Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Pink Angel



I think this new Noel Angel stamp set from Sparkle N Sprinkle is so versatile and can be used to so many occasions besides Christmas.  That's what I did here.  I didn't add a sentiment because I thought this would be a good Thinking of You or Sympathy card.

I stamped the images with VersaMark and then heat set them with Vintage embossing powder. I then colored both the angel and the flower corner pieces with Prismacolor colored pencils and fussy cut them out.

To create the glittery background, I cut a piece of Sticky paper to the size I wanted and adhered Navy glitter to the entire surface.  It makes a very sparkly background.  The frame around the angel is a die cut by Cheery Lynn Designs.  I adhered the corner pieces on top of the die cut frame for nice embellishments.

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Better at the Beach


This is a commission piece created for an anniversary card for a guy who loves the beach, old VW bugs, and Tennessee football.  I was given a few other options as well, but this is what I came up with.

inside
To start off, I inked up my background sky and sun with Distress Inks (tumbled glass, mustard seed) and tore strips of paper for my water and sand.  I added some "white caps" on the waves with my Uniball white pen.  A number of dies and stamps were used in the process.  You got to love it when a stamp and a die coordinate.  That's exactly what's going on with the large palm tree on the left.  It's from Taylored Expressions stamp set Hangin' Out at the Beach and the coordinating palm tree die.  The sentiment is one of the new Cute Cubes from Die-Versions and so is the Palm Tree Sweet Petite on the right.

The doodlebug (as we used to call them) is from another stamp set by Taylored Expressions called Feelin' Groovy.  I colored the image with Copic markers and then fussy cut it out.  Did you notice that I rolled down one of the windows so you can see the waves through it?  The "T" is the actual font of the University of Tennessee.  I downloaded the image and resized it to what I needed, creating one of those magnetized signs cheering for your favorite football team that you see around here.

I continued my sentiment on the inside with a Die-Versions font called Missy Micro and a Big Splash border from Memory Box.  I also spritzed the inside with Smooch Spritz for a subtle bit of sparkle (although it doesn't show up in the photo).

Monday, July 29, 2013

Space Family Portrait


Can you believe it's already time for a new release from Die-Versions?  The days are just whizzing by.  This release is all about Boys, Boys, Boys.


I'm debuting two of the new dies with this Space Family portrait (right now I have the Jetson's theme running through my head :-).....meet George  Jetson and his lovely wife, Jane.  His boy Elroy....)  So, seated in his comfy chair is the new Whispers Super Robot and on the left is the Sweet Petites Baby Bot.  Both of these die cuts are made from a soda can and the Die-Versions dies cut this thin metal with ease!

On the right is his "wife", Spacey, a digi image from Mayzy Arts.  She's been all dolled up with Copic markers and Spica glitter pen.  The rest of the cozy setting is a rubber stamp from CC Designs.  I've paper pieced the chair and the lamp shade and added a bit of glitter.  As you can see with the photo on the right, there is also lots of dimension.  The sentiment is a rubber stamp from Unity Stamps.  Glossy Accents was added for more shimmer.

Be sure to visit the Die-Versions Blog for more great projects using these new dies designed around boys, plus some more great Express Edges too.




Friday, July 26, 2013

Hip Hip Hooray


One of the Sweet Spots released this month from Die-Versions is "Hip Hip Hooray".  I was in a restaurant in Franklin, TN and the first thing you see when you walk in is a sign that reads "Hip Hip Hooray - the Gang's All Here".  As soon as I saw it, I knew what I wanted to do with this new Sweet Spot.


This easel card used a lot of stamps (six in total) and quite a bit of masking, but it was fun to create.  I started off by cutting the sweet spot in fabric (just to see if it would work.  I didn't have any problems but you might if there were more intricate details.)  Then I scribbled a Spica glitter pen on the letters for a bit of bling.  Next I started stamping and masking to create my scene.  All of the images were stamped with Memento Black Tuxedo and colored with Koh-I-Nor woodless pencils for a more vintage feel.


