Lavinia World 24 - Every Wish Begins With A Dream

Greetings, friends. Sending you wishes for peace and good health.
I am so grateful you are here, and that our paths have crossed.

It is time for our new
Lavinia World Challenge!

Store -- Facebook -- Challenge -- Instagram
Play in our Anything Lavinia Facebook Challenge
and/or our Anything Goes Challenge Blog

Today's story 

Surrounded by love, Guinevere Mermaid is spending time alone, 
using the days to expand her heart, 
and to discover dreams that will make her world more 
meaningful to herself and others, especially those in need.
After all, everyone is "needy" in one way or another.

Both cards are colored with the same inks,
but different die shapes and stencils were used.

Guinevere Mermaid is stamped with Cheerful Yellow Versafine Clair and heat set with white detail embossing powder. I wish Versafine Clair came in a white!

Mermaid Lagoon Distress Ink is the primary base, and is used in the foliage as well. The underwater foliage is done with the Spanish Moss Foliage set. 

A little Antique Linen Oxide provides a grounding for the rocks and sandy areas.

The glitter dots around the "wish" were done with my favorite detail adhesive - Quickie Glue Pen. It's my go-to product for certain intricate jobs, and I've used it for as long as it has been on the market.

The star brads are heated up and dipped into Cerulean Glitter EP, where the EP melts in place:

I used an Aqua Prismacolor Pencil in certain places to define shadows.
Unfortunately, I was a bit heavy-handed with the ink and stencils:

 

The Every Dream sentiment was stamped with Nocturne Versafine Clair onto vellum and heat set with clear detail EP.

Lavinia Products:

Products Used:

• Lavinia World Images: Guinevere Mermaid LAV445, Spanish Moss Foliage LAV505, Every Dream LAV573
• Dies: Sue Wilson Australian Collection - Melbourne, SB Grand Scallop Square, Punch by MS Loops Heart
• Inks: Mermaid Lagoon Distress, Peacock Feathers Distress, Cheerful Versafine Clair, Antique Linen Oxide, Broken China Oxide, Raspberry Adirondack, Nocturne Versafine Clair
• Misc: White Detail EP, Cerulean Glitter EP, Clear Detail EP, Aqua Prismacolor Pencil, White CS, Teal CS, Vellum, Star Brads, Stencils, Masks, Clear Glitter, Quickie Glue Pen

Challenges I would like to play in please:

1. World Wide Open DT Challenge #3 AG DT 4/15
2. The Fairy and The Unicorn Challenge (April 4) AG Fantasy 5/1
3. Pammie's Inky Pinkies #2014 AG 4/13
4. A Bit More Time to Craft #113 Anything Goes 4/15
5. Classic Design Challenge #4 HAPPY FOURTH BIRTHDAY 5/1
6. Aud Sentiments Challenge #248 AG+ Sentiment 4/15
7. Penny's Paper Crafty Challenge #468 Anything Goes 4/15

Thinking of you fondly,

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

Conversations with a Seahorse - A Day For Daisies

Hi, everyone! Hoping you have been enjoying a pleasant week, and are playing with your crafting goodies.

Time for a new 2 Crafty Critter Crazies Challenge! In August, we are sponsored by A Day For Daisies, where beautiful, instinctive works of art come to life! I loved playing with this image, and had to add a little seahorse so they could enjoy an interesting conversation.

Until the 28th of August, please share your critter creations with us, being sure that your animals are a featured element of the project! There will be a product winner and design team picks on September 1. 

Featuring the graceful A Day For Daisies "Water Talk" Mermaid.

Inspired by The Library Challenge:

TIP FOR DIES:

Make a wonky frame using any of your nesting style dies - whether they be rectangles, squares, circles, shapes... as long as one can fit into another:

Never one to pass up using glitter and shine, I've used both here by heat setting the wonky frame with SNS Harvest Moon Cosmic Embossing Powder. Because EP will put a "plastic-like" coat on your card stock, it may prove difficult to distress with ink, so I used Staz-on ink on the outside of the frame.

The embossed Chrome Silver Mirror cardstock was used with the starfish, and behind the sentiment - to give that glassy sheen seen on water surfaces. I have a new favorite microfine glitter color - though the photograph does not capture it well, it's got to be one of the most sparkling of the microfine colors, and is a lovely, deep shade of teal - SNS Teal Velveteen Microfine Glitter GM2017.

I hope you'll join us with your critter creations at 2 Crafty Critter Crazies this month!
  

Products Used:

• Image: A Day For Daisies "Water Talk"
• Sentiment: Lovely Magnolia Rubber Stamp Set (available digitally)
• SNS Harvest Moon Cosmic Embossing Powder EP398
• SNS Teal Velveteen Microfine Glitter GM2017
• Cardstock: Chrome Silver Mirror CS (five 8 x 11.5 sheets 2.99), Neenah Solar White, Cantaloupe, Designer Paper from Stash
• Copic Markers
• Embossing Folder - Regency Swirls by Die'Sire
• Spellbinders: Classic Squares, Grand Squares, Grand Scallop Squares
• Dee's Distinctively Flourish 4 die set
• IO Ocean Dies DIE077-W

Challenges I'd like to play in please:

1. The Library Challenge #12 "The Little Mermaid" 8/11 (sep post)
2. Morgan's Artworld Challenges #7 Anything Goes 8/15 (sep post)
3. World Wide Open DT Challenge #7 AG for a DT  8/15 (sep post)
4. Creates and Makes #23 AG 8/26 (sep post)
5. Make My Monday #76 Colored Image 8/5
6. The Fairy and the Unicorn Challenge (July)  Anything Mythical Under the Sea 8/3 (tab on top)
7. ScrapyLand Challenge #95 AG with SL dies (Listed above 3 SB sets, Dee's, IO) 8/15
8. Ellibelle's Crafty Wednesday (Aug) Feature a Creature! 9/1
9. Country View Challenges (Aug) "Sun, Sea and Sand" 9/1
10. Creatalicious Challenges #144 AG under the sea or fairy tales 9/1 (sep post)

hugs,

We Mermaid to be Friends {Sparkle N Sprinkle}

Welcome to the Sparkle N Sprinkle June Blog Hop featuring new stamp sets!
We are now hopping on the 15th of each month.

