Lavinia World

Hello, Blogging Friends!
To see my Moving Along With The Times Challenge Post, please click here.
Today I have an elegant Christmas card to share for our Lavinia World Challenge.

Details of our Lavinia World Challenge: An ANYTHING GOES theme using ANY brand clear or rubber stamp - no digitals. Winner receives

a $15 gift certificate to the Lavinia World store.

While "our" Lavinia World store is located in the US, it ships worldwide. In the US, buy $25 and get free shipping! Lavinia World carries other crafting supplies for your convenience.

Store -- Facebook -- Challenge -- Instagram

This is a small card 5" x 5.5", made with a white base, die cut with SW Nobel Ornate Pierced Design dies, and highlighted with good old Brilliance ink.



It is framed with gold mirror cardstock (I promise it is very similar in color to the gold embossing powder, but it is showing up rather coppery).

The mirror cardstock is popped up dimensionally with a die cut Merry Christmas sentiment done in black glitter.



Lavinia World products:



Thanks for stopping by this morning, and don't forget to play with any rubber or clear stamp for a chance to win a gift card to the Lavinia World store!

Products Used:

• Lavinia World Three Kings
• Lavinia World VersaFine Clair Golden Meadow
• Dies: SW Noble Collection - Ornate Pierced Design CED5507, Tonic Slab Merry Christmas
• Other: Gold embossing powder, Craftwell Love Triangles embossing folder, black glitter, Galaxy Gold Brilliance Ink, Martha Stewart Zig Zag border punch
• Paper: Gold Mirror Cardstock, Gold glossy cardstock, White cardstock

Challenges I'd like to play in please:

1. Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge #452 Embossing (used both wet and dry) 8/30
2. Crafty Gals Corner #198 Emboss It! (I have used both wet and dry embossing) 9/10
3. Scrapy Land Challenge #120 AG using SL dies (SW and Tonic) 9/1
4. Creative Craft Challenges #121 Christmas 9/3
5. Merry Little Christmas #13 (August) Anything Christmas 9/5
6. The House that Stamps Built #A2819  Anything Goes  9/4

Stamping Hugs,

Moving Along With The Times Challenge - Anything With Wings

Good Morning, and welcome to my blog!

My project today features all "old stuff" from my stash
and even some LIVE butterfly action below!

It's time to share a Project for the new Moving Along With The Times Challenge!

Challenge #105's theme is ANYTHING WITH WINGS - for the next 2 weeks upload your creations featuring any "winged" theme! 

Today's card was made with a Florida friend in mind. She is always upbeat and lives WAY DOWN SOUTH where the sun always shines, hence the bright yellows and golds, perfectly describing her personality.

HOW TO: The background started with white glossy-coated cardstock and dribbles of red, green, white and yellow pearlescent acrylic paints. Then another white glossy was placed on top, and I smooshed. Oh so carefully, start at the corner and quickly peel apart the two pieces of glossy card stock. This fun background is the result. If you don't like the way the paint moved around, put the glossy pieces together again, and smoosh them a bit more. Depending how thick your paint is, you may not be able to do it a third time.


The small "inchies" are from the same paper as the background scallop frame.
The design itself is inspired by ALL THINGS "OLD" -
Old-fashioned "Inchie" shapes were made with an old Stampin' Up! scallop punch. The Spellbinders butterfly dies are so old that they are long retired. It was fun using an old Great Impressions background stamp and old gold tinsel embossing powder.

Here's a look at the dimension and chipboard:



wishing you a lovely week
and
looking forward to seeing your winged creations!

Products Used:

• Pearlescent Acrylic Paints, Createx Acrylic Paints,
• Image: Great Impressions Vicki Shrimer Background 2008
• Embossing Powders: Gold Tinsel, Clear Glittery EP, Black
• Glitter: Black
• Papers: White Glossy, Gold Vellum, White Neenah, Green
• Spellbinders Grand Shapeabilities Butterflies LF006, SB Grand Scallop Squares
• An old SU scallop punch
• Ribbon, "Friend Chipboard"

