Many thanks!

I've just had one of the best weeks ever! If we forget that part of it was turning 40 (I've learnt to say that without it sticking in my throat anymore!!!), I had a surprise visit from my sister and her family from Australia!

Piet threw me a party and so now I have a lot of thank you cards to send - what a great reason to get down into my stamping room and get inky!

This one uses some of the new DSP from Stampin' Up! called Newsprint. It's FABULOUS!!!! It's black print on Very vanilla, and can you say GORGEOUS!!! You will be seeing a lot more of this coming up!

I also used one of my favourite colors that returned from past In Colors - Baja Breeze. I still had some ribbon that matched and it seemed to add that finishing touch.

The image from Upsy Daisy was stamped with Versamark and then heat embossed with black embossing powder. Then I just sponged some of the Baja Breese ink around the embossed image and matted it on a Baja Breeze card base.

The sentiment was also heat embossed in black and I punched it out with a retired (and sadly missed) punch.

Wouldn't you friends love to learn how to make a card like this one? Book your workshop now and you could earn another $25 in Hostess Benefits with a qualiying party. Send me an email and book yours now!


Recipe:
Stamps: Upsy Daisy
Ink: Versamark, Baja Breeze
Paper: Baja Breeze, Newsprint DSP
Accessories: Ribbon (retired), punch (retired), blackmbossing powder, heat embossing tool

SO go get inky and make something for those that you love!
And don't forget to book your workshop now.
Hugs
Megan

Happy Birthday Renee!

Here's a card that I created for my sister-in-law's birthday.

Remember when I told you that as a Stampin' Up! demonstrator I get great FREE stuff? Well, part of the great FREE stuff that I received this quarter was the fabulous Pretties Kit ($29.95, page 178 IBC) This was the first time that I had broken them out - and I'm a little mad at myself for not using them before! I LOVE them!! It's full of fabric flowers in differing sizes as well as some gorgeous little pearls and beads. Very fun.

On to the card! I used some of the In Colors - Crushed Curry and Rich Razzleberry. This may be my favourite colour combo to date! The stamped focal point image is the largest in the Razzle Dazzle stamp set, and I used the simple Rock and Roll technique.

This technique is so simple, but gives great results. You ink up the stamp in the regular manner (well - your style at least! I'm pretty firm with my stamps, so I give them a good smack down on the pad and then a bit of a twist! how do you ink up yours? I'd love to know!) Now comes the rock and roll part! You carefully roll the image so that the edges grab some of a darker colour. I think that it looks like you did something far harder than you actually did!

This is a great technique to show your friends at a workshop. I'd love to teach yours! Give me a call to book yours today on 303 805 2344.

The flower was inked using the same ink pads that I used to stamp the image. I used a sponge and coloured the outside of the petals and went around he flower two or three times until the colour seemed right to me. Then I went back with the Rich Razzleberry ink for the middle. A clear rhinestone brad from the Pretties kit finished off the flower. Big Tip: use a sponge to lightly place ink on the flowers and go back over them. The ink will dry in between the time it takes to get back around to the original petal, and you can use it immediately. If you put too much ink on at once (by placing the flower directly onto the ink pad, which is definitely an option) it will need to be placed aside and let to dry, and if you have a short attention span like me, you might move on and forget what you were doing with it!!

I'd love to see what you do with the flowers in the Pretties kit. What? You don't have any? You can order them from me or directly though my website here.

Hugs
Megan

Recipe:
Stamps: Razzle Dazzle, Curvy Verses
Paper: Crushed Curry, Rich Razzleberry, Whisper White
Ink: Rich Razzleberry, Crushed Curry, Black Versamark
Accessories: Rich Razzleberry Spotted Ribbon, Pretties Kit - medium flower and rhinestone brad, Cutter Kit (to distress the edges of the focal point), Sponges

It's a bit hot for Christmas, but...

...I couldn't resist re-creating a card that I had seen on my web wanderings. (Again, if this is your original idea, I would love to give you credit, but I don't remember where I saw it, so give me a reminder!!)

It's a fantastically simple technique called reverse masking, and the results are stunning. I happened upon a delicious color combo also - Rich Razzleberry and Bermuda Bay. Aren't they gorgeous together? They are 2 of the new In Colors and if you haven't seen them yet, make plans to son!

