Tissue Paper Flowers

 Over at Perfectly Rustics this week, the challenge is to try a new technique. (http://perfectlyrustics.com/2015/04/20/prdc-no-46-new-technique/)

This is the second card I tried using the tissue paper technique.

For this card, I used blue tissue paper from an American Greetings super value pack and Gina K heavy base weight blue denim card stock, and I used decoupage (with a satin finish) to adhere the crumpled tissue paper to the card stock and also for a top coat to seal it.   Instead of using this panel for the background as I did previously, I wanted to try to cut it with a die to use as my focal images.  I used the Sizzix Flowers Layers #3 Original Die (which is a steel rule die), and it cut beautifully!  I then made another tissue paper panel (with tissue paper that I did not wrinkle but left smooth) and used Spellbinders Classic Square (large) dies to cut the frames, and that worked well also!  I was surprised because I thought it would be hard to get through several layers of decoupage on tissue and card stock, but it was no problem at all!  I love the texture of the flowers with the tissue paper; it almost looks and feels like leather, and the decoupage made them bright and shiny.

I created the centers of the flowers with my Epiphany Crafts Shape Studio Bubble Cap maker , Clear Round (14) epoxy shapes, and the same yellow card stock used for the card base.  This tool is pretty cool because you can use whatever paper you want to create custom embellishments for your projects.

The polka dotted paper behind the flowers was from the Recollections All Girl 6×6 paper pack, and the solid yellow card stock was from the DCWV Brights 12×12 card stock stack.  The white panel was Gina K heavy base pure white card stock which I embossed using the Darice Flower Frenzy Embossing Folder.  My greeting was from the Gina K Designs “Birthday Label Duo” stamp set (retired?) and was stamped with Gina K Blue Denim ink. I used a scrap of the tissue paper panel behind my greeting.  A piece of American Craft ribbon finished it off.

Because these flowers with the frames were too big to fit on an A2 sized card, this card is 5×7.

If you’d like to learn and try a new technique,  join us over at Perfectly Rustics and share your project! We’d love to see it!!

Thanks for checking out my card project!

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Celebrate In Style

The Mod Squad Challenge this week is “Magazine Madness” where we are encouraged to use something on our card project from a magazine, gift catalog, or any other periodical we may have lying around. We can use it as a background, we can do a little fussy cutting, or we can get really creative and fussy cut a whole bunch of different shapes and make a collage or scene. We can do anything as long as something from a magazine is somewhere on our card.  (Sadly, this site is no longer active.)

As I mentioned earlier, I don’t really have magazines here and get very few catalogs.  This card was the first one I made for this challenge before I got the free SJ Magazine in the mail that I used for my other 2 cards for this challenge.  The image for this card was actually on an ad pamphlet that came in the mail earlier in the week.  I’m not sure if this qualifies for the challenge, but since the card is done, I figured I’d link it.  (If it isn’t eligible, please let me know, and I’ll remove it.)

This Maserati photo screamed masculine birthday card when I saw it, so I whipped up this “stylish” card using Gina K Cherry Red and black card stock and a stamp from the Gina K Designs “Celebrate in Style” duo (retired?).  The stamp was inked with Memento tuxedo black, and then the banner was sprayed with Tattered Angels Pearl Glimmer Mist to make it shiny like the car.  Unfortunately, the shimmer doesn’t show up too well in the photo.  I tried adding ribbon, different card stock panels and die cuts, etc., but everything just took away from the beautiful photo.  Sometimes, less is better!

I’m not really a car person, but even I have to admit that this car is sweet!!  (Even the advertisement was gorgeous!)  Well, I’m off to run errands in my minivan!! 🙂

Thanks for checking out my card project!

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Confetti Cluster Flower Card

I just learned a new technique called Confetti Cluster Stamping where you stamp a bunch of small images in the shape of your choice.  (You can see the video tutorial HERE over at Papertrey Ink.) Basically, you start with a shape template and lightly trace it onto your card panel.   Then you use a variety of tiny stamps and inks to fill in the traced shape.  Once the entire shape is filled in (enough to clearly see the original shape), you erase your traced lines and you are left with a beautiful, confetti-like image.

I am entering this card project in the Mod Squad “Flowers” Challenge this week where we are to use a flower as a focal point.  (Sadly, this site is no longer active.)  The sponsor for this week is Melanie Muenchinger from Hands. Head and Heart so for the bonus entry, you need to use one of Melanie’s stamps.

