Friday, July 31, 2015

Cancer Awareness Joint Blog Hop


Sparkle N Sprinkle and Die-Versions are partnering up for a very special joint blog hop to promote Cancer Awareness, called the Awareness Campaign.

A portion of the proceeds from the sell of the newly released Die-Versions dies as well as the stamp sets will be donated to help with cancer research.  

Almost every one has been touched by cancer is one way or another.  Either you or a family member has had cancer or you know someone who has had cancer.  The Designers from both teams are joining together to help the fight to eradicate all cancers by inspiring you.


Die-Versions
Die-Versions has NINE new low profile dies (July 2015 Reveal - scroll down to the end of the reveal) and Sparkle N Sprinkle is releasing THREE stamp sets for this Awareness Campaign.  All stamp sets will be 20% off until Aug 3.

Sparkle N Sprinkle
Pink Ribbon Background 408  (digi version DIGI408)
Survivor 713    (digi version DIGI713T)
Awareness 714   (digi version  DIGI714T)

A Grand Prize winner will be chosen from comments left on the Designers' blogs and will be announced on August 4th.  You won't know who the Mystery Designer is until after the Joint Blog hop, so remember to leave a comment with each of the Designers.  

The Winner will be announced on the Die-Versions Facebook page, the Sparkle N Sprinkle Facebook page, the DV Blog, and on the SNS Blog and will receive a $25 gift certificate from BOTH Die-Versions and Sparkle N Sprinkle.

Now for a little about my project.

front, closed


open

I have chosen Lavender for the color of my Cancer Awareness ribbon because this is the color ribbon used for all cancers.  There are so many different types of cancer (and cancer ribbons) that the eradication of all cancers should be addressed, not just one or two that are in the spot light all the time.



I created this card by beginning with the center panel.  It is actually a gate fold type of card and is created with one piece of cardstock folded in thirds and then die cut with the Spellbinders Labels Eleven die.  (Tip: To make sure the side edges don't cut through the paper, make sure the cutting blade of the die is located on the outside of the creases.)


With the gate fold top closed, I stamped the SNS Pink Ribbon Background stamp with VersaMark and heat set it with Wisteria embossing powder.  Worn Lipstick Distress Ink was then lightly applied to the backing paper, both on the inside and outside.  I also applied Wisteria embossing powder to the two folding inside half panels.

Next I die cut the DV Awareness Ribbon Words from white cardstock and again from fun foam so that I could add dimension to the ribbons and I adhered two of the six ribbon words to the front of the gate fold.

The sentiment, which is from the SNS Survivor stamp set, was stamped with Black Soot Distress Ink and heat embossed with Clear Detail embossing powder onto white cardstock.  This was die cut using a smaller Labels Eleven die from the set.  The small stamped ribbon, which is from the SNS Awareness stamp set, was heat embossed with Wisteria embossing powder.

This center panel was then layered onto a piece of Super Adhesive Sheet which was die cut using the smallest die in the Grand Labels Eleven.  After placing the completed center panel into the center of the super adhesive sheet, I added Sugar Plum glitter to the remaining adhesive to create a glittery border.  Then as a final layer, I die cut a larger sized Grand Labels Eleven from white cardstock and heat embossed more Wisteria embossing powder around the edges.

I recently heard about a support group for people with cancer from a blogging friend called Chemo Angels.  If you know someone going through chemo treatments or are interested in sending cards to people going through chemo, you may want to check out this site.  It always amazes me how even the smallest gestures (like sending a card) bring the biggest smiles.

Hopefully you came from Ashley's blog.  Your next stop on the Awareness Campaign Blog Hop is Ani.   If you get lost along the way or have a problem with a link, the complete list of Designers is located on both the Die-Versions Blog as well as the Sparkle N Sprinkle Blog.  Happy Hopping!  And remember, a portion of the proceeds from the sale of these dies and stamp sets will be donated to cancer research :-).  Happy Hopping!

Monday, July 27, 2015

Cheers



Today's card features the Die-Versions Mixed Drinks die and is a bright, fun card which would be perfect for celebrating just about anything.

To start off, I die cut the image twice from white cardstock and once from black fun foam.  I kept all the negative pieces from the first die cut and colored these with Copic markers.  Sunny Daze glitter was also added to the flower centers and Glossy Accents was added to the drinks.

