SPARKLE N SPRINKLE'S AUGUST 1ST REVEAL

Welcome to Sparkle N Sprinkle's

 August 1st New Reveal Blog Hop!

We have five new stamp sets to share with you today.  These new sets are 20% off until the 3rd of the month.  So once you finish the blog hop, head on over to the store and start shopping.  All of the new sets are available on cling mounted rubber or as a digital image.  

The sets are:

Eskimo Kisses 788 (digi version DIGI788)

Pool Friends 792 (digi version DIGI792)

Get Your Craft On 794  (digi version DIGI794)

Stella-Happy Meds 796  (digi version DIGI796)

Flower Cart 798  (digi version DIGI798)

On August 3rd, ONE GRAND PRIZE WINNER will be selected from the comments left on the Designers' blogs listed below. Please leave a comment with each Designer in order to be eligible for the Grand Prize.  You never know who the Mystery Designer will be that has the winning comment.

The Grand Prize Winner, which will be announced on the SNS Facebook page and on the SNS Blog, will receive ALL of the new stamp sets released this month (or the digi versions, if preferred).

The Blog Hop order this month is:

Anne

Shona

J ess

Eret

Diane

Chris

Belinda

(*Tip: if you have difficulty with a particular link, try clicking on the Designer's blog title to send you to their Home page.)

We hope you enjoy the New Reveal Blog Hop as much as we do.  Thanks for joining us and remember to comment on each of the Designers' blogs to be eligible for the Grand Prize.  

 Wonder who the Mystery Host will be this month????

The Sparkle N Sprinkle Creative Challenge also begins today.  There are lots of prizes and recognition badges.  Come check out how you can become a SNS Featured Artist as well.  The theme is always Anything Goes using Loose Glitter, Embossing Powder, and/or Flock.

Have you checked out the SNS YouTube Channel featuring Demo Donna?  If not, then you are in for a real treat.  Subscribe today to get all the latest Demo Donna tips and techniques!

For my card today, I chose to work with the Eskimo Kisses Set 788, while highlighting one of the sentiments included in the set: "Friends warm the heart". I started off by stamping the image with StazOn Jet Black and then used watercolor pencils along with the Dove Blender to blend the colors. 

The image was then fussy cut, before I used Flockings and Sparkle N Soft to spice up my little friends! Irish Sparkle, Pink Spirit and Blissful Blue, (the more pastel hues) were added to the little snowman and then I went with the bright tones of Cherry Sparkle, Berry Red, Glistening Emeralds, and Mimosa for the little friend. Some Snow White was added to the base of the image. I used Brushable Glue to apply these flockings, using the applicator that comes on the bottle.

I then went on to set the stage for my little friends, using the Spellbinders Classic Scalloped Heart dies. I covered a piece of white cardstock with a piece of Super Adhesive Sheet, and ran it through my embossing machine with the largest heart and the second smallest inside along side the second largest die as shown below:

I removed the protective backing from the largest and the smallest heart and applied Gypsy Red Velvet Glitter to those and to the other large heart, Cloud Nine was added.

I made a little easel base with red cardstock, by folding it in half and then the front gets mountain folded again in half. The sentiment was stamped on the base with Versamark and heat embossed with White Detail. I tied a little bow with a piece of Mon Ami Gabby Pull Ribbon (which had lost it's pull - waste not want not!) and attached it to the front of the card base. The large red heart was then taped to the front and the Cloud Nine heart was attached with Foam Squares, as were the two friends.

I used the little red heart as my easel stop, by popping it up on dimensional foam, but as it was over to the left side the image was coming forward on the right, so I decided to make another stop, on the right hand side. I needed something small that would fit above the sentiment. I decided on a silver heart brad and dipped it in Versamark and covered it in Polka Dot Enamel Powder, before attaching it to the card base.

That finished off my card for today. Hope you've enjoyed your visit today.

I'd like to enter my card in the following challenges:

Crafty Ribbon Challenges: Easel Card with ribbon

Fab 'n' Funky Challenges: #315 Christmas

Little Red Wagon Challenge #352: Christmas in July

Mod Squad Challenge: Christmas in July

Your next stop on the blog hop is Jess. Remember to leave a comment with each of the designers to become eligible for all five sets.

Good luck and hugs,

Shona

DANCING MILDRED

Hi there, 

Today I'm here to share a card using the July reveal set: Milton Catching Snowflakes. I chose to repurpose the stamp:

I matched my dancing giraffe with a saying from the Spring Time Spunky set, added a fuzzy giraffe background and some purple tulle for a totally different look. I began with the background. Taking a piece of yellow cardstock, I applied a 4 1/2" x 6 1/2" piece of Super Adhesive Sheet. After removing the protective backing I applied Mimosa Sparkle N Soft. 

