PaperFections

Divine Design-August

(Edited to add piercing template below) . . . Philippians 4:13 -- My Divine Design project this month.  If you've missed the others over the past several months, you can click on "Divine Design" at the bottom of this post or in the Category list over in my right sidebar.

You can read all about this challenge over on SplitcoastStampers.com here -- anyone is welcome to play along.  In last month's post, I showed you my intent for these pages -- to make matching 6-inch scrapbook pages of my daughters and give the full album to my Mom at the end of the year . . . I think she'll like that!

This scripture is from the set I've been primarily using for this challenge, Papertrey Ink's Everyday Blessings.  It is stamped with Adirondack Pitch Black onto these yummy Bohemia papers by My Mind's Eye that my friend, Eli, sent me -- I'm not certain if the pattern is still available.

The flourish around the verse is Karen Lockhart's Vine Millinery Embellishment, stamped in Adirondack Cloudy Blue, then clear Copic Spica glitter pen outlines it.  The verse was cut with Spellbinders Nestabilities Classic Circles and matted with Classic Scalloped Circle dies.  I pierced holes around the outer edge of the circle.

The background square is 5.25" with 1-inch half circles adhered to the back, creating the scalloped edge and making the overall size 6".  Another Millinery Embellishment was stamped on coordinating green paper and placed in the upper left corner.  The holes of the design were pierced and this piece was also outlined with clear glitter pen.

That yummy fuzzy dot ribbon is by May Arts that my sweet friend, Cindy, sent me from her StarLitStudio store ... it's available in all different colors!

Edited: I meant to take a photo of the piercing template I used but totally forgot.  Of course, some of you had questions about this (and that's great!).  I first showed these templates back in May on my blog here.  It is a round plastic needlepoint craft canvas I first learned about from my friend, Jody.  Here's how to use it:

Just lay it over the paper you want pierced and select which row fits your project best.  Because the holes in the canvas are larger than your piercing tool (or you can just use a thumb tack/push pin), choose a spot within the hole to stay consistent from one to the next.  For instance, the lower left corner of the hole.

You can usually find these canvases in just about any crafting store (or probably WalMart), in the yarn/knitting/needlepoint/cross-stitch kit aisle.  The one I used here is 3" across and came in a package of 10 for $1.17 at Hobby Lobby.  They are available in different shapes and sizes.  You can even purchase large sheets of it and cut it to whatever shape you need!  Or Gina K Designs is offering a Piercing Template-3 pack of a circle, star & square for $1.49. 

I hope that helps!

Asela's Flowers for Daisy & Divine Design

I fell a little behind this month on my Divine Design  challenge usually posted on the 8th of each month (< you can click on that link to read about my past ones).  So when my friend, Asela Hopkins,  asked if she could send me her new stamp set to play with, I knew this set would be perfect for my next challenge and I waited just a bit longer to share this with you all, until the set would be released for sale this Thursday, July 24th through Gina K Designs.

If you don't happen to know Gina K, she started her stamp company with a vision of helping others in need and wonderful causes that help them out.  You can read all about her past campaigns here.  I've been fortunate enough to design for this sweet lady in the past and finally got to meet this spunky little spitfire in person this past weekend at CHA.  Let me tell you -- she is one funny lady and an absolute sweetheart!

You can follow the release of Asela's special stamp set over at Gina's blog.  Be sure to find the post where she's giving away one of these stamp sets for free!

Back to Asela -- she created this stamp set for her friend, Daisy, who is battling cancer -- you can read Asela's heartwarming story about her friend here.  $4.00 of every retail set sold will go to the American Cancer Society until the end of August through a donation of part of the proceeds from both Asela Hopkins and Gina K. Designs.

Here's what I created -- a set of two 6-inch scrapbook pages:

I decided to make a patterned paper from the double flower in this 9-piece set.  I started by stamping the image with black StazOn ink onto a large piece of watercolor paper and watercoloring the flower petals with Ranger's Cranberry Adirondack pigment ink:

Next, I colored the flower centers with Ranger Espresso dye ink:

Then I watercolored the background with Ranger Lemonade dye ink:

The paper was then cut up and used on both 6-inch pages.  The actual Divine Design challenge is to prominently display a Bible verse and make it the main focus.  So for that page, I colored some of the blank watercolor paper with just the Lemonade ink and used it to make the label for the Bible verse that is included with this stamp set:

Before cutting that piece, I did a reverse stencil technique on my Spellbinders  die (Labels Two S4-161, which is one of the new CHA releases that will be available from retailers beginning in August).  All you do is ink the cutting side of the die with pigment ink:

And after it is cut & embossed, you'll be left with a nice inked edge around the die cut:

The verse was stamped with the same pigment ink. I used another new CHA-released Spellbinders die -- Sunflower 2 (S4-158) cut from Stampin Up Burgundy cardstock because I thought the flower matched well with Asela's flowers.  The flower was folded in half and popped up for a little dimension.  The reverse stenciling was also done on the flower center, this time with brown chalk ink and then a gold metallic ink pad was rubbed over it, to bring out the embossed dots:

The yellow horizontal strip was stamped with Adirondack Butterscotch dye ink with Cornish Heritage Farm's  Pretty Pattern  backgrounder on a pale yellow cardstock.  The edging around the horizontal strip was cut using yet another Spellbinders new CHA-released die, the Victorian Pierceabilities (S4-167)!  A little machine stitching and darling yellow flower sparkle gems finish off this page.

