Never Enough Sparkle!

Inspiration
I received a card order for a woman who could “never get enough glitter, all the sparkle you can put into it!”, and this is what I designed.  A little over the top for me, but I do think I achieved the goal!  All the glitter is “embossing glitter” from PK Glitz, as well as the “sticky paper” I used for the small flower centers.  I’ll explain how it works below.

This card has a ton of ingredients, but is still pretty easy – just lots of steps.  Stick with it through the list, and I think you’ll like it, too.

Ingredients

CARDSTOCK: Pink Pirouette (SU!), Whisper White (SU!), Rose cardstock from Core’dinations

STAMPS: Looks Like Spring (SU!), Warm Words (SU!), Flourishes(Clear Art Stamps)

INK: Pink Pirouette (SU!), Certainly Celery (SU!), Tempting Turquoise (SU!), Emboss It (Ranger)

ACCESSORIES: Impressabilities Flowers(Spellbinders), sandpaper, Cuttlebug, Perfect Pearls (Ranger), mister bottle, heat gun, Xyron 5” sticker maker, pink sparkle ribbon (Michaels), Scallop oval punch (SU!), Small oval punch (SU!), Spring Flower Bouquet punch (SU!), 1/8” circle punch, Embossing Glitter: colors are Squash blossom (blue), Burgundy, Honeycomb (gold) (PK Glitz), Quickie glue pen (Sakura), Clear Star Gelly Roll pen (Sakura), Sticky paper (PK Glitz), gold brads, scissors, Scor-Pal, Adhesive Transfer Gun 714 (Scotch), Rotary trimmer with straight blade (Fiskars)

Instructions

BASE CARD: Cut a light pink card measuring 8 1/2” x 5 1/2”, and score it in half at 4 1/4”.

SANDED BACKGROUND LAYER: Cut a rectangle of the dark pink core’dinations paper, measuring 4” x 5 1/4”.  Use the Impressabilities to emboss the flower pattern in the paper (I use the Cuttlebug, but any die cut machine that embosses will work).   Then use the sandpaper to lightly sand off the top layer of the embossed image.

Mix a small amount of Perfect Pearls with water in a mini mister bottle, and lightly spray the sanded paper.  This will give the background an overall glittery shine. Let this layer dry thoroughly – I slipped mine between paper towels and inserted it in the middle of a large stack of magazines to make sure it was nice and flat.  Unfortunately, this is pretty subtle – it doesn’t really show in the photograph.

After it is dry, stamp flourishes in two corners using the embossing ink. Cover one corner in burgundy glitter powder, and the other in squash blossom powder, then emboss with a heat gun.

LEAVES: Stamp the leaf image in green ink on white cardstock.  Outline the veins of the leaves with the glue pen, and cover in the honeycomb glitter powder, and emboss with the heat gun.

After cooling, run the cardstock through the Xyron machine, and closely trim the images.

FLOWERS: Stamp the large flowers in blue and pink on the white cardstock, closely trim the images.

Using the flower punch, cut 3 small flowers to use as the centers from the PK Glitz sticky paper.  For two centers, peel the protective paper off, and sprinkle with squash blossom embossing powder.  Emboss carefully with the heat gun to adhere the glitter to the shaped flower.  Repeat with the third center, using the honeycomb powder.

For the brads in the center, these are made with embossing glitter, too!  But BE CAREFUL – they get HOT!  Use tweezers or an alligator clip to pick up the brad.  Heat the top with the heat gun, then stick it in the embossing powder – it will stick right on.  Then heat it again from the bottom to seal it in.  Don’t heat it too long or it will lose its color.  I made one in blue, and two in burgundy.

After the brads are cool, assemble the flowers by punch an 1/8” hole in the middle of a big flower and the glitter flower center, and joining them together with a glittered brad.

RIBBON LABEL: Stamp the “sparkle” sentiment on white cardstock in the clear embossing ink, and sprinkle half with burgundy powder, and half with blue.  Emboss with the heat gun, and punch it out using the small oval punch.

Punch a light pink scalloped oval, and decorate each scallop with the glitter pen.

Mount the sentiment oval on the pink scalloped oval.

FINAL ASSEMBLY: Tie a bow using the sparkly ribbon around the sanded layer above the embossed flourishes.  Secure it on the back with a small piece of tape. 

Mount the ribbon label to the right of the bow using a piece of foam tape. 

Mount the sanded layer on the base card.

Arrange the leaves and flowers until you find a pleasing layout.  Then peel the backing off the leaves and mount them.  Add the flowers using foam tape for dimension.

Hope you give the embossing glitter a try – it’s not nearly as messy as regular glitter, both for the card maker and the recipient.

