Spring Clean (and simple)

The "extra" day of February didn't seem to help me catch up with everything I wanted to accomplish last month! But here we go with March and a new challenge from Dreamweaver Stencils. Thank you to everyone who play along with us last month, it definitely was challenging to come up with multiple creations using the "Green" theme! During the month of March our theme will be Spring Clean (and simple), meaning keep your design simple with clean lines (well, that's how I'm interpreting it at least).
Spring is one of my favorite times of year (fall's my other). I love the longer days, the warmth from the sun, the bulbs starting to grow, new life everywhere. Spring also brings the Easter season, and the beautiful new Open cross (LJ918) from Dreamweaver is the perfect design for your Easter cards. Its clean, simple lines fit the challenge theme perfectly. Here's  what I created with it:

With a little touch of Zentangle added to the open design, this cross suits the clean and simple theme of this month's challenge. Here are the steps:

• Tape the Open cross stencil to white cardstock
• Use an 01 or 02 black Micron pen to outline the design
• Remove the stencil
• Use a pencil to lightly form the curves of the vine
• Use the Micron to create your vine and add leaves all along it
• Add some scrolls to each section of the cross
• Color with COPIC markers
• Mount on a small black mat, then onto a green card
• Simple but beautiful, the perfect Easter card

I hope you will take the time to play along with us this month. Don't forget, you have all month to add a link to your creation or email Lynell a photo and she will post it for you. And, of course, you won't want to miss the other designers' blogs to see what Spring Clean(ing) they have created today. Just click on their names below to "spring" over to their sites (sorry, I just had to say it!).

DREAM it UP!

Pam Hornschu
Laura Drahozal
Wendy Jordan
Terrece Siddoway
Kristi Van Doren
Georgia Sommers
Lee Kellogg
Liz Martin
Cyndi Bundy
Cherylynn Moser
Jessie Hurley 

My upcoming classes are at The Cottage Stamper in St. Charles, IL on Tuesday, March 13th, and at Stampology Chicago on Saturday, March 17th. Both classes are featuring Zentangle with Dreamweaver Stencils. Check out their websites for samples.

Happy Creating,

Louise

Sneak Peeks Day 3

Wow, this week is flying by. I've been busy, busy, busy creating more samples with the beautiful new stencils from Dreamweaver Stencils. It has been so much fun and it will be great to finally meet up with the other team members at CHA to get more great ideas! Be sure to let your local store know you are anxiously awaiting the arrival of these fabulous designs!
Today I am featuring the new Tall Poppy stencil (LL3023). It have a retro feel to it , and lends itself well to many techniques. This one uses the Stampee Foils (purple and green), black Fun Flock, and crystal glitter. The new thank you stencil (LS1009) was the perfect finishing touch.  The Tall Poppy will be the featured stencil in my upcoming class at Stampology Chicago on February 18.

Speaking of upcoming classes, here are the cards we will be doing at The Cottage Stamper on February 7th.  This class is featuring two stencils,  LM136 Water Lily, and LS1006 Sm THANKS, both yours to take home after the class.

I hope you have the time to stop over at the rest of the team blogs to see more sneak peeks. We just love being able to share our ideas with you and always welcome your comments!

DREAM it UP!

Pam Hornschu
Laura Drahozal
Wendy Jordan
Terrece Siddoway
Kristi Van Doren
Georgia Sommers
Lee Kellogg
Liz Martin
Cyndi Bundy
Cherylynn Moser
Jessie Hurley

Happy Creating,
Louise

Thursday Dream Scheme

Welcome to another Dreamweaver Stencils Thursday Dream Scheme! If this is your first visit, thanks for joining us! Every Thursday the Dreamweaver Design Team posts creations using the beautiful products from Dreamweaver Stencils. Sometimes we are given a challenge (usually either sketch challenges or color challenges), and sometimes we are free to create whatever we choose. This week is a free design week, so be sure to check out all the wonderful ideas from the whole team.
Lynell recently released some beautiful new stencils that are 6" x 6" and were inspired by Hawaiian quilt patterns. Check them all out by clicking on this link. Aren't they fabulous! This week I am sharing with you a piece of framed art that I created using the Torch Ginger (LX7008) stencil.

