Monday, September 30, 2013

Mixed Media special issue winner + an MFT layout

First off, I want to announce the winner of Creating Keepsakes' new Mixed Media, Vol. 2 special issue.  Based on the random number generator, the winner is . . . JJ Meyer!!  Congrats!  I will try and contact you through your blog to let you know you've won and to request your mailing address (or if you see first, send me an email with your info). 

I had the pleasure of guest designing for My Favorite Things (MFT) this month.  They make so many fabulous stamps and dies!! I posted one of my MFT layouts in a blog post below.  Today I'm sharing another layout I made with some of the awesome MFT stamps and dies.


I love these new Chalkboard Frame Builder Die-namics:


MFT Products used:
Stamps: MPD Blooming Roses
Die-namics: MPD Rose Bouquet, Mini Royal Roses, Mini Rolled Roses, Dainty Doily Duo, High-Rise Alphabet Lower Case, Chalkboard Frame Builder
Cardstock: Heavyweight Smooth White

Thanks for stopping by!

Thursday, September 26, 2013

Another Mixed Media blog hop

Welcome to another fun blog hop to celebrate the release of Creating Keepsakes' awesome special issue:  Mixed Media, Volume 2.  Thank you, sweet Liz, for organizing this blog hop!

Here's a snippet of a layout I created for the "Collage" section of the magazine.


I created the "She Art"-type paper doll on this layout, which appears on page 112 of the magazine.  You can download my hand-drawn collage doll here:  Collage paper doll template.  Just print it out, cut the body and dress sections apart, then trace and cut!  One of the collage techniques I did on this page was stamping with paint on bubble wrap and painter's tape.  While the paint was still wet, I sprinkled on glitter to give the patterns some extra texture and sparkle.

The magazine is filled with tips, techniques, and step-by-steps from some of the most talented designers in the scrapbooking and crafting industries.  One of the ideas I loved was Sherry Mendoza's technique for creating resist patterns using stencils, everyday white glue (like Elmer's) and spray ink. Very cool!!  You can see Sherry's awesome technique and layout on page 31 of the magazine.

Here is the list of today's blog hop participants:

Liz Hicks (The wonderful organizer of this blog hop!) 
Stacy Cohen (Me!) 
Kim Watson

And in case you missed it, here are yesterday's blog hop participants:
Liz Hicks
Noel Culbertson
Ronda Palazzari
Angela Magnuson
Marion Smith
Sharon Laakkonen
Terri Anderson
Candy Rosenberg

Be sure and check out the blogs of all of these incredibly talented artists, and don't forget to order your copy of  Mixed Media, Vol. 2 (available in both digital AND paper format). There's still time to leave a comment on my blog post below for a chance to win a copy of this issue.

Friday, September 20, 2013

Creating Keepsakes Mixed Media Special Issue and a Giveaway

Creating Keepsakes' newest special issue is out: Mixed Media, Vol. 2.  This special issue of FULL of wonderful ideas for using color mediums, modeling mediums, fabric, collage, metallics, and more!  Best of all, there are easy to follow instructions for the techniques shown in the issue.

Create beautiful works of art that preserve and showcase your family memories using your scrapbooking skills, diverse art mediums, and the ideas in this follow-up to the popular first volume last year. From chalk to paint, fabric to metal, we'll show you how to get amazingly artistic looks for your pages with creative and clever techniques. And with plenty of step-by-step tutorials, quick ideas you can use in minutes, and colorful photos, you'll feel confident in trying new materials and mediums on your layouts.

Here is a layout I made for the "Metallic" section of the magazine.


I created the flourishes using flourish stamps, embossing ink, Ranger's Sticky Embossing Powder, and platinum glitter.  


You can see some more sneak peaks: Mixed Media, Vol. 2, and you can purchase a copy here: online store.

I get to give away a copy of this special issue to one lucky blog reader. Leave me a comment here by the end of the day on Friday, September 27th and you could be randomly chosen to win. (International winners, you’ll be given a download for a PDF version of the magazine.)

For more chances to win and to see more projects created for this issue, head on over to the blogs of these very talented ladies: 

Mou Saha
Riikka Kovasin 
Cindy Tobey
Ashley Horton
Susan Weckesser
Kim Watson
 

Lastly, hop on over to the CK blog for another giveaway!

Friday, September 13, 2013

My Favorite Things

I'm thrilled to be the Guest Designer for My Favorite Things this month!  Besides great stamps, MFT has an incredible variety of steel dies called Die-namics.  I use my manual die-cutting machine ALL the time (on just about every single project), and Die-namics are my go-to dies. I'm in love with all their flower, flourish and doily dies!

Here's a layout I created using a variety of MFT flower and flourish dies and stamps.


Stamps: MPD Blooming Roses 
Die-namics: MPD Rose Bouqet, Mini Royal Roses, Mini Rolled Roses, Layered Rose, Leaf-Filled Flourish, Leafy Flourish, By the Letters 
Cardstock: Heavyweight Smooth White 

Every single flower on this page was created with one of the Die-namics dies.


I tried My Favorite Things' Heavyweight Cardstock for the first time.  I die-cut the flat roses and the title letters with it.  It's my new favorite cardstock for die-cutting!!  The dies cut through the cardstock easily with one pass through the machine, yet there's just enough extra weight to give the die-cut some firmness.  I cut the alphas using the By the Letters die.  The cardstock is firm enough that I was able to glitter it using wet glue (no warping!) and then pop up the letters with 3D adhesive.

I'll have another MFT layout to share later in the month!