MKC Digitals Fall Window Card

Hello! I am a guest designing for MKC Digitals. Thank you, Mari Ko, MKC's owner, for giving me this opportunity to join this momentous occasion of her re-launching the company. I get to know Mari Ko when she sponsored one of our challenges at Incy Wincy Designs Challenge Blog. I fell in with love her images at that moment! I especially was thrilled to win on one of her blog challenges. But sometimes, life throws us a a curve ball. What's important is she is back again. I am very happy for her. Cheers to you, Mari Ko and to MKC Digitals!

I created this card not only with Mari Ko in mind but also, my Inang (mother), and to the many things we are and can be thankful for. My mother got sick a couple weeks ago. It was very nerve racking, with distance as my biggest barrier. But we stuck together as a family. She is home right now recovering, taking each day at a time. My biggest salute to my sister who never left our mother's side. I am thankful for my sister and my mother...among a lot of things I am blessed with.

Now, on to the card. I am using the Fall Floral Arrangement digital stamp. I printed the image on Arches Cold Pressed watercolor paper. I re-sized the image to fit a top folding A2 note card. I also cropped the center flower. I colored the images using Tim Holtz Distress Oxide in Spiced Marmalade, Fossilized Amber, Peeled Paint, Lucky Clover, Vintage Photo, and Walnut Stain. I mixed Perfect Pearl 'Perfect Pearl" with these oxide inks in the palette. I am trying to create pearl paints. I would love to have more colors of Finetec but for now, I'll settle with whatever supplies I have on hand.

I added foil to the image since I printed the images using a toner ink printer. I did this technique before on a previous project, Foiled Watercolored Kit and Clowder Card. It would be nice if all of  the image got foiled but because the watercolor paper is so textured, only specks of foil attached to the image. If I really want it watercolored and foiled, the next time I do a similar project, I should try using a thick, smooth cardstock.

I fussy cut the images. I cut the cropped flowers up to the image line while I left some border on the bouquet of daisies. I ran a black marker around the fussy cut daisy for a finished look.

I am using a 100 lb. Neenah Desert Storm cardstock for a card base. On the front, I cut it at 2 3/8" from the score line and cut this extra piece at the same size. I cut a brown cardstock at 4 1/4" x 2 3/8". I embossed this using a Darice Wood Grain embossing folder. I flicked some Finetec Arabic Gold pearl paint onto this and set it to dry.

For the window, I die cut a Clearprint heavy vellum at 4 1/4" x 1". I embossed this using Darice Checkered embossing folder. I die cut the sentiment which is from the Concord & 9th Grateful Leaf dies set. I embossed this sentiment using Ranger Copper embossing powder. I embossed the sentiment twice for a more raised look.

To assemble the card, I adhered the vellum in between the two Neenah cardstock panels, making sure that the bottom piece is aligned to the bottom of the note card. I adhered the embossed brown cardstock on top of the Neenah cardstock panels. I adhered the bouquet of flowers. I adhered the sentiment on the vellum window using a liquid adhesive. I adhered the flower cut out using a foam adhesive. I place an acrylic block on top of the sentiment as the liquid glue dries. I needed to reinforce the adhesive on some areas to make sure that the sentiment die cut won't fall off.

As last embellishment, I added clear mini round gems. I did not cut the overhang of the bouquet so this card will need an envelope slightly larger than an A2 envelope.

Another thing I am thankful for is you and your time to visit my blog. I appreciate you, and I hope you have a blessed, brilliant & creative day.

Maria Giselle B.

I am sharing this creation at

Thankful Thursday Challenge #235~Always Thankful

Pebbles Merry, Merry Christmas Sketch Card

Hello! I finished this card just in time to make it to Pebbles' Blog Sketch Challenge. I am using last year's Christmas collection called Merry, Merry which I won on a previous challenge. The good thing about using a collection on a card or a project is the patterned papers and products coordinate with each other. The guess work in matching items is taken away. I chose the papers I want to use, added details here and there, then, voila! I have a finished card. Also, I always love the cut apart patterned paper wherein you can use the elements as the main focus of your card. Makes cardmaking really easy! The only extra things I did for this card is to die cut the main patterned paper panel using a stitched rectangle. I also added paint splatters to this green cardstock. For the Santa, I adhered this sticker to a white cardstock, then fussy cut the image to make it into a chipboard-like embellishment. I added accent lines to the dotted cardstock to make Santa pop out.

