Project Holiday Cheer

To my cardmaker friends, this is a great way of sharing your cardmaking power. Please help me with this advocacy to spread kindness through the thing we do best. Of course, this is also open to my non-cardmaking friends. If you have an extra stash of Christmas cards, you can also donate to this cause. The deadline is on December 13. Thank you!

For more details, please visit their website, Project Holiday Cheer.

Have a blessed, brilliant and creative day!

Maria Giselle B.

 

Masking to Create a Scene

Hello! Welcome back to my blog. Creating a scene with masking is a lot of work but truly worth it especially when the masks are removed. It is like Christmas morning. 

On a scrap piece of paper, I stamped the images that I will be using for the scene. This layout gave me an idea on which stamp image will be on the front and which stamp image will be on the back. The images on the front will need masking. This layout paper was aslo cut the same size as my card panel.

I did the second generation stamping with the stamps that need masking on a Post-It Paper. I used the Ranger Archiver Ink to stamp on the masking paper. This is a fast drying ink that prevents the ink on the masking paper from smearing while fussy cutting this stamped image. When fussy cutting the masked images, I cut it on the stamped line. 

After I stamped the images that will be on the front, I covered these images with the fussy cut stamped masking paper. The ink I used on my panel is Versafine Onyx Black Ink since I will be doing some watercoloring on the images. Since I used a pigment ink, before adhering the mask, I dried the ink of the stamped images with a heat tool. This will prevent smearing the pigment ink used to stamp the images.

I returned the stamped scrap paper on top of the panel so I can align the image that I will stamp next on the scene. Once it is aligned, I picked up the stamp with the door of the Misti Stamping Tool, removed the paper template, inked the stamp, then stamped the image on the panel.

I put extra pressure on the areas that are close to the masking paper. Masking paper gives better results since it is thinner than a Post-It Note. But if you missed a line or two, just use a blank pen to fill in those missed spots.

Once I am done building my scene, it is time to peel off the masks and start coloring. 

I used the Kuretake Zig Clean Color Real Brush Pens to color the images. 

I created a border strip using the skinniest strip die from the KS A2 Stitched Strips Craft dies. I die cut this on a paper from the KS Autumn Faux Glitter 6x6 paper pad. I adhered this to the edges of a 5 1/2" x 4 1/4" white cardstock. After the glue has dried, I added eyelets to each corner where the strips meet.

I trimmed the colored panel to fit inside the frame. 

I hope you like today's card. I hope you have a wonder Thanksgiving celebration. Thank you very much for visiting my blog. Have a blessed, brilliant and creative day!

Maria Giselle B.

I added below a link to the Kat Scrappiness product I used on this card. There will be no additional cost to you should you decide to purchase this product. While you are at the Kat Scrappiness website, do check out their wide array of products. They have a new release, too! Enjoy!

I am sharing this project at

Thanks/Thanksgiving

Spider Web on a Fall Card?!

 

Hello! Welcome back to my blog. Today's project was created using Blank Page Muse products. I hope you like it.

I got busy with a month long post for the Day of the Dead that I was not able to use some of the BPM Halloween themed products that I ordered. I don't want to wait for next year. Luckily, on my web search, I was able to come across an image with a spider web but is not Halloween themed. The spider web is so subtle that it does not distract your eye from the focal point.

For my card, I decided to give the Stazon Metallic Platinum ink another try. I have been unsuccessful in using this ink. This is what's great about the internet. You can search for not only images but also techniques on using a product. 

I temporarily adhered the BPM Grunge Cobwebs Halloween Background to the glass mat. I inked the stamp with the Stazon ink. 

I placed an acetate on top of the inked stamp and gently ran my fingers across the acetate to transfer the ink to the transparency.

Not the greatest impression but not too bad either, right? The image popped when I placed a black cardstock behind it. I used a brown cardstock instead for a fall color.

I stamped the BPM Small Sunflower Blossom Rubber Stamp on watercolor paper. I used the Misti Stamping Tool just in case I need to re-stamp the flower. I temporarily adhered the rubber stamp to the door of the Misti using a glue stick.

I stamped the sunflower using different Tim Holtz Distress inks. To make sure the inked impression is dry, I heat set it.

I fussy cut the flowers leaving a small white border around it.

