Loving and Caring

In Magenta's new collection, there are some beautiful images by designer Geninne Zlatkis, and I just love every one of these stamps!   This card features "Vine Frame", and it's perfect to frame any sort of sentiment.  There are also wonderful individual flower stamps that go well with this frame.  I stamped the frame using Tsukineko Kaleidacolor ink, and colored over it with a clear Wink of Stella pen.  The sparkle is impossible to capture in a photograph, but beautiful in real life.  The "Loving and Caring" sentiment is part of the new Magenta collection as well.  The blue piece of background paper was stamped with some of Geninne's fantastical flowers, in Versamark ink and clear embossed. Quick, easy and fun!

Magenta Stamps used:

 86.002.N  Vine Frame

 07.842.G  Loving and Caring

86.009.I  Pompons

 86.008.J  Pomegranate

86.010.G  Flower

Other Materials Used:

  Kaleidacolor Ink - Tahiti

Copper Stardream paper; Hero Arts Cerulean layering paper

Tsukineko Versamark Ink; Judikins Clear Detail embossing powder

Wink of Stella clear glitter brush pen

Craftwork Cards Candi Dots:  Mardi Gras and Carnaby Street

You can see all of the new Magenta Collection by clicking on the catalog titled "Magenta Spring 2014 Collection in the sidebar.

Magenta Give-Away

Magenta is offering a give-away to celebrate the release of their Spring Collection, and also to say Thank You to all of their faithful followers.  You could win one of two amazing prizes!

All you have to do is follow Magenta on their blog or Facebook, and use the widget on this page to enter the contest!  (just scroll down a bit).  You can use the links below to follow Magenta.  Easy peasy!  You have until March 10 to enter.  Good Luck!

http://www.facebook.com/style.magenta

http://www.lestylemagenta.blogspot.ca/

Tangled Tag

Just a quick tag - we've been giving these away at the shop.  If you're local, come in and see how you can get one!

Tangled Tag by Dianne Johnson

I love how this brown 01 Micron looks on Kraft paper.  We are getting some of these at the shop on Wednesday!  Thank You stamp is B1751 by Memory Box and Another Imagination Gone Wild stamp is MK395 from Rubbermoon Stamps.

New Spring 2014 Collection from Magenta

It's here, and it's fantastic!  Please call or come by to order.

Tomorrow is the Day!

Hooray!  Tomorrow is the day for the big reveal of the new Magenta collection!!  Stay tuned!

New Magenta Collection Sneak Peek

I've been saying for a while that the new Magenta collection is coming, and it is coming very soon!  I'm super excited about these new images, and I know you all are going to love them as much as I do.    Helene Metivier of Magenta has kindly allowed me to put a sneak peek of some of the new images on my blog.  If you are on Facebook, you can also see these, plus one of the new templates on the Magenta page.  Be sure to "Like!"  Keep checking back here for the announcement that the new collection is out.  For my local readers, the Magenta catalog is open at Art 'n Soul, and as soon as the new collection is out, be sure to get your orders in for your favorites.  You are going to love these new images and templates!

Cards by Valerie Dumais

Magenta Retailer of the Year!

In case you all missed this on the Magenta blog, please check out the link here.

Dianne Johnson and Susie Tracy

Art 'n Soul received an award for the Magenta Retailer of the Year, for the fourth year in a row, and I was pleased to be asked to present the award to Susie Tracy, our shop owner.  We were so happy and honored to get this award again.  This means that for the year 2013, we bought more Magenta products than any other store in the U.S (actually, for the years 2010 through 2013).  There's a reason that we buy a lot of Magenta products, and that is because we simply believe that they are one of the best stamp companies around.  Our customers agree with us and come to us to purchase these classy and elegant stamps.  I'll leave you with a picture of a card that I made for a class that I co-taught with Marj Marion, (mentor and teacher extraordinaire), on making your own washi tape.

Magenta sentiment stamp:  Circle of Friends 2  07.673.I

Sorry the picture quality is not that good, but the sentiment is wonderful.  I'm so glad you all are in MY circle of friends!

Zen Birthday Wishes

Sorry I have been so absent from the blog in the last month!  Those of you who know me know I have a lot going on in my life right now - good things!  One thing that I'm excited about is that Magenta will have a new collection coming out very soon, so watch these pages or their blog for that announcement.  I have been seeing some sneak peeks and it will be fabulous!!

I recently took a little time and made a birthday card for a friend.  I didn't take a picture of the outside, but here is the inside of the card, opened up.  You can see I left a little space to write a Happy Birthday greeting.

I masked a space off with a heart shape that I die cut out of masking paper.  This gave me a clear space to stamp a message.  The tangles were done with a brown Micron 01 pen on Kraft card stock, and the stamping was done with Memento Rhubarb Stalk ink.  The tangle at the top is Por Fin - a new one that I recently learned. I prefer drawing it on a curve, rather than straight.

