Spellbinders Platinum Party Blog Hop!

 Hello! I want to let you know about a fabulous blog hop, hosted by Spellbinders®, going on right now. This wonderful blog hop features some of Spellbinders fabulous Platinum Preferred Partners. There will be some amazing prizes and tutorials highlighting the many wonderful partner products and, of course, Spellbinders die templates. You can find the rules and read all about it here.

The blog hop is being sponsored the following companies,  Fun Stamper's Journey, JustRite Papercraft, Heartfelt Creations, Imagine Crafts, Want2Scrap and The Stamp Doctor.

Be sure to visiting the Spellbinders Blog to start the hop.

For my card today, I wanted to highlight a few of our wonderful Platinum Partners. I used Fun Stampers Journey stamps, along with ImagineCrafts®/Tsukineko Memento inks.

Here is a video of my project and you can scroll down to see step by step photos.

Stamp the butterfly, from the Enjoy the Journey stamp set, available from Fun Stampers Journey, using Memento Tuxedo Black ink, on white cardstock.

Begin coloring using Copic marker B04.

Add YG05.

Add V06. After coloring, cut out the image.

Cut and emboss Spellbinders Sprigs Die D-Lites™ from green cardstock and A2 Matting Basics A #5 (with 1 being the smallest die template) from white cardstock.

With the white cardstock still in the die template, sponge Memento New Sprout ink.

Sponge Memento Bahama Blue ink.

Sponge Memento Nautical Blue ink.

Remove die from die template and stamp butterfly, using Memento Tuxedo Black ink.

Assemble the card by adhering cut out butterfly over the stamped image, using 3D Foam Squares, from Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L® to pop up the wings. Stamp the sentiment on white cardstock and trim into individual words. Adhere the words using 3D Foam Squares. The card base is 4 ¼ by 5 ½ inches and made from Pure Luxury In The Navy cardstock.

Thanks for visiting. I hope you have a wonderful day!

CAS Snowflake Card Tutorial and Video

Hi there! Today I have another Let It Snow card and video.

Here is the video. Scroll down for the step by step photos.

Start by cutting Pure Luxury White cardstock to make a 4 ¼ by 5 ½ inch top fold card. I like to go ahead and score my card base, when I plan to stamp directly on it, but leave it unfolded while I stamp. This way it lies flat, but the fold line helps me see the finished card size, so I don't accidentally stamp onto the back. 

Using one of the larger snowflakes, from Let It Snow, stamp once with Gina K Turquoise Sea and once with Ocean Mist. 

Switch to a smaller snowflake and stamp using Gina K Blue Raspberry.

Stamp to an even smaller snowflake and stamp with both Blue Raspberry and Ocean Mist.

Switch to one more snowflake and stamp using Gina K Turquoise Sea.

Use a Quickie Glue Pen to apply adhesive to the snowflakes, then sprinkle iridescent glitter over them, tapping off the excess. Set the card base aside.

Trim a piece of cardstock to 1 ¼ inches wide and trim the end with scissors to make a banner. Stamp using three different snowflakes, with Gina K Ocean Mist, Turquoise Sea and Powder Blue. Set banner aside.

Cut and emboss white cardstock using Spellbinders® Petite Labels One Die D-Lites die template and sponge Gina K Ocean Mist ink while still in the die template.

Stamp the sentiment, also from Let It Snow, using Gina K Turquoise Set.

Stamp a second time, using Gina K Navy ink, offset slightly.

Add a ribbon bow to the card front, then adhere the banner layer. Use 3D Foam Squares, by Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L to adhere the sentiment layer.

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you have a fantastic day!

Bright Snowflake Card And May I Ask A Favor?

Hello there! Before I talk about my card, I wonder if I can ask a favor. A while back I entered a contest to win a free trip to a brand new resort in the Caribbean. I'm losing badly. To enter I uploaded a photo to the resort's Facebook page and now I need to get as many people to "like" my photo as possible. They are trying to get exposure to their new resort, so this is about generating "likes" for their page.

Here is a link to their page on Facebook. If you would like to help me, just "like" their page, then follow this link to see my photo. It may take a minute for the page to load, but when it does, there will be a place on the photo to click "like." Today is the last day to vote.

Here is what my photo looks like. Thank you so much for even considering! I truly appreciate it.

And now a bit about my card! I used the big snowflake from Let It Snow, along with some Spellbinders® die templates and my fab Faber-Castell® big white pen. Here is the video and you can scroll down for step by step photos.

To begin, cut and emboss Spellbinders® Labels Thirty-two #5 (with #1 being the smallest die template) from white cardstock. Then sponge Memento Summer Sky ink along the bottom.

Sponge Memento Bahama Blue ink from the top until you reach the lighter blue ink at the bottom.

Sponge Memento Teal Zeal ink on the upper portion.

And sponge Memento Nautical Blue ink at the very top.