After coloring the second die cut with Copic markers, I adhered this layer over the die cut with all negative pieces, automatically giving me extra dimension.  A trick I learned from my fellow team mate, Lisa, was to add a "shadow" die cut. (Thanks, Lisa.)  Instead of black cardstock, the image was die cut from black fun foam, my favorite way to add dimension without having to worry about cutting down dimensional dots to fit the space.

The corrugated circle was recycled from a cookie tin and Fireworks Ink spray (Dandelion) gave it a fun, vibrant color.  The background layer was created using Bister wood stains on regular cardstock and a water brush.


My sentiment was die cut using the DV Cuppycake font, colored with Copic markers, and then covered with Glossy Accents.


Wednesday, July 22, 2015

Life at the Beach

Today I'd like to share with you a plaque I created for a friend's beach house using the Tiki Bar and the Life Is Better Cute Cube, both from Die-Versions.

The sunset background for the Tiki Bar is actually a paper towel that I used to sop up Distress Inks from my craft mat.  I thought it was too pretty to just throw away, so I used an adhesive spray and adhered it to a piece of cardstock.  Then I die cut it using a scalloped oval  die.

The Tiki Bar was die cut from a semi-glossy grey piece of cardstock and also from fun foam (my favorite way to add dimension).  The sand is from Mudd Puddles.  (It's actually called Snow, but it looks more like the type of sand I'm used to seeing, not snow.)  The small shells are also from Mudd Puddles (Shells).  The large shells are from a beach trip to Florida a few years back.

I left the Life is Better at the Beach Cute Cube in white as I wanted it to stand out from the glossy black background.  The netting is recycled from a sack of oranges.

Be sure to check out what the rest of the DV design team has created using all the new releases.

Monday, July 20, 2015

Seasons Greeting


Today's card features three out of the four new stamp sets revealed this month from Sparkle N SprinkleTree Scene, 3 Wisemen (the Star), and Reindeer (the sentiment).  

I started out by heat embossing the Tree Scene in White Detail embossing powder onto my white cardstock and then colored the background with Distress Inks (Faded Jeans, Chipped Sapphire).  I cut away the snow banks and adhered a piece of white cardstock covered with 2 1/2" Tear-ific Tape and Cloud Nine Velvet glitter behind it to create my snow covered hills.  After the star was heat embossed, it was covered with Dimensional glue and Sunny Daze glitter was added.  The smaller stars in the image were colored with a Copic marker.


I also heat embossed a piece of Embossable Clear Acetate with White Detail embossing powder and fussy cut out the trees and the snow covered banks.  Next I stamped my sentiment with Silver Detail embossing powder and then colored it with a blue Copic marker for a silvery-blue effect.

For the snow capped trees, I added Dimensional glue to the snowy areas on the acetate and covered them with Bridal glitter.  Once this was dry, I adhered the acetate on top of the card base.  This added a bit of shimmer and a little more dimension to the card base.  I also die cut the Memory Box die (Frosty Border) from a piece of white cardstock covered with 2 1/2" Tear-ific Tape and Cloud Nine Velvet glitter.  Flat backed pearls were added to the snowflake centers.


Wednesday, July 15, 2015

Surprise Mid-Month Mini Reveal



Surprise!!  
Sparkle N Sprinkle is having a Mid-Month Mini Blog Hop

We have TWO new stamp sets that we couldn't wait to share with you.  These new sets are 20% off until July 18.  So once you finish the blog hop, head on over to the store and start shopping.  All of the new sets are available on cling mounted rubber or as a digital image.  

The sets are:


Cool Chicks 725   (digi version DIGI725B)
Birds of a Feather 726   (digi version DIGI726B)


A WINNER will be selected from the comments left on the Designers' blogs and will receive BOTH of these new sets.  Please leave a comment with each Designer in order to be eligible for this Prize.  You never know who the Mystery Designer will be that has the winning comment.  

The Grand Prize Winner, will be announced on July 19 on the SNS Facebook page and on the SNS Blog.


The Blog Hop order for our Mini Reveal is:

(*Tip: if you have difficulty with a particular link, try clicking on the Designer's blog title to send you to their Home page.)

We hope you enjoy this surprise mini reveal as much as we have enjoyed creating new projects for it.  And hopefully, we have inspired you as well.

