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Technique Tuesday; Wheelin' Frames

This month Stampin' Up! is having their "Free Wheelin" promotion.  When you purchase any one of the six selected stamp sets featured in this promotion, you will get the matching Jumbo Wheel Free!  You can learn more about it here.   

Each month I choose a Stampin' Up! product as my Feature Product.  This month I am will be featuring Stampin' Around Wheels to coincide with the "Free Wheelin" promotion!  So in addition to the free wheels above, all wheels, handles and ink cartridges purchased through me, are on special this month.  My Technique Tuesday tutorials during the month of April will feature Stampin' Around Wheels.  As well, throughout the month of April, you can expect to see lots of projects on my blog featuring wheels, and I will be demonstrating them during all my April workshops.   

Here is the special for April:

• 10% off any Stampin' Around Wheel small or jumbo, ink cartridges and handles
• My hostesses in April will receive 20% Off!

This is the last Tuesday of April, meaning the last Wheel tutorial, and your last chance to take advantage of the Wheely great specials!  My final order this month goes in tomorrow, so make sure you have your order an payment to me in time to catch these awesome specials.  Canadian orders only please!

Technique Tuesday:  Wheelin' Frames Masking technique

Now here is another technique that I think we are all quite familiar with, but I have no idea whether it has a special name or not.  So for the purpose of this tutorial, I've decided to call it the Wheelin' Frames Masking technique.  I learned this technique very early in my career as a Stampin' UP! demonstrator, but I haven't done it in ages.  So think of this as re-acquainting yourself with a fabulous technique that produces WOW results, with all the cool new wheels and products we have now!

All you need to do this is:

Wheel, handle and ink cartridge (I am using the wheel from the Spring Solitude hostess bundle, and Almost Amethyst ink cartridge)

sticky notes

Paper

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For my project I cut the sticky note down to 2" x 3 1/4", ensuring that the sticky part was not cut off!

This allows a 1 inch border all around.

I have centred it on my card front with the sticky part on the left.  I wheel left to right, so I don't want it to lift...that's why the sticky part is on the left!

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Run you wheel a few times to ensure good ink coverage.

I start at the bottom left corner, and wheel diagonally.  The eye sees left to right straight across.  Wheeling diagonally means that any inaccuracies in wheeling will not be as obvious. 

By starting at the bottom, it is very easy to see where I need to place the wheel for the next run.

This is what it looks like half way through.  As you see it now, you will focus on the diagonal direction...however, when the card is complete you won't see it at all!

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Here is the image fully wheeled, with the sticky note still intact.

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Now you can see the frame that was masked off.

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And here is the finished card.  This is so very demonstrable, and an incredible WOW!  If you attended any of my April workshops, you would have seen me make a version of this card!

To complete the card, I worked with the Spring Solitude stamp set as well.  The trio of flowers was stamped in the upper portion of the frame.  The bold flower was stamped in Almost Amethyst ink on Almost Amethyst card stock and cut out.  It was attached to the card with dimensionals.  I added some Crystal Stickles for a bit of sparkle...Dazzling Diamonds would work equally well. 

The sentiment is from Verve Visual, Happy Thoughts set, and I chose it because lining up clear stamps is just easier, plus I could stack the words so they fit in the frame. 

Finally I added some ribbon on the corners and added a clear gem for some more sparkle.  The card front is then mounted on the card base with dimensionals. 

I have mentioned before that I always stamp the inside of my card and the envelope to match, and I love how easy this is to do with wheels.  Here is a peek at the inside of the card.

This could easily be a quick, one layer card, and it's so gorgeous...don't you think?

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Here is another version with another wheel, but the same stamp set.

With this card I wheeled in Mellow Moss, then sponged Mellow Moss ink on the card before I removed the mask.  It adds a bit more definition and colour. 

Well there you are.  A month's worth of ideas with your wheels.  Dig 'em out ladies and have some fun!  They really are awesome additions to your stamping tools, and they are pretty exclusive to Stampin' Up!

Remember, my final order goes out tomorrow, that's Wednesday, April 30.  My email is at the top right side bar.

Have a wonderful Tuesday, and thanks for dropping by!

 

Wheely Western

I said if I could get it together I would share the Chocolate Chip version of the Wheel Shadowing technique...well I'm on it!  I think you'll agree, it's the same wheel, but a very different look!

When I tried it on the Wheel Shadowing technique on the Chocolate Chip, using the same "So Swirly" wheel, I couldn't help but think Boho-Western!  It really reminded me of leather tooling on saddles or boots, or the type of pattern you see on bandannas. So I knew I had to work with a western theme.  Plus when Rox posted this week's sketch challenge, I couldn't believe how perfect it worked!  I mean the wheeled image is 2" wide, and the piece of paper I worked on yesterday was 5 1/2" wide...so it was perfect for the centre panel on the sketch!

