Focus on Stamping Techniques Blog Hop

Hello and welcome to the Focus on Stamping Techniques Blog Hop. This hop comes to you from the same consultants in the Stamp of the Month group! Our second blog hop for this month is focusing on stamping techniques. Grab a cup of whatever makes you feel good, sit back and enjoy the hop!

If you've arrived from Terrie Shortsleeve's blog you're on the right track. Just click the link at the end of this post to continue on the hop. Click here for a list of all the consultants participating.

For this standard size card (4.25" x 5.5") I stamped the trees with a masking technique. The trees are all the same image but with masking you can make them look like different sizes! I simply tore a piece of paper to give a snow-like effect. The largest tree was stamped in 1st generation ink. That means the image was inked and then stamped on the cardstock. The smaller trees are masked so just the top of the tree stamped. These trees are 2nd generation ink meaning the stamp was inked, then stamped on scrap paper then stamped on the cardstock. This gives a paler color tone and some depth.

Next I put the cardstock in the Confetti embossing folder  and ran it through the Cuttlebug. Hint... for the embossing I made sure there was an embossed dot at the top of the large tree so I had a good spot for the star.  I  put some Shimmer Trim on the inside of the card and trimmed off 1/4" of the card front so you can see the Shimmer Trim! The cute little star is from the Fundamental Assortment in Peacock. A few Bitty Sparkles makes a sparkly snowfall with the embossed dots.

All products are Close To My Heart: (click for image)

--Stamp Sets: Always Grateful, Festive Trees (Hostess set)

--Confetti Embossing Folder

--Ink: Peacock

--Cardstock: White Daisy, Peacock

--White Cards and Envelopes Value Pack

--Shimmer Trim: Teal

--Fundamental Assortment: Peacock

--Bitty Sparkles

Let's go shopping!

I'd love to be your consultant.

Now it's time to hop over to Brenda Lapp's blog to see what she has created!

Thanks for hopping by!

Michelle

Color Dare #153 ~ Sunset, Hollyhock & Olive + White Daisy

Are you ready for a new Color My Heart Color Dare? Well here you go!

The colors this week are Sunset, Hollyhock and Olive with White Daisy. I immediately thought of the pinks and oranges you see in a sunset! Here is what I did to create that feeling.

Using an image from Brushstrokes, I stamped a 2nd generation image in Sunset and then Hollyhock. Then I stamped 1st generation images in the same colors, stacking them on top of each other. This created my sunset feeling. The tree is stamped in Olive as well as the ground below it. That's it! Very quick and easy and oh so pretty.

All products are Close To My Heart: (click to see image)

--Stamp Sets: Always Grateful (R), Brushstrokes, Just To Say 

--Cardstock: White Daisy, Hollyhock, Sunset, Olive (R)

--Ink: Hollyhock, Sunset, Olive (R)

--Flamingo Dots

(R) = retiring August 2015

Let's go shopping!

Son't forget to check the Retired Items and While Supplies Last sections!

Now it's your turn! If you don't have the exact colors use something close. Click here to see what the other Design Team members created to inspire you. This color dare will be open until Thursday at 9:00pm CDT. Details on how to join are in the sidebar of our home page.

Happy Creating!

Michelle

Color Dare #117: Chose your own Orange!

Welcome to the Color My Heart Color Dare! 

This week the challenge is to chose your own orange. Mine is Sunset!

I sponged Sunset ink on white daisy cardstock using a sponge dauber I love sponge daubers! They are easy to use and give a nice soft blend of color. The top is sunset and blends into Whisper at the bottom. I also inked the edge with black ink. The background was embossed with the Quatrefoil folder. I added a couple strips of Black Glitter paper for some sparkle.

All products are Close To My Heart:

--Always Grateful stamp set

--Just to Say stamp set (Cricut Collection)

--Ink: Sunset, Whisper, Black

--CS: White Daisy, Black, Sunset

--Quatrefoil Embossing Folder

--Sponge Daubers

--Black Glitter Paper

--3D Foam

Let's go shopping!

my online store is open 24/7!

Be sure to check out the other entries in the Color Dare! 

If you want to play along you still have time! This color dare is open until Thursday 9:00pm (CDT).

Pick your orange and create! Details are on the sidebar.

Have a great day!

Michelle

Color Dare #70: Autumn Terrracotta, Barn Red, Olive

Hello and welcome to this week's Color Dare! Over at Color My Heart we have a fun color challenge this week: Autumn Terracotta, Barn Red and Olive. Perfect for the fall colors!

I made this card sponging the colors around the edges in a block pattern. I masked off the neighboring sections and sponged each square individually. Then I started stamping! I used Cocoa ink as a nice contrast to the Dare colors. 

Here is a list of the products used:

--Always Grateful

--Swirl Around

--Universal Backgrounds

--Colonial White & Cocoa cardstock

--Cocoa, Autumn Terra Cotta, Baarn Red & Olive inks

--Rosewood Mini Medley Accents

Click here to shop 24/7!

Click here to check out Color My Heart. We have a new color dare each week!

Happy Crafting!

Michelle

Lovely Tree!

I can't get enough of this tree set. It's called Always Grateful and has 3 gorgeous tree images that work for any season!