  Thanks for joining us and remember to comment on each of the Designers' blogs to be eligible for the Grand Prize.  (We love reading them too since your comments also inspire us.)  No one knows who the Mystery Designer will be for this Mid-Month Blog Hop.



Now for a bit about my project.  I decided to use the Birds of a Feather stamp set for this special Mini Reveal.  To start off I stamped both the image and sentiment with VersaMark ink and then heat embossed them with Dandy Dandelion embossing powder.  Next, I die cut the image using a Spellbinders die (Decorative Labels Twenty) and then went about coloring and flocking the image.  (A helpful hint: don't use the flock before you die cut because it will make the flock as flat as a pancake.)  Copic markers were used to add color to everything.  Canary flock was used for the body and the purse was highlighted with dots of Fire Engine Red glitter.  To finish my scene, I added Memory Box clouds (Puffy Clouds) that were die cut from sticker paper and covered with Cloud Nine velvet glitter.  Granules of Super Thick White and Super Thick Gold embossing powders were added to the ground (be sure to heat from the underside - otherwise the granules will be blown away).

I stamped the image again on a piece of scrap paper and heat embossed it with Black Detail embossing powder so that I could fussy cut out the sun glasses and pop dot them onto the image.

The red mat was die cut using the next larger die in the Spellbinder's set from more sticker paper.  Fire Engine Red glitter was used to cover the adhesive.

The yellow layer was die cut from white cardstock using a Sue Wilson Designs die (New York Collection - Madison Square), covered with VersaMark embossing ink, and heat set with Yellow Spark embossing powder.

Your next stop on the hop is to Ashley's Blog and I know she has something fun for you too.   Enjoy the hop and don't forget to comment on everyone's blog post for your chance to win both of these new sets.


Steampunk Girl


We have a new challenge #22 beginning today at the Scrapy Land Challenge.  The theme for this bi-monthly challenge is Steampunk, plus use any brand of die that Scrapy Land sells.  They sell over 40 brands of dies, so you most likely already have some on hand.

The dies used in this project are:
Elizabeth Crafts Designs: Garden Patch and Mini Petals
Taylored Expressions - Sprockets
Die-Versions - Lacey Dots

I started out by using a digi image from Aurura Wings and colored her with Copic markers.  The rose on her hat is the Mini Petals die.  These aren't hard to make, but it would definitely be easier if you plan to make a bunch of these at one time.  

The background uses a Dreamweavers stencil (LJ911-Gears), which was dry embossed and then Staz-On Cotton White ink was run over the top of the raised areas.  The Taylored Expression's Sprockets were heat embossed using Blackened Bronze embossing powder form Sparkle N Sprinkle.  As I always associate lace with steampunk (and gears), the Lacey Dots border was a perfect addition to this steampunk card.

Be sure to head on over to the Scrapy Land Challenge to see what the rest of the design team has created for you.  You have until August 2nd to upload your steampunk inspired project.  The winner will receive a $15 gift card to go shopping at Scrapy Land.

Monday, July 13, 2015

Moonlit Night


Today's card features both the Reindeer digi image and the Tree Scene digi image from Sparkle N Sprinkle

In order to get lots of dimension on the trees, I first applied Dimensional glue to the snowy areas and then covered it with Twinking Clouds Sparkle N Soft.  After that was dry, I added some more dimensional glue and then covered it with Cloud Nine Velvet glitter.  The snow on the ground is Swan Wing tinsel glitter.  I applied a thin layer of Brushable glue and then covered it with the tinsel glitter.  
A Memory Box die (Pine Needle Border) was die cut twice to cover the top of the frame I created.  I started out with plain kraft cardstock and then spritzed it with Smooch Spritz (Electric Blue and Emerald Sprinkle).  I took the photo outside in the sunlight and I loved the shadows the pine branches cast over the moon-lit night, which was created using Pan Pastels.  

Wednesday, July 8, 2015

Happy Birthday America



Although America's Independence Day was this past weekend, today I'm showcasing three of the new patriotic dies recently released by Die-Versions.

I created a step card using the USA die, the Independence Bell, and the Fireworks die.  My sentiment was created using the Happy Express Edge and the Birthday Express Edge.  All of the die cuts were colored with Copic markers and then heat embossed using Clear embossing powder.  The Fireworks die was adhered to fun foam for a little added dimension.


