Happily Ever After Fairy Tale Anniversary Tunnel Card – The Princess Bride

Surprise! Didn’t think I’d make it back again this year, but here I am! It’s anniversary party time (their 54th!) and I have a cool fairy tale tunnel card to share with you with some fun references from The Princess Bride!

The extra grass on the prince and princess’s levels was done by partially die cutting with a grass die. After it was put together I wanted to add the As You Wish sentiment, so I embossed it on acetate. Princess Bride fans know “As You Wish” means, “I love you!” Not a Princess Bride fan? INCONCEIVABLE!! (That means the rest of us are laughing at you right now! Lol!) I added the Happily Ever After after it was together, too.

This was my first time playing with these dies and I wasn’t sure how to color them. I started out with Aqua Blend pencils, but I wasn’t satisfied with the results (guess I need more practice!), so I went right over them with alcohol markers, which added to the shading and I was happier. Then I added a bunch of ‘gilding’ with some metallic markers and a Sparkle pen.

This was my first time using a concertina fold (the sides) to put together a tunnel card. Not as easy as it looks and hard to keep it from warping = I need more practice!!

Well, the picture of the back looked fine on my phone, but now it looks blurry. sorry. It’s already in the possession of the happy couple, so here are some of their favorite Princess Bride quotes that I used: “Mawage. Mawage is wot bwings us togever today.” “This is true love – You think this happens every day?” “INCONCEIVABLE!” “Have fun storming the castle!”

Supplies:

• Crafter’s Companion Happily Ever After Create-A-Card die set
• Crafter’s Companion Happily Ever After Edge’ables die
• Impression Obsession Small Grass Border die
• The Ink Road – As You Wish stamp set
• Recollections 110# cardstock – white
• Spectrum Noir by Crafter’s Companion Aqua Blend pencils: Beeswax, Blue Marine, Bottle Green, Bright Green, Brunette, Carrot, Cobalt Blue, Deep Forest, Dove Grey, Ginger, Honeycomb, Iron Grey, Oak, Oregano, Pesto Green, Sky Blue, Slate, Spinach, Strawberry,Verdant Green, Wheat
• Spectrum Noir by Crafter’s Companion Basics permanent alcohol markers: Apple, Bamboo, Cerulean, Earth Brown, Emerald, Forest Green, Meadow, Natural Brown, Pale Citrus, Pecan, Silk, Willow
• Spectrum Noir by Crafter’s Companion Metallic markers: Rare Minerals – Burnished CopperGold Plate, Silver Ingot; Precious Metals – Blue Topaz
• Spectrum Noir by Crafter’s Companion Sparkle pen – clear
• Tsukineko Versamark Ink
• WoW! Gold Sparkle embossing powder
• Tsukineko Memento Tuxedo Black ink
• Sookwang Scor-tape double sided adhesive
• Simply Defined ‘Stay Put’ glue
• Misc. gold glitter cardstock and clear acetate

I’m playing along with the following challenges – click on any one of them for more information on how you can join the fun:

• Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge – Party Time (Anniversary)
• Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge – Party Time (Anniversary)
• Simon Says Stamp Work It Wednesday December 2018 Try Something New (concertina fold tunnel card)
• CropStop December Linky Party #46 Anything Goes (Crafter’s Companion,  Sookwang, Spectrum Noir, Tsukineko & WoW!)

Thanks for stopping by and for sharing your comments!

It just might be next year before I post again, so y’all take care and Have fun stormin’ the castle!!

~D.Ann

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Spring Coffee Lovers Bloghop: Docrafts Window Card

Welcome back to the second day of the Spring Coffee Lovers Bloghop!

Today I have a sweet little window card for you:

It’s another one of those DoCrafts Xcut folders that cut and emboss all in one pass – genius! By sanding the raised portion, it gave some contrast color and feels like velvet.

For the inside I colored some cute little DoCrafts Papermania stickers that come with some glittery bling already on them. I will add a sentiment when I’m ready to send this because it’s suitable for almost any occasion.

I colored these with a mix of AquaBlend and Spectrum Noir Metallic pencils. The metallics don’t blend with water and I need to get more gamsol to mix them better, but the AquaBlends blended well with water.