I hope this encourages you to look into your patterned paper stash and use some of it. Thank you for visiting my blog. Have a blessed, brilliant & creative day!

Maria Giselle B.

I am sharing this creation at

Pebbles September Sketch Challenge

Mixing Digital Stamps and Card Stitching

Hello! We have a new challenge at Incy Wincy Designs. The challenge is called Sweet N' Sassy. Our sponsors for this challenge are Bugaboo Stamps and Sticker.You.  We are also having a Design Team Call. Hope you join us in either way or better yet, on both!

As soon as I saw this image, the only person I can think of to create this card for is my sister and her cats. If you've been following my blog or have visited my blog in the past, you will see that any cat related image is colored with my sister and her cats as inspiration.

I started of by printing the image on Arches Coldpress watercolor paper. I die cut the Paper Smooches Cross Stitch die on a 4 1/4" x 5 1/2" 80 lb. Neenah Solar White cardstock.

I masked the edges of this panel. I ink blended the top portion of the holed area using Tim Holtz Distress Ink Broken China and Salty Ocean to create a sky background.

I stitched the bottom area to create a brick wall to create the scene. I used DMC Floss Blanc and 918.

I wanted to add clouds to the sky area. I stamped some clouds which are from the Lawn Fawn Yay, Kites! stamp set. I could have left the stamped clouds alone but I decided to stitch it, too. I first added some shading using Spectrum Noir Blue Topaz and Clear shimmer pens. I don't have a metallic DMC floss. To use what supply I have on hand, I added Cross silver thread to the DMC 930 floss. It was a bit of challenge using two threads with different texture but as long as you add the same amount of tension to both threads, it should be fine.

I colored the image using Tim Holtz Distress markers and Akashiya Sai watercolor brush pens. I started coloring with TH but I don't have enough marker colors so I switched to the Sai pens.

I fussy cut the image, leaving a very tiny border around the edges so I don't have to re-draw the cat's whiskers which will be hard on the holed background paper. I added details on the image using my colored gel pens.

I adhered the girl on the holed cardstock using Tim Holtz Distress Collage medium. I applied acrylic blocks over the image while the adhesive is drying.

I added Nuvo Drops Autumn Red to the heart included in the image. I stamped the sentiment on the bottom using Mama Elephant Stargazer pigment ink. The sentiment is from My Favorite Things Snuggle Bunnies.

I cut off an eight of an inch from the the top and sides. I adhered this to a white top folding A2 notecard.

Thank you for visiting my blog. Have a blessed, brilliant and creative day! See you in the challenge blog!

Maria Giselle B.

Image Sponsor

I am sharing this creation at

Challenge 73~Anything Goes

Sequined Window Card

Hello! My son got invited to a birthday party this Sunday. To accompany his gift, I created this card for the birthday celebrant. I embossed a heart image from Hero Arts Written in the Stars stamp set on the top center of a 4 1/4"x 5 1/2" pink cardstock. I prepared the area for embossing with an anti-static tool before stamping the image with Versamark ink, pouring Simon Says Stamp Rose Gold embossing powder, and heat embossing it. I also used the Misti Stamping Tool because I embossed the image three additional times to make it pop out. I created a window inside the heart image by carefully cutting around the image using a craft knife.

I traced the heart die cut on another pink cardstock. This will be my guide as I start covering this image with sequins. The sequins will be glued permanently on this pink cardstock. I am using Pretty Pink Posh Rose Gold sequins, using all three sizes for variation. I used a liquid adhesive to adhere the sequins so I can move the sequins around until I cover the traced heart, making sure that the sequins can be seen through the heart window. I placed an acrylic block on top of the sequins while the glue dries.

I embossed the sentiment using Hero Arts Silver embossing powder. I sprayed this window panel with Prima Color Bloom Storm Cloud spray mists for some shimmer, adding splatters at the same time. I dried this panel using a heat gun. I also placed something heavy on top of it to help flatten the cardstock.

I had to trim off an edge from the window panel since the heart ended up being off centered, making it a 4" wide panel. I ran the Versamark ink on the side edges of a top folding A2 note card. I poured the same silver embossing powder to these inked edges, and heat embossed it. I adhered the sequined cardstock to this note card using the window panel as a guide to position it correctly. I cut a fun foam to fit on the back of the window panel, cutting a window large enough so the sequins will show through. I adhered this to the back of the window panel then adhered it to the note card. 

