Welcome to the Virtual Valentine's Day Blog Hop...

So how do you win this package of blog candy from Dreamweaver Stencils? Hop from blog to blog by following the list of our Dream Team members at the bottom of this posting. As you go through the list be sure to leave some Valentine "love" ...this will be in the form of your wonderful comments on the design team's creations. (If you would like to see a card made with the two stencils you could win see the card from yesterday.) There are more than 19 companies involved and they are giving away some awesome Valentine blog candy. Taylor Usry's Blog is a place to find out all about these giving companies. So if you want to know more, or if you lose your way, or you want to continue on with a hop to another company's design team Taylor is the master mind behind this Virtual hop. The more blogs you visit and the more comments you leave, the more chances you have to win. These opportunities will continue through Thursday at 6:00 PM. Taylor will randomly choose one winner for the above gift packet from Dreamweaver Stencils.

Also if you "become a new follower" on my blog (or even a new follower on any of my Dream Team's blogs) and leave a comment that you have done so, you are eligible to win a special new stencil design. We will randomly choose three winners.

The metal Valentine that I am posting today was created by Magdalena Muldoon of Mercart, and she has used the following stencils: Heart whimsy (LL599), the Dogwood background (LG628), swirls (LJ863) and love (LM213). She has dry embossed the first three designs on navy blue aluminum and then sanded the embossed image with a fine grit manicure sanding block. Then she embossed the heart portions of the design a bit more...to make them pop. (It is amazing how much the metal will emboss.) She has a piece of suede that she positions under her work to make this happen while she hand embosses the metal. I finished the creation by paste-embossing the small vertical love stencil in metallic silver embossing paste (DSP) on silver card stock.

Now, take your time the next few days and enjoy the Hop! Remember you have until 6:00 PM Thursday evening to leave some comments. After you leave here you will go on to Terrece Sidoway's blog, but here is the list of the designers on our Dream Team who are playing along this week just in case you want to become a follower on their blogs:

Kim Parkinson

Kristi Van Doren

Laura Drahozal

Liz Martin

Louise Healy

Pam Hornschu

Terrece Sidoway

Wendy Jordan

Remember if you get lost or are wondering where to go next you can always go back to Taylor Usry's blog to find the list of other blogs to visit and connect to the companies who are offering blog candy. Here is a list of the companies and some of the fun things you could win:

- StampInsanity - with a set of choice for one winner

- Meljens designs - 4 digis to one winner

- Pixie Dust Studio - 2 digis to one winner

- Lizzie Anne Designs - $10 gift certificate (from me)

- Christian Paper Crafts - 1 year general membership

- Paper Pretties - 3 total winners: 1 person will receive Timeless Love stamp set; 2 people will receive 5 digis of their choice from the store

- Karber Digital Images - 2 digis to one winner

- Di's Digi Downloads - 5 digi images to one winner

- The Scrappychick Boutique - 2 6x6 Cosmo Cricket paper pads to one winner

- Stampendous - 4 cling rubber stamps from new release to 1 winner

- Pink Cat Studio - 5 digis of winner's choice to one winner

- Amber Ink - $10 gift certificate (and more if people use an Amber Ink product - see deets on their blog)

- Simply Betty Stamps - 3 digis of the winner's choice

- Mark's Finest Papers - set of their choosing to the winner

- Dreamweaver's Stencils - a couple stencils, pearlescent embossing paste and a palette knife

- Chi Chi Memories - Meaning of Love Digi Stamp Set to one winner (new addition)

- Little Potato House - $20 gift certificate (new addition)

- Kenny K digis: 4 digis to one winner (AND: 2 digis to anyone who uses a Kenny K image for their hop card) (new addition)

- Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps: winners choice of 2 images

A Portion of our Blog Candy for Tomorrow...

Be sure to stop by first thing tomorrow at 8:00 AM for our Virtual Valentine's Day Blog Hop. To find out more details you can visit Taylor Usry's Blog at any time tomorrow. This amazing woman is on the design team of Lizzy Anne Designs, and Pixie Dust Studio, plus she writes for two on-line magazines.

The card above is designed with two of the stencils that will be given away with our stencil package. All you need to do to win this wonderful blog candy is hop from blog to blog and leave some "love". The comments will be open until Thursday at 6:00 PM. There will be more than 40 designers blogs for you to visit... and to find out the wonderful companies' treasures being offered... Taylor Usry's Blog will be the Virtual place to begin or if you get lost a place to refind your way...just remember the more comments you leave on all of these wonderful blogs the more chance you have to win some blog candy.

We will also be giving away a stencil to three random winners if they sign up to be a follower here on the Dreamweaver Blog...you just need to leave a comment that you have signed up to be a new follower to be eligible.

The stencils in this post are: LOVE (LL481), Rose (LS75) and the Lace Border (LM175). I dry embossed the border stencil first using the Big Shot embossing machine. Then I stenciled the two bordered edges of the card with the Strié technique, by loading a large 3/4" stencil brush with red pigment ink and pulled it across this lacy edged border. The shadow technique is done by stenciling the L, V, and E with a light gray pigment ink first, then slightly shift the stencil and paste-emboss the same three letters with the metallic gold embossing paste (DGP). The rose was stenciled with pigment inks and then paste-embossed with the translucent embossing paste (DEPT).

