Artfully Articulate

Thursday, January 31, 2013

Fresh as a Daisy!

It's hard to believe that January is over already! Every year seems to go by faster than the last, man I must be getting old! I have really enjoyed our Dreamweaver Stencils January challenge theme of "A Fresh Start", it has gotten creative juices flowing for a lot of people other than just our Dream Team. Click on this link to see the list of people participating in this month's challenge, then click on their name to go to their blog and see their wonderful creations. Thanks to all who played along with us this month.
When I hear "fresh start" it reminds me of that old saying "fresh as a daisy", so this week I have used two of Dreamweaver's beautiful daisy stencils, LL548 - Daisies, and LL549 - Tall daisies to create my card. Winter has definitely made an appearance this week, so this card offers the promise of Spring right around the corner!

Here are the easy steps:

Tape both stencils to pieces of Authentique "Gifted" paper (PUN006) with removable tape
Use a palette knife and paste spreader (LM2010) to apply Dreamweaver Regular Embossing Paste over each stencil (this is a matte finish white paste)
Remove and clean the stencils
Let the paste dry completely (about 20 minutes should be fine)
Place the clean dry stencil back over the dry paste and use small stencil brushes to apply ink to the centers of the daisies and leaves
Use a 3/4" stencil brush to rouge a little pink ink around the edges of the paper
Layer each of the daisy images onto a piece of pink Bazzill cardstock
Tie a small white ribbon around the smaller daisies and tie a bow
Make a 5" x 7" card and attach a piece of the pink Bazzill paper to the front
Rouge some pink ink around a piece of coordinating decorative cardstock (I used an older collection from American Crafts called I Do - Amaryllis, but any pretty paper will do!)
Adhere the decorative paper, then add the Tall Daisies near the left side of the card front
Use foam tape to attach the smaller Daisies image

The matte white paste is perfect for coloring on top of so it is easy to create in any of your favorite colors. We hope you will consider joining in our challenges. It gives you a reason to get creative, it's fun, and best of all - you might win a prize! Just create a card or project using stencils and add a link on the DREAM it UP! blog using the Mr. Linky tool, or email a picture of your design to lynell@dreamweaverstencils.com, it couldn't be easier.
The rest of team has some more "fresh" ideas for you, so check out their blogs too.

Happy Creating,
Louise

Thursday, January 24, 2013

A Fresh Start

January is flying by, how can it be so close to Valentine's Day already! I feel like we just finished mailing Christmas cards and now I need to get working on Valentines, but I love a good excuse for spending time making cards. Next week I'll show you the results.
For this week's Dreamweaver Stencils challenge, we continue the theme of "A Fresh Start" for the new year. Here is a card I created for CHA using the Stars stencil (LX7017), along with the Electric Guitar (LL3028) and the newly released Guitar Words stencil (LG750). It's perfect for the "rocker" in your life!

Follow these easy steps to create your own card:

Tape the Star stencil to black cardstock with removable tape
Use a palette knife and paste spreader to apply Metallic Gold Embossing Paste across the Stars
Remove the stencil and place in water for cleaning later
Sprinkle the wet paste with a variety of Metallic F/X Mica Powders (I use a soft paint brush to pick up some powder and tap it off over the wet paste)
Use a heat gun to heat the paste and powders until the paste is bubbly all over
Let cool, then wipe gently with a Swiffer cloth
Tape off the "You Rock!" words on the Guitar Words stencil
Repeat the steps above to apply paste and powders to the words, heat until bubbly
Tape the Electric Guitar stencil to black cardstock with removable tape
Apply Metallic Gold Embossing Paste, remove stencil and let paste dry
Clean and dry the stencil
Place the clean dry Guitar stencil back over the dry paste
Use a foam applicator to tap Palette Stamp and Stick glue over the Gold Paste
Remove the stencil and clean
Let the Stamp and Stick sit for several minutes to get tacky
Lay a sheet of Red Leafing over the Guitar and use a 3/4" stencil brush to tap the leafing in place
Use the brush in a rouging motion to remove any extra leafing
Cut out the Guitar
Layer the Stars and words on purple mats
Use foam tape to pop the words and Guitar on top of the Stars

Stop over at the rest of the team blogs for more fresh ideas! Submit your own creations for the chance to win a great prize, just follow the instructions on the Dream It UP! blog.

