My First Post on the New Dreamweaver Team!

Welcome to a new year with Dreamweaver Stencils!  I am proud to say that I am carrying over my term as a  Design Team Member for another year.  This year, the commitment requires only alternate week posts, so I may not be posting every week.  Then again, I am used to the old schedule, so I might continue to post weekly......
Anyway, this month our challenge is Mists, Drizzles and Showers.  If you can come up with a project that fits, don't forget to email a picture to Lynell@Dreamweaverstencils.com for your chance to be published on the blog and possibly win a prize!  You don't HAVE to make a card.  As an example, here is my project this week:

I got the sketch from Disneyscrappers.  It was the February challenge, and was created by Susan Stringfellow.

MATERIALS for the whole project:
Dreamweaver Stencil LJ 905 Rain
Dreamweaver Stencil LJ 908 Umbrella Background
Dreamweaver Stencil LG 737 Umbrella
Medium Blue Mercart Metal
Double Sided Mounting Paper
Stamping Details Rubber Embossing Mat
Manual Die Cut Machine (I used the Cuttlebug)
Manual Alphabet Dies (I used Lifestyle Crafts Oatmeal)
Patterned Paper (Mine was from the DCWV Old World Stack)
Card Stock
Vellum
Tim Holtz Distress Ink in Stormy Weather and Salty Ocean
Non Stick Craft Sheet
Tim Holtz Alcohol Ink in Sail Boat Blue and Pebble
Tim Holtz Ink Blender with One Felt and Two Foam Pads
Vellum Writer Pen
Xyron Machine with Permanent Adhesive
Mickey Head Punch
Sandpaper
Scissors
Adhesive

DIRECTIONS for the metal portions only:
I am only including the metal parts in the directions.  You can probably decide how to put together a scrapbook page, based on the photo and materials list.

1)  Use the manual die cut machine to add texture to the metals.  The "sandwich" for the Cuttlebug is A Plate, stencil face down, metal, rubber embossing mat and the two B Plates.  You will need to use the Rain stencil once, with the metal in the sandwich blue side down.  The Umbrella will use the metal blue side up, and the Umbrella Background will be run twice, with the blue side up.  To run the stencil twice, simply run it and scoot the metal down so that the Umbrella Background will be above the previous one.  Just make sure that the rubber embossing mat does not cover the already embossed area.  There will be a slight flat area in between, that is what the pink card stock strip is for......

2)  Cut the Double Sided Mounting Paper into a 1" strip and a 1/4" strip.  Also, use the Mickey punch on the mounting paper.

3)  Use the scissors to cut strips from the rain metal and attach to one side of the mounting paper.

4)  Attach one side of the Mickey head to the back of the rain metal.

5)  Cut the rest of the rain metal in half and attach to the mounting paper, half blue side up, half silver side up.

6)  Attach the umbrella background metal and the umbrella metal to Double Sided Mounting Paper, silver side up.

7)  Put three drops of Sail Boat Blue Alcohol Ink and two drops of Pebble Alcohol Ink on a felt pad and "pounce" the color on the umbrella and umbrella background metals.

8)  Use the scissors to cut scallops on the bottom of the 1" strip.  I cut around the raindrops.

9)  Cut several raindrops out of the extra metal on the adhesive sheets.

10)  Sand all the metal.

Assemble the page.  With the mounting paper on the back, it is easy to adhere the metal to the page!
I hope you feel inspired.  Check out the rest of this week's blogs, including our guest blogger, Alison Heikkila!  You will be glad you did.

Dream It Up!

Alison Heikkila

Laura Drahozal

Lyn Bernatovich

Pam Hornschu

Heidi Erickson

Louise Healy

Jessica Griffin

Cyndi Bundy

A Blooming Spring

Here is my Blooming Spring card for this week.  I hadn't used Crackle Paste in a long time, and I was due!  Because I was going for an antique look, I thought it would work well with the Graphic 45 French Country Collection and Distress Inks.  It was simple.  The hardest part was waiting for the paste to dry.  Here is how it goes:
MATERIALS:
Dreamweaver Stencil LL 3023 Tall Poppy
Dreamweaver Stencil Picasso LL332
Dreamweaver Matte Black Embossing Paste
Dreamweaver Crackle Embossing Paste
Dreamweaver Palette Knife
Removable Tape
3 Stencil Brushes (either Blue Handled, Gold Handled, or both)
Distress Inks in Mustard Seed, Forest Moss, Pine Needles, Barn Door, Aged Mahogany and Frayed
                       Burlap
Blending Tool
Non Stick Craft Sheet
Graphic 45 French Country Paper
Ivory Card Stock
Brown Card Stock
Ribbon

DIRECTIONS:
1)  Distress ivory card stock, if desired with Frayed Burlap Distress Ink.
2)  Use Removable Tape to tape the Poppy Stencil down over the top of the ivory card stock.  You can tape it directly to the craft sheet.
3)  Use the Palette Knife to spread the Matte Black Embossing Paste over the stencil.  You can use it as if it were a squeegee.  Touch the palette knife directly on the stencil and pull it all the way down.
4)  Remove the stencil to wash it, and set the project aside to dry.

5)  When the embossing paste is dry, put completely dry stencil over the top of it.
6)  Repeat steps 2-4 with Crackle Paste instead of Matte Black Paste.

7)  Let dry.  As it dries, it will crackle and turn opaque white.

8)  Replace stencil.  Use the stencil brushes and Distress Inks to apply color.  You can use the Picasso to help define and refine edges.
9)  Assemble the card.

Thanks for stopping by today.  Enter our monthly competition by making something that means "Blooming Spring" to you.  Send a picture to Lynell@Dreamweaverstencils.com for your chance to win!  Meanwhile, leave us, the "old" design team, a little bit of love.  It is our last week as a team, so check us out!

