Bubble Background Bonanza

It's Saturday and since I'm posting it must be time for a new challenge at The Technique Twist.  This time we're all about the bubbles!  I am LOVING the Bubble Background Technique, which was brand-new to me until a week or so ago.  Since I had never done it before, I decided to keep my first attempt fairly simple and not twist it up too much.  Check it out:

Valentine featuring the Crazy, Mixed-up Love stamp set and using the Bubble Background technique.

Isn't that fun??  Here is a closer look...

As soon as I saw what this technique looked like I knew I just had to use it with this stamp image...it was made for it!!  Here is how I did it:

• I started with some white acrylic paint I bought at our local dollar store in a small bowl.  
• I added many drops of Real Red reinker to tint it to a reddish hue.  
• Then I added some dish-washing soap and mixed it all up.  Now, here's a tip:  If you are using concentrated dish-washing soap add a little water as well.  I found that the mixture was too thick and didn't bubble well until I added a few drops of water.  Once I added the water it worked great!
• Using a drinking straw, I blew bubbles in the mixture.  As I blew, coloured bubbles started to form.  I kept blowing until the bubbles rose above the rim of the bowl and then I laid my Whisper White card stock on top of the bubbles.  The bubbles burst, leaving their imprint on the card stock.
• I repeated this several times until I had the texture and intensity of colour that I wanted.
• After the card stock had dried I ran it through the Big Shot with my Tasteful Trim die, which gave me the wavy strip.
• The black background is embossed using the new Decorative Dots TIEF...available Jan. 28th through Sale-a-bration.
• The lava lamp is inked using Basic Black and Real Red makers and is stamped on Whisper White card stock.  I die cut it using the Ovals Collection framelits and matted it on a larger Real Red oval.
• The sentiment is also inked with a Basic Black marker and is die cut using the Bitty Banners framelits.
• The tiny sparkly heart is punched using the Owl Builder punch.

Inside view with sentiment from the Love you to the Moon stamp set

For the inside I stamped the sentiment from the Love You to the Moon stamp set on a second die cut wavy strip using black Staz On ink.  So much fun!!

I did a second sample where I used a bit of a twist...you'll just have to check back on Monday to see that one!  Have a great weekend and if you have some stamping time give this technique a try.  It is great fun!  Be sure to stop by The Technique Twist to see what the amazing design team have come up with...you'll be inspired!

To The Moon and Back

One of the things I often tell my son is that I love him to the moon and back.  He then responds with "I love you to Jupiter and back", to which I respond "I love you to Saturn"...you get the picture.  It always ends with Pluto because his 6-year-old mind can't imagine anything beyond our solar system.  All of this to say that when I saw the new Love You to The Moon stamp set in the Occasions Catalogue it went directly to the top of my Wishlist.  Here is the set:

Love You to the Moon (133143)

And here is the cute card I made with it...inspired by one I saw on Pinterest, but didn't actually pin, so I can't give credit to the original artist.  Her card was MUCH better than mine and used several non-Stampin' Up products...I simplified it quite a bit and used only SU products.

Valentine's card featuring the Love You to the Moon and Gorgeous Grunge stamp sets.

Wouldn't you know that my son came to see what I was working on while I was making this and when he saw it he immediately asked if that card was for him?!  Of course I said yes!

Actually I made it intending to use it as one of the Make-n-Takes at my monthly team meeting last night.  The meeting ended up being postponed because we are under a blizzard warning and a wind chill warning here, so it will keep till next week.  If you want to recreate it yourself here is a quick how-to:

• The background is stamped using the Gorgeous Grunge stamp set and Encore Silver Metallic ink.  I just stamped the spatter image repeatedly all over the Basic Black card base.
• The moon is a partial circle in Basic Gray, cut with the Circles Collection framelits.  I stamped all over the die cut using Versamark ink and the larger spatter image from the Gorgeous Grunge stamp set.  I then sponged the edges of the die cut moon with Basic Gray ink.  Then I sponged the entire thing with Illuminate Glimmer Watermark ink...it gives the moon a soft, shimmery glow.
• The sentiment is stamped in black Staz On and then die cut using the Deco Labels framelits.  I coloured the rocket and the moon with markers and added a bit of Epic Day Washi Tape.
• The little heart in the moon is punched from Real Red card stock using the small heart punch.
• On the inside I used another image from the Love You to the Moon set, as well as a Full Heart punched from Silver Foil paper and a star punched from red Glimmer Paper.

Inside view with another image from Love you to the Moon.

Now today is Tuesday, which means a whole new batch of Weekly Deals.  Check them out!

	Borders Scoring Plate Simply Scored Item # 126192 Regular Price $19.95   Discounted Price: $14.96
	Classic Pad Soft Sky Item #131181 Regular Price: $7.25  Discounted Price: $5.44
	Finishing Touches Edgelit Die Item # 127010 Regular Price: $11.95 Discounted Price: $8.96
	Houndstooth Textured Impressions Embossing Folder Die Item # 123134 Regular Price: $9.95 Discounted Price: $7.46
	Marina Mist 3/4" Chevron Ribbon Item # 130016 Regular Price: $12.50 Discounted Price: $9.38
	Envelope Liners Framelits Item # 132172 Regular Price: $32.95 Discounted Price: $24.71
	Frosty Day II Digital Download Kit Item # 128875 Regular Price: $10.95 Discounted Price: 6.57

Have a great day...and stay warm where ever you are!!

Finally Stamping Again...and a Give-away!

Well I finally found some time to get down to my stamping corner and put rubber to ink this weekend!  Wahoo!!  I have to admit that I was more than a bit rusty after nearly three weeks off...my Mojo just wasn't working for me.  So, I did what I always do when I need inspiration:  I visited some of my favourite challenge websites to get my creative juices flowing.  I landed on a colour challenge over at The Friday Mash-up and a sketch challenge at Hand Stamped Sentiments...just what the doctor ordered!  Here are the two challenges:

Mashup Challenge:

1. Create a project using the colors "Real Red, Gumball Green, Bermuda Bay & Crumb Cake."
2. Create a project with some "Glimmer/Shimmer/Bling. "
3. Or Mash it Up and create a project "Real Red, Gumball Green, Bermuda Bay, Crumb Cake & Glimmer."

And here is my project...keep in mind that it is the first thing I've created in a looongg while...

Love note featuring the new Love You to The Moon stamp set (133143) available January 3rd

I have to say this colour challenge really was a tough one!  That is not a combination I would ever think of putting together, but I think I managed to make it work.  I was even  able to use up some scrap leftovers from one of the Christmas Simply Created Kits...can you tell which elements I used??

 You also may have noticed a few brand-new products as well!  The stamp set I used is called Love You to The Moon and is such a fabulous set for Valentine's Day or for anytime you want to let someone special know how much they are loved.  It will be available in just a few days when the new Occasions Catalogue goes live! 
Another new product is the TIEF I used for the background.  Aren't those polka dots adorable??  It is a little teaser from the upcoming Sale-a-bration brochure.  SO MANY awesome products available FOR FREE starting January 28th.  This embossing folder is called Decorative Dots...definitely one you'll want to snap up!

I decided to bling up the inside of the card too, adding some glimmery chevrons to highlight the sentiment, which is also from the Love you to the Moon set. 
So, have you guess which elements I used from the Christmas Simply Created Kit yet?  Leave me a comment before January 1st telling me which ones they are and I will choose one person to receive some free swag!  How's that for a happy way to ring in the New Year?!?