Belle Papier {pretty paper}

When today’s Technique challenge was Emerging Color… I thought I’d have a little fun with the challenge and also make a short tutorial on the technique for you. As this is the first tutorial that I’ve written, it may come in bits and pieces till I get it right, so please, bear with me! if you’d like to play along with this challenge, here is the link. I love the kind of batik look this technique gives. Perfect for a collage look!

Hibiscus Friend Card

The instructions for the Emerging Color Technique panel are below. For the main card, I rolled the card with Sahara Sand ink with SU’s Rough Texture wheel. I love how you can cover large background with the Jumbo wheels easily and they are great for large square cards that background stamps won’t cover. All edges were sponged with Close to Cocoa ink. Prima flower is from Jacksonbelle. I just love the sentiment about friends that I used here. I have a friend whose favorite flower is Hibiscus and was so wonderful to our family while my mom was in the hospital. This card is a thank you to her.

Money Saving Tip - I don’t buy the ink barrels to go with my stamping wheels…I just roll them across my large ink pads and reink with each pass. This works great for cards and other small projects. If you want to do wrapping paper, you will need a cartridge.

Supply List:

Cardstock: Old Olive, Whisper White, Kraft, Cool Caribbean - SU

Stamps: Do the Hula, God’s Way, Rough Texture wheel - SU

Ink: Rose Red, cool Caribbean, Old Olive, Close to Cocoa, Sahara Sand, Taken with Teal - SU

Other: Prima flower, ribbon - May Arts, Hodgepodge Hardware - Stampin UP, Brad - Karen Foster

Emerging Color Tutorial

1. Take a piece of white or vanilla cardstock and stamp randomly with colored ink.

2. Stamp again with solid image stamps with Versamark watermark ink. Emboss with Clear Embossing powder. Heat embossing powder with heat gun.

3. Brayer a layer of color over entire piece of cardstock. You can also sponge it if you do not have a brayer. Buff entire piece with a tissue to remove ink from embossed areas. Trim and create your card with it. Enjoy!

Extra Ideas - For your final layer, use a muli-colored spectrum ink pad for a cool look!

Since my blog comments are finally working again, I’m now over 75 subscribers and I just reached 500 comments…yippee!…time for a blog celebration. This time I have TWO prizes up for grabs! One random drawn prize from the comments on this post and a second random draw for all my Feedblitz subscribers.

The only thing that has me sad is I miss my new look! Until my blog host can work things out, I’m back to the old.:( Hopefully it will only be a short time!

To enter…you may do one of the below or both! Prizes will drawn on Wednesday March 28th at noon EST. Please feel free to enter both draws but please only comment once. Thanks! If for some reason…you are still not able to comment…please e-mail me!

1. Comment on this blog post & tell me how long you have been stamping or papercrafting for….
2. Subscribe to my Feedblitz Blog by clicking on the Feedblitz button to the right in my sidebar and entering your e-mail address. You will receive an e-mail (no more than one per day) to let you know when my blog has been updated. If you are already a Feedblitz subscriber…you are already entered…no need to do anything!

Bog Prize #1 - Package of Prima Essentials & Small Provocraft Frame

Blog Prize #2 - Warmest Regards SU Hostess Stamp Set & 2 packages of rick rack
!

Sniff, sniff….

 I LOVE my new template, my new banner….but….

I have to find out if it is what is causing the commenting problem. So back to the old I go…I NEED your help again! If you have been having problems commenting on my blog, would you please try again now that my template is changed?! I am now over 500 comments and over 75 subscribers and am just dying to do another blog celebration! I don’t want to post it until it is fair for everyone! So if you could try again…i would be MOST grateful!

We are still working on figuring out the comment problem. Would some of you mind trying to comment on this thread. If you are able to, great!!! I’ll see it! If not…would you please e-mail me and let me know what is coming up? I’d LOVE to get this Blog Treat posted, but don’t want to do it until I make sure that everything is working and that it is fair for everyone! My e-mail link is right below my picture in the sidebar.

 Many thanks!!!

It has been a busy weekend around here. My MIL was here for the night last night and the many going ons of a family of seven…life never seems to slow down. I  did manage to squeeze in a quick card tonight. I’ve been “dying” to play with my A Muse monogram stamps again and also a darling little set of clear stamps by Inkadinkado I picked up a week ago. It was a lot of fun playing around with them. I’m mostly used to using rubber wood mounted stamps so I’ve been learning the ins and outs of clear stamps. I just love how they mounted on clear acrylic blocks and the placement is SO easy….also love the storage…so much less bulky & the bottom line is, the price just cannot be beat! I did find, that using craft ink gets a much nicer image & not to press too hard with the clear stamps.