The first stamp with the three ladies sitting in front and the man in the back to the right are by River City Rubber Works.  The man and woman image in the back on the left is from I Brake for Stamps and the trees/shrubs in the very back are by Beeswax Stamps.  The large watermarked sentiment is an older background stamp by Hero Arts and the "Happy Birthday you old bird" is retired stamp from Prickley Pear.  The rest of the sentiment was die cut from the Die-Versions Mister Micro font.

Want to see more great projects from the DV Dynamos?  Then check out the Die-Versions Blog and the DV Facebook page.

Thursday, July 25, 2013

Basketball treat bag


Want a quick and easy treat bag for all the little basketball players on your team?  Die cut the new Basketball Hoop Whispers die from Die-Versions, color it with markers, and adhere it to a clear bag filled with treats.  Be sure to save the negative portions of the ball to insert back into the die cut after coloring them.  Can't get much easier than that!

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Get Well Bookmark



Swirls, one of the new stamp sets from Sparkle N Sprinkle is so versatile.  I've created a Get Well Soon bookmark using a few of Tim Holtz's techniques.

To start off, I created the background by smearing Distress Ink, Distress Paint, and Distress Stains on my craft sheet and then ran the tag through the colors.  I heat set it after I was happy with the results.  Next I stamped the flowers with Archival Ink (Sienna and Saffron).  Goosebumps Texture Spray was added to create texture and interest and a little Smooch Spritz (Vanilla Shimmer) was added for a subtle bit of sparkle.

Next I stamped the flowers again with VersaMark and heat embossed them with Black Detail embossing powder.  After fussy cutting out each of the flowers, I applied Viva Decor's Inka Gold (Cobalt Blue and Green Yellow) to the flowers.  You need to use embossing powder instead of just ink so the Inka Gold won't cover up (obliterate would be a better description) the design.  Ask me how I know :-).    Love the metallic look of these paints.

One of the things I love about fussy cutting images is that the paper naturally curls.  You can really see it in on the blue flower.  Since I wanted to keep that natural curl, I only adhered the center of the flower to the tag base.

The bookplate is part of the Sizzix (Tag and Bookplate) die I used.  I inked it up with  some metallic Distress Stains and a little Distress Ink.  The sentiment, which is part of the set, is heat embossed with Black Detail embossing powder as well.

Lastly, I coordinated the seam binding ribbon by using the same color combination as the background.  A few randomly placed pearls complete the bookmark.


Monday, July 22, 2013

Nice Threads


This past Friday my post was about seeing your dies in a whole different way.  I guess this is a continuation of seeing something other than the obvious.  Sports is the theme for this month's new release from Die-Versions and this card showcases the sleeveless Basketball Jersey Sweet Petite.  Instead of sports jerseys, they became fashion statements in the form of cute little dresses.

I happened to lay one die cut on top of another and thought it made a cute mini dress.  In order to create these clothing items, I die cut the image out of patterned papers, cut off the bottom portions of one (in different lengths) and glued it under the entire die cut of another.  The belt on the third dress is also from the same die.  I just hand cut it smaller and added a small oval (left over from the neck and the way I laid my die on the paper) as my belt buckle.

Don't forget to check out the Die-Versions Blog ans well as the DV Facebook page for more inspiring projects.

Friday, July 19, 2013

Frankie


Die-Versions new release this month is all about sports.  Can you guess which sports themed die I used to create this Halloween card?  I'll give you a hint - it's the negative portion of the die cut.

Believe it or not - it's the Basketball Hoop die!  One of the first things I do when I get a new die is to cut it out from scraps of cardstock.  It helps me in the creative process.  The first thing I thought of when I saw this negative image was Frankenstein!  I set it aside for several days, but it kept drawing me back.  So I decided to go with it and Googled images of Frankenstein.  This one with Boris Karloff was one of them.  I printed it out (a couple of times) to get the sizing right and drew in the bolts on the side of his neck.  I also tweaked his hair around the edges, filling in the white space with dark Copics.

I love being able to use my supplies in ways other than they what they were originally intended for.  This might be way out there - but I love how it turned out.  Who would have thought a sports die would become Frankenstein!  I hope this starts you looking at your dies and stamps in a whole new light.  You might be surprised what you discover.