The card base is Chocolate Chip, and it is layered with Sahara Sand...which seemed to match the best with the white wheel image.  I pierced all around the Sahara Sand piece and sponged a little Sahara Sand ink around the edges to tone down the crisp edges.  I pierced the wheeled piece and mounted it on Close to Cocoa, then adhered it to the Sahara Sand.  The vertical panel is Sahara Sand, and the horse from "Wanted" is stamped at the top in Chocolate Chip.  The sentiment is from Verve Visual "Seeing Stars", and I thought it fit perfectly with the horse in "flight".  I added piercing all around, and sponged some Sahara Sand on the edges.  It's then layered on Chocolate Chip, then Close to Cocoa.  An "S" clip is attached with Chocolate Chip polytwill ribbon, and then the vertical piece is adhered to the card with dimensionals.

OK, now it's your turn...tell me are you seeing the same thing I see?  Is it boho-western to you or am I crazy, because that did occur to me!  Take a look at my other card...not western at all!  In fact I think the wheel technique looks quite whimsical.  I am totally amazed by the two totally different looks just by switching the colours.

Well, that's it for today.  I'll be back tomorrow with another "Great Expectations" sneak peak, so be sure to drop by!  Oh, and bring your sunglasses!

Technique Tuesday; Shadowing with Wheels

This month Stampin' Up! is having their "Free Wheelin" promotion.  When you purchase any one of the six selected stamp sets featured in this promotion, you will get the matching Jumbo Wheel Free!  You can learn more about it here.   

Each month I choose a Stampin' Up! product as my Feature Product.  This month I am will be featuring Stampin' Around Wheels to coincide with the "Free Wheelin" promotion!  So in addition to the free wheels above, all wheels, handles and ink cartridges are on special this month, only through me.  My Technique Tuesday tutorials during the month of April will feature Stampin' Around Wheels.  As well, throughout the month of April, you can expect to see lots of projects on my blog featuring wheels, and I will be demonstrating them during all my April workshops.  I have 1 hostess opportunity open in late April.  If you haven't booked your workshop, contact me today! 

Here is the special for April:

• 10% off any Stampin' Around Wheel small or jumbo, ink cartridges and handles
• My hostesses in April will receive 20% Off!

Technique Tuesday: Shadowing with Wheels

I haven't a clue what the actual name for this technique is, and it's not one I created.  In fact it was demonstrated at a Stampin' Up! event I attended several years ago.  So many of you demonstrators will find this elementary at minimum, but I'm hoping that some of you might just find a new cool way to use your wheels.  By the way....today is the first time I tried this technique...staging shots and taking pictures at the same time.  So, that's how easy it is!

Here's what you need:  Wheel Handle & wheel ( I suggest a bolder image vs a fine line detailed image)

- Classic ink cartridge  (Versamark substitutes well if you don't have the right colour ink cartridge)

- White Craft ink cartridge

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To begin, you will insert your coloured or Versamark cartridge.

On scrap paper, roll your wheel to get the image fully inked.

Find the seam.  You need to locate a starting point, and the seam makes the most sense.  Familiarize yourself with the design at the seam.

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Position your wheel about 1/2" off your paper at the seam.

Begin rolling, and pull towards you, in a long even stroke.

I recommend you place your pointer finger on the back of the wheel, which ensures good even contact wheel to paper.

   Here is what you end up with.

*Now, you will remove the ink or Versamark cartridge and clean your wheel.

*Next, you will insert the white cartridge, and repeat the steps above.  You will line your wheel up to the paper the same way.  Note the pattern on the paper, and the pattern on the wheel.  Try to line it up exactly...the small difference will make your shadow effect.  A large difference will make a mess!     

It is also important to note that you have the wheel inserted the same direction, so pay attention to the pattern.  And don't ask me how I know that's important LOL!!!

Click on the image to enlarge it...it's difficult to see the shadowing effect in the small picture.

OK....are you ready to see the finished product?

NO???

Well I am ready to show it.  I was thrilled the way it turned out, and I actually did a few tries with the colour challenge colours, so if I can get it together, I'll show you the Chocolate Chip one tomorrow!  Today you get to see the Certainly Celery one!

The base of the card is Chocolate Chip, and it is 5 1/4" x 5 1/4".  I added a layer of Pretty in Pink, then the Certainly Celery with the shadowed wheel.  The centre panel has the same wheel technique, I just placed the piece in the white space on my grid paper where it would line up on the card, and did the same technique.  There are three layers on the centre panel too.

Chocolate Chip 5/8" grosgrain ribbon is tied in a knot with three strands of pink ribbon.  It's wrapped around the base and the centre panel is adhered over it with dimensionals. 

