Thanks So Much One-layer Card

The current challenge at Hero Arts' blog is one-layer cards. The deadline is tonight, so I decided to get one more entry in.

My inspiration this time came from a card Laura Sterckx made for Day 2 in Online Card Classes' "Stretch Your Stamps 2" class. She heat-embossed a background image, then created an ombre effect by blending different Distress inks over the embossing.

To begin, I masked off the center of my card front with a square just larger than my planned greeting stamp. Then I stamped Hero Arts' "Looped Flower" background stamp over it, using Versamark ink, and sprinkled on Recollections "Snow" embossing powder. Because I wanted a softer look around the greeting, I then took a small paintbrush and brushed away some of the powder from the center area, so the embossing looks like it fades away there. Then I heat set the embossing powder.

I stamped the greeting, from the "Word Labels" stamp & die set by Sizzix, in Versafine Onyx Black ink, and clear heat embossed it. Finally, I went over the whole front of the stamped & heat-embossed card base with Distress inks, starting at the top with Tumbled Glass, blending into Broken China, and finally Peacock Feathers at the bottom.

Even for a one-layer card, which can be tricky, this came together rather quickly and easily. Would that all my projects could be like that! :)

I will be sending this card along in my next shipment to Operation Write Home. I'm also entering this in a2z Scrapbooking's "Encouragement" challenge.