STAMPlorations Stencil Blog Hop last day and Cardz 4 Guyz Guest Design

This post is going to have to serve double duty! It's been a crazy hectic week with blogging and vacationing, but I've had a ton of fun. Tomorrow starts the 5-hour car trip home (so maybe I'll have time to catch up on my commenting!). 

As you maaaaaay have gathered from the last 3 blog posts, STAMPlorations is hosting a 3-day blog hop to showcase the new stencil line. I've had the privilege of showcases some of them, along with new techniques every day. 

I've already covered stencils and embossing paste; stencils and Distress Paints; and stencils and Spray Stains. Today's technique is:

STENCILS AND SPONGING

Sponging is probably by far the most common way stencils are used. But that doesn't mean I don't want to show off how to do it, because great results can be achieved! That's why it's such a popular technique - doy!

I began by creating an entire sponged background using Distress Inks (Picked Raspberry, Honey Mustard, Spiced Marmalade... and now I'm hungry)

Once I had all the colors blended to my satisfaction, I put the Shutters - ARTplorations Stencil over the top, taped it down really good so it wouldn't move, and used a sponge to dab black ink through the stencil. 

The background turned out totally cool and made me want to whip out some scrunchies and legwarmers because I felt like I was in the 1980s again. 

I pulled out my trusty blackboard dies and used Perfect Pearls to add a shimmery sentiment. 

Perfect Pearls are a really cool medium, too. There are TONS of ways to use them. I've highlighted several of their uses in past blog posts, so if you want to learn more, just click on the little orange tag at the bottom of this post that says "perfect pearls". 

But I digress, here's my finished card:

I found these funky cool acrylic flower bursts from Basic Grey and fell in love. I also added a big ol' bow to complete the look. 

I'm sending this card over to the following challenges:
Happy Little Stampers - Sponging
Mixed Media Card Challenge - Hints of Spring
Mixed Media Place Creative Gym Exercise - black background + all the colors of the rainbow

As for YOU - if you haven't joined the fun at STAMPlorations, it's not too late! There's over $75 worth of prizes being given out on this hop-a-long and some of it could belong to YOU! Check out what the rest of the team made! You'll find links to all our projects here.

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I also want to showcase the card I made for Cardz 4 Guyz! It's the start of their new challenge this week - Hobbies! I get the immense honor of being a guest designer over there for the whole month of March! woohooo!

Here's my card:

Unlike my normal style, this is very CAS. I embossed all of the compasses in a navy blue and distressed some of them so the images wouldn't all be whole (imperfection is my favorite). I sponged the edges with Distress Inks and embossed the sentiment. The photo above doesn't do the sentiment justice, 

Stupid lighting! It says "I would be lost without you". Once of my father's favorite hobbies is exploring the outdoors. He taught me how to use a compass (although now he's gone "soft" and upgraded to a GPS). Thanks to my Pop, I know how to call squirrels (be really quiet and hit some stones together), start a fire with flint and steel, find deer trails, and identify poison ivy. Barring the last one, I don't really put much of these things to use... I'm more of a stay indoors and stamp kinda girl. But hey - if the zombie apocalypse ever happens, I've got a leg up, right?!

So if you make any manly cards - go enter them in Cardz 4 Guyz!!

I'm also going to enter this one into the following awesome challenges:

Virginia's View - Embossing

Just Us Girls - Masculine 

Simon Says Stamp Monday - B is for... (Boy!)

Thanks for popping by! I'll be back to my normal self  later this week and will be coming for as many visits as I can fit in!

Stamps and Stencils - STAMPlorations March Challenge

Well, my faithful friends, the world and happiness have colluded  this week, because I got some card assignments that I was beyond stoked to take on.

I get to work with stencils!!!

**Insert Happy Dance Here**

STAMPlorations challenge is Stamps and Stencils so break out those flimsy plastic sheets of awesomeness and put them to use! Don't have stencils to try? Make your own by using the negative from a die cut image. Or better yet - check out the stencils in the STAMPlorations shop! They've got some awesome ones that have just been released! 

All this week (or for the next five days) I will be showing you one new medium to try with your stencils. Today's session will focus on.... drumroll please........

Embossing Paste!

Now, if you haven't worked with embossing paste before, I encourage you to head to your nearest craft store and buy yourself a jar. This stuff is FANTASTIC for creating awesome textural designs. There are different colors and textures of embossing paste, but I really like the Wendy Vecchi line. Embossing paste has the texture of shaving cream. It's light and airy and can dry naturally or be heat set. 

But first things first. 

I took a chalkboard sign die cut and stamped an awesome sentiment from the Blossom Overture STAMPlorations set. I layered that over some newsprint designer paper and put my stencil (Botanical Lush from STAMPlorations) over the lower left corner. 

I use a palette knife with my paste. You want to tape down your stencil (as pictured above) and swipe a very thin layer of embossing paste over the top. Scrape off the excess paste and put it back in the jar. Then - and this next bit is important - run to the nearest sink and clean your stencil because your paste will dry very quickly (about 15 minutes). 

You can use a heat gun to dry your paste (which I did because I'm an impatient lady). I then started painting over the top of it with Distress Paints (Broken China and Salty Ocean).  I also painted the corners, as well.



To say that I am sorta in love with this card is to say that Kim Kardashian's butt is sorta big. 

As for YOU - well you should go check out the STAMPlorations Stamps and Stencils challenge. We've got some awesome prizes, including a STAMPlorations gift card for the winner! You should also stay tuned because on March 8, 9, and 10 there will be a big stencil blog hop at the STAMP blog with even more prizes. And we've got a fabulous guest designer, Milla! Leave her some bloggy love! 

I will be showcasing the following techniques:
Stencils and Distress Paints
Stencils and Embossing Powders
Stencils and Sponging 
Stencils and Distress Spray Stains 

Whew!! So if you didn't know how to use stencils before now, you sure will after I get done with you! 

As for me, I'm going to link my card up to support some other amazing challenges:
Craft Stamper Magazine - Take It Make It - Anything Goes
Virginia's View - Embossing 
Make Art Challenge - Stencils
2015 World Wide Open Design Team Competition
ColorQ - thanks for the amazing color palette - I never would have put these together!

A big crafty welcome to my new followers! Thank you for making my day. 

Also - on a personal note, I will be gone for most of the next 5 days on vacation with limited access to the computer. So if I don't return your comments now, please don't feel bad! I'll do my best to play catch up when I get home!