Thursday's Dream Schemes/Sketch #6

This week our sketch #6 comes to us from our Canadian Dream Schemer, Deborah March of Nova Scotia. I interpreted it very traditionally as a cathedral arch and I think it is going to be a lot of fun to see what everyone else has done with it on the Dream Team. Just follow the names on the sidebar to the right to see their creations.

I started by dry embossing the cathedral window stencil (LG639) on an off-white cardstock by putting it through the Big Shot machine. If you want my instructions on how to do that without bending the stencil just email me and I will send you the step-by-step process. Then I took a sharp craft knife and cut out the outer shape and the windows so just the frame was left. The background paper was a piece of suminagashi marbled paper that my friend Diane Maurer showed me how to do. She is a marbler and artisan who has written several books on paper crafts. Two of her books, Decorative Paper and The Ultimate Marbling Handbook give instructions for this particular paper craft. They are both out of print, but if you are interested I think I can find some for you. She has done one other book called Marbling that has been out of print for several years and I have seen it sell for as much as 4x the original price. She has a web-site www.dianemaurer.com where you can view her creations. She also sells marbling tools and inks, books and collage pieces she has created with her papers. She still travels occasionally to give workshops too. 


After I mounted the paper in the window, I mounted the entire window on a piece of iridescent periwinkle colored paper that I had paste-embossed the "comfort" words (LG696) onto using the glossy green embossing paste (DGGP). While this paste was still wet I sprinkled it with a teal green microfine glitter from Art Institute Glitter. Then I cut another piece of off-white cardstock, the shape of the entire sketch, and mounted my window onto half of it to complete the card. Feel free to email me for the embossing machine instructions at lynell@dreamweaverstencils.com


I have been struggling a bit with blogger the last couple of days, so if you have already been here to leave a comment I apologize, but am hoping you'll take time this week to join the team and make a creation for others to enjoy. Also if you get time be sure to visit and see the other creations, please leave them some creative love in the form of an encouraging comment. Thanks for stopping by to browse! Oops almost forgot to tell you our DVDs are now available at a store near you, if not you can find them at: www.stencilwithstyle.com

Thursday's Dream Schemes/Free Challenge this Week!

This Thursday since it is a free week I am taking a little extra time to showcase some class projects for some upcoming workshops that I'm teaching in Sacramento at The Stamp ARt Shoppe Inc. Roseville Calif. on Memorial Day Weekend.


FLOCKING AND GLITTER TECHNIQUES:

Design team member Louise Healy gave me permission to use this lovely card as one of the projects. So if you are in the area stop by the store to see the sample boards. This This one is a unique embossing paste and glitter technique.

PLAIDMAKING TECHNIQUES:

Design team member Pam Hornschu did this wonderful card using the LG735 tie stencil and I really think the plaid that she achieved using the embossing machine with stencil LX7002 and then stenciled with chalk inks looks like a fabric called "seersucker".  We will also show how to mix pastes and do paste-embossing on acetate. Then also we will work with the Memories Mists to also create plaids with the stripe stencil. Pam will be traveling with me to Sacramento and assisting in the classes. I am looking forward to the "ROAD TRIP" with a design team member.


DOUBLE GLITTER PLUS+++:

This fun technique has been shown on the team's blogs several times. We will be taking it a step further and doing some work with foils as well. But here is the LG733 birds stencil done up with transparent glitters form Art Institute's glitters and then stenciled with pigment ink for added detail work. At CHA Julie Makela, my distributor from Australia used the foils on the JAC paper (also known as sticky mounting paper), so I am looking forward to sharing this new technique.

There are two other classes I will be teaching ...one has to do with hand embossing and machine embossing on metal with the stencils, how to do it and how to color the metal. The other class is called "Full Circle" and shows a new technique with a material that has been around for a long time. If I don't see you in Sacramento (Roseville) on Memorial Day weekend stay tuned on how to do some of these new techniques. To find out more about the classes, dates and times go to The Stamp Art Shoppe's web site and click on events.

Hope you have time to see what the design team has done this week. My challenge to you is to leave a comment on their blogs...some of them do this work for the love of sharing their creations and it is nice to have your encouragement. Also if you have time play along ...Mr. Linky is below for just that reason.

Colorway Challenge of Blue and Orange for Thursday's Dream Schemes

What a special week for a challenge! Mom's day is coming and our challenge is to use Georgia's colorway challenge of orange and blue. There are so many varieties of this complementary color scheme, but for Dreamweaver's Dream Schemes I chose a very literal translation. Yes...ORANGE AND BLUE...I told my husband it looks like a card that maybe a Denver Broncos fan would send to their mother for this special weekend. But, I don't really care because this is one of my favorite color combos. (And besides I do like the Denver Broncos too). 

I chose these stencils for the simple reason that my Mother is one of the biggest influences in my life and she is a crafter, artisan and businesswoman extra-ordinaire. From early on I remember her crochéting, knitting, sewing and later she began a business in her home doing ceramics. Which grew and grew and later became too big to "house" in our house. They moved the business twice and it supported them (my father later joined the business as well) for many years and gave me a job as a pre-teen, teen and college student. Today Mom also does wonderful glass fusion and stained glass and recently purchased a sewing machine that does beautiful embroidery. It would be great to live close enough to do some of these things together on a regular basis. Now, although she is retired she still influences my life and has even created her own web site www.stencilwithstyle.com and sells our stencils to people who do not have the luxury of living near a brick and mortar papercrafting store. Thanks Mom, for all that you have inspired me to do...I think the biggest thing that you have done is to raise me to believe in myself and my abilities to follow my dreams. I am sure that many of you have had this same experience with your mothers too. 

This card that I made to honor my Mom's quilting passion is made with the re-released stencil called Cathedral Windows (LJ808). I merely stenciled it in a blue from the Banner Brilliance tri-color ink pad by Tsukineko. Then I dry embossed the quilt design stencil (LL457) using my Big Shot embossing machine. I repositioned the stencil back onto the embossed design with removable tape (RMT) and added the color by stenciling it with the same blue ink as the background and the flower portion was stenciled with orange iridescent Paintstik and shaded with a tiny bit of red ink at the tips of the flowers. The background paper was sprayed with orange and hot pink Vivid Sprays by Stewart Superior and I paste-embossed the "It's Your Day" stencil (LG704) with Glossy Blue Embossing Paste (DGBP) onto this brightly colored background. A small window was cut out in the Cathedral Window background to expose the sentiment and it is ready to send off to MOM!

Enjoy the rest of the week ....don't forget to hug a MOM and if you are a mom, Happy Mom's Day this Sunday! Feel free to join our colorway challenge and don't forget to visit each member of the design team's take on Georgia Sommer's beautiful blue and orange theme. Their names are on the sidebar at the right. And if you do make a card this week share it with us...it doesn't have to be blue and orange...we just love to see what you are up to!

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.