Thursday, September 25, 2014

Christmas and the Holidays Challenge/This week...."the holidays"

The center leaf is first paste-embossed using the metallic gold embossing paste...read on to know more.
This month we are showcasing some of our new holiday stencils and dies. Some of you were wondering what our theme is and we are excited to have you play along. The challenge is open to interpretation for a Holiday extravaganza. Our new designs include Christmas and Fall holidays. Just want to let you in on a bit of our blog history and how we work our challenges....when we first started our blog we encouraged people to design with our stencils. But we discovered that a lot of people who did cardmaking and crafting didn't have stencils...so we changed up our requirements for the challenges to general cardmaking including using stamps. However things are achangin' and many people are stencil savvy. So next month we will be doing something to include both stencils and stamps.... also every once in awhile I have something different on my blog to see if you are paying attention and I have a random drawing for those who are leaving comments. Today I have something for the Zentangle artists out there. For those of you that are regulars you know that Wayne and I are a team when it comes to his Zentangle work on my blog. I create and render the card creation and Wayne does the sten-tangleation. This week if you are a zentangle enthusiast leave a comment and tell me what zentangle pattern you might like to use on these leaves. A single commenter will be randomly chosen for one of the new stencils of the leaf designs. Now here's how we did today's card...

I used the Color Solution Alcohol Inks to do the background first. It was done on digital cardstock that has a glossy type of finish. You can either squirt several alcohol ink colors and the thinner/cleaner onto your craft mat and then lay the paper on top and move it around or you can squirt the Color Solution Ink and thinner/cleaner on top of the paper and place a second piece onto that and smear the colors together. Both methods give some great results. Here is a sampling of the actual colors we have:

Next I traced the new oak leaf stencil (LL3043) onto the dried Color Solution inked card using an 01 size micron pen by Sakura, leaving a gap between those two outlined leaves. I then paste-embossed the maple leaf stencil (LL3044) using Dreamweaver Gold Embossing Paste (DGP) in the center of these outlined outer oak leaves and once this maple leaf was dry (about 30 minutes....I set mine on a warming pan to hasten the drying time to about 15 minutes), Wayne worked his magic by creating the tangleation with three different tangle patterns on the three leaves. The center tangle on the paste embossed gold leaf is a pattern called "betweed", the one on the left oak leaf is a pattern called "fassett" and the third main pattern on the right leaf is called "yincut". You can go to Linda Farmer's site, www.tanglepatterns.com to learn the step-by-step process of those three patterns. Wayne is amazing...he is an organized type of person and often chooses grid based patterns to work with. I love what he does and although I love the grid based patterns I am also very attracted to the organic patterns that he works with occasionally too. There is definitely something for everyone when it comes to this innovative art form. Wayne became a certified Zentangle instructor (CZT) and has encouraged me to do so as well. I am not quite there yet, but I do occasionally sit down and work with him, tangling away sometimes. In October we will be at the store Art 'n Soul in Lacey, Washington. The owners of that store do wonderful things with Zentangle and Wayne and I have been asked to demonstrate and teach for an annual Christmas event. Perhaps we will see some of you there.


Next Thursday on the blog: Happy Hallowthanksmas! 

And the team will also be doing 31 days of Halloween. 

We will announce this month's challenge winners on the first Thursday in October.

We choose two random winners from your challenge postings each month....one from the USA and one from another country (I've noticed we have a lot of UK challenge posts and many are using stencils, WOW! ....Great works of art!) Here is a picture from two UK winners that have won for their comments on the Woodware blog hop last month. Meet Diane and Julie! Thanks Diane for sending a picture. Looks like Julie is already creating for the next challenge. YAYA!




Now don't forget to visit the Dream it UP team this week to see what beauties they have created. We have been blessed this month to have guest designer Wendy Price joinng us. It is the highlight of my Thursdays seeing their creations. Please leave some comments for them because I think that is also one of the reasons they do this work for so little. We love to have the feedback.




17 comments:

ionabunny said...

