Monday, March 25, 2013

Challenge# 32 - It's in the Words



Happy Monday Crafty Friends!!

Welcome to Eureka Stamps' 32nd Challenge!
We are really excited that you have Joined us this week!
Thank you so much to Everyone who joined us for our challenge last week!! We really loved seeing all the beautiful creations!! 

Our Winner For Challenge #30 Via Random.org is:
 1. Susan Kennedy
Susan Used Eureka Image: digi3802(469) Draped Cross with Thorns

Congratulations! Please Email Tina with the words Eureka Challenge Winner in the Subject Line! Please go to the Eureka Stamps Site & Pick out the two digital Images of your Choice! 
* Also, don't forget to Grab the Winner Badge from our Side Bar for for your Blog!!

Our Top 5 Entries For this Week Are:
in no specific Order

 9. Leona 
 15. Papersniffer  
20. grandmabonnie  
 26. Sonia  
 35. Lisa s  
Congratulations! Please Grab The Top 5 Badge From our Side Bar to Display on your Blog!

**** The Prize for Winning Our Challenge is 2 Digital Images from our Store of YOUR Choice. However, if you play and Win with a Eureka Stamps Image, You will win Your Choice of 5 Digital Images****

___________________________________________________________________
THIS WEEK'S CHALLENGE IS:
It's in the Words

Now, Here is some inspiration from our Design Team!!



Karen 
 digi53701(580) Luke 24


Soma
 digi31804 You are a Constant Example


Tina 
 digi32204 I am the Vine 


 Marji 
digi17001 Three Crowns 
digi40704 His Crown 


Kristie
 19401 Not a Day
58401 Fern Background


Louise 
digi36701 My Childhood
  
Cheryl
 digi19801 You Loving Ways


Sara
 digi26202 Have I Not Commanded


Vicky
 digi24609 Live Well


Paula
digi36002 Being a Father 

Jacki
Using digi 24605 I Cherish 




For full details on the designers' cards you can click on their name which is linked to their blogs! We love to hear from you, so you are always welcome to visit, we would love to receive your comments!

Reminder:
To play along with us, please post a direct link to the card/project on your blog using inlinkz and link back to our challenge from your blog! 

You can join in as many other challenges with ours as you like! You can only enter our challenge a MAXIMUM of 3 times per challenge. Please do NOT backlink to other cards you have previously Posted.

 

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Easter Chicks


It's time for all us chicks to think about Easter. This is one of my favourite holidays each year since, beside the religious significance, it's all about Spring. Spring colors, spring fashions, new shoes, new animal life, green popping up in the grass, tulips poking up out of the bare ground - all of these things make me smile.

Today's collection of images from Eureka Stamps certainly brings this new season to mind. The happy expressions of all these little chicks just have to make you smile inside and out. These are digital stamps, so they are very reasonably priced and you can get the whole collection or just the ones that you like best.

Deb here with this week's tutorial on side step cards. Here's the pattern. It uses a 7 x 10 piece of heavy cardstock. Here are the steps for cutting and folding.



Using a paper cutter, or craft knife and ruler, cut a line as seen in the middle of the pattern at 3.5 inches, running from 2.5 to 9 inches.

With a Scor-Pal, score across the two sides for mountain and valley folds as indicated on the pattern.
On the left-hand side:
Mountain fold at 5 inches.

On the right-hand side:
Mountain fold at 2.5, 6.5 and 9 inches.
Valley folds at 5 and 8 inches.

Make these folds, and press with a bone folder tool. Your card should look like the photo below.



Next, cut two pieces of watercolor paper at 3.25 by 4.75 inches. Sponge with several colors of Distress Inks. If you are using very light colors and you want maximum color, apply the ink pads directly to the paper. Spritz with water. When dry, ink Eureka's Filigree Background with Distress Ink, and spritz the inked stamp lightly with water before stamping on the watercolor paper. Spritzing the stamp will give you a softer impression. Here's a snap of my background, and I apologize for how fuzzy this shot is.



