Thursday, April 18, 2013

[Little Tangles] Challenge #11 - Emboss It


Hi everyone! Everything is officially packed up in my crafting room and it's just a matter of closing and moving! We close tomorrow if everything goes well. Scary, right? In the meantime, here is a card for this week's Littles Tangles challenge. This week we're pulling out an older technique Embossing - either dry or wet works. You're the boss on the embossing...see what I did there? ;)

I did some clear heat embossing on a popular Neat & Tangled stamp set: On the Strip

Hello
Stamps: (On The Strip) Neat & Tangled
Paper: (Paper Basics Card Stock - Smokey Shadow, Sweet Blush) Papertrey Ink;
Ink: (Versamark; Memento - London Fog) Tsukineko
Embellishments: (Stamp 'n Stuff Embossing Powder - Clear) Stampendous!; (Fabric Tape - Greeney) DailyLike; (Gelly Roll - White) Sakura; (Sequins - Pearl Satin, Tangerine Satin) Neat & Tangled


The bottom third is trimmed off with some lovely sequins and a fabric tape, which I decided to stamp off in gray with another stamp off the On the Strip. It was kind of an experiment. Since the lettering didn't come out too strong on the "hello" strip, I decided to ink on it with my white gel pen.

Hello

Hope it inspires. There is tons of other good stuff by the Design Team to stop by the other girl's creations. And in case you need more incentive to bust our your creative supplies...A free stamp set is at stake...

One lucky challenge winner is going to get two sets of goodies. So jealous...
A few helpful things to remember:
  • Challenge ends April 28, 2013, 11:59p EST; Check back for the winners
  • Prize is ONE Neat & Tangled Stamp set of your choice to a random player
  • Neat & Tangled stamps are not required on your entry, but we would love to see you use them. If you would like to use some Neat & Tangled products but haven't had a chance to buy any, we have a couple of freebies on the Little Tangles site. Enjoy!

Friday, April 12, 2013

[Waltzingmouse Stamps] Friendly Feature Sneak Peek

Hello Waltzingmouse Stamp fans, friends & newcomers! I received this fabulous email from Lynn a couple of weeks ago. I love getting mail from Lynn, which doesn't happen too often. And when she asked if I would love to do a Friendly Feature I had to pinch myself and check the To: section a few times. Then I did a happy dance!

A few of you may know that I'm packing up and moving. So Lynn caught me in the knick of time to create something. For Waltzingmouse, my fav stamp company? Any day! I may have been willing to unpack all my moving boxes just to do this ;) Just sayin'... Wanna see a sneak peek?

For You

Don't forget to hop over to the Waltzingmouse Stamps blog to say hi and see what I whipped up. If you can guess what stamp set I used from this sneak peek, I'd be very impressed. Leave me your guesses in the comment. And maybe, just maybe, I will send you something sweet. :)

Thursday, April 11, 2013

[Uniko Studio] April 2013 Release

Hello Uniko friends! We have finally arrived on full reveal & release day. Are you ready? If so, grab a cuppa because it's going to be a long post. Make it to the end to get a piece of fabby news.

If you came from Nicki's blog then you're ? You know the drill by now. If not, then start at Bev's blog to not make sure you don't miss out on all the inspiration.

Let's quickly review what is in our April release, which YOU could be so lucky to win in it's entirety. Ready?

One die set: Bright Butterflies Die - the premiere of the Uniko Studio Designer Dies. I hope there are more to come in future! It includes three butterflies - in different shapes and sizes.




Four clear stamp sets: All Occasion Sentiments #1, Power Flower #1, Background Builders: Round in Circles, and Pure Florals: Chrysanthemums




Three digital paper collections: On the Grid DigitalRound in Circles, Pure Florals: Chrysanthemums



All divine matching things! I have a final project for you today. It uses a combination of All Occasion Sentiments #1 and Background Builders: Round in Circles.

Congratulations
Stamps: (All Occasion Sentiments #1, Background Builders: Round in Circles) Uniko Studio
Paper: (Paper Basics Card Stock - White) Papertrey Ink; (Emma's Shoppe Collection) Crate Paper
Ink: (Versamark) Tsukineko
Embellishments: (Stamp 'n Stuff Embossing Powder - Opaque White) Stampendous!, (Crate Paper Collection - Layered Chipboard, Border Stickers) Crate Paper; (Gelly Roll - White) Sakura; (Liquid Applique) Marvy Uchida


So this card started with no real plan, except that I wanted to use the Background Builders. That set of stringy dots are quite intriguing and looking at it horizontally it reminds me of notes on music sheet. I know there are 6 lines on my card, but let's just give me the creative license card here... ;) 

I heat embossed them with white on some pattern paper. This is me trying to be more bold and add patterns onto pattern paper. I also wanted to include the gorgeous "Congratulations" sentiment onto my card. I tried first stamping it in Fresh Snow pigment ink, which did little. Then I tried to trace over it with my White Sakura gel pen, which left me less than impressed. It hardly stood out. In desperation I pulled out my white puffy paint, because I wanted a different texture from the white embossed circles. So, ladies & gents, there you have my wild child creation.

