Thursday, May 29, 2014

Flora and Fauna Week 5!


The Dream Team has an extra week this month to inspire you with some extra fun this week! Not only are we posting with the Flora and Fauna challenge, but last week we introduced you to our THREE NEWLY RELEASED DESIGNS...our Owl Buddy, the Open Sheep, and the art nouveau-inspired Heron, which you had a sneak peek at a few weeks ago on the Dream It Up! blog. Last week I used the beautiful new Heron design, so this week I decided to use the new Open Sheep stencil to create a baby card for a friend of mine who just had a baby yesterday! Here's what I came up with:


It's VERY simple. Paste emboss the Open Sheep with Regular Embossing Paste using a palette knife and paste spreader. Before taking the stencil off, add a little more paste to the tip of the palette knife and dab it around the body and head, adding more paste when necessary. This creates a cute "fluffy" look. Remove the stencil and let the paste dry thoroughly. The drying process will take quite a bit longer due to the thickness of the sculpted paste, patience is a virtue! I pasted on a cute yellow paper with little white dots, then layered on white and back on the same yellow. The little white ric rak is from May Arts.

Be sure to stop over at the other team member blogs to see what they've created for you this week:

Happy Creating,
Louise

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Thursday, May 22, 2014

Dreamweaver Flora and Fauna Week 4!


The Dream Team is ready to inspire you with some extra fun this week! Not only are we posting with the Flora and Fauna challenge, we are introducing you to our THREE NEWLY RELEASED DESIGNS...our Owl Buddy, the Open Sheep, and the art nouveau-inspired Heron, which you had a sneak peek at two weeks ago on the Dream It Up! blog. Three lucky commenters on the Dream Team's posts will receive one of these designs to be announced on the Dream It Up! blog next week. Tell us in your comment which technique YOU would use with your favorite of these new designs.

One of our stores in La Crosse, WI (Stamp 'N Hand), had requested a sample of the Paddle fan (LJ826) from me so I decided to incorporate it with the new Heron (LG757) for week's creation so it could do double duty! (I was going to say "kill two birds with one stone", but that just seemed cruel considering our theme this month!) Here is what I created this week...

Paddle fan (LJ826) with Heron (LG757) overlay
this is the one I sent to Stamp 'N Hand

Paddle fan (LJ826) with Heron (LG757) overlay
I kept this one as my sample
These were created following the same steps:

  • Dry emboss the Paddle fan on white cardstock using a die cut machine and rubber embossing mat
  • With the stencil still in place, use 1/2" stencil brushes to lightly add some color around the edges of the fan, and on the handle (I used Distress Inks - scattered straw & spiced marmalade in the "sky", salty ocean & faded jeans in the "water", and vintage photo & walnut stain in the handle)
  • Wipe any ink off the fan stencil and tape back in place with removable tape, use removable tape over the handle opening so no paste gets on the handle
  • Lay the Heron stencil over the fan area and tape in place
  • Use a palette knife and paste spreader to apply Matte Black Embossing Paste over the design
  • Carefully remove both stencils and let the paste dry about 10 minutes
  • Use a soft brush to gently apply Metallic F/X powders on the paste (I used Kiwi on the leaves, Cocoa on the tree trunk, Navajo Sky on the water, and on the top one Moonstone on the Heron - then used a pin to scrap a little eye, the lower one I left the Heron black) 
  • Let the paste dry completely then use a piece of Swiffer cloth or a soft rag to gently wipe off any extra powders
  • Mount on a black mat, then onto a colored card. I love how different they look just based on color selection!
By this point I was on a roll, so I decided to use the same color scheme and stencil to create my cards for a monthly lunch club card exchange group I belong to, but using the required technique instead. Here's how that turned out:
Masking Tape ink transfer technique in the background,
LG757 Heron in Matte Black Embossing Paste w/FX powders

Close up you can see the lines of color transferred on the tape, I used
1" green painters tape
Ready for more ideas? Check out our this week's team players:

Louise Healy

Happy Creating,
Louise


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Thursday, May 15, 2014

Dreamweaver Flora and Fauna Week 3!

Welcome to the merry month of May! The Dream Team are challenging you this month to a "Flora and Fauna" theme! Considering most of the Dreamweaver designs incorporate both of these in the huge variety of stencils, you should have no problem playing along with our challenge this month! As usual, link your creations at the end of the Dream It Up! blog post, or at the end of our posts where it says, "Add Your Link".

My dear friend, Pam Hornschu (our team leader) was here last week to help me with the Dreamweaver Certification class. After class was over, we were able to spend Friday shopping in downtown Geneva, IL and the outlets in Aurora. It was a real treat to just be together. In one of the shops in Geneva, I saw a lovely framed picture of two moths. I loved the colors and composition of it, but, of course didn't buy it because "I can make that!"  So here's what I've been playing with this week to "re-create" piece I saw...

