Winnie & Walter Leading Lady: The Supporting Actress

Hello, hello!  I hope you are having an amazing start to your weekend, we are up in Cleveland visiting family and celebrating my youngest's Birthday with family.  But thanks to technology this post has been scheduled and set to go for a few days :).  Today my post is titled "The Supporting Actress".  So often we as cardmakers want to bring something to the front of a card that takes the spotlight, and really makes our projects shine.  But, what about that background that sometimes we work hard on and it just seems to fade away?  Or we spend so much time on our spotlight image, and we don't do anything with our background.

Now don't get me wrong, I LOVE cards like that and sometimes the background just isn't what we are wanting our recipients to pay much attention to, or we just want a clean and simple card that doesn't need a background.  For today, however, I wanted to shine the spotlight on the backgrounds of my cards and give them the lead. (You might want to get your sunglasses on too, lol)

Now you see why I mentioned sunglasses? lol  And I have to admit I might be a little obsessed with the script love die that comes in the In A Word: Love Coordinating Cutaways, as I've already used it three times this month.  For this fun rainbow card I started by cutting strips of DCWV Shimmer Cardstock and adhering them to a white panel. Next, I diecut the scalloped heart from the True Dotty Heart Cutaways from the center of my rainbow. I then diecut the regular heart from this same set out of the center of the scalloped heart that I had cut out.  This sounds more confusing than it actually is... really it's just diecutting the center of a diecut (does that sound any less confusing?).  This left me with a negative scalloped cut in my rainbow strips, then I filled it in with the regular heart cut.  Maybe this should be called inlaid diecutting within a negative cut... or something like that.  Any who, I love the results!  I finished it off my diecutting the xoxo strip along the bottom and keeping it intact, and adding the script love die across my hearts.  The rainbow background though, is definitely the star of it all.

For my next card I used diecutting again to help my background shine.  This time I created my own paper lace of sorts by diecutting the same floral strip from the Georgette Border Cutaways repeatedly.

I wanted the design to really pop, so I chose contrasting colors to really draw the eyes in.  Since I was going for a more natural look I didn't measure my cuts out, and rather just moved it around to from strip to strip.  I then added the In a Word: Happy Cutaway that was sprinkled with glitter, and I finished the card with a few rhinestones.  By keeping the sentiment simple, and using clear rhinestones I was able to keep the focus on the lacy background.

For my final project I've used stamping to create a fun and eclectic background with the Dotty About You with Lydia Evans Set...

By randomly stamping the various images in this set in different colors you could create an entire set of cards.  Vellum also comes in handy with this card as it allows the background to be seen behind the sentiment.  I also added a few hand drawn wavy lines to frame the stamped panel in and to keep the eyes moving inward.

I hope that today's post has inspired you to maybe take a second look at your backgrounds, and maybe make them the star of an upcoming project.  After all the supporting actress/actor can really make a scene shine that much brighter.  Thanks so much for stopping by, and I hope to see you over on my blog as well!

Happy Crafting!
Lisa

MarkerPOP Challenge Fall Style

Hello, hello!  I would say Happy Fall, but here in Ohio we have been sweltering in this 90 degrees weather, hehehe!  But I'm going fall here on the blog for the newest MarkerPOP Challenge, based on this inspirational photo...

And here is what I've created with my favorite leaf die set by Lawn Fawn...

I love the look of inlaid die cutting, so that's exactly what I did!  My sentiment is a favorite older set by Altenew and I used gold embossing with a  strip of vellum behind it.

Make sure you head over to the MarkerPOP Blog for more details and to find out what the prize is.  Plus there is a giveaway and a BIG challenge with some amazing prizes.

Happy Crafting!
Lisa

In-laid DieCutting on MarkerPOP Blog

Hello!  Today I am over on the MarkerPOP Blog and I'm sharing a fun card that focuses on the inlaid diecutting technique...

I hope you'll stop by and check out my full post and photos! I had a blast coloring this in with the Spectrum Noir Illustrator Markers.

Happy Crafting!
Lisa

AMuse Studio Release Week: Inlaid Diecutting

Hello!  I am back with another super fun card showing off the new Stitched Window Dies that will be available on the 28th of this month, and this time I'm using some inlaid diecutting to create my own fun and bright background...

Supplies Used: Cardstock: Apple, Margarita, Habanero, Winter Sky, Sugar, Lemon Whip, Stitched Circle Windows Die Set, You Are My Sunshine Stamp Set

Hop over to the AMuse Studio Blog for more inspiration and sneak peeks!
Happy Crafting!
Lisa

CAS-ual Fridays Release Day 4!!! YAY!

Woot woot! It is Day 4 and the products are available today from the latest CAS-ual Fridays Stamps Release!!!  Don't forget to grab my code to save some money when picking these newbies up!

Now onto today's projects!  My first card is a sweet Congratulations card using the Daisy Chains Stamp Set...

To create this card I stamped the daisy chains twice on pink paper, heat embossed it with Stamp N Bond and then went over them with gold flakes.  Next I fussy cut around the top of one and the bottom of the other and adhered them to my cardbase.  I then stamped my sentiment from the Heartfelt Sayings Stamp Set in the center.  I used The Sisterhood Sparkle Limited Edition Sequins to add some more shine and movement and finished it off with some ribbon.

My next card is a round of applause for Michele and her incredible release, featuring the Full On Floral Stamp Set.

 My initial plans for this card was to heat emboss the large floral image with gold and then color it all in with watercolors, but after I embossed it I loved it so much the way it was I decided to go minimal with the watercolors and simply die cut my Bravo! out, watercolored it and adhered it back into place.  Just look at the shine on this baby...

Bravo Michele on another fabulous release!  Make sure you run over to the store to grab all of the newness to be had!  And don't forget to save with my discount code up top!  Oh, and giveaway goodness can be found on the CAS-ual Fridays Blog, so head there too!

Happy Shopping/Crafting!
Lisa

Two Stencils, One Background, Say What?!

Hello!  It's Friday, woot woot!!!  And we have a lovely weekend planned with the family to celebrate 4th of July so I am ready for this weekend to begin!  First though, I'm going to share a card today that you can also find on the SweetStamps.com Blog using two stencils to make one background, check it out...

This card was created using two stencil at one time to create this fun and lovely background.  How'd I do that?  Well I started by layering my stencils on top of each other and my cardstock.  My Kitchen Floor stencil went over the paper and then layered it with the Abstract Stencil on the top.  To hold them all in place I used wash tape around the edges.  I then began tracing over the top stencil (Abstract stencil) with my colored pencils in various colors.  Once I had colored the whole thing I removed the top stencil and colored in the open areas of the second stencil (Kitchen Floor) all with a grey colored pencil.  When this was finished I removed that stencil and finished my card by die cutting my butterfly and adhering it back in, adding pearls, and my sentiment embossed on vellum.  Hopefully that wasn't too confusing, because the technique really is a cool one.

Thanks so much for stopping by and I hope you have an amazing weekend!
Happy Crafting!
Lisa