I am also entering this in The Paper Players challenge # 236 – “Ann’s Clean and Simple Floral Challenge” – where we are to create a clean and simple floral card. (http://thepaperplayers.blogspot.com/2015/03/pp236-anns-clean-and-simple-floral.html)

I started with a flower template from the Cricut George and Basics Shapes Cartridge that I cut with my Cricut.  I traced it very lightly with pencil onto a piece of white card stock.  Then I started stamping.

Inks used:  Tim Holtz tattered rose distress ink, and Gina K wild lilac, turquoise sea, ocean mist, sweet mango, sweet corn, kraft, grass green, prickly pear, and innocent pink.

Stamp Sets used (all Gina K Designs – some retired):  Love You Mini Set, The Giving Tree, Pretty Patterns, Mommy-to-be Diva, Party On, Fabulous Frame Fillers, Fabulous Holiday Fillers, Best Fishes, Bundle of Love, and Sunkissed Autumn.

Card Stock used:  Stampin’ Up Crisp Cantaloupe, Gina K Turquoise Sea, and white.

The Sentiment was from the Gina K Designs Happy Birthday Duo set and was stamped with versamark ink and heat embossed with Recollections snow embossing powder.  I cut the flower center with a Creative Memories circle punch and embossed it with a Cuttlebug Swiss Dots embossing folder.  The ribbon is by American Crafts and is strategically placed to hide an ink smudge!

This project was fun to do, but I needed to start over quite a few times because I kept getting ink on the edges of my acrylic block and then onto my card panel.  With such tiny stamps, you need to be careful not to rock the stamps when you are inking them up and again when you stamp the images.  Another problem I had was that I started off stamping my images slowly and deliberately, and then started moving more quickly which is when I tended to mess up.  I know that sounds obvious, but when you repeatedly stamp the same image randomly on your project, it is really easy to pick up speed!  My final problem was that I don’t normally use this many colors and I wasn’t sure I liked my combination at first.  I ended up putting the panel aside and working on something else, and when I came back to it, the colors had faded when the inks dried, and I liked it so much better!  For this project, I basically just kept grabbing ink pads.  For next time, I think I will try some combinations on scrap paper and let the inks dry to see how it will turn out instead of just starting on my card panel.

Thanks for checking out my card project!

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Birthday Wishes

This card was made with three challenges in mind:

1)  There is a color challenge over at The Paper Players.  Here is the color palette we are to use:

If we don’t have these exact colors, it’s ok. As long as the color scheme is similar, we are welcome to play along.  (http://thepaperplayers.blogspot.com/2015/03/pp235-anne-maries-color-challenge.html)

2)  For the Mod Squad “Make a Background” Challenge, we are encouraged to make a background where we can use ink, watercolor, markers, crayons, stencils, stamps….well you get the idea. Basically anything but pattern paper.  (Sadly, this site is no longer active.)

3)  Over at Pile it On, we are to incorporate their CURRENT challenge with at least one other CURRENT challenge .   We are encouraged to see how many challenges we could get into one project!  Their challenge this week is to use green. (http://pileitonchallenge.blogspot.com/2015/03/pile-it-on-59-green.html)

I created my background by applying Tim Holtz distress inks and water to my craft mat and then placing my card stock onto the ink.  The inks I used were peeled paint, scattered straw, frayed burlap, and tattered rose.  These colors closely matched the color palette above.  I trimmed the panel to fit my card base and then used a scrap of it to create the squares on the left as well.  I also used patterned paper from the Gina K Delicate Essentials 6×6 paper pack.  For card stock, I used white to create my background panel along with Stampin’ Up Crisp Cantaloupe, Gina K Sweet Corn and Grass Green, and Bazzill Basics Quick Sand.  To make the vase, I used the Spellbinders Filigree Vase set.  The Spellbinders Fantastic Flourish One die was used to cut the leafy flourish in green.  I cut additional pieces in sweet corn and crisp cantaloupe and cut off the flowers and a few sections of the flourishes for my accents.  I also used a Creative Memories square punch.  The greeting stamp came from the Gina K Designs “Elegant Florals” stamp set and was stamped with the peeled paint ink on a scrap of my hand-made background paper.  (To see how I easily adhered all the delicate flourishes to my project, check out my earlier post HERE.)

This was a fun card project to make.  I really like the color palette and would probably never have thought to use these colors together on my own.  It had been a while since I had made a background using distress inks.  And trying to combine challenges is always …well, a fun challenge!!

Thanks for checking out my card project!

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