Hello Eris Blog Hop

Welcome to Little Blue Button Stamps Blog Hop.  We are here today to introduce you to the new line called "Eris"  She is a little princess from a far far away kingdom.  She has her pet dragon and her friend.

And we are introducing our new designers.  I'm pleased to say that I will be continuing as a designer for LBBS.   You can see the details of all of the designers here.  And visit their blogs during the hop.

And what's a hop without some prizes...We have three special prizes for people who leave a comment on each blog hop stop! Don’t miss any of them and you will be included in the draw! If you have problems with commenting on YouTube you may skip it. But everybody who wants to be included in the drawing must leave a comment on each blog hop stop including LBBS blog.

First prize – three rubber stamps from Little Blue Button Stamps

It’s sentimental rubber stamp 

 

Happy birthday Jessica 

Miss Lilly on a bike 

 

Second prize – one of the new released September rubber stamps Rag Doll Sweetheart with bag (it will be released soon on C.C.Designs) plus $10 gift voucher for purchase in LBBS store

 

 

Third prize – one digital stamp of your choice + 40% off coupon for one order in LBBS store!

                                              

So on to my sample for you.

Isn't Eris cute sitting on her swing with her dragon.  I've printed her onto some smooth white card and coloured with Copics.  I messed up my edging the first time, so you will notice that the image is layered on top of the printed image.  This gives it some extra depth.  

You can see the depth here.  And of course as Eris is a Princess she has her sparkly crown.  You can get your own Eris over at the Little Blue Button Stamps online store HERE

Now it's time to hop over to Marla's blog to see what gorgeous creations she has for you to view.

And in case you've join the hop at my blog, here is the full list of participants.

Sybil 

Christy 

Stephanie 

Leigh  

Beckie 

                               Dawn  <==== you are here

Marla  

Shana  

Amelia

Olga

Little Blue Button Stamps blog 

                                                        

Go ahead and visit each blog listed above and leave a comment to be eligible to win! Don’t forget to leave a comment on this post!

Edited: Blog Hop has now finished!

Thank you! Have fun and good luck!! 

Art Journalling

Yes, I have ventured into the area of Art Journalling.  I've seen many of my friends online doing some incredible pages.  As this is a bit outside my comfort zone, it will be a challenge.  I have already shared my front cover (here)

Today I will share my first page and a double spread I have done.

First my opening page

This page uses Gelatos, Perfect pearls mist, crackle paint, inks, distress stains, a wax paper die of a heart, black pen and stamps from Kaisercraft and Studio G.  This is symbolic of my journey and growth in this medium.

My double page next is something entirely different.  At present at work, things are a bit stressful and I feel like I'm juggling numerous different tasks.  We are implementing Active Operations Management and having to do lots of manual counting and recording as well as learning to do new tasks within our area.  So I have this painting done by my son when he was in primary school ( about 9yrs old) and it is up on the wall of my craft room.  It is a circus scene

Kieran's Painting

 

I basically copied his painting

I don't have a lot of acrylic paints so made do with what I had.  Lots of blue, some stamping and adding the tickets.  The die cut letters are a Docrafts  Xcut die.  I added white pen to the little holes in the die cuts.   Yes, my life feels like a circus at times!  I couldn't believe how therapeutic it was to make this page.  It took a couple of evenings as waiting for the paint to dry takes time.    

Now one of my online friends makes beautiful pages in her journal.  Isha has shown one here on her blog and she also has a fabulous give away, courtesy of Design Memory Craft. 

 Who wouldn't love to win this pack.  I know I would!  So hop over to her blog and see how you could have a chance too.

Enjoy your weekend all.  We have family coming to visit and watch the All Blacks versus the Pumas (Argentina) tonight. I'm supposed to be doing the vacuuming and making up the beds ~ just taking a break!!!!!  Still plenty of time till they arrive.

A White Wedding

Today I'm here to share with you a card I made for my day on the Little Blue Button Stamps blog, using LBBS digi called "Miss Lilly and Sunny playing wedding"   I made this as a congratulations card for a wedding.