Congratulations

This just goes to show that sometimes things just don't go according to plans. Roll with the ... puffy paint? I haven't decided if I like this card or not. But in the meantime, you should hop over to Stacey's blog.

Don't forget to comment along the way, because Bev is drawing one lucky reader to win the entire release! And now to my big news, Bev is offering free world-wide shipping for orders over £50 (this roughly translates to USD 76, CAD 78, EUR 59).

And if you need the entire blog hop list, check below. Otherwise, I hope you enjoyed the last few days of posts...

Here the whole list for easy navigation ...
It's been great having Taheera onboard. I can't wait to see who our next GDT is. Have a fabulous week and have a fun shopping spree! Let me know what Uniko Stamps you get and don't forget to post your creations onto our Flickr Group. Toodles.

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

[Uniko Studio] April 2013 Release - Introducing Pure Florals: Chrysanthemum

Hello Uniko friends! We're back on our last day of introductions. I hope you had as much fun as I am having. This blog is getting a good work out, with so many schedule posts ;) Thanks for dropping in and leaving us sweet comments. They are always appreciated.

I'm guessing you're coming from Nicki's blog? You know the drill by now. If not, then start at Bev's blog to not make sure you don't miss out on all the inspiration.

Did you see what Bev showed on Sneak Peek Day 3? Thankfully we don't have to guess, because my little vivid imagination might have said "wigs." What are your guesses?


Ok all joking aside, these are the next installments of Pure Florals. If Geberas aren't your thing, then these Chrysanthemums will knock your socks off. These are one of the most beautifully designed Chrysanthemums (and trust me I own a few from Papertrey Ink & Waltzingmouse Stamps to name a few). What I like the most is that they have both the positive and negative space designed in two sizes. Huge and less huge. I used both of them on my project. There are also a set of leaves for good measure and a set of very useful sentiments. A staple if you love flowers & sentiments.

You Are So Lovely
Stamps: (Pure Florals: Chrysanthemums) Uniko Studio
Paper: (Paper Basics Card Stock - Rustic Cream, Lemon Tart) Papertrey Ink
Ink: (Tim Holtz Distress Ink - Antique Linen, Vintage Photo, Walnut Stain; Jenni Bowlin - No. 5 Chicken Feed) Ranger
Embellishments: (The Sweetest Thing - Tangerine "Happy" Layered Stickers, Tangerine "Sunshine" Decorative Brad) My Mind's Eye


Remember my current love for Gold? I was tempted to stamp up a few golden Chrysanthemums. Instead I opted for a more neutral background stamping. This "almost one layer" has a lot of textures going on, because I layered chrysanthemums with Antique Linen and Vintage Photo on the rustic cream card stock.

I also decided to stamp a chrysanthemum on Lemon Tart card stock with some Chicken Feed ink. I like the little glowing effect is has. And to give the chrysanthemum the same kind of character I also distressed it a tad. A small little fitting sentiment that I pulled out of my stash and a cute orange brad. Don't look too close because I think the shades of oranges are all a tad different, but that's ok by me ;)

You Are So Lovely

Hope you liked this last preview. Check back tomorrow for our fabulous Release Party and you don't want to miss that. Also, just a friendly reminder that Bev is drawing mystery prizes along the way during the Introductory posts from April 6th - 10th, so leave us your comments. And don't forget to come back for our Release Day on April 11, where you can win the entire release! 

In the meantime, check out what Stacey has in store for you. And if you need the entire blog hop list, check below. Otherwise, see you back tomorrow for another introductory post!

Here the whole list for easy navigation ...
Have a fabulous week. Today is hump day, so tomorrow is closer to the weekend ;)

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

[Uniko Studio] April 2013 Release - Introducing Background Builders: Round in Circles

Hello Uniko friends! How are you enjoying the release so far? Are you already eagerly counting down the days until the 11th until you can get some of these goodies in your hands? I hope you're still checking back today & tomorrow for some more fun introductions. This month is packed with fun releases, including our first ever Uniko Studio Designer Die, more delicious clear polymer stamps of the highest quality and more great digital products.