The technique was simple. Tape the stencil to a piece of white linen cardstock (6" x 6"). Use stencil brushes, the Picasso (LL332), and Brilliance Inks to color the design. Remove the stencil, clean and dry it, then tape it back over the colored image.  Apply Dreamweaver Translucent Embossing Paste (DEPT) over the image using the Paste Spreader (LM2010). This new tool is just perfect for these large stencils! Remove the stencil, clean and dry it, always making sure you keep your stencil flat while you wash and dry it. While the paste was drying, I cut my other layers: a small black layer to edge my design (6 1/4" x 6 1/4"); a lighter green layer to compliment the image (7 1/4" x 7 1/4"); another small layer of black (7 1/2" x 7 1/2"); a dark green layer (8 1/2" x 8 1/2"); and a final layer of black (8 3/4" x 8 3/4"). The white mat around the image came with the black frame (10" x 10"), so I used it as my final layer. I removed the glass from the frame before adding my artwork (the translucent paste will protect the image). This could be a great gift for those quilters in your life (or just for you!).

My schedule for the next few weeks is:
Saturday, November 12, 2011 - 1:00 pm Stampology Chicago - Dreamweaver Class
Thursday, December 1, 2011 - 6:30 pm The Cottage Stamper - Dreamweaver Class
Tuesday, December 6, 2011 - 12:30 pm and 6:00 pm The Cottage Stamper - Christmas Mirror
Tuesday, December 13, 2011 - 12:30 pm The Cottage Stamper - Dreamweaver Class (repeat of 12/1)

Hope to see you in a class if you are in the area.
Now head over to the DREAM it UP! blog for more inspiration, then off to the other team members to see what they came up with this week!
Happy Creating,
Louise

Fall is in the air!

There is defiantly a chill in the evening now, but I love this time of year! Bright, sunny days and crisp, clear nights, fall is a beautiful season! The trees here in northern IL have started to turn colors and the days are getting shorter and shorter (it's the one part of fall that I don't like). Fall is all about colors. The beautiful shades of reds, oranges, golds, browns and greens, with a little purple here and there, blend together into a gorgeous collage everywhere you look!

This week's Dreamweaver Stencils Thursday Dream Scheme is a designer's choice week, so I just had to use some of those great fall colors when I created this week.  Here's what I came up with for you:

I know you don't normally associate a fern with fall, but this beautiful Sm fern frond (LM2006) stencil just seemed perfect for the serene feel I was going for on this project. The backgrounds were done with alcohol inks on glossy cardstock, the fern was paste embossed with Glossy Black Embossing Paste, edged with a black marker and it was all layered onto a black card. VERY easy!

Check out more great ideas on the Dream Team blogs, just click on their names on the left side of my blog,  Click here for the DREAM it UP! blog.

If you are in the Chicagoland area here's my upcoming schedule:

• Saturday, Sept. 24, 2011 - 10am - 12n Dreamweaver Demo and Trunk Show at Stampology Chicago
• Saturday, Sept 24, 2011 - 1pm - 3pm Zentangle Class at Stampology Chicago
• Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2011 - 12:30pm - 3:00 pm Dreamweaver Mirror Class at The Cottage Stamper
• Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2011 - 6:30pm - 9:00pm Dreamweaver Mirror Class at The Cottage Stamper
• Thursday, Sept 29, 2011 - 6:30 pm - 8:30pm Dreamweaver Demo and Trunk Show at Stampology Chicago
• and if you're feeling adventurous, Saturday, Oct. 1, 2011 - 12n - 3pm Dreamweaver Demo at Artist and Display in Milwaukee for National Card Making Day.

Hope to see some of you there!
Happy Creating,
Louise

Thursday Dream Schemes

Hard to believe but it's Thursday already! Time for our Dreamweaver Stencils Thursday Dream Scheme challenge of the week.  We have another designer's choice this week so I thought I'd share this sweet, summery little notecard with you.