Thanks for stopping by!

 

 

Independence Day

Inspiration
Well, I’m a little late getting this July 4 themed card posted, but I didn’t actually make it until the 4th!  We didn’t have any celebration plans, so I decided to make a card to get me in the spirit - I think it turned out very well!  And, of course, we should celebrate our independence every chance we get.

I picked up these stamps at an Heirloom Stamp Show several years ago, and don’t really use them that often, but they are all very simple to use, and create a great effect.

Ingredients

CARDSTOCK: Night of Navy (SU!), Whisper White(SU!); textured ivory mulberry paper (unknown)

STAMPS: All stamps are from Rubber Monger

INK: Walnut Distress Ink (Ranger), Basic Black (SU!)

ACCESSORIES: SU! Markers (Real Red, Brilliant Blue); Sponge; Scor-Pal; Adhesive Transfer Gun 714 (Scotch); double-sided tape; Foam tape; Rotary trimmer with straight and deckle blades (Fiskars)

Instructions

BASE CARD: Cut a navy card measuring 7” x 10”, and score it in half at 5” to make a 5”x7” card.

FLAG LAYER: Stamp the constitution image on the mulberry paper using the walnut dye distress ink.  Tear the edges – it makes it easy to tear if you dampen the line you want to tear with water using a water color brush.  Using a sponge, randomly pounce the walnut ink on the surface to create an aged look.

CONSTITUTION LAYER: Cut a rectangle of the white paper, measuring 4” x 5 1/4”.

DRUMMERS LAYER: Stamp the drum & bugler corp on white cardstock and trim it closely.

FINAL ASSEMBLY:  Mount the flag in the upper left corner, followed by the constitution image.  I find it easier to use double-sided tape than the ATG on mulberry paper – the ATG is just too sticky!  Finally, mount the drum and bugle corp image using foam tape to create a little dimension.

Thanks for stopping by & Happy Birthday, America!

 

 

 

Stitched Background

Inspiration
Here’s another summery card.  The idea for the background came from a Paper Crafts inspiration book called 40 Techniques for Card Making.  I changed the method for getting the nice straight stripes (explained below), as well as the image and the trim.

Ingredients

CARDSTOCK: Wild Wasabi (SU!), Whisper White(SU!)

STAMPS: Flower (Anita’s); Mini Messages (SU!)

INK: Only Orange (SU!), Pixie Pink (SU!), Basic Black (SU!)

ACCESSORIES: SU! Markers (Only Orange, Pixie Pink); Wild Wasabi striped ribbon (SU!); Sponge; Bow-Easy; Scor-Pal; Adhesive Transfer Gun 714 (Scotch); Rotary trimmer with straight (Fiskars); Silhouette digital die cutter (QuicKutz); Sewing machine

Instructions

BASE CARD: Cut a green card measuring 4 1/4” x 11”, and score it in half at 5 1/2”.

BACKGROUND LAYER: Cut a rectangle of the white paper, measuring 4” x 5 1/4”.

The book suggests using strips of masking tape laid in a diagonal pattern on the white card to create the lattice work.   I had lots of trouble trying to get the lines straight, and the tape laid out evenly.  I kept thinking I needed a stencil, but I didn’t have anything on hand that would create such perfect lines.

Then it dawned on me that I had the perfect tool to create a stencil – the Silhouette!  I used a pattern of squares cut in a piece of cardstock to cut out the stencil for the background.  Then I laid the stencil over the white cardstock, and used a makeup sponge in a circular motion to apply the orange ink.

After getting the amount of orange I liked, I added flowers in Pixie Pink, using the small flower from the Mini Messages stamp set.

Afterwards, I used white thread and a fairly loose stitch to put the stitches down the center of each white stripe.

IMAGE: The image is simply the large flower stamped on white cardstock in black ink and colored with the markers.  The white square is a 1 1/2” square, mounted on a green square measuring 1 5/8" x 1 5/8”.

FINAL ASSEMBLY:  Add a piece of green striped ribbon to the lattice patterned piece, and tie a bow to be mounted on the left of the ribbon stripe.  Mount the patterned piece on the front of the green card.  Add the image to the right of the bow, and you’re all done!

Thanks for stopping by!

 

 

Summer Butterfly

Inspiration
This card is a blatant “CASE” of Michelle Zindorf’s work – I copied her Butterfly Season tutorial as exactly as I could.  She creates the most beautiful work, and explains it so well on her blog, that I had to give this one a try.  Her step-by-step instructions are fabulous, and have given me a lot to think about in how I can improve my own tutorials here.  I hope you’ll go to her blog and check out the beautiful work!

Thanks for stopping by!