Supplies used:

• DoCrafts Xcut Elegant Lady cut & emboss folder
• Spellbinders Divine Eloquence die
• Core’dinations Gemstones Pink Diamond & plain white cardstock
• Core’dinations Sand-It gadget
• DoCrafts Papermania Colour In Stickers: Afternoon Tea
• Spectrum Noir AquaBlend pencils: Bright Green Parakeet, Petunia, Pink Tulip, and Sunshine
• Spectrum Noir Metallic Pencils: Gold, Mica, Pink, Purple, Silver, and Violet
• iCraft Therm-o-Web Sticky Tape Runner – permanent adhesive

I really appreciate all the encouraging comments you’ve been leaving on my posts! I hope to be by soon to return the favor! I’m looking forward to posting some interesting non-card projects, so please plan on stopping back by. If you don’t want to miss any posts, feel free to subscribe! Thanks!!

~D.Ann

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p.s. any ads on this page are placed by WordPress and are not endorsed by me.

Spring Coffee Lovers Bloghop: Altenew Card & EDIBLE stamping on macaroons!

I’m excited to be back again as I think you’re going to enjoy this post!

(** NOTE: if you are looking for the post with details on my Guest Designing for CropStop, click HERE**)

Once again, the Spring Coffee Lovers Bloghop is on.

This time, I took my color inspiration from Altenew’s March 2017 Inspiration Challenge:

Let’s start with the exciting EDIBLE stamping! Once again, I gathered my supplies:

• Store bought macaroons (yes, I’m too lazy to make my own! lol!)
• Wilton gel food colors
• Sunny Side Up Bakery gold luster dust
• Wilton imitation almond extract
• Wilton food safe brushes
• Altenew Peony Bouquet and Oriental Orchid stamp sets

By now my head was too into the project to remember to take pictures along the way, sorry! One tip: I found it MUCH better to spread the gels thin onto aluminum foil and let them sit a while until sticky before pressing the stamp into them and then onto the macaroons. I think the thin and open designs worked better than the smaller, thicker lines and more closed designs on my previous project.

If you haven’t read my previous post, you might want to check out some of the tips (you’ll find it if you click HERE) I tried refrigerating them after stamping the outline, but touching the outline colors, especially the black, they still wanted to bleed. I found it best to thin out the gels with a drop of almond extract and keep the brush almost dry. The results were, in general, MUCH better this time:

This time I mixed the gold luster dust with some drops of almond extract and painted around the smaller orchids and highlighted the petals of the peonies for some fab shine!

 

Moving on to the card:

This fun DoCrafts, Xcut embossing folder makes a great window opening for the Altenew Dancing in the Rain window. Once embossed (it cuts and embossed in ONE pass! Woo-hoo!), I ran some Spectrum Noir Illustrator pens over the raised parts to add color. Layering one of the cutout butterflies on the window frame and having the 3d frame layered over the window stamp gives it so much extra dimension, don’t’cha think?!

The butterflies and one of the hearts are drenched in the  FABULOUS new Nuvo Glitter Accents in Fresh Snowfall by Tonic… it dries almost instantly for some great shine and dimension!

I mixed up the sentiments from Altenew’s Dancing in the Rain and Goals stamp sets for this fun sentiment for a rainy day. To make the view even drearier, I ran over the scene with a Spectrum Noir Metallic silver pencil.

Yep, as you sip your coffee and snack on some delightfully decorated macaroons on the rainy April Shower days that will soon be upon us, you can close the card and think of the May flowers that will be following close behind!

Supplies used for card:

• Altenew Dancing in the Rain and Goals stamp sets
• DoCrafts Xcut Cottage Window cut & emboss folder
• DCWV yellow card
• Core’dinations red cardstock (to back the cutouts)
• Memento Tuxedo Black dye ink
• Spectrum Noir Illusrator Basics: Bright Orange, Canary, Emerald and Flame Red
• Spectrum Noir Metallic Pencil: Silver
• Tonic Studios Nuvo Glitter Accents: Fresh Snowfall
• iCraft Therm-o-Web Sticky Tape Runner – permanent adhesive

I’m playing along with the following challenges… click on any one of them for more information on how you can join the fun…

• Spring Coffee Lovers Bloghop (both the Macaroons (dunkable!) and the Card)
• Altenew March 2017 Inspiration Challenge (both the Macaroons and the Card)
• Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge: Layer It Up
• Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge: Use More Than One Die or Stamp

I’m so happy you could stop back by today! I always look forward to hearing your thoughts on my projects. I’ll have several posts up over the next few days, including some more non-card posts (not edible, tho, sorry!), so do plan on stopping back by. If you don’t want to miss any posts, feel free to subscribe! Thanks!!

