Blended Enamel Powders

Love, love, love these Enamel Powders together. Here is what I used:
 
 

Krafty New Year

Hello friends. We've been getting a lot of snow here in Michigan....it's piled up everywhere! One good thing about the snow, it's a good reason to stay inside (where it's toasty warm) and get creative!

This week's challenge at SweetStamps.com is Kraft Paper, so I'd like to share this vintage card I created:

The base is a very deep brown, although the photo looks black. I stamped Handwriting in White Dye Ink and rubbed over it (using a sponge) with a little French Roast Shades Dye Ink to tone down the whiteness.

The main image was stamped onto a kraft ATC using French Roast ink which was also rubbed around the image to add shading. I highlighted part of the lady's dress with a white colored pencil and pounced gold ink all over the top.

The frame and embellishments are from Daisy Floral Accents & Frame Piccolos (Globecraft & Piccolo is a new division of SweetStamps.com).

The ATC frame was covered with Enamel Powder Adhesive Fluid and embossed with Copper Kettle Enamel Powder, and then I added a bit of Glastique Gloss to the edges and coated that with Pure Sparkle Silver Glitter to give it a shine.

The daisies in the upper left corner were covered with Enamel Powder Adhesive Fluid and embossed with Cranberry Wine Enamel and Enchanted Aubergine Enamel.

The stemmed daisies in the lower right were painted with Smooch Inks (Green Apple,  Sassy Pink, Sundance, Carrot and Plum Twist). I love the shimmer of the smooch colors!

Hope you'll come and play along with us at the Challenge Blog...don't forget to check out what the DT Sweeties have made with this week's theme!

Happy New Year!

February Technique: TRIPLE STAMPING

Hope you had a sweet Valentine's Day! We are beginning another Monthly Technique Challenge over at SweetStamps.com.  This month's technique is...

TRIPLE STAMPING

I'm a paper-miser, so I like to get as much out of my cardstock and patterned papers as I can. Here is a step-by-step photo tutorial of how I made my challenge card:

Step 1: stamp an image and color it in

I used Forest Green Shades Dye Ink to stamp 7040 Double Iris onto white CS which I colored with Peerless Watercolors using a wet paintbrush.

Step 2: cut a smaller layer out of the colored image (do this twice, making each layer smaller)

Coved Rectangle Little Stackers dies were used to cut the smaller layers of the colored image.

Here are the three layers I created with the Coved Rectangle Little Stackers dies using the one piece of colored CS.

Step 3: mat the smaller layers onto black cardstock and trim around the edges then stack them up and glue them together

I used scissors to cut close black mats for each smaller layer. Great Tape was used to adhere the layers on top of each other. 

Cutting a patterned paper layer (from my stash) using CM2 Scalloped Rectangle Card Makers dies, I mounted the layers onto an A2 white card that I pounced with Peapod & Forget Me Not Shades™ dye inks. Lavender pearls were added to the corners on the patterned paper.

Here is my finished triple stamped card:

This monthly challenge is open now through March 14th, I hope you'll play along for your chance to win some fabulous SweetStamps images! Don't forget to jump over to the SweetStamps challenge blog to see the other great creations from the Design Team!

Happy stamping,

December Technique: CRACKED GLASS

Hello and happy winter to all of you! We are beginning our second Monthly Technique Challenge over at SweetStamps.com and this is a fun one...

CRACKED GLASS

There are two different ways to achieve this look. Here is a quick run-down on the steps:

1) Stamp an image. 

2) Color if you wish. If you've colored with dye based inks or markers that are NOT waterproof, you will want to use the DRY technique. If your image is not colored or your coloring media IS waterproof, then you can use the WET technique.

3) DRY Technique:
Cover the image with 2-1/2" wide Super Sticky Tape. You can now die cut over your taped image (you will be able to see the image through the white liner of the Super Sticky Tape).

-OR-

3) WET Technique:
Cover your image with a clear embossing ink (like VersaMark™ or Distress Clear Embossing Ink).

