A Set Of Notecards

I decided to try my hand a new use for my Brusho water color crystals.  Today I die cut this leafy branch using my Cricut Straight From the Nest cart.  I cut this from white cardstock at between 4 and 5 inches.  I then used my Yellow, Leaf Green and Brown Brusho water color crystals, strategically sprinkling them onto the die cut.  I liberally spritzed water from a spray bottle over the die cut and let it do some magic.  With these die cuts, I used a lot more water to create the blended look typically seen when using watercolors.

I used my SSS Stitched Rectangles die to create the white cardstock background, embossing the sentiment with gold embossing powder.  To create a thicker result, I sprinkled embossing powder over the image while still hot from the first time I melted the image and re-heated to melt the new powder.  This technique can work to fill in and enhance the image, creating a rich look.  I also used the same technique on the cardstock background, edging the paper with my embossing ink and sprinkling with the embossing powder, adding bits as I went to create a shiny edge.  I really like this technique.

You'll notice some hexagonal glimmer on the cards.  Depending upon the light and angle, they look different colors, but are really gold.  I simply glued these sequins in place to add some interest to the page.  Another nice card set that I'm setting aside for Christmas gifts.  I'm collecting quite a stash and anticipate needing all of them as small gifts to acquaintances at work and otherwise.

How about you?  Any Christmas shopping yet?  It is a tough thing to think about, but time is shorter than we think.  I hear Christmas carols as we speak...

I'm linking up to the following challenges:

Simon Says Stamp's Monday Challenge Wonderful Watercolor

Word Art Wednesday's Challenge # 205 Anything Goes

Virginia's  View Challenge #19

Come join the fun or stop to be inspired.

Beautiful Peacocks

I'm sharing with you today another of Brandy's creations.  This time she was playing around with Heartfelt Creations Peacock Paisley stamp sets.  This first beauty was embossed with gold embossing powder using the Peacock Swirls stamp.  Ultimately, Brandy colored in this stamp using her Copic markers.  This card front went into the stash to be placed on a card when needed.  Stunning, yes?

The second card front was also gold embossed using the Feathery Peacock stamp.  Once again, colored with Copic markers, this image is also gorgeous.  The picture does not do it justice!

These stamps are so versatile, the stamps create a lovely image and the use of the gold embossing powder really amps the image up a notch.  I'm not sure whether I'll get an image of the final card produced, but if I do I'll be sure to share them with you here.

Thanks for checking us out.  We're always grateful for your kind words of encouragement!

A Golden Birthday

I've mentioned before that my family celebrates your golden birthday.  This is the birthday where your age matches the day of the month you were born.  My son, Tim, approached me to make a card for his good friend, Jessica, as she was celebrating her golden birthday.  His actual request was to have me help him make a card.  I guess I was too enthusiastic, because I made this with little help from the man.

Here's the details:

• The flowers are stamped using my Heartfelt Creations Arianna Blooms.  The gold is embossing powder and the white is white ink.  Both are stamped onto vellum and die cut using the matching dies.  
• The butterfly is made the same with my Prickly Pear Mini-Butterflies stamp and die set.     
• The leaf was die cut using my Heartfelt Creations Classic Leaf die which I then pressed into my embossing ink pad and heat embossed several layers of gold embossing powder.  I did this by sprinkling the first layer on the wet embossing ink and then heated to melt the powder.  While the powder was still wet, I pressed the image into the leftover powder on my workbench.  Powder clings to the hot image and I heated it up again.  There is probably 4 layers of embossing powder on this image.  The image tends to get very warm, so do this carefully!
• I gold embossed the swirl pattern onto the kraft paper that I had applied white ink to with a dauber.  I first inked through a stencil, but the shape was all wrong so I just kept rubbing the image, smearing the color until it became nondescript.  I also embossed the swirl 2 or 3 times to make the image more shiny and thicker.
• The edges of the kraft paper were embossed by rubbing the edge on my embossing ink pad and sprinkling with gold embossing powder.  I repeated this layer 3 or 4 times and am really pleased with the final look.
• The sentiment was printed out using my computer and printer at home.

I stamped and embossed more gold on the inside.  After my son shyly grinned when I showed him the card, he produced two boxes and asked me to wrap his gifts to Jessica as well.  What is a mom to do?  Certainly the days of asking for my help are limited, so I wrapped them up with some more shiny gold ribbon.  Needless to say, I receive a smiling thank you as he whisked them away, rushing out the door to go to dinner to celebrate.

I'm going to enter this card in the following challenges:

Inspiration Journal's Spring Blooms, what's more spring that butterflies and flowers?

Simon Says Stamp's Wednesday Challenge: Simon Says Anything Goes

and Word Art Wednesday's Challenge #176 Anything Goes