~D.Ann

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Spring Coffee Lovers Bloghop – CDD First Sip Card and EDIBLE stamping

Hello and welcome back deer peeps!

(** NOTE: if you are looking for the post with details on my Guest Designing for CropStop, click HERE**)

It’s that time again — time for the Spring Coffee Lovers Bloghop! Woo-hoo!

 

You’ll want to click on the Bloghop logo above to go read about how you can join the fun and about all of the wonderful sponsors and prizes!

I’m starting off with an experiment. I wanted to try stamping on cookies…. yep! EDIBLE stamping!! I started my experiment with some inspiration from Craftin’ Desert Divas Monthly Mood Board:

   

I stopped by the store and picked up some yummy spring colored macaroons – those small, circular, light-as-a-feather French confections (not the divine coconut drops). Then I gathered some supplies:

• Wilton gel food colors
• Sunny Side Up Bakery gold luster dust
• Wilton imitation almond extract
• Wilton food safe brushes
• Craftin’ Desert Divas Coffee Break and Peek-a-Boo Animals stamp sets

I tried spreading the gel food coloring mixed with a drop of almond extract real thin on aluminum foil and pressing the stamp into it, then onto the macaroon.

I wish I’d’ve had a food safe brayer. It was tough to get the right consistency and get good coverage. The black worked better – perhaps because I spread it thinner. (It worked even better after it had set out a while and gotten tacky.) Next came coloring. Any time I accidentally touched the black, the black color immediately bled into it. It was, indeed, a learning experience! The kids who ate these were way more pleased with them than I was!

A few more things I learned…

• Don’t press too hard or the macaroons will crack. The surface isn’t flat, so you do have to ‘rock’ your stamp… try to do this only once to prevent a double image.
• The gold luster dust makes for a TERRIFIC shine. put a little on the foil with a drop of almond extract, mix and pick up with your brush. When mixed with black on a stamped image, it makes a pretty  silvery-gold.
• On the pink cookie, I tried wiping the gel around, then stamping, then filled in the teapot with gold dust. The wiped areas almost look like they were airbrushed.

 

I then went on to make a card with the same stamps (and color scheme), adding in the Simon Says Stamp challenges for multiple layers/dies/stamps.

Tip: If you have a Spellbinders die, like this one, that is too long for your card, you can find a place to cut it and shorten it like I did. Under the next layer, the cut lines are hardly noticeable:

I love how Flower Soft makes great pollen-y stamen centers for these sweet flowers!

Card Supplies used:

• Craftin’ Desert Divas Coffee Break and Peek-a-Boo Animals stamp sets
• Spellbinders Timeless Rectangles, Divine Eloquence, and Cinch & Go flower dies
• Core’dinations Parisian Nights A2 pink card
• Core’dinations cardstock – pink yellow and green
• Memento dye inks: Rich Cocoa & Rose Bud
• Aqua Blend pencils (by Spectrum Noir): Carrot, Ginger, Parakeet, Petunia, Strawberry
• Spectrum Noir Metallic pencil: Pink
• Spectrum Aqua pen: Rose Pink
• Flower Soft – Daffodil
• Aleene’s Clear Gel Tacky Glue
• Recollections Faux Pearls

I’m playing along with the following challenges… click on any one of them for more information on how you can join the fun…

• Spring Coffee Lovers Bloghop (both the Macaroons and the Card)
• Craftin’ Desert Divas Monthly Media Challenge (both the Macaroons and the Card)
• Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge: Layer It Up
• Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge: Use More Than One Die or Stamp

I’m happy you could stop by today! I’ll have several posts up over the next few days, including some FLOWER stamped macaroons that turned out MUCH better — so do plan on stopping back by. If you don’t want to miss any posts, please subscribe! Thanks!!

~D.Ann

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Love Card and Review of Spectrum Noir Colorista Markers & Gemini Die Cutting Machine

Hello, dear peeps!

Today I have a beautiful card to share with you and a brief review of some nifty new products, too.

