Merry Christmas!

Wishing you and your families a Merry, Merry Christmas!
I'm in Cincinnati enjoying the holidays with my family as we await the birth of our second grandchild. I hope you are able to spend time with family this season too.

I'm reposting a mirror I did last year for my daughter-in-law. I know some of you may have seen it already, so sorry for the repeat, but family takes precedence, especially at this time of the year.

I'd love to receive a comment from you before you head on to the rest of the "B" team:

 

Dream It Up!

Lyn Bernatovich

Louise Healy

Alison Heikkila

Kristine Reynolds

Pam Hornschu

Gill Wilson

Kristi Parker Van Doren

Merry Christmas,
Louise

Quick and Cute Week 3!

In a flurry of a hurry? This month the Dream Team are all about the Quick and Cute...whether that be cards, gifts, wrapping, or tags...we have sleigh-loads of ideas! Play along by posting your creations using the Inlinkz tool on the Dream It Up! blog, for a chance to win the stencil of your choice, and a possible bonus stencil for using Dreamweaver products in your Quick and Cute project! Here's what fun I've been up to this week:

FJ922 Christmas Borders folder, DD001 Nesting frames die, DG692 Nesting Stockings die

This looks more complicated than it is, here are the simple steps:

• Use a fine mist spritzer to mist the blue paper before putting it in the Christmas Borders embossing folder (the moisture helps get a deeper image and prevents the paper from tearing)
• Run the blue paper through your die cut machine
• Use a heat tool to dry or let it air dry
• Rub a silver metallic ink pad over the raised design
• Heat set
• Use the second smallest frame die from the Nesting frame set to cut a "window" in the blue layer
• Cut small pieces of kraft cardstock and die cut the second smallest frame from the Nesting frame set
• Emboss the kraft frame with the Christmas borders stencil, lining it up in the folder to match the "window" you cut from the blue layer
• Brush the edges of the embossed kraft frame with brown ink
• Use the smallest stocking die from the Nesting stockings set to cut small stockings from the blue piece cut out of the "window", use kraft cardstock to cut the top of the small stocking (edge with brown ink)
• Attach the stocking to the embossed kraft frame with foam mounting tape, I added a little loop of twine to the left corner of the top before applying the mounting tape
• Put a small brad in the twine loop
• Adhere the blue layer to kraft cardstock that has been edged with brown ink
• Adhere the kraft frame with the stocking in the "window"

I'd love to receive a comment from you before you head on to the rest of the "A" team:

Dream It Up!

Leadonna Kimmel

Louise Healy

Laura Drahozal

Lynn Mercurio

Pam Hornschu

Jamie Martin

Happy Creating,

Louise
An InLinkz Link-up

Quick and Cute Challenge!

In a flurry of a hurry? This month the Dream Team are all about the Quick and Cute...whether that be cards, gifts, wrapping, or tags...we have sleigh-loads of ideas! Play along by posting your creations using the Inlinkz tool on the Dream It Up! blog, for a chance to win the stencil of your choice, and a possible bonus stencil for using Dreamweaver products in your Quick and Cute project! Here's what fun I've been up to this week:

Pine cones embossing folder - FG675, Merry Christmas stencil - LS92

FG675, LS92, LS25, Distress Inks - forest moss & gathered twigs,
Wendy Vecchi's Red Geranium Archival Ink, scraps of decorative paper, jingle bells

  Easy steps:

• Put the top part of the tag in the embossing folder and run it through your die cut machine
• Use foam applicators to lightly apply color to the pine cones and branch
• Tape the Merry Christmas stencil near the bottom of the tage
• Use a stencil brush and ink to add color to the words
• Rouge more green ink in the background of the tag
• Apply a small strip of decorative paper above the words (I went through my scrap buckets and found one)
• Decorate the back too, using the To/From part of LS25
• Embellish with jingle bells and May Arts ribbon!

The back is as beautiful as the front!

I have LOTS of scraps to choose from!!

I'd love to receive a comment from you before you head on to the rest of the "B" team:

Dream It Up!

Lyn Bernatovich

Louise Healy

Alison Heikkila

Kristine Reynolds

Pam Hornschu

Gill Wilson

Kristi Parker Van Doren 

Happy Creating,

Louise

An InLinkz Link-up

Quick and Cute!

