Thursday's Dream Schemes/Free Challenge this Week!

Here on the Dreamweaver Blog we do a free challenge every other week for Thursday's Dream Schemes. And it is one of those opportunities to again design something without guldelines. So this week I am doing a technique that was shown in my first DVD a few years ago and has remained one of my favorites through the years. We just received our new DVDs in today, but the older DVD is still available if you want to see the Faux Ceramic Tile technique done step-by-step. Here is a written description on how to do it:

MATERIALS:

Clear ink Stamp Pad

Jumbo Dauber to apply the clear ink
LJ883 Ceramic Tile stencil
LG709 Serendipity Floral design stencil
UTEE Ultra Thick Embossing Enamel

Heat gun

Dye Inks

Clean t-shirt rag to wipe stencils clean

Small stencil brushes to apply dye ink

Stylus or Embossing Machine

White 65# cardstock
Removable Tape

1. Position the LJ883 tile stencil onto a piece of 4 1/14" x 5 1/2" card stock using removable tape and then dry emboss it using a stylus and light table or run it through your embossing machine to emboss the tile.


2. Next use a large stencil brush and stencil a rosy dye ink all over the dry embossed cardstock.

3. Leave the tile stencil in place on the cardstock, and next position the floral stencil LG709 on top of this embossed tile using small pieces of removable tape. Now stencil color onto the Serendipity flower with a variety of the dye inks (I choose these so they will dry well before the next step). Now remove both stencils and wipe them clean with a soft t-shirt rag.

4. Reposition the LJ883 tile stencil onto the embossed tile design and using the jumbo dauber you will load it with the clear ink and then daub this all over the dry embossed and stenciled design. I like to systematically begin at the top and move to the bottom over each row of tile ...one at a time. (This way I know I have covered the whole embossed area completely.) Don't press too hard or the clear ink will squish under the tile stencil and make your tile lines wet, this could cause problems in the next step.

5. Now you can remove the tile stencil and sprinkle the UTEE embossing powder all over the wet clear inked design. Heat this thick embossing powder with a heat gun. Now you have a double embossed design for a wonderful tile look.

If you get a chance play along with us this week!

Zentangling on Thursday's Dream Schemes/Hoppy Easter

Sketch Challenge by Lee Kellogg

A week ago I was an exhibitor at the National Art Materials Trade Show in Phoenix. This show was open to retailers that were members of their trade organization, mostly art materials stores. I was joined by design team member Lee Kellogg, who did today's sketch challenge and by Pam Hornschu another DT member. When time would permit and we had the opportunity, we walked the show floor to see what was being created. During my excursions I met Suzanne McNeill-Sparks, the owner of Design Originals, and watched as she and Cindy Shepard showed people some of their wonderful publications for the arts and crafts industry. Some of their latest  books are about the art of Zentangle. Suzanne explained to me that this unique craft is all about using fine tipped ink pens to create small patterns...it was originally called "Zen" tangle because of how relaxing it was to the originator of the technique, Maria Thomas. Although this is not a new technique it was new to me and while watching them create I was inspired to see what they could do with our stencils. I am grateful they had time to show me. The first card uses the bunny stencil (LM 2008). Suzanne outlined the stencil with a very fine tipped black ink Micron pen from Sakura, then she started filling it in with her various patterns. She handed it to me and gave me permission to share it with you in the form of this card for our weekly challenge. A special thanks to my husband, Wayne, for Zentangling the rolling hills under the bunny, he also added the "hoppy Easter" sentiment using our stencil (LM291), in honor of this week's holiday...hop yours is peacefully zen.

By Cindy Shepard from Design Originals

    Then later at the same show Cindy Shepard "tangled" the rooster stencil (LG732) in the same manner. She traced the design onto paper to create the rooster's image by using her finest tipped Micron pen from Sakura, after removing the stencil she drew her detailed patterns into each section of his feathers etc. I love how she positioned him just off the paper too. 

