I'm back!

Wow, I kind of feel like a slug when I don't post something in a few days! I kind of feel like -- "come on girl, get moving-- will ya!" I think I am seriously addicted to my craft room! I put on my favorite CD, turn it up and just rock and stamp. Sometimes its classical, sometimes its kind of a gospel, sometimes it's funk, sometimes its R&B.... I don't discriminate!! :-) But, no matter what the CD fires up, I get this peaceful feeling like it's just me, my stamps and I!

This card was created thanks to Chris and Lesli over at Page Plans! I saw this sketch and thought, Hhhhmmm, I don't think I've ever done a card with a layout quite like that before! So, had to try it!! Click on the link to see their sketch. Here's what I came up with....


I just bought this metallic sheen paper at Hobby Lobby and it is truly luscious! It's actually called the Luxury Stack and DCWV makes it. They are yummy! All I did was cut out a shape with my circles Nestabilities, stamped my Baby stamp (Stampin' Up) and then cut a piece of ivory shimmer paper with my circle scallop punch (SU). The strip to the left is a piece of pink shimmer paper and the other strip is ivory satin ribbon. I attached the scalloped piece to the front of my card with foam tape and then added the adhesive backed pearls in a semi circle.

Now.... to the fun part!! I stamped the "Baby" stamp in Tea Rose Vivid! ink. See how bold it looks? It doesn't match the paper one bit! Well, I had an idea on how to tone it down after reading Sharon Johnson's Blog last week... create some LuminArte Shimmer!


To break it down for you, you need some goodies from Luminarte! If you mix their Simple Solution #2 (three parts) to one part of the Pure Mica Metallic Powder (I used Oyster), it creates this gorgeous shimmer that you can then paint on your paper. I was fully expecting my ink to smear since it was a dye based ink and not permanent - but it didn't! After I painted it on with a foam brush, I hit it with a heat tool and it was dry to the touch in just about a minute. Look at the difference between the two photos!! It's a perfect match to my shimmer paper! This was such a fun technique and super dooper easy to do! The paint is water soluble so it makes for easy clean up! Sharon went more in depth on the process and it is more of a tutorial. Click HERE to read her impressions!! If you'd like to try your hand at this, Flourishes does sell the solution and the Pure Mica powders in a number of colors!!
Well, it's officially summer vacation here at my house - kids home from school and fun to be had! This is when I kick into "cruise director" mode and try to dream up fun things to do. Do you have any fun things you love to do with your kids in the summer? Creative things? Pass them on! Leave me a comment. I am needing some inspiration!