Thursday, June 28, 2012

Inspired Palm Trees Tutorial

Hello! Yesterday was the latest Gina K Designs release and here is a card using the stamp set I illustrated this month, called Tropical Nature. My card was inspired by a bottle of coconut rum. The front of the bottle has two palm trees with a setting sun behind, just like this. 

 Here is a look at my stamp set. You can find it, along with all the new stamps being released this month by clicking here. Don't forget, Gina now has the option to choose clear or rubber stamps. We are doing things a bit differently this month, in consideration of the 4th of July, and will have our inspiration blog hops starting on Monday, July 9.

 To begin, I folded a piece of Pure Luxury White card stock to form a 4 ¼ by 5 ½ inch card base. I cut a hole from a sticky note, using Spellbinders™ Nestabilities® Classic Circles and used it to mask for the sun. I added another sticky note at the bottom of the sun to make it flat. Then I sponged Memento Dandelion ink. 

 Sponged Memento Cantaloupe ink.

 Sponged Memento Tangelo ink.

 Sponged Memento Morocco ink. Oh, Gina has the new Memento colors in stock! You can find them here.

 Then sponged just a tiny bit of Memento Love Letter.

 Stamped the palm trees, from Tropical Nature, using Memento Tuxedo Black ink.

 I colored the tree trunks with Copic marker N7.

 Added N5.

Then added N3.

 For the palm fronds, I used traced over the lines of each frond with YG95 to give them a bit of color.

 I used Spellbinders Rectangle Nestabilities to emboss. I wanted the embossing raised on the card front, so I needed to place the die template on the inside. To get it centered just right, I held the card up to a light and used painters tape to hold the die template in place. Then I used my Grand Calibur® machine, with tan mat and embossing plate to emboss. 

After embossing, I stamped the sentiment with Memento Tuxedo Black ink.


Thanks for stopping by. I hope you have a wonderful day and a fun weekend.  (Alex, I plan to post that waterfall tutorial on Monday!)




Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Sneak Peek: Spellbinders Summer Spectacular! Day 7

Hello and welcome to Day Seven of the Spellbinders™  Summer Blog Frenzy and Giveaway! I'm so excited to be able to show you two wonderful new Spellbinders products that are being introduced this summer.

My first project is a wooden keepsake box that I decorated with Spellbinders new Labels Twenty-six Nestabilities and Fancy Lattice Shapeabilities Expandable Patterns.

Supply List:

· Dies used
GC-01 Spellbinders Grand Calibur® Machine
S4-366 Labels Twenty-six (#2, 4) NEW!
S5-152 Fancy Lattice NEW!

S5-086 Bitty Blossoms (#2 Flower)
· Cross Promotional Companies
Gina K Designs - Stamp Sets, Card Stock
Want2Scrap - Self Adhesive Pearls
Graphic 45 - Tropical Travelogue Paradise Postage
Creative Impressions - Crepe Ribbon
Beadalon - Mesh Ribbon
Xyron  - Mega Runner
Scrapbook Adhesives - 3D Foam Squares
Tattered Angels - Glimmer Mist

To make my project, I began by painting the outside lid and box using Antique White craft paint.

Next, sponge the edges of the box with brown ink.

Cut a piece of pattern paper, slightly smaller than the box lid, then distress the edges by sponging brown ink.

For a little more distressing, spritz the pattern paper with green glimmer mist, then adhere it to the box lid.

Next, use the Fancy Lattice die template to cut dark brown card stock, then use a paper trimmer to cut four strips to decorate the sides of the lid.

Cut more pieces using Fancy Lattice using tan card stock. I sponged a bit of toffee ink to add some distressing. These will be for the box sides.

Adhere the pieces of lattice to the top and sides as shown.

Cut ivory card stock using the number 4 Labels Twenty-six die and sponge green ink while still in the die template. Cut a second piece using the number 2 die template and sponge the same way. 