On a Personal Note

for those of you viewing via email, you may need to come to the blog to see the movie. First come the caterpillars - I believe these are the Zebra Swallowtails stripping the plant of parsley leaves - do you see all 9 of them? There are actually more than 20 on the plant. Then a one-minute movie of some butterflies in my front yard after the rain gave us some respite:

I was only able to capture one of the Cloudless Sulphur butterflies:

Challenges I'd like to play in PLEASE:

1. Crafty Creations #397 Anything Goes ?
2. Crafty Gals Corner #198 Emboss It! (I have used both wet and dry embossing) 9/10

Stamping Hugs,

Lavinia World - Woodland Dancing

Hello, sweet friends and followers!
Will you dance with me?
Today's card reminds me of the 60s when we had slumber parties and danced until we were out of breath - kind of like Christina and Meredith in Grey's Anatomy. (giggle)

Today's card is about friendship, and the magic that results from being with our dearest friends.

Today begins a new Lavinia World Challenge!

Store -- Facebook -- Challenge -- Instagram

Details of our Lavinia World Challenge: An ANYTHING GOES theme using ANY brand clear or rubber stamp - no digitals. Winner receives
a $15 gift certificate to the Lavinia World store.

While "our" Lavinia World store is located in the US, it ships worldwide. In the US, buy $25 and get free shipping! Lavinia World carries other crafting supplies for your convenience. If you use Lavinia World products, your chances of winning double.

I "cheated" again, using one of the beautiful background papers called
A Woodland Walk.



I prepared the page by first using a finger dauber and blending lots of Cracked Pistachio Distress Ink, shading certain areas, and turning the panel to a bluer cast. Then more leaves were stamped from Creeping Vine LAV295 in Iced Spruce and Shaded Lilac Oxide Distress Inks. The Dancing Till Dawn LAV273 fairies was stamped in VersaFine Clair Nocturne and heat set with clear EP:



Using a finger dauber and VersaMark Ink, the edges of the panel were distressed and heat set with a black embossing powder containing glitter:



My stash did not have the size die needed for the lacy frame, so I pulled out an old punch and cut it in half down the center:


That's my story, and I'm sticking to it!
Thanks for dropping by and dancing with me today!

Products Used:

• Lavinia World - Stars Mini LAV152
• Lavinia World - Dancing Till Dawn LAV273
• Lavinia World - Creeping Vine LAV295
• Lavinia World - Fairy Dust is Like Love LAV024
• Lavinia World - A Woodland Walk Paper
• Lavinia World - VersaFine Clair Nocturne
• Lavinia World - Iced Spruce Distress Oxide
• Lavinia World - Shaded Lilac Distress Oxide
• Lavinia World - Uni-Ball Pen Signo Gel-white
• Other: MS Doily Lace Trim punch, Midnight Madness Glittered EP, Clear Detail EP, Cracked Pistachio Distress Ink, VersaFine (around edges)

Challenges I'd like to play in please:

1. Make My Monday Challenges #102 "Friendship" my friends are dancing and enjoying being together! 8/18
2. Cute Card Thursday #595 "Add A Quote" The quote on my card is from William Shakespeare 8/22

Stamping Hugs,

Christmas at Sweet Stampin' Snow People

Hello, everyone!
Thank you for dropping by.
Today, I'm cooling off from our very hot and humid Florida temperatures with a fun-loving Snow Person who is making Snow Angels!
Ahhhh, cools me off just thinking about it.

Today begins a new challenge at 

Christmas at Sweet Stampin'!

My brilliant teammates have fantastic samples to share! The challenge is ANYTHING GOES for ANY Christmas theme craft project. August's Challenge has an optional theme of Snow People!

My project features SheepSki Designs "Snow Happy" image!
This digi stamp makes me laugh! Can you picture it animated? I can!


"Happy" was colored with Caran d'Ache Luminance 6901 Color Pencils and Gamsol, and then he was die cut:


I wanted to distress the interior of the panel without any of the embossed detail around the edges have blue on it. So Post-It Tape came to the rescue:


Double Sided Tape was placed on the under side of the frame, and dredged with clear glitter from the top:


The panel behind was dry embossed and distressed with the same two distress ink colors. An old Martha Stewart Starlight edge punch was used on one side. Again, on the underside, double stick tape was applied to the star edge, and dredged with navy glitter.