Using the same color of ink I used in stamping the flower, I blended the ink on the flower to add color to it.

For the flower center, I used a smaller blending brush to apply the same color of ink I used to stamp the flower.

I die cut some leaves on green cardstock using a die from Altenew. I blended ink on the leaves to add some depth. I also drew leaf veins on the leaves using a metallic green pen. 

I adhered the stamped transparency to the back of a scalloped frame die cut on orange cardstock using a die from Pretty Pink Posh. I used a thin double adhesive tape to adhere the transparency to the frame. I adhered the unstamped side of the transparency to the frame to preserve the inked impression of the background. 

I trimmed a 4 1/4" x 5 1/2" dark brown cardstock. I spritz some Tim Holtz Distress Spray Stain on this panel. The colors I used are Rusty Hinge and Fossilized Amber. I dried the panel with a heat gun.

I arranged the flowers on the brown panel using the transparency as a guide. I avoided adhering the flowers behind the spider webs. Once I am happy with the arrangement, I adhered the flowers and leaves to the brown panel. I adhered the framed transparency after. 

I adhered the rest of the flowers and leaves on top of the transparency. 

I die cut the letters using a My Favorite Things die for the sentiment. I die cut the letters on kraft and cream cardstock. I adhered the cream letter die cuts on the back of the kraft letter die cuts, slightly offsetting it for a shadow look. I adhered the letters to the transparency.

The frame is a bit shorter than the 5 1/2" length of the card. I trimmed off some of the edges to make the border around the frame even.

I hope you like today's card. Thank you for visiting my blog. Have a blessed, brilliant and creative day!

Maria Giselle B.

Blank Page Muse and I Brake For Stamps is generously offering a 15% discount to their online store to YOU, my blog readers. Just use the code BPMMaria when you check out. Enjoy!

My Favorite Color is Yellow

 

Hello! Welcome back to my blog. I am a guest designer at the Cut It up Challenge. The challenge theme is Your Favorite Color(s). Yes! I created a card that screams my favorite color, yellow. I like yellow because it reminds me of the sun. The sun represents energy, power, positivity, and clarity. 

This is my second time to be a GD at Cut It Up Challenge. On my first GD gig, I created a Weaved Fall Card. It is very easy to join the challenge. Create a project based on the challenge theme and make sure to include a die cut. If you are chosen as one of the Top 3, you have the chance to become a Cut It Up Challenge GD. 

The most involving part of my card is the background which is all stitched. I used a cross stitch die to add stitching holes to a 4 1/4" x 5 1/2" white cardstock. I was so inspired by a card created by Jennifer McGuire that I used the stitches on her card on my card. The difference is that Jennifer used different colors of embroidery floss while I only used yellow DMC embroidery flosses on my card. I had so much fun stitching this background that I think I am going to create another card like this.

I die cut the postage frame using the SugarPea Designs Postage Stamp Sugar Cut on a gold Grafix vellum paper. To create this into a frame, I used a Hero Arts Nesting Rectangle Die to die cut a rectangular opening on the center of the postage die cut. I adhered the frame to the stitched panel.

I die cut the leaf using the Simon Says Stamp Laurel Leaf die on vellum, a yellow-gold cardstock and the same gold vellum paper I used for the frame. I adhered these die cuts on top of one another with the vellum on top to mute the yellow-gold cardstock. I adhered this to the stitched area, applying dots of glue to the stem and the ends of the leaves connected to the stem. I applied something heavy over the leaf while the glue is drying up. 

For the sentiment, I used the Spellbinder Pocket Full of Spring die to etched a sentiment on a yellow cardstock. I die cut the sentiment into a strip using a sentiment strip die. I die cut two extra pieces on white cardstock. I adhered the white strips on the back of the etched sentiment strip for dimension. I inked the sides using the Tim Holtz Tea Dye Distress ink. I adhered this to the laurel leaf on the stitched panel. 

I zhuzhed the tips of the leaves to add interest to the focal point of the card.

I trimmed an eight of an inch off each side of the stitched panel. I adhered this panel to a yellow cardstock cut at 4 1/4" x 5 1/2". I adhered this to a top folding note card. 