Cut one piece of the dry background paper into pieces the right sizes for your card steps. Adhere background papers to the card base.

Cut 3 strips of grass with Cricut's Plantin cartridge at 1". Use these strips and the negative left behind to create grass for each of your card steps.

Color up your chicks. I've used Copics Y23, 32 and 38. One trick is to color outside your lines. That way when you fancy cut your chicks, you won't have white edges hanging out. Adhere chicks to card as it suits you.

Print Eureka's Happy Easter and sponge some color on the paper. Trim to fit bottom of card and adhere.

Adhere three Paper Flowers and place self-adhesive pearls in centres. Add a ribbon bow and call it done!

Here's a couple more photos of the card from the top and side, which might help you visualize the steps.


Join us next Wednesday at the QKR and here at Eureka for some projects presented by new members of the Technique and Tutorial Team! And do stop and visit my Personal Blog for more ideas.

Monday, March 18, 2013

Challenge #31- What's In Your Easter Basket?



Happy Monday Crafty Friends!!

Welcome to Eureka Stamps' 31st Challenge!
We are really excited that you have Joined us this week!
Thank you so much to Everyone who joined us for our challenge last week!! We really loved seeing all the gorgeous creations!! 

Our Winner For Challenge #30 Via Random.org is:
 51. Mian Hahne 

Congratulations! Please Email Tina with the words Eureka Challenge Winner in the Subject Line! Please go to the Eureka Stamps Site & Pick out the two digital Images of your Choice! 
* Also, don't forget to Grab the Winner Badge from our Side Bar for for your Blog!!

Our Top 5 Entries For this Week Are:
in no specific Order

18. Laurie   
Congratulations! Please Grab The Top 5 Badge From our Side Bar to Display on your Blog!

**** The Prize for Winning Our Challenge is 2 Digital Images from our Store of YOUR Choice. However, if you play and Win with a Eureka Stamps Image, You will win Your Choice of 5 Digital Images****

___________________________________________________________________
THIS WEEK'S CHALLENGE IS:
What's in Your Easter Basket?

Please join us, welcome our Guest Designer for March

My name is Juelmarie Morgan, I am a mother of 3 awesome kids (1 son and 2 daughters) -- a Financial Advisor by day and absolutely love my job. I get to help people achieve their financial dreams! And in the evening I am a crazy crafter!! Yes, as most of you probably agree -- it is an obsession!! I even purchased a bigger home to have a large craft room. I try to stay fit by exercising and I play the piano......Well, that's about it - that's me in a nutshell!! Yes, I am the NUT!

Here is Juliemarie's Card showcasing Image:
 
Now, Here is some inspiration from our Design Team!!

 digi3406(544) Chicks in Egg


Soma
digi3402(544) Bunny with Egg


Kristie
 3406(544) Lg Chicks in Egg


Cheryl
digi28504 Bunch of Eggs

Sara
digi3406(544) Chicks in Egg


Vicky
digi3307 Easter Bunny 


Paula
digi3406(544) Chicks in Egg 
Tina

Jacki
using digi 3503 Lamb in Egg




For full details on the designers' cards you can click on their name which is linked to their blogs! We love to hear from you, so you are always welcome to visit, we would love to receive your comments!

Reminder:
To play along with us, please post a direct link to the card/project on your blog using inlinkz and link back to our challenge from your blog! 

You can join in as many other challenges with ours as you like! You can only enter our challenge a MAXIMUM of 3 times per challenge. Please do NOT backlink to other cards you have previously Posted.

    
 

Monday, March 11, 2013

Challenge #30- Spring Has Sprung



Happy Monday Crafty Friends!!

Welcome to Eureka Stamps' 30th Challenge!
We are really excited that you have Joined us this week!
Thank you so much to Everyone who joined us for our challenge last week!! We really loved seeing all the gorgeous creations!! 