Are you coming from Nicki's blog? Then you're right on track. If not, you can start at Bev's blog to make sure you don't miss out on all the inspiration. And by the way, did you noticed Gayatri is joining our party? Unfortunately her stamps got quarantined at customs and that put a little delay in her playing along. But she's a trooper and got them just yesterday and has been knocking out samples for you to enjoy. So give her some extra love! Ah - how I love this team!

Did you see what Bev showed on Sneak Peek Day 2? There was this really strange bubbles and circles. Yep - it's one of those fantastic Backgrounds Builders set! If you have seen the Background Builders: Lattice or have it in your own stash, then you know how versatile and how easy it is to plug & play with those elements in it. Bev always makes these sets so easy to play with and the combinations are just limitless.


Background Builders: Round in Circles is jam packed with many elements that are as long as your A2 landscape card, which makes stamping a background easy peasy. The longer strip elements come in at 5.5 inches.

As a card maker I look for these little nice perks to make my life easier. Because if anything requires lining up with meticulous care and patience, that's not me. I'm super impatient and want to knock out my projects. I rather spend time coordinating colors and playing with my embellishments. And for someone with a perfectionist eye, I'd waste a lot of card stock if my elements do not lined up. So it's just as well that Bev has created these card-friendly background builders. :)

Party Day
Stamps: (Background Builders: Round in Circles) Uniko Studio
Paper: (Paper Basics Card Stock - White) Papertrey Ink; (Pretty Party Collection) Crate Paper
Ink: (Jenni Bowlin - No.11 Brown Sugar) Ranger; (Brilliance - Galaxy Gold) Tsukineko
Embellishments: (Corrugated Cardstock) recycled packaging; (Pretty Party Collection - Die Cuts) Crate Paper


This is a quick, clean birthday card. I am currently obsessed with my Brilliance Galaxy Gold stamp pad. The photos don't do it justice. It's a nice juicy ink with a lot of shine and I am really happy that I finally stumbled across this. And since any girl's birthday can't go wrong with some bold shimmer, I decided to stamp the tiny dots across some pink & cream striped pattern paper.

Party Day

I gave the top third some fun circles  treatment - the pink, cream & gold reminded me of bubble champagne. Although these distressed circles would also work well for any bubbles, or water waves on a grunge-type card.

I finished the whole thing with a nice die card sentiment that reads "Party Day" and added a little bit of recycled corrugated card stock. It's the stuff Papertrey Ink lovingly wraps the card stock corners in, so that they don't get damaged.

Party Day

That's all I have for you today. Check back tomorrow for another great fabulous introduction. Also, just a friendly reminder that Bev is drawing mystery prizes along the way during the Introductory posts from April 6th - 10th, so leave us your comments. And don't forget to come back for our Release Day on April 11, where you can win the entire release! 

In the meantime, check out what Stacey has in store for you. And if you need the entire blog hop list, check below. Otherwise, see you back tomorrow for another introductory post!

Here the whole list for easy navigation ...
Have a fabulous day! It's finally spring weather around our neck of the woods...

Monday, April 8, 2013

[Uniko Studio] April 2013 Release - Introducing Flower Power

Hello Uniko friends! It's time for spring and I'm quite ready to be wearing all my spring & summery clothes. If you have kept up with fashion trends, then you know that bright colors, floral prints, geometric prints are quite in. Well, that was kind of my inspiration for today. So be forewarned and put on some sun glasses ;)

Are you coming from Nicki's blog? Then you're right on track. If not, you can start at Bev's blog to not make sure you don't miss out on all the inspiration. 

Did you see what Bev showed on Sneak Peek Day 2? A cute little graphic flower. Perfect for spring arriving, don't you think? Bev is always right on cue!

This gorgeous set is called Flower Power, and with a set of leaves & stem, flower heads and some every day sentiments, this makes it a nice versatile flower builder set.



I created a background with the flowers, cut out the silhouette of a flower head, and planted it all onto a card. Planted... get it? See what I did there? Har dee har har...

