Sparkling Wintry Sensations Blog Hop

Welcome to the Sparkle N Sprinkle blog hop for all things Wintry, Sparkling and Sensational!
If you hopped here by way of the amazingly talented, Glitter-Addicted-Patti, then you are in the right place!  Otherwise, you might like starting from the beginning to become eligible for SIX great prizes. (Does my blog have one of the secret five prizes?)

Having your journey end here, (after seeing everyone's incredible cards), is a hard act to follow, but here come my contributions to the hop. :-)

If you have Brushable Glue on hand, it's a great way of creating beautifully glittered cardstock to match whatever colors are in the card. It doesn't take long to dry, even in Florida's tropically moist summers. Images from our Nesties Ornament set were heat embossed on embossable acetate with Dark Night Cosmic Opaque EP because of its starry mother-of-pearl look. On the back side, Brushable Glue was painted on and coordinating glitter colors sprinkled on top. NOTE: When using dark EPs, apply lighter color glitters. When using light EPs, sprinkle on darker color glitters, so there is a contrast.

This was my first time using embossable acetate. I learned it is difficult to photograph LOL but is fantastic in real life!

This business size card was created running the Spellbinders Grand Labels One die through my Grand Calibur (cuts like butter!). This card is easy to create, but takes a little time to allow the glue to dry. For card directions, please visit my SNS Gallery here.


The next card was very easy, and fun, too! While Metallic cardstock does not photograph well, it is beautifully rich on any papercrafting project.

The Grand Scalloped Squares, Scalloped Ovals, and Fancy Tags Two Spellbinders dies were used to create this A7 size card with a wonderful text script "Christmas Full Of Love" from our same SNS Ornaments set. For directions to create a a card like this, just visit my SNS Gallery here.

To become eligible for the six prizes, please leave a comment on my blog below and return to your Final Destination - the SNS blog to answer the following question. There are no right or wrong answers LOL

How frequently do you take pleasure in viewing (or participating in) blog hops? We are working on our 2012 schedule, and value knowing what you most like. (Not a difficult question at all, is it?) Answering that question on the SNS Home Blog helps us, and makes you eligible for the Grand Prize! Good Luck!  


 Stamping hugs,

Those Little Beadies

Micro Beads are a fun medium to play with, but they sure are difficult to capture on a photo! A friend and I have been playing with micro beads, challenging each other to actually take an adequate photo. I lost. She did far better than I -- I gave up after about 40 photos LOL

In my stash, I discovered 3 containers of "clear micro beads". One from our LSS, one from Michaels, and one from Wal-Mart. The Wal-Mart "beadies" were actually tinier and clearer than the others.

If you've never used micro beads, they are fun. In Real Life, clear micro beads provide a stained glass look. Because of that, they are forgiving, if you accidentally color outside the lines. Bolder colors work a little better than pastels. When coloring, let your imagination guide the color choices. Paints, markers, and colored pencils can all be used with this super easy technique.

To use micro beads, find any stamp image which allows for coloring. These parrot cards were made with the Sparkle N Sprinkle Stained Glass Parrot. It's on sale this month. The birthday sentiment is also from SNS. I cut it apart to accommodate Nesties Labels 10 on my Grand Calibur.

The EASY part came after the coloring. Cut the image to size. Trim SNS Super Adhesive Sheet slightly larger than the image - about 1/4". Apply the SAS. Cut little slits in the excess SAS around the image of the image, then gently fold it over to cover the back of the parrot image. Place the image onto the layer for the card, pull off the protective sheet, and drizzle on the micro beads. The SAS is super adhesive. It holds the image to the under layer AND holds all those beads right through the US mail.

A hint about the photography - any photos which actually show the beads themselves, dulls the image and card. But only in the photos.  I hope you can get an idea of what playing with micro beads can do in the way of presenting an interesting and different card any recipient would welcome.

Thanks for visiting! Your comments are always read with appreciation.

Color Swap

Andrea proposed a color swap taken from Embellish Magazine. At the last minute, I decided to play and came up with this combination of an Impression Obsession stamp and Sparkle N Sprinkle EPs and Glitters. Unfortunately, the true nature of Fantasy Gold glitter doesn't show up in my photo, but maybe you can get an idea?

The base shape of the card was created using the largest of Spellbinders Mega Nestabilities "Curved Rectangles" S5 006 and my Grand Calibur die cut machine. A green colored pencil outlines part of the flower. 

Since this is my first Color Combo Swap, I tried sticking with the suggested colors, but it really needs a splash of something light in it! So my question is, when doing color combo challenges, are we allowed to use white (especially for images) or are cardmakers supposed to use only the suggested colors?

Thanks for visiting.

An Untraditional Mother's Day Blog Hop with Sparkle N Sprinkle

Welcome to An Untraditional Mother's Day Blog Hop With Sparkle N Sprinkle. Did you arrive from Shona's amazing place? Then you're right on. If not, to view all the beautiful cards and become eligible for one of two great prizes, begin at the SNS Home Blog.

This is your last stop before returning to the Home Blog. 

The incredibly diverse and beautiful cards presented by my fellow Sparkle Team designers reveal a glimpse into their feelings about special woman in their lives. Our Mother's Day inspired hop is untraditional because we're displaying cards which honor extraordinary women, whether they are Moms or not. We hope you have enjoyed these feminine cards, and perhaps want to create something special for the dear women who meaningfully touch your life. 

Today's card is intended for my Dad's wife. Linda is one of those rare and kind individuals who shines  a certain happiness and light in our family. Hard working, and lots of fun, she always seems to be thinking of others, making each day more enjoyable. How fortunate she and my dad found each other! The card style is a little different for me, because I tried tearing paper so that everything would not be uniform - the layers of designer and mulberry papers are all torn, and intended to overlap. (No reflection on Linda, LOL).

Also employed is the newly re-released set "Flower Vases", which is on special this month. 

The images have great potential no matter what your coloring forte. Water color pencils were applied with a brush. Vases were then "colored in" with a VersaMarker and covered with clear detail embossing powder. 

The "Special Warmth" saying is perfect! The stamp can easily be cut in half to have a "before and after" placement on the front of the card, or to employ an "innie and outie" effect on the inside of the card. The combinations of bead and glitter colors were specially mixed to create a dimensional texture in the card colors. It's fun mixing custom elements! Check out the enhanced designer paper - an image was randomly stamped on the DP with VersaMark and then heat embossed with Princess Rose embossing powder which is also on special this month.


A complete recipe for this card, and its components is on the SNS Gallery here.

Thanks for stopping by! To become eligible for one of two prizes, remember to leave a comment below, before continuing on to SNS Home Blog for one last comment. I hope you win a prize! 

Stamping hugs,