Wednesday, November 15, 2017

Emboss Resist with Video Tutorial and the Stamparatus!

Hey everybody! Well, I'm back from OnStage and trying to get back into the swing of things. I do have a card with a fun technique and a video tutorial for you today but before I get to that... BIG NEWS!

Stampin' Up! has announced the release of the Stamparatus (SU's innovative new stamp positioning tool)! It is really a mind blowing tool and I can't wait to preorder mine later today. They'll be available for preorder at a cost of $49 US at 1:00 today here in California. I'll post a link for you to preorder yours as soon as I have it so check back here in a little bit. For now, here's some info about the Stamparatus!




Ok! Now that I've shared that exciting news lets take a look at my card. I've used a technique called the Emboss Resist Technique on both the background and the sentiment. First, I stamped the background with a stamp from the Hello Color Clear-Mount stamp set in Versamark ink. Then I heat embossed the whole background with Clear Embossing Powder and sponged it with Tempting Turquoise, Bermuda Bay and Island Indigo inks. As I sponged, the embossed image resisted the ink I was applying and the image became visible.


I also used the Emboss Resist Technique on the sentiment for this card. I had intended to heat emboss it in White Embossing Powder on Night of Navy cardstock. However, I accidentally grabbed my Clear Embossing Powder instead. No problem... I grabbed my White Craft ink and sponged it over the top of the embossed sentiment before I cut it out. Worked like a charm. To finish my card off I fussy cut the sentiment and popped it up on dimensionals over a Smoky Slate circle (sponged and splattered) and some sparkly Black Ribbon. I added a few Black Rhinestones and called it good.


I know sometimes it's easier to learn a technique by watching it done so I've made a quick little video to share with you today. You can watch the Emboss Resist Technique on both the background and sentiment, as well as see how I splattered the Smoky Slate circle using my Stampin' Write marker (I've had a few people ask me how to do that so I hope this helps).



Alright, that's it for today folks. I hope you enjoyed my card and video tutorial. Don't forget to come back later for more information on how to order your own Stamparatus!

See you soon and have a great day!
Maria.



Want to shop with me? No problem, just click the button below. 
Let me know if you have any questions!
Email: mariawillis@hotmail.com


Want a great discount on Stampin' Up! Products and to have a fun new stamping family? Join me on this fun adventure! I can't wait to be your super excited Stampin' Up! side kick and support lady! In case you didn't know, you can join Stampin' Up! just for the discount and never sell a single product. If you want to know the details just let me know. If you're looking for a discount on your favorite hobby (stamping and paper crafting with Stampin' Up! products) and want to earn money doing it... let me know! I'd love to talk with you whatever your interest might be! If you want to see a little more info go ahead and click the button below. Looking forward to hearing from you!


Monday, November 13, 2017

Friendships Old and New

I'm home from OnStage Live in Salt Lake City, Utah and I cannot wipe the permagrin off of my face every time that I think of my friends. Yes! OnStage was great but you know what was even better... these people (and so many more who I didn't get pics with but still contributed to an amazing weekend). 

Some friends and I decided to rent a house so that we could spend even more time together during our trip. It was so much fun getting to do this! We did a house gift swap, stayed up late and laughed our tails off and had an amazing time together. We dubbed ourselves the Backpack Brigade as we were all carrying backpacks around. In back: Kathleen, Sara, and Adrienne. Bottom: Carolynn and myself. These ladies made my trip!


I met Adrienne West in April at the San Diego Local OnStage event. We live in the same county and  had chatted a little bit on-line but met for the first time on the plane heading to San Diego. She's amazing, has a great mind for business, and I was so glad to share another event with her. I'm even luckier that she is local and we can hang out in person when we have the time. She just started blogging and you can check her out here.

There are two special people that I spend a lot of time talking to on-line (don't roll your eyes at me!). Whenever my husband wants to know who I'm messaging with and why I won't put my phone down... it's one of these two. On the left is Carolynn Sander from Canada, and on the right, Sara Sauve from Idaho. They took this picture after I was already gone (Adrienne and I left early Saturday evening and these two had another night to kill) and I love it! You can probably tell just by looking at the pic why I love them...beauties inside and out.

I met Sara through the amazing Lee Conrey who I finally got to meet as well!! Lee has adopted me  as part of her team and has become both mentor and friend. I'm lucky to call her part of my SU family. We all went to dinner at an amazing Brazilian Barbecue restaurant!

Here are Sara and I grubbing down. My favorite thing was the bacon wrapped chicken-yum! Funny story: Sara's husband was worried that I might be some pervy, fat man luring Sara into my lair to do her no good. Hahahaha! Sara is a total bad a$$ (ex-military) and wasn't afraid to come meet me anyways. Friday was Veteran's Day. Thank you Sara for your service! This woman is one of the smartest, wittiest, most hilarious women I've ever met. She almost killed me of laughter one of the nights as she held a long, and totally amazing, conversation with Siri. I had to leave the room because I laughed so hard I started seal barking uncontrollably. Meeting Sara for the first time was one of the best parts of this trip. 

Carolynn Sander and I started talking sometime around the last OnStage (April) and it was funny because it turned out that we were both big fans of each other's work. If you want to check out her awesomeness you can find her at carebearstamps.com It was so good to finally meet this woman. She lives up to her Carebear name and is a total sweetie-pie. She was one of the display stampers at OnStage and her creations are so stunning! After spending the weekend with these women I realize the importance of good friendships. I don't have a lot of friends at home because I'm always running around taking care of business. That made the weekend with these ladies even more special to me. 