LM257 and LM255
bkgd LJ807


Close up of the stenciled butterflies
The beautiful Scallop butterfly (LM255) and the Heliconia butterfly (LM257) worked perfectly together to create a wonderful piece of wall art and it was so easy!
  • Cut a piece of natural cardstock 3 3/4" x 5 1/2"
  • Use removable tape to hold the two stencil to the paper
  • Stencil in color with 1/4" stencil brushes and Distress inks (I used broken china, faded jeans, brushed corduroy, and gathered twigs), use the Picasso (LL332) to help with color placement
  • Remove both stencils and use a 1/2" or 3/4" brush to rouge the gathered twig ink around the outside of the images
  • Mount the butterflies on a brown mat cut 4 1/4" x 6"
  • Cut a piece of blue cardstock 5" x 7"  and distress with the gathered twigs ink
  • Use foam mounting tape to add the butterflies to the blue mat
  • Cut a piece of natural cardstock 8" x 10" and distress lightly with gathered twigs and broken china inks
  • Lay the Angles stencil (LJ807) in one corner of the background paper and hold in place with removable tape
  • Stencil with gathered twigs, move the stencil over, lining up part of the design and stencil again, repeating all around the edge of the paper until completely around the edge
  • Adhere the matted butterflies over the background design, and put it in a frame
The nice thing about pieces like this is that you can make them any color you need them to be to match your decor.
See what our other team members have created today!

Louise Healy

Happy Creating,
Louise

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Thursday, May 8, 2014

Flora and Fauna Dreamweaver Style Round 2

Welcome to the merry month of May! The Dream Team are challenging you this month to a "Flora and Fauna" theme! Considering most of the Dreamweaver designs incorporate both of these in the huge variety of stencils, you should have no problem playing along with our challenge this month! As usual, link your creations at the end of the Dream It Up! blog post, or at the end of our posts where it says, "Add Your Link". As the challenge gets underway, you'll see thumbnails of others who are playing along as inspirations for your own creations!
This week I have been busy teaching the Dreamweaver Stencils Certification 2 class along with Pam Hornschu in Geneva IL. Here are a few pics of the class!
Karren from Memories and Beyond, Downers Grove, IL

Carla from Pearl Street Stamping, Tremont, IL
Teachers Margaret and Joan

Jean from Stampin' n Scrapin' Fun, Marshfield, WI
Michelle from Michelle's Crafts, Hayward, WI

Marilyn from Stamp Thyme, Lockport, IL
Pam Hornschu our fearless Dream Team leader!
I have loved the Stylized Dahlia stencil (LG743) ever since it was released. When I'm in a hurry and need a quick, beautiful card I know I can use this stencil and create one in no time. Here are my creations for this week:

LG743 - Stylized dahlia using Pearlescent Embossing Paste and Metallic F/X Powders

LG743 - Stylized dahlia using Glossy White Embossing Paste and glitter
Please welcome our new "B" team, officially posting for the first time!



 Happy Creating,
Louise
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Thursday, May 1, 2014

Flora and Fauna Dreamweaver Style!

Welcome to the merry month of May! The Dream Team are challenging you this month to a "Flora and Fauna" theme! Considering most of the Dreamweaver designs incorporate both of these in the huge variety of stencils, you should have no problem playing along with our challenge this month! As usual, link your creations at the end of the Dream It Up! blog post, or at the end of our posts where it says, "Add Your Link". As the challenge gets underway, you'll see thumbnails of others who are playing along as inspirations for your own creations! Speaking of inspirations...the month of April was our Inspirations month, and we had so many that linked with us! So exciting! Our randomly chosen winner for April is...JULIE STAVES! Check out two of her creations...

Congrats, Julie! Be sure to email lynell@dreamweaverstencils.com with your choice of stencil, and your address!

Here is my creation for this week:

LM148 - Birdhouse and LX7014 - Daisy Background
Doesn't this combination just make you long for the warmth of a beautiful summer day! If you live in the mid-west it does. We are having another stretch of cold weather so this card makes me feel hopeful that it will be warm again soon.
This was created with the following steps:

  • Emboss the Daisy background stencil (LX7014) on white cardstock using either a light box and stylus, or a die cut machine and rubber embossing mat
  • Repeat on a second piece of cardstock
  • Leave the stencil in place on the embossed design and use small 1/4" stencil brushes to add color to the daisies 
  • I used one of the small holes in the Picasso (LL332) to help me keep the brown ink from the centers away from my yellows
  • Repeat coloring on the second embossed image, but you only have to color the whole flowers to cut out
  • Cut out three flowers from the second background adhere to dark brown cardstock and cut around them again
  • Mix about a tablespoon of Glossy White embossing paste with 1/4 tsp red tube acrylic paint to create a deep pink paste
  • Tape the Birdhouse stencil (LM148) to with cardstock with removable tape
  • Use a palette knife and paste spreader to apply the pink paste over the design
  • Remove the stencil and place in water for cleaning
  • Let the paste dry (the extra paste can be saved in a tightly sealed container)
  • When the paste is dry, brush a light coat of yellow ink around the edges, then mount on a small dark brown mat
  • Mount the Daisy background on dark brown cardstock, add the birdhouse, then the three extra daisies, use foam tape on the last daisy
Please welcome our new "A" team, officially posting for the first time!

Louise Healy

Happy Creating,
Louise


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