NEW challenge!

Tomorrow marks the beginning of a NEW weekly challenge! Every Thursday, we'll bring you ideas, including fresh sketches, colour combination challenges, and occasion challenges, and hope you'll play with the Dream it Up designers.

This week, we have a sketch challenge created by "our Wendy!"

Tomorrow we'll show you the Dream Team's interpretations of the sketch, so DO come back then!

Meanwhile, if you'd like to play, go ahead and show us YOUR interpretation of our sketch by using our "Mister Linky" below.

We can hardly wait to see what you'll create!

For this inaugural challenge, one lucky participant will receive a Dreamweaver stencil! The random draw will be made on Wednesday December 8th...good luck!

From the Dream Team

Simple Flocking

When it's time to make multiple Christmas cards, it is nice to choose something that you can do quickly. Cherylynn Moser from Oregon paste-embossed the holly background stencil (LJ891) with a glossy embossing paste. It really doesn't matter which color of glossy paste you use, because it is then covered with the thick colored flocking. I recommend the glossy pastes, because they have a greater surface area which is ideal for adding glitter, flocking or the Metallic F/X. Next she sprinkled green flocking from Stampendous all over the design and tapped off the excess, like you would when using a glitter.

For a quick-dry, place it on a pancake griddle on the lowest setting. After about 20 minutes take the card off the griddle and give it another hard tap to remove as much flocking as possible and then use a dry "Swiffer" dusting cloth to remove any excess flocking from the card's background. To finish off the card, Cherylynn stamped a sentiment, tied it up with contrasting ribbon and chose a pin with a pin cap to protect the tip. Great card Cherylynn!

Whenever you are paste-embossing a larger background stencil like the one above... I make this recommendation:

For ease of application use two palette knives, a larger spatula (WDPK) and then a smaller one (DPK) that is offset. Dreamweaver sells both of these knives. Begin with the smaller offset knife to remove the paste from the jar, and then spread it onto the larger applicator. With the larger palette knife method, I usually hold the knife at a 35-45 degree angle, then spread the paste across the larger stencil in only one or two passes. Don't be afraid to put plenty of paste on the larger knife, because most of this excess goes back into the jar as you finish paste-embossing. If you don't have this heavier load, you will have vacant empty spaces that you will have to go back over again and fill. The more you "fuss" with the process ...the more likely you are to have the paste seep under the stencil. So more paste is better.

BLACK FRIDAY

On my last post I used black velvet paper and had so much fun with it that I decided to try it again. I paste-embossed the ornament stencil (LG674) with Metallic Copper Embossing Paste, removed the stencil and while the design was still wet I used a waterfall technique to sprinkle the ornament holder with copper glitter. Next I turned the paper the opposite way and with the same waterfall technique applied the aqua glitter. I set it onto my electric pancake griddle with a very low heat setting so it would dry quickly. In about 20 min. I replaced the ornament stencil and paste-embossed the horse/sleigh stencil (LL388) with the Matte Black Embossing Paste. Then I carefully placed the Merry Christmas stencil (LM134) at the bottom and paste-embossed it with a special mixture of 1 Tablespoon of Pearlescent Embossing Paste and 1/4" teaspoon of Navajo Blue Metallic F/X. Because this last stencil has very fine lines it dried in just a few minutes on the warm griddle. The large blue bow made of wired ribbon added the finishing touch for a very "Blue Blue Christmas".

Thursday's Dream Schemes

THURSDAY'S DREAM SCHEMES

Happy Thanksgiving and welcome to the first "Thursday's Dream Schemes" challenge. This Thursday I gave just the design team members the challenge to create Christmas cards with a non-traditional colorway. In this instance that means no Christmas red or green and no maroon or forest green. Should be fun to see what everyone did. The designers have been giving me some teases, so I'm looking forward to hopping from blog to blog to see what their creative little pea brains have been up to (just checking to see if any of the team is following along...hehehe!). So use the side bar where their names are listed and travel along to enjoy. In the future we want you to play along with our challenges and hops so stay in touch and feel free to encourage us with your comments...we love those!

AN UNUSUAL GLITTER TECHNIQUE

I have discovered long ago that I am a true technique junkie and I would like to share with you a very simple technique using the glossy metallic embossing pastes and ultrafine glitters. To begin with I paste-embossed the line of Christmas trees (LL532) with the Metallic Gold Embossing Paste. I used a black velvet paper from SEI. While the paste was still wet I held the cardstock at an angle and waterfalled the glitters one at a time off of each tree. I love the contrast of the black velvet background and the sparkling ultrafine glitters from Stampendous. Since I wanted the paste to be very dry I placed it on a warm electric pancake griddle at a very low setting and then prepared my second card.

This time I paste-embossed the ornaments stencil (LL468) with the Metallic Silver Embossing Paste and added the glitter in the same waterfall method as the first card, tapped off the excess glitter and set this aside to dry on the warm electric pancake griddle.

Once these were both dry I took a craft knife and with the tip I scraped off the detail areas of each tree or ornament, as shown in the picture. On the larger areas I kept the blade of the knife more flat and used the tip for the finer details. I noticed that the ornaments that were basecoated with the silver paste had an almost pastel look to the scraped areas, just slightly lighter tints as if the glitter had stained the paste. So I'd like to challenge you to try some of the other pastes and see what your results might be.

