Dreaming of the Tropics

The Dreamweaver challenge for the month of February is "February Flutters", meaning anything that flutters. Heart flutters, wings that flutter, breezes, sails, etc. Link your creations to the Dream It Up! blog for a chance to win the stencil of your choice. 
As for myself, I live in Southeast Michigan, where it is the 3rd snowiest year on record so far.  There are mountains of snow on the edges of parking lots and driveways.  We have also struggled with the "Polar Vortex", which has caused extremely low temperatures.  Yet today, the temperature broke above freezing, for the first time in a LONG time.  Spring began to tease us a little.  It had me dreaming of warmth, of summer, and the tropics, which made me think of this simple little card.

Simple, you wonder?  Why, yes it is.  I pasted the Toucan Stencil LG 752 on white card stock (apparently I did this backwards) and the Jungle Leaves Stencil LJ 825 on white card stock.  I used Matte Black Embossing Paste DMBP on both.  Of course, my pasting supplies included the Paste Spreader LM 2010 and the Removable Tape.  I missed a little spot on the bottom left but, in the end, I thought that it added character.

When the paste was dry, I placed the clean stencil over the top of the pasted area and "painted" with Metallic FX Mica Powders.  I used Goldfinch FX05 on the beak and feet, Kimono Red FX15 on the flower and head, Moonstone FX04 on the neck and belly, Cocoa FX18 on the branches and a combination of Kiwi FX10 and Ivy Garden FX11 on the greenery.  I prefer to apply the colors with my fingers.  I think they go on a little more intensely and I don't mind getting a little messy.  If that bothers you, you can easily apply the colors with a stencil brush or even a cotton swab.  The amazing thing is when you use the matte colored paste, the Mica Powders stay on!  The last step is to add a little black rhinestone to the eyes and assemble the card.

Take a look at the way it shimmers when I hold it sideways:

I hope you liked dreaming of tropical climes with me today.  I heard we will be experiencing another "Polar Vortex" again next week......

I would love it if you could leave me a comment.  Check out the other "A" Team players this week when you get the chance: 

Dream It Up!

Laura Drahozal

Lyn Bernatovich

Pam Hornschu

Heidi Erickson

Louise Healy  

Cyndi Bundy

February Flutters

Are you ready for the new Dreamweaver challenge for the month of February? It will be a short month of posts for the Dream Team, but we're pretty excited to share with you our versions of "February Flutters", meaning anything that flutters. Heart flutters, wings that flutter, breezes, sails, etc. So, come along for the ride and link your own "flutterings" to the Dream It Up! blog for a chance to win the stencil of your choice. Meanwhile, here's my "fluttering" for the week:

Here is how it was done:

MATERIALS:

Stencil LX 7025 Crusade Bkgd

Stencil LL 3037 Zen Butterfly

Stencil LM 150 Happy Birthday

Stamping Details Rubber Embossing Mat

AC07 Gold Coated Mercart Metal

AC08 Medium Blue Coated Mercart Metal

Mercart Teflon Tool (in basic kit)

ACB6 Mercart Cup and Ball Tool

MercartUSA Filling Paste

Color Solutions Alcohol Ink in Blue Velvet

Color Solutions Alcohol Ink in Sugar Plum

Color Solutions Alcohol Ink in Black Beauty

A Piece of Suede to Work On

May Arts Ribbon

Sanding Block or Sand Paper

Cotton Swab

Card Sock

Adhesive

Manual Die Cut Machine with Cutting Mats

DIRECTIONS:

1)  Run the gold coated aluminum through your manual die cut machine with the background stencil and the rubber embossing mat.  The "sandwich" for the Cuttlebug is A Plate, stencil (face UP), metal (face UP), rubber embossing mat, and two B Plates.  This is technically debossed, because the metal is being pressed into the stencil.  Leave the metal on the stencil.

2)  With the metal still over the stencil, sand lightly to uncover the silver color where the stencil remains.

3)  Remove the stencil.

4)  Run the metal through the manual die cut machine again.  This time, use the butterfly stencil and place the "sandwich" this way:  A Plate, stencil  (face DOWN),  metal (gold side DOWN), rubber embossing mat and to B Plates.  This way, the metal is pushed down into the back of the stencil, as if the color is being pushed out and through.  This is embossing.

5)  Place the metal face down on the suede and use the ball tool to press the metal out and give the butterfly dimension.

6)  When the butterfly is nice and "poufy", place right side up on a hard, smooth surface.  Go around the edges of the design with the Teflon Tool and refine them.  Also make sure to use the "deerfoot" side of the tool to flatten out where the metal bent around the edges of the butterfly stencil.

7)  When you have the effect you want on the butterfly, flip it gold side down and full the cavities with the MercartUSA Filling Paste.  You just squeeze it into the holes and let it dry a couple of hours.

8)  When the butterfly is dry and hard, flip it back to the front and use a cotton swab to gently apply color to the raised area.  I used Blue Velvet and Sugar Plum on the wings and Black Beauty on the body and antennae.

9)  Run the Blue Coated Aluminum through the machine with the words.  You will be debossing, so put the stencil and the metal both face UP before you run it through.  Leave the metal on the stencil.