I hope you like today's card. Thank you, Larelyn and Cut It Up for allowing me to be a GD on your challenge blog a second time around. It sure was a pleasure. Thank you for visiting my blog. Have a blessed, brilliant and creative day!

Maria Giselle B.

I am sharing this project at

Challenge #112~Monochrome #4

Fussy Cut Stenciled Image

 

Hello! Welcome back to my blog. Today's project was created for the Blank Page Muse blog. Thank you BPM for allowing me to share this project in my blog, too!

The focal point of my card was created using the Blank Page Muse Pumpkin Trio Stencil. The stencil includes three pumpkins of different sizes. I used the largest one.

I blended an orange Tim Holtz Distress ink on an orange cardstock using the stencil. I used a darker orange ink for the ink blending. I masked the leaf and stem area of the pumpkin since I will be using another color for the stem and leaves.

Without removing the stencil, I added outlines to the blended image using a stylus. This adds a recessed outline on the image.

I used the impression created by the stylus on the back side of the cardstock as a guide to reposition the stencil. I flipped the stencil as well since I will be working on the back side of the impressed panel.

I repeated the step of using the stylus to create an outline on the pumpkin. I used the outline I created earlier as a guide. You don't have to do this step but I wanted the outlines to be raised on the inked pumpkin. 

I fussy cut the inked pumpkin, leaving a border around the inked image.

I repeated this process on the leaves and stem changing the colors of ink and the cardstock. If you notice, I used a brown color for the stem which I changed to pink as I was working on the project. 

To add depth to the leaves, I used the ball end of the stylus to curl the paper. 

I punched a Jack o' Lantern face on the inked pumpkin. I adhered a pearl black cardstock to the back of the pumpkin to cover the holes created by the punch. I embellished the pumpkin with a twine, vellum and a clear gem. I added Ranger Glossy Accent to the face. Isn't the pumpkin cute?

For the panel, I trimmed a patterned paper at 4 1/4" x 5 1/2" from a 6x6 patterned paper. Using the left over patterned paper, I ran this through my die cut machine using the Catherine Pooler Lights on Broadway Cover plate die to add dot details to these strips. 

When I saw the holes created by the die, I cannot resist the temptation of adding stitching to these strips. 

I adhered the strips to the panel. I adhered a sentiment from a cut apart Doodlebug patterned paper. I adhered the pumpkin with foam adhesive.

I hope you like today's project. Thank you for visiting my blog. Have a blessed, brilliant and creative day!

Maria Giselle B.

Blank Page Muse and I Brake For Stamps is generously offering a 15% discount to their online store to YOU, my blog readers. Just use the code BPMMaria when you check out. Enjoy!

I am sharing this project at

Challenge #328 #53

Thank You Fall Colors Card

Hello! Welcome back to my blog. November is upon us. It is the month of Thanksgiving, thus, I created a card using Kat Scrappiness products with this theme in mind. 

I started off with stamping the leaves from the KS Thanksgiving Gnome stamp set on different fall-colored cardstocks. I prepped the area with an anti-static tool to get it ready for heat embossing. I stamped the leaves using Versamark ink. I poured Ranger Copper embossing ink over the sticky ink, then heat set it. I die cut the leaves using the coordinating die. After I have embossed a good number of leaves, I set this aside to work on the focal point of the card, which is the sentiment.

I die cut the KS Thank You Shadow Sentiment craft die on cream cardstock. I die cut another piece on dark gray cardstock. This die set comes with a shadow die for the sentiment. I did not use the shadow die on my card. Instead, I used the dark gray thank you die cut as the shadow for the cream die cut piece. I adhered the gray sentiment die cut on the back of the cream sentiment die cut, slightly off setting it to create the shadow. I placed something heavy on top of it while the glue dries. 

I weaved stitched strips die cut using the skinniest die from the KS A2 Stitched Strips Craft Dies. I die cut a kraft cardstock using a die from the KS Never Ending Square Craft Dies. I spritz Tim Holtz Distress Stain in Ground Expresso and Rusty Hinge on this kraft panel. I dried the splatters with a heat tool. I trimmed 1/2 an inch off a side to make the square a rectangle. I adhered the weaved kraft strips on this panel. I adhered the die cut sentiment on top. I trimmed off some of the strips sticking out of the panel. I adhered this to a dark brown cardstock cut at 5 1/2" x 4 1/4".