Thinking of You
Stamps: (Flower Power) Uniko Studio
Paper: (Paper Basics Card Stock - Raspberry Fizz, White, Dark Chocolate) Papertrey Ink; (POW! Glitter Paper - Rocky Road) American Crafts
Ink: (Jenni Bowlin - No.1 Chewing Gum; No. 3 Lemon Drops; No. 4 Chicken Feed; No. 11 Brown Sugar) Ranger; (Perfect Match Pigment Ink - Vintage Cream) Papertrey Ink
Embellishments: (Sequins - Pretty Pretty Pink, Summer Sun) Neat & Tanged; (Fabric Tape - Stripe Beige) Dailylike


Before I scare you off with my horrible puns, let's just revisit this. I created my own pattern paper by stamping the flowers in pink, then orange and then filled up whatever white space I could with yellow. This was so much fun - it was like being a kid and being turned loose on a rampid stamping session. Didn't really care where I stamped so long it made some pretty colors ;)

Next I stamped the back of my American Crafts Glitter paper with the silhouette image of the flower and then cut it out. It wasn't too hard but rather time consuming. And since the back of the glitter paper was lined with this shiny coating of plastic, the ink (which wouldn't dry in time) would just smear all over my fingers and then onto everything else. You know what would have been perfect here? A Flower Power die - just saying. (Bev - if you're reading this, it's a hint ;)

I also had this fabulous fabric tape in my stash. Since it wasn't broad enough for my taste, I just lined it up next to each other to create double the width. Easy peasy! And since the sequins were lying around my table, they made it onto this card as some centers and grounding for the sentiment.

Thinking of You

Can't say I didn't warn you on how bright it is ;) What would you make with this stamp set? How about a cute flower garden? Also, just a friendly reminder that Bev is drawing mystery prizes along the way during the Introductory posts from April 6th - 10th, so leave us your comments. And don't forget to come back for our Release Day on April 11, where you can win the entire release! 

In the meantime, check out what Stacey has in store for you. And if you need the entire blog hop list, check below. Otherwise, see you back tomorrow for another introductory post!

Here the whole list for easy navigation ...
Have a fabulous week!

Sunday, April 7, 2013

[Uniko Studio] April 2013 Release - Introducing All Occasion Sentiments #1

Hello Uniko friends! Still catching up here - I promise to be on time tomorrow ;) See the last post for my excuse...But in short, I am suffering of "moving dementia" and got my dates crossed. Also - since I am moving I will also give you full disclosure that my printer is all packed up, and I won't be showcasing any of the digital products. That doesn't mean they aren't lovely. Just that I am a party pooper and won't be able to show these off.

Let's get right to it, shall we? If you came from my teamie Nicki's blog then you're on the right track. If not, you can start at Bev's blog to not make sure you don't miss out on all the inspiration. 

Did you see what Bev showed on Sneak Peek Day 1? If you are thinking dies, yep that's what we covered yesterday. But there is a stamp set coming out that I was most excited about when I had them in my eager hands. Why? Because these sentiments are huge! I am a big fan of big sentiments. I feel like they help bring the point across on cards and I am delighted that Bev made these! 

All Occasion Sentiments #1 has 3 sentiments in this stamp set that are right for just about any occasion. They measure in height anywhere from 1 to 1.5 inches and the fonta is just to die for! If I was starting out crafting, I would get this set since it is one of those staples to have in your stash. Heck - I've been carding for a few years now, and I still think this is a great staple to have. You'll have to pry these away from me or bribe me with substantial offerings before I even consider letting you take them away from me.



So let's see what all the fuss is about these sentiments...

Just a Note
Stamps: (All Occasion Sentiments #1) Uniko Studio
Paper: (Paper Basics Card Stock - Smokey Shadow) Papertrey Ink; (On Trend) Crate Paper
Ink: (Memento - Tuxedo Black) Tsukineko
Embellishments: (Sequins - Pretty Pretty Pink) Neat & Tanged; (On Trend - Border Stickers, Tape Stickers) Crate Paper


Confession time: I made this card in 7 minutes. Paulina would be so proud of me. Awesome pattern paper and a good sentiment can go a long way. The only reason it took me so long was to glue those sequins down with some Glossy Accents and those buggers don't alway want to cooperate. 

Here an up-close look at this gorgeous sentiment and if you're one of those people who follow the Rule of Thirds, notice how this sentiment helps fill up the space on one of the thirds so nicely?

Just a Note

So if you're loving this stamp set, spread the word! Also, Bev is drawing mystery prizes along the way during the Introductory posts from April 6th - 10th, so leave us your comments. Don't forget to come back for our Release Day on April 11, where you can win the entire release! 

In the meantime, check out what Stacey has in store for you. And if you need the entire blog hop list, check below. Otherwise, see you back tomorrow for another introductory post!

Here the whole list for easy navigation ...
Have a fabulous day Sunday. Oh - is tomorrow Monday already? Oy vey...

Saturday, April 6, 2013

[Uniko Studio] April 2013 Release - Introducing Uniko Studio Designer Dies: Bright Butterflies

Hello Uniko friends! First off let me apologize for being late to the introduction parties! I'm in the middle of moving and packing things up and for some reasons I completely spaced on the date. So I'm playing catch up here! So forgive my tardiness...You should be hopping along from Nicki's blog. If not, you can start at Bev's blog to not make sure you don't miss out on all the inspiration. 