He is so cute!

Some Products Used:

• Stamps: Andrea Norris SheepSki Designs "Snow Happy", Hero Arts Seasonal Sentiments CL722
• Dies: Sue Wilson Ornate Pierced Design CED5507, MS Starlight Punch
• Colored: Distress Inks (BluePrint and Mermaid Lagoon) and Caran d'Ache Luminance 6901 Color Pencils with Gamsol (in blues and turquoise blends)
• Clear Glitter (for border), Blue Glitter for stars

Challenges I'm submitting this card to:

1. The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge #54 AG Christmas 8/25
2. Cute N Crafty Christmas #16 Anything Christmas Goes 8/25
3. ScrapyLand Challenges #119 AG SL Dies (Sue Wilson) 8/17
4. Merry Little Christmas Challenge #13 Anything Christmas Goes 9/1 (check 9/5)
5. SheepSki Designs Facebook Challenge #38 Fave Embellishments - (my favorite embellishments are to put glitter or embossing powder on die cuts, creating dimension on a flat card using that glitter and/or embossing powder) 8/19
6. 52 Christmas Card Throwdown color challenge 8/17 (sep post)
7. Dream Valley Challenges #207 Hand Coloured Image 8/25 (sep post)
8. Sparkles Christmas Challenge #103 "It's Snowtime!" 9/1

Stamping Hugs,

My Besties - Get Well

Waving "Hello" to each of you, and wishing you a great week.
Today's card share is a sweet image from the Get Well Besties line, for a card swap - theme was to have a person on the front.

The card is 5.5" x 7" with a woven die cut frame and glittered leaves:

She is so cute! I also colored this image in bright green and pink on an oval shaped card here.

The sentiment is heat embossed. A rectangle containing the image was distressed and then popped up on another distressed die cut:

Thanks for stopping by!

Products:

• Dies: SB Bow Elegance S6-017, SB Mega Class Long Scallop Rectangles Nestabilities, SB Leaves So Very Gorgeous S5-353,
• Stamp: Get Well Besties, SU Sweet Little Sentiments set
• Ink: Distress Milled Lavender and Spun Sugar, VersaFine Clair Monarch
• Coloring Medium: Caran d'Ache Luminance 6901 Color Pencils with Gamsol and  Copic Markers
• Satin Ribbon, Flower, Glitter, Clear embossing powder

Challenges I'd like to play in please:

1. Mybesties3DdecoBlog Challenges #8 AG with a Bestie 9/1
2. My Besties Aussie's Challenge #8 AG with a Bestie 9/1
3. My Besties International Challenge (Aug 1) 
4. Pammie's Inky Pinkies Challenges #1931 Anything Goes 8/11
5. Crafty Gals Corner #197 More than 3 layers (2nd entry) has 5 layers 8/14

Stamping Hugs,

Mermaids at Lavinia World

Hello, my friends and followers!
The first of August fell on a Thursday, so I have three DT posts this morning.
Please click here for 2 Crafty Critter Crazies with Sheepski Designs
and
click here for Moving Along With the Times - Bee Theme

My Lavinia World post today includes a little freebie digital gift to you,
and a PICTORIAL TUTORIAL.

Details of our Lavinia World Challenge: An ANYTHING GOES theme using ANY brand clear or rubber stamp - no digitals. Winner receives
a $15 gift certificate to the Lavinia World store.

While "our" Lavinia World store is located in the US, it ships worldwide. In the US, buy $25 and get free shipping! Lavinia World carries other crafting supplies for your convenience.

Store -- Facebook -- Challenge -- Instagram

Because I've received a few comments/e-mails asking how to use these amazing stamps, I've taken a pictures during my creative process, and hope it will encourage others to try any or all of these techniques:

STEP 1

If you don't really know how to ink up a background, or maybe don't have inks in your stash, try using printed paper, embossing folders and the lovely, inexpensive LAVINIA PAPERS. I was very pleased with the quality of the papers - light-weight, yet sturdy; coated, yet regular dye Distress inks dried on them; any stamp ink works on them; they are embossable.

I began with Spellbound #1 6x6 underwater theme paper AND CUT IT to fit my frame. (for another sample where I cut the Lavinia paper, click here).

