Thursday, October 18, 2012

Dreamweaver and Ranger Collaboration

 

The Dream Team are so excited to have the opportunity to play along with some unique Ranger Products in the Tim Holtz line...specifically, the Distressed Embossing Powders! Our own Louise Healy demonstrated how fabulous these are with the Dreamweaver Stencils when she created this card for a fun class at CHA Summer 2012:

Apparently, Tim Holtz agreed with all of us on this unique use of his product, so he very generously had Ranger (thanks, Patti!) send the team some samples to play and blog with. So...here we go!

 Here's my post for today:
Materials:
Ranger Distress Embossing Powders in Mustard Seed, Shabby Shutters, Peeled Paint, Vintage Photo and Faded Jeans
Tim Holtz idea-ology Kraft Glassine Sheets
Distress Ink in Faded Jeans and Antique Linen
Dreamweaver Stencil  Daisies LL548
Dreamweaver Double Sided Mounting Paper  MPDS
Handmade Coconut Soap DHHS

 If you've been following along with our monthly challenges, you'll remember the double glitter projects from June.  This technique is much the same except that we're using Ranger's Distress Embossing Powders instead of glitter.  How great is that?  But, if you're new to our Thursday postings, here's what to do:
Adhere one side of the double-sided mounting paper (MPDS) to card stock, leaving the protective covering on the top side until you are ready to position your stencil.   Rub the back side of the stencil with Handmade Hawaiian Coconut Soap (DHHS), making sure to cover the entire stencil.  This will keep the stencil from making a tight bond with the adhesive.  Carefully brush the soap "crumbs" from the stencil openings, making sure not to bend the stencil.  Remove the protective paper from the double sided mounting paper and position your stencil, soap side down.

Using  a small scoop (a straw with one end cut at an angle works well for this), sprinkle the embossing powder on the open areas of the stencil.  Tap off the excess and repeat with the other colors.  When all the areas are filled in, place stencil, face down, on a flat surface and begin removing the card stock.  Be sure to keep the stencil flat against your work surface, moving or "walking" your fingers along the stencil as you peel back the card stock so that the stencil always remains flat and does not bend.  Apply your background color to the exposed areas and tap off the excess.  Heat the embossing powders with a heat tool.  

Begin layering your background papers on to your card stock.  I began by applying Antique Linen Distress Ink to the edges of the card stock with a finger dauber.  Then, I crumbled a piece of white paper, flattened it out and pounced the Faded Jeans ink pad in random fashion until all the raised areas were covered.  The next layer was a piece of Tim Holtz idea-ology Kraft Glassine paper with the edges torn.  The last layer was the embossed daisies with a pleated ribbon trim.

For the next four weeks, on our regular Thursday posts, we will be featuring the wonderful things that you can do with Tim's Distress Powders and Dreamweaver Stencils.  Leave comments on each of the team blog posts for opportunities to win one prize package for each of the four weeks.

The prize:



The blogs:

In addition, don't forget to play along with the Dream Team's monthly challenges for more opportunities to win some great stencil designs!  October's challenge is Festively Fall, and November is CAS (clean and simple) Christmas! Link your creations on the Dream It Up! blog, or email pics to   lynell@dreamweaverstencils.com.   Join us on Facebook as well! Lots of inspiration, and lots of fun!

Happy crafting,
Liz
Posted by Liz Martin at 2:00 AM 59 comments
Labels:cards, crafts, handmade , , , ,

Thursday, October 11, 2012

Fall is in the air . . .

. . . and leaves are falling faster than we can get them to the compost pile.   Summer's flowers are making room for the more intensely colored sunflowers and dahlias, and I immediately thought of the Stylized Dahlia (LG743) for today's card.

And it couldn't be easier to do.  Rub in Ranger's Distress Ink in Wild Honey around the edge of the card stock, the  paste emboss the stencil using matte black embossing paste.  When that has dried, reposition the clean stencil over the image and apply Palette Stamp and Stick Glue  with a dauber.  Using the colors of your choice, apply Metallic F/X with a fine paint brush.  Mat on coordinating card stock, add the embellishment of your choice and there you have it!  This is a great card for making multiples, too.

