Grateful Heart

There was a new release on Thursday from Gina K. Designs. This card is for the release party challenge - Grateful Heart.  We have to use autumn colors or images and a sentiment of thanks or gratitude.

All products are from Gina K. Designs, unless otherwise stated. I started by stamping the sentiment in Dark Chocolate ink on a piece of Spectrum Noir Ultra Smooth Premium White cardstock. I stamped the flowers and leaves, also in Dark Chocolate, around the sentiment.  The stamps are from the Painted Autumn stamp set. I coloured in the flowers with Spectrum Noir alcohol markers, using OR3, GB5, GB6, and CT2. For the leaves, I used CG4 and CG2. I thought they looked a little bright and didn't have enough of a brown undertone so I went over the whole leaf with YG3.

I attached a piece of patterned paper from the Give Thanks pack. There are tiny leaves among the red and green that are blue and yellow. I used Ocean Mist ribbon to match the blue and a Honey Mustard mat to match the yellow. I adhered this to a white card base.

We are supposed to have a very humid week here, so I hope it doesn't get too hot. It already feels like 29C or 84F and it's only 9:00 in the morning. Oh well, summer goes by so fast so I guess I should enjoy it while it's here. Hope you have a great week!

Bleach it Out!

There was a new release for Gina K. Designs last week, and Gina gave us a Release Party Challenge to make a card using bleach to lighten the colour of the cardstock. 

I started with a piece of Turquoise Sea cardstock, stamped my flower image, embossed with clear embossing powder and masked it. I repeated that for the other two flowers. I went over all the flowers with a paintbrush dipped in bleach. I was surprised to find that it didn't all bleach the same way. Some spots are lighter than others. I went over them again to make sure I hadn't missed any spots with the bleach but they didn't get any lighter.

I decided to try another colour and stamped the leaves on Jelly Bean Green cardstock. When I used the bleach on it, it turned a lovely yellow colour. I fussy cut around the leaves and glued them by the flowers.

I took another piece of Jelly Bean Green, stamped and embossed the sentiment and taped it onto the blue piece. I wrapped a piece of ribbon around the front and taped it in the back. I adhered this piece to a white card base and added two rhinestones to the front.

Gina K. Designs: Turquoise Sea and Jelly Bean Green cardstock
                             Key Lime ink
                             Birthday Blessings stamp set 
Memento Tuxedo Black ink 
white cardstock, bleach, clear embossing powder, double sided tape, ribbon, rhinestones from my stash

Thumping Technique

This is a card I made for several challenges: Mod Squad Challenge - Thump, Thump Away (We have to use the thumping technique on our card. You can see a video here.); StampTV Monthly Mix Challenge - You Bet Your Sweet Acetate (We need to use acetate on our card.): Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Red, White and/or Blue; and Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Red, White and/or Blue.

We have had a very hot week here, so perhaps I was thinking of cool snow when I made this card! 

I started with a piece of white cardstock, die cut a shape to use for the shaker area and embossed it with a snowflake embossing folder. I laid this piece on top of a white card base to see where I needed to stamp the sentiment and poinsettia. 

I attached a piece of acetate to the back of the embossed piece and then put strips of foam tape around the die cut shape to enclose the shaker elements. I also added foam strips around the edge to make it level. I added the shaker elements and attached the card base.

I stamped the flower and leaves for the front by stamping off first, to make a lighter colour. Then I tapped a marker over the stamp before stamping it onto a piece of white cardstock. I die cut them and taped them onto the front of the card. I added a yellow flower shape in the middle of the poinsettia.

Now I have one more Christmas card completed!

I used the following supplies:

Gina K. Designs: Merry & Bright Stamp set and coordinating dies
                            Red Hot, Wild Dandelion and Lucky Clover ink
                            White cardstock 
Sizzix Snow Burst embossing folder
Scor Tape
acetate, die, markers, foam tape, sequins, shaker elements, flower embellishment from my stash