June Guest Designer Sue Smith

Today we would like to welcome the winner of our May Challenge 

and our guest designer for June, Sue Smith.

I am thrilled to be a Guest Designer this month! Thank you for inviting me!

I am a complete scrapaholic! Scrapbooking is my absolute, Number 2, passion!  Number one is, of course, my family. My husband fortunately, loves gardening and he tends our one and half acres, which gives me time to scrap. We live in a northern area of New Zealand where there are lots of beautiful beaches and wineries. We have 3 grown children, a wee grand-daughter and a grandson due in a few weeks.  Between weddings and babies, there is no end of inspiration and a backlog of photos to work with.

My style changes according to the photos or papers that I want to use. I tend to do more shabby chic style, but, lately, am enjoying working with some brighter colours and some mixed media.

I hope you enjoy this summer layout (done while snuggled up in front of the fire, because we are in the middle of winter!)

Cheers J

You can visit Sue's blog here:  http://patriciasue.blogspot.co.nz/

Here is what Sue has created for Marilyn's Challenge:

 Love the bright colors and details!  Such a fun layout!

Thanks for joining us this month Sue!

June Guest Designer - Norma Gomez

Hello Berry71Bleu Fans!!  I'm Norma Gomez and I'm so happy to be here with you all today!  I'm the mom of three boys and grandma to two beautiful grand babies.   I started scrapbooking after my mother passed away because I inherited a lot of her old photos.  As we went through them, we realized that we had no idea who the people were or why she had saved them.  So I wanted to make sure that I preserved all of our stories behind the photos for my family.  Besides scrapbooking, I love creating mixed media artwork and art journaling.  I really love the freedom of being able to use all different types of mediums with everything from textiles to found objects.  I'm currently a designer for Zeus and Zoe, Marivic's other business.  To get to know me and my work a little better, visit my blog: Little Honey Bee Studios.   

Today I'll like to share my spin on Marilyn's Summer Challenge featuring beautiful 7 Dots Studio papers and Jacquard products.

This month's challenge is all about sharing what you like to do best during summer.  During the summer months we like to travel as much as possible but it's usually really hard for my husband to get away.  So last we year we went on several smaller road trips and this place was my son's very favorite place.  We rode those boardwalk rides night after night til we left.

For this layout, I started out with a plain white sheet of cardstock.  I doodled around both the top and bottom edges with Jacquard Clear 3-D Lumiere.  Then I added a little Vintage Photo Distress ink to help bring out the doodles.  

To add texture I started my layers off with cream colored burlap.  After that, I inserted gorgeous 7 Dots Studios Hopefully paper dusted with Micropearl Pearl Ex pigment powder.  I used white Dylusions ink to bind the Pearl Ex pigment powder.  The micropearl pigment works to soften the paper's color and add an elegant shimmer.

I matted the photo with vintage papers and a script tag from my Zeus and Zoe kit.  For my title, I simply wrote out "Ride" with India Ink on white cardstock and cut it out.  The rest of my title is written directly on the vintage papers.

To finish off my layout I added various flowers from my stash, a little bling and tiny butterflies for an added touch of whimsy. 

Thank you so much for joining me today!  I hope I've inspired to join in on this month's challenge and I'd like to invite over to Zeus and Zoe.  We have a fun June Challenge: My Favorite Things going on as we speak.   So come on over and join the fun!!  

Have a Beautiful Day!

REFLECTION by Anupama Choudary

Hello there, Berry71Bleu friends! I love Marilyn's Summer Challenge because I am just back from my annual vacation to my hometown. I usually spend summer (Apr-May in India) with my parents, brother and extended family. It is a time when I am away from domestic and professional commitments...free to indulge in Reflection.

I take stock of my life, try to make sense of the grey areas, review my goals and 

renew my affirmations.

Marivic's delish tag is a reminder of all the treats I indulged in this summer!

Yay to instant gratification...life is too short for regrets :)

I used Pearl-Ex Powdered pigments (Duo Violet-Brass & Duo Green-Violet) by our sponsor Jacquard on the background paper for awesome sheen.

I love the tags from The Queen's Heart collection by 7 Dots Studio (our DT sponsors for June). They are so apt for the theme of my page.

I smeared some Lumiere Dimensional paint in Rich Red on my fussy-cut paper to create texture. The papers are from Love Is In The Air collection of 7 Dots Studio.

Our June Sponsors

http://www.jacquardproducts.com

For over thirty years, Jacquard Products has been the leading manufacturer of textile art supplies. Our product lines include: textile paints, dyes, fabric art markers, screen inks and craft kits. Commercial studios, professional artists & craftspeople, home crafters, do-it-yourselfers and kids appreciate the superior quality and ease-of-use of our products.

Mission Statement: Jacquard Products is committed to meeting the needs of artists and crafters everywhere with excellence and value.

Main prize:

 Pearl Ex Powdered Pigment Set

2nd Prize 

Random Winner Prize:

6 x 6 Loyal Collection from Authentique

http://blog.authentiquepaper.com/

Authentique Paper, LLC was founded by Samantha Wheatley and Bret 

Cornell in 2011. Our team has over 40 years combined experience in the 

papercraft industry. We distribute our products to retailers worldwide.