Add stamping to the labels pieces and adhere to the lid using dimensional adhesive. I added some flowers, made using Spellbinders Bitty Blossoms set, along with some crepe ribbon and wire mesh ribbon.

For my second project, I made a Thank You card. This time, instead of cutting out the Fancy Lattice, I embossed it and created a popped up Labels Twenty-six frame to accent the focal image. I love how versatile Spellbinders die templates are and all the creative techniques to try with them!


Here are the full sets of the new die templates featured on my projects...

S4-366LabelsTwentySix
MSRP US$24.99
Approximate Die Templates Sizes:
1: 1 ¼”
2: 2”
3: 2 5/8”
4: 3”
5: 4”



S5-152 Fancy Lattice
MSRP US$24.99
Approximate Die Templates Sizes:
4 x 6 ”




The Sneak Peek: Spellbinders™ Summer Spectacular! Begins on June 21st and will end on June 28th, 2012. It consists of 24 individual prizes and one grand prize drawing.  Enter the Sneak Peek: Spellbinders™ Summer Spectacular! by visiting the participating blogs each day.



At the end of each blog post, click on the "Enter HERE" to open the entry form. You may only enter once from each blog each day.

Spellbinders™ will randomly draw one winner from each participating blog to receive that blog’s newly revealed dies. The Grand Prize Winner will be randomly drawn from the pool of entrants who sent entry forms from each and every participating blog during the 48 hours each blog was open. For the full list of official rules please click RULES.



This contest is now closed.


**Enter the contest by clicking HERE**

Be sure to visit the other designers showcasing products today, too!




Questions? ContestQuestions@spellbinders.us  No entries will be accepted at this email address.





Monday, June 25, 2012

Fish & Turtle Tutorial

Hello! I hope you are all having a wonderful start to your week. Mine is off to a crooked start. As I am typing this, I see my sentiment is a tad tilted. If I promise to go fix it quick, will you believe me? I got out my latest set, from Gina K Designs, Under The Sea, to make this card.

First I stamped the larger fish using Memento Tuxedo Black ink.

I began my Copic coloring with Y11.

Added Y17. That pesky Y11 snuck back into the photo, but trust me, I really did add Y17.

 Then added YR07.

On the fins, I added V04.

 Then filled in with V000.

I decided I wanted blue tones in the fins, so I filled in with  B02, then I cut out the fish.

Then I stamped the small sea turtle with Memento Tuxedo Black ink and began coloring by filling in with E31.

Added YG93.

Then added YG95. After coloring, I cut out the turtle.

I used the largest die template in Spellbinders™ Nestabilities® Labels Four SM to cut a piece of Pure Luxury White card stock for my scene. Then I sponged Memento Summer Sky while still in the die template. 

Sponged Memento Bahama Blue from the bottom.

Then sponged Memento Grape Jelly.

I removed the die temple, and used sticky notes to mask the un-inked frame around the edges, while stamping the two sizes of silhouette sea grass with Memento Bamboo Leaves ink.

I adhered the sea turtle directly onto my background and used Pop Dots to adhere the fish.

My card base is Pure Luxury Heavy Base Weight White, sized to 5 ½ by 4 ¼ inches. After scoring/folding the fold line, I added some decorative score lines to two opposite corners using my Scor-Buddy. I placed the card base on my Scor-Buddy with the outside down/ inside up, so the score lines would be raised on the outside of the card. 


After scoring, I added some of that awesome mesh ribbon, from Creative Impressions, that I love so much. I used my Xyron Mega Runner to adhere the mesh ribbon. Using the larges die template from Spellbinders Labels Four LG Nestabilities, I cut a piece of Pure Luxury Turquoise Sea to layer with my background. I stamped the sentiment on a scrap of Pure Luxury White and trimmed with my scissors. I popped up the layered background and the sentiment layer with Pop Dots. 


Thanks for spending time with me. I hope you have a wonderful day!