January Leading Lady Greta Hess | Take Four

As January ends we sadly must bid adieu to our our January Leading Lady Greta Hess.  The last few weeks with Greta has been a spotlight for her excellent design, mastery of composition and terrific techniques.  Greta has exhibited her tremendous talent and astounding creativity week after week.  I feel so fortunate Greta shared her talents with us this month and made this month something special.

If you missed her smashing debut you must see it...CLICK HERE or her sensational second performance showcasing her oh-so-clever coloring methods CLICK HERE or her triumphant third performance highlighting a tremendous trio of cards showing off a wonderful design element that adds just the right amount of drama CLICK HERE! Today's projects add just that extra bit to make them shine!

Lucky for us all we have her final command performance today.  

I'm thrilled to be back with my Final Performance as the Winnie & Walter January Leading Lady.  It's been a huge honor & I can't thank Shay enough.

I love shimmer & shine including foil.  For my final 3 cards I thought it'd be fun to show you ways to add foil without using a laminator.  First up is a festive birthday card with a rainbow color scheme.

I stamped images from Scenery: Dotty on the card front using a variety of Distress Inks that match the rainbow foil.  The In a Word: Happy Cutaway was die cut from self-adhesive foam so that the adhesive was on the top.  Then the foil was pressed onto the word & carefully peeled back to reveal the gorgeous results!  This really is my favorite way to use foil--super easy & fun!  The little word from The Big, the Bold & the Happy was white embossed on a black scrap & trimmed into a label.  I added a scattering of shimmer dots for embellishment. For the next card I first made a plaid panel using 2 images from Scenery: Stripes stamped in Memento Lilac Posies & Teal Zeal.  Then I added strips of 1/8 inch score tape going both directions & pressed silver foil onto the adhesive.

 I love how it totally changes the look!  The bloom & leaves from In Bloom: Addie's Garden were die cut, stamped & brushed with the same inks.  I also used a shimmer pen on the bloom & attached it with foam tape.  For the sentiment I used In a Word: Thanks Coordinating Cutaways.  The shadow was cut from white cardstock & the word from a medium gray.  I like how it stands out, but doesn't compete with the silver foil. To finish up I made my most common type of card & that is one to keep in touch with a friend.  I  began by randomly stamping flowers from In Bloom: Eva's Favorite Flowers in 3 warm ink shades.  I added the dot from the same set using kraft ink. 

Then I used my Quickie Glue pen to make dots in the flower centers.  When they turned tacky, I pressed on gold foil.  Almost looks like designer paper with foil accents, don't you think?!  I stamped the words from The Big, the Bold & the Happy in dark brown ink.  Originally it was a one layer card, but I decided to add a gold foil frame.  I cut the panel down slightly & brushed the edges of the card front with Flitter Glu.  When it dried to a tacky finish I pressed on the same gold foil & attached the floral panel.  The frame could also have been done using 1/4 inch Score Tape. I hope you've been inspired in some way by my projects this month.  Winnie & Walter has given me a $30 gift certificate as a prize for the random drawing I'm doing on my blog.

Be sure to stop by each of my Leading Lady posts to be in the running.  Thanks again to Shay for having me & I look forward to seeing all your Winnie & Walter projects in blogland.

January Leading Lady Greta Hess | Take Three

Our January Leading Lady Greta Hess is back for her triumphant performance!  If you missed her smashing debut you must see it...CLICK HERE or her sensational second performance showcasing her oh-so-clever coloring methods CLICK HERE.   Today, Greta has a tremendous trio of cards showing off a wonderful design element that adds just the right amount of drama!

Without further ado, Greta...

Thank you again to Shay for giving me this wonderful opportunity to share my love of Winnie & Walter products.  I hope you've found some inspiration for your own cardmaking.  The month is speeding by and it's time for Take 3. 

We all have times when it's hard to come up with an idea for a card.  One of my solutions to that problem is to use a favorite design element.  My choice is to mask off an area for inking.  There are many variations, so cards can all look different.  I generally use more solid images, but you will see today it really works with any stamps.

First is a sympathy card using A Tree for All Seasons.  I began by heat embossing the tree with a couple coats of embossing powder to obtain a thick, shiny image.  Then I masked off the area where I wanted color.  Distress Inks faded jeans and peeled paint were applied with stencil brushes for softer colors.  I heat embossed the sentiment and added brown splatters.  The panel was matted with light blue textured cardstock for a simple, flat card which, unfortunately, I need to get in the mail.

Next up is a fun winter notecard.  This is the first time I've used kraft cardstock for the technique, but it won't be the last!  I white embossed the front 2 trees from Yetitide Greetings with Evelin T Designs & masked them before adding the tree in the background.  The matching dies were used to make the masks--so quick & easy.  Then I masked off a horizontal strip & used an ink cube direct to the paper.  The trick when using kraft cardstock is to use an ink with pigment properties, like the Delicata Emerald Green I used.  The white embossing picked up a hint of the green which I actually think adds to the effect for this card.  I stamped the sentiment using words from The Big, the Bold & Seasons and added a few white sequins for embellishment.

