Hugs + Kisses

Sandy Allnock, founder & executive director of Operation Write Home, created 20 embossed tags to send to 20 different crafters. The idea is that each crafter will use her tag to create a card to send back to OWH, then she will make a video featuring all the cards sent in. The deadline for the cards to arrive at OWH headquarters is March 31. The main stumbling block--for me at least--was that you get ONE shot. No do-overs. So, while I was one of