PaperFections

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!

Spellbinders Giveaway Announcement & Taylor's Cupcake Challenge

I'm happy to announce the winner of my Spellbinders CHA Sneak Peek Small & Large Labels dies is . . . Jackie Parkins of North Carolina.  Here's what Jackie had to say:

"I have several sets of the Nestabilities, as well as some individual dies, and I absolutely love them. They are so easy to use, even in my Big Shot machine, and the quality of the cuts and embossing is outstanding. One of the many things I like about them is being able to see exactly where the cut will be. All of the dies are a great value for the price and storage is not a problem at all. They have been a wonderful addition to my tool collection and I’m sure I will be adding more very soon!"

Congratulations, Jackie!

I also have another project to share with you using those Small & Large Labels dies . . . a card for Taylor's Cupcake Sketch Challenge #24 -- I actually used a cupcake image this time! (Lockhart Stamp Co. Rose Bud Cupcake):

 

On this standard A2-sized card (5.50" x 4.25"), I used the largest of the Large Labels for the pink mat and the largest of the Small Labels for the pink/green center floral paper -- hopefully that will give you an idea of the size of these die sets.  The corners of the notched-out pink paper is a perfect spot for a little bling -- Citron Crystal Gemstones (may be a little hard to see in the photo).

The sweet floral cupcake image was stamped with Tuskineno Memento Tuxedo Black ink onto Neenah Classic Natural White cardstock.  I prefer the Natural White cardstock over Solar White most of the time -- it's not as stark of a white (at least not in real life -- on my monitor it's showing a little brighter).  The image was colored with Copic Sketch MarkersYG95, R22, R14, Y21 and shaded with C1.  Stickles glitter glue accents the flowers.

I used Spellbinders Nestabilities Classic Circles to die cut & emboss the image:

 

and Nestabilities Classic Scalloped Circles for the green mat.  Some Papertrey Ink Spring Moss Satin Ribbon finishes off this card.  Paper is one of my favorite collections -- BasicGrey Sugared.

I hope you are enjoying the final days of Spellbinders' pre-CHA realeased new die sneak peeks.  Be sure to check out Donya's beautiful shaped butterfly card -- you  have until midnight tomorrow night (July 13) to enter her drawing.

Have a wonderful weekend!  

Spellbinders CHA Release Die Giveaway

Entries for my Spellbinders sneak peek die giveaway below are now closed.  I'll be back later today to show you another project using those dies and as soon as Spellbinders officials have determined the winner, I'll announce it right back here!

Spellbinders CHA Preview Day 2

Before I share my next projects using Spellbinders Small & Large Labels dies, I'll answer some questions I've had about my sneak peek below:

• All of the new sneak peek dies being released at CHA on July 18 will be available for purchase sometime in August.
• Yes, these Small & Large Labels match up perfectly to your Classic & Scalloped Rectangle Nestabilities (that's what I'm showing you today!)  
• If you left a comment yesterday on MY blog thinking you were entering the contest for the giveaway of my sneak peek dies, you didn't!  You need to scroll to the very bottom of the post below (3rd paragraph from the bottom) and click on the "Click HERE to enter the drawing."  Please read the instructions under "RULES" to be sure you enter the contest correctly . . . you still have until midnight tonight, July 11 to enter!

As I mentioned yesterday, the new Small & Large Labels dies match up perfectly with the Classic & Scalloped Rectangle Nestabilities you may already own!  Here's a scalloped sample:

I used a Nestabilities Scalloped Rectangle (from the large set) and a Small Labels die -- this gives you a nice 1/4" space between the clipped corner of the Labels die and the scalloped die to show off a little bling!  I also used the Nested Bird die that Wendy Weixler previewed for you on July 3rd.

Additional card details: Lockhart Stamp Company sentiment, Tsukineko Memento Rich Cocoa ink, MemoryBox Lavendar Cardstock & Aerial Printed Paper, Lavendar Crystal Gemstones -- all available from Ellen Hutson LLC.

My next sample shows how well the Classic Rectangles work with the Small or Large Labels:

Here, the Small Labels die makes a wonderful frame for the Nestabilities Classic Rectangle.  The little tag is Spellbinders Tags Trio die.

Additional card details: Lockhart Stamp Company Tomato with Greens Vegetable Couture & Brunch sentiment, Tsukineko Memento Rich Cocoa ink, Copic Sketch Markers, MemoryBox Mocha Cardstock & Sprout printed paper -- all available from Ellen Hutson LLC.

I hope these samples show you how well these new Labels dies will incorporate with the other Spellbinders dies you may already own!  If you have any questions, just ask them below in the Comments section.

