Designer's Choice on Dream Scheme Thursday

June is a busy month for birthdays in our family, so today's post is one of the cards that will soon be in the mail.   It's easy and you can make multiples in a snap just by changing the background papers to suit the recipient.

Here's what I did.  Using the Xmas Package stencil (LL466), I dry embossed it on Core'dinations Pearl Gemstones paper, then with the stencil in place, drew inside each stencil cut with a Micron archival ink pen.  Each package was cut out and the ribbons were colored with coordinating Copic markers.  Couldn't be easier.

Be sure to check out the other team blogs as well as the Dreamweaver blog, DREAM it UP! for new and exciting creations.

See you next week,
Liz

Thursday Dream Schemes Color Challenge

I LOVE challenge weeks as they make me move out of my comfort zone.  And this week's gray and purple color challenge is no different.  Purple – and any shade in between – is one of my favorite colors and looking through my closet, I found lots of it.  Now to translate that into a card . . .     I'm not sure there are purple hibiscus, but with a little artistic license, the stencil was perfect for this project.

I taped the hibiscus stencil (LG678) to light weight cream card stock (though it looks white in the photo) and applied white matte embossing paste.  After washing the stencil and allowing the paste to dry, I repositioned the stencil over the dried paste and taped a piece of screen over the top for the faux cross-stitch look.  Once the stencil and screen were in place, I applied color using pigment ink.  It's an easy card to make and could be duplicated to make a set of note cards, with each card a different color.  Perfect for end-of-year teacher thank-you gifts.

For more ideas on the purple and gray color challenge, visit the Dream Team blogs and don't forget to link your project to the Dreaweaver blog, DREAM it UP!

Happy crafting,
Liz

Materials Used
Card stock:  Neenah Natural White for card base and hibiscus panel
Gray stripe, purple paper:  Stampin' Up
Ribbon:  Creative Impressions
Copic marker for edges of hibiscus panel

Dream Scheme Thursday

Today is designer's choice, so sit with me and have a cup of tea, while we visit the Dream Team blogs!

This card is made with a beautiful piece of fuchsia embossing foil from MercartUSA.  With the colored side up, place the Teacup  (LG683) on the foil, then position the Black-Eyed Susan (LJ902) so that the flower is centered in the open part of the cup.   Carefully turn the stencils over and dry emboss the metal with a paper stump.  Remove the foil and, with a sanding block, gently go over the raised design to remove the color.  Cut out the tea cup and adhere to your card.  I used a piece of paper doily as an embellishment, but there are lovely vintage fabrics that would work as well.  And, a clever crafter could fashion a saucer out of the foil remnants.

If you've finished your tea or coffee, get another cup before moving on to the rest of the blogs, and don't forget to stop at the Dreamweaver blog, DREAM it UP!.  There's more inspiration ahead!

Happy crafting,
Liz

It's Still Thursday Somewhere in the World .. . . right?

While the plan is to have the blog published by 6 a.m., I'm delighted that by the time this gets out to the world, it will still be Thursday!  It's been one of those weeks . . .

So welcome to Dreamweaver's Thursday Dream Schemes and sketch challenge day.  

This sketch allows for a lot of interpretations.  The first that came to my mind were religious ones like cathedral windows or the Ten Commandments.  But the more I looked at it, I began to think of garden gates, gatefold cards, a shaped card that when folded looked like the top half of a rocket . . . you get the idea.

There's one stencil – well a lot, really –  that I bought with a card style in mind and the Rose Bush (LL3002) fit this sketch challenge perfectly.  I began by dry embossing the stencil and then applying color with stencil brushes and Splendor inks by Tsukineko.  To get the curved top, I used an oval die cut that just happened to be the right size.  I added a ribbon closure because I have a huge stash of it, but metal hook and eye closures would be more appropriate to a garden gate.   To finish the inside of the card, I added a piece of the same pink patterned paper I used on the front.  It is pale enough that you could stencil another rose or two on the inside to keep the rose garden theme going.

Be sure to check the other Design Team blogs and link your project on the Dreamweaver blog, DREAM it UP! so we can see what wonderfulness you've created.

See you next week,
Liz

Welcome back!

It's Dream Scheme Thursday and time for another new release from Dreamweaver Stencils.   Birds are not high on my list of favorites and, it is safe to say, I'm afraid of them when they're flying around.   However, I've seen Hitchcock's movie, The Birds,  numerous times, and I'm fascinated by birds in cages or anywhere where they can't fly at me . . . go figure!    The raven weather vane falls into the latter category – I LOVE it!   My immediate thoughts led to a Halloween or fall theme, but the possibilities are endless, especially using the N-S-E-W part of the weather vane, which I omitted from this card.

 

I began by adhering the patterned paper to heavier card stock and embossed the raven (LL3015) with glossy black embossing paste, omitting the weather vane portion of the stencil.  On a separate piece of card stock, I embossed the long pumpkin stencil (LL514) with white matte embossing paste.  When dry, I repositioned the clean stencil over the image and applied color using Tsukineko's Splendor inks and a stencil brush.  I cut it out and attached it to the card front.  It's  a little early for Halloween, but it doesn't hurt to get a head start!

Be sure to check out out the other blogs, but first stop on by the Dreamweaver Stencils' blog, DREAM it UP! to see what Lynell has in store for you.  There's lots of inspiration and great ideas in blogland!

Happy crafting,

Liz

Thursday Dream Scheme

This is a three-in-one post:  it's Dream Scheme Thursday's color challenge week with the blue and orange combo selected by Georgia, combined with Mother's Day, and a newly released stencil.  I am loving this new release and this apron is perfect for Mother's Day.

The apron  (LG736)  was traced on to patterned paper and cut out.  Then, the pockets and shoulder straps were traced on to coordinating paper, cut out and adhered to the apron.  Happy Mother's Day was paste embossed with matte white embossing paste on Core'dination's Gemstone paper and layered on top of two strips of white paper punched with Fiskar's eyelet punch.  And there you have it.  

Take a look at the other Dream Team blogs listed on the right for more inspiration and look at previous posts as well as some of the Design Team posted cards using the apron stencil last week.  And don't forget to stop at the Dreamweaver blog, DREAM it UP!, as I'm sure Lynell has something special to show you.

Happy Crafting,
Liz

April Showers Bring May Flowers . . .

Welcome back for another Dream Scheme Thursday.  Today is Designer's Choice and as I was planning this post, it was overcast and gray with a little drizzle so, of course, my thoughts turned to umbrellas and the new release from Dreamweaver Stencils.

I began by dry embossing the umbrella stencil (LJ908) and then added color using soft pastels from the Splendor ink Blossom collection by Tsukineko.   When the ink was dry, I positioned the rain stencil (LJ908) over the image and embossed it using translucent paste, which gives just a hint of a drizzle.  Apologies for the poor photography.  Neither the camera nor Photoshop could reproduce the colors as they are on the card.  The raindrops don't show up well in the photo and look more like bad inking. The sentiment, from the rain word stencil is dry embossed  on pink vellum, cut into a tag shape and adhered under the ribbon.  That's all there is to it. This is another one of those versatile stencils that can be used for a variety of occasions – wedding or baby shower, get well, or just to brighten up an overcast day.

The new stencils are now available and will start showing up in the Dream Team blogs, so be sure to check them out.  And don't forget to stop by Dreamweaver's DREAM it UP bog to see what's new.

Happy crafting,
Liz