There's still time to submit your project for October's Festively Fall challenge, using Mr. Linky on the Dream it Up blog or if you don't have a way of linking, email your design to Lynell  (lynell@dreamweaverstencils.com)  and she will link it for you.  The two lucky winners (one for the best interpretation of the challenge; the other for the best use of Dreamweaver products) will get to pick their own stencil.

For more ideas and inspiration, check out the rest of the Dream Team blogs, but not before leaving me a note letting me know you stopped by.




Happy crafting,

Liz






Posted by Liz Martin at 3:46 AM 4 comments
Labels:cards, crafts, handmade ,

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

October's Festively Fall Challenge

It's October and fall is in the air, pop-up pumpkin patches are appearing everywhere, and fall-themed festivals are taking place on most weekends.

Dreamweaver has lots of stencils and materials that can be used for a Fall theme, but remember you can post any Festively Fall creation and win best interpretation of the challenge – it can be any product or image.  Again we are letting our winner choose any stencil they desire.   So one winner will be chosen for best usage of Dreamweaver products and one winner will be chosen for best interpretation of the challenge.  Just link up with mr linky on the Dreamweaver blog or if you don't have a way of linking, email your design to Lynell  (lynell@dreamweaverstencils.com)  and she will link it for you.

Speaking of pumpkins, here are two more cards from the archives made with the Long Pumpkins (LL514) stencil (can you tell how much I like it???).

 For this card I paste embossed the entire stencil with regular embossing paste (DEP) and, when dry,  colored the image with pigment inks.










 For the spider web card, the three pumpkins on the right hand side of the stencil were dry-embossed and then colored with pigment inks.  For the background, I paste-embossed the Spider Web (LJ816) stencil with glossy black paste (DGKP).

For more ideas and inspiration, check out the rest of the Dream Team blogs      
 
 
 
Happy Crafting,
Liz
Posted by Liz Martin at 9:48 PM 5 comments
Labels:cards, crafts, handmade ,

Thursday, September 27, 2012

Getty Inky Challenge

We're into the home stretch with the September Getting Inky with Stencils challenge, but there's still time to submit your project for a chance to win the stencil of your choice.  How good is that?

Fall is definitely in the air and pumpkins are turning up everywhere, include today's project.


Begin by paste embossing the Long Pumpkins (LL514) stencil with regular embossing paste (DEP, the jar with the maroon label).  When the paste is dry, reposition the clean stencil over the image and color with pigment inks (I used Tsukineko's Splendor inks for this project).  Then, cut out the pumpkins in such a way that you end up with two pieces that you can pile one on top of the other.  Add patterned paper and the embellishment and/or sentiment of your choice and you're done!  

For more ideas and inspiration, see what the rest of the team has done and then get busy and submit your project before the end of the month deadline, using Mr. Linky on the Dream it Up! blog.  Ready?  Here you go:

 
Happy Crafting,
Liz










Posted by Liz Martin at 8:25 AM 3 comments
Labels:cards, crafts, handmade ,

Thursday, September 20, 2012

Getting inky with stencils . . . and glitter!

I hope you've been having fun with the Getting Inky with Stencils challenge.  Here's what I've been working on this past week.  By the way, it's a great way to incorporate some of the beautiful background stencils into your projects.

Begin by cutting a piece of double sided mounting paper (MPDS) to your desired size, peeling off one side of protective paper and adhering it to a piece of card stock.  Peel back half of the other sheet of protective paper and sprinkle Glitter Ritz Microfine Warm Highlight glitter on the exposed sticky paper.  Tap off excess glitter and burnish with your finger.  Remove the other half of the protective paper and repeat the process. 


Now you're ready to get inky.  Note:  no need to rub the back of the stencil with soap as the glitter has completely covered the adhesive and there is nothing for your stencil to stick to.  Place the Hexagons stencil (LJ806) on the glittered paper and gently pounce distress ink (tea dye) around the edges.  Remove the Hexagons stencil and center the Flower and Leaves (LG625) stencil on the glittered and colored background.  Color the image (I used Splendor pigment inks by Tsukineko), adding layers and shading as you go along.  I used Spellbinder's Labels 22 to cut out the image and then adhered it to two coordinating mats before adding ribbon and then adhering it to the card base.  This really was a lot of fun and I can't wait to try it with some other stencil combinations.

