Thank you, Impression Obsession!

I couldn't resist using this fun candy jar image to create a Thank-You card for the crew at Impression Obsession. They were super sweet in sponsoring our Shimmerzteam this week!

Once again, I colored the image in different colors of Shimmerz, then went back and added shading with coordinating colored pencils. I love this effect! Take a closer look:



Thanks so much, Impression Obsession!

Out to Impress!

When I first heard that Impression Obsession was going to do a Product Swap with Shimmerz, I was so excited! I have several Impression Obsession images and have been long been a fan of their stamps. The pairing is absolutely perfect, too - Shimmerz makes the perfect medium for coloring in these great images. Just take a look at the shine I was able to add to this coffee cup image from the "Smell the Coffee" set:

All I added there was a touch of pink and celery Shimmerz! The image was initally colored with Copics; I applied the Shimmerz right over the top for a great look.

One of the things that is so fun about Impression Obsession is the wide variety of stamps that they carry. This stamp is such a beautiful garden scene, and I used a bunch of Shimmerz products on it without it being overpowered. The background is covered in Shimmerz Spritz in Baby's Breath, which shows well here:

This picture lets you see the Evergreen, Sky Blue, and Royal Red that I used on other areas:

I added a little Flower Soft and pearls and created a gorgeous card with tons of detail!

This series of topiaries is just a delightful stamp! I knew right away that this image was just MADE for Shimmerz! I painted the image first, then added in shading with matching colored pencils. Just look at how beautifully it turned out!

For a closer look at the gorgeous effect that you get with Shimmerz, take a look at this:

Thanks to the generous crew at Impression Obsession. If you're looking for a great line of stamps to use in coordination with your Shimmerz products, this is the perfect one!

Shimmerz are Berry Lovely!

Strawberries and I have a long history - I was just telling my husband the other day that I truly don't know what I would do if strawberries were ever taken away from me (of course, the very large Sonic Strawberry Slush I was drinking at the time would have a lot to do with that comment!).

So I was looking at my Fire Engine Red Shimmerz the other day when it hit me, it isn't just fire engine red, it's STRAWBERRY red! :) And I was right! Just take a look at the shine it brought to these luscious sweeties:

You probably notice that there's more Shimmerz on that, too - what you're seeing is Celery! It was the perfect complementary color with the Fire Engine Red. I added a little to the polka dots on the bowl, too, to balance it out.

Shimmerz were the perfect touch on this card - I hope you agree! Be well, Jenn Ellefson

Tuesday Darez

Every Tuesday, a different member of the Design Team will challenge you to create something wonderful using Shimmerz, Blingz, or Spritz. If you'd like to participate and create something with us, great! Just leave your name & URL of the specific post or gallery picture here with Mr. Linky. Then, on the following Monday afternoon, we'll have a random drawing for the winner of a prize pack of goodies from Shimmering Products. How does that sound? We hope you'll join us whenever you can!

Today I thought I would challenge you to use some of the wood pieces that you may have lying around your craft area. I don't know about you, but I love the unfinished wood aisle at my craft store - there are always so many fun items there, and they're always so reasonable! I have a little secret, though - often times, I buy these items and then don't do anything with them; it isn't because I'm uninspired, but more of a case of impatient! See, I get in the groove, and hate waiting for things to dry. That's where Shimmerz comes in handy - it's quick drying time combined with beautiful coverage makes it the perfect medium to use with wood. Wait until you see what the team has come up with to inspire you!

Jami created this beautiful card with Plum Pudding Spritz - don't you love the way it covers this laser-cut wood piece?




Look at what Melissa did with this wooden paper clip - it's gorgeous! She used Hi Ho Silver and Under the Sea to make this great look.





Ali took a simple photo cube and transformed it into a piece that would look fantastic in any home by adding Eucalyptus Spritz:





OH! Check out this small chest of drawers that Kristine created! Isn't it amazing?





Kim Dellow got really creative with this coat rack - take a look at that cool masking! She used Terra Cotta and Eucalyptus to achieve this great look.



Heather used a wood frame to accent this lovely card - just look at that sparkle and rich color.



Linda always has a way of making stunning projects, and this gorgeous wedding book is no exception. The Shimmerz paints add just the right detail.





Danielle created a beautiful keepsake box that any little girl would cherish:






Here's a bird that is covered with two coats of Sapphire Spritz. I stamped with Memento Black ink right over the top to create the script look.



