WPlus9 Pretty Peonies Card In A Box

I wanted to create a card that I would hopefully see on my manager's desk and my sons' teacher's desks, since school opening is coming up soon. I thought this card in a box is a perfect project for that mission.

When we were on vacation, I brought limited craft supplies. It includes 2 stamp sets (both layering stamp sets), 6 regular sized ink pads, 3 mini cube ink pads (which I think is great for traveling), cardstock, 3 acrylic blocks, stamp cleaner (I was going to practice layered stamping), 2 printed digital stamp images, and a marker set. Because of these limited supplies, I was able to practice my layered stamping which I am struggling with. I stamped each image with enough spacing in between so I can die cut these images once I got back home.

The difficulty in die cutting these WPlus9 images is that the die comes as a solid piece unlike other metal dies which comes as an outline, making it easy to line it up with the stamped image. I think, it would have been easier if I die cut the cardstock first, then stamped the image on it to get perfect alignment. Oh, well. Too late for that and I don't want to waste the sheets of stamped images I already made. So I just lined the die to the image to the best that I can. It is not a perfect cut but the artistic touch of the image makes the uneven cut tolerable.

There are lots of tutorials for card in the box online. The one that I find most helpful and easy is from http://www.thenoncraftycrafter.com.  Narelle created a file in Cricut Design Space for a card in a box which includes the box, the insert, the layers and even an envelope! Just like Narelle, I only cut the box, the insert and the envelope using the CDS file. I used an old Doodlebug Design patterned paper for the layers.

I cut strips of acetate to attach the die cuts to. I used mini-Glue Dots to adhere the die cuts to the acetate. I think the key to creating a card in a box is to have plenty of elements for embellishment. Once I am satisfied with how my card looked, I worked on the sentiment.

If I will recreate this card, I would have not adhered the front tab paper until I have a plan on how to add a sentiment. I would have stamped the sentiment onto this front tab paper then adhered it the front tab. But since everything is adhered. I cut a vellum to heat embossed the sentiment to. To adhere this, I applied dots of liquid glue to the back of the vellum, where the letters are embossed. The sentiment is from Li'l Inker Design Greetings & Salutations stamp set.

For the envelope, I cut a patterned paper bought from Michaels using the file mentioned above. I cut off a bit of the flap to make it even when it is folded. Since I am on the CDS, I went ahead and wrote the recipient's name using Ranger Embossing pen. Yes, it fits in the Cricut Explore. I embossed this with black embossing powder.

Thank you Narelle for sharing a very helpful CDS file! Thank you for visiting my blog. Have a blessed & brilliant day!

Maria Giselle B.

I am sharing this creation to

http://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/wednesdaychallenge

http://petalluchallengeblog.blogspot.com

https://lovetocraftchallengeblog.blogspot.co.uk/2016/08/ltccb-1-august-anything-goes.html

Flower Card using Akashiya Sai Watercolor Brush Pens

I was having difficulty using WPlus9 Pretty Peonies stamp set. When I use it, I can't see the Peony. For me, it looks like a cabbage and my co-worker friend laughed at me when I told her about this. Have you had those occasions that you just can't see the image as other people see it? Anyway, maybe I was using the wrong technique. Now, I tried just using the outline stamp. This time, I love the results. Hopefully, from here, I can work my way until I am able to stamp the peony layered as the stamp set was designed for.

WPlus9 is having a challenge.

http://www.stampawaywithme.blogspot.com/2015/07/challenge-get-sketchy-with-joni-2.html

I visit their blog and love their design team's coloring techniques. This is my first time to join a challenge in their blog using my one and only WPlus9 stamp set.

I stamped the peony repeatedly to create a border. I created a mask for the peony using a Post-It note. I stamped this on watercolor paper using Versamark ink. I used gold embossing powder. I colored the flowers using Akashiya Sai Watercolor Brush Pens which is a 'pasalubong' of my sister who is visiting us from the Philippines. She recently went to Japan and I asked her to look for these pens for me. The colors of these pens are so vibrant that you just need a little. I colored the parts of the flower where I think is the darkest. I used a watercolor brush (and I think that was the trick to using these markers) to work the vibrant color to the rest of the flower. For the flower's center, I used Tim Holtz Distress Ink in Wild Honey. I rubbed the pad on an acrylic block and picked up the color to paint on the center. Using the same pad, I stamped the center using the coordinating stamp in the set.

I did the same technique for the background, using the markers to apply color near the flowers, then using a watercolor brush to spread this out to the rest of the card. I fuzzy cut one edge of the panels to create the border. I stamped the sentiment using Gold embossing powder.  I used an embossed vellum by Doodlebug to create the split between the flower borders. 

The flower panels were adhered to the notecard using foam adhesive.

Thanks for viewing my blog.

Maria Giselle B.