I arranged the embossed leaves on each corner of the panel. Once I am happy with the arrangement, I adhered the leaves to the panel.

I hope you like today's project. Thank you for visiting my blog. Have a blessed, brilliant and creative day!

Maria Giselle B.

I added below a link to the Kat Scrappiness product I used on this card. There will be no additional cost to you should you decide to purchase this product. While you are at the Kat Scrappiness website, do check out their wide array of products. They have a new release, too! Enjoy!

 

I am sharing this project at

Inkspirational Challenge Blog #22

Crafty Meraki FB Challenge

Anything Goes

BetterPress Letter Press & Glimmer Hot Foil

 

Hello! Welcome back to my blog. It is a new month! I can't believe it is November already. It is an Anything Goes challenge at Incy Wincy Designs with an optional twist, create a Christmas Card with a Handmade Background. I used both themes on my cards for today's post.

Have you tried the BetterPress Letterpress machine by Spellbinders? This is my first time to use this machine. Just like any other new tool/machine, I have to learn the tricks in using it effectively. 

Although Spellbinders came out with inks for the BetterPress system, I used dye inks from Altenew for the inking. I used the Spellbinders BetterPress specialty cardstock (Cotton Card), which is a heavy weight cardstock (220 lb.), to do the letter press technique. 

On my first try, I did not get a bold impression. I thought it was because of the light blue ink that I used. I repeated the process and still was not getting a good impression. On my third try on re-inking and letter pressing, the cardstock shifted creating a double image of the background. Oh, well. 

On my fourth try with a new cardstockck, I added a thin cardboard as a shim on the top of the BetterPress platform. This time, the shim added extra pressure to push the inked press plate towards the heavy weight cardstock. I just discovered the right BetterPress recipe for my Sizzix machine. Doing it using a darker blue ink was easier now that I know the right BetterPress sandwich for my die cut machine.

The Pinkfresh Studio Decorative Frames Press Plate that I used for the background has a dual purpose. It can be used for both BetterPress and Glimmer Machines. I hot foiled the background on a light blue cardstock using a light blue foil. 

The Pinkfresh Studio Decorative Frames Press Plate has a coordinating die which I used to cut the frames apart. If you are going to use a full background press plate or hot foil plate, I suggest using a cardstock larger than A2. The extra space allows you to get full coverage of the background design when foiling and letter pressing. 

I tried transferring the left over design on the foil to another cardstock using the Waffle Flower Solid Hot Foil Plate. I failed on this part. I should have used a light weight, non-textured cardstock and/or I should have used a shim. 

I interchanged the frames to create a multi-colored background. With this I was able to create three cards right away. Extra cards created are always great. 

 

I created a fringed multi-layered Christmas tree on the card above. I used a fringe scissors to cut the fringes. I added impressions to the top layer of the tree and the trunk. The triangle die I used is from Honey Bee. The star was die cut using a Lawn Fawn coordinating die. I adhered blue gems to the tree. I inlaid the decorative frames, using all of the pieces including the drop negative cuts for a seamless finish.

 

For my second card, I cross stitched the Christmas tree on dark green cardstock. The Christmas tree pattern is from The Magic of Christmas to Cross Stitch by Veronique Enginger. I framed the cross stitched Christmas tree using the second to the largest frame of the decorative frames. I also removed the in-between frame cuts on this card. I embellished the tree with star sequins and gems that glow in the dark. I adhered star sequins on the top of the tree.

 

For my third card, I poked a hole on the Christmas tree. I threaded a green glitter thread through the holes. I added dash lines in between the glitter thread using a Sakura Stardust pen. I also did stitching on the trunk using a metallic embroidery floss. I added a gold glitter star on the top of the tree. I die cut the star using the same Lawn Fawn coordinating die I used on the first card. I added different colored gems to embellish the tree. 

I hope you like today's projects. Please join us in this month's challenge at Incy Wincy Design. It is a very good motivation to start working on those Holiday cards.

Have a blessed, brilliant and creative day!

Maria Giselle B.

I am sharing this project at

Anything Goes

Simon Says Stamp IG Challenge

Scrapbook & Cards Todays FB Challenge