4) Cover the tape or embossing ink with an Ultra Thick Clear Embossing Enamel and heat until melted. The surface will look pitted. While the EP is hot and sticky, add some more enamel powder to the surface and heat again. Heat and repeat for a total of 3-6 coats, until the surface is shiny and glass like.

5) Allow the image to cool. Place in your freezer for 10-20 minutes

6) Crack it! Bend the image in all different directions...if a piece of enamel chips off, you can reattach it with a clear drying glue like Ultimate Glue or Glossy Accents.

That's it. Here's the card I created for the challenge:

This monthly challenge is open now through January 14th, I hope you'll play along for your chance to win some fabulous SweetStamps images! Don't forget to jump over to the SweetStamps challenge blog to see the other great creations from the Design Team!

Happy stamping,
:) Stacey

November Technique Challenge: SUSPENSION CARD

Hello friends. I don't know how your week has been, but mine involved traveling 2,000+ miles from the nice weather in Arizona to the cold of Wisconsin and coming down with the flu...I've had better weeks, but I'm happy that I was feeling well enough tonight to participate in some "craft therapy" and create a card for SweetStamps first ever Monthly Technique Challenge!

Here is my (hastily made) Suspension Card:

It is sweet & simple (and considering it took me longer to photograph and post a tutorial on this than it did to make, I'm pretty happy with how it turned out!) 

 **check out my tutorial here**

One of my favorite things on this card is the stamped background I created on the colored CS. I used a stamp from the Decorative Elements Set and stamped randomly in Rustic Shades Dye Ink.

Here are the supplies I used:

Paper: A2 cream card, Paprika Core'dinations CS panel, Patterned DP (Blank Canvas), Fossil CS

Shades™ Dye Inks: Butterscotch, Orange & Rustic

SweetStamps: S601 Decorative Elements Set and 3022 Firewheel Flower DUO 

Cheery Lynn Dies: Little Stackers Classic Circles, Little Stackers Scallop Circles, Dancing Doily Lace Border

Embellishments: 1/8" Brown Satin Ribbon, Metallic Thread, Rhinestones

Miscellaneous: Dove Blender Pen, Super Sticky Tape, Krylon Spray Adhesive, Removable Tape, Sponge

I don't know about you, but I cannot make a bow without the help of a tool...but since I was pressed for time and had NO IDEA where my bow making tools were, I used my index and middle fingers as the "poles" for creating the loops of my bow...not too bad if I do say so myself! {Limited time & supplies = a chance to be creative}

Stop by the SweetStamps blog to see the awesome creations of the DT Sweeties, they really did a great job with this challenge! We'd love to see your entry, you could win $20 of rubber stamps from SweetStamps.com.
 

Playing with Inks...and NEW RELEASE Stamps

Hello and Happy Tuesday! Have you seen our NEW RELEASE stamps yet? I've been having fun playing with these! In fact, I have two cards to share for this week's SweetStamps.com Blog Challenge #87 Stippled or Sponged!

SweetStamps products used:

**Check out this TUTORIAL for Step-by-Step Instructions**

For my second card, I used 4008 Art Nouveau Vertical Border stamped in French Roast Shades™ dye ink and colored with Distress Markers. I applied Vanilla Cream Shades™ dye ink with a sponge but rubbed it across the cardstock instead of tapping it. I used 98116 Bitty Scallop Die (Memory Box) on both sides of the stamped and sponged image.

I cut a piece of green CS with 98118 Classic Scallop Border Die (Memory Box) on one side and adhered this layer to a piece of Stardream CS that I embossed using FRM132 French Lattice Small Frame Die (Cheery Lynn Designs). Then to finish it off I added some ribbon from my stash and Cream Pearls in two different sizes.

I hope to see your stippled or sponged creation in this week's challenge, you could get some of these beautiful new release stamps if you are the lucky winner!

Happy stamping,

Witchy Wednesday

The weather is getting cooler and the leaves are changing, it's definitely fall! Just wanted to share this Witchy card I created using vellum, Pitt artist pens and FRM123 Enchanted Flight Frame die from Cheery Lynn.

 

This would make a great luminary for Halloween!

Happy crafting,