Happy Creating,
Louise

Thursday, January 17, 2013

A Fresh Start Week 3

CHA is over and fresh ideas are swarming around in my head! It is always so inspirational to walk the aisles and see new products and ideas everywhere. Exhausting, but exhilarating at the same time. We met a lot of new contacts to work with this next year to bring you "fresh" ways to use your Dreamweaver Stencils with other great products on the market! Here are a few pictures from the show.

Louise & Pam, Pam & Georgia
Rebekka, Jennifer

One piece I did for CHA was using the beautiful canvas pieces from Canvas Corp LLC. Here's what I came up with using Dreamweaver's fabulous new Leafless tree stencil (LX7020) and canvases from Canvas Corp. They worked perfectly together.

LX7020 - Matte Black Embossing Paste
with Distress Embossing Powders

Here's how to do it:

Use a foam brush to apply a coat of claudine hellmuth Studio gesso from Ranger to the 10" x 10" canvas
Let dry
Tape the Tree stencil to the upper left corner of the canvas with removable tape
Use a large stencil brush to apply brown ink over the image
Use a smaller stencil brush to apply some black ink over the brown
Move the stencil to the lower right corner and repeat the inking steps
Rouge the edges of the canvas with the ink remaining in the brown brush, you may need to add more ink
Set aside to dry
Apply Ranger Adirondack Acrylic Paint Dabber Pebble to a 6" x 6" canvas, not completely covering the surface
Dry gently with a heat gun or let air dry
Tape the Leafless Tree stencil (LX7020) to the painted canvas with removable tape
Use a palette knife and paste spreader (LM2010) to apply Dreamweaver Matte Black Embossing Paste (DMBP) across the stencil
Remove the stencil and lightly sprinkle the wet paste with a mix of Distress Embossing Powders Vintage Photo and Walnut Stain
Heat gently to set the powder, then let dry completely
Wrap black twine from May Arts at angles around the larger canvas attaching in the back
Attach the tree canvas to the larger canvas with Tacky Glue

Please take some time to enjoy more fresh ideas from our other team members.

Happy Creating,
Louise

Thursday, January 10, 2013

A Fresh Start Week 2

Hello from sunny, beautiful southern California! I arrived Tuesday for a fun-filled week of events for our winter CHA show. The weather is beautiful and the views from Lynell's house are amazing! The first events start Thursday and end next Tuesday, so we will be busy showing the new stencils and FX powder colors to everyone who'll listen! Hopefully, I'll get around to see all the other wonderful new products too. CHA is always a great source of inspiration for me, the creativity shown in all the booths is amazing.
Our Dreamweaver theme this month is "A Fresh Start", the perfect theme for the beginning of the new year. We hope one of your resolutions this year will be to play along with our monthly challenges. Who knows, you could win some great prizes! Just add a link to your project on the DREAM it UP! blog, or email a photo of your creation to Lynell at lynell@dreamweaverstencils.com and she will post it on her blog. It's a great excuse for getting out your Dreamweaver products and having some "play" time!

LL3029 and LG749

This week I have paired up the new Dog Words stencil (LG749) with the Dog stencil (LL3029) to create this fun little card that could be perfect as a Valentine card for the dog lovers in your life. He's very easy.

Tape the Dog stencil to green cardstock with removable tape
Use the palette knife and paste spreader to apply Matte Black Embossing Paste across the stencil
Remove and clean the stencil
Let the black paste dry for about ten minutes, it won't be completely dry but will have enough of a crust to work on
Use a soft paint brush to gently brush metallic F/X Cocoa powder (FX18) on the dog and Pixie Blush (09) on the nose and collar
Let the image finish drying completely
Cut a piece of cream cardstock 4 1/4" x 9 3/4" and score it 5 1/2" from one end, the short side will become the front of the card
Tape the Dog Words stencil to the right side of the card (it is actually the right edge of the inside of the card) so the little paws go up the side
Use a small stencil brush to add color to the paws, you will have to do one set then move the stencil up to add more paw prints
Tape the Dog Words to a small piece of cream cardstock and use a small stencil brush to color the "I Wuff You!"
Layer everything up on coordinating papers for a fun,whimsical card!