Authentique Paper is the hottest new brand in the paper craft industry,

best known for our signature artisan papers which are printed on heavy 

weight textured paper! Our stickers have a custom made, matte-finish

cardstock, also unique to Authentique Paper. Our style is vintage with a

modern twist and our products are always made with the crafter of all 

levels in mind.

Our Design Team sponsor for the month of June is 7 Dots Studio.  We were lucky to be furnished with a few collections to work with.

 

We are a team of creative women who cannot imagine their world without paper, glue and creative process. Scrapbooking is our passion. And we love to share our passion with other scrapbookers.  For this reason, 7 Dots Studio exists.

Quality of our products is our priority. Each of our collections is made of highest quality materials thick scrapbooking paper (250gsm), acid-free, lignin-free, archival and highest quality matt stickers. We use materials from leading manufacturers in the paper industry.

You have until the end of this month to send in your entries.

Hope your summer is as awesome as mine :)

Vacation Layout

Hello once again fellow crafters!  Kay here with my take on Marilyn's challenge for the month of June. There was only one word that popped into my head when I saw this month's challenge--VACATION!!  Oh yes...for me, summer is equivalent to vacation--whether it be a mini-weekend getaway or a full blown vacation to a new Caribbean island, country or just fly to the West Coast & see what life is like on the 'other' side of town!

So in keeping the concept of vacation in mind I've finally scrapped this photo of my husband & I on our vacation back in 2011 to Puerto Rico.  We were celebrating our 4 year anniversary & we both definitely enjoy going to warm tropical places more than anything...so for that year we chose something relatively close to us here in the East Coast which was Puerto Rico.  We thoroughly enjoyed this lovely island--the beaches are beautiful & we encountered many wonderful people on our trip.

For this layout I've used papers by 7 Dots Studio & I've given my background a slight glimmer & sheen with the use of Pearl Ex by Jacquard.

I used several stamps to give my background a bit more interest--but at the same time I wanted my background to have a very soft & subtle tone.  So I used a mask & 'pounced' along my mask with embossing ink.  Then with a soft brush I applied the Pearl Ex.  The powder stuck to the embossing ink & this created a subtle shimmery image on my background.

I tucked a bit of tulle underneath my flower cluster to soften the page a bit more.

A bit more stamping & I've added some dimension with dots of clear lacquer, acrylic paint & Stickles.

Here you can see the sheen on my background a bit better...it was a bit difficult to capture with my camera since it's such a soft & subtle sheen.  I found these products by Jacquard to be perfect for adding a soft sheen to my backgrounds.

Now onto this month's sponsors & prizes...

http://www.jacquardproducts.com

For over thirty years, Jacquard Products has been the leading manufacturer of textile art supplies. Our product lines include: textile paints, dyes, fabric art markers, screen inks

and craft kits. Commercial studios, professional artists & craftspeople, home crafters, do-it-yourselfers and kids appreciate the superior quality and ease-of-use of our products.

Mission Statement: Jacquard Products is committed to meeting the needs of artists and crafters everywhere with excellence and value.

Main prize:

 Pearl Ex Powdered Pigment Set

2nd Prize 

Random Winner Prize:

6 x 6 Loyal Collection from Authentique

http://blog.authentiquepaper.com/

Authentique Paper, LLC was founded by Samantha Wheatley and Bret 

Cornell in 2011. Our team has over 40 years combined experience in the 

papercraft industry. We distribute our products to retailers worldwide.

Authentique Paper is the hottest new brand in the paper craft industry,

best known for our signature artisan papers which are printed on heavy 

weight textured paper! Our stickers have a custom made, matte-finish

cardstock, also unique to Authentique Paper. Our style is vintage with a

modern twist and our products are always made with the crafter of all 

levels in mind.

Our Design Team sponsor for the month of June is 7 Dots Studio.  We were lucky to be furnished with a few collections to work with.

 

We are a team of creative women who cannot imagine their world without paper, glue and creative process. Scrapbooking is our passion. And we love to share our passion with other scrapbookers.  For this reason, 7 Dots Studio exists.

Quality of our products is our priority. Each of our collections is made of highest quality materials thick scrapbooking paper (250gsm), acid-free, lignin-free, archival and highest quality matt stickers. We use materials from leading manufacturers in the paper industry.

Looking forward to all of your creations!

June Guest Designer - Dana Tatar

Hi! My name is Dana Tatar and I am a stay-at-home mom currently living in Florida with my husband and two young daughters. I started scrapbooking to preserve memories after the birth of my first daughter and now I enjoy the creative outlet. I love to mix products from different collections on my projects and I frequently find inspiration in music, poetry and pop culture. I'm an active blogger and I like to share my tips and ideas. I create a little of everything, including layouts, cards, tags, artist trading cards, arches and small gift and home decor items.