Aren't they an adorable couple.  I printed them and coloured with Copics.  I added some Stickles to ML's veil.  I fussy cut them out and then went to work on the card base.  Lots of use of the Cuttlebug ~ first embossing the base background with Swiss Dots.  Then I cut a white heart with my new Spellbinders Hearts dies.  These are just stunning and there are so many different combinations you can do.  The sentiment is from Simon Says and is on the matching die cut banner.  I made the flowers by punching some light weight card and used my quilling thingie to twist the petals.  I coloured some white brads with Yellow Copic to make the centres.  Tucked some flourishes cut from a Die-namics die in behind the flowers.

Saturday US time,  LBBS is having a Blog Hop to introduce the new DT members. I am pleased to announce that I will be continuing on this team.   Plus LBBS is introducing a new line called Eris.  Do come and join me.  

Using metal stencils to Emboss

Today I'm here to tell you how you can use your metal stencil to emboss...

In fact there are a couple of ways to emboss.  You can hand emboss with a stylus or you can use your machine.  Yes... you can use a manual die machine like a Big Shot or Cuttlebug.

I used my Cuttlebug to emboss with the Hibiscus stencil from Dreamweavers

I followed the instructions I found on the Dream it Up! blog post .  Here they are.  I made a few adjustments (shown in red)

The main thing to remember while embossing by machine is the stacking method. If you follow these steps you will not ruin your stencil OR your machine.

1. Place the thickest white plate in the machine first if you own a Cuttlebug this is referred to as the A plate. If you own a Big Shot this is referred to as the thick white platform...do not use the TAB 1 or 2. Instead let those tabs follow through opened up. 

2. Place the  stencil face down on this thick white plate or platform. This means the copyright and stencil code is hidden from view. 

3. Next place the cardstock to be embossed on top of the stencil then spray this paper with rubbing alcohol. (I used a product called Paper Glide) This spritz of alcohol helps the paper fibers break and move into the stencil for a sharper embossed image without making the paper soggy like water would. And has the added advantage of not leaving water spots on the cardstock.

4. Now place the thick Stamping Details rubber mat on the paper. This mat is thicker than most but definitely worth having. Otherwise you need to use two or three plastic shims with your thinner rubber mat. But the rubber mat should be closest to the paper. (I used two of the tan mats from Spellbinders and didn't need any shim)

5. This is followed by two acrylic plates. For the Cuttlebug...these are identified as "B" plates.

Crank this stack of plates through the machine. DO NOT FORCE the machine. If it is too tight you could hurt the machine. Find the right formula for your machine by reading step #4 over again if necessary.


Once I had embossed I used Copic makers to colour the embossed area.  I trimmed out the stenciled area and edged with a gold pen.  The corners are a La La Land die, which I cut from gold card.  The sentiment is by Stamp-It

I hope this gives you some ideas on how to use stencils.    There are also lots of great techniques on the Dream it Up! blog.   I've also posted this over at Die Cut Divas as a sample for our Celebrate challenge.  We would love to have you join us.

 

Another Christmas card plus my Art Journal cover.

I have another of my Saturday's cards to share today.  This CAS Christmas card that was inspired by a Hero Arts stamp.

Here is the stamp that inspired the card. 

 

My tree is an old Cuttlebug die from 5 years ago.  I cut it in green card and then added to the card which I had embossed with a Spellbinders square die.  I added sequins to my tree.  The sentiment is from Hero Arts. I can see myself making a few more of this design with some of the other sentiments in this set. 

And now for a little something different.  I've decided to start an Art Journal.  This is something a little outside my comfort zone.  I have done the front cover.

 I tore a page out of the journal and started by scribbling some Gelatos onto my craft mat and spritzing with water and pulling my paper through it.  As it's not watercolour but cartridge paper, I had to be a bit careful.  Once it dried  I used a Dylusions stencil and some lightweight texture paste.  Once that dried coloured with Gelatos.  Outlined the flowers (Thanks for the idea Barb!) with a black pen.  Stamped some words (Kaisercraft) added the centre image (Inkadinkado) and the harlequin stamps (unknown) Finished with a Hero Arts Butterfly stamped and die cut.   At least it's a start.   I have done two more pages... one single page that is painted and textured but not yet finished and a double page that is something quite different again.... I'll share later.

