Thursday's Dream Schemes/Celebrate! A New Year for Dreamweaver

I am really looking forward to the New Year! I know the Dream Team of 2012 will have many creative projects to share with you, so get ready to boogie!!!


Before I forget, I just want to let you know that I will be teaching at Scrapbook Territory in Berkley, CA on Jan. 14. Check their blog for details.  
OOPS...I guess there was an error, on their blog it says Jan 12 Thursday, but I will be there on Jan 14 Saturday, not Thursday.


This week we are focusing on creations that celebrate looking forward to what's ahead and these three kitties are doing just that as they peer into a window created with the faux ceramic tile technique.


To create the window I first dry embossed the tile grid stencil (LJ811) by running it through my Big Shot embossing machine. Then I stenciled yellow pigment (using a 3/4" stencil brush) at the bottom sections of the window, oranges through the middle (use a second clean brush for oranges and reds) and at the top section I stenciled with purple pigment ink (again use a clean brush for your darkest colors). Be sure to leave the grid stencil in place on the white cardstock. I then taped the confetti stencil (LJ854) on top of the grid stencil and stenciled spring green and blue pigment ink through the confetti stencil onto the yellow areas of the window, red on top of the orange areas and magenta on top of the purple areas of the window. Next I removed only the confetti stencil. To finish off the window, which appears in real life to be shiny (hard to capture in the photo), as you would believe glass to be...I again left the LJ811 grid stencil in place and used a jumbo dauber and daubed a clear embossing ink all over this window grid stencil. THEN at last I finally removed the grid stencil and sprinkled Suze Weinberg's Ultra Thick Embossing Enamel all over the window panes. Next tap off any excess powder and heat with a heat gun. I then mounted this finished window on a pale blue card stock and also placed a small strip of brown at the base to create a window sill to give the kitties a place to sit. For instructions on this faux ceramic tile technique you can watch it being done on my DVD titled Unique Techniques (DVD-1).


I paste-embossed the three cats stencil (LM266) with Glossy White Embossing Paste (DGWP). And immediately when I removed the stencil I sprinkled the cat on the left with black glitter being careful to waterfall (or angle) the cardstock away from the other two wet pasted cats. Next I glittered the cat of the far left with a pale gold glitter this time angling the paper away from the middle cat. Then I paste-embossed the "Celebrate" stencil (LS90) using Matte Black Embossing Paste (DMBP) in the middle of the windows. It is a little tricky to paste over the top of something as "bumpy" as this window background, but I used the new paste spreader (LM2010) and that has made a really big difference. The difference being that I can usually paste something with just one sweep across the stencil rather than going over it several times. Remember that every time you stroke across the stencil with a palette knife or spreader you run the risk of the paste squishing under the stencil. Once the "pasted" kitties are dried you can reposition the stencil and overlay the zebra background stencil (LJ815) on top of the gold glittered kitty and stencil with brown pigment ink to get his stripes. The calico cat in the middle was daubed with brown and black pigment ink...leaving just a few patches of white showing through. I even stenciled the inner edges of the black cat with black pigment ink to give him some shadows or depth. Then the window and sill were placed on a piece of dark blue velvet paper for the feeling of a night time celebration.


Pam Hornschu, our new team leader, will be letting us know how our 2012 blog challenges will be done this year. Below is Mr. Linky and we look forward to your playing along soon.

Thursday's Dream Schemes/Burgundy and Gold Colorway

OK...so I know this card is more maroon than burgundy, but it is a card that team member Kristi Van Doren designed and it really sings to me. You know the song...Lalalala la  and a partridge (or two) in a pear tree, or in this case in a pear and a tag. Great card Kristi!!!


I decided that in this post instead of talking about technique I am going to talk about what a great design team we have had this past year. Team member, Deborah March is moving on, but I know she will be in touch...she is traveling big time. In fact off to Ecuador and other places as well. As some of you know she has three precious grandson's in Ottawa and is planning on some time with them in the near future. Can't wait to hear from her to see what she is up to next. In her lifetime she has been a nurse and social worker and has spent much time upholding the enthusiasm of the team in spite of her own ups and downs...and even some private counseling for yours truly. Thanks Deborah and wishing you much joy in 2012, you deserve it. 


Although Kim Parkinson will not be rejoining us, she has mentioned that she will still be teaching and we are hoping when our teaching team gets going that she will join and then we will hear when and where her classes will be. She also has three little guys in her life and it has been so great seeing her pictures of them on her blog. When I see them it always makes me realize that my priority is family first. Thanks for all of your innovative ideas Kim...we have all benefitted from your creative and sharing spirit.