For my final project the masked area is a rectangle in the center of the card.  Distress Inks bundled sage, milled lavender & spun sugar were sponged on beginning at the bottom right & moving to the top left, rather than straight across.  Instead of embossing, I stamped the bloom, stem and leaves from In Bloom: Eva's Favorite Flowers in Brilliance Starlite Black.  It's another ink with pigment properties giving me good coverage on top of the Distress Ink background.  I curved the straight stem onto my acrylic block and masked the card front to get the length I wanted.  The same ink was used for the beautiful word from Sentimental: Thanks (Black Friday 2018 free with purchase stamp set which will be released for sale later) and a single gray gem completes the card.

Be sure to check the Leading Lady posts on my blog to enter the random drawing for a $30 Winnie & Walter gift card.  I'll be back next Saturday for my final post.

January Leading Lady Greta Hess | Take Two

Our January Leading Lady Greta Hess is back for her sensational second performance!  If you missed her smashing debut you must see it...CLICK HERE.   Greta is-oh-so clever with her coloring on her awesome cards today!

Ladies and gentlemen, Greta...

Thanks for all the positive comments on my initial Leading Lady post.  I'm so appreciative of your support.  Now it's time for Take 2.

This week I wanted to show you some ways to add color without the traditional art of coloring, since that's not one of my talents.  I often use solid images, but I'm not restricted to them.  Here are some cards with open images & techniques anyone can do.

First up is a card using the adorable snowman from Snowy Holiday with Evelin T Designs. 

Using a couple solid circles from Scenery: Dotty, I stamped 3 times, overlapping the circles, with Distress Inks weathered wood & faded jeans on a watercolor panel.  Then I spritzed to make the ink run.  I used my heat tool before repeating the process & adding splatters.  When it was completely dry, I stamped the snowman in Delicata Sapphire Blue several times using a stamp positioner.  Then I stamped in Versafine Clair Morning Mist.  The gray ink didn't really change the blue, but just made the image a bit crisper.

I added Shimmer Pico Embellisher to parts of  the snowman for clear sparkly dimension.  The sentiment is from The Big, the Bold & the Happy & I added a few clear sequins. Next is a fun Valentine's Day card using a die from Essentials: Tilda Cutaways that makes an opening for a gift card.

I began by white embossing Mini Scenery: Bed of Roses on Bristol paper so I could color with my Zig Clean Color Real Brush Markers.  They are great for a messy watercolor technique that doesn't require staying in the lines or adding shadows--perfect for me!  I used 3 purple markers & a blue gray, mixing with a little water.  After it dried I cut out the gc holder & then spritzed with shimmer spray.

The white embossed sentiment strip made with words from The Big, the Bold & the Happy was mounted with foam tape.  The background is done with white dye ink & Scenery: Pennsylvania Polka Creative Screenings.  I didn't want the actual gift card to detract, so I covered the back of it with a scrap of Bristol paper colored with the blue gray Zig & dry embossed with little dots. My last card is another example of messy watercoloring.  This time I stamped a beautiful leaf image from In Bloom: Renee's Leaves across the top of a white panel in Distress Inks pine needles & evergreen bough. 

Then I "stamped" the ink pads on a flat palette, added water & picked up the color with a small brush to paint the leaves--again not staying in the lines.  When it was dry, I stamped in a darker blue green dye ink for more definition & then in Delicata Silvery Shimmer purposely not lining up the stamp.  The sentiment from In a Word: Thanks was stamped in dark gray ink to match the mat.  I left off embellishments, but did add some silver splatters. Hope I've given you some inspiration, even if you do traditional coloring.  Remember to leave a comment on my first post to be in the running for a $30 Winnie & Walter gift card.

Check the Take 2 post on my blog to see how you can get another entry into the drawing.  I'll be back next Saturday for more fun with wonderful Winnie & Walter products!

w&w 4th Birthday Bash | Use Your Scraps Challenge with Kelly

 

Hi Folks! We are going to get so much accomplished in this challenge! It's an easy one to do, and let me tell you how good you are going to feel after taking this one on! In the spirit of New Year's resolutions, getting more organized, and cleaning up, here is my challenge:

Make a card (or two or three) with only the leftovers from your prior projects. 

If you are super organized and always use or lose your scraps right away, then go participate in some of the other Birthday Bash Challenges, set aside any leftover pieces, and then come back here to transform those into a new card.

 

However, if you are like me, you might have a pile of scraps that you've been saving for just the right occasion. I'm happy to tell you, NOW IS THE RIGHT OCCASION! Don't save them for a rainy day, for that special project that may never come, or for that certain someone you haven't sent a card to. This drawer sits on my desk and holds all my circles on the left, and rectangles on the right. Typically I'll grab a few of these to add a little something to the inside of a card before writing my message.

 This drawer holds all my hearts, stars and flowers. 

 

This binder holds all my word die cuts and sentiments. These used to be in a massive pile which was impossible to find anything in so nothing got used. A few months ago I sorted these out and put each word in a pocket made for baseball cards. I also have sections for stamped sentiments that never got used, like "happy birthday", or for sentiments that all mean something similar, like "make a wish", "blow out your candles", "it's your day", etc. If I'm in a hurry these really come in handy! I'll also keep multiples of favorite images that accumulate, like flowers to color in, critters, etc.