I added some Sakura Stardust Clear Roll  on the heart stamped image. I also stamped the inside with a birthday greeting sentiment from the same stamp set using Hero Arts Silver dye ink.

Thank you for visiting my blog. Have a blessed, brilliant (or rather, sparkly and shiny) and creative day!

Maria Giselle B.

I am sharing this creation at

Hero Arts Challenge Blog

September Anything Goes Challenge #55

Lawn Fawn Glow in the Dark Halloween Sentiment & Wreath Builder Stencil

My local craft shop, Checkered Cottage, finally acquired this Gina K Designs Wreath Builder stencil for sale. Lucky me, that I get to buy the last one. I've always been curious about this stencil's functionality after watching multiple videos featuring this product. It is about time I put this stencil to the test. There are two stencils in the package, one for a3 3/4" card & one for a 4" card. You can use other sized cards but I decided to stick with one the sizes since it is my first time to use this stencil.

I cut a 4"x4" white piece of Neenah Solar White cardstock. I placed the 4" stencil on a corner of the Misti Stamping tool and secured it in place with a piece of washi tape. I nestled the white piece cardstock to the groove of the stencil starting off as a square shape as recommended by Gina K. I positioned a sentiment on the center which will be the focal point of my wreath. I then positioned a candy corn stamp from Lawn Fawn Spooktacular stamp. I started stamping this image with Memento Tuxedo Black ink, rotating the card in the Wreath Builder stencil until I created a complete circle of candy corns. I repositioned this again, then repeated the process. I only have one candy corn stamp so it was a tedious process completing the wreath design but this stencil made it so easy that I think the effort is worth it. After I filled the panel with a lot of stamped candy corn, I started using other elements on the stamp set. I also used little stamps from Lawn Fawn Party Animals to fill in the empty spaces. This tool is very helpful in using those little stamps in your stash that most of the time get unused. You can create backgrounds with the help of this stencil. The possibilities are endless!

Okay, enough of my awe for this stencil. I colored the images with Copic markers. I cut a purple cardstock at 4 1/2"x4 1/2" to matte the stamped panel. I die cut a circle on the middle of the stamped panel using a My Favorite Things Stacked Circle die. Using the Misti again, I positioned the purple cardstock, then centered the stamped panel on top of it. I positioned the sentiment stamp inside the circle. I prepared the area with an anti-static tool, then stamped the sentiment with Versamark ink. I applied Hero Arts embossing powder to the impression then heat set it. I did this two more times but this time I used Wow! Glow in the Dark embossing powder. I started off with a white embossing powder to make the sentiment pop since the glow in the dark powder has a yellow-greenish transparent look once it is heat set. The Misti tool is very useful in repeated stamping techniques. Also, in repeatedly stamping the sentiment, it made the sentiment bold and puffy.

With lights on.

With lights off. I cropped the photo to highlight the glowing sentiment.

I adhered the purple cardstock on a 4 1/2"x 4 1/2" white note card. I adhered the stamped panel with a fun foam which I cut smaller than the stamped panel and die cut a circle at the center using the next large circle die in the MFT Stax circle die set.

I stamped an extra candy on Neenah Solar White Cardstock and colored it with Copic markers. I die cut the candy using the coordinating die. I added Spectrum Noir Clear Shimmer pen to the candy, then I added Ranger Glossy Accents. Adding Glossy Accents to a small die cut can be a challenge. To make it easy, add a non-tacky tape on the back of the negative space of the die cut. Pieced back the die cut, then add Glossy Accents. In this way, your small die cut lays still as you add the Glossy Accents, and at the same time, you are sure not to lose your small die cuts while you set this aside to dry.

After the Glossy Accents has dried, I adhered this under the sentiment using foam adhesive.

I enjoyed using the Gina K Designs Wreath Builder stencil. As you can see, I created two cards at once. I foresee myself using this tool in my future projects. Thank you for visiting my blog. Have a blessed, brilliant & creative day!

Maria Giselle B.

I am sharing this creation at

Lawn Fawn Challenge Blog

Simon Says Stamp & Lawn Fawn Collaboration

Challenge #75~Anything Goes