Alice's Mushrooms and a Summer Fun Challenge

Okay, I confess.  I started this project months ago at the Winter CHA.  I was playing around with some of the Stampee Foils and wasn't paying any attention to the placement and colors that I used.  When I was finished, I declared them to be "Alice in Wonderland mushrooms", and I really liked them.  So I took them home.  When this "Summer Fun" challenge came up, it seemed like a perfect fit.  Here is the card I made.

The process is very simple.  First, I soaped up the back of the Dreamweaver Stencil LL 3025 Mushrooms.  I used the Handmade Hawaiian Soap because it was easy to cover the stencil with it.  I brushed off any soap "chads" that were hanging from the stencil.  Then, I placed the stencil soap side down onto a piece of Double Sided Mounting Paper that was about an inch larger than my stencil in each direction.  Then, the color fun started.  I used various colors of Stampee Foils on the project.  I placed them dull side down onto the adhesive.  Then, I rubbed them with my finger.  I ran the small side of a Double Ended Embossing Tool around all the edges.  The variance in color is created by layering the foils.  You only use one at a time, but you can place another over the same area after you remove the first one.  Everywhere that the foil did not stick to the adhesive, the new color will.  You can use the foil until all of the color is gone and only the clear backing remains.  In fact, you can create gorgeous blended colors by using the small remnants of color off of used foil.  You can create this look with new foil by crinkling it up before you use it.  Usually after I get the foil on, I coat everything with colored glitter or flock to get into all the grooves that the foil misses.  This time, I didn't have any handy, so I just peeled the backing off of the stencil and hoped for the best.  Then, I covered the whole thing with transparent glitter. 
After several months at the bottom of my "remnants" bin, I discovered the mushrooms a little scratched up.  I thought I couldn't use it until I came up with a new idea.  I used a little Art Institute Designer Dries Clear to create spots all over the mushrooms.  I let the glue dry until it was just clear and tacky.  Then, I covered it with Gold Stampee Foil and rubbed down.  It covered the scrapes and created a whimsical pattern. 
So, as I mentioned, it is Summer Fun month at Dreamweaver Stencils.  You could win a brand new (not yet released) stencil if you play along.  It is so new, in fact, that I can only show you a portion.

Trust me, it is gorgeous and you want to win it!  All you have to do is create a Summer Fun project (preferrably with Dreamweaver Stencils) and photograph it.  Then, either email it to Lynell at Dreamweaver Stencils or put it online and link it to the Dreamweaver Stencils Blog.  It is as simple as that.  Looking for more inspiration?  Check out the links on the left of this page.  Get inspired!  I will see you next week. 

CHA Sneak Peek Week Day 2

It is the second day of the CHA Sneak Peek Week, so here is a little more of what we have coming. This post features two stencils: the flower is a rerelease of LM 219 Plum Blossom Shape and the gorgeous LJ 919 Art Nouveau Flourish (Art Nouveau again--see the theme with me?). I used a slightly mottled green background paper. I pasted the flourish with Glossy Green Embossing Paste. Then, while it was still wet, I sprinkled Art Glitter in two different shades of transparent green over the top. The lighter green is on the right. As I let that dry, I used my embossing stylus to hand emboss some multishaded pink vellum. There really aren't very many lines to emboss and of course, vellum is transparent, so it was extremely easy to do. I just love the way that vellum embosses because it creates a completely different color when embossed. I stuck it on with a couple of small Glue Dots. Then, I added a brad in the center. That's it. Another simple card. Take a look at everyone's blogs (listed on the left) and if you see something you like, let your local scrapbook store owner know so that they can order it at CHA. In the meantime, make a little something that says "Valentine's Day" to you and link it to the Dreamweaver Blog. It could win one of two fabulous prizes this month. Give it a try--what do you have to lose?

Thursday Dream Schemes--Free Week

For this week's free challenge, I decided to use this card that I recently sent to Lynell. We were given these two Kanji character stencils. They are both the same symbols, but in two different sizes. They mean hope. I have used the smaller of the two a couple of weeks ago with the red maple stencil. In this card, I am using both of them, LL3018 and LS1008, the fan LJ903 and the ginger jar, LG 626. I also use a few different techniques. I am going to break them down into steps:
THE GINGER JAR:
1) Use regular paste on black cardstock with ginger jar.
2) When the paste dries, replace the stencil and use a large stencil brush and Weathered Wood Distress Inks to create shading.
3) Place the Large Hope Stencil over the jar and use a stencil brush and Cranberry Adirondack Pigment Inks to stencil.
4) When all is dry, replace the jar stencil and lightly dab with Versamark. Toss clear embossing powder over the top and heat it.
RED FAN:
1) Use red cardstock and a dry embossing stylus to create the outline shape of the fan. Don't worry too much about accuracy on the bottom, as this won't show.
BLACK FAN:
1) Using the Mercart Teflon tool and black covered aluminum, emboss the outline of the fan, including the blades on the bottom. Emboss from the back.
2) Remove the stencil. "Poof" out the fan from the back using the largest Mercart ball tool you have.
3) Place the small Kanji figure on the fan and lightly tape with removable tape. Emboss with the teflon tool from the back.
4) Flip the fan over. Working from the front, place a ruler to attach the blades from the bottom to the raised parts on the top of the fan. Very LIGHTLY draw a line along the ruler. Avoid the section with the raised figure.
5) Use Mercart filler in the back of the fan.
6) When filler is dry, sand on black side of the aluminum. Trim around edge.

I think at this point, that you can assemble the card. I hope I have been able to inspire you to use these stencils or this technique to make a creation of your own. Go check out the blogs of the other Dreamweaver Team members. Leave a comment, get inspired, and link your creations to the Dreamweaver Blog. Come back again next week and check out the sketch challenge. See you then!