So, you cut out the circle from some scrap paper (I used the now retired Coluzzle system, but any cutting system will do!) and tossed the circle! Use the remaining paper as a stencil and hold it firm while you stamp over it.
Big Hint: You may want to use some Dotto (or other removable adhesive) to keep it in place.
Another Big Hint: Make sure that the piece of scrap paper is big enough to cover all of your 'good' layer, in case the stamp you are using is big, it wont go over the edges and get on your working piece.

Leave the mask on after you have stamped so that you can sponge on some color around the edge of the circle. When you are happy with the look you have achieved, remove the ask and you have a sensational circle. After you add on a punch you have a fantastic Christmas ball. Love it!

If you would like to give this technique a try, it's a great one to make at your own Hostess Workshop. Give me a call and we'll book a time! 303 805 2344 I can't wait to show you and your friends more fantastic techniques!

Hugs
Megan

Recipe:
Stamps: Baroque Motifs, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Paper: Rich Razzleberry, Bermuda Bay, Very Vanilla
Ink: Rich Razzleberry, Bermuda Bay (ink pad and marker)
Accessories: Round Tab Punch, Bermuda Bay Spotted Ribbon, Sponge

Circle Circus Birthday

I saw a color challenge this morning and was really taken with it. Not Quite Navy, Old Olive, So Saffron and Rose Red. Don't they look stunning together?

Today's big tip is this: When you want to use the same colors on a sentiment as background stamping, stamp off the first 'generation' and use the second or third. To make that clearer - every time you stamp an image after you have inked it up we call a generation. Thus - first stamp, first generation; stamp again without re-inking it, second generation; stamp again and it's the third generation.

You can see it on the little panel with the birthday sentiment. I really wanted to use the same colors as the main panel, but I knew that Not Quite Navy and even the Old Olive would be too dark. So, I stamped the circle image onto my grid paper once first with the Old Olive before stamping it onto the Whisper White, but stamped it off twice with the Not Quite Navy. Now you get a cohesive look without having to look for a lighter color that co-ordinates! What a time-saver!!

Another Big Tip: Use the Mat pack to line up your brads so that there is an equal space between them all. Seriously, that little kit is AMAZING!

Try it yourself next time that you want to get your background the same colors! And if you would like to get together with your friends and have me give you all a private class on this or any other technique, just drop me a line! I'm booking my July 'funshops' now, so call quickly to get the date you want before it's gone!

And just a reminder that the new Stampin' Up! Catalog goes live tomorrow! You can place an online order on my SU! website here.

Recipe:
Stamps: Flight of the Butterfly, Upsy Daisy (sentiment)
Paper: Rose Red, Not Quite Navy, Old Olive, So Saffron, Whisper White
Ink:Rose Red, Not Quite Navy, Old Olive, So Saffron
Accessories: Earth Elements (Not Quite Navy) brads.

Hugs
Megan

Technique Tuesday - Image Interrupted

I've got no idea what to call this technique, and I'm sure I'm not the inventor of it!!!!! So - I just called it 'image interrupted' - maybe it'll catch on!!!!

I cannot get enough of these new In Colors! It took me a long while to get the hang of these retiring ones, but have to say that I will really miss Baja Breeze. This new lot however are just so much more me! Nice and bright and FUN!!!!!!!!!

I stamped the image onto the DSP (Razzleberry lemonade - sneak peak!), but cut some of it off on the right side. The images in the corners are a different stamp, even though they look like they belong to the one big image!!!! I then lined up the bird image with the stamp-a-ma-jig so that I could line it up perfectly. You NEED this tool! So, when I placed the DSP back on the white layer, the pink finished off the image! Neat huh?

The bird image on the DSP is stamped in Versamark and then heat embossed with white embossing powder. Isn't he adorable? This is a sneak peak of a new Level 2 Hostess gift set -so the only way to get a hold of him is to have a funshop with me! Book in today so that you can earn this sweet little guy FREE!It gives it a really cool relief feel against the busy background of the paper. Let me know what you think by leaving a comment on the bottom of the post!

Recipe:

Stamps: Wings of Friendship(Level 2 Hostess set), Friends 24-7 (sentiment)

Paper: Melon Mambo, Crushed Curry, Pretty in Pink, Razzleberry lemonade DSP (all NEW In Colors!)