I am so excited to be a Guest Designer for Berry71Bleu this month! I'm currently a designer for Marivic's sister site, Zeus and Zoe. I love visitors, so please stop by my blog, They Call Me Tatar Salad!

I've created two projects to share today, a layout and a tag. The wonderful products from the sponsors for this month, 7 Dots Studios and Jacquard, were just too fun to work with to stop at one piece!

Marylin's Challenge for this month is all about documenting your favorite Summer activities. I'm always up for a trip to the beach! The fabulous white sand beaches of Florida are absolutely breathtaking year round. I created this page with the 7 Dots Studios Dreamer Collection and some watercolor paint that I mixed up with Jacquard Pearl Ex Powdered Pigments.

I love to use stickers on my projects! The 7 Dots Studios Dreamer Stickers matched my paint perfectly!

I added some fun texture to this page with fishing net, cheese cloth, molding paste, masking tape and some of my favorite beach finds, starfish and shells. The fun heart charm and seashell key (shown above) came in my Zeus and Zoe Kit. If you're looking for a fabulous kit packed with vintage items that is truly one-of-a-kind, email Marivic or stop by the Zeus and Zoe Etsy Shop and check out the NEW Mini Collection Embellishment Project Kits.

If you haven't worked with Pearl Ex Powdered Pigments before, the brilliant shine is fabulous in real life! The shimmer reminds me of the opalescent finish found on oyster shells, the perfect look for a beach themed layout!

I also created this beach themed tag with products from 7 Dots Studios and Jacquard and I'm going to share my step-by-step process!

Step 1. Build up layers of texture on a shipping tag with crepe paper, cheese cloth and masking tape. Note: Don't think too hard during this step! Apply pieces of different materials randomly until the tag is covered.

Step 2. For even more texture and dimension, add a fun design with Jacquard Lumiere 3D Dimensional Metallic Paint & Adhesive to the tag and set aside to dry.

Step 3. Cover the tag with a light coat of gesso and let dry.

Step 4. Mix up several colors of paint using equal parts liquid gum arabic (binder) and Pearl Ex Powdered Pigment and a small amount of water. Note: I used Duo Violet-Brass (693) and Duo Green-Purple (692) Pearl Ex Pigment Powder. If you are using powdered gum arabic, combine 1 part gum arabic to 4 parts powdered pigment. To test the solution, paint a small area on a piece of paper and allow it to dry. If the pigment doesn't rub off when dry, then you have a usable paint. If the pigment does rub off, add more binder.

Step 5. Add some gold highlights and let dry. Note: I used Sparkle Gold (657) Pearl Ex Pigment Powder that I mixed using the same ratio of ingredients as mentioned in the previous step.

Step 6. Paint over the 3D pattern from Step 2 with gold alcohol ink. Once dry, embellish the tag to finish. Note: I used Jacquard Pinata Color in Rich Gold.

Thanks so much for stopping by today! I hope I have inspired you! If you have any questions about the techniques I used on my projects, leave a note in the comments section of this post or send me an email and I'll do my best to answer them. Also, I'd love to have you stop by the Zeus and Zoe Blog and link up a project for the June Favorite Things Challenge!

Enjoy The Little Things In Life by Debbie

Hi, Debbie here with you today to share with you my layout for our June Challenge: What is the thing you love to do most in the Summer?  I spend a lot of time outdoors enjoying the sunshine.  You can find me working in my flower gardens, or sitting out on my deck with a cool refreshing drink and a good book to read.  My favorite author is Fern Michaels. 

Our Design Team sponsor for the month of June is 7 Dots Studio. 

We were lucky to be furnished with some collections to work with.  I used papers and tags from their Domestic Goddess, Hopefully and Love Is In The Air collections.

Our prize sponsor this month is Jacquard. 

 

I was furnished a couple of colors of their PearlEx Power Pigments to work with and used them on the chipboard and lace on my layout.

I first covered my chipboard with some bronze ink.  Then I applied some distress crackle paint and PearlEx Green-Purple and Violet-Brass.  Once dried, I repeated the process.  I also randomly inked the lace below my picture and added some of the PearlEx colors.

A few closeups:

There is plenty of time for you to join our challenge.  

Please check out all of the details and prize information here.

Happy creating!

. . . Debbie

ONLY YOU by Agnieszka Bellaidea with 7 Dots Studio and Jacquard

Hi!

It's Bellaidea today with my new project.

I hope you know by now about our challenge?

Marilyn had this great idea about Summer.

You can check all details about her challenge HERE.

I made my project using lovely papers from our DT sponsor for June, 7 Dots Studio. 

HERE you can see all collection

Love Is In The Air 

 

I think they look fantastic with a Summer photo.

You can based your project on this board:

I started using some chipboards from our next sponsor....You will see more of them next month:)

I had some stickers from older collection by 7 Dots studio /they sponsored us before:)

On the last two photos you can see great products from our main sponsor this month, 
http://www.jacquardproducts.com

 Every couple of days you can visit us and see what all DT made with 7 Dots papers and Jacqard products.
Remember to join our challenge too!
Why?
Let's see..

Thank you for looking!

Agnieszka