If you can believe it there are a few more lovelies that I am going to quickly mention. This pic is of me, Carolynn and the amazing Jenny Hall. Jenny is one of the sweetest and classiest people you will ever meet. I am on the Creating Kindness design team with her and Carolynn and was so glad to   finally meet her in person. 

And then there's Charlet Mallett! I "met" Charlet when we were on a design team together a while back. Since then I've been a huge fan of hers and was so excited and happy to find out that she has been selected as part of this year's Artisan Design Team!! Only 16 people in the entire world were chosen and you really have to be a step above the rest to be selected. Congratulations Charlet! This honor is so well deserved! Glad to finally meet and spend some time with you. Looking forward to seeing all of the inspiration that you will continue to bring the stamping world as an Artisan.

And then there's this beauty! Lisa Leslie is a newer Canadian demo and was honored for achieving Quick Start! She was so fun to hang out with and even let all of us crash her hotel room for an evening hang out while we waited for the Mexican food restaurant to have room for us. She is such an awesome lady and her enthusiasm for SU is contagious. I'm feeling pretty darn lucky to have made Lisa as  a new friend. 

Last but not least, Carolynn and I snapped a quick pic with the incredible Brian King. His presentation at OnStage was one of my favorites. He said he was exhausted but he is such a pro that it never showed. 

Ok, folks. That's it for today. I always hear people say that they go to OnStage for the people... I'm here to tell you that's a real thing. The people I have met, and the friends I have made, are what have made my experience priceless. I miss these people so much already and can't wait to see them again soon.

Hugs to all,
Maria







Thursday, November 2, 2017

OSAT Blog Hop - Winter Holiday

Hi Everybody and welcome back to my blog for my second post of the day! This time I am hopping with the One Stamp At a Time crew and the theme for this month is Winter Holiday. I can't wait to hop all the way around this hop and see the fun things everyone has made.


I made a sentiment-free holiday card using the mouse from the Sugarplum Dreams Stamp Set. I don't know  if he really is supposed to be, but in my mind this mouse is from the Nutcracker! 


I stamped the mouse on Shimmery White cardstock and colored him in with my Aquapainter using Old Olive, Real Red, Pacific Point, Daffodil Delight and Smoky Slate. Then I layered him over ribbons and paper and silver metallic thread. 

The Basic Black background is embossed with the Quilt Top Textured Embossing Folder and is blinged out with the addition of some Black Rhinestones.


Thanks for stopping by my blog today! Please let me know if you have any questions by leaving me a comment below or shooting me an email at mariawillis@hotmail.com  If you're interested in shopping with me you can click the "Shop Online" button below, or, click on any of the linked products in my post. 

Have a great day!
Maria.


Now hop on over to the incredible Marisa Gunn!

BLOG ROLL:
Maria Willis: You are HERE.




Want to shop with me? No problem, just click the button below. 
Let me know if you have any questions!
Email: mariawillis@hotmail.com


Want a great discount on Stampin' Up! Products and to have a fun new stamping family? Join me on this fun adventure! I can't wait to be your super excited Stampin' Up! side kick and support lady! In case you didn't know, you can join Stampin' Up! just for the discount and never sell a single product. If you want to know the details just let me know. If you're looking for a discount on your favorite hobby (stamping and paper crafting with Stampin' Up! products) and want to earn money doing it... let me know! I'd love to talk with you whatever your interest might be! If you want to see a little more info go ahead and click the button below. Looking forward to hearing from you!




Creating Kindness Blog Hop: Support or Friendship

Hello everybody and welcome to another Creating Kindness (Around the World) Design Team Blog Hop. This month our theme is Support or Friendship and I had a hard time deciding what to share with you today. After a lot of thought I've decided to share a card that I've made for a friend that I went to high school with.



This friend has Multiple Sclerosis and has not been well lately. She is such a lovely person and is always keeping a positive attitude. I've decided to send her a card so that she'll know that I'm thinking about her and in hopes that it will help keep her spirits up.

I used a technique that I've never tried before when I made this card. I used my Flourishing Thinlits Dies with my Big Shot to deboss my background. I used watercolor paper for the background because it is softer and thicker than normal cardstock and I thought it would hold an impression better.

I layered my watercolor paper on top of some cheap fun foam from my dollar store, put the framelits on top with the cutting side up, put a cutting plate on top and cranked it through the Big Shot to press the die into the paper. It worked like a charm!!

Then I used sponge daubers and Lemon Lime Twist, Emerald Envy, Island Indigo and Elegant Eggplant to cover the entire background with ink. I gave it a little flick with water to lift some of the color and added a heat embossed sentiment to finish it off.

I've made a quick video to show you how I did this technique and put the card together... 



Thanks for stopping by today! Let me know if you try this technique out and what you think of it. I hope you'll continue along on this hop. I can't wait to see what the rest of my teammates have chosen to share this month. If you'd like to keep on hopping, just click the next button below. 

Have an amazing day and I'll see you back here soon (to be specific... I'll be back in just three hours with another post because I have two blog hops today!).

Bye for now!
Maria.


Continue the hop by hopping over to our incredibly talented guest designer: 







Want to shop with me? No problem, just click the button below. 
Let me know if you have any questions!
Email: mariawillis@hotmail.com


Want a great discount on Stampin' Up! Products and to have a fun new stamping family? Join me on this fun adventure! I can't wait to be your super excited Stampin' Up! side kick and support lady! In case you didn't know, you can join Stampin' Up! just for the discount and never sell a single product. If you want to know the details just let me know. If you're looking for a discount on your favorite hobby (stamping and paper crafting with Stampin' Up! products) and want to earn money doing it... let me know! I'd love to talk with you whatever your interest might be! If you want to see a little more info go ahead and click the button below. Looking forward to hearing from you!


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