Can you feel the spookiness of Halloween in the air? Well I don’t know about you, but Halloween is almost here and I am so excited to show you some of Creative Imaginations new collections. For this month's card feature,...

Just when you think all the fun has stopped, we received two new cards from Jennifer McGuire! This week has been a fun week filled with beautiful cards, lots of inspiration and of course, giveaways! Our final winner of giveaways........

Our first card was designed by Kelly Rasmussen. We loved how she created a textured stamped image on the background by stamping into the Luminarte while it is still wet! The result is a wonderful overall glimmery textured image! Kelly...

Another fabulous day filled with inspiration! Jennifer created an instructional video showing her creative process with our Luminarte Twinkling H20's and Hero Arts Stamps!

 

Jennifer says .."I have never found a product more fun to use for stamped backgrounds than Twinkling H2Os. Just paint the stamp, spritz and stamp. Then repeat and repeat, with each image getting softer. I LOVE this look. So fast, simple and classy. These leaves were perfect for this technique!"

 

Product Used

CG228 Maple Leaf 
S4878 Old Letter Writing 
CL272 All Occasion Messages 
PS564 Latte Notecard 
Coastline Twinkling H2Os 
Basic Rainbow Twinkling H2Os 
AF156 Walnut Stain Distress Ink 
AF101 Black Dye Ink 
Ranger Ink Blending Tool 
May Arts ribbon 
EK Success circle punch 
 
1. Paint the rubber of Maple Leaf stamp with various colors of Twinkling H2Os. Spritz twice with water and stamp on 4x4 white piece. 
2. Without cleaning the stamp, spritz twice more and stamp again on white piece. 
3. Repeat 2-3 more times. 
4. Paint various colors of Twinkling H2Os on the rubber of Old Writing Stamp. Spritz 4 times and stamp on scrap paper. Without cleaning, spritz 3 more time and stamp again on scrap paper. Spritz two more times and stamp over the leaves on the 4x4 piece. ("Stamping off" twice first makes the image lighter on the leaf piece. 
5. Ink edges with distress ink and blending tool. 
6. Add to stamped piece to card and add small punched circle. 
7. Repeat Step 1 on 3x3 white piece. Paint in the leaf with various colors of Twinkling H2Os. 
8. Let dry and cut out. Stamp greeting at center of leaf with Black Ink. 
9. Add ribbon and leaf. 

Jennifer says..."My favorite type of image to stamp with Twinkling H2Os with is one with lots of solid space, just like this square tree. This makes for a very shiny image - very eye-catching." 

Product Used

CG208 Trees of the Season 
S4878 Old Letter Writing 
CL272 All Occasion Messages 
PS566 Snow Notecard 
PS582 Pine Layering Paper 
Coastline Twinkling H2Os 
Basic Rainbow Twinkling H2Os 
VC250 Versamark Ink 
PW110 White Embossing Powder 
CH232 White Self-Adhesive Lace 
Ranger Craft Sheet 
 
1. On the rubber of the tree image, paint various colors of Twinkling H2Os. Spritz twice with water and stamp on white paper. Let dry and trim. 
2. Mat stamped piece with Pine paper. 
3. Paint various colors of Twinkling H2Os on the rubber of Old Writing Stamp. Spritz 4 times and stamp on 4.25"x3.5" white piece. Without cleaning, spritz 3 more time and stamp again slightly offset. Let dry. 
4. Paint various colors of Twinkling H2Os on a craft sheet. Spray several times and swipe the stamped piece through this, creating a watercolored background. Let dry. 
5. Add background piece to Snow notecard. Add lace to top and bottom. Cut very thin Pine strips to adhere to top of lace pieces. 
6. Add tree piece. 
7. Stamp greeting with Versamark and white heat emboss. 

Jennifer says...."I have always wanted to be able to watercolor like a true artist. However, I just don't have that talent. But by stamping WITH Twinkling H2Os and water, I am able to fake it! And if I don't get great results with the stamping alone, I can just fix it by painting it in. Love the look."

 

Product Used

CG211 Magical background 
CG232 Midnight Owl 
CL468 Frightful 
CH203 Black Metallic Decor 
Coastline Twinkling H2Os 
Plumberry Twinkling H2Os 
AF195 Pumice Stone Distress Ink 
AF160 Broken China Distress Ink 
PS560 Azure Notecard 
VC250 Versmark Ink 
PW110 White Embossing Powder 
EK Success Circle Punches 
White Gel Pen 
 
1. Paint various colors of Twinkling H2Os directly onto the rubber of the Midnight Owl image. Spritz twice and stamp on white circle. 
2. If any areas didn't stamp well, paint in with matching Twinkling H2Os. 
3. Stamp over owl with Pumice Stone Distress Ink and Magical Background. 
4. Mat with purple circle. 
5. Color around the eyes with a white pen to cover the stamping here. Add gems for eyes. 
6. Stamp tree from Frightful set with Broken China Distress Ink repeatedly on an Azure notecard cut to a square. 
7. Add stamped circle to card. 
8. Stamp greeting with Versamark and white heat emboss. 