In a flurry of a hurry? This month the Dream Team are all about the Quick and Cute...whether that be cards, gifts, wrapping, or tags...we have sleigh-loads of ideas! Play along by posting your creations using the Inlinkz tool on the Dream It Up! blog, for a chance to win the stencil of your choice, and a possible bonus stencil for using Dreamweaver products in your Quick and Cute project! Here's what fun I've been up to this week:

Envelope Gift Card Holder

Choose your envelope (this is an A2)

Score it down the middle

Fold it in half with the flap to the inside

Open it up and cut away the flap on the right side only, following the fold lines

Tape down the flap on the left side

Add a ribbon to the outside of the envelope, I love using Beacon Adhesives Fabri-Tac

Add decorative paper to the outside front

Use a stencil, inks and brushes to add a to/from (LS64)

Add decorative papers to the inside along with your to/from

Insert your gift card in the "pocket"

Tie it shut and put it in an envelope

I keep a stash of left over images from past projects. When I need to make something in a hurry (as I almost always need to do!) I go through these first to save time. The crackled holly on the front of this (LL3005) was left over from a long ago project and now has a new use!

I'd love to receive a comment from you before you head on to the rest of the "A" team:

Dream It Up!

Leadonna Kimmel

Louise Healy

Laura Drahozal

Lynn Mercurio

Pam Hornschu

Jamie Martin

Happy Creating,
Louise

An InLinkz Link-up

Happy Thanksgiving!

Warmest wishes to you and your family on this Thanksgiving Day 2014! I know I have a lot to be thankful for this year. I have had several opportunities to spend time with family and friends this year and I am especially grateful for that.
The most recent family event was at my niece's wedding in blustery MN. It snowed every day, and it was bitter cold, but none of us minded because we were having such a great time! (Well, ok, we minded a little!). Early this year I went up to MN to teach my niece and sister how to use a stencil and Black Matte Embossing Paste to decorate vases for the table decorations and favors for her fall-themed wedding. They caught on quickly and ended up making 130 of these beauties! Everyone was thrilled to take them home after the reception.

Checking out how it would work prior to the wedding

Set up on the day of the wedding

You could still see through to everyone at the table

Guest book table looked great too!

Now we will enjoy them on our Thanksgiving table!

By the way, the Dream Team are very THANKFUL when our followers are THOUGHTFUL enough to leave us a nice comment on our posts! Here's the "B" team lineup for this week, as well as our very special guest designer, Linda Neff!

Dream It Up!

Linda Neff (GD) 

Lyn Bernatovich

Louise Healy

Alison Heikkila

Kristine Reynolds

Pam Hornschu

Gill Wilson

Kristi Parker Van Doren

  

Happy Creating,
Louise
An InLinkz Link-up

Thoughtful and Thankful Week 3

As we officially head into the holiday season, the Dream Team are challenging all of our followers to be especially "Thankful and Thoughtful" during the month of November. We hope that you will link your creations with this theme in mind on the Dream It Up! blog using the Inlinkz tool. Our "thanks" to you is providing you with the opportunity to win the stencil of your choice, and a bonus stencil of our choosing could be yours for using Dreamweaver product(s) in your artwork. 

I regret to inform you that I did not get anything new made this week. I have been in snowy MN for a family wedding and reunion and just got back Wednesday. I had time to unpack the car, do some laundry, and repack the car to leave today for the One of a Kind show in Madison. Here are the samples from the classes I will be teaching on Friday and Sunday.

Molten Magic Technique

Double Glitter Technique

Framed Butterflies

In addition to those three Dreamweaver Classes, I will be team teaching the Seasonal Tower Class with Dirk (a wonderful, creative friend of mine!).

By the way, the Dream Team are very THANKFUL when our followers are THOUGHTFUL enough to leave us a nice comment on our posts! Here's the "A" team lineup for this week, as well as our very special guest designer, Linda Neff!

Dream It Up!

Linda Neff (GD)

Leadonna Kimmel

Louise Healy

Laura Drahozal

Lynn Mercurio

Pam Hornschu

Jamie Martin

Happy Creating,

Louise

An InLinkz Link-up

Thankful and Thoughtful Week 2

As we officially head into the holiday season, the Dream Team are challenging all of our followers to be especially "Thankful and Thoughtful" during the month of November. We hope that you will link your creations with this theme in mind on the Dream It Up! blog using the Inlinkz tool. Our "thanks" to you is providing you with the opportunity to win the stencil of your choice, and a bonus stencil of our choosing could be yours for using Dreamweaver product(s) in your artwork. 