Blog Hop Order this month is:

Shona
Diane
Donna (hey! that's me!)
Chris
Jess
Anne
Belinda
Eret

My teamies have created some wonderful examples with these pretty, whimsical stamps. We hope you will be inspired and show us your creations in the new Challenge Group.

EASIER AND BETTER THAN EVER the SNS Creative Challenge is back. Now on Facebook, a blog is NOT required.  Just upload photos of your cards, layouts or projects for a chance to win a $15 gift card or a Top 3 badge. (please use at least one SNS image and say what it is in the comments section of your photo)

For a summer activity, 
we would love seeing your children and grandchildren play along.

Challenge Guidelines and FREEBIES are found here.

___________________________________

In addition to

TONIC and NUVO and STAMPENDOUS and HOUSE MOUSE,

this month the SNS store introduces Hampton Arts clear layering and card making stamp sets.
___________________________________

COLOR WITH EMBOSSING POWDERS

June's flutter-ific Video Kit Club includes a Tonic Die Set, Glimmer pens, the new Swallowtail Butterfly Rubber Stamp Set, Mirror Cardstock, and 3 detail embossing powders:

to help my email followers, here is the link for June's VKC:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fdMfbtv6QY
___________________________________

NOW, ON TO THE STARS OF THE SHOW:

Umbrella Friends Digital Set, and Rubber Stamp Set

Tropical Mermaid Alana Digital Set (featured)

Tropical Mermaid Alana Rubber Stamp Set (featured)

Baby oh Baby Digital set, and Rubber Stamp Set

Swallowtail Butterfly Digital Mega Bundle, and Large Size Rubber Stamp Set

All the new digital and rubber stamp sets are 20% during their debut from June 15 - 20.

Can you find the starfish?

All kinds of Sparkle:

I colored the mermaid and her water with Copic Markers. 

If purchasing the Tropical Mermaid Alana Digital Set, you will receive this colored image, as well as a white background with colored image. 

Alana is accompanied by two sweet sentiments, a little scallop shell, and a darling starfish in both rubber and digital formats:

A close up of the embossing powders:

White Detail on the sentiment (on dark teal cardstock).

Mediterranean Star on the frame (white cardstock).

Mediterranean Star on the orange cardstock (different colors of paper change the look of the EP).

Mediterranean Star on the starfish (on white cardstock)

I have also used this versatile stamp for the background, embossed with Mediterranean Star embossing powder (sigh - I love this stamp):

Leafy Flourish Rubber Stamp Set

The finished card:

Sparkle N Sprinkle Products Used:

• Tropical Mermaid Alana Rubber Stamp Set
• Tropical Mermaid Alana Digital Set (including sentiments, cut file and colored version)
• Leafy Flourish Rubber Stamp Set (background)
• Mediterranean Star embossing powder
• White Detail embossing powder
• Tonic Ribbon and Bows die set
• Tonic Embossing Folder Layered Leaves (8"x8")
• NUVO Embellishment Mousse Mother of Pearl
• NUVO Glitter Drops Golden Sunset (on starfish)

Challenges I'd like to put this card in please:

Playing in the Paper Play Sketches color challenge with this card.

1. A Perfect Time to Craft Open Challenge #6 - Anything Goes 7/1
2. Allsorts Challenge #419 "Use at least 2 Dies" 6/15 (Tonic Layered Leaves 8x8 - used 3 dies, and SB Fleur de Elegance die set) sep post 6/22
3. Classic Design Team Open Challenge #15 - Anything Goes DT 7/1
4. Crafting With An Attitude #28 - Anything Goes 7/6
5. Crafting With Friends #45 - Anything Goes
6. Crafts Galore Encore JUNE - Anything Goes 7/1
7. Crafty Girls Creations - Anything Goes 7/6
8. Dragonfly Dreams (June) Make it Sparkle 7/2
9. Glitter n Sparkle #243 Use Bright Colors 6/18
10. Making Memories Crafting #6 Anything Goes/Bingo Board (diagonally from top right BLING - IMAGE - DIE CUT  7/7
11. Pammie's Inky Pinkies #1724 Anything Goes 7/7
12. Paper Play Sketches (Wed June 14- #45?) Color Challenge 6/20
13. The Fairy and the Unicorn Challenge #4 Anything Fantasy Goes 6/19
14. World Wide Open Design Team Challenge #23 - Anything Goes DT 7/15

ON A PERSONAL NOTE:

Here are two more photos of what happens when the "fire season" drought ends in central, rural Florida, and rains grace our environment once again:

Wild Morning Glories spring up! Apologies for the shaky hands:

I love their vibrant, purply-magenta throats and their pure white petals!

We cannot grow "regular" Morning Glories here. Only the wild, indigenous flowers make it through the drought, and spring forth in the steamy Florida summers.

Aren't they so delicate and sweet?

stamping hugs,

(I see you!)