Iridescent Medallions

The post is a continuation of the project I began on August 30th -- working with handpainted papers I made using a technique by Sherrill Graff and Shirley Munoz. The shimmer you see in the watercolored backgrounds was created using reinkers and iridescent medium, applying them with a stipple brush to saturated Whisper White cardstock.

I found myself a bit unnerved after the last card I made, so I took a few days off and did mundane things like pay bills and grocery shop. Whoopee. Oh, and I also had a birthday in there (September 1), so I was obligated to be taken to Red Lobster for lunch and forced to eat a birthday cake made especially for me. I know... rough, isn't it?

Anyway, after admiring my naked papers for a few days, I decided it was time to get back on the proverbial horse. I made four (yes, four!) cards using the Stampin' Up! Medallion stamped in black on the iridescent paper. Had I been thinking, I would have embossed them with black detail powder; but I will experiment with this at another time. By just stamping in black ink, the iridescence shines right through the medallion, which is a cool effect in itself.

The reinkers I used for this first card were Bermuda Bay with just a hint of Melon Mambo. I trimmed the paper down to A2 size and layered it on Basic Black cardstock after using the Ticket Corner punch to trim the corners. The "To My Friend" sentiment is a rub-on from SU!'s Lovely Lines (part of the Lovely Flowers Bundle being offered as a Level 3 hostess benefit), and I used the Small Oval punch to get it just the right size. The button is from Button Latte collection. That's a wee sliver of Basic Black cardstock in the center of the button.


Brilliant Blue, Tempting Turquoise, and (I think) Bermuda Bay reinkers were used on the background of this next card. In the center of the Medallion is a small flower and clear gemstone brad from the Pretties kit. The white rub-ons are from Eastern Elegance, a retired SU! package.


The background of this first Halloween card was made with Dusty Durango and Summer Sun reinkers. That's a clear gemstone brad from the Pretties kit in the center of the Medallion. "Goblin Greetings" is from the Grateful Greetings set featured in the current Holiday Mini, and I sponged some Basic Black around the edges to grunge it up a bit. I used a white gel pen to give the spider's eyes a freaky look.


This last card for today is similar to the previous one, except the spooky background was made with Lavendar Lace and, hmmmm, is that Bermuda Bay? reinkers. The sentiment is from the Holiday Best Level 1 Hostess set.


I have lots more of this paper, and I want to work with it while it's out on my desk and in my face. It would be a shame to tuck the rest of this stuff away and have it get lost in my stash, so I'm eager to see what else I can come up with!

Wow, I WON a Big Shot!!!

Knock me over with a feather, folks! I have some AMAZING news! I've WON a Stampin' Up! Big Shot -- an awesome die-cutting and embossing machine, for those of you not yet in the know!!!


How incredible is that? And what did I have to do to win it? Well, I joined the Stampin' Up! Late Night Stampers Yahoo! group several months ago; and in the process of looking at members' blogs, I left comments -- something which I would have done anyway! Is that INCREDIBLE, or what?

The list mom, Sherrill Graff, is a leading SU! demo who firmly believes in encouraging her downline, fellow demonstrators, and stampers in general. She puts her money where her mouth is -- and often! -- by holding contests and giveaways which allow people to WIN product! She also hires people to make SU! sample cards and projects for her and pays them with stamps and supplies. I'm blown away almost daily with the number of opportunities she provides via the SU! LNS groups. (By the way, there's a demos-only group AND a group open to all.)

Not only does she support with merchandise, but she's an enthusiastic wealth of information on how to sell and recruit. Anyone interested in learning stamping techniques as well as more about the Stampin' Up! experience would benefit from the LNS group; and the ideas and encouragement she (and other demos at all levels of sales, including hobby demos) provides on the demos-only list are endless!

Yeah, I'm gushing, I admit it. But can you blame me? I mean, I WON A BIG SHOT!

ETA: I forgot to mention -- not only did I win the Big Shot, but Sherrill threw in a whole bunch of accessories, including pads, dies, and embossing plates. And, I ended up with a free Hostess stamp set to boot! WOW!!

ETA: I'm gonna be a Big Shot Hero, dies in my eyes... (you have GOT to check out this video!!)