As 2011 comes to a close we want to welcome three new members to our design team. Yes...it was really hard to choose only two new team members, so we've added three. Here they are:


Jessie Hurley is from British Columbia, Canada and is very enthusiastic about Dreamweaver Stencils (well really, what's not to like...right?). She has something in common with our team member Lee Kellogg... she owns a retail store. So as she starts to blog about stenciling I am sure she will let us know more about her business, can't wait.


Cyndi Bundy is from North Carolina and is a very busy lady. She has three teenagers, which is really a mind blower right there (I only raised one and it nearly blew my mind)...but then she also has an eight year old. I'm in awe...because she also is a sales rep, a stamping teacher, a blogger and is on a couple other design teams,woops almost forgot...she also has a hubbie. We are not yet sure about her sanity, but we will find out more soon.


Cherylynn Moser is from Oregon. She is from both eastern and western oregon...her hubbie has been in school and so they take turns moving from one location to another. (Higher education can be a really moving experience...just ask her.) She too had her own retail business, but because of the travel she has given that up and mostly teaches in stores in Western Oregon. Fortunately for Dreamweaver she likes to stencil and we have benefitted from having her teaching expertise. She has stenciled for many years and we have been fortunate to have her play along with our challenges too. Thanks Cherylynn...looking forward to having you on the team too.

Please go to the Dreamweaver Stencils' Facebook page. After "liking" us, if you leave a welcoming comment to our new members, you have the opportunity of possibly winning a wonderful stencil design. Click HERE!


As this year winds down I want to thank Pam Hornschu for her organization of many blogging details and for putting out the call for the new team. She has also saved my personal blog many a time from delinquentness (spell check says that is not a word) due to my travels and busy schedule. To each of the other members thank you for your unflagging enthusiasm for our stencils and for your silliness when we needed silliness and your seriousness when we needed that. Hoping that 2012 will be a bit less eventful in some ways and full of hope in every way! God bless us everyone!


And on that note, if anyone would like to play along and join our burgundy (or maroon) and gold colorway challenge here is Mr. Linky to Link to...

Thursday's Dream Schemes/Sketch Challenge #13 by Pam Hornschu

Today's schematic challenge was created by Pam Hornschu. She has encouraged the team to use a vintage flair, but also said that just good old Christmas would do as well. So I did a bit of a variation of retro instead by using that turquoise blue with a rosy red that was seen so much in the 40s and 50s. I remember we had turquoise appliances when I was growing up and I still love that turquoise/aqua color. This is also a case of CASE-ing...remember what that means? Pam wrote about the "ultimate compliment" a couple of weeks ago on my blog...then just scroll down to her post on my site (Nov 17) and see the resemblance of my card and hers... thanks Pam for letting us know how it all works.


This card is quite simply made. I cut three vertical windows with a craft knife and put clear acetate behind them.


On another piece of aqua cardstock I paste-embossed the poinsettia stencil (LG700) using Dreamweaver Glossy Red Embossing Paste (DGRP) and while it was wet I placed aqua crystals onto the wet paste using the Grab-IT tool  (RGGI). While this was drying I cut a semi-circle of rosy red cardstock and paste-embossed the Merry Christmas stencil (LS92) with the Dreamweaver Matte Black Embossing Paste (DMBP). 


I would like to emphasize, that usually the poinsettia stencil is somewhat tricky to paste-emboss, but I did the paste work on this stencil by using the new paste spreader (LM2010) and it was so much easier than my past experiences. If you are having difficulty with larger stencils or very "lacey" stencils like the poinsettia...which has many fine bridges, this larger spreader really makes the work a breeze. Both of my newer DVDs go into detail on how to use this helpful tool. Tips&Tools can be ordered as DVD-3 and Embossing Paste Techniques as DVD-2.


Just a final note...because of my recent travels we have put off choosing our newdesign team members, but we will let you all know soon. Also if you would like to play along this week with the above challenge, just check add your nameto mr. linky below and we would love to have you on board.

