Ombre is Hot!

Now that summer "vacay" has started, I'm enjoying more time in my studio again. I'm hoping to participate in some challenges this summer, so I'm starting off with the latest challenge on Virgina's View Challenge blog. The challenge is to include an ombre color scheme or monochromatic color scheme or both.

Ombre is hot, hot, hot right now - and lots of fun, too. Recently, Hero Arts released some ombre ink pads, and I was able to pick up a couple at my local Hobby Lobby. (Of course, I always use a 40% coupon - so nice that I can pull it up on my phone!)

Here's my card:

I started with a 4.5" x 5.25" piece of white cardstock and Hero Arts Canvas background stamp. I inked the stamp with Hero Arts Butter to Orange Ombre Ink Pad, following the advice of Jennifer McGuire to get a good blend. The color change is subtle, but pretty.

Next I cut another piece of white cardstock with the largest tag from Sizzix Alterations Tag Collection Framelits die set. Using an ink blending tool and one of my good old Stampin' Up! ink pads - Barely Banana, I colored the tag. Next I used a new-to-me stamp set (bought on clearance at Hobby Lobby!) - also by Alterations - French Flight. (Although I didn't make use of it on this card, this stamp set comes with the matching dies.) I inked the butterfly stamp with Ripe Persimmon Distress ink, stamped it and heat set it. I used some Spiced Marmalade Distress ink on the very edges of the tag and the canvas stamped panel. I also cut the same tag shape from a scrap of textured orange cardstock.

To assemble everything, I attached the canvas panel to my last piece of Barely Banana cardstock. I layered the two tags and adhered them towards the left side of the card front. I made a double loop bow from some thin American Crafts twine in orange and glued it to the top of the tag with Multi Medium Matte by Ranger. I stamped the greeting from Altenew's Hennah Elements with black Versafine ink on a scrap piece of white cardstock I'd colored with Ripe Persimmon ink. I covered the sentiment with clear embossing powder and heat set it, then using some tiny pieces of foam tape I attached it towards the bottom right. A few Doodlebug & Studio Calico sequins were glued down with the same matte medium.

It sounds like a lot of steps, but really went together fairly quickly. I probably spent more time agonizing over where the sequins should go than I did on anything else! Some card artists make it look so easy, but it's not intuitive for me at all. 

Hope your summer is off to a good start!

Immi

Dot Flower Background

Here's the second card I made today (to see the first, click here).

This card uses the same background stamp - Hero Arts Dot Flower. This time, I stamped with Versamark on white cardstock and embossed with white powder. Then, I used Barn Door, Ripe Persimmon, and Wild Honey Distress inks, applied with blending tools. The embossing resists the ink and stays white - I really like this look! (Here is a link to the image that inspired me.) This was adhered to a white cardstock base.

Next I cut a couple of tags using Tag Collection dies from Alterations. I edged them with some Distress Ink in Peacock Feathers. I also used a couple of vellum die cuts from the Spring Greenery die from Alterations. The blue flourish behind the tags is cut from glitter paper from Die Cuts With a View, using a file that I downloaded to cut with my Silhouette Cameo.

The sentiment is from a small set (I don't remember the name), and is stamped with Versafine Black Onyx and embossed with clear powder. 

The glitter flourish and tag were glued down to the background with dots of Glossy Adhesive. (Before gluing the tag down, I tied a little bit of twine through the hole at the top.) I used a little Matte Medium from Ranger to attach the vellum leaves just at the base of the stem, and also used the same medium to glue down some colorful sequins. Everything was then weighted down under a book for a little while to be sure it dried in place.

I'm linking this card up with the Hero Arts Nature Challenge, the Simon Says Stamp Girly Challenge, and Virginia Lu's All Things Embossed.

Hope your week is going well!

Immi

Friendship Card

I had an unexpected day off due to bad road conditions, so I enjoyed some cardmaking time today. I have been experimenting with some dies I recently bought and thought I'd put the die cuts to use in a couple of cards. Here's one of them:

 I started with a piece of watercolor paper cut to 4.25 x 5.5. I inked up a Hero Arts background stamp called Dot Flower with several shades of pink and purple Distress inks. After misting the stamp with water, I set the stamp face up on my work surface and placed the paper on top. To ensure that the ink got into the paper, I carefully held in in place while rubbing over the entire surface and also giving it a few seconds to sink into the paper's texture. This made a pretty, multicolored background that is so easy to achieve. I used Extreme Adhesive to attach it to a green cardstock base.

I cut a scrap of lightweight pink paper I had and rounded the corners. Next I cut a piece of white cardstock a little smaller than the pink piece and also rounded  the corners. I rubbed Peeled Paint Distress Stain on my craft sheet and swiped the white paper through the stain to give it that green color. After setting it with my heat tool, I swiped it through the stain still left on the craft sheet. I really like the illusion of depth this creates. I also used the stain to color some white leaves I'd die cut from a Tim Holtz Alterations die called Spring Greenery. I tucked them behind both the green and pink papers and stitched around the edge of the green panel.

The sentiment and flowers are from Hero Arts Trees, Birds, & Messages. They are stamped with Black Onyx Versafine and embossed with clear powder. This layered panel and leaves were attached to the background using dots of Glossy Accents. I also put it under a book for a while to make sure everything stuck well.

I like the combination of colors, and this card fits with a couple of challenges currently going on. I'm linking up with Hero Arts Nature Challenge and Simon Says Stamp Just a Hiint of Clover.

Till next time,

Immi