Inspired to Peek ...

Another card where I was having fun playing with the 'Peekaboo Embossing' technique .... we made  this tonight at our Technique class using the Inspired by Nature stamp set and the Strips Embossing folder to look like a 'fence' with a garden behind it....brushed some Soft Suede along the raised strips to help with the illusion of the fence :)

Happy Stampin'
Margaret

Cracked Frame

Card design number two from our Cracked Glass technique class.


This one used the En Francis Stamp set on the Certainly Celery background stamped with Versamark and Embossed with clear to add texture and distressed the edges with the Cutter tool.

Than using the Large Oval Bigz die we cut out the Watercolor paper and stamped the Because I care image with Staz On and than used our Watercolor Wonder Crayons to color in the Hydrangea and sponged around the edge using Soft Suede for a antique look.

Than we covered with Versamark and the Glassy Glaze emboss powder - now when I did it I only needed 3 coats - however the ladies in the class seemed to need 4 coats to get the 'cracking effect' so it must depend on how thick you can get your powder to stick to the Versamark and how much blows off?

To finish up the card we sponged Cherry Cobbler on the outer portion of the frame and adorned half back pearls to the frame portion and than added the Thank you sentiment with a few more coordinating pearls .... it really turned out to be a striking card and this technique was a huge hit with the group!

If you are looking for a fun night out - the Totallyawake4 Technique Tuesdays are a blast with some great company around the stampin table and lots of new and unique ways to use Stampin' products!

So come on out and join the fun - we would love to add another chair to the group ;)

Mojo Monday Challenge 181

Here is last weeks Mojo Monday Challenge just squeezing it in before tomorrows new challenge comes out!

And here is my inspiration from the sketch! Featuring the Springtime vintage DSP combined with the Easter Blossoms stamp set and the Vintage flower Adornments!

Other products used were the Pinking Hearts border, 3 inch circle Bigz Die, Large Scallop Circle Bigz Die, Medium Oval and Scallop Oval punches and of course no card would be complete without some wonderful bling with the Dazzling Diamonds and Half Back pearls!.

Butterfly Wing Hybrd

Another card from last weeks Stamp a Stack ... I just love the way this one turned out and cannot wait to send it out to someone!

This card features the Elegant Bouquet emboss folder sponged with Melon Mambo and Old Olive embellished with Butterfly Wings Embosslit to make a rainbow of butterflies and a hybrid sentiment done with the Medium Oval punch and highlighted with the Melon Mambo Scallop Oval and some pretty little half back pearls for bling to finish it off!

Up close of the hybrid sentiment done in My Digital Studio ... one of my challenges as a demo is that sometimes I tend to be drawn to the 'image stamp sets' and therefore do not have as large a selection of sentiments ... making the hybrid cards allows some wonderful versatility in creating personalized sentiments that fit right into our punches as well as using the 'designer stamp' sentiments ... this hybrid sentiment features the stamp from Chat Room Thoughts of You and Artistic Etchings.

Season Greetings Luminaries

Here are another version of a luminary we made this past weekend at our Stamp A Stack ... using the Fancy Favor die, velum, versamark heat embossed snowflakes in silver, some Cuttlebug dies snowflakes and of course some bling ;)

Unlit sample

the lit sample

More Spooky Luminaries

Another treat from our recent Halloween Stamp a Stack event ... these are so much fun to make.

This first one is a stamped Velum creation using the Wicked Cool stamp set and the Bitty Bat punch and a spider punch from another company...cause I am too lazy to cut out eight little itty bitty spider legs ;)

Here it is with the 'candle' lit ... using the flame-less battery operated candle!

With the candle turned off ...

A growing collection of luminaries ... some of them featuring the Spiderweb emboss technique on the vellum.

Black Magic ... under my spell

This technique is totally cool ... called Black Magic with a twist and is a combination of using white ink on a dark background and than colouring with Stampin Up Water colour pencils and a white gel pen for that extra magic pop factor!

The first card features the Watercolour Trio stamp set in the 2010 Summer mini catalog, the Top Note Bigz die and the scallop trim punch ... awesome combination inspired by Liz Goldhawk my up line mentor!

This section card is from the new catalog called Just Believe and is a cute little set!

This is cool - follow up from my sneak peek

This was so much FUN for me last night .... making your own designer series paper and turning it to 5 coordinating cards ... going to be making a lot of these in the near future to prepare for the Run for the Cure fundraiser!

First you choose a 'color scheme' for your card. I chose Blushing Bride, Regal Rose, Melon Mambo and Whisper White ... a think pink theme for the Breast Cancer awareness!

Than you take a 6x6 piece of card stock and choose a stamp set for your background to work with - I chose Vintage Vogue.

You than stamp your background in the lightest color and the largest stamp you are going to use ... so in this case I chose Versamark for the vines from the set for the very back ground.

Next choose your next shade of ink and your next largest stamp image - so in this case I chose Whisper White ink and the flowers from the Vintage Vogue Set.

Than you use the Quarter Wonder page cutting dimensions from Sharon's website http://createdbyu.blogspot.com/2010/06/quarter-sheet-wonder-tutorial.html to cut and prep your paper ... and finally you have fun creating your cards ... so here are my 5 card samples

Finally with a few scorelines and a couple cuts - you can even make a little box out of paper and decorate it up for a little 'gift package' for someone .... project complete ... and in one night I made FOUR of these little beauties to add to my fund raising pile!

Plenty of Pansies!

This spring I planted a Pansie garden with the daycare kids and was totally inspired by their colors as they bloomed this past week that I wanted to create a card in their honor.

So off to Google I went to see if there were any Stampin' Up! techniques already out there inspired by pansies ... cause why recreate the wheel if someone else has already done it ... so as I was online in came an email from my up line mentor Liz Goldhawk with her upcoming technique class - and I couldn't believe my eyes ... she was featuring Pansies!

So once again karma answered my call and brought me what I needed into my life!

So after attending the class I came home to work on the following with my original Pansie inspirations!

A Cajun Craze and Daffodil Delight Inspired Colour Combo:

A Concord Crush and Daffodil Delight combination:

A Night of Navy, Brocade Blue and Daffodil Delight inspiration:

And a wonderful Real Red and Daffodil Delight creation:

I am so totally in love with this Pansie technique ... while some of the youtube videos I Googled showed the use of the re-inkers and involved soaking the paper and well 'mess' plus way more time in waiting for the Pansie's to dry before you can assemble ... this one used sponging and allows for much more control of ink placement and colour blending ... and well anyone who knows me knows that I totally prefer the control!

This technique is sure to become a favorite of mine ... I am excited to combine it with some fairy cards and butterfly cards cause well it is just so 'magical' creating them ... no two are the same!