Be sure to stop over at the rest of team blogs for more fresh inspiration! Just click on their names below.

Happy Creating,

Louise

Thursday, January 3, 2013

A Fresh New Challenge!

Happy New Year! I hope that you and yours will have a happy, healthy 2013!

A fresh new year brings a fresh new challenge for the Dreamweaver Stencils design team. Our January challenge is "A Fresh Start", the perfect theme for the new year. We hope that you will consider playing along with our challenges this year, it's a great way to "freshen up" you skills with your Dreamweaver products! Just link your creation over at the DREAM it UP! blog or email a picture to lynell@dreamweaverstencils.com you could win some great prizes!

This week I am posting a card that features the beautiful new RuffledHeart (LG747) stencil that I will be showcasing in my January classes. While it makes for a wonderful, beautiful Valentine card just in time for that holiday that's right around the corner, today I am using it as a way to wish a wonderful, beautiful friend of mine a VERY Happy Birthday! So Happy Birthday to Lynell, our fabulously talented leader who is always a source of inspiration to me! This one's for you

LG747 - Glossy red embossing paste and glitter

The colors and floral pattern remind me that the days are definitely getting longer and spring will be here before we know it (OK maybe I'm being a little too optimistic for northern IL, but we can always dream). This card will be part of my class at Memories and Beyond on Thursday, January 17th along with two more cards featuring this great new stencil. Check out my January schedule in the Class Schedule section on the right side of my blog.

Don't miss the rest of the teams' ideas too. Just click on their names below.

Happy Creating,

Louise

Thursday, December 27, 2012

Frosty Fun!

The joy of the holidays is still going strong at our house. I just love having everyone home!.The added excitement of having a baby in the house again has made this an amazing Christmas. Here they all are on Christmas morning.

We are truly blessed to have such wonderful children and are spending this week enjoying every minute we can with them, so for this week's Dreamweaver Stencil challenge I am going to share a very simple card that I may have shown before. It makes a wonderful thank you note for all the wonderful gifts you received!

The steps are so easy:

Dry emboss the mittens (LJ923) on white cardstock either with a light box and stylus or through a die cut machine
With the mitten stencil still in place over the embossed design, lay the Plaid stencil (LX7002) at an angle over the mittens
Use a large stencil brush to brush on your lighter color (the purple on mine), be sure to do the strings too
Remove the plaid stencil and clean it
Place the plaid stencil back over the mittens crossing over the opposite direction
Use a large stencil brush to brush on your second color
Remove and clean both stencils
Mount on coordinating colored mats for a fun wintery card!

Don't miss the rest of the teams' ideas too. Just click on their names below.

Wishing you and yours a very Happy New Year!
Happy Creating,
Louise

Thursday, December 20, 2012

We're in the final count down to Christmas! I just got back last night from 10 days of Grandma bliss, I am so thankful for the time I have gotten to spend with our beautiful new grand daughter. I can't believe she will be 4 months old in a week! Now reality has hit full force and I have a lot to do before Monday!
But it's Thursday, so that means it's time for another Frosty Fun challenge from Dreamweaver Stencils. Today I am sharing a card that I may have shown you before, but I don't think I ever gave directions...so here goes:

The nice thing about snowflakes is they can be used all winter for thank you cards or winter birthday greetings, or really, any wintery occasion.

Start by paste embossing the Antler snowflake stencil (LL399) with Glossy Blue Embossing paste on white cardstock
Remove and clean the stencil
Let the paste dry until it almost dry, then gently brush on some Moonstone F/X powder to soften the brightness of the blue paste
Paste emboss the snowflake again, but this time use Glossy White Embossing paste on a dark blue paper
Remove and clean the stencil
Let the paste dry completely
Cut each snowflake into four pieces
Layer each piece on a small mat of the opposite color lining the snowflake up along two edges so only the other two edges have a mat
Piece two of each color together as shown to create a beautiful, wintery card!
Hint - make the mats slightly larger than you need them, adhere the four matted pieces to a scrap paper then trim them all the way around to match
Put a little crystal in the middle to cover where they all meet

Be sure to check out the rest of the team blogs by clicking on their names below:

Wishing you and your families a wonderful, safe holiday season!

Happy Creating,
Louise