Then I applied Memento Rich Cocoa ink to the raised patches on the inside of the Darice Giraffe embossing folder and ran the top half of the fuzzy cardstock through the embossing machine, then reinked the patches and ran the bottom half through.

Here is the finished background:

Milton was stamped on white cardstock in Versamark and heat embossed with Teddy Brown. Copics were used to color. Sparkling Coffee Sparkle N Soft was applied to the patches with Brushable glue.

Dimensional Glue was then applied to the hooves. This was then set aside to dry.

I stamped the sentiment in Versamark on white glossy cardstock and heat embossed with Sienna. The Tuscany EP's are my go to detail embossing powders, which I use a lot on sentiments. The saying was cut up as shown to be attached to the card with foam squares. When the glues were dry, I added the velvet glitters, Hyacinth, Orchid Rose and Ballerina, to the scarf, using the glue pen - Milton becomes Mildred!!

Spellbinders Mega Ovals Large was used to cut out the giraffe and before removing the die I sponged some Memento Cantaloupe ink around the image.

The background was layered to a piece of mustard cardstock, edged with Memento Rich Cocoa ink, before being layered to a white card base. I then attached a piece of purple tulle to the back of the image before attaching both the cut up sentiment and image with foam squares as shown.

That finishes my project for today. Hope I've inspired you to try out some of the Sparkle N Softs.

I'd like to enter my card in the following challenges:

Crafty Sentiments Designs - Animals Challenge

Simon Says Stamp - Monday Challenge: Add some texture

Hugs,

Shona

Wetlands Shadow Box

Hi there, 

I'm here today to share with you a variation on a shadow box, using the two new July Reveal Wetlands 1 (790) and 2 (791) sets and the Just Go Fishing set. Silhouette sets are definitely up there as my favorite sets to play with and these two new sets are no exception. I thought I would try to make a scene and so instead of just stamping on top of other images, I thought I could layer them by stamping them and heat embossing on Embossable Acetate.

To begin with, I created my background by brayering a piece of white glossy cardstock with the Big and Juicy Soothing Sunset ink pad. I then took the water and horizon stamp and stamped it on to the prepared background in Versamark and then turned the image upside down and continued with more water to the bottom of the background. This was then heat embossed with Black Detail.

Dad and son fishing image was stamped on to a 4 3/4" x 6 x 3/4" piece of embossable acetate. This was prepared with a lot of anti-static powder prior to being stamped with the Versamark. The humidity was really high today! I heat embossed with Black Detail.

On the second layer of acetate, I stamped the flying birds and the two lily pads as shown. They were then also heat embossed with Black Detail. I put the background behind the acetate so that I could make the placement of the lily pads more easily.

Then I popped each of the acetate layers on top of one another on top of the base, using Foam Squares.

For the frame, I started with a piece of glossy white cardstock and stamped the hanging branches in Versamark at the top of the frame and heat embossed with Concord. The bottom grasses and upside down hanging branches were stamped with Versamark and heat embossed with Sienna, those are two of the Tuscany colors, which show great detail and I thought paired well with my sunset background.

After the frame was stamped, I cut out the middle and sponged the frame with Memento inks, Cantaloupe and Sweet Plum.

I also added more foliage to the back of the bottom for more dimension. The frame was then taped to the top layer of acetate.

I edged a piece of 5" x 7" white card with 1/2" Tear-ific Tape and added Rose Gold Velvet Glitter before attaching the finished front to the edged base.

The acetate makes the photography more challenging.  I hope you can see the dimension that the layers make though and that I have encouraged you to give stamping on acetate a try.

I'd like to join in the following challenges:

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Flora and Fauna

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Create a Scene!

Till next time,

Shona

CONGRATS. GRAD!

Hi there,

Well I'm back from a whirlwind visit to Scotland, Italy and back to Scotland. My eldest son Struan, graduated from St. Andrews University, so the family went over to attend the ceremony.

While we were there, we had also organized a family reunion the Sunday after we arrived on the Saturday. We got a great turnout - 56, including my parents, my three brothers, all my aunts and uncles, cousins, nephew's and nieces and one fourth generation baby! There were also 6 close family friends.