Be sure to visit Holly Craft's blog today, July 11th, to see her project/sneak peek dies and enter to win there.  Remember that I'll announce the winner of my sneak peek dies right back here on my blog July 12!

Spellbinders Pre-CHA Sneak Peek Preview #11

Welcome to the 11^th day of sneak peek previews of Spellbinders dies that will be released at the Summer Craft & Hobby Association (CHA) show on July 18!  At the end of this post you will find the official rules for the Spellbinders Birthday Celebration Sneak Peek Party Drawing -- a chance to win the dies I'm sharing with you today, AND if you have visited all the blogs within their release dates, a chance at the grand prize drawing for a new raspberry Wizard and $500 worth of Spellbinders dies!

If you are new to my blog, you can find more projects using Spellbinders dies by clicking on the Spellbinders/Nestabilities Category over on the right sidebar of my blog and/or by looking for the Spellbinders Photo album also over on the lower right sidebar of my blog.  You'll find more informationl links on the lower left sidebar under Spellbinders Links.

Today, I am previewing two new Spellbinders Nestabilities die sets: Large Labels S4-168, MSRP $24.99 (left) and Small Labels S4-169, MSRP $24.99 (right):

    

The first project I made with them is a clear hanging calendar:

 

The base is made from a Clear Scraps Scalloped Tab 3-ring acrylic album.  Each page measures 7" x 5" and is tied together with sheer white ribbon where the album would normally hinge.

The white swirls and row of hearts are stamps from Fancy Pants' Chic Alpha set and were stamped with white StazOn onto the back of the acrylic.  The sweet little butterfly is another Spellbinders die -- S4-123 Flying Beauties.

The calendar page was cut with the largest of the Small Labels set and then matted with the largest of the Large Labels set.  As with most of the Nestabilities line, using one die from one set and the next larger or smaller die from another set will give you a 1/8" mat.  For a larger 1/4" mat, use stair-stepped dies within one set.

The January calendar is adhered with repositionable adhesive, so it can be removed and the next month put in its place so the calendar can be used year round. 

I placed the WorldWin Deep Ocean Blue mat on the back side of the acrylic frame and the white calendar on the top side -- this helps ease the job of replacing the calendar monthly and allowed the white swirls to appear like they were stamped on the navy mat:

The beautifully notched corners of this die make the perfect spot for a brad or a bit of bling . . . here, I used clear sticky-backed Gemstones for accents.  Also, notice how nicely those notched corner layers line up perfectly . . . I've tried achieving this look before, using a punch to clip off the corners of my rectangles but usually end up not having them match up.  I love that these dies make that easy AND the corners also have that wonderful Spellbinders embossed edge!

I also cut & embossed the photos on the lower half of this wall hanging -- this simply elegant die gives the photos a professional look, is very quick for your scrapbooking, can stand alone (photo on left) or can be dressed up with a perfectly matched layered mat (right photo):

Hopefully you can see the lovely embossed edges . . . if not, here's another closeup:

(That's beautiful Trunk Bay on St. John, US Virgin Islands that I just had the pleasure of visiting last week and my sweet daughters playing in the sand there!)

I designed the lower half of this wall hanging so that the photos are adhered temporarily and can be changed out seasonally.  The year can also be easily changed or the lower half can be untied and a whole different seasonal page added.  The year numbers are another Spellbinders die -- from the L2-09 Julius Alphabet & Numbers, were cut from WorldWin Dark Ocean Blue and the embossing stenciled/highlighted with Sky Blue Copic Spica Glitter Pen. 

Another quick project I put together, a simple but elegant monogrammed notecard, shows you the versatility of these dies:

I love using the Spellbinders dies to make shaped cards.  This one is hinged at the top, uses the largest die of the Large Labels set and measures 3-3/4" x 2-7/8".  The BasicGrey Sultry patterned paper is cut using the largest die of the Small Labels set.

After stamping the Just Rite monogram stamp, I cut it out with a Spellbinders Nestabilities Classic Circle and then matted it with a chocolate Spellbinders Nestabilities Classic Oval.  Both layers are popped up on dimensional foam tape.  A bit of chocolate satin ribbon finishes it off.

Be sure to check the list of blog sneak peeks in my blog post two posts below this one -- you'll find some outstanding projects that have been shared and a few more yet to come.   

If you already have a die cutting machine, you can check out a great video HERE that demonstrates how to use Spellbinder's dies in other die cutting machines as well as Spellbinders' Wizard machine, which I highly recommend.  The Wizard also works with other manufacturer's dies!

