Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge
Anything Goes
Good day, fellow crafters. I am thrilled to share my submission for this week's Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge. The theme is "anything goes," and since I needed a birthday card for a more mature acquaintance (her words, not mine), I saw it as the perfect chance to present my creation. This type of card is right up my alley, with its abundance of textures and shimmer, creating a truly impressive wow factor. I sincerely hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed making it!
To create the background for this card I began with some black cardstock and the Altenew Book Cover Engravings 3D Embossing Folder, pictured left. As per my usual embossing method, I lightly misted the back of the black cardstock with water and placed it into the embossing folder. The reason for the misting is to have the fibers that make up the cardstock have enough moisture in them that they are relaxed enough to bend instead of break when the embossing folder is run through the die-cut machine. I have recently moved over to using my electric Gemini die-cut machine instead of my Spellbinders hand-powered machine when using embossing folders as the pressure is more consistently applied across the embossing folder which aids in a crisper result.
The next step in the process was the application of color. As I mentioned earlier, I love loads of color and texture in my cards, so for this card, I decided that I would incorporate Ranger’s Solar and Lunar pastes into the project. I really love the luster of this product when the paste dries and it is easy to work with as well. Using the colors of pastes shown in the gallery below and some Altenew Minis stenciling brushes I carefully applied the pastes. After they had dried (time dependent on your local conditions) I would say my favorite color ended up being the Goldrush, as it made my mind explode with potential options where it could be used instead of using more expensive gold leaf on projects.
The focus of the next step was on crafting the mat or frame to complement the background panel. For this particular project, I desired an antique or lace-like appearance. After careful consideration, I opted to employ the Filigree Border nested die set from Creative Crafting Products, as it perfectly matched the aesthetics I had in mind. I chose a rich purple cardstock and cut it with the die to the dimension I wanted which made the frame just large enough that when mounted to my pre-cut white square card base the lace-like edge hung over. I next cut the background panel to its final dimension and mounted to the purple frame.
GLP-299
To finish the card, I needed to create the sentiment and mount it. I chose the Spellbinders Be Bold Glitter Sentiments foil plates, pictured right, gold foil and some corresponding red cardstock to create the Happy Birthday sentiment. Next, I needed to find the perfect way to mount the sentiment. While surface mounting was an option, I felt that the intricate details of the 3D embossing folder deserved to shine and not be overshadowed. To achieve this, I raised the sentiment from the surface using foam pop dots. This technique added dimension and allowed the sentiment to stand out prominently.