After the Graduation on the Tuesday, David, Calum and I took a week's vacation to Rome, Italy. We had a wonderful time, staying with my first landlady and landlord, visiting old friends (new for Calum), lying on the beach, checking out some old haunts and restaurants. Rome has been cleaned up considerably from when I worked there 30 years ago. It was also while some of the Euro soccer games were being played, so Calum got to watch a few games with real Italians, which was a real treat for him!

We then came back through Scotland for a few days, to pick up bags that Struan had accumulated over the four years, and flew back on the 4th of July. Mum and Dad will come out to us on the 21st of July, so it wasn't too hard to leave this time.

So that's the last three weeks in a nutshell, now back to reality! For my card today, I'd like to share what I made for Struan's Graduation.

I created the background, the St. Andrew's Cross, the Saltire, the national Scottish flag by adhering a piece of Super Adhesive Tape to white cardstock. After removing the protective backing, I lay 3/4" Tear-ific Tape down from corner to corner and applied Cobalt Glaze to the remaining sticky areas.

The backing was then removed from the two strips (I cut the backing of the top strip where it crossed over the bottom strip using an exacto blade). Then Cloud Nine was applied to the cross. This piece was layered to a blue layer, before the glossy white card base.

I used the Impression Obsession Die (DIE296-T) to cut out the graduates from black cardstock, I then covered the piece with Versamark and heat embossed with Black Detail, to give them a shinier appearance. They were attached with foam squares for dimension. The sentiment and scroll (from Graduation Set 435) were stamped together on white glossy cardstock with Versamark and then this was heat embossed with Cerulean (one of the detailed Tuscany colors, which work really well on script and detailed images).

I then cut this out as a banner and added to the finished card with Foam Squares again for dimension.

 ... and that finished off my card for my graduated boy! Here he is on graduation day:

I'd like to join in the following challenges with this card:

The Sister Hood of Crafters: Create your own background

Dream Valley Challenges: The color of your flag (Scotland)

Hope you've enjoyed my share today! Will be back again soon, have a lot of catching up to do!

Hugs,

Shona

CONGRATS. GRAD!

Hi there,

Well I'm back from a whirlwind visit to Scotland, Italy and back to Scotland. My eldest son Struan, graduated from St. Andrews University, so the family went over to attend the ceremony. While we were there, we had also organized a family reunion the Sunday after we arrived on the Saturday. We got a great turnout - 56, including my parents, my three brothers, all my aunts and uncles, cousins, nephew's and nieces and one fourth generation baby! There were also 6 close family friends.

After the Graduation on the Tuesday, David, Calum and I took a week's vacation to Rome, Italy. We had a wonderful time, staying with my first landlady and landlord, visiting old friends (new for Calum), lying on the beach, checking out some old haunts and restaurants. Rome has been cleaned up considerably from when I worked there 30 years ago. It was also while some of the Euro soccer games were being played, so Calum got to watch a few games with real Italians, which was a real treat for him!

We then came back through Scotland for a few days, to pick up bags that Struan had accumulated over the four years, and flew back on the 4th of July. Mum and Dad will come out to us on the 21st of July, so it wasn't too hard to leave this time.

So that's the last three weeks in a nutshell, now back to reality! For my card today, I'd like to share what I made for Struan's Graduation.

I created the background, the St. Andrew's Cross, the Saltire, the national Scottish flag by adhering a piece of Super Adhesive Tape to white cardstock. After removing the protective backing, I lay 3/4" Tear-ific Tape down from corner to corner and applied Cobalt Glaze to the remaining sticky areas.

The backing was then removed from the two strips (I cut the backing of the top strip where it crossed over the bottom strip using an exacto blade). Then Cloud Nine was applied to the cross. This piece was layered to a blue layer, before the glossy white card base.

I used the Impression Obsession Die (DIE296-T) to cut out the graduates from black cardstock, I then covered the piece with Versamark and heat embossed with Black Detail, to give them a shinier appearance. They were attached with foam squares for dimension. The sentiment and scroll (from Graduation Set 435) were stamped together on white glossy cardstock with Versamark and then this was heat embossed with Cerulean (one of the detailed Tuscany colors, which work really well on script and detailed images).

I then cut this out as a banner and added to the finished card with Foam Squares again for dimension.

 ... and that finished off my card for my graduated boy! Here he is on graduation day:

I'd like to join in the following challenges with this card:

The Sister Hood of Crafters: Create your own background

Dream Valley Challenges: The color of your flag (Scotland)

Hope you've enjoyed my share today! Will be back again soon, have a lot of catching up to do!

Hugs,

Shona