I used to have a pile on my desk of larger backgrounds and half-finished cards. I am happy to report that pile is now GONE, and replaced with this pile of FINISHED CARDS! Whoo-hoo! This pile had been growing for years, so had products from all different companies in it, but I'll share some of my favorite Winnie & Walter cards here...

This one features a panel from Mini Scenery: Into the Woods and greens from In Bloom: Paulina's Greenery Cutaways.

This one features the sequins from Scenery: Big Bang Bling mixed with real sequins. 

Here's Mini Scenery: Multifaceted with a limited edition flower from w&w and Simon Says Stamp.

 

This card doesn't even really have a main focal point. I just used several spare sentiments in colors that coordinate (I obviously couldn't make up my mind on a prior card!) combined with a glittered poinsettia from In Bloom: Debra's Poinsettia with Lydia Evans. 

 

This background panel is from a demo at Creativation last year, and I just layered a circle, flower (from The Big, The Bold and Extras), leaf and sentiment on top.

This simple sentiment from The Big, The Bold and You was already embossed on a scrap piece of paper. I vaguely remember being unhappy with how choppy the watercolors were in the background so I started over and tossed this in a pile, where it sat for years and was doing no one any good. Use it or lose it. This would be great for an everyday sort of card, or something that you typically wouldn't send a big-production card for. Maybe someone helped you on a school committee, came to your child's sporting event, or collected your mail while you were on vacation. Wouldn't it be great to put this to use and surprise someone by recognizing them for something small?

This panel with a tree from A Tree for All Seasons was already finished, so I just had to find some coordinating patterned paper and add it to a card base. Doesn't have to be difficult, or involved, this exercise is just about being DONE.

I can't wait to see what a dent you can make in your pile of scraps! I honestly had a smile on my face for days after going through my pile, and even told my non-card making friends about my accomplishments. Don't forget to take a photo of your pile before you dive in (as I wish I would have done!) This also counts as cleaning, especially if you can claim back precious real estate in your work space. You can legally ask your family to please not bother you while you're cleaning the house : )

Good luck!

-Kelly

>>>GIVEAWAY<<<

Link up your take on this challenge for a chance to win a $75.00 gift card (gift code) to the w&w shop.  One random winner will be chosen.

For more information on how to enter to become our Guest Star for the next release CLICK HERE.  Please remember you need to include GS in the Link Title to be considered for the Guest Star competition.

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September Leading Lady Hussena Calcuttawala | Take Three

Our September Leading Lady, Hussena Calcuttawala is back for her triumphant third performance!  If you missed her smashing debut you must see it...CLICK HERE or her sensational second performance which included a duet of beautiful, bright, happy celebratory cards CLICK HERE.   Today Hussena goes beyond the card with some joyful and delightful projects!

Without further ado, Hussena....

Hello everyone,

Today's my third post as the Leading Lady this month and I have some gifting ideas to share at the w & w blog. I am sharing some gift tags and candy boxes today which were made mainly using two sets - Ring in the Celebration and In Bloom: Shirley's Blooms stamp and co-ordinating die sets. I have also used two of their older sets - The Big, the Bold and Party and In Bloom : Hollie's Festive Florals along with their new release.

Here's a look at the tags first :

And here are the individual pictures :

        

To make these tags, I first stamped the different circles from the Ring in the Celebration stamp using a variety of dye inks and Versafine Onyx Black ink. I die cut the circles with their coordinating dies to not only form the base of my tags, but also to embellish them.

If you have a look at this set, you will find that it has many layering circles which fit into each other very beautifully. I took advantage of this fact to not only create frames and my centre images, but also for my sentiments.

On the floral tags, I have used a combination of the Ring in the Celebration stamp + coordinating die set, In Bloom : Shirley's Blooms stamp + coordinating die set and In Bloom : Hollie's Festive Florals. The sentiments are from The Big, the Bold and Party set which were heat embossed with white embossing powder on a strip of black cardstock and foam mounted on the frames. I did have a lot of fun creating these and mixing and matching the various stamped images.

Next up I have a very fun way to use the Ring in the Celebration set to create candy boxes for either party favours or just for gifting.

Here's a look at them :

To make these boxes, I took a piece of white cardstock measuring 7 inches by 7 inches and stamped several of the smaller images from the Ring in the Celebration set using various colored dye inks. Then, using a Candy Box Punch Board I created the box. I die cut a window using the dies from the same set and added some acetate behind. I did a very light color wash using a watercolor brush and Distress inks.

I hope you enjoyed seeing what I have created and you find these ideas useful. I am definitely crushing on the Ring in the Celebration stamp and die set big time and definitely feel it's a very good buy :)

I would love to hear what you think of them. Don't forget to comment on my blog post for a chance to win the $30 gift certificate to the Winnie & Walter store. Winner will be announced on my blog, at the end of the month.

Have a nice day everyone!