The design team has been working on other project, so do stop by and take a look . . . and be sure to leave a note.  We love hearing from you.  Then, post your project on the Dream it Up! blog using Mr. Linky for a chance to be this month's lucky winner.

 
 
See you next week,
Liz







Posted by Liz Martin at 2:44 AM 3 comments
Labels:cards, crafts, handmade ,

Thursday, September 13, 2012



Continuing with the "Getting Inky" challenge, I went back to one of the most basic techniques –  stenciling with pigment inks – which is great for showing off a stencil's beautiful details.  

And I decided to go out of my comfort zone and use non-traditional Christmas colors.  It's really fun!  

Here's what to do:
Begin by dry embossing the Line of Christmas Trees (LL532) using either a personal die cut machine or a light box and stylus.  If you use a die cut machine, remember to use new cutting plates and keep the stencil as far away as possible from the top roller.  This will keep the stencil from warping.

 With the stencil still in place, color the image using a stencil brush and ink, remembering to rub off some of the ink from the stencil brush on to a paper towel before applying it to paper to keep the excess ink from seeping under the stencil.   This is one of those times where the Picasso tool comes in handy, allowing you to apply color exactly where you want it.

 Trim to desired size, adhere to mat(s), then to patterned paper.  Add ribbon or other embellishment and adhere to card base.  There you have it!  This is a great card for making multiples.

Be sure to check out the other Design Team blogs for more ideas and inspiration and leave us a note to let us know you stopped by.  Then link your project to the Dream it Up! blog using Mr. Linky.  There's a twist to this month's challenge:  the two winners (one for best interpretation of the challenge and one for best usage of Dreamweaver Stencil products) will get to pick a stencil of their choice!  

 
 
See you next week.
 
Happy crafting,
Liz




Posted by Liz Martin at 3:08 AM 6 comments
Labels:cards, crafts, handmade , ,

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

A new month . . . a new challenge

This month's challenge – getting inky with Dreamweaver stencils – is sure to be a lot of fun.  But first, let's congratulate the August challenge winners
Tiffany Smith 
 for best interpretation of the challenge 
 and 
Caroline Duncan 
for best use of Dreamweaver products

September's challenge is wide open to interpretation as "ink" covers a lot of ground – pigment, alcohol, distress, mists – the list goes on as do the possibilities.  But there's a twist:  we are letting you choose any stencil you would like as your prize if you win. Yep, any Dreamweaver stencil you "so desire". We will still have two winners, one for best interpretation of the challenge and one for best usage of Dreamweaver products.


So let's get started.


Here's what you'll need:
Daisy Background stencil (LX7014)
Thank you stencil (LL303)
Color Solutions Alcohol Inks in Creme Brulee, Wild Plum and Gold
Glossy Black Paste (DGKP)
Glossy Paper
Card base and coordinating paper for mats

 Follow these steps:
Begin by putting a few drops of Color Solutions Alcohol inks on a craft mat and add one or two drops of gold.  Place your paper, glossy side down on top of the inks and smush (technical term) in circles to blend the inks.  Turn the glossy paper over and set aside to dry.  When dry, place the stencil on top of the card and, with a small piece of paper towel moistened with blending solution, dab at the open areas of the stencil to remove some of the ink.  You should be left with a faint image of the daisies.

 Position the Thank You stencil on the card and tape all sides.  Apply the glossy black paste, remove the stencil and set the card aside to dry.  Clean the stencil.  Mat the card on coordinating paper and adhere to the card base, and you're done!

 Hop on over to the rest of the Dream Team blogs for more ideas and inspiration and then let us see your interpretation of the challenge.  Link your project to the Dream it Up! blog using Mr. Linky.  We can't wait to see what you've made.


Happy crafting,
Liz



Posted by Liz Martin at 11:21 PM 6 comments
Labels:cards, crafts, handmade ,
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