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

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.