10)  With the metal still on the stencil, use the Teflon Tool to push the metal into the letters a little further. 

11)  Add a little Sugar Plum Color Solutions in the letters if desired.

12)  With the metal still on the stencil, vigorously sand the blue and purple off of the areas over the stencil.

13)  Remove the stencil.

14)  Assemble the card.

Be sure to leave me some encouragement before flitting over to the "A" team blogs: 

Dream It Up!
Laura Drahozal
Lyn Bernatovich
Pam Hornschu
Heidi Erickson
Louise Healy
Cyndi Bundy

Clean and Simple and NEW Stencil!

The Dreamweaver January monthly challenge, in honor of all those resolutions we hope to achieve, is "Losing the Weight...AKA Clean and Simple (CAS)". If we all try really hard to simplify our design-work without losing our creativity, we can all say at the end of the month that we've lost some weight! Maybe not off of our waistlines, but at least off of our cards! Gotta start somewhere!
Of course, CHA, the Craft and Hobby Association Convention was this past week.  I don't know about my fellow design team members, but I would definitely fall off the resolution wagon at that fun event!  For the purposes of my blog, though, I am going to continue my best efforts to be Clean and Simple.  I am also presenting one of the NEW RELEASES for Dreamweaver, and I couldn't be more excited about this beautiful heart stencil.

Yep, super simple and very clean.  I used two stencils:  the new and gorgeous LJ928 Swirly Hearts and the classic LS22 Congratulations.  The other materials that I needed were Fuschia Coated Mercart Aluminum, the Stamping Details Rubber Embossing Mat, a manual die cut machine (I used a Cuttlebug), Mercart Teflon Tool (optional, but from the Beginner Kit), sandpaper, scissors, adhesive and card stock.  How quick was it?  Well, it took me longer to write this post!  First, I ran both stencils through the die cut machine with metal and the embossing mat.  I just switched up the order.  For the heart, I put the stencil face down with the metal pink side down over it, followed by the rubber mat and the usual cutting mats.  The congratulations stencil was placed face up with the metal pink side up on top of it.  I made the word a little "crisper" by pushing the metal down against the stencil with the Teflon Tool.  I sanded it with the stencil still in place.  The stencil was removed from the metal before I sanded the heart.  Then, I simply assembled the card.  Done.  Seriously!
I would appreciate a comment if you get a chance.  Also, be sure and visit the blogs of my fellow team members, as everyone should be posting some new stencils this week (and you don't want to miss out on seeing those!)

Dream It Up! 

Laura Drahozal 
Lyn Bernatovich 
Pam Hornschu 
Heidi Erickson 
Louise Healy  
Cyndi Bundy

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a great day.

A Mosaic Moments AND 1,2,3 Get Scrappy Challenge Post!

Last week, my friend Candy suggested that I enter the Mosaic Moments January Challenge.  It was to make a mosaic project based on "The Snow Queen", by Hans Christen Anderson.  Honestly, I was at a real lack for ideas at first.  Then, as I looked through some old Disney photos, I discovered the pictures I took on the Journey Into Narnia attraction at Disney Hollywood Studios.  It was a walk through display of the various sets and props used in "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" movie.  The attraction also included a small performance by an actress portraying the White Witch.  If anyone was impacted by ice in her heart, it was this character--and so my page idea was born!

As I was assembling the page, I discovered a very interesting challenge site called 1, 2, 3 Get Scrappy!  They base their challenges on a tic tac toe board.  You chose which three items in a row you want to include in the challenge.  Pretty cool, huh?  Here is this month's challenge, #6. 

So, in total, here is what I used:

Mosaic Moments White Paper

Bo Bunny Woodland Winter Collection paper and embellishments

My Silhouette Machine with a Narnia Font that I had collected somewhere

Ultrafine Art Glitter In Crystal, Sky and Royal Wink

Art Glitter Designer Dries Clear Glue with a Metal Tip

A snow themed Scrappy Cat Clear Stamp

Hero Arts Pigment Ink

Micron Pen

Adhesive

Trimmer

Scissors

Want 2 Scrap rhinestones and clusters

Some small rhinestone snowflakes from Joann's (old stuff in my stash)

Red and Black Card Stock

Ranger Liquid Pearls in Copper (around the letters)

To support me with the Mosaic Moments Challenge, click HERE and leave a comment or a "like".

Check out the 1, 2, 3 Get Scrappy Challenge HERE.  I used the row that reads Snowflakes, Color Blue and Lots of Bling.

Wishing Lynell a Clean and Simple Happy Birthday

Did you know that we're celebrating the Queen's birthday this week? Well...the Queen of Stencils, Lynell Harlow, that is. Actually, her birthday is on Saturday, but we're surprising her by posting birthday cards in her honor today. Nothing like making you feel OLD sooner than necessary, right Lynell? You'll even see a few familiar names in our lineup, as some of the teaching team are whooping it up for her as well.