Ink: Melon Mambo, Versamark

Accessories: Large oval punch, scalloped oval punch, white embossing powder, stamp-a-ma-jig

Hugs

Megan

Technique Tuesday - Spotlighting

Today's technique is a simple one! It's called "spotlighting" and this is the card that I created to showcase it. I'm really into sponging right now, so of course it has that too!!!!

Really what spotlighting does is show up a piece of the focal image a bit more. This example shows it very simply - the background to the 'spotlight' is plain, while the background of the image is stamped. You will usually see this technique the other way around... I may make some more samples to show it!
So, simply put, you make two of your stamped images. One of them with some sort of different background, and then punch it out with a circle punch (usually!). Then you adhere the punched out image over the place in the main image that matches up. Simple huh?

Do you like this card? I'm giving it away with 9 other cards in a contest for my Facebook fans. What? You're not a fan yet? Better sign up soon - I'll start the contest on Friday. Here is the link to my page, just click on the link and then click on 'become a fan'.(If you don't have a Facebook account you'll have to set that up first!)
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Megan-Verhoeven-Independant-Stampin-Up-Demonstrator/78994318000

Recipe:
Stamps: Wonderful you, En Francais background
Paper: Close to Cocoa, Mellow Moss, Chocolate Chip
Ink: Chocolate chip, mellow moss
Accessories: small and large oval punches, 1 3/4" and 1 1/4" circle punches, chocolate chip grosgrain ribbon

Hugs

Megan

10 things to do with Versamark!

Well - it's Tuesday, and that means that I can start a new column on techniques (with the very original title of Technique Tuesday!!!!)



I cannot tell you how much I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Versamark! The results are stunning with this product. Every time!



What am I talking about?


This is what the creators of Versamark say:


"Finally a pad that lets your personality shine through! VersaMark is a necessity in every crafter's toolbox. Easy for beginning crafters to use, but versatile enough for experienced artists to create unparalleled masterpieces. VersaMark allows you to perform a number of amazing techniques! Stamp your image onto text-weight paper to explore the possibilities of watermarking, or stamp subtle tone-on-tone images onto colored cardstock. Create a resist image by stamping on glossy cardstock and brayering with dye ink. And VersaMark is so sticky that it will act as a "glue" for chalks and pigment powders. You won't believe what you can do with just one ink pad!"


And I have to agree - this is a MUST for every stamper and scrapbooker out there.


Here is a really quick card I made to showcase three of my favorite techniques using Veramark.


Now - I know this isn't the prettiest card ever, but lets look at the techniques used on it!
First off, on the background the is just plain 'watermarking' with the Versamark. That simply is using the stamp with the Versamark ink and you get a fantastic tone on tone (watermark) look. This is absolutely sensational for scrapbookers so that you can create your won background paper!
Next there is heat embossing (the silver square, and also around the word panel). You stamp your image (or run the paper along the Versamark pad) and then sprinkle on some embossing powder, heat it with a heat gun and you have this fabulous shiny look. Embossing powder comes in lots of colors, so it suits all sorts of cards.
The other technique that this card showcases is called "Popping Pastels". this is where you stamp your image with Versamark, and then dab on some of our Stampin' Pastels (chalks), and it makes the image 'pop'! Very fun and easy to do. This time I used the technique on whisper white (which is the best to use to make the colors come alive best), but you can have more muted colors on different cardstocks.

So ten things to do with Versamark:
1. Create your own backgrounds(watermark)
2. Heat emboss an image
3. Pop those pastels
4. Watermark under a colored image to give it dimension
5. Heat emboss a border around an element (word panel, photo mat, entire pages!)
6. Create a very subtle border along a page or photo mat
7. Create tone on tone borders for a scrapbook page
8. Repeat an image subtly behind a colored image for a cohesive look
9. Use it on cardstock before you punch it out for some dimension
10. Use heat and stick powder on it to apply sparkle with Stampin' Glitter

So - if you are ready to learn some of these techniques, get some of your friends together and have a 'funshop'! Not only will you learn some fun techniques, you can earn some great product along the way! Give me a call today -303 805 2344

Hugs
Megan