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Chalkboard Swirls



This is one of the new stamp sets from Sparkle N Sprinkle called Swirls.  Since the Chalkboard technique is so popular right now, I wanted to try it out and thought this would be a great stamp set to use.  And since there wasn't a tutorial on how to do this in the Sparkle N Sprinkle Tips and Techniques section, I decided to make one showing how easy this technique actually is.

First off, you need to gather your supplies.  These include VersaMark ink pad, Staz On Cotton White ink pad, VersaMarker, White Detail embossing powder, the Swirls stamp set (or stamp set of your choice), acrylic block, a ruler, and black (or dark colored) cardstock.

I attached the cling stamps to my acrylic block together so I would have the arrangement that I liked and so that it would make the inking step easier.  You can see this in the photo on the right.

Now you're ready to begin.  Start off by inking both stamps with VersaMark and cover with White Detail embossing powder.  Heat set.

It should look like the photo on the right after heat setting.  This is one of the few techniques that you don't need to worry about stray flakes of embossing powder on your background.  It just adds more interest to the final piece.

Next, take your ruler and VersaMarker and draw lines around the edges of the cardstock. Add White Detail embossing powder and heat set.

Once this has been heat set, you're ready to add the shadow (or chalk outline).  Ink up the stamps again with Staz On Cotton White.  Stamp on top of, but slightly offset, the embossed images.

You can see where I offset the stamps slightly up and to the right of the embossed images.



This gives you the chalky appearance of a chalkboard.  To enhance this illusion, take your finger and smudge white ink onto the card in a couple places.


Now you are ready to finish your card.  I die cut the MFT party banner and embossed Sparkle embossing powder all over.  No matter how many times I tried to get the sparkly effect to show in a photo, I couldn't.  You'll have to trust me that it looks really sparkly and cool in person.  It's iridescent and takes on the color of your background.  I also stamped the small hearts from the Love Fairy stamp set with Cotton White and did 2nd generation stamping, so they were more muted.

To continue the school theme, I added ribbon on top of the banner with alphabet letters on it, the red patterned paper also has old school "learning how to write" letters on it,  and I made a couple cute little pencils.  These are so easy and fun to make.  I saw them on a blog, but I don't remember who's.  If you know, please let me know so I can give them credit.  To make these, take a rounded toothpick, cut it in half and use markers to color it like a pencil.  So easy!!  I glued them down with a touch of Glossy Accents.

Thanks for sticking with me on this long post.  Hope it inspires you to try the Chalkboard technique too.

Monday, July 15, 2013

Hockey Anyone?


The theme this month for the Die-Versions new release is Sports and today I'm showcasing the cute Hockey Stick Sweet Petites.  Who better to introduce them to you than this cute little digi image from Hambo Stamps?  He's been colored with Copic markers.

I first die cut the Hockey Sticks out of chipboard and then plain copy paper.  I colored the copy paper die cuts with Copics to resemble the hockey stick in the image and then I glued them on top of the chipboard die cuts.  This gives them lots of added dimension and makes a great embellishment at the same time.

Head on over to the Die-Versions Blog and the DV Facebook page for more great projects.

Thursday, July 11, 2013

Macho Mania


After a month off, it's time for a new blog hop from Sparkle N Sprinkle.  The theme is Girly Girls and Macho Mania.  If you've followed my blog for any length of time, you'd know this would be a no-brainer for me.  I love doing masculine cards and have a very hard time making girly cards.

I chose the Country stamp set from Sparkle N Sprinkle for my project.  (If you need any cowboy themed stamps, this set has 21 different stamps.)  
I found a piece of old parchment paper when I was cleaning and thought it would be perfect for an old western WANTED type of fell.  The paper is not smooth, so when I heat embossed it with Black Detail embossing powder, you could see some of the ridges showing through.  I loved the way that looked, giving it more of a vintage feel.  After tearing around the image, I distressed it with Distress Ink.  The four brads, which hold the silhouette in place, are covered with Amber Wheat flock.The sentiment, which is also part of the set, is heat embossed with Brown Fizz embossing powder and the two brads are also covered with Brown Fizz.  Add a bit of jute, some cowboy paper, and that completes a masculine card fit for any cowboy at heart.  Hope this inspires you to make more guy cards - they are easy to do and fun!

