March Group of Seven Cardmakers - Technique: Embossed Gilding Flakes

 It's time for the March Group of Seven Cardmakers Post!  This month we are playing with the Embossed Gilding Flakes technique.

Here are the two cards I created.  

This card uses the debossed panel.

I bought these Museum Bust Fancy dies from Hero Arts after Kent and I went to the King Tut Show in Boston last year.  I used the classic busts on these cards but the set includes two Egyptian busts as well.  I think they worked perfectly with the panels I created using the gilding flakes!

This card uses the embossed panel.

The black panels are embossed with Lumen Embossing Folder from Simon Says Stamp.

I die cut the statues out of Distress Woodgrain Card and then rubbed Lost Shadow Distress ink lightly over them to try to simulate marble.

Here are a few process photos creating the embossed gilding flakes panels.

I covered 2 panels of white card stock with Stick It, a double sided adhesive sheet.

I removed the top of the Stick it Sheet from the card panels and laid the panels, sticky side up, inside a pizza box to help contain the flying of the gilding flakes!  I spread the Autumn Gilding Flakes over the panels and pressed it onto the panel with my fingers.  Then I brushed the gilding flakes off with a stiff brush.  

Note:  She uses 3 colors of gilding flakes on the video but my Autumn Flakes are already a mix of colors so I just used that.

I took the gilded panels and put them together with the gilding flaked sides facing out and placed them inside the 3D Texture Fades Botanical folder from Sizzix.  Then I ran the embossing folder through my Big Shot twice to give a good impression.  That gave me an embossed panel and a debossed panel.

(The white line and spots on the panels below are places the double sided adhesive paper didn't stick- I colored over those spots with a gold metallic pen.)

I die cut arches out of the panels using A2 Arches from the Greetery.  

The final step is to rub a black ink over the panels.  On the embossed panel it hits the raised image and on the debossed panel it hits the background.  

Note:  The tutorial says to use a permanent ink like StazOn or Archival -  but I found those inks made the panels very sticky and it never seemed to dry, maybe due to whatever the flakes are made of?? maybe my inks were old?  Anyway, I decided to make two new panels.

So after trying ALL my various kinds of black inks unsuccessfully (ie they all felt sticky), I tried Memento Tuxedo Black ink and that seemed to dry. I also noticed that all the black inks seem to fade a little as they sit on the flakes.

You will find a link to a YouTube video with this technique over at The Group of Seven blog.

So please check out the rest of the Seven's creations, and if you decide to give this technique a try please link your card up over at The Group of Seven Blog! 

I'm interested to hear what black ink you were successful with on the embossed gilded panels!

I'm also linking my card to:

Time Out Challenges

my sentiment Make each day your masterpiece.

Die Cut Divas - Anything Goes 

die cuts

Path of Positivity

anything goes

Stamps:  Motivational Center Mona Lisa Moments - Cornish Heritage Farms (retired)

Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Ranger Lost Shadow Distress (rubbed over statures), Versamark.

Paper:  White Distress Woodgrain Card - Tim Holtz/Ranger, white and True Black - Papertrey Ink,  Metallic Gold - Parklane/JoAnn.

Accessories:  Stick It Double Sided Adhesive Sheets, Autumn Leaves Gilding Flakes - Cosmic Shimmer, Fancy Dies Museum Busts - Hero Arts, A2 Arches die - The Greetery, 3D Texture Fade Botanical Embossing Folder - Tim Holtz/Sizzix, Lumen Embossing Folder - Simon Says Stamp, Gold Embossing Powder (for sentiment), heat tool

Inkspirational Challenge #286 Egg-stra Special

 It's time for a new challenge over at Inspirational #286 and it's a fun mood board for spring (spring IS coming right?!)

I was inspired by the pretty blue eggs!  

I cut my eggs using Tim Holtz/Sizzix Bird and Egg Colorize die set.   The little daisies are from the Bunny Games die set also from Tim Holtz/Sizzix.  I made my ship lap background using Shiplap Builder Dies from The Greetery.   The sentiment is from Stamping Bella stamped on a frame die cut with a Simple Stacker Frame die from Penny Black.

I adhered the shiplap strips to my card base using a sheet of Peel N Stick double sided adhesive.  I inked the eggs by rubbing Ranger Distress Oxide Speckled Egg Ink onto my craft mat, spritzing with water and then rubbing a panel of water color paper onto the mat (smooshing!).  Then I die cut the egg layers out of the paper.  The front egg is up on foam dots. 

So check out how the rest of the DT was inspired by the board over at Inkspirational!

You have until April 7th to link up your Mood Board inspired card.  Hope to see you there!