Hi Lynell, love the tangled card. I didn't know you could tangle on paste. What fun. I have tried tangling myself, a little, and it was fun. Not sure of the names but I do like the Betweed Wayne used. The only tangles I have posted are http://craftynomad.blogspot.no/2013/02/howl-if-you-like.html. An old post. Maybe I should revisit and do a little something for the challenge LOL Hugz

Lyn Bernatovich said...

Absolutely stunningly gorgeous card!!!! I love the alcohol ink swirled background and that you used it for the leaves as well. The sten-tangle designs are beautiful for the leaves!

Viki Banaszak said...

I love the tangled leaves. So pretty. I'm not sure about what would look good on the leaves but I tend to favor cadent, onomato, twisted, boomerangs, versa, loobyloo. There are just so many good ones to choose from.

Unknown said...

Stunning card. I love the leaves and such a great background.

Pam Hornschu said...

Love your backgrounds with Wayne's tangles!

Sandi Lou said...

I found some reminders on this post such as using my stash of alcohol inks for backgrounds. Also, the tip to simply trace a stencil for an image works for me as I don't have a drawing bone in my hand. I do love the look of the zentangle and would try gingham, travartine, farling and lightening bolt, with a bit of practice, I have just dabbled a bit. I love the fall colors.

Louise said...

Beautiful! Love these new leaves!

Unknown said...

love your cards; it's amazing how far the use of Dreamweaver Stencils has come with the expansion of ideas and techniques, especially in the zentangling mode! So thrilled that you and Wayne are coming to Art 'n Soul for our annual Christmas Party on October 19, and then teaching a couple of classes too! Such a holiday bonus for Art 'n Soul and our wonderful customers I am signed up!

Gloria Shirr (purpleglo) said...

Thank you so much Lynell for the fabulous stencils that I won and for the sample cards showing me how to use them! They are gorgeous! Have a wonderful day! Hugs, Gloria

http://purpleglocreations.blogspot.com

Gloria Shirr (purpleglo) said...

Thanks for the fabulous inspiration by the DT and for your awesome challenges. Hugs, Gloria

http://purpleglocreations.blogspot.com

Janis said...

I haven't tried Zentangling but it reminds me a lot of what we used to do to decorate our notebooks and such back a million years ago when I was in school. Love this leaf stencil and would like to try some of the Zentangles you mentioned.
<3 J

jwoolbright at gmail dot com
HerPeacefulGarden.blogspot.com

Unknown said...

Hi lynell, l love your fall card! The colours and techniques are wonderful. I've just spent some time exploring your link to tanglepatterns.com, what a wonderful site!
I'd love to have a go at the fassett zentangle, and think it would look great on the maple leaf.
Karen x

JD/ Jill said...

Hi Lynell, Another masterpiece from you (and Wayne) you work so well together. I enjoy doing zentnagle...(Not an expert doing it) Have made a few cards using that technique. I find it to be relaxing to do, and I was grateful for the great link you supplied....I checked it out and I chose Maelstrom pattern that I want to give a try. Thanks for sharing.

CraftyJo said...

I wonder if '21' would work well (http://studio-ml.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/twenty-one.html)? I love the sten-tangling Wayne does, it always looks just perfect.

Unknown said...

I like to add my own doodles as well as "official" Zentangles to my stencilled Dreamweaver images. I think YUMA would be a fun Zentangle to pattern a leaf with. I love your leafy card sample - absolutely stunning work!

Katie said...

I love how you designed this and lifted the center leaf with gold embossing paste. But it looks like it has red in it...did you use more alcohol ink on top of the paste before zentagling? I like to do grid patterns as well when zentangling...one I would like to try is cubine or flukes as I tend to do those a lot. I have trouble with the organic edging of things. And I admire how Wayne thought to do the leaf spines in an organic way...I would have trouble designing that too...so that is inspiring. :) Thanks for sharing.

Katie B.

Lynell Harlow / Dreamweaver Stencils said...

Hi Katie, Yes! After I paste-embossed with the gold paste it need more contrast so I put the stencil back in place (after the paste was dry) and used our applicator to add paprika red Color Solution to the leaf. Obviously forgot to mention that step. (A good reason to do tutorials or step outs.)

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