Thursday. Dreamweaver, and many other wonderful companies, are sponsors for a Virtual Valentine's Blog Hop. The hop is being organized by Taylor Usry. Her blog is http://taylorusry.blogspot.com/ . There are tons of people in this hop, including Dreamweaver Stencils and my Dream Team sisters Wendy, Kristi, Terrece, Louise and Pam. Taylor's blog should have ALL the links. The more you comment, the more chances you have to win--so warm up that keyboard.

ALSO, as a special BONUS: Lynell of Dreamweaver Stencils says that she will select 3 new followers of ANY Dream Team Member Blogs to receive a free stencil. So, if you have been considering following one of our blogs, now is the time to sign up.

Anyway, here is today's Valentine's offering:

So, kind of surprising, huh? I have been posting every color of red and pink Valentine card for weeks, and now, on the actual day--green, blue and purple? There is a story behind this. Believe me.
I met this wonderful Australian woman at CHA, Julie Makela, who was demonstrating Dreamweaver stencils using an interesting foil product from Stampee Crafts. The process is as follows: emboss the cardstock traditionally or through a machine, stencil using pigment ink, pour their powdered glue on the wet pigment ink and heat, cover with foil (it doesn't matter if the glue cools first), send through a thermal laminator (cheaper than you think) and let the foil cool a little before pulling quickly off of the project. Well, this foil is so beautiful, that I just HAD to try it. It was easier than I thought and completely addicting! The pear, LL 563,was simple to emboss, and the stencilling sponges I could find were already loaded with green, blue and purple--so, I made green, blue and purple pears. They were so pretty, that I took a couple home.

These were done with the clear cracked ice (the green, left hand pear) and the clear water (right hand side pear). I included both of these detail pictures so that you might be able to determine the shiny texture. That cracked ice really turned out nice in the pictures, but the water is easily as lovely in person. They both catch the light just beautifully.

So, when the challenge came up, I must admit that I wanted to use these pears. I thought about it for quite awhile, before I remembered my friend's wedding, where she used the phrase "A Perfect Pear". Of course, I altered it a little. The phrase was printed from my computer. Be My Valentine LM 276, and the brand new Large Damask were both pasted with Pearlescent Paste and glittered with Art Institute Sea Shell Glitter. (Sea Shell is a transparent white glitter that "flashes" with pink and green--it reminds me of a crushed opal). Then, I just adhered everything and, viola, a green, blue and purple Valentine!

Comment for a chance to win-one entry per blog-and don't forget to go back to Taylor's blog at http://taylorusry.blogspot.com/ for more links!