Great Impressions DT - Framed Butterfly Flourish

Hello, Crafters! I've got butterflies on the mind...probably because there are Miller Moths every where I go - I think I just needed something prettier to look at! lol My last few projects have had a butterfly or two on them somewhere...well, today's project does, too!

This time I stamped Butterfly Flourish (G405) onto watercolor paper. For the coloring, I used the Distress Markers. This is one of those stamps I liked from the first time I saw it, but for one reason or another didn't pick it up. Finally, I just ordered it! 

The background is the Damask Background (K91) (another favorite!) and is clear embossed on this week's card. Love the texture and depth embossing brings.

Have you entered our May Challenge - Anything Goes, yet? It's so exciting to see so many new faces! If you need to read the guidelines - check out the sidebar; the challenge is located above the current posts. Make sure to scroll all the way to the end to link up. Can't wait to stop by to see your project!

Don't forget to stop by the Great Impressions Stamps blog to see what the other design team members have been up to...

Have a great Thursday!

Inky hugs,

Angi

Great Impressions Stamps May Challenge - Anything Goes!

Did you have a great weekend? Celebrate Cinco de Mayo? I managed to get sunburned Friday morning, so not a lot of out and about for me! Stayed in, attempted to get caught up on emails, Facebook, projects...it seems my to-do list is just growing and to think the kids are almost out of school, so more fun there!

Well, thank Goodness this month's Great Impressions Stamps Challenge is Anything Goes! You can create anything your creative heart desires...cards, boxes, tags, scrapbook pages, etc.

There are some juicy details about bonus entries and even a 25% discount offer, so even if you've read the challenge guidelines before, I highly encourage you to read them again!

I'm still in clean and purge mode - purge mode meaning I'm working at *using* my stash - so this month for my challenge project I'm using one of my 'dirty tags' again...

Pulled bits of vellum, card stock, papers and embellishments...all from my bits and pieces...

If you haven't had a chance to see all of Great Impressions' April Stamp of the Month sets...go now to the online store...they're gorgeous! You can see how I used some of the stamps in this picture...

Beyond the Board is a monthly class I teach at a LSS using the Great Impressions Stamp of the Month sets.  Classes are available as kits, if you can't make the date.  Contact me for more info!

Alrighty...enough chit chat...go work on your challenge project - can't wait to see it!

Inky hugs,
Angi

Great Impressions DT - Banner of Roses

There are definitely some Great Impressions Stamp of the Month (SOTM) stamps that I find more versatile than others...April's SOTM stamps were so great! If you missed out picking them up from your local store the SOTM stamps for April 2012 (and older) are available from the Great Impressions Online Store!

It would be hard to pick a favorite, but I can tell you that you need to get the Rose Trio and Butterfly Frame stamps!

Aren't those mini banners adorable? Tiny details, colors and glitter...stop by Great Impressions Stamps blog to see more inspiration!

Inky hugs,
Angi

WOYWW #22 (152) - Creative Chaos

Hello! Can you believe it's already Wednesday and time for another peek into my creative mess?! Today's a busy day...working on design team projects, studying, taking pictures for a Mother's Day project, going through some of the creative chaos at an attempt to organize and purge (I think I hear my family laughing hysterically at the 'p' word...) and somehow in the midst of my crazy Life I will make time this week to stop a moment, grab a hot chocolate and enjoy visiting my WOYWW friends...

(Thank you for the advice and the lovely comments last week! I really appreciate the feedback. If I haven't been by to visit you, yet, please know I will make it over this week - pinky promise!)

All thanks to Miss Julia Dunnit who shares her craftiness with a side of wit. Please visit Julia, if you want to know more about What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday...you know we want to see where you create!

Enough of the chatter...here's my desk...in all the messy glory!

This is the aftermath of a few projects, a project in progress... Serious clean up is scheduled for this evening...I'm going to need the space to work on my Mother's Day project...reveal after Mother's Day...don't want to spoil the surprise!

Anyone taking the "Your Living Canvas" workshop with Christy Tomlinson? I am! She's having some great giveaways for the person who signed up and the person who referred them...so if you decide to sign up after checking out this link, please mention that you were sent by me, Angela Crandall...and don't forget to leave me a comment, too. Thanks! Hope to see you in the classroom!

Happy Wednesday!

Inky hugs,
Angi

Dirty Tag Tutorial

Thanks, again, for stopping back by to see the tutorial! I apologize for taking so long to get this up, but better late than never, right?

Okay...this first picture is bits and pieces from my dirty tag ring. I keep it very close at hand (...in a very convenient place...any Girl Scouts out there? lol) hanging above my workbench. Whenever I use dye inks, sprays, mists, even paint on a project and there's overspray or mess (and we know there's always mess!) I use a tag or two to wipe it up!

The essentials to have on hand:

> craft mat/sheet (anything nonporous)

> water bottle/mister

> wet mess (dye inks, sprays, paint, etc.)

> cardstock/manilla tags ready to go (I prefer manilla or watercolor paper. Some card stocks will pill or the fibers will raise up when wet. Experiment - sometimes those results are desirable!)
> heat gun

Step 1: Mist the mess with water. (When I'm working I wait until I'm finished to clean up, so sometimes the 'mess' is dried.)

Step 2: Place a tag directly onto the wet area. Lift it off.

Step 3: Decide if you like what you see...*if the answer is 'yes' go to Step 4.

...if the answer is not yet (sometimes I want more color on my first layer) you can lay the tag onto the wet area again, then go to Step 4.

Step 4: Dry tag with a heat gun and repeat, repeat, repeat until you feel it's done! (If you don't use a heat gun between layers, the colors may get muddy and look like one color.)

Notes:

The key to these backgrounds is LAYERS. Very rarely do I dip a tag once and decide it's finished. Most of the time I use a tag to clean up, hang it on my ring and the next time I need to clean up I grab a 'used' tag off the ring instead of a new one.

*If after one dip into the mess I like what I see, but there's more mess...I dip another tag!

Experiment...instead of laying the tag down and lifting it up, give it a whirl on the craft sheet before picking it up...use less/more water...I even use Perfect Pearls Mist in Pearl instead of plain water so my tag will have lots of shimmer in addition to color...try it!

Warning: You may find yourself making more messes, just so you can clean them up! 

If you want to see how I use a tag with a 'dirty' background, check out This Great Impressions Stamps  Post, this post, and this post.

Inky hugs,
Angi