A Creative Weekend Escape

I'm baaack! I was just away for the weekend at my annual spring Creative Escape Weekend Retreat put on by my upline, Desiree Spenst!  So I have lots to share with you as it was a very productive time.  We were here:

This is the AP Guest Ranch and yes, that is a real log cabin. I stayed in the Buffalo Bill room and learned a lot about William Cody (aka Buffalo Bill) in the process! The grounds and horses were lovely and Susan, the host, prepared some amazing meals for us! The downside was that it was rather dark for crafting so I'm glad I brought my LED desk lamp, and the second thing was that internet was down for the weekend. There was also no cell phone service! That was good and bad. It was bad because many of us had planned projects needing computer access, but good because we could disengage with the internet and just craft all weekend. I actually rather enjoyed it and I got a lot done which I will share with you over the next couple of weeks. However, I was planning on sending out my newsletter on Friday night but was unable to because I had no Internet access.  I mailed it out last night, though so you should have it now. My apologies to all.

The card I would like to share with you was the last one I made at the retreat and I made it for the Pals Paper Arts Challenge #245 this week. I had to guess at the sketch which I had seen previously, because I couldn't access it on line, so I was hoping I got it right.

What do you think?

• One of the best thing about stamping retreats is that you have access to stamp sets and tools that you don't own yourself. While I have a lot of stamps and accessories, I didn't own this set and it didn't really ping my radar at all when I saw it in the Annual Catalogue, but it seemed the ideal solution to this problem of 5 shapes in a line at the bottom of the card. It's called Birthday Surprise and I really like the sketchy style and the variety of birthday images.
• I took one last look at Best Year Ever, the Sale-A-Bration DSP that is available today and tomorrow only as Sale-A-Bration comes to an end! Did you get some? There's still time! I'm really going to miss it because I love the colours and designs.
• The colour scheme includes some of the colour in the Best Year Ever DSP - Coastal Cabana, Calypso Coral and Crushed Curry! Let's hear it for the 6 Cs! Yay! The ribbon and button are from the Sale-A-Bration reward, Best Year Ever Accessory Pack, including ribbon and buttons in those same 6 C colours. Get it now or forever hold your peace!
• The 7/8" Scallop Circle Punch created the little scalloped backing for the button and some Crushed Curry Baker's Twine.

In other news, Sale-A-Bration ends TOMORROW!

I have given you lots of warning, so you can't say you didn't know! If you still want something from the Sale-A-Bration rewards, make sure you get a hold of me with your $60 or more order by tomorrow afternoon. The order will be going in at 5:00 pm. It's your very last chance to pick up some of those amazing items like: The Lotus Blossom stamp set, the Irresistibly Yours (just as I finally learn how to spell it??!) Specialty Designer Series Paper, the Sheer Perfection Vellum, the Big Day stamp set and so many more. Give me a call or email me with your order!

Click on the links below to take you to my On-Line Store, where you can read about, look at, and purchase if you wish, the Stampin' Up! products used to make this card today!

Product List

Birthday Surprise Clear-Mount Stamp Set [134120]	Birthday Surprise Wood-Mount Stamp Set [134117]	Best Year Ever Designer Series Paper [138633]	Sahara Sand 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [121043]	Whisper White 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [100730]
Crushed Curry 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [131199]	Coastal Cabana Classic Stampin' Pad [131175]	Calypso Coral Classic Stampin' Pad [126983]	Best Year Ever Accessory Pack [138634]	Crushed Curry Classic Stampin' Pad [131173]
Crushed Curry Baker's Twine [134586]	7/8" Circle Scallop Punch [129404]	Liquid Multipurpose Glue [110755]	Glue Dots [103683]	SNAIL Permanent Adhesive [104332]

Indescribable Gift for Freshly Made Sketches

I got into Easter mode over the weekend, making cards for all my family and packing up the Easter eggs, etc. to send to them. The only Easter stamp set I ordered this year was Indescribable Gift which works for the adults but not for all my grandkids. I decided to use this image for the adults and I'll show you what I came up with for the grandkids tomorrow! Still mourning my Blendabilities (but not the name! When Stampin' Up! brings out a replacement product, I hope the name is a lot shorter! Just sayin'), I decided to resurrect a watercolouring technique to use with my Stampin' Write markers and Blender Pens and Aqua Painters.  It's called the whitewash technique and it produces beautiful results. My plan worked perfectly with Freshly Made Sketches Challenge #178.   .

                  
and, if I flip it on end, with Pals Paper Arts Challenge #244:

                                                                                                    

Let's look at how to do the Whitewash Technique again:

• To start this technique you first emboss your image (in this case, from Indescribable Gift) in White Stampin' Emboss Powder on a medium colour cardstock. I happen to love the look on Crumb Cake cardstock. Use Versamark ink to hold the embossing powder before heating it with the Heat Tool. Don't forget to use the Embossing Buddy first.
• With an Aqua Painter and some Whisper White Craft Ink (I squeezed out a bit of the refill in the lid of the stamp pad and picked it up with the Aqua Painter), paint over the entire image with the Craft ink. Be careful on the outside edges, that you don't go beyond the image, but you can paint right over the inside lines. They will clean right off with a tissue later. Let this dry or help it along with the low temperature on the Heat Tool.
• Use Stampin' Write Markers to lay down a little colour in the area you want it, and pull the colour to the edges of the embossed area with a Blender Pen. You can, again, wipe the embossed lines clean with a tissue after. Here I used Calypso Coral with a little Crisp Cantaloupe on the flowers and Wild Wasabi and Pear Pizzazz on the leaves. I added just a touch of Crumb Cake on the branches. Leave small areas of just white to showcase the whitewash look. The colour in the Stampin' Write Markers mixes with the White Craft Ink to give a milky look as well.
• Add a few full strength marker strokes to areas where you want a darker shadow.