It just has that hot summer day feel doesn't it. Try this easy technique while you enjoy some air conditioning on these 100 degree days, it very simple.  Tape your stencil (I used Dreamweaver's LL582 Mum crest stencil) to white paper and use small stencil brushes to add color to the design. I used a pretty heavy coat of Brilliance Rocket Red and Thyme for this.  Remove and clean the stencil then tape it back over the stenciled image and  put a coat of Translucent Embossing Paste over it. Remove the stencil and immediately sprinkle the wet paste with crystal glitter.  Set it aside to dry, then mount into a great notecard that you can use for any occasion. Try it, you'll like it!
Check out the DREAM it UP! blog and all the other great designs on the Dream Team blogs.  We love hearing from everyone and use the Mr. Linky on Lynell's blog to share your work with us.
Happy Creating,
Louise

Spring is in the Air!

The days are getting longer,

The sun is getting stronger,

It won't be much longer,

'Til spring is here at last!

I can't help myself! I really need it to be spring! So when this week's Thursday Dream Scheme from Dreamweaver Stencils was Designer's Choice, I knew I had to show something springy.  This is a card I recently created for a Lunch Card Exchange Club I go to each month. It gives me hope that nice weather is right around the corner.

I started with Dreamweaver Stencils LM257, Heliconia Butterfly, on the inside of one of their Long Oval White Window cards.  Tape the stencil in the upper right corner making sure it is centered in the window. Use small stencil brushes to add color to the butterfly.  I used several different Brilliance Inks to create a little shading on the wings.  Let that dry well, or use a heat tool to set the ink.  Place a piece of vellum (cut the size of the front of the card) over the stenciled butterfly. Place your clean, dry stencil back over the image (on top of the vellum), then shift it just a little up and to either side.  Tape the stencil in place and spread Regular Embossing Paste (Matte White) over the stencil. Remove the stencil and carefully sprinkle the paste with crystal glitter. Let dry. Adhere the vellum piece to the inside front of the card so the pasted butterfly shows through the window with the colored butterfly behind it. Add a pretty ribbon, and maybe some pearl strips around the window (several of the ones I did for club had pearl strips around the opening and it was very pretty, but I ran out).  When your lucky recipient opens the card, they'll see a beautiful, glittery butterfly on the outside, and a lovely, springy butterfly on the inside.  Give it a try, it's easy!
Check out the DREAM it UP! blog, as well as all the other Dream Team blogs for more inspirational samples!
Happy Creating,
Louise

Upcoming Class

Aren't these little owls wonderful! They are called Owl Pair (LL3013) and are part of the new release from Dreamweaver Stencils. We'll be working with this great stencil in my class at The Cottage Stamper in St. Charles, IL on March 15th. If you're in the area, give Nancy at The Cottage Stamper a call to sign up to be part of the fun!

Check back on Thursday for more great samples from the Dream Team, we'll be sharing our creations based on a sketch challenge we've been given.

Thank you to everyone who participated in our Valentine's Day Hop, it was so much fun! Tracey was the lucky winner from my blog. Congratulations Tracey!

Happy Creating,
Louise

Upcoming Class

Hi everyone. Well, it is a beautiful, snowy day here in Illinois on this special 1-11-11 day! We already have a couple of inches and it is supposed to snow the rest of the day. It's lovely if you don't have to go anywhere but I sure hope we don't get 11 inches!
Today I want to tell you about an upcoming class using one of the new Dreamweaver Stencils images called Lovebirds Heart (LL3011). On Tuesday, January 18, 2011, I will be teaching at The Cottage Stamper in St. Charles, IL. Check out their website for times and cost. If you are in the area, we would love to have you join us for a couple of hours, but you do have to call and register.








The class is designed to use one stencil three different ways to demonstrate the versatility of stencils. We use a variety of products to create three beautiful cards. The stencil is yours to take home after the class so you can be inspired to try these designs again, or come up with your own ideas.

Hope to see you in class.

Happy Creating,

Louise

Class Cards

I never tire of working with the beautiful stencils from Dreamweaver Stencils. Here are the cards we'll be making at my next class at The Cottage Stamper, in St. Charles, IL on December 7th. This is stencil LG625, Flowers and Leaves, and as you can see, it is amazing how different it looks depending on the technique. I'll have more details on these after the class.
Happy Creating,
Louise