Tuesday's winner of two fabulous Hero Arts Stamps is "Jessica Hess" "All this beautiful inspiration is so much fun. Thank you so much for all the beautiful examples." We will be contacting you soon!

Keep up the comments - another winner will be picked for both of these abulous new Hero Arts Stamps!

Remember hop over to Hero Arts blog and leave a comment for a chance to win some Luminarte paints!

Thanks for all the great comments - remember keep posting each day! Monday's winner of the two beautiful stamps is...Jill in Frisco Tx... "How fun...I love the team effort, some beautiful fun creations appearing on the two blogs. Looking forward to a week of excitement with all of the giveaways!! Thanks for the opportunity to play along." ~Jill

Today's spooktacular Owl card and Seasonal Tree card were both designed by Jennifer McGuire - I love the owl card!

Jennifer shared her thoughts on our luminarte "I love the many colors that Twinkling H2Os come in. They are so vibrant and yummy, so I adore using them for watercolored backgrounds. The shine is amazing, and you can stamp or heat emboss right over them. These shimmery backgrounds are a great way to make your handmade projects even more impressive." 

 

CG232 Midnight Owl 
CL468 Frightful 
CL353 Happy Halloween 
VC250 Versamark Ink 
PW110 White Embossing Powder 
AF192 Chipped Sapphire Distress Ink 
PS604 Azure Layering Paper 
PS566 Snow Notecard 
CH172 Midnight Black Pearls 
Pearlesque Twinkling H2Os 
Plumberry Twinkling H2Os 
Basic Rainbow Twinkling H2Os 
Other: Doodlebug Paper, Tim Holts Alterations Styled Label die, Arches 300lb watercolor paper 
 
1. Wet watercolor die cut. Apply various blue and purple shades of Twinkling H2Os to cover. When dry, add areas of pearlesque Twinkling H2Os for added shine. Let dry again. 
2. Stamp owl with Versamark ink and emboss with white powder. Add black pearl eyes and star gems. 
3. Mat die cut with white paper and cut off top and bottom. 
4. Add to blue and black paper, and to card. 
5. White heat emboss greeting as shown. 
6. Stamp bats with Chipped Sapphire ink. 
 
Tips: 
- When a painted area is dry, add a bit of Pearlesque paint for added shine. 

 

 

CG208 Trees of the Season 
CL361 Season of Giving 
AF144 Soft Sand Ink 
PS626 White Watercolor Paper 
PS507 Kraft Notecard 
CH136 Small Pearls 
PW110 White Embossing Powder 
VC250 Versamark 
AF101 Black Dye Ink 
CH231 Cream Lace Ribbon 
Coastline Twinkling H2Os 
Creative Spirit Twinkling H2Os 
Other: Twine, slit punch 
 
1. White watercolor paper. Apply various shades of Twinkling H2Os. Continue to add layering until the desired results are achieved. Let dry. 
2. Cut Kraft notecard into a square. Stamp leaves with Soft Sand Ink. Ink edges if desired. 
3. Add orange and brown strips. 
4. Stamp square image at the center of the painted piece with Versamark ink and emboss with white embossing powder. 
5. Stamp message with black ink. 
6. Cut slits in the sides of the painted piece and add to card along with lace. 
7. Add gems and twine to lace. 
 
Tips: 
- You can emboss the image either before or after painting. Either works!

We are sooo excited to giveaway two more stamps for another lucky person!

Remember to post on the Hero Arts Blog for another chance to win one of our Luminarte Twinklling H20 Kits!

 

 

We are so excited to spend a week featuring the beautiful new stamps from Hero Arts with our new Luminarte H2o's!  You are in for a week long event filled with inspiration, techniques and even some fun giveaways! 

Every day this week we will be showcasing the beautiful new stamps from Hero Arts with our new Luminarte H20's! Hero Arts provides top quality stamps that showcase the brilliance of our luminarte H20's perfectly! We are excited to team up with Hero Arts - and you will be excited too - we are giving away some of their amazing stamps everyday!  Just post a comment and you could be one of our winners!

Our first project was designed by Jennifer McGuire from Hero Arts! She created a elegant Thanksgiving card!! The finished card is stunning! 

Jennifer shared her thoughts after using our Luminarte paints "I am always looking for special touches that make my cards pop - and nothing does it better than a bit of shine. Twinkling H2Os are the perfect product for shimmer and can be used on any style of card - from cutesy to vintage. The sparkle is just the right amount. I use them most for painting in my Hero Arts stamped images... a wonderful way to added shine and color!"