CASE-ing...The Ultimate Compliment

Yep, it's Pam again! Lynell is off teaching classes this week.
Ever heard of the expression to "CASE" someone else's design work? This acronym means to "Copy and Say Everything"...in other words, being inspired by someone's creation to the point of copying it (with slight changes) and being proud to admit that you did not come up with the original idea, but someone else did. If you have ever been on Split Coast Stampers web site, you will see a lot of CASE-ing. As Lynell has said frequently, nothing in art is immaculately conceived. Everyone is inspired by someone else into taking the thought one step further. The cards in this post are the perfect example of this.  The card at the top was created by me for the latest release at CHA Summer in July. I kept it very simple, and went with just the pink and white retro theme. I embossed the Christmas Tree on the white cardstock panel with my Big Shot machine, embossed the Christmas Tree again on Mercart Aluminum and Core'dinations cardstock (both of which were sanded to reveal their underlying color), I added a bright pompom and a sticker sentiment. Done.
The second card was created by Rebekka Behunin, a long time friend, helper, and wonderful teacher of Dreamweaver Stencils products and techniques. Obviously, Rebekka took my card to the next level. Her version uses all Mercart Colored Aluminum in various colors, run through the embossing machine, sanded, and in addition...a machine-embossed sentiment and yummy Creative Impressions' bow and Dreamweaver Stencils 3" pin for extra bling.
The third card by Elaine Benedict, sales rep and teacher for Dreamweaver Stencils, falls sort of in between the first and second card...one main color (red), part Mercart colored aluminum and part Core'dinations cardstock, both sanded as before. Elaine also added the embossed sentiment with a ribbon, plus a star brad on top, and rhinestone accents. When you look at all three cards, you can see the progression. All three cards have their own unique look, and I'm sure like me, the other two artists were pleased to create their own version, and I was complimented by being their inspiration. Somewhere along the line, the tables will be turned, and it will be me being inspired by their work to "CASE" it, in honor of their creativity as well. This week, I'd like to challenge you to CASE something that one of our Dream Team member's (list at right) has created and link your version here on the Dream It Up! blog!

Thursday's Dream Schemes/Silver & Turquoise Colorway Challenge

Well at first glance this creation may not impress you as being silver and turquoise. However once you read this you will understand why I thought it would qualify. For those of you who enjoy the metallic leafing technique done on embossing paste here is the gist of where I am headed. There are basically four types of variegated metallic leafing that Dreamweaver sells. They are called variegated green, red, blue and black. The blue and the green are fairly similar and have a golden undertone so when I do the prep work with a metallic paste I usually use the Dreamweaver Gold Embossing Paste (DGP) and the red has a definite orange metallic undertone that "says" to me, "I'm copper", so of course I basecoat with the Dreamweaver Copper Metallic Embossing Paste (DCP). But the black has always been a bit of a misnomer to me. It has a bit of golden tone to it and yet the variegation is more silvery to me, so why they call it "black" I am not sure....hmmm, but because I perceive it as silver I usually basecoat with the Metallic Silver Embossing Paste (DSP). And that is what I did with the new ornate Christmas tree (LX7003). 

For the second part of this colorway challenge I would also like to draw attention to the turquoise cardstock that I've used. This beautiful cardstock is imported from Japan and is offered by Hanko Designs owned by Kathy Yoshida. You will find that on her site it is referred to as Tsumugi Turqoise. These lightweight cardstocks absorb the embossing paste beautifully.

Once the paste was dry I repositioned the stencil with removable tape and daubed the Stamp & Stick Glue onto the swirly areas of the design and the star at the top. I removed that stencil and heated it with a heat gun for 15 - 30 seconds until these glued areas became tacky and then applied the black variegated leafing and burnished it with a firm clean stencil brush. I then repositioned the stencil again and daubed on the same glue and stenciled these glued areas with a small stencil brush and the mica powders sold by Dreamweaver called Metallic F/X...the colors I used? Poinsettia: Plum Royal, Holly Leaves: Ivy Garden, Pears: Goldfinch, Partridges, Sapphire.

The pin was colorized with the new Artist Grade Alcohol ink Color Solution: Color- Iceberg. It is really fun to colorize the white or ivory pins with any of the new Color Solution inks.

Be sure to follow the sidebar at the right and visit the rest of the team to see what they have done for this beautiful colorway challenge. And if you are interested in playing along with us this week just add your name to Mr. Linky below and we will come visit your blog. If you don't have a blog but would like to send me a sample of one of your creations I would love to post it for you.


This is a card by Rebekka Behunin let me post, she travels and teaches with Dreamweaver Products here in Southern California. This is another turquoise and silver creation: the metal is colored and then sanded. She used the swirl stencil in the background (LJ873) and the gingko stencil on top (LJ893) and then paste embossed on the black cardstock with the Dreamweaver Silver Embossing Paste (DSP) using the thank you stencil (LG691).