I am very thankful for the opportunity to be working for one of the most thoughtful people I have ever met, Lynell Harlow. She is our queen of stencils and is an amazing woman! Thank you Lynell for your friendship, kindness and generosity and for letting be part of this wonderful team of designers.
I'm also thankful for Pinterest! You can get great inspiration from there! My creation today was inspired by a Starburst card layout I saw, click here to see the Pin. I'm rather addicted to Dreamweaver Stencils, so this layout inspired me to use quite a few of them in by design today. Here's what I'm posting for you today:

Starburst Dreamweaver Style!

Inside LJ832 - Cornucopia 

I embossed all the background designs on white cardstock. Used a large stencil brush to apply color to them, then gently swiped the ink pad over just the embossed areas to make them darker, then cut and place them as described in the Pin. If you watch the video she gives the dimensions for all the layers. But here's a quick list of the stencils I used and the paper dimensions.
Stencils for the star burst pattern: LJ907 Damask, LJ910 Rolling hills, LJ912 Triangle weave, LJ913 Houndstooth, LJ914 Herringbone, LJ915 Opto checkerboard.
LJ906 Maple Branch was pasted with Matte Yellow Embossing Paste, stenciled with color when dry, then cut out and mounted on brown cardstock die cut from DD001 Nesting Frames.
The beautiful ribbon is from May Arts. Click here to see all the wonderful products from Dreamweaver Stencils.

One more note. Next week I will be teaching three Dreamweaver classes at the One of a Kind Show in Madison, WI, plus demoing all day Saturday at the Door County Rubber Stamps booth. Be sure to stop by and say hello if you're at the show. If you want more information click on the show name above.

By the way, the Dream Team are very THANKFUL when our followers are THOUGHTFUL enough to leave us a nice comment on our posts! Here's the "B" team lineup for this week, as well as our very special guest designer, Linda Neff!

Dream It Up!

Linda Neff (GD) 

Lyn Bernatovich

Louise Healy

Alison Heikkila

Kristine Reynolds

Pam Hornschu

Gill Wilson

Kristi Parker Van Doren

  

Happy Creating,
Louise
An InLinkz Link-up

Thankful and Thoughtful

As we officially head into the holiday season, the Dream Team are challenging all of our followers to be especially "Thankful and Thoughtful" during the month of November. We hope that you will link your creations with this theme in mind on the Dream It Up! blog using the Inlinkz tool. Our "thanks" to you is providing you with the opportunity to win the stencil of your choice, and a bonus stencil of our choosing could be yours for using Dreamweaver product(s) in your artwork.

This time of year always reminds me to be thankful for my family and friends. I love creating cards for all the various holidays throughout the year and sending them to the special people in my life. What I have discovered over the years is that people LOVE getting handmade cards and most of them appreciate the time and love we put in to making them. The card I'm posting today has several steps but creates such a serene image perfect for this reflective season. It would be great for fall birthdays, sympathy, or Thanksgiving cards. Here's what I created for you today:

How to:

• Emboss a piece of smooth cream cardstock (4" x 5 1/4") using the LX7002 Plaid stencil
• Lightly brush over the embossed image with Distress Ink Vintage Photo ink
• Mount on the front of a black A2 card
• Place the LX7027 Quatrefoil stencil on cream cardstock (2" x 4")and stencil on Vintage Photo ink, mat on a piece of black cardstock (2 1/8" x 4")
• Add a beautiful ribbon from May Arts across the Quatrefoil design
• Adhere over the Plaid layer
• Cut a cream mat 2 5/8" x 3 3/8" and a black mat 2 3/4" x 3 1/2"
• Rouge edge of cream mat with Vintage Photo ink
• Adhere the cream mat to the black mat, use foam tape to attach over the band of Quatrefoil
• Use the DD001 Nesting frames die to cut a frame from smooth cream cardstock using the second smallest frame die
• Rouge edges with Vintage Photo ink
• Adhere to the cream mat
• Tape LG754 Oak leaves stencil to smooth cream cardstock using removable tape
• Apply Matte Black Embossing Paste using a palette knife and paste spreader
• Sprinkle wet paste with Distress Embossing Powder in a combination of brown tones, press in lightly
• Remove and clean the stencil
• Heat emboss the powder using a heat tool, let paste dry completely
• Cut out one of the leaves and adhere on the small frame

By the way, the Dream Team are very THANKFUL when our followers are THOUGHTFUL enough to leave us a nice comment on our posts! Here's the "A" team lineup for this week, as well as our very special guest designer, Linda Neff!

Dream It Up!

Linda Neff (GD)

Leadonna Kimmel

Louise Healy

Laura Drahozal

Lynn Mercurio

Pam Hornschu

Jamie Martin

Happy Creating,

Louise

An InLinkz Link-up