Be sure to see what the team has created this week, you may even see some more Zentangles! Follow the team's names on the sidebar at the right and be sure to comment if you're inspired...they love your encouragement. Hopefully you will get the chance to use Lee Kellogg's sketch this week and play along with us. You don't have to Zentangle, but if you get the opportunity learn more about this fun craft by taking a side trip to www.d-originals.com and find out what books Suzanne has to tempt you with, like this book from her site:

One of the many books from www.d-originals.com

Thursday's Dream Schemes/Christmas in April from Ontario, Canada

I swear we have had the coldest winter ever here in Southern California! I know, I know, yes, it has had it's warm spells as well. But I got up one day this week and it was 37 degrees, so you have to admit that is pretty chilly. So Cindy, who is from Ontario Canada,... along with this almost freezing weather have inspired me to share a Christmas themed card this week.


This week is a free challenge week for our Dream Schemes, so I decided to share this beautiful Christmas card that "Cin" made from a stencil that she won from Dreamweaver at one of our blog events before Christmas. The little "swooshy" holiday tree stencil (LM279) was paste-embossed and then while it was still wet glitter was sprinkled on top. I think this would be one of the most simple, yet gorgeous Christmas cards to make if you had a long card list.


Thank you for the inspiration Cindy and thanks for playing along with us when you get inspired to create with stencils.

Thursday's Dream Schemes/ Colorway Challenge Teal & Yellow

This Easter card is a creation of Kathy Lythgoe. Kathy taught stenciling in Southern California for Dreamweaver Stencils for several years and often demonstrated at CHA for me as well. She now travels the world with her husband Jack, is a dedicated grandma of one precious little guy named Landon and she works at Disneyland as both Cinderella's Fairy Godmother and in the winter as Mrs. Claus in the Christmas parade. So as you can tell she has many irons in the fire. She still does card making and scrapbooking, but more for her own pleasure these days.

Kathy first dry embossed the hats stencil (LG671) on a cardstock using and stylus and a light table. Next she stenciled them with yellow and teal pigment inks. Now she used a layering technique to add the extra pattern you see on the hats. To do this, she kept the hat stencil on top of the dry embossing she had just done and she placed a background stencil called "flower lace" (LJ820) over the top of this hat stencil and added more color by stenciling more teal color onto the hat. The hat at the bottom was also stenciled with the same flower lace stencil in teal, but when it overlapped the yellow the teal "warmed" up to a yellow-green. She dry embossed Happy Easter (LM234) and stenciled it yellow and also put the flower lace (LJ820) stencil on top of these words while the stencil was still in position and stenciled the teal again. The bands on the hats were made with teal ribbons, but slitting a hole into the hat and threading the ribbon through. This was a really fun inspiration Kathy. Thank you!

Now if you would like to play along just sign up with Mr. Linky below. Thanks for joining us this week.

Breakfast at Dreamweavers!

Hi, it's Pam, giving Lynell a blog break again. This has been a catch-up week still for her. Since this week is a free choice week, she did, however, suggest that I blog this wonderful card from her good friend, Elaine Benedict. When I saw this card, I immediately thought of "Breakfast at Tiffany's" with Audrey Hepburn. The quintessential image of elegance.

Worldwide Gallery Co/Uk

See what I mean? Not only is Elaine's card simply elegant, it is also simple in process. The bottom panel was the Damask stencil paste-embossed with Glossy Black Paste. The top pink panel features the beautifully elegant Thank You sentiment with the same paste. The black satin ribbon runs across like the empire waistline of an iconic dress being worn by Audrey herself, with the bling of the pearl pin added. I love this card that Elaine created...perfect for so many occasions...weddings, anniversaries, birthdays, and yes, a beautifully simple thank you. Now is your opportunity to visit the rest of our talented team of Dream Schemers as listed at right. Create your own inspirational piece and link to our Mr. Linky below.