Remove from the die template and stamp the snowflake, from Let It Snow, using VersaMark ink, then heat emboss with white embossing powder.

Use a C5 Copic marker to add a shadow on the left parts of the image. Then use a C3 Copic to add more shading all the way around the image. Sorry I missed snapping a photo for the second marker. 

Use a Faber-Castel White Pitt Artist Pen, or another opaque white gel pen, to add dots all around the background.

Create a 4 ¼ by 5 ½ inch In The Navy card base. Position an A2 Matting Basics A die template over the card base and secure with low tack tape. Use the die template as a guide to draw a frame using the big white pen.

Move the tape to the inside of the die template and draw a frame around the outside of the die template.

Adhere the snowflake layer to the card base using dimensional foam squares. Stamp the sentiment, also from Let it Snow, on a narrow strip of white cardstock and adhere using foam squares. Add a small gem to the center of the snowflake.

Thank you so much for your time. I hope you have a marvelous day!

Gina K / Faber-Castell Blog Hop Day 4

Hello! Welcome to Day 2 of the Gina K. Designs/Faber-Castell Blog Hop! We've got another incredible day of inspiration for you, so let's get started! Don't forget to keep those comments coming to enter to win a Gina K. Designs stamp set of your choice (up to a $24.95 value).

Today's participating designers are:

Gina K
and me!

After you visit Gina's blog, pop over to the Faber-Castell Blog and leave a comment for a chance to win a Designing With Gelatos Kit, too!

I used my Dogwood and Butterfly stamp set, along with Faber-Castell Watercolor pencils to make my card. You can view the video above or step by step photos below to see how it all came together. 

To begin, stamp the flower images, from Dogwood and Butterfly, using Stazon Jet Black ink. Although not shown in the photos, I made a total of three of the smaller flowers.

All of the watercolor pencils I used for this card are from the Faber-Castell Design Memory Craft® Neutral set. Begin with the yellow pencil #183 and color in at the base of the petals and the tips, drawing along the shadow lines in the stamp image. For the flower centers, switch to brown #187.

For the leaves, start with dark gray, #175, in the darker areas.

Then use a lighter gray, #273.

Use the paint brush, included with the watercolor pencil set, to blend the color. Dip the brush in water, wipe the excess water on a paper towel, then use the damp brush to pull the color into the lighter areas.

After coloring, cut out the flowers using scissors.

Cut and emboss a piece of Pure Luxury Ivory cardstock using a Spellbinders® Majestic Labels Twenty-five. Then sponge Gina K Kraft ink around the edges while the paper is still in the die template.

Then stamp the sentiment using Gina K Black ink.

Use the two largest die templates from Majestic Labels Twenty-five, nested together, to cut and emboss Pure Luxury Dark Chocolate cardstock.

Trim Pure Luxury Sandy Beach cardstock to 8 1/2 by 6 1/2 inches, then trim at 4 1/4 to create a 6 1/2 by 4 1/4 inch card base. Adhere the two die cut layers, then secure to the card base using dimensional adhesive. Add the flowers, also with dimensional adhesive. Add pearl bling.

Thanks for stopping by. Be sure check Gina's blog again tomorrow for more inspiration from Gina K Designs and Faber-Castell.

Have a great day!

Majestic Morning Card Making Tutorial

Hello! So sorry for the long absence. I've been crazy busy, but I decided to sneak in a project for my blog this morning. I used images from Life is Good and The Northwoods stamp set.

To begin, I trimmed Pure Luxury White cardstock to slightly larger than the die template I planned to use, then I sponged Memento Dandelion ink.

Sponged Memento Cantaloupe ink.

Sponged Memento Tangelo.

Then I created a mask by tearing a thin strip from sticky notes and sponged more Cantaloupe ink on either side of the mask.

Then I tore two more masks, to cover the top and bottom, and sponged Memento Potter's Clay in the space between the masks.

I removed the masks and sponged Memento Desert Sand above the dark cloud and along the top and sides.

Then I sponged Memento Espresso Truffle in the same areas. I was careful to tap off the extra ink on scratch paper to prevent the color from being too saturated.

I made one more mask and sponged Memento Tuxedo Black at the bottom.

Then I stamped the deer, from Life is Good, using Gina K Black ink.

And stamped the trees, from The Northwoods, using Gina K Black.

I wanted more details in the clouds than I could get from sponging, so I used Copic marker, E15 to add some color to the top of the dark cloud, then used E31 to blend it out a bit.

I added YR12 to the bottom of the cloud.

I used W3 to add in some clouds at the top.

Then used W1 to soften the edges.

And used W5 to deepen the color in some areas.

I used Spellbinders® S5-174 A2 Distressed Edges #3 (with #1 being the smallest die template) to cut and emboss.

Then I layered with a piece of Pure Luxury Black Onyx and a Kraft card base (5 ½ by 4 ¼ inches).

Thank you for stopping by. I hope you have a wonderful day!