Graphic 45 Design Team 2013 Audition

 Here it is, my Graphic 45 Design Team Audition.  My first piece is a two page layout featuring the beautiful Place in Time Collection.

My next piece is a Nutcracker Suite candy plate.  It was featured on the G45 blog last October as part of a cross promotion with Connie Crystal.  At that time, I posted an abbreviated photo tutorial as well.

Next, I have a Fairy Wreath.  It features the Once Upon a Springtime Collection and stamps as well as some stamps from another company.  I made 3D features by stacking fussy cut paper flowers and adhering them to each other with wire and crystals.

A slightly older piece is this rehabbed frame that I purchased from a thrift shop.  I used the By the Sea collection.  I scanned and traced the seahorse from one of the papers in the collection using my Silhouette Machine.

An even older piece (proving that I have been a fan for awhile) is this recipe box.  It uses one of the older Christmas collections.  I was particularly proud of this piece because it was the subject of a highly successful class that I created and taught at the scrapbook store where I used to work.

Although most of my projects are more complicated, I do enjoy making the occasional card, like this one from the Botanica Bella Collection.

And here is a Graphic 45 Staples Box that I decorated with Steampunk Debutante and the Circus Collection.  This was created for an Art Glitter Graphic 45 cross promotion.

Finally (and I know this makes eight), I have a recent scrapbook page that I created using Bird Song.

I hope you enjoyed my audition pieces.  I would just be so honored if I could make the team.  Wish me luck!

A Fan Embellishment

This week, I will be using the "Blooming Spring" theme to bring you a scrapbook embellishment--the flowery fan.  It is so easy to do with stencils.  Let me show you how.

First, flip over stencil LG 644 Cherry Blossoms on a piece of paper towel.  Then, spray it with any of your scrapbook sprays.  I used Creative Imaginations Radiant Rain.  You could even spray a couple of different colors.
Then, place the stencil and paper towel on the base of your manual die cut machine.  Add a piece of white card stock on top of the sprayed stencil.  Follow it with the Stamping Details Rubber Embossing Mat and cover it with the cutting mats for your die cut machine.  I used my Cuttlebug, and the sandwich is: A Plate, paper towel, stencil (spray side up), white card stock, Stamping Details mat, and two B Plates.  Run it through the machine and set aside.

Run a piece of plain card stock through the machine with the LJ 903 Large Open Fan Stencil and the same sandwich you used before (minus the paper towel).  Leave the stencil attached, and use a stencil brush and pigment or distress ink to add a little color to the blades.

Remove the stencil, and place it on the cherry blossom imprinted card stock.  Center it until the fan falls where you like it, and then send it through the machine.

Remove the stencil and card stock from the machine and flip it over.  Use an Embossing Tool to run around the edges of the fan and enhance them a little.  (This step is not entirely necessary, but it does make the cutting easier.

Cut around the embossed fan area.

Adhere to the embossed white card stock and then cut out that fan as well and you are done.  I added letters for a title with a die cut font that I had.  (By the way, I used some of the extra embossed card stock to punch out the Mickey Ears on the bottom of the page.)

I hope you had fun learning how EASY this is to do!  You could make anything.  Speaking of possibilities, try playing alone with our challenge to win some stencils for yourself.  Just make something "Blooming" and send a photograph to Lynell@Dreamweaverstencils.com and you could win!
In a major announcement, Dreamweaver has selected a new design team.  I am thrilled to say that I am back on.  Check out the Dream It Up blog to see everyone.

Simple Sunflowers

Today's card is a simple one.  That is right--a SIMPLE card.  I used only one stencil--LJ 902 Black Eyed Susan.   I also used the very versatile Matte Paste.  Did you know that it takes paste very well?  Here is how it was done:

 1)  Tape the Stencil LJ 902 Black Eyed Susan with Removable Tape over some slightly printed blue paper.  Make sure that you tape it all the way around.
2)  Use the LM 2010 Paste Spreader to pull Matte Yellow Embossing Paste over the stencil.
3)  Remove the stencil and let dry.
4)  Put glue over the top of the stems and leaves.
5)  Let glue dry until it is tacky.  Then, push green flocking over the top of the glue.  Let dry completely.
6)  Brush off flock.
7)  Place glue through the centers of the flowers and attach brown seed beads.
8)  Use a craft knife to cut on both sides of one of the flowers.
9)  Thread raffia through the flower, tie, and make a bow.

That is it!  Simple, indeed.  It even falls under this month's challenge--A Blooming Spring.  If you make anything that fits this challenge, photograph it and send it to Lynell@Dreamweaverstencils.com.  You could win this month's prize! Give it a try.

A Blooming Spring

This month, we introduce a new theme--A Blooming Spring....So, flowers, right?  This one was fairly simple.  I used two different stencils, LM 2011 Poppy Circle and LS 1010 Small Happy Birthday. I taped them down with Removable Tape. Then, I used the DPK Palette Knife to spread the Gold Embossing Paste onto black card stock.  I removed the stencils and then sprinkled Metallic FX in Kiwi, Ivy Garden, and Eye of the Tiger randomly across the paste and let it dry.  Then, a Swiffer refill was used to remove any excess powder.  A little golden card stock, Graphic 45 paper, gold ribbon and a black card, and I was done!
You should take part in the "Blooming Spring" competition!  Just make a flowery card and send a digital picture to Lynell@dreamweaverstencils.com.  You could win!

Art Glitter St. Patrick's Day Wreath

Today, I present a glittering St. Patrick's Day wreath.  If you want to see how it was made, complete with a photo tutorial, check out the Art Glitter Blog here.  In the meantime, Happy Saint Patrick's Day!