The card base was also heat embossing using Sparkle N Sprinkle's Sparkle embossing powder as I wanted the background to have added sparkle as well as the individual elements. As you can see, the Sparkle embossing powder was just the thing to add sparkle but not all glittery.

Here are close-ups of the Independence Bell and the Fireworks die cuts.
















This was an easy card to put together and would also be perfect for someone celebrating a July birthday.


Monday, July 6, 2015

3 Wisemen


The 3 Wisemen, one of the four new stamp sets from Sparkle N Sprinkle, is showcased today.  I used the digi version for the image and made them larger, but used the rubber stamp for the sentiment.

The image is colored with Copic markers and I've added Sunny Daze glitter to the star.  This shaped card was die cut using a Lifestyles Crafts nesting die set (Nesting Frames #7) and I cut the center frame out of Sticker Paper and added Starry Night glitter to it.

The sentiment was die cut from a Spellbinders die (Fancy Tags Two) and then heat embossed with Sparkle embossing powder.  The sentiment was added using Staz-On Jet Black ink.  Unfortunately, no matter how many photos I took, the shimmer on the sentiment didn't show up (but trust me, in person, it's very shimmery :-).)


Saturday, July 4, 2015

Cancer Awareness Joint Blog Hop


Mark your calendars for July 31st at 9pm Eastern time (New York time).  Die-Versions and Sparkle N Sprinkle are teaming up to bring you a fantastic blog hop, all to help support cancer research.  Both companies will be donating a portion of the proceeds from the sale of these dies and rubber stamps to help find a cure for cancer!



Cancer has affected almost everyone!  Either you or a family member has had cancer or you know someone who has battled cancer.  It's time to find a cure for ALL cancers.  This is just one of the many ways you can help.

The Joint Blog Hop ends on Aug 3rd and the winner will be announced on Aug 4th.  The winner will receive a $25 gift certificate to BOTH Die-Versions and Sparkle N Sprinkle.  You'll definitely want to see what all these fabulous designers have created for this special hop.

Wednesday, July 1, 2015

Hello tag (Scrapy Land #21)

(I have two posts today.  If you are looking for the Sparkle N Sprinkle July New Reveal, please click here, or scroll down.  Thanks)


For the new Scrapy Land Challenge #21, I decided to create a tag around a "flower" watercolor image I created using Ken Oliver's Color Bursts.

I had just received my set of Color Bursts and started playing around with these fun products.  The results of my very first attempt was the above impressionist flower.  I was even using a piece of scrap watercolor paper....just to see what happened.  I know I will probably never create another blob of colors that remind me of a flower, but I know I'll keep trying :-).  Hopefully you can see the "flower" too.

The dies used in this project are:

Elizabeth Craft Designs: Tags and More 3 - Leaves
Sue Wilson Designs: Finishing Touches - Delicate Fronds
Sue Wilson Designs: Dandelion Clocks
Taylored Expressions: Banner Stacklets 2
Cheery Lynn Designs: Mini Flourish one
Penny Black: Doodles
Heartfelt Creations: Blazing Poppy die
(If the items aren't showing up in the store, they may be out of stock.  So be sure to check back often.)

I die cut the tag using the Elizabeth Craft Designs die out of kraft paper and the leaves inserts out of green cardstock that was dry embossed using a Crafters Companion embossing folder (Leaf Vein).

The handmade flowers are from a rubber stamp by Heartfelt Creations (Blazing Poppy Petals), are colored with Copic markers, and then die cut using the Blazing Poppy die.  I added Black Ice glitter to the centers of each flower as well as a gem once each of these were formed and glued together.  The greenery was die cut using the Sue Wilson Designs dies and the Cheery Lynn die.  My sentiment was from Penny Black and the black matting behind the watercolor "flower" was die cut using the Taylored Expressions banner die.

I also hand died a piece of seam binding ribbon using the same Copic colors that were used to color the flower formed flowers.

You have until July 12 to upload your project to the Scrapy Land Challenge.  Be sure to visit the Scrapy Land Challenge Blog to see what the rest of the Design Team has created for this challenge.  The winner will receive a $15 gift certificate to go shopping at Scrapy Land.  We can't wait to see what you create using dies and other supplies you have on hand.