Here I've created a card for the Color My Heart Dare: Smokey Plum, Goldrush & Olive. It's a beautiful color combo, don't you think?  Check it out.

There are no layers on this card. First I made a mask to cover the outer edges of the card front. The bottom mask had a curved edge so it would look like snow drifts. Next I sponged Goldrush and Smokey Plum inks for a background, leaving a bright spot for a setting sun. The tree is stamped in Smokey Plum and the message (from Holiday Tags) is stamped in Olive. Finally, I lightly smeared some Stardust Glitz Glitter Gel for a glistening snow effect. I love how this turned out!

Click here to see the stamp set: Always Grateful

Click here to view or join the Color My Heart Color Dare.

Thanks for stopping by! 

Michelle

Color Dare--Sweet Leaf & Olive

This week at Color My Heart the color dare is to use Sweet Leaf and Olive. I love green so this was an easy one for me! By adding the Always Grateful stamp set to the task, I was in creative heaven!

I love trees and my favorite stamp set in our Autumn Winter 2013 Idea Book is definitely the Always Grateful stamp set! This is what I came up with for the Color My Heart dare! Now, it's a bit hard to see, but I did use Sweet Leaf. Its the trees in the background that are kind of shadows. Using a lighter color or a 2nd generation inking will give a feeling of depth in your image.  The sun...or moon...whichever it looks like to you...was made with a simple mask and inking around it. I used my 1 1/4" circle punch and put a bit of our glue stick on the back. Let the glue air dry and then it acts like a post it note! The sponged area was done with Champagne ink. The patterned paper is from the Huntington paper pack.  The Artisan Studs were a perfect accent for the side of the trees! 

Click here to go shopping and make your own beautiful tree card!

Click here to go see the other ideas over at Color My Heart!

Thanks for stopping by. 

Happy Stamping!

Michelle

Color My Heart--Sky, Sweet Leaf & Buttercup

Welcome to this week's Color Dare using Sky, Sweet Leaf and Buttercup. Be sure to click here and enter your own creation for the dare and check out the other entries.

I actually have two cards that are very different in style. The first card is totally cased from my friend Mary Gunn. I fell in love with her card and couldn't wait to recreate it myself. The only changes I made were to use the edge distresser on the Kraft CS, move the message and of course....alter the colors to Sky, Sweet Leaf and Buttercup....and Slate as a neutral! The inks were sponged onto the CS with daubers. The message is from Card Chatter-Sympathy. This is a 5" x 7" top fold card.

Next up is a standard sized card, 5 1/2" x 4 1/4", side fold. B&T paper is from Babycakes with Sky, Slate and Colonial White CS on a card base of Whisper. Flowers are cut from the Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge. There is a soft Ombre coloring of the Thank You with Sky Markers. The border was made with an image from One-Way Borders and a piece of Black Striped Grosgrain Ribbon. A few opaque pearls for accent and the card is done!

I hope you enjoyed my creations. Come on over to Color My Heart and join us! It's a lot of fun!

If you'd like to shop for click here for all your stamping, scrapbooking and crafting needs!

Happy Crafting!

Michelle

New Product Blog Hop--AutumnAutumn/Winter 2013

Welcome to our New Product Blog Hop for Autumn/Winter 2013! There are over 30 consultants sharing a wide variety of creations showcasing new products. You're sure to be inspired!

If you've arrived from Haley Dyer's blog you're on the right path! Just click the link at the end of this post to continue on the Hop!

I recently had used the Frosted paper pack to make samples for a consultant workshop. In this 7" x 5" card you can see Frosted B&T as a background layer. The tree is from the Always Grateful stamp set. I LOVE TREES and this set has 3 really great trees! In Twilight ink I stamped the full tree. Then using a mask I stamped just the top of the tree for smaller trees in the background. Next I used the Dotted Swiss Cuttlebug folder to make the overall dotted pattern to make it look like it was snowing. You can't really see it in this photo, but I also lightly smudged some Stardust Glitz Glitter Gel on the trees and under them to look like some snow piled along the base of the tree. A sparkle was just the right touch for the top of the big tree!

All the products (except the Cuttlebug and folder) are from our Autumn/Winter 2013 Idea Book. This book is packed full of great new products. Click here to take a look at the online Idea Book or contact me for a copy of your own!

Next up is Pam Ellison's blog. Go take a look at her creation for even more inspiration!

Happy Creating!
Michelle

Color Dare: Champagne, Cashmere ....and Olive!

This week's Color Dare is to use the colors Champagne and Cashmere with one other color of your choice. Mine is Olive and I made a trifold card to show off a new stamp set.

The stamp set is called Always Grateful and has 3 beautiful trees with some really nice messages.  These trees are very versatile for any season, too. Click here to take a look at all the new products! The messages came from two other sets: Casual Expressions and Card Chatter-Sympathy. 

Square Studs accent the front of the card.

The trifold idea seemed perfect for the tree image I wanted to create. Papers are from the new Huntington paper pack and I embossed directly on one of the B&T papers. I used Olive and Chocolate pigment inks for the tree and message then clear embossed. All paper edges were sponged in Chocolate ink. Here is what the card looks like as you open it.

Be sure to check out the other items being shared

 in the Color Dare this week! 

Happy Stamping!

Michelle