I hope you are enjoying the Sneak Peeks at the Uniko Studio Blog. If you were trying to guess what Sneak Peek Day 1 was all about, and you guessed dies, then you're right on the money. Isn't it exciting that Bev is introducing dies? I can think of many dies that I would want to complement my Uniko Stamp sets: doilies, gerberas, poinsettias just to name a few. What are you wishes? Leave them in the comments and I will pass them along to Bev.

Let's get started with showcasing our first Uniko Studio die. They complement the Bright Butterflies stamp set.



I'm choosing to showcase just the dies, because if anyone chose to just buy the dies,  they could get a lot of mileage out of these. (Ok i cheated and needed a sentiment, but you get my point.) I have a soft spot for butterflies, and I have to say that between all the Martha Stewart butterfly punches, other dies and the ones from Uniko that I own, I really have fallen in love with the Uniko ones. They are my fav from the perspective of shape, size and silhouette. They also but smoothly like butter into some pattern paper. I haven't tried thicker card stock yet, but I will let you know. And just to set the record straight, Bev didn't pay me to say this. This is just my honest opinion ;)

Wishing You Brighter Days
Stamps: (Bright Butterflies) Uniko Studio
Paper: (Paper Basics Card Stock - Dark Chocolate, Kraft) Papertrey Ink; (Woodgrain 01) Studio Calico
Ink: (Perfect Match Pigment Ink - Vintage Cream) Papertrey Ink; (Tim Holtz Distress Ink - Vintage Photo) Ranger
Embellishments: (Designer Die - Bright Butterfies) Uniko Studio; (Impression Plate - Linen & Canvas) Papertrey Ink


We have unfortunately someone at work who lost a family member, so I was in need of a sympathy card for a guy. So I tried to stick with a conservative color scheme and used the Bright Butterflies sentiment to convey a sympathy message.

I die-cut the butterflies out of woodgrain paper, created some texture on the card panel with my linen & canvas impression plate and mounted the butterflies along the spine onto the page. This way they add dimension to the card. Then a quick sentiment (from Bright Butterflies) to convey our sympathies. 

Wishing You Brighter Days

Hope you are loving these dies as much as I am. Bev is drawing mystery prizes along the way during the Introductory posts from April 6th - 10th, so leave us your comments. Don't forget to come back for our Release Day on April 11, where you can win the entire release!

In the meantime, check out what Stacey has in store for you. And if you need the entire blog hop list, check below. Otherwise, see you back tomorrow for another introductory post!

Here the whole list for easy navigation ...
Have a fabulous day.

Thursday, April 4, 2013

[Little Tangles] Challenge #10 - Kraft


Hi everyone! I can't believe it's April already. The only thing keeping me active on my wee blog right now is are these Littles Tangles challenges. It's been crazy behind the scenes here, but more on it later (in a separate post). It's a week where we get to revisit an oldie but goodie theme: Kraft - one of my all time basic colors that pairs well with white. Kraft & white makes me heart skip a beat...

I'm throwing together a few fun things show casing some of my favorite Neat & Tangled items.

Hello
Stamps: (A Lot to Say, Just Hello, On The Strip) Neat & Tangled
Paper: (Paper Basics Card Stock - Dark Chocolate, Kraft) Papertrey Ink;
Ink: (Perfect Match Pigment Ink - Vintage Cream) Papertrey Ink; (Tim Holtz Distress Ink - Antique Linen)
Embellishments: (Sequins - Flat Gold) Neat & Tangled; 
(Kraft Funday - Happy Days Die Cut Borders) My Mind's Eye

I masked the speech bubble and added a bunch of hey's and hello's from "Just Hello." Then a sporadic placement of sequins here and there. For good measure of course ;) 

Hello

I even dug up some old (hoarded) pattern paper from My Mind's Eye... ha!

Hope it inspires. There is tons of other good stuff by the Design Team to stop by the other girl's creations. And in case you need more incentive to bust our your creative supplies...A free stamp set is at stake...

One lucky challenge winner is going to get two sets of goodies. So jealous...
A few helpful things to remember:
  • Challenge ends April 14, 2013, 11:59p EST; Check back on Apr 16 for the winners
  • Prize is ONE Neat & Tangled Stamp set of your choice to a random player
  • Neat & Tangled stamps are not required on your entry, but we would love to see you use them. If you would like to use some Neat & Tangled products but haven't had a chance to buy any, we have a couple of freebies on the Little Tangles site. Enjoy!
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