Autumn Splendor

On Thanksgiving Day we will be kicking off our "Thursday's Dream Schemes" with our own Dream Team's Thanksgiving Day Parade of Christmas Cardmaking. Isn't it interesting how we associate different holidays with different colors? Thanksgiving is warm tones and Christmas has variations of reds and greens. St. Patrick's day is green and Valentine's Day is pink and red. July 4th is red/white/ and blue etc.etc.etc...you get the picture. So the "Scheme" for the Design Team this Thursday is a challenge to do a Christmas card in a non-traditional color scheme. I have already been hearing a few tales as to what we can expect and I am getting very curious. As we get going over the next few weeks the team will be posting every Thursday and we will of course include you in some of the challenges.

Today I am sharing a beautiful card from follower Marijane. (Thanks Marijane for all your comments on our blogs.) I received this beautiful card from Marijane after she won the blog hop challenge a few weeks ago. And since this is my "Last Hurrah!" to Autumn, before we begin posting Christmas goodies again, I wanted to share this beautiful creation of hers. She started by basecoating both the wreath stencil (LG719)and the word Autumn (LM295) with the Matte Orange Embossing Paste (DMOP). The advantage to using the matte orange paste first is that you don't have to then basecoat with an orange color when you stencil. When it was dry, she repositioned her stencil with removable tape and stenciled the designs with Autumn colors from Tsukineko's Magic Splendor Pad. This pigment ink was applied with small 1/8" and 1/4" stencil brushes. For the finishing touch she highlighted portions of the wreath with a Krylon metallic gold pen. The beautiful ribbon is from May Arts and she said it is still on the market to purchase. I look forward to seeing more of her work when we start having followers post to our blogs. Thanks again Marijane!

And don't forget everyone, if you are an early riser, pop by to view the team's creations...or if you get tired of cooking for that big meal or get bored watching the Dallas cowboys trying to win another football game stop on by to get inspired.

Thursday's Dream Schemes

On Thanksgiving Day we will be kicking off our "Thursday's Dream Schemes" with our own Dream Team's Thanksgiving Day Parade of Christmas Cardmaking. If you are an early riser, pop by to view the team's creations...or if you get tired of cooking for that big meal or watching Dallas try to win another football game stop on by to get inspired.

To make this card, use the wheat stencil (LL462), and start by dry embossing it through your embossing machine or you can use a stylus and light table instead. Then to do the Strié technique just follow these directions:

First load your 3/4" stencil brush with harvest gold pigment ink by tapping it firmly on the ink pad.

Place the embossed card in front of you on a piece of scrap paper. Begin in the upper left hand corner and make sure the flat bristles of the loaded stencil brush are resting on this scrap. The majority of the color will be off loaded at the edge of the card stock. As you pull the brush in a straight line toward you, lessen the pressure you are applying and sweep the bristles of the brush upward coming off the card right in the center of the paper. (If you don't make this sweeping upward motion, the pigment will stop abruptly and make a smudging coloration right in the middle of the paper.) As much as possible, keep the bristles straight and then repeat this same action moving approximately a brush width at a time, all the way across to the right side of the card. The streaks of pigment hitting the edges of the dry embossed design will accent the upper half of the image. Now you have half of the card done. Turn the card a full 180 degrees and repeat this same action again, moving right to left. The card is now finished, however, if you want a more "linen" look to your card, you can turn the card 90 degrees and repeat the same "strié" technique again. To finish this linen look, turn the card 180 degrees again and finish the last side. Now, all four sides are done and you will have twice as much color on the card.

Double Pasting Technique

I often refer to card artist, Polly Weed, as "pastel Polly". Working with the soft tones of pastels really is her signature medium. Although you often think of this medium as being soft muted tints ...she has combined it here with strong tones and glossy finishes for a full palette of Fall colors using the pumpkin stencil (LL515). By the way, the colorful print she mounted this on is not cardstock, but rather 100% cotton fabric. (A great way to use up scraps from sewing projects.)

To achieve this look, she first paste-embossed with Matte Orange Embossing Paste. Dreamweaver makes this colored paste, but you can also take a couple Tbsp. of the original Embossing Paste and mix it with a small amount of an orange colored tube acrylic (1-2 tsp.) to make your own color. Once the paste was dry, she repositioned the stencil on top of the design and stenciled it with pastels. Some people use sponge applicators for pastels, but Polly uses a small stencil brush with firm yet soft tipped natural bristles. Just a bit of dark brown and green pastels added some shaded highlights. And then to finish it with an Autumn glow she pasted the image again, this time using the Translucent Embossing Paste which dries to a glossy sheen. When you first use this paste you will notice that it has a milky white appearance when first applied, but in 40 minutes or so it dries clear. This clear embossing paste has many uses. You can stencil the cardstock first and then put this paste on top for a clear glossy finish, or even add glitter when you are done. You can also add the new Metallic F/X mica powders into translucent paste for an iridescent sheen.

For an embellishment, Polly just added a handwritten sentiment..."thankful".

On Thanksgiving Day we will be kicking off our "Thursday's Dream Schemes" with our own Dream Team's Thanksgiving Day Parade of Christmas Cardmaking. If you are an early riser, pop by to view the team's creations...or if you get tired of cooking for that big meal or watching Dallas try to win another football game stop on by to get inspired.