I'm linking my card to:

Double D Challenges: Easter

inspired by eggs and blooms on wreath

Die Cut Diva's

March Theme Anything Goes

Path of Positivity

Anything goes

Stamps:  Easter Sentiment Set - Stamping Bella

Paper:  Water color paper - Canson Cold Press, White Papertrey Ink, Green leaf - Color Core Distress paper pad - Tim Holtz/Ranger, Peel N Stick Double Sided Adhesive Paper.

Ink:  Versafine Claire Nocturne, Ranger Distress Oxide Ink Speckled Egg.

Accessories:  Bird and Egg Colorize Dies, Bunny Games Dies - Tim Holtz/Sizzix, Shiplap Builder Die - The Greetery, Simple Stacker Frames - Penny Black, foam dots, YR65 Copic.

Spring Carrots

 I have a fun carrot card to share today to celebrate spring and Easter!

I used two background stamps to create my background -  Fond of Foliage was stamped in Peeled Paint DOX and Window Pane Plaid  was stamped in Rusty Hinge Distress.  For both stamps, I inked the stamp, spritzed with water and then stamped onto a water color panel.  Both stamps are from The Greetery.

I die cut and assembled the big carrots from Carrot Bunny dies  layering them through and behind a piece die cut with Simple Plaid die (I cut a small portion off the full panel plaid die cut) both dies are from Tim Holtz/Sizzix.

To add a little dimension - I splattered the card with both Black and Orange POSCA pens.  I added the sentiment from Taylored Expressions up on foam dots.

I'm linking my card to:

Inspired By: Spring

Double D Challenges

Easter

I have Happy Easter sentiment on the inside of my card.

Stamps: Fond of Foliage Background Stamp, Window Pane Plaid background Stamp - The Greetery, Mini Strips Easter - Taylored Expressions
Paper: White, Orange Zest - PTI, water color paper - Canson, Light orange, dark and light greens - Park Lane Pack/JoAnn
Ink: Nocturne - Versafine Clair, DOX Peeled Paint, Distress Rusty Hinge
Accessories: Carrot Bunny Dies, Simple Plaid Die - Tim Holtz/Sizzix, Mini Strips Die - Taylored Expressions, Orange and Black POSCA Pens, foam strip, water mister

Lucky You

 Made a last minute Irish theme card inspired by a few challenges out there!  This could be for St. Patrick's Day or a congrats card or even a new home card maybe??!

I was happy to get out the Wood Grain Colorize dies from Sizzix .  I purchased them a long time ago and they've been sitting on my shelf!  This finished woodgrain strip is 4 layers and really gives a dimensional woodgrain look.

  

I rubbed Lost Shadow Distress Ink on my craft mat, spritzed with water and then rubbed a panel of water color paper over it.  Then I die cut all 4 pieces out of that so it was easier then cutting 4 different colors of gray.

I did the same thing with the shamrocks - rubbing Lucky Clover Distress Ink on the mat, spritzing with water, rubbing a water color paper panel over it, then die cutting the shamrocks.

Linking my card to:

Inspired By 

NBUS

first time using Wood Grain dies.

The Card Concept

clean layered inspired by colors

Tic Tac Toe Challenge

If 4 leaf clovers can be considered flowers?    I did the center horizontal row, 

if not - I did the top horizontal row!

Paper:  Water color - Canson Cold Press, EP Ink Drops Earth - Craft Consortium

Ink:  Lost Shadow and Lucky Clover - Ranger Distress

Accessories:  Woodgrain Colorize die, 3D Impresslits Lucky Love Die - Tim Holtz/Sizzix, Pink Copic, Big Chat Stickers - Tim Holtz/Idea-ology, enamel dots - Altenew.

Pop Up Ballerina

 I have a Pop Up Birthday card to share today that I made for a friend's granddaughter, Lia, for her 8th birthday.  Lia takes dance lessons so I used ballerina die cuts on the 'stage'.  

They were a little oversized so I couldn't show the full length of their legs?!!  

I love personalizing cards for kids - they get such a kick out of having their name and age right on the card.

I used the Platform Pop up dies as well as the Platform Pop Up Add On (the back piece) for this card. (Both from Lawn Fawn.)  I die cut all of the decorative pieces out of Glitter Cardstock.

View from the back, with room for a written message from the giver.

This cute pop up does fold flat to mail.  

If you use just the base Platform Pop Up it fits in an A2 envelope.  

When you use the Platform Pop up Add On piece (the back of the stage) it fits into a 5" x 5" envelope.  

I added the PUSH stamp to help the receiver see how to  POP UP the card.  But I'm sure they'd figure it out without it!

I'm linking my card to:

Seize the Birthday

Card for a Child

Inkspirational

Stamps:  Interactive Labels - My Favorite Things.

Paper:  White - PTI, glitter cardstock - Recollections/Michaels

Ink:  True Black - PTI

Accessories:  Platform Pop Up and Platform Pop Up Add On Dies - Lawn Fawn, ballerina dies - Amazon, Number Dies - PTI, Alphanumeric Tiny Type Upper Dies - Tim Holtz/Sizzix, Happy Birthday printed strip from stash.

