I’m down in Myrtle Beach, SC teaching this weekend, but I wanted to quickly say WOO HOO!!!!! I am very excited to be a part of, and want to say congratulations to everyone on the Spellbinder’s Design Team for 2008!

I am so excited to be working with all of you really creative girls! I cannot wait to get to know you better!  It is easy to create with such great products.  Truly, this has been such a wonderful day for me.  I’m celebrating…!  Thanks to Stacey and to Kim for believing in me.  I was floating around the house after getting the call.  I cannot wait to meet all of you in Arizona.  What a welcome treat it will be compared to Connecticut in January too!

Here we are: The Spellbinders’ 2008 Design Team!

Beth Pingry, Naperville, Illinois
Cathy Chlebana, Chicago, Illinois
Donya Schroeder, Ionia, Iowa
Heidi Blankenship, Albert Lea, Minnesota
Holly Craft, Lawrenceville, Georgia (I’ve admired this gal’s work for years!)
Jeni Caulkins, Mesa, Arizona
Jennifer Ellefson, Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania
Linda Duke, Tulare, California
Michelle Klomp, Oak Harbor, Washington
Sally Lynn MacDonald, Sandy Hook, Connecticut
Sharon Harnist, Grand Prairie, Texas
Wendy Weixler, Salt Lake City, Utah

The announcement is on their web page as well.  Check out the link HERE.

I just adore using the Wizard Die Cut and Embossing System.  It puts together the technical and the artful, and allows me to use multiple textures in a way that no other die-cutting system can.

I’ll post my two favorite parts of my entry here.  I’m pretty sure you can click on them for a closer look, if you want.

12 x 12 layout:

Extensive use of the S4 011 Harvest 2 – Leaves dies.  There is a combination of cardstock/distress ink, copper foil/alcohol ink, transparency/crackle paint or alcohol ink and canvas/alcohol ink for these leaves

S4 081 Tags 5 dies used for title tags and quote.  These are colored with Ranger Distress Inks.

L2 04 Enchanted Font used for title in metallic gold foil.

S4 067 Watch Faces   I used a decorative rim and overlapping compass wheel with an arrow pointing towards the Northeast. The coordinating rubber stamps were used on the background.  These are obscured in the final piece, but in the upper right hand corner and under the vellum journaling block they can be seen.

S3 006 Border Trimming pieces on the top and bottom of the journaling block in copper metallic paper.

S3 004 Symbology pieces framing the ‘A’ in Autumn and on top of the journaling block in copper metallic paper.

When I put it together, and was journaling the page, it was my birthday (11/1) –  and the day after is my daughter’s birthday.  So the journaling reads:

I have always looked at Autumn as a time of renewal and reflection.  Being a mother is more than I ever expected..  Every year, as my birthday comes, I think of what I wish for; and realize that for the most part I have it.  And then the next day is your birthday, Brianna.  From you I have learned so many things.  You are my present, every year.  I have so many hopes and dreams for your future.  So this year, I wish for you to pursue happiness and never let fear hold you back from going for your dreams.  Every time I look at this picture I can’t help but catch my breath at the beauty I see.  Brianna, you fill my heart with such joy.  I love you.  Happy Birthday to us!

November, 2007

Card:

I ran the embossed red/gold paper through the Wizard to emboss the card front.  The cardfront was folded over the spacer plate during embossing.  I lightly sanded the texture to give it more texture and give the design more contrast.

I layered the embossed paper, and a transparency filmstrip negative piece for the background.

I sewed the green crackle panel to the front of the card with a zig zag stitch.

S4 073 ATC Card and Elements – I used the card portion for gold metallic paper.  I created Photo corners in silver metallic paper for the two opposite corners.

‘Believe’ was created with the following alphabet dies sets.

B and e – L2 04 Enchanted Font
L and V – L1 01 Ceasar Font
I – L2 01 Vintage Font (inside / positive image of letter I)

Finally I used S4 085 Snowflake Wonder in metallic foils gold/silver and layered the pieces together, attached with a square mini-brad.

So thanks for looking.  I can’t wait to get home and start this journey in earnest.