SCACD "Natural Beauty" Blog Hop!!!

Good Morning and happy weekend eve, my friends!!! After seeing a week of teasers from this brillinat, new collection...I bet you are ready to see the entire set:) Well...the wait is finally over because it is the OFFICIAL release day for the beautifully stunning "Natural Beauty Collection" by Carmen Medlin for SCACD:O) I cannot stress enough just how much I LOVE this set!!!! I have a feeling you will love it too:) We have a few special guests joining the SCACD Family in today's hop...be prepared for fun stuff and loads of inspiration...so, grab a cup of your favorite beverage, a yummy snack, sit back, relax, and let your fingers do the walking across your keyboard...OH! and with all the talented artists on this naturally beautiful journey...you may need a drool cloth...of course that is optional;) You should have arrived here from my new DT sister, Melanie's magnificent blog. If you didn't and arrived here first, then you will want to head on over to the top of the hop at Elaine's sensational blog.

Today, I have the pleasure of introducing you to the gorgeous stamp - Siren's Call. Isn't this the dreamiest of images? I absolutely fell in love with this beauty as soon as my inky paws got ahold of it. I love the koi and all the "koi-like" details in her dress and jewelry:) Carmen really thought of everything when she created this lovely image!!! Also, being part Japanese, the symbolism of the koi made this image speak to me even more. The image was colored with Prismacolor markers, and the sparkly bits were added with DecoArt Glamour Dust Ultrafine Glitter Paint and Copic Atyou Spica Glitter Pens. I love the way the DecoArt Paint gives the illusion of sparkly water...and can be painted over the entire area without altering the color of the image beneath. To give the ripples in the pond a touch of added dimension, I outlined them with a Viva Decor Glitter Liner in Sapphire. For the background, I wanted the koi details to carry through...so I used a Martha Stewart border punch to give me the desired effect I was hoping for...I think it turned out okay...especially the dimension and texture it created. To make the "scale" background have an extra pop and shimmer, I painted each of the border strips with DecoArt Glamour Dust Glitter Paint, and the interior of the "scales" were painted with Smooch Inks in Pumpkin and Sundance. I wish the pics could truly capture all the lovely shimmer and sparkle on this card. I also popped up this beautiful Siren...along with the koi popping out of the pond to say hello:)

I also wanted to mention...especially if you find yourself loving this gorgeous set as much as I do...with every Natural Beauty Collection (7 images) set purchased, Susana will be giving away for *FREE* 1 tulled rose set from Prima (pic below - it contains 9 roses - Approx 1" each). Please note: Susana will pick the color:o) This special offer is only good for the 1st week of the release and ends May 29th. This SPECIAL GIFT is ONLY available at SCACD.

Okay...I think I have taken up enough of your time. THANK YOU so much for hopping along with us!!! And, if you saw my Preview Post for yesterday and didn't leave a comment answering the question I posted, you may want to stop by so you can be entered into my little candy drawing...you have until Sunday night to get your comment in:)

Now...head on over to Mary's phenomenal blog to see the Natural Beauty she has created!!! I know it is going to be a stunner!!!! ALSO, don't forget to get your order in for these beautiful, new stamps. I have a strong feeling they are going to be flying off the shelves!!! They are NOW available for purchase at SCACD...and for our International visitors, you can get yours at Quixotic Paperie (Please note: the Bonus Primas are only available when purchasing the ENTIRE collection at SCACD)!!! AND...if you find yourself lost along the hop, you can find the entire hop order on the SCACD Store Blog:) Have a beautifully blessed Friday and super wonderful weekend!!!

Before I head outta here, I am also playing along with the following AWESOME challenges:

• A Spoonfull of Sugar - Anything Goes
• Clear It Out Tuesday - Artish (cards/projects using any coloring medium)
• Use It Tuesday - Bling
• Karen's Doodles - Bold & Bright
• Creative Inspirations - Glitzy and Bling

HAPPY HUGS!!!

Carolyn

Card ingredients:

Stamp: Siren's Call by Carmen Medlin for SCACD Stamp Co. and Studio G sentiment; Card stock: Papertrey Ink; Miscellaneous goodies: Prismacolor markers, DecoArt Glamour Dust Ultra Fine Glitter Paint, Copic Atyou Spica Glitter Pens, Viva Decor Glitter Liner - Sapphire, Smooch Inks - Pumpkin and Sundance, Martha Stewart border punch, Fiskars 3-in-1 corner punch, Papertrey satin ribbon, Paper Studio red rhinestones, Spellbinder's - Classic Large Rectangles and Classic Scalloped Rectangles, Petaloo blossom, dimensionals