First an amazing story: In December, Crafter’s Companion had an amazing sale of 75% off some of their fabulous stamp sets. I threw everything I wanted into my cart and then went back and whittled it down to what my budget would allow. When the order arrived, the box was way to heavy and as I started looking through it, I found it contained not only my order, but many of the items I had wanted, but had to put back. Flummoxed, I called the company to let them know of the mistake, thinking it was a glitch in their system. I was totally overwhelmed when they told me the extra goodies were not a mistake, but were a surprise gift!

Woo-hoo! I am still utterly amazed and so very thankful!! They made my day!! Actually they made my dayS for years to come as I play with these fab goodies!! I’m still doing a happy dance!

Enabler alert: See something you like? They are having another 75% off sale in January – you might want to check it out HERE! (No, I don’t get any commission.)

Among the things I had ordered were a set of the new Spectrum Noir Colorista markers to try and a Premium Marker Pad with colorable glitter.

The markers have fine nibs at each end… one is fine, the other ultra fine, with just a smidge of difference when  in use. They are alcohol dye-based inks. I drew a line with each end and you can’t tell a whole lot of difference.

The marker pad pages are heavyweight artist’s grade paper and have various parts of the design covered with clear glitter that will take on whatever alcohol ink color you use.

The designs are intricate and some spots are so small it is a challenge to keep the ink from bleeding outside the lines. I was able to take my colorless alcohol blender from another brand and ‘push’ the color back in most of the time. I guess I should make the time to take their free online coloring course! : ) (You can find it HERE.)

It’s amazing that I colored this page with only five markers! I will say that on the glittered sections, the ink sat a while longer and was easier to pick up and blend (mostly I blended everything with the yellow). On just the plain paper, the ink dried quickly and took several passes to blend well.

Tip: I found that tip-to-tip blending was the easiest way to blend the colors on the plain paper.

I got about this far when I decided I would cut out the two main hearts and make a card.

Which brings me to the Gemini. I was recently given the funds to buy a Gemini electric die cutting machine, which will help on the days it’s too painful to crank a manual machine. HSN just had an amazing special that not only included the dies and embossing folders that normally come with it, but also the alphabet and number dies.

Enabler alert: HSN also had some Chibitronics in their clearance section! (No, I don’t get any commission.) I can’t wait to play with those, but that will be a while yet.  Stay tuned!

The Gemini also comes with the regular cutting plates AND a magnetic shim, steel shim for intricate dies AND a rubber embossing pad – all included!. Everything is thinner and lighter than what one is used to using with a Big Shot or Cuttlebug. Because I chose to use intricate dies on my card, I used the magnetic sheet and metal shim.

Note that the dies do make an indent in each. I am not sure how this will affect the metal shim’s function in the long run. As time goes by, I will have to update you on how that goes. The only thing that I see that will be an issue is the embossing pad I used the sandwich as instructed, but the die cut through the pad.

The pad is still usable, but it will have to be replaced sooner than other embossing pads (I have never had to replace my embossing pads for my manual machines and neither have cuts in them. So far, that is my only negative comment about the Gemini. Everything else has worked fine and I am quite pleased with the results:

Look at all that fabulous shine!

Supplies used:

• Crafter’s Companion Spectrum Noir Colorista marker pad In Full Bloom
• Crafter’s Companion Spectum Noir Colorista markers Set 1
  • Daffodil, Rose Red, Orchid, Purple, Leaf Green
• Crafter’s Companion Gemini Set Two & Set Three metal die packs
• Crafter’s Companion Gemini embossing folder
• Crafter’s Companion Die’sire Classiques – Only Words – 1″ Alphabet Decorative Uppercase and Lowercase metal dies
• Recollections papers
• Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L E-Z Runner Permanent Strips
• Aleene’s Clear Gel Tacky Glue

I’m playing along with the following challenges. Click on any one for more details on how you can join the fun!

• Spectrum Noir January Monthly Challenge: Anything Goes with the Bonus Theme: Use a Coloring Page.
• Simon Says Stamp’s Monday Challenge: Be Square (embossed squares)
• Crop Stop Linky Party #24: Anything Goes Crafter’s Companion

Thank you for stopping by today! I hope to be back soon with some fun organization tips… but first I have to get organized! Lol! See you soon!

~D.Ann

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p.s. any ads on this page are placed by WordPress and are not endorsed by me.