The Number 90

 Welcome to the latest Inkspirational challenge  #285 -  it's a Word Prompt.

I made a 90th birthday card for a very dear church friend (who doesn't act or look 90!). We were on the  Altar Guild together for many years and she still attends church most Sundays.

I die cut, inked and sponged the edges on the mushrooms, acorns and tree rings and layered them over the patterned paper with foam dots.  I stamped the 90 on one of the acorns.

We are good enough friends that she will get a chuckle from the sentiment I put inside her card on the left!

So please show us how you use NUMBERS on your card design!  You'll find more inspiration from the rest of the Design Team over at Inkspirational!

You have until March 24th to get your Numbers card linked up!

I'm also linking my card to:

AAA Birthday

Stripes background and dots on the mushrooms!

Stamps: Forest Floor: Autumn - Papertrey Ink (retired), Latte in the Evening - Funny Bones: Riley and Company, Snap Stamps (90 and Doris) - Karen Fisher (retired) 

Paper:  Kraft, White - Papertrey Ink, DP - Simple Things - Parklane/JoAnn.

Ink: Gathered Twigs, Grand Espresso, Tea Dye - Ranger Distress, Cocoa Bean, Pure Poppy, Orange Zest - Papertrey Ink, Espresso -  Altenew.

Accessories:  Tree Tings Mini Die and Embossing Folder - Tim Holtz/Sizzix, Forest Floor: Augumn Dies - PTI (retired), finger sponge, foam dots, Red acrylic hearts - Honey Bee, 1" circle punch.

St. Patrick's Day Bunny

I'm a mix of English, Irish and Scotch and bits of about  8 other European areas!

(Thank you - Ancestry.com!)

I always make cards to send to friends for St. Patrick's Day. Everyone's Irish on March 17th right?!!  

This year I made these little bunny cards, dressing them up for the wearing of the green!

The bunny die is Carrot Bunny and the hat die is from The Gent both sets Tim Holtz/Sizzix.  The tag die is Tear Strip Tags from The Greetery.  The sentiment and stamped shamrock are from Irish Blessings from Papertrey Ink (retired).  

I added shamrock stickers to the hat of the 'boy' and the ear of  the 'girl'.  

I die cut two bunnies for each card and glued them together along the ears and top of the head so they would stand up!  I cut slits in the hat so the ears would pop through the top.

I'm linking my St. Pat's Bunny cards to:

 Double D Challenges: All things Green

Die Cut Divas - Anything Goes

The Card Concept Lucky Charm

my card is clean layered die cuts

Thought I'd share the same bunny used for Valentine's this year too! 

Stamp from Tear Strip Tags: Valentine Stamp Set from The Greetery.

Stamps:  Irish Blessings - Papertrey Ink (retired), Tear Strip Tags: Valentine Stamp Set - The Greetery.

Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne.

Paper:  White,  New Leaf, True Black, Pale Peony - Papertrey Ink.

Accessories:  Carrot Bunny die , The Gent Die - Tim Holtz/Sizzix, Tear Strip Tags Die - The Greetery, thin green tape from stash (on hat), shamrock stickers - Michaels, heart punch, twine.

The Card Chain Challenge - February 2023 reveal

 Today is the day all of the cards exchanged over at the Card Chain Challenge in February are revealed.  This month I sent my card to Lia in The Netherlands and I received a card from Gail in Canada (who is a new participant!)

Each month we are given a sketch, colors and various suggested themes, we only have to use one of the suggestions.

This month I used the colors, two of the themes: hearts, friendship and the Technique:  layers!

Theme Options: Hearts / Tags / Friendship

Product / Technique Options: Burlap or Gauze / Layers

I used Tim Holtz/Sizzix fun Abstract Faces die set for my image.  I bought the die set over a year ago and this is the first time I've used it!  The sentiment was cut with one of the dies in the Bold Text #1 set also from Tim Holtz/Sizzix.

I brushed over the face with Clear Glitter Wink of Stella to lighten it up a bit and add some shimmer.  You may be able to see that on the close up below?  It does really sparkle in the light IRL!

If you'd like to join in this fun monthly challenge you have until March 6th to sign up for the next month!  Check out all the details over at The Card Chain Challenge!

I'm linking my card to:

NBUS

First time I have used the Abstract Faces die.

Paper:  White - PTI, Core-Dinations Distress Collection - Tim Holtz/Ranger, Patina Craft Papers - The Craft Consortium.

Ink:  Frayerd Burlap Distress Oxide - Ranger

Accessories:  Abstract Faces Dies, Bold Text #1 Dies - Tim Holtz/Sizzix, small heart punch - McGill, Clear Glitter Wink of Stella, finger dauber, foam dots.