Guest Post and Video!

Today I have a guest post up over at Simon Says Stamp, along with a fun video!  I hope you will go check it out!  Here's a little sneak of what's over there....

ric#52

Good morning!  I am in LOVE with the dress in this week's inspiration for the Runway Inspired Challenge.  I wish I owned it...I would wear it to dinner with my husband tonight (it's our 8th anniversary!! woohoo!)

source: style.com

I focused on the soft colors that are scattered on her dress.  I was so excited to use one of my new stencils- no, I didn't buy them- Emily (who often plays along with RIC) made them and was kind enough to send them to me!  Thanks so much Emily!!

I don't have embossing paste yet, so I used the stencil with regular acrylic paint.  I first laid down white, then used an old gift card (real high-tech tool, eh?) to swirl on some pastel colors, focusing on the lower half of the card.  Things sure got messy, and I wasn't confident that it worked until I pulled off the stencil. Success!!

(I hope you don't mind that my cards have been more artsy recently!)

There is a lot of amazing inspiration from my team today...

Guest Designer - Charlene Bopp

Mayuri - Candles in the Garden

Virginia - Yes, Virginia...

Taheerah Atchia - *Fill Your Paper With The Breathings of Your {Heart}*

Tasnim Ahmed - Cards & Bookmarks

Pamela Ho - miao

Joni Andaya - Papell with Love

Aga - Just Made From Paper

Kristen - Kristen Foreman Designs

Thank you so much for visiting!

Gradient Glitter Tutorial Video

Sometimes I love sharing my professional side, and sometimes I love to share when I make mistakes.  This is kind of both!!

I made a technique video which resulted in a color theory faux pas (I thought that I could be bold with my color choices, but that decision came around to bite me in the butt!).  Instead of re-shooting, I'm showing you the original video.  Maybe it'll help you realize that everyone makes mistakes, but hopefully you'll still leave having learned a trick or two.

Watch the video below, or in HD on YouTube


Here's the new and improved card....you'll have to watch the video to see the dud!! :)

You Rock!

A quick post and 1-layer card to share using some un-released stamps designed by my friend Tasnim!

I traced a circle die and stamped a black triangle at the north, south, east, and west locations.  Next I stamped another triangle halfway between each of those, and repeated until I had a full circle.  I didn't think to draw guidelines until halfway through my colored stamping...if I made this card again I'd do that right from the beginning!  It was a lot easier to stamp straight with the lines there (duh!) hehe :)

Memento Ink Pad, Tuxedo Black	Shadow Ink: Mid-Tone, Navy	Shadow Ink: Mid-Tone, Pool	Hero Hues Dye Ink: Ocean
Shadow Ink: Mid-Tone, Tide Pool	Shadow Ink: Mid-Tone, Mint Julep	Shadow Ink, Soft Olive	Shadow Ink: Mid-Tone, Butter Bar
Shadow Ink: Mid-Tone, Orange Soda	Shadow Ink: Mid-Tone, Pale Tomato

InLinkz.com

Paper Trimmer, Tonic Guillotine 12"" x 6""	Fiskars SureCut Deluxe Craft Paper Trimmer (12")	Martha Stewart Scoring Board, Mini	ATG Kit, Advanced Tape Glider
ATG Double-Sided Refill Tape 2 pack, 1/4""	3-D Foam Squares, Mixed	Tombow Mono Multi Liquid Glue, .88 oz	Honey Bee Non Stick Scissors
Crop-a-Dile Corner Chomper Tool	EK Success Powder Tool	Craft Knife, Fingertip	*EK Success 3 INCH x 15 INCH RULER EKPL5002
*GC-001 Spellbinders Grand Calibur Cut & Emboss Machine	Clear Acrylic Block 3"" x 4"" Rectangular with Grid	*Dahle Self-Healing Cutting 18x12 Mat Black 10671

InLinkz.com

ric#51

Before I get to my Runway Inspired Challenge card, a bunch of you emailed me to ask about how I did my new blog design...I'll try to explain as clearly as possible:

• I got out my trusty watercolor set and painted some blobs (ahh...there's that word again)
• I scanned the blobs, and cleaned up the image (I basically just had to remove the background to make it perfectly white, and get rid of a few stray flecks of junk that were apparently on the scanner bed)
• To write all of the words (in my signature sloppy handwriting, haha!) I used my iPad and the Adobe Ideas app.  I like this app because it exports as large vector PDFs.
• Once I had the watercolor background and all of the words imported, I used Photoshop to make the banner and buttons.

Phew!  Honestly though, it was quite easy and didn't take more than an hour from start to finish (including the actual installation!)  

Now, onto the Runway...

source: style.com

Since the chick in the photo had an umbrella, it made me think of rain.  I tried to mimic water on the card with some saturated blue tones...I love the simple sentiment on top of the busy background :)

This week we are introducing 3 new Design Team Members!!  Please visit everyone below to see what they made, and I hope you play along with our challenge. There is a Simon Says Stamp gift card up for grabs!

Virginia Lu - Yes, Virginia...

Taheerah Atchia - *Fill Your Paper With The Breathings Of Your {Heart}*

Mayuri - Candles in the Garden

Joni - Papell with Love

Kristen - Kristen Foreman Designs

Pamela Ho - miao

Tasnim Ahmed - Cards & Bookmarks

Aga will be fashionably late, and joining us later in the week :)

A Moxie Fab Day

Just popping in to let you know I have a guest post up over at the Moxie Fab World today...and here's a sneak of one of the pics you'll find over there!

first post of the new year!!

Hello folks!  I'm cooped up inside today due to the snowstorm that's hitting the Northeast...SO happy that school was cancelled for today and tomorrow!  I do NOT want to be out on the roads, since I don't trust any of the crazies out there :)

A few of you have emailed me asking for more info about the card below, which I posted last week:

Sorry I didn't explain how I made it, but I was getting frustrated because I was posting from my iPad.  The GORGEOUS die is the Leaf Pattern Cover-Up die from Lil' Inker - and of course I had to mail this card to Miss Lil' Inker herself, Laura Pryor. 

I used a sheet of double sided adhesive (from Clear and Simple Stamps), sticky side up, and carefully placed the die cut on top.  I trimmed it around the edges, then sprinkled on some glitter.  I tried to do a gradient of color by adding the glitter in stages.  I used it sparingly, because the excess would not be able to go back into the tubes since the colors mixed.  No need to waste a bunch here!

Once it was sufficiently glitterized, I peeled of the backing and stuck it onto a card base.  I can't wait to try this technique again soon!

One more thing before I go...a new year calls for a new signature (and yes, I know it's huge. I like it!).  Susan Opel gave me the nickname of "JRza" a while back, and quite a few of you call me that! I love it, so it has become my new signature.  I'm also considering changing my header....