Lots happening over the next week or so.  I'm posting on Die Cut Divas this week and also at Little Blue Button stamps blog as well as taking part in a blog hop with LBBS.  Keep a look out for that... so have been busy.  I've been making flowers tonight, while watching TV.  

Have a great week all

                              

It's September at Die Cut Divas.... let's Celebrate

Hi there.... Arlene is our host this month at Die Cut Divas and has a great challenge.... CELEBRATE.... what ever you celebrate.  And our wonderful sponsor this month is Dreamweaver Stencils

 

 Lynell Harnell, the owner, has been very generous and there will be FOUR prize packs ~ one for each week of the month.    And she very generously send us some stencils and a die to work with.  I have to say I had never seen their stencils.  They are beautifully worked metal stencils and there are so many ways to work with them.

My first sample card uses a stencil with distress inks.

I used some Simon Says watercolour paper to stencil onto.  I used a stencil brush and daubed on the distress inks on.  I added some glossy accents to the centres.  I used Spellbinders to cut my watercolour paper and the yellow mat.  I added some trellis die cut (Spellbinder) and cut a Simon Says die and stamp set for my sentiment. 

Do go to the blog  and join us with your project.... whatever you are making a card (or other project) to celebrate and use your machine to die cut or emboss.  We would love to see what you create and you've got a chance to win one of the four prize packs.

I'll be over at the blog on Wednesday to share another way to use the stencils.

A very productive Saturday

I've had a lovely weekend.... even though Hubby was away all weekend!  He was on a "Boys" weekend away with his rugby mates. They went to Rotorua for the weekend, leaving lunch time Friday and returning around 3.30pm today.   I did not missed him!  Well sort of.  I did enjoy having some ME time.  I arranged for a friend, Suna, to come around on Saturday afternoon to craft with me.  She arrived with her Fiskars AdvantEdge punch and a Spellbinders Christmas die

We had fun cutting out edgings and trees.  I cut three trees ~ two in green foil and one in silver and then cut the ornaments in the red foil.  All up I made 5 cards.... 4 Christmas ones and one birthday.

I added the green foil tree to a white card and added the sentiment from a Kaisercraft set.  Then I let loose with coloured gems....

My next card used the silver foil tree

 

I added a silver embossed sentiment.  Not sure if I need to add some gems.  What do you think?

and here's is my ornament card.

Another CAS card with the ornaments taking centre stage.  I added the PP to the bottom of the card and used a piece of printed ribbon as my sentiment.  My strings are Peelcraft stickers.  Added the gems and it was all done. 

I'll share my other cards on my Flickr page and here later in the week.  My Die Cut Divas sample will be up tomorrow as we start an new month....

Thanks for stopping by.  Hope I didn't bore you with all my cards.... I just love sharing my creations and I appreciate those of you who take the time to comment.  I do appreciate it.  

And a final little note..... Alexandra is having a giveaway on her blog art scrap & more.

 

Wouldn't you just love to win this lot!   Do go a visit her and join her giveaway

 

Scramble #67

Wow... over at the Hero Arts Flickr group Kim from Canada hosted the 67th scramble over the weekend.  It was at 7.00am Sunday morning at my place and as I was awake after a restless night, coughing and generally not sleeping well, I got up and in my dressing gown, played along.

Kim's scramble theme was a masculine card using the colours of your favourite sports team.  My first thought was to use the Blue and Yellow of the Otago rugby team, but after 10 mins thinking I gave up and went for the Black and Silver of the All Blacks rugby team (who had a great win against Australia the evening before!)

Very clean and simple ~  Used HA Three Ferns embossed in silver and a sentiment.  

And because it was so quick and simple, I did have some time to try the blue and yellow colour scheme.

I used a technique I saw on Jennifer McGuire's blog  I laid stripes of yellow and blue card onto some white card and die cut the YOU.  I stamped the HA Postcard and matted it with some yellow card and then added the birthday sentiment and the die cut.  Added some yellow ribbon and added to the blue card base. 

No too bad to get two cards made in 90 mins.  And when I was finished and dressed, we all went out to have breakfast at a cafe.  Great way to start a Sunday morning.  

Today I'm at home as I woke with the cough and a headache and a throat that feels like it's full of glass shards.  Hopefully the day at home will make me better.