Happy Birthday in Rainbow Colors

Happy Birthday to my not so little brother!  I started with the AAA Birthday prompt to use rainbow colors.   I smooshed Broken China, Wild Honey, and Worn Lipstick Distress Inks on different sized acrylic blocks, spritzed them with water, and one by one smooshed them onto watercolor paper.  I let each one sit for a bit to allow the color to seep into the paper.  Now what?  A few years ago I saw this card on Darlene Pavlick's blog and was inspired to buy the Oriental Screen die from Tutti and to fill in some of the openings with the negative pieces to create interest.  It has become my favorite background die.  I cut one from black and one from copper paper saving the leftovers for another card.  I used a CZ Design die to cut the sentiment once from copper paper and twice from black to stack.  I then cut the shadow from black.  I have to warn you that the shadow die cuts the openings in the b, d, and p's which on a busy background is distracting.  Because I used Hero Arts Color Hues Premium Pitch Black cardstock which is thick, completely matte, and has a black core, I could pop those cut out pieces back in without it being obvious.  You have to know what you are looking for to see the edges.  There was also, despite careful placement, an issue with black lines from the background cutting through the spaces between r and the t, and h and the b which looked klutzy and, again, distracting.  A pair manicuring scissors took care of that.  All that was left to do was attach the finished panel to a card base and stamp a sentiment inside.

In addition to the AAA Birthday Rainbow or Rainbow Colors, I am entering this card in the Seize the Birthday Anything Goes, and Creative Crafty Uncles Happy Birthday challenges.  You can visit these blogs to see more birthday cards to inspire you and maybe enter.  All three will be active for a few or more days.

Thank you for stopping by!  Until next time, Hansi

Trying a New Technique With a Never Used Embossing Folder

 

For this card I used a new to me technique featured in this Jennifer McGuire video.  You emboss a piece of watercolor paper, spray it with your favorite ink spray and water, let it dry, and repeat until you like how it looks.  Then, because all that water will somewhat flatten out the paper, you emboss it again.  Embossing before spraying encourages the ink to pool in ways that enhance the design.  I needed a birthday card for my husband, so I flipped through my embossing folders for something a little masculine and found a Tim Holtz 3D Texture Fades folder that I have had for something like five years and had never used!  How did that happen?!  I am sure y'all never lose track of what you have...  The folder is called Foundry and I used Tree Lot, Frosted Juniper, and Antiqued Bronze Distress Mica sprays.  I used A Paper Rose die to cut the sentiment twice in thick black cardstock and once in Copper Foil paper and stacked them.  The cats were cut from some brown metallic paper from Michael's using a set from Impression Obsession and stacked on more black cardstock.  I found they faded into the background, so I used some Pebo Copper Guilding Wax which is a new addition to my craft collection, I mean stash, to give them more dimension and make them pop out.  Our pointy ear darlings would tell you that is how is should be because the cats are the most important element.

Here is the inside of the card.

I stamped a sentiment from Close to My Heart twice using Rustic Wilderness Distress Oxide ink and then dabbed a Copper Color Box pigment pad on some of the edges of the stamp and stamped a few times.  I love my MISTI!  It doesn't show well in the photo but shines in real life.  The strip at the bottom was leftover after trimming down the front panel.  My water color paper is 9x12 so I start with 4.5x6 paper.  Tim Holtz embossing folders are 6 inches inches long to accommodate standard the card size in the U.K.  I like having trimmings to play with.

I plan to enter this card in the Cut It Up challenge to use a new product, tool, technique, etc., the Die Cut Divas challenge to use a never been used item, Seize the Birthday challenge to use embossing, Color Hues Challenge to use copper and green, and the Mix It Up challenge to make anything with the option of mixed media.

Thank you for stopping by!  Until next time, Hansi