The current challenge on the Hero Arts blog is to make a one-layer card. The last time I entered a one-layer challenge, participants were allowed to do a panel as their one layer, and then add that to a card base. This time, according to Hero Arts' rules, the card base IS your one layer. This kind of steps up the difficulty level, because you not only have to plan your visual "layers," you also have to be more careful not to get ink on the inside or back of the card! But I suppose, if there is no difficulty, there isn't much of a challenge.
I didn't use a sketch for this card. My vision was to create a tree effect on the front, with a "hole" for the owls and another for the greeting. I used Hero Arts "Li'l Hoot" stamp set for both the owls & greeting.
I cut a piece of copy paper to 4.25x5.5", to use both as a template for the card front & to cut the masks for the "holes." I laid out my design on this piece, and stamped the owls and greeting in place. I used a Spellbinders Classic Circles die to cut the hole sections from the copy paper. I applied repositionable adhesive to the back of the circles and the negative piece. I stuck the negative piece to the card front, to use as a guide on where to place the circle masks.
When I got the circles in place, I removed the negative, and blended Brushed Corduroy Distress ink over the whole card front. Then I inked up Hero Arts' "Designer Woodgrain" background stamp with Colorbox Chestnut Roan chalk ink. I placed the card front on top of the inked stamp, which I had back side down, and rubbed over the cardstock to transfer the ink. This method makes it easier to get a good impression from such a large image, rather than placing the stamp onto the paper.
When I removed the circle masks, I was a bit disheartened to find that some of the Distress ink had soaked through to the white cardstock underneath. So I had to change my plans just a bit. But first, in keeping with my original idea, I placed the negative mask over the card front, so I could stamp the owls without too much of the branch getting on the card front. Then I stamped them with Memento Tuxedo Black ink, and after removing the mask, colored them with colored pencils, blending with Gamsol and a paper stump.
To hide the bits of brown ink that had soaked through the circle masks, I ended up coloring the hole space around the owls with black colored pencil, and blended it with Gamsol. I added another layer of pencil, and blended that out to finish. For the greeting "hole," I just filled it in with black pencil and blended.
Since I wanted to heat-emboss the greeting, I first went over the area with an anti-static pouch to keep embossing powder from sticking where I didn't want it. I tested the area by sprinkling embossing powder over it. It stuck so I ended up having to wait a while for the moisture from the Gamsol to dry thoroughly. Finally, I repeated the process, and the powder didn't stick, so I went ahead and stamped the greeting in Versamark. I embossed it with Ranger Super Fine Detail white embossing powder.
I'm also entering this card in the following challenges:
A Blog Named Hero's Challenge #48: "Sheet Cake"
a2z Scrapbooking Blog's July Linky Party: "Anything Goes"
Holy wow that's a lot of work, but it was worth it! Nice save with the backgrounds, too. I was wondering how you got them colored as a one-layer. Thanks for playing along at A Blog Named Hero!
ReplyDeleteIt was a lot of work! I like the design of the owls and tree together--nice job--and thanks for linking up over at a2z Scrapbooking Supplies!
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