 

Product used

CL361 Season of Giving 
CG125 Friends Definition 
CH232 White Self-Adhesive Lace 
VC250 Versamark Ink
AF144 Soft Sand Ink 
AF184 Latte Chalk Ink 
S5264 Antique Flower Background 
PS564 Latte Notecard 
PW110 White Embossing Powder 
26378 Coastline Twinkling H2O Kit 
26375 Basic Rainbow Twinkling H2O Kit 
Other: Black embossing powder, twine, button

1. On white cardstock strip, stamp Friendship Definition background with Soft Sand Ink. Rub ink along edges to age. 
2. Stamp leaves with Versamark and emboss with black powder. 
3. Paint in leaves with a very wet layer of light orange Twinkling H2O paint. This will be very light, but helps to blend in the next steps. 
4. Add additional colors to the leaves, including brown, green, red and dark orange. For more vibrant colors, use less water. Let dry. 
5. Stamp background on Latte notecard with Latte Chalk Ink. 
6. Stamp message with Versamark and emboss in white. 
7. Wrap twine around painted strip and add button. 
8. Adhere painted strip to card along with a piece of self-adhesive lace. 
9. Use Twinkling H2Os to paint a bit of color onto the twine. 
 
Tips: 
- Adding a variety of colors to the leaves is a great way to add the look of dimension. 
- By embossing the stamped image, the paint stays within the lines a bit better. 
- If you get paint out of the lines, no worries. Just let it dry and carefully scratch it away with a craft knife. 
- Adding touches of Twinkling H2Os to the twine is a great way to make it match your fabric. You can do this with ribbon, too! 

And if one beautiful card was not enough - Jennifer surprised us with another spectactular project using more of the new fall releases from Hero Arts! The adorable pumpkins just burst with glimmer after adding our coastline H20's!

F5270 Traditional Pumpkin 
CG234 Large Web 
CG211 Magical Background 
CL353 Happy Halloween 
CG125 Friend Definition 
PS564 Latte Notecard 
CH117 Clear Gemstones 
AF184 Latte Chalk Ink 
AF144 Soft Sand Shadow Ink 
AF101 Black Dye Ink 
VC250 Versamark Ink 
26378 Coastline Twinkling H2Os Kit 
26375 Basic Rainbow Twinkling H2Os Kit 
Other: Black Embossing Powder, black pen, Tim Holtz Alterations Styled Label die 
 
1. Stamp two pumpkins on watercolor paper with Versamark Ink and emboss with black powder. 
2. Apply a wet layer of orange Twinkling H2Os to the pumpkins. This will be very wet and light. 
3. Add a darker layer of orange over this, along with a bit of brown for shading. Keep applying color until desired results are achieved. 
4. Paint in the stems of the pumpkins with brown Twinkling H2Os. If desired, draw leaves and paint in with green. Let dry. 
5. Stamp background with Latte Chalk Ink on Latte card. 
6. One a white die cut piece, stamp definition background with Soft Sand Ink and web with black ink. Ink edges if desired. 
7. Paint a strip of watercolor paper with green twinkling H2Os. Let dry. Stamp greeting with black ink. 
8. Add die cut and greeting strip to card. 
9. Cut out one pumpkin. Cut out the other a bit smaller as shown. Add to card. 
10. Use pen to draw in the swirls near the stems. Add gems. 
11. Use small circle punch to create notches on the corners of the card. Ink edges if desired. 
 
Tips: 
- Want to get a piece of paper to perfectly match your Twinkling H2O painted images? Just paint the paper and the match will be perfect! 
- Layering different colors of Twinkling H2Os is a great way to add the look of dimension. To help them blend, add a bit more water to the painted image. 
- Get more out of your stamps by cutting them out in a different way. Here, two size pumpkins were created with one stamp. 

Thank you Jennifer for sharing your beautiful cards with us!

Want to see some more projects using Hero Arts Stamps and Luminarte Paints - hop on over to the Hero Arts Blog!

Thank you Jennifer for sharing your beautiful cards with us!

Want to win both of these featured stamps? Hero Arts said we could give away both of these stamps today on our blog!

Just leave a comment by Wednesday evening and we will pick a winner!

Be sure to hop over to the Hero Arts blog for a chance to win a set of Luminarte paint sets! 

Check back here tomorrow for a week long blog hop with Creative Imaginations and Hero Arts! Techniques, inspiration and giveaways - what more could a girl ask for?

 

 

Wow August has flown by so quickly! Hard to believe that we are not far from Fall weather!

This month we had some wonderful entries for our sketch challenge but we picked the layout by 1scrappymom called Queen of Hearts!  Great layout - we loved teh added transparency gate from Marah Johnson's Breathless collection!

September's sketch and layout were created by dt member, Michelle Baca!