Virtual Valentine's Day Blog Hop!

Don'tcha love a sweet tease???..well this little piece of candy is a portion of a gift packet from Dreamweaver Stencils which is our way of saying thank you for coming by on Monday and leaving some Valentine love on our blogs.

Yep we are getting ready to hop...On Valentine's Day!!

So get ready to be inspired by some awesome designers.

Joining us will be other design teams from some really fun companies.

Stampendous

Lizzy Anne Designs

Scrappy Chick Boutique

Stop by for more information soon.

Valentine's Day is just around the corner: Think "Blog Hop"

Hey, everyone, I know this design looks somewhat familiar. But I just can't seem to help myself...I love this sketch! And besides that, it was very simple to do with our new paste spreader. This new size of stencil, (Damask LX7002) is almost six inches square so the new spreader (LM2010) does a great job of pasting larger background stencils in just one sweep. I think you will love it. After I paste-embossed the damask design in glossy red embossing paste (DGRP) I sprinkled it with microfine red glitter and set it aside to dry. Then I paste-embossed the Happy Valentine's Day stencil (LM241) with the same type of glossy red paste and glittered it as well. The black ribbon added just the right accent color to this red valentine.

By the way...keep watching our blog because some of the Dreamweaver Dream Team will be connecting with designers from some other companies to do a virtual blog hop on Valentine's Day and you could win some wonderful blog candy from Dreamweaver Stencils and several other companies. Stay in touch for more information.

Thursday's Dream Schemes/The Valentine "Bunny" ???

Yep, you heard right...the Valentine "Bunny". I couldn't resist letting him into my Valentine line-up this week. Louise Healy sent this little guy to me awhile back when the team was sharing their creations of the new designs. Maybe this will be an inspiration for those of you who like to get those Easter cards done early. You could make him a valentine too, by adding a heart embellishment here and there.

Our challenge this week is a colorway challenge using pink and brown. I love Louise's use of the dark brown flocking with this double glitter technique. Yes, flocking can be used in place of glitter, however the application is slightly different. When you put the flocking on you need to take the time to really rub it into the stencil holes. It takes a bit more time because the fibers of the flocking need to rub together and cling to each other. This will create an image that is more filled out or dense and also give the impression of "fluffy". When this is complete use a large brush and sweep away the excess flocking, remove the stencil and put in the background glitter. This little bunny (LM2008) is also available in a miniature size (LS1007).

As an embellishment Louise used one of our hot pink three inch pins (TIPP) and she dipped it in a clear drying glue and then a transparent glitter. (If I am wrong on this one Louise...would you please correct me in the comment section.) That pin is the icing on the cake...errr I mean bunny card.

Please feel free to join our challenge this week. It doesn't have to be a valentine...it could even by a brown and pink bunny card! Also if you are interested in the instructions for this double glitter technique email me at lynell@dreamweaverstencils.com

Double Glitter Valentine

Kristi Van Doren used two different techniques on this Valentine. The Happy Valentine's Day stencil (LM241) was effectively yet simply done by paste-embossing the Glossy Black Embossing Paste (DGKP) onto the coral pink cardstock and the upper part of the card was done with the double sided mounting paper (MPDS), this paper is sometimes referred to as JAC paper and the Oval Lace Doily stencil (LJ836) using the double glitter technique. Remember to smooth the natural Hawaiian Handmade Soap (DHHS) onto the back of the doily stencil so that it will not attach to the sticky mounting paper and bend your stencil. If you have little crumbs of soap in the holes of the stencil use a large 3/4" stencil brush (NHB-3/4") to rub the soap out of the holes and make it smoother on the back of the stencil. A silver glitter was sprinkled all over the exposed sticky paper and once the stencil was removed the lace area was filled in with a beautiful red coral glitter. The lace border divided the two techniques for a unique embellishment to finish the card. If you are interested in the instructions for the Double Glitter Technique email me at lynell@dreamweaverstencils.com.

Heart Cards this Week

Deborah March, design team member from Nova Scotia, made this beautiful heart card. Some of my postings this week may not be exactly Valentines, but I think "heart" cards are valid to send on Valentine's Day.

Once again this Valentine creation is paste-embossed with the lovebird stencil (LL3011). Deborah used the white paste on the aqua paper by just repeating the heart portion, and then she added an aqua color to the white paste and paste-embossed the white paper with the entire motif. I am a bit biased, since aqua is one of my favorite colors, but I do think this is a gorgeous color-way. The little pearl embellishments and the sentiment really add that little bit of panache. Also the silver lining on both card mountings really makes this card sparkle. A very elegant card to send to someone you love on Valentine's day, don't you think?

This week I would like to again challenge you to send a card to a shut in or someone you know that needs a little extra love these cold winter days. In fact tonight I am going to take time to do just that, so join me if you have time.