I like the effect of masking a space for stamping and then drawing all around it; I will definitely use this technique more!  I'm also liking the brown Micron on the Kraft.

Two More Tags

As promised, here are two more tags I have made for our Twelve Tags of Christmas at Art 'n Soul.  These two are up on the Magenta blog today!

Magenta Christmas Stocking and Tag stamp 02.303.N

Sizzix Tag Super Scallop die 38-0946

Tombow Markers 565, 245, 815, 847

Versamark Ink

JudikinsGold Embossing powder

Speckled with Artquest mica watercolor in Metallic

I cut the tag out of watercolor paper, stamped the image in Versamark ink, and heat embossed with gold embossing powder.  All coloring was done with Tombow markers and blended with a wet brush.  The leaves were colored with Tombow 245; the berries with Tombow 815; the bow with Tombow 847; and the stocking with Tombow 565.  Apply the color in the areas you want to be darker, and pull the color over to lighter areas with a lightly wet brush, shading well.  The stocking was done by coloring every other row of diamond shapes and drawing the color to the next row with a brush.  The tag was lightly shaded using some of the stocking color.  At the end, a small amount of mica watercolor was flicked on the entire tag.

Magenta Cedar stamp 0654.I

Magenta Merry Christmas and Happy New Year stamp 07.798.G

Sizzix Tag Super Scallop die 38-0946

Faded Jeans Distress Ink with Ranger ink blending tool and finger dauber

Memento Nautical Blue ink

Memento Tuxedo Black ink

Elizabeth Craft Cool Highlights microfine glitter

Blue fuzzy twine

3/4" circle punch

Stampendous White Embossing Enamel

I die cut the tag from white card stock, and stamped the sentiment at the top of the tag with Tuxedo Black Ink.  I punched a 3/4" circle out of tape sheet and applied it to the tag to mask the moon area, and put down Faded Jeans distress ink all around the tag with an ink blending tool.  I cut a piece of tape sheet for the bottom of the tag in a curved shape simulating a snow drift, and applied it to the bottom of the tag.  I left the release paper on the tape to use as a mask, inked the Cedar tree stamp with Memento Nautical Blue ink, and stamped twice without reinking.  I inked the stamp again and stamped twice more.  When stamping, I moved the stamp up and down on the tag to make different sized trees.  I removed the release paper from the moon and snow drift, and added some Cool Highlights glitter, burnishing well with my finger.  I used a finger dauber and more Faded Jeans distress ink to add more shadowing, including on the moon.  I used the release paper from the tape sheet snow drift as a mask to add the hill behind the trees, applying ink very lightly with a finger dauber.  As a last step, the white embossing enamel was sprinkled on, and heated from underneath to simulate snow falling.  Happy Solstice everyone,  Happy Holidays, and a Very Merry Christmas!

Christmas Tags

We have been doing 12 tags of Christmas at Art 'n Soul, and I made these two for today, day 9.  If you are local, I will have these available for make and takes, today only, along with a free Washi tape demonstration by Marj Marion, with lots of tips and inspiration.

Magenta stamp 02.307.L  Holly and Berry Flourish

Memory Box stamp B1953  Merry Christmas Flourish

Versamark Ink

Judikins Gold Embossing Powder

Gold washi tape

Cuttlebug Holly Ribbons Embossing folder 37-1927

For the first tag, I just used a shipping tag, available at any office supply store.  I stamped the Holly and Berry Flourish and the Merry Christmas Flourish in Versamark, and embossed with Judikins Gold Detail embossing powder.  I added a piece of gold washi tape, and embossed just the bottom with the Cuttlebug Holly Ribbons embossing folder.  I added a small piece of gold ribbon.  I wish you could see how shiny and glittery this is in real life.  My photo doesn't do it justice.

For this one I used:

Magenta stamp 02.307.L  Holly and Berry Flourish

Versamark Ink

Judikins Gold Embossing Powder

Tombow marker 245 (for the green); Tombow marker 847 (for the red)

Red Wink of Stella Brush pen

Gold washi tape, and Christmas washi tape

Elizabeth Craft peel-offs (red glitter dots)

Fiskars Holly Punch

Sizzix Super Scallop Tag Die 38-0946

I stamped the Holly and Berry Flourish with Versamark Ink and embossed it with Judikins gold embossing powder.  The holly was colored with Tombow marker 245, and the berries with Tombow marker 847.  I went over the berries with a red Wink of Stella brush pen.  I added washi tape, and punched out the holly.  I glued the gold holly leaves back onto the tag and added some red glitter peel off dots from Elizabeth Craft for the berries.

These tags were easy and fun to do, and I plan to make a lot more for my family's presents.  I have a couple more tags to share with you, and I will post them in the next day or two.