Sparkle N Sprinkle's AT THE BEACH blog hop!

Update: May 11 -- winners are posted at the SNS blog HERE.


Note: May's Blog Candy question is at the VERY bottom of this post.

Warm cyber hugs and a VERY special welcome to 

Sparkle N Sprinkle's fabulous 

"At the Beach" 

blog hop!

 If you arrived here directly from SNS Home blog, then you are in the right place. Otherwise, you may wish to start at the beginning by clicking here.

If you like sparkle, 
if you love the sea,
this Hop is for YOU!
Sparkle N Sprinkle has its roots in Southern California, and is currently based in central Florida by the Gulf of Mexico, so we are celebrating with an "At The Beach" theme this month!

The hop will run for two days. All the fine SNS products, like Stamps, Glitters, Embossing Powders, Flocking, etc., will be lavished upon our hoppers in artwork, and also shared as prizes at the end of the blog hop. To become eligible for Sparkle N Sprinkle's outstanding prizes, leave a comment on each designer's blog during the hop. Three of the prizes are "hidden" on three Design Team Members' blogs. Even the designers don't know which blogs contain the prizes, so try not to miss any.

Winners will be announced on the Sparkle N Sprinkle Blog on Saturday, May 11th.

Your blog hostesses are: 

Donna (that's me - smile) ** Marie Berquist ** Cindy Keogh 
Barbara Bruder  ** Keri Brown ** Cammy Vietzke 

 Karin Martin ** Brigita Skopas ** Jackie Smith ** Dawn Bennett

Karalee Ingram ** Anne Temple ** April Williams ** Shona Erlenborn ** Brenda Smalle

My Card Shares

My first card is FAST AND EASY - seriously.

If I had inked the inside of the embossing folder or used dark cardstock to begin with, the effect would have been more dramatic. But with the white base, the embossing powder photographs better, so that is why white was used.

Back to FAST AND EASY:

1. Run your cardstock through your embossing folder.
2. Smoosh VersaMark pad all over the embossed piece.
3. Choose 4 colors of Sparkle N Sprinkle Tuscany STARS embossing powders and apply them in various places of your inked panel.
4. Heat set. Easy for a spectacular look, isn't it?

For complete directions to make this card, please click here.

I moved the camera just a hair, so that the light would reflect a little differently and capture the beautiful colors - as each embossing powder contains more than one color "shimmer" to it.

Here is a close up of the textures:

Fibers
Gold Leaf Pen
Charm
Tuscany STARS Embossing Powder 

My card is being submitted in the following challenges:

Love to Scrap - #5 Anything Goes!
ABC Challenges - M for Make It Sparkle (every surface of this card is covered with glitter or embossing powder which contains glitter)

My Second Card Share

MEMORIES: This was a fun card to make as it brought back fond childhood memories (nostalgia) of making large sand castles at the beach in southern California. As we dug the "moats" around our castles, we invariably ended up with moister sand and found all kinds of those little rolie-polie sand crabs. They tickled our hands, and caused us to laugh delightedly.

The castle was stamped with Memento Ink, and colored with copics, on top of Cloud Nine Velvet Glitter.

The backdrop is painted with watercolors. The yellow flag is embellished with dimensional glue and Lemonade Ultrafine Glitter.

The Tear Drop circle framing the castle is smooshed with VersaMark ink and then heat embossed with very glittery Mediterranean Sea Star embossing powder.

NOTE:  (all the embossing powders on this project contain glitter, and are very sparkly in person).

I especially like the mix-and-match capability of this delightful stamp set (#403).

The circles fit most dies, and the set is really great for Scrapbookers.

This happy dolphin is an old, old, OLD Spellbinders die, back with their very first release. He is smooshed with VersaMark and embossed with Silver Lightning EP.

The following tutorials found on the SNS Tips and Techniques page were used:

• Stamping on Velvet Glitter
• Copics on Velvet Glitter
• Watercoloring on Velvet Glitter
• Glitter Puzzle (landscaping with glitters and embossing powders)
• Copic Marker Basics

The Sun Rosette tutorial can be seen on Barbara Bruder's video here.

The rosette sun is embossed with Dandy Dandelion EP.

It is my first attempt at creating a "rosette". Even with fumble fingers it was not that difficult.

It is scored and folded at 3/8" increments.

The same border punch was used on the sun's rays, as was used around the card's border.

The white panel border is "distressed" with matching water color blue as in the sky.

TIP: Try distressing with embossing powders and/or glitter, instead of "just ink". It provides dimension and an element of The Unexpected.

A complete list of products is shown below, and detailed directions are shown here.

Sparkle N Sprinkle products used on this card:

Stamps (on sale this month):

• Sandy Castle 316-403N
• Also from set 403 

Adhesives:

• Brushable Glue #540
• Dimensional Glue #539
• Super Adhesive Sheets #SAS02
• 1/4” Double Sided Tear-ific Tape SAT01
• 3/4" Double Sided Tear-ific Tape SAT05

Inks:

• VersaMark Pad #712353310018
• Memento Ink - Tuxedo Black #712353259003

Markers:

• Dove Blender Pen #99535
• Copic Markers (assorted)

Embossing Powders:

• Mediterranean Star Sparkling embossing powder #EP429
• Silver Lightning Sparkling embossing powder #EP262
• Dandy Dandelion Sparkling embossing powder #EP178

Glitters:

• Cloud Nine Velvet Glitter (microfine) GM2000
• Waterfall Ultrafine Glitter G1071  (On Sale this Month)
• Flesh Ultrafine Glitter G1067
• Lemonade Ultrafine Glitter #G1091

Other Products:

Cardstock: Lemonade, Kraft, White, Dark Teal

Punches: MS Deco Fans Punch Around the Page, EKS 1” circle, 

Dies: SB porpoise (very old, one of the originals, retired years ago - sorry)

SB Tear Drop Circles S4-344

SB Standard Circle-Small S4-116

Lyra Water Color Crayons

To enjoy more inspirational card shares, please hop on over to the incredible Marie Berquist's blog!

This card is submitted to the following awesome challenges:

• Ooh La La Creations - Nostalgia (memories of my childhood in Southern California as we built massive sand castles and roasted hot dogs, marshmallows, and popped dried kelp in the bon fire at night)
• Crafty Catz Challenges - #181 - Inspired by a Song - ("Beach Baby, Beach Baby" by First Class a 1960's song about spending the summer days on the beach - I'm showing my age - smile)
• Inspire Me Fridays - #101 Anything Goes
• Sister Act Card Challenge - #5 Anything Goes
• Stampin for the Weekend - Die cuts and/or punches (3 punches, 3 die cuts)
• ABC Challenges - M for Make It Sparkle (every surface of this card is covered with glitter or embossing powder which contains glitter)

note: Blog Winner announced here.

Now... Onto May's Blog Candy Question. My gift to visitors in 2013 is to have monthly blog candy. You do not have to "follow" my blog to be eligible to win (though I love it if you do). On June 1, I will make every attempt to contact you should you be May's winner, as long as blogger contains your e-mail addy or you leave it in the comment. Because I still have not figured out Random.org, my husband pulls a name out of the basket.

For three SNS Flocking Colors, just include a brief mention in your comment below about how you might use SNS flocking on a project.

Stamping hugs always,