2. Place your stamps on the panel to see what will fit, moving them until you have a pleasing scene:

3. Choose your colors (I used the one stringy stamp below to allow for more color options. You can see how fine the detail is in the stamps. At this point, a lovely sentiment would finish this card off perfectly!



4. Add Bubbles in two colors for texture and interest:



5. I use VersaFine Clair in all my embossing unless I need a translucent EP color.
Stamp and heat set sentiment:



6. Stamp Lavinia Guinevere Mermaid with VersaFine Clair Green Oasis. She has a lot of detail in her "scales" and hair.



7. I chose to heat emboss her with a highly glittered formula, and it covered up a little of the detail:



8. The coating on this paper does repel regular watercolor. I used Createx Pearlized Copper Acrylic Paint on the rocks, and lightly painted it so the outlines would still show. I also outlined some of the details with Uni-Ball Pen Signo Gel-white. Applying VersaMark to the edges, I heat set more EP the same color as the mermaid. This is where my boo-boo happened. I hadn't noticed that some stray EP heat set to the white "a and n" so I used my VersaMarker on those two letters, reapplied white detail EP, and heat set. Not perfect, but looks good:


9. Which to use? Black background or White? Straight panel, or make it crooked (crooked is my usual preference). Actually, this was a hard decision! giggle.






10. To pop up the mermaid panel, fun foam was used. Since I didn't have any black in my stash, a black alcohol marker was used to color the edges:


11. Place Double Sided tape on both sides of the fun foam. Adhere frame and fun foam to 6x6 black card base:
 

12. Emboss a scrap of card stock for die cut grass:




13. Add grass to the sides of the panel:



14. Add top panel and a few more grassy details:


Notice that there are white highlights and heat embossed areas in the rocks:


Showing a little of the glitter on this project:



Muting the glitter a bit so you can see detail:



Interior heat embossed and stamped with same colors:

And a little Humor:

Volcano Goddess - keeping a lid on the volcano so the rest of us are safe (giggle). Talk about a HOT SEAT! (more silly giggling) (photo taken without any lights)


Please scroll to the bottom for your digital gift.

Products Used:

• Lavinia World Product: Lavinia Spanish Moss Foliage
• Lavinia World Product: Lavinia Guinevere Mermaid
• Lavinia World Product: Deeper Than The Ocean
• Lavinia World Product: Spellbound #1 6x6 underwater theme paper
• Lavinia World Product: Sea Creatures
• Lavinia World Product: Sea Bubbles
• Lavinia World Product: Uni-Ball Pen Signo Gel-white
• Lavinia World Product: VersaFine Clair inks: Green Oasis and Cheerful Yellow
• Dies: Tonic 1524E Greek Temple, IO Small Grass DIE-178C
• Assorted Glitters and Embossing Powders (that contain Glitter), White Detail EP
• Distress Inks: Blueprint Sketch, Mermaid Lagoon, Peacock Feathers
• Assorted: Createx Pearlized Copper Paint, VersaMark Embossing Ink (edging around the scene for the Green Moss Glittered EP)

Challenges I'd like to play in please:

1. ScrapyLand Challenge #118 AG SL dies (IO and Tonic) 8/7
2. Country View Challenges (Aug) Texture 9/1 (check 9/14)
3. Classic DT Challenge #8 AG DT 9/1
4. Craft Rocket Challenges #62 - Anything Goes 9/1
5. Creative Fingers #168 8/8
6. Love to Craft Challenge #37 Anything Goes 9/1 (check 9/5)
7. World Wide Open DT Challenge #7 AG DT 8/15

A Digital Gift for You

It's a bit ornate, but here's a fun mermaid digital sentiment to use on your mermaid projects. This is for personal use only, and may be used on your design team creations. Click on the sentiment to make it full size. Then right click to download as a SAVE PNG. (not for commercial use). Enjoy!

A Freebie Gift PNG to my Followers-

NOT for commercial use:

PS - one of my followers said when she right clicked on the image to save it, the entire image was black except for the starfish and shell. But once you have the saved item on your hard drive, I promise the letters are black and the background is transparent.
Stamping Hugs,
de