I'm the first stop on the blog hop this month, but you may want to visit the  SNS Blog to see the complete lineup, prizes, and rules.  Remember to leave a comment with each of us in order to win one of several prizes.   Now it's time to round 'em up and head on over to see what Karin has created for your viewing pleasure.  


Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Noel Angel


Noel Angel is another new stamp set from Sparkle N Sprinkle.  Even though the included sentiments are Christmas themed, I think the image itself can be used for a variety of occasions.

I stamped the image and sentiment in VersaMark and applied Vintage embossing powder to the image and Gold Detail to the sentiment and heat set.  I wanted her dress to have a velvet look and feel, so I added Palm Leaf flock to accomplish this.  The rest of the image is colored with Copic markers.  Eggplant glitter was added to the flowers in her hair and the sash for a touch of bling.

Lifestyle Crafts Nesting Doily Oval die was used to cut the image out and I blended the background with Distress Inks (Shaded Lilac, Antique Linen).



Monday, July 8, 2013

Nothin' But Net


The Die-Versions July New Releases are now available and the theme is Sports.  I've created a center step card using the new Basketball and Net Whispers dies as my focal point and the Jersey Sweet Petite as an embellishment.  All the papers are from Echo Park (All Star) and the awesome basketball player is a digi stamp from Dude Time Doodles (which sadly, is no longer in business as they made great "manly" images).  Copic markers were used to give everything some color.   A Little Lime Die-Versions font created my title.

Head on over to the Die-Versions Blog and our DV Facebook page to see all the new releases for July and the awesome projects created by the design team.

Friday, July 5, 2013

Seahorses


Since I'm working with the Sweet Seahorse die from Die-Versions, I wanted to create some sort of underwater scene.   If you have been following me for a while, you know that I love trying new techniques.  I know this hair gel technique has been around for a bit, but this is the first time I've tried it.  I have to admit, this interactive portion of the card is really fun to play with.  You can move the bubbles in all sorts of configurations.

To create the frame around the seahorses, I applied Sparkling Sea Sparkle N Soft flocking to double sided tape.  Sea shells and coral brads complete the underwater feel.

Be sure to head back on Monday for the beginning of the Die-Versions July New Releases.  You won't be disappointed.

Wednesday, July 3, 2013

Butterfly Swirls


Sparkle N Sprinkle has recently released several new stamp sets.  This one is from the new Swirls set.  Viva Decor's Paper Soft Colors (Sunny Yellow and Magenta) were blended together to create the background.  Next I stamped the image in Jet Black Staz On and slightly offset Cotton White on top of the black.   

The sentiment, which is part of the set is stamped on a die cut from Simon Says Stamps dies and Opaline embossing powder was added on top for a shimmery look.  The final bit of sparkle comes from adhering 1/2" Tear-ific tape around the edges and covering it with Raspberry Soda glitter.


Monday, July 1, 2013

Poinsettia Gift Tag



This month's challenge from Sparkle N Sprinkle Creative Challenges is to make Anything But a Card and I've chosen to make a gift tag for a Christmas present.

Using the poinsettia from the Holiday Foliage rubber stamp set from Sparkle N Sprinkle, I stamped it twice so I could slightly offset one bloom on top of the base.  I fussy cut both images out, but on the second one, I didn't cut out the leaves.  Both images are colored with Copic markers and then I lightly sprayed the one without leaves with a permanent adhesive spray.  Next, I added a small amount of Gypsy Red velvet glitter to sporadically cover the entire flower.  It gives the whole thing a wonderful sparkle that the camera just doesn't capture well.

Palm Leaf flock was used on the leaves and Sparkle N Soft Mimosa was used for the center of the poinsettia.  The tag was cut with a (very) old Sizzix die (tag crescent combo die).  It was one of the original ones they came out with.

You have the whole month of July to decide what project you would like to enter.  Be sure to check out what the rest of the designers did for even more inspiration.