I chose "Live Your Dreams" and coloured the flower in with markers and stamped it on Very Vanilla.  I then stamped three butterflies on scrap and cut them out, then they were adhered by one wing to the card, and some Cotton Candy stickles were added to their wings.  Finally, I pulled the "hello" sentiment from "Sweet Shapes", and stamped it on the image panel in Chocolate Chip.  That was it. 

So there you have it, a simple technique that's been around for a while, but with all the cool new wheels, and an awesome wheel promo, I think it's time to re-visit it!  I hope you'll give it a try.  It's a little tricky, but definitely do-able, just try it on scrap paper first.  Then you can try embossing the white...or using Versamark as your second run and embossing in gold.  The possibilities are endless!

Well I wish you a happy Tuesday, and I look forward to seeing you tomorrow!  Thanks for dropping by, I always love it when you do!

DIY Backgrounds

Woohoo!  It's Friday...we made it to the weekend.  And I have another card to share with you!  Fridays are the Limited Supply Challenge on Splitcoast, and this week's challenge was to make your own Designer Paper!  Can you guess how I did mine?

With Wheels...of course! 

Actually, before designer paper was around...or perhaps I should say, accepted, most stampers made their designer paper with background stamps, wheels or just random stamping.  Now with all the fun new papers, it's been a while since I've made a stamped background, and I was so pleased the way this turned out.

The card base is Certainly Celery, and I chose the "Bouquet" Jumbo wheel, which, I learn as am posting this, is retired!  I can't believe I didn't catch that...oh well it's a beautiful wheel regardless!  I wheeled the image in Certainly Celery on Very Vanilla, and then did a quick watercolour using my markers in Elegant Eggplant and So Saffron.  I added a bit of Dazzling Diamonds glitter just to spice it up a bit.

The flowers and sentiment are from the "Live your Dreams" set which is available in the Occasions Mini until May 31st.  I inked the flowers up with markers, and gave them a light spritz of water to blend the colours and stamped them on Very Vanilla. They were then cut into a circle using a Nestability template.  The Sentiment was inked in Versafine Onyx black, and stamped on So Saffron, then cut into a circle. I cut off about 2/3rds, and layered it onto the flower circle. I got this idea right out of the Occasions Mini...there are some awesome ideas in it!  A strip of Eggplant grosgrain ribbon was wrapped around the seam, and the entire piece was mounted on a slightly larger Certainly Celery circle, which was then adhered to the card with dimensionals.

To finish it off, I wrapped the wide Certainly Celery grosgrain ribbon along the left side, and tied a small strip of eggplant grosgrain near the top.  Three plum brads were set on the lower right corner with the cropadile, and that's all she wrote!  How about that...eyelets, two days in a row!  Only because I don't have purple brads!

Well I hope you have a wonderful weekend.  I'm headed to Calgary tomorrow for a quick visit with my Mom, and I'll hopefully have something to share with you on Sunday.  Thanks for dropping by.  I always love it when you do!

An Eyelet Challenge

Happy Thursday!  Thursday is the Ways to Use it Challenge on Splitcoast Stampers, and this week we were to find ways to use eyelets.  I have to tell you just finding my stash of eyelets was like taking a walk down memory lane...man oh man do I have alot of eyelets!  I have flower eyelets, butterfly eyelets, balloon eyelets, snowflake eyelets, funky circle eyelets and even special Christmas and Halloween eyelets, and a whole lot more!  I managed to use three today, so at this pace, I think you could say I have a lifetime supply on hand!

As I started this card, I really had no idea in mind.  I knew I wanted to give Spotlighting with Wheels another shot, and I chose the Basic's Wheel, which had flowers, so I was pretty sure I work it with today's challenge.  Beyond that...nothing.  I'm pretty happy the way it turned out, but bringing it all together was a bit of a challenge in itself.

I started by wheeling my images twice in Ancient Page Coal Black on Whisper White, just as in the tutorial, then, I punched out three circles from one and coloured them in with my markers and aqua painter.  Once coloured I mounted them on circles of Always Artichoke.  I selected flower shaped eyelets, and used two sizes to work with the different sized flowers. Then I decided that a rhinestone brad would really set them off, so I put them in through the eyelets, and I liked the effect, so I mounted it on Rose Red card stock, and then on So Saffron.  I scalloped the edge of the So Saffron with my corner rounder, then I pierced each scallop.

The sentiment is from Verve Visual's "Happy Thoughts" set.  I really like this set; it has two different fonts for "Happy", and then you pick the rest of the sentiment.  I mounted the cursive "Happy" and "Birthday" on the acrylic block at the same time, which really helps making sure it's lined up nicely on the card.  I stamped it in Versamark centering it across the card, then embossed it in white.