For my own Divine Design challenge, I decided to make a 6-inch brag scrapbook for my Mom.  So each month will have the Bible verse page and also a 6-inch scrap page of her granddaughters!  Here's this month's coordinating page:

It has pretty much the same elements.  On the background, I used the flower center die (which is a separate piece) to only emboss a few spots -- I liked the added texture this provided to the plain cardstock background.  The Labels Two die (S4-161) was used to cute the photo and some Papertrey Ink Lemon Tart Satin Ribbon finishes it off.

Be sure to check Gina's blog over the next few days.  She's showing some wonderful sneak peeks of new sets, Asela's included, that will be available for sale on Thursday at Gina K Designs, along with links to quite a few more blogs with wonderful inspiration with these sets. Also on Thursday, Gina will post the entire set for you to see.

I'll be back later this week with some new Spellbinders projects to share with you, and some more CHA reports!

Divine Design: May Flourished Magnolia

May magnolias -- I love them!  And they currently ARE starting to bloom in Texas . . . I'll try to get a photo and post a little later today.  Since they are just about my favorite flowering tree, imagine my pleasure when I first saw this beautiful set from Flourishes!  The set is actually called "Lilac" but also includes this branch, leaf and two different magnolia blooms, so you can build your magnolias as you see fit.

I ran out of time to post my Divine Design last week, so here it is!  <=You can click on that link to learn more about this challenge and here to view the gallery of other participants' projects.  (To see my other months of Divine Designs this year, you can either click on the "Divine Design" text in the footer of this post or under the Categories list on my right sidebar.)

After "building" my magnolia blooms by stamping them with Tsukineko's Memento Rich Cocoa ink (and Adirondack Lettuce dye ink for the leaves) onto Poison Ivory shimmer cardstock (it's looking a bit washed out in the photo above, but the background is actually a lovely ivory), I colored them with these Copic markers:

The main image is accented with Island Blossom Dew Drops and popped up on dimensional foam tape.  The magenta mat and 6"x6" background paper are both BasicGrey Sultry. 

The sentiment is from Papertrey Ink's Everyday Blessings.  It was cut out using Spellbinders Variety Tags and colored around the embossed edges with R20-Blush Copic marker.  Stampin' Up's Chocolate Taffeta ribbon finishes up this 6-inch brag book/photo album page.

I'll have another sample from this stamp set for you next Wednesday, using the Lilacs . . . and check back Sunday/Monday to see my teacher appreciation cards.  Enjoy the weekend!

ETA: Here's a photo of our gorgeous Texas flowering Magnolias in May!

Divine Design-April

It's the 8th again and time for a Divine Design.  As a reminder, or if you haven't visited here before, you can read all about the project here.  This is a 6"x6" page that will go in a brag book album along with photo pages of my daughters for my Mom the end of the year (don't worry, it will be a surprise since Mom has no computer!).

I'll only get a tiny bit sappy this month about this project . . . I've been thinking about and missing my Dad lately.  Maybe it's because he loved his Texas Rangers baseball games and never missed them!  Today is opening day for the Rangers' new season -- maybe that's why he's been on my mind.  Dad passed away two weeks before my youngest daughter was born, almost 6 years ago.  I thought about him when I read this verse: "May the Lord bless you and keep you.  May He smile upon you." Numbers 6:24-25.  Yes, indeed, I know He is, Dad.

I knew I wanted to use Karen Lockhart's Tulips on this project in some way and decided to do a border.  This is Ellen Hutson's Stamp of the Month, so check out the great deal she has for you!

I used a stamp positioner to line up the block stamp and stamped in Ranger's Adirondack Espresso dye ink on one of the solid light pink patterns of paper in BasicGrey's Two Scoops 6"x6" pad.  I colored the border with these Copic markers:

The verse is from Papertrey Ink's Everyday Blessings.  It was stamped on more of the light pink paper and then cut with Spellbinders Nestabilities Petite Scalloped Oval.  But before cutting, I inked the inside of the die (that goes next to the paper) with a rose chalk ink from ColorBox's Rose Petals Queue.  Then when you cut & emboss, the ink transfers to the paper, giving you an instant border . . . how cool is that, it looks double-matted!

The tag is also a Spellbinder die (S3-028 Standard Tags) and was cut from a darker solid pink Two Scoops pattern.  The corner die cut is Spellbinders S3-107 Decorative Photo Corners.  Sheer pink ribbon is Making Memories.

You can see everyone's Divine Design creations by visiting this SplitocastStampers gallery.  If you join in on this challenge, be sure to let me know in the comment section below, so I can check out your project!

I'll be back tomorrow with an announcement and a new project to share, so check back in!