Here is the official information for the Spellbinders Birthday Celebration Sneak Peek Party Drawing:

Spellbinders will randomly pick one entry from each of the 14 Spellbinders Sneak Peek Blog reveals as stated in the "Rules" below.  This name will be drawn to receive the die being revealed on said blog. These entries must follow all rules stated below to be valid for the drawing.

Entrants visiting all 14 Spellbinders Birthday Celebration Sneak Peeks Blog reveals and correctly entering their information into the 14 separate drawings, as described below, will automatically be entered into a GRAND PRIZE give away of a new RASPBERRY WIZARD and a $500 retail value die package!

RULES:

Any participant wishing to be included in the daily drawing for the Spellbinders Birthday Celebration Sneak Peek die give away must adhere to all of the following rules:

1.  Participant must click on the provided drawing link on blog to enter each individual drawing on sneak peeks between June 30 and July 13.

2.  Participant must type in the subject line the name of the die being revealed.

3.  Participant must send their entry for this blog before 12:00 midnight Central Standard Time on July 11, 2008.

4.  Participant is only allowed to enter each of the 14 Spellbinders sneak peek blog give away drawings one time per sneak peek. Participant must use the same email address daily to be considered for grand prize entry.

5.  Spellbinders Design Team members and employees are not eligible for drawing.

 

Any participant wishing to be automatically entered into the drawing for the Spellbinders Birthday Celebration Sneak Peek Grand Prize drawing must enter the drawing from all of the 14 blog reveals and follow all the above rules.

Please note:

*Spellbinders will only use email information to contact the winner.

*Spellbinders will not share this email address with any other parties.

*Spellbinders will not use this email information for advertisements or communications other than to contact the winner.

*If you wish to be included in further communications from Spellbinders, please go to their home page to sign up.

* If you have questions regarding the contest or entries, you should email SpellbindersEditor@yahoo.com and you get the official Spellbinders answer.

Click HERE to enter the drawing. Good luck!!  (If you use an e-mail client that does not work with this pop-up box, you may copy and paste this address to send your entry to: NewDieRelease@Spellbinders.us .) 

The winner of my preview dies will be announced right back here on my blog July 13th!  I'd love to know what you think about these new dies, so leave me some feed back (by clicking on the word "comments" directly below this post). 

I'll be back tomorrow to show you another great way you can use these Labels dies -- together with another Spellbinder Nestabilities die you may already have!

--------------------

Edited 7/12 12:01am:  Entries for this giveaway are now closed.  I'll be back later today (12th) to announce the winner.

Spellbinders Nestabilities Birthday Bash Continues!

Don't forget tomorrow (July 10) to come check out the Spellbinders dies I'll have to preview for you -- You can enter the drawing to try and win them!  I'm excited to show these new Nestabilities dies to you -- they'll be great for your stamping, cardmaking, scrapbooking and general papercrafting.  I just wish I had more time to create all the projects I've dreamed up for them! 

Until then, you can still check out Beth Pingry's project and die here -- you still have until midnight July 10 to enter at her blog for the chance to win her die.

Spellbinders Nestabilities Birthday Bash Continues!

Have you enjoyed the first week of sneak peek previews of the new dies Spellbinders will debut at the Craft & Hobby Association show on July 18?  If you don't know what I'm talking about, you can read about it on the Spellbinders' home page and don't miss another minute of the previews and your chance to win some brand new dies that the Spellbinders design team members are sneak peeking on their blogs for another week.  Here's the schedule of blogs you can visit to preview the dies, get some great ideas for uses AND enter to win the dies that are yet to come:

June 30: Thinking Inking by Debbie Olson

July 01: Created From Paper by Jennifer Ellefson

July 02: Wickedly Wonderful Creations by Wendy Weixler

July 03:Embellished Dreams by Heidi Blankenship

July 04: Simple Dreams by Ellen Hutson

July 05: Caffeinated Thoughts by Michelle Klomp

July 06: Linda’s Works of Heart by Linda Duke

July 07: Mish Mash by Michelle Wooderson

July 08: Inky Heart by Sally Lynn MacDonald

July 09: Cookies for Breakfast by Beth Pingry

July 10: PaperFections by Sharon Harnist

July 11: Today’s Creations by Holly Craft

July 12: Donya Schroeder by Donya Schroeder

July 13: Follow Your Bliss by Trudee Sauer

I'm hard at work on my project that I can't wait to show you this Thursday, July 10th, because I missed the first week of excitement last week while I was on vacation!  Be sure to catch Linda's preview that just started today -- you still have until 11:59pm tomorrow, July 7to enter to win the die she is previewing and then be sure to catch the rest of the schedule starting back up tomorrow with Mish's blog!  I know you'll find some fantastic projects at all of these talented ladies' blogs!