The card still needed something, so I coloured one of the large flowers on my scrap, and cut it out.  I added a flower eyelet and brad, then popped it up on dimensionals beside the sentiment.  I still felt it wasn't finished, so I did a short row of piercing after the sentiment.  It didn't have the impact I wanted so I filled in the holes with my white gel pen. Then I tried to do the same where I pierced the scallops, but the holes didn't "fill", but I'm OK with that.  I looked at the card a bit longer, and decided it would be one I was happy to send, so I called it done!

One day closer.  I am looking forward to the weekend.   I hope to make it  to Calgary to spend some time with my Mom.  I hope you have some plans to look forward to this weekend...even if it's just making some time to stamp!  Thanks for dropping by!  I always love it when you do.

 

Technique Tuesday; Spotlighting with Wheels

This month Stampin' Up! is having their "Free Wheelin" promotion.  When you purchase any one of the six selected stamp sets featured in this promotion, you will get the matching Jumbo Wheel Free!  You can learn more about it here.   

Each month I choose a Stampin' Up! product as my Feature Product.  This month I am will be featuring Stampin' Around Wheels to coincide with the "Free Wheelin" promotion!  So in addition to the free wheels above, all wheels, handles and ink cartridges are on special this month, only through me.  My Technique Tuesday tutorials during the month of April will feature Stampin' Around Wheels.  As well, throughout the month of April, you can expect to see lots of projects on my blog featuring wheels, and I will be demonstrating them during all my April workshops.  I have 1 hostess opportunity open in late April.  If you haven't booked your workshop, contact me today! 

Here is the special for April:

• 10% off any Stampin' Around Wheel small or jumbo, ink cartridges and handles
• My hostesses in April will receive 20% Off!

Technique Tuesday: Spotlighting with Wheels

This technique is almost the reverse of Roll with the Punches, that I featured last week!  Spotlighting is a fun technique that creates a focal point with a splash of colour to an uncoloured image.  You've probably done this technique many times before, but have you ever thought to try it with wheels?  If you haven't then this tutorial is just for you!  I recommend a wheel that has images, rather than a background style.  I am working with the Kindness wheel for this tutorial.

You will need:

Wheel, handle and cartridges....try a coloured and a black!

Markers or other colouring tool, however with bold image wheels like the Jumbo Snowflake, two colours of ink cartridges work perfectly!

Punches

To start, I recommend you find the seam on your wheel.

This is the point where the image starts and ends, and you can usually see it very easily.

Position the seam so that it is just past where you will begin wheeling.

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Now you want to run the wheel across your card.  **Note how my wheel is about an inch off the paper to start!  This ensures your wheel image doesn't begin after the wheel is on the paper.

I am wheeling diagonally. It creates a neat cascading effect for the spotlighting. 

I also find  that if I don't wheel exactly straight, or if my second runs are too close or too far away, the diagonal direction will camouflage any misses, as our eyes see horizontally.

It is not necessary to do this technique diagonally, you can do it horizontally or vertically with equally cool effects!

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I have wheeled the entire card, however, you will find that a border run, or a middle run, with this Spotlighting technique is equally effective.

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To get the spotlighted portions, I lined up my seam exactly as in step 2, and wheeled the image in black on a scrap piece of paper.

I chose to work with a coloured cartridge for the base, and my spotlighting will be in black.  The reverse works equally well!.

This ensures that the portion of the wheel on my card is the same as the portion on the scrap.

Now you will punch your scrap paper.  When punching out the images, keep in mind what type of final result you have in mind.  Your punches will appear exactly as they are on the scrap.

I coloured my circles in with markers, and gave each a wash of colour using my markers and aqua painter, to really help them POP off the card!

This is the final result.

The card base is Whisper White, and the colours are from from the Palette o'Prints pack which debuted last year; So Saffron, Certainly Celery and Almost Amethyst.  I worked with Jen del Muro's A Sketch for You to Try, and I love the way it helps you use up scraps!  The ribbon is from last year's Sweet Shoppe Ribbon Originals, and on each spotlighted flower I added a teensy sprinkle of Dazzling Diamonds.

Now you may not know, because I don't often photograph the inside of a card, but I always stamp something from the front of the card inside the card.  Wheels make this so easy.  And don't forget your envelope!  If I make a card, 99% of the time I make a matching envelope; I'm a bit particular about this in fact!

I am having some camera problems.  I usually shoot with my Canon Powershot, but lately it has been giving me a yellow cast on my photos, lines running through them...just yucky shots.  So yesterday I tried working with my newer HP.  It takes great pictures, but the HP software and Adobe PSE had so many conflicts, I finally had to disable PSE just to get them uploaded.  This is after I had to start and restart my computer so many times because it would just freeze.  So, that's my excuse for being late...again.  Or, could the recent return of my blonde hair have something to do with it?  Hmmm.....

We are halfway through the week...on the downhill run towards the weekend!  I hope your Wednesday is a fantastic one!  See you tomorrow.