I thought I’d keep this card fresh and pretty for spring. I was inspired by some ribbon I picked up at Michael’s this morning for an old Olive and Cool Caribbean color combo…even though I didn’t end up using it in the final design. I added some Hero Arts gemstones for some fun centers in a few of the flowers and this Olive May Arts rick rack is so huge and fun….I just love it. I bought mine from Starlitstudio. The scalloped edge bottom border was created with a small corner rounder. Simply remove the guide and repeatedly punch along the edge.

S is for Special

Supply List:

Cardstock: Cool Caribbean, Whisper White - SU

Stamps: A Muse small monogram s, Lots O Pots - Inkadinkado

Ink: Tempting Turquoise craft, Rose Red Craft, Always Artichoke Craft, Basic Black, Close to Cocoa Classic - SU

Other: Olive Jumbo Rick Rack - May Arts, Gemstones - Hero Arts, Small Corner Rounder - EK Success, Aquapainter - SU

Just thought I’d give you all a little update on my mom. She just finished her second round of chemo this week and is doing well. She is exhausted but her spirits are really great and we are so thankful that the anit-nausea meds have worked really well for her. Thank you so much to all of you who are praying for her. I can’t express how much it means to me and my family. We strongly believe in the power of prayer.

Angel of Hope by Willow Tree

My good friend Lindsey sent me this beautiful Angel of Hope from Utah. I was so touched to receive this beautiful gift in the mail, I must confess, it brought tears to my eyes. Thanks so much Lindsey! I put it on a desk I have right in the middle of my house so that I can see it as I go about my day. Everytime I see it I am reminded of God’s goodness and think of my mom.

I just thought I’d let you know… while we’re waiting for my comments to be fixed and I can do that blog prize… Jacksonbelle is having a blog giveaway on her blog here. It looks fabulous!

This moring I had the opportunity to go on a field trip with my four year old, Benjamin. We had the most wonderful time with his class on a trip to the Sugar Bush. For those of you who dont’ know what a sugar bush is….it’s what we call a farm with a forest of Sugar Maple trees that they make Maple Syrup from. We are so lucky to be in one of the only parts of the world where Maple Syrup is made. In fact (LOL I looked it up) 85% of the World’s maple syrup is made in Canada…mostly Ontario and Quebec. The remaining 15% is made in the NE United States.

Maple syrup is made by boring a hole in a Sugar Maple tree, inserting a spigot and harvesting the sap that drips out. Each morning in the spring when the temperture is above freezing, the sap makes it way up to the branches to nourish the buds on the tree. When the temperature falls below freezing at night, the sap falls to the roots and makes it way up the tree again in the morning…this keeps the sap running. The Maple Syrup producers love cold nights and mild spring days to keep their season open as long as possible. Each farmer looks after the trees well for a future generation….it takes the hard slow-growing maples, 40 years before they are able to be tapped. After the sap is collected, it must be boiled down to create maple syrup. For every 40 drops of sap, you end up with one drop of syrup. It is a lot of work….yummmmmm….what could be better on your pancakes!

At the farm, we had a fabulous time….there is a large barn with animals for the kids to enjoy, a hayride back to the bush, lessons on how the maple syrup is made, a look at the huge evaporators and to finish it off….a pancake and sausage brunch. I’m busy trying to twist Dh’s arm to take us back tomorrow morning with the rest of the family!

My apologies for the commenting problem. Thanks to those of you who have e-mailed me! I really appreciate knowing the status of the problem and also enjoy hearing from you. I’ve heard back from my blog host and the problem is going to be worked on today. Yippee…can’t wait to get it fixed! It is hard writing in a “vacuum”! Also I just can’t wait to get to 500 comments and do another blog prize!

No stamping for me this morning…I’m off on a field trip to the sugar bush with my 4 year old. I have my camera all charged up…should be a lot of fun and I’m looking forward to being able to go on a class trip with my little guy.

If you are having trouble viewing the new smaller type on my blog….I have a tip for you! I’m not that techno savvy and just discovered this and thought maybe some of you out there might not know it as well. If you hold down your control key and turn the little scroll dial on your mouse….you can enlarge or decrease the viewing size of your screen. Cool!

 As always on this blog….if you wish to see the photos in greater detail…all you have to do is click on them. It will give you a full page view.

Hope you have a fabulous day!