Dreamweaver Stencils:
Damask Stencil (LJ907)
Thank You (LG691)
Glossy Black Paste (DGKP)

Hoppy Spring! Sketch Challenge #4

 The Queen of Stenciling, Lynell, is away this week, so this is Pam Hornschu here to inspire you with a springy card this week. Our sketch challenge this week was created by our own Louise Healy and can be seen at left. For today's post, the card I made tips the sketch on it's side so that the flap opens from bottom to top. Four stencils were used for this, but don't let that intimidate you. The Egg (LG670) shape is one stencil, where the white cardstock was run through my Big Shot in order to emboss the egg shape. The stencil was placed over the raised surface, and I air-brushed the background. I then paste-embossed in white the Long Daffodils (LL428) stencil and set that aside to dry. The aqua cardstock was run through the Big Shot with the Stripes (LX7002) stencil to add texture. I added the little paste-embossed Small Bunny (LS1007) in the corner. Once all of the pasted portions were dry, I added a touch of pink to the ears, nose, and toes of the bunny with a Copic marker. The daffodils and stems were alternately masked off so that I could air-brush the color and shading on them as well. The Hoppy Easter (LM291) on the inside of the
card was also air-brushed. A cute print paper was added to the flap along with some fuzzy pompom trim. The egg was trimmed with a scalloped edge. All very bright and springy! Now is your opportunity to visit the blogs of our super talented team. If Lynell is the Queen of Stenciling, our ladies are the Princesses of Paste! Hee hee. Anyway, check them out for more inspiration, play along, and post your link to our Mr. Linky at the bottom of this post. We love to see where your creativity takes you as well!

Thursday's Dream Schemes/Free Challenge this Week!

Happy St. Patrick's Day...let's CELEBRATE! This beautiful " green" card comes to us from design team member, Laura Drahozal. Laura just got back from visiting the UK so we hope you will have time to visit her blog (follow the sidebar at the right to find your way). Be sure to go back a week on her blog to see some of her photos of the London area and some of her "card" work while she was there demonstrating at a very large crafting trade show in Birmingham. She even has a couple of her Dreamweaver cards pictured on her blog last week that are being shown on a QVC show in England. Today, on her blog, you will see a variation on this Celebrate card...leave a comment if you get the chance, we love to be encouraged.

This card began with Laura creating a background with the new plaid making stencil (LX7002). This new size of stencil is square and has a series of large and small stripes. It is great for several different backgrounds, you can use it to just stencil a background like Laura did. She used an applicator in her picture here or you can also use it with embossing paste. When the new DVDs are ready there will be a segment on using this stencil in a couple of different ways. That DVD is almost ready to go to press...(is that what they call it when they make a DVD???), or I guess I should say it is almost ready to go to the "Duplicators". We'll keep you posted on both of the DVD's progress. The paper that Laura started with was already green and had a narrow diagonal stripe in a darker green that she aligned her striped stencil against. She used distress inks to stencil in greens, then turned her stencil at a 90 degree angle and stenciled in blue.

The four leaf clover stencil (LS58) and the vertical celebrate stencil (LM283) were embossed on aluminum metal by running them through an embossing machine and then they were colored with a green Adirondack alcohol ink. Then to make the metal shine through she sands the embossed clovers and the celebrate sentiment with a sanding block.

The small four leaf clover that is hanging on the ribbon was shrink plastic. Laura is a master with using the stencils on shrink plastic to create these "lucky charms". She sands the shrink plastic first so the ink will adhere to the plastic and uses a 1/4" hole punch at the apex of the leaves, so that when it shrinks she will have somewhere on the charm to attach the ribbon to...don't forget since it will be shrinking you will want this hole to be fairly large. This little charm was then colored with green ink. "What type of ink?"...you ask. I believe she used the same alcohol inks that she used on the metal, but I have discovered that if you "do" sand the shrink plastic in advance then several different types of ink will work...Brilliance inks, Chalk inks, and permanent inks like Staz-on.

If you have questions about how Laura's card was made, please ask her in my comments section and she will pop by to answer when she gets the chance. Don't forget to visit the other members creations this week too.

Hope you take time this week to join our challenge...it doesn't have to be St. Patrick's Day themed... it doesn't have to be on metal...it doesn't even have to be a stencil, just make it something you want to share with us. It is a free challenge week, so play along if you get the chance and we'll come visit your blog to see what you have been up to, so just sign in on Mr. Linky below.