Our Winner For Challenge #29 Via Random.org is:
 5. Pauline G

Congratulations! Please Email Tina with the words Eureka Challenge Winner in the Subject Line! Please go to the Eureka Stamps Site & Pick out the two digital Images of your Choice! 
* Also, don't forget to Grab the Winner Badge from our Side Bar for for your Blog!!

Our Top 5 Entries For this Week Are:
in no specific Order


Congratulations! Please Grab The Top 5 Badge From our Side Bar to Display on your Blog!

**** The Prize for Winning Our Challenge is 2 Digital Images from our Store of YOUR Choice. However, if you play and Win with a Eureka Stamps Image, You will win Your Choice of 5 Digital Images****

FREEBIE ALERT
Please Go to our Facebook page MONDAY March 11th (ONLY) For our Fan Freebie!! Hurry Up and Don't Miss Out!!
___________________________________________________________________
THIS WEEK'S CHALLENGE IS:
Spring Has Sprung


Please join us, welcome our Guest Designer for March
Juliemaire Morgan
My name is Juelmarie Morgan, I am a mother of 3 awesome kids (1 son and 2 daughters) -- a Financial Advisor by day and absolutely love my job. I get to help people achieve their financial dreams! And in the evening I am a crazy crafter!! Yes, as most of you probably agree -- it is an obsession!! I even purchased a bigger home to have a large craft room. I try to stay fit by exercising and I play the piano......Well, that's about it - that's me in a nutshell!! Yes, I am the NUT!

Juliemaire's fabulous card using 



 Here is some inspiration from our Design Team!!



 















For full details on the designers' cards you can click on their name which is linked to their blogs! We love to hear from you, so you are always welcome to visit, we would love to receive your comments!

Reminder:
To play along with us, please post a direct link to the card/project on your blog using inlinkz and link back to our challenge from your blog! 

You can join in as many other challenges with ours as you like! You can only enter our challenge a MAXIMUM of 3 times per challenge. Please do NOT backlink to other cards you have previously Posted.
 


Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Orchid Paper Sculpture



Have you ever heard of paper sculpture? If you Google the term, you'll find that paper sculpture runs from the simple to the extreme, and that paper artists perfect a myriad of techniques to sculpt their projects. It shouldn't have been a surprise for me to learn that QKR Stampede and Eureka Stamps have made beautiful and do-able paper sculpting projects available to us. Deb here today with paper sculpture as the topic for this week's Technique and Tutorial posting.

When you order a digi or rubber paper sculpting image from the choices at QKR or Eureka, you'll also receive a full set of instructions to complete your project. I won't repeat those instructions but, in this short post, I'll tell you what I did outside the instructions.

The Orchid was my selection, and I knew I wanted this beautiful flower to decorate the top of a small gift box. My first step was to choose two patterned cardstock sheets for the box along with a coordinating sheet in a solid color for the flower.

I trimmed my solid sheet to 8 1/2 x 11 inches to fit the printer, and printed the orchid in grey, rather than black, at 4 inches wide.



After cutting out each petal, I painted them with a Mica powder mixture (2 parts Mica, 1 part Binder, 1 part water) with red in the centres fading to a purple iridescent at the ends.

I set aside the petals to dry while I made a simple 4 inch square box and a die cut doily shape. I beaded three head pins (from my jewellery stash) to use for the stamen - looking at it now, I think it's a bit heavy and one probably would have done the trick.

I shaped the flowers with my fingers and the tools pictured. The flowers hadn't totally dried yet, and moisture made the paper more pliable and made for easier shaping. As I glued each piece, I held it in place with a small clip until the glue set.

When the flower was dry, I set it all alone - without ribbon or further embellishment to steal its thunder - on the box top.



I hope you give paper sculpting a try cause it's easier than it first looks and gives beautiful results. I completed this project in less than an hour, even with a bad chest cold hampering my thought processes and pretty much eliminating my patience - lol. I do suggest printing or stamping your image onto a scrap paper first so you can play with the construction process and get to understand how the pieces fit together before working with your good paper.

As always, after you have a good look here, you are welcome to visit my personal blog for more ideas.