I hope you'll give this technique a try, especially while waiting for a replacement for Blendabilities.

Click on the links below to take you to my On-Line Store, where you can read about, look at, and purchase if you wish, the Stampin' Up! products used to make this card today!                                       

                   

Product List

Indescribable Gift Clear Stamp Set [138575]	Indescribable Gift Wood Stamp Set [137180]	Best Year Ever Designer Series Paper [138633]	Crisp Cantaloupe 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [131298]	Crumb Cake 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [120953]
Whisper White 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [100730]	Versamark Pad [102283]	Calypso Coral Stampin' Write Marker [131902]	2013-2015 In Color Stampin' Write Markers [131260]	Subtles Stampin' Write Markers [131263]
Wild Wasabi Classic Stampin' Pad [126959]	White Stampin' Emboss Powder [109132]	Aqua Painters [103954]	Blender Pens [102845]	Embossing Buddy [103083]
Heat Tool [129053]	Circles Collection Framelits Die [130911]	2-1/2" Circle Punch [120906]	Liquid Multipurpose Glue [110755]	Stampin' Dimensionals [104430]

Whisper White Craft Stampin' Ink Refill [101780]

New Design with Lotus Blossom

Yesterday, I was designing for a workshop on Thursday and updating or changing some older designs, adding in some newer products. This one uses the Lotus Blossom Stamp Set and the Irresistibly Yours Specialty DSP in a monochromatic color scheme of Bermuda Bay and Coastal Cabana. I might like this one even more than the original.

This one is a pink and gold version of this card. I think I like this one better than the original as well!
Let's take a closer look at the first one, as the second is pretty much the same card with Blushing Bride instead of Garden Green, and Polka Dot Gold Fancy Foil Designer Vellum instead of stripes.

• Once again, that background bokeh effect is beautiful. This paper is from the Best Year Ever Designer Series Paper that is one of the Sale-A-Bration rewards that you can earn with a $60 order! Stampin' Up! has announced that all Sale-A-Bration rewards will be available ONLY WHILE SUPPLIES LAST, so don't wait too long to get the items you want. On the plus side, they have added even more rewards - more about that later.
• The Lotus Blossom stamp is a 3 Step Stamp which means the image is formed by a total of three coordinating stamps. It is in Photopolymer which makes it extra easy to line up the images without the help of the Stamp-a-ma-jig. I used Bermuda Bay ink for the first image, Coastal Cabana for the second of the three, and also for the third part, but stamped off once. Beautiful! The sentiment is from the same set and is stamped in Sahara Sand ink.
• The Window Frames Collection Framelits were used to die cut the frame behind the lotus flower, and it was cut from a piece of Irresistibly Yours Specialty DSP. I sponged it with Bermuda Bay ink and mounted the matted Lotus Flower image on top of it.
• The finishing touches are some Bermuda Bay Striped Grosgrain Ribbon and some sequins from the Bermuda Bay Sequin Trim.

I'm working on one more sample which is also an update. but let me tell you a little more about a couple of announcements from Stampin' Up!

 Important News about Sale-A-Bration Rewards

"Since Blendabilities are no longer available as a Sale-A-Bration redemption item, we anticipate that the demand on other Sale-A-Bration items will be higher than forecasted. For that reason, all Sale-A-Bration items (with the exception of stamps) will be available "while supplies last." To help alleviate any inconvenience this may cause, we've made more items available to redeem for free during these last few weeks of Sale-A-Bration."

Here are the new items available to choose from:

Click on the links below to take you to my On-Line Store, where you can read about, look at, and purchase if you wish, the Stampin' Up! products used to make this card today!

Product List

Lotus Blossom Photopolymer Stamp Set [139143]	Best Year Ever Designer Series Paper [138633]	Irresistibly Yours Specialty Designer Series Paper [138635]	Coastal Cabana 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [131297]	Whisper White 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [100730]
Bermuda Bay Classic Stampin' Pad [131171]	Coastal Cabana Classic Stampin' Pad [131175]	Sahara Sand Classic Stampin' Pad [126976]	Bermuda Bay 1-1/4" Striped Grosgrain Ribbon [134551]	Bermuda Bay Sequin Trim [137910]
Window Frames Collection Framelits Die [129021]	Circles Collection Framelits Die [130911]	Big Shot [113439]	Stamping Sponges [101610]	Stampin' Dimensionals [104430]
Liquid Multipurpose Glue [110755]	Fuse Fast Adhesive [129026]