In addition to our birthday party, we are also beginning a new year and a new monthly challenge. In honor of all those resolutions we hope to achieve, our challenge is "Losing the Weight...AKA Clean and Simple (CAS)". If we all try really hard to simplify our design-work without losing our creativity, we can all say at the end of the month that we've lost some weight! Maybe not off of our waistlines, but at least off of our cards! Gotta start somewhere!

Although Clean and Simple is not my regular style, I am posting something easy.  All I did was run Medium Blue Coated Mercart Aluminum through my Cuttlebug with the Stamping Details Embossing Mat and two different stencils.  With stencil Vintage Decor LX7022, I placed the stencil face down and the metal blue side down.  With the Small Happy Birthday stencil LS1010, I place the stencil face up with the blue side up.  The embossing mat is on top of the metal in both cases.  When I removed the stencil from the machine, I pushed the metal in around the edges with my Mercart Telfon Tool.  Then, I sanded the Happy Birthday while the metal remained on the stencil.  I removed the vintage decor stencil and then sanded it.  

The background is Damask LX7001 run through the machine with white card stock and then lightly colored with the Splendor Inkpad and a Gold Handled Stencil Brush.  After that, it was simple assembly.

I hope you enjoyed Lynell's card.  Now, go check out the other birthday card posts this week, and, if you see her, don't forget to wish Lynell a great birthday!

Dream It Up!
Laura Drahozal
Lyn Bernatovich 

Pam Hornschu
Heidi Erickson
Louise Healy 
Cyndi Bundy

Lee Kellogg
Liz Martin
Terrece Siddoway
Lea Kimmel

Cherylynn Moser 

Kristi Parker Van Doren

 

A Quick Candle Decoration

 Welcome to "Holidays in a Hurry"....of course, I did something a little different, but it could easily be used for a holiday gift.  I was actually thinking about all of those special events in the new year--weddings, anniversaries and parties.  This technique is super easy and would be a perfect party decoration.

MATERIALS:
Dreamweaver Stencil LL540 Heartweave
Mercart Metal in Black Coated Aluminum
Stamping Details Rubber Embossing Mat
Manual Die Cut Machine
Sandpaper
Scissors
Heat Tool
Candle
Pencil
Waxed Paper

DIRECTIONS:
1)  Run the stencil through the die cut machine with the aluminum and the embossing mat.  The Cuttlebug sandwich is Plate A, stencil face down, metal with the black side down, rubber embossing mat and two B Plates.
2)  Sand the embossed area on the metal to reveal the silver aluminum.
3)  Trim around the image.
4)  Position on the candle.

5)  Heat the metal and the area around it with a heat gun.

6)  Hold the metal in place and push in slightly with your pencil as you heat.  You can also use it to press down any parts that might raise up.

 7)  Place the waxed paper over the top of the metal and gently push down as evenly as possible.

 That is it!  I hope you enjoyed the idea. Thanks for stopping by.  Please leave a little love and stop by the other team members to see more creative ideas for "Holidays in a Hurry."

Dream It Up! 

Laura Drahozal 
Lyn Bernatovich 
Pam Hornschu 
Heidi Erickson 
Louise Healy  
Cyndi Bundy

Dreamweaver Quick Gift Ideas

 This month's theme is Holidays in a Hurry.  My quick "gift wrap" idea is perfect for that gift card or small gift--and it is reusable year after year!  I actually got the idea for a fabric bag as wrapping from a woman who was shopping at Joann.  I just couldn't shake the idea.  Here is the very simple process that I used:

MATERIALS:
Dreamweaver Stencil LJ 917 Holiday Greetings
2 Stencil Brushes (either gold handled or blue handled)
Removable Tape
Small Canvas Bag (I got mine at Hobby Lobby, and the price tag said it was $1.50)
Tulip Soft Fabric Paint in Pearl Scarlet, Velveteen Green and Matte Tropical Green
Cardboard cut to fit inside the bag
Craft Knife
Paper Towel
Scrap Paper

DIRECTIONS:

1)  Insert the cardboard into the bag

 2)  Position the stencil over the top of the bag and tape lightly in place with Removable Tape.

3)  Place a little red paint on a plastic lid or piece of scrap paper.

4) Tap the stencil brush into the paint and rub a little off on the paper towel.

5)  Lightly stencil the color over the area that you would like to have red.  You may have to push down lightly on the stencil to make it flat with the canvas.  That is what I had to do here.  You can see how it is raised.  Be careful not to push too hard, or you may bend the stencil.

6)  Once you have finished the areas that you want red, repeat the process with the darker green.  If you overlap some of the green on the red, it just creates a little shadow.

7)  Highlight the leaves a little with the lighter color.  Then remove the stencil and let the paint dry.

 8)  Use the tip of the craft knife to scrape off any paint that may have migrated into an unwanted area.

 9)  You can also use the craft knife to replace a little of the paint in areas that you may not have gotten completely. You could use a paint brush if you prefer.  Of course, even doing these last two steps is your choice.

I hope you enjoyed my easy little project.  Stop by to check out the other blogs this week.

Dream It Up! 

Laura Drahozal 
Stacey Rumsby
Lyn Bernatovich 
Pam Hornschu 
Heidi Erickson 
Louise Healy  
Cyndi Bundy

Have a great holiday season.  I will see you next time.