My last project is a small wooden box that just about every craft store has, I think! I simply painted on Lilac Shimmerz to create this fun look:





I hope all of these beautiful, creative projects inspire you to try your Shimmerz Products with wood craft items! You'll love the results! Don't forget to let us know where to look for your creation! Be well, Jenn Ellefson

Spritz and Chipboard

It's finally here - Shimmerz Spritz! I'm so excited to show you this QUICK & EASY project to highlight its amazing, shimmery goodness. Take a look at how chipboard can be transformed:



Quick change to: (You can click on the picture for a larger image.)



I stamped the sentiment with Staz On, but that's it - not other preparation. It doesn't get any easier than that. Since Spritz dries so quickly, too, it doesn't take any time at all to put on a second coat. And unlike other sprays, it doesn't 'spit' out blobs of spray, and any inconsistent spots quickly fade into the background. You're left with an effortless, consistent coverage - that's what makes this product right up my alley!



Look how it makes this simple card look - again, Spritz kicks it up a notch effortlessly! I wish I could do this spray justice with my photos, but I hope you get a good idea at just how shimmery this really is.



You can head over to the Shimmerz website to see all 20 colors.

Packing a punch!

I think that each one of us has different reasons why we love Shimmerz paints so much, but for me, it has to be the instant punch it adds to a craft. It's practically effortless! Just to give the simplest example, take a look at this card. Cute, simple, practical to have on hand...but just look at what the recipient gets to see:



In the timeless words of Batman - KAPOW! The simple application vs. the visual impact makes Shimmerz a no-brainer on all of my cards! Give it a try on some of yours - we'd love to see what you come up with!

Shimmerz with Scrapbooking

I love the way this layout came together, but felt like it was missing just a little something. It needed to be something more on the subtle side - which made me think about my Shimmerz paints! I recently picked up the color COAL and thought it would be perfect on this. So, armed with a paint brush, my jar of Coal Shimmerz and my nearly-finished layout, I went to work. Five minutes later - voila! Just what I needed!



I hope you can see what a difference it made! I painted the title and the frame around the journaling. It ended up being the perfect touch for this! I'm so pleased that I added it because it made all the difference without overpowering what I had already done. I hope this inspires you to give it a whirl on some of your layouts - you'll be so glad you did!



Be well! ~ Jenn

Happy Easter!

Does the Easter Bunny at your house ever crave for those ever-present plastic eggs to have a little more oomph? The Easter Bunny here does, that's for sure. That got me thinking how much fun Shimmerz would be! Here, I painted a yellow egg with Sunny and a pink egg with Royal Red. It's such a quick and easy craft - and I'm already thinking to next year, with a bunch of these done up for a wreath. Can't you just imagine how festive that would be?

Give it a whirl - it's a great way to add quick oomph to the old standby! Happy Easter, Jenn

Made in the Shade!

Did I find out something fun about Shimmerz! You can use Prismacolor pencils ON TOP of Shimmerz, add depth and shading, and your gorgeous shimmer effects are still there! (Can't you just see me doing a little happy seat-dance?)

The image above uses Spiced Cider, Evergreen, Sky Blue, Ultra Marine, and Pink Shimmerz. (I stamped the Lockhart image using Memento Tuxedo Black ink.) Using a fine-tip paint brush, I painted the image and allowed it to dry (which, thanks to the water-based nature of Shimmerz, is very little time!). Then I went back in with coordinating pencils and started adding shading and highlights. One of my coolest finds was that you can add lighter colors - typically with pencils you need to start lightest and go darker; not the case here, as seen on the leaves (I painted them in Evergreen Shimmerz and add Chartruese pencil for highlights).

And the best thing? The pencil doesn't block out the shimmery effects! I'm just fascinated by this! You should give it a try - it adds phenomenal detail to your image! Here's how it looks put all together:



Give it a try - we'd love to see your results! Be well, Jenn

Shimmering Stitching

Hi all! If you're on the East Coast, like me, you're probably digging out from snow! I hope you're all warm & safe!

Well, in my cozy hibernation, I made a fun discovery. You can make your machine stitching shimmer beautifully - all you need is Shimmerz and a fine tip paint brush. Machine stitch just as you normally would, and then paint away! Wait until you see the difference it makes on your project. Here's a closer look:



You'll notice I used Sky Shimmerz and Pixie Dust Blingz on the frame of the Lockhart stamp image (right over Copics - another great look!) and then I used Pink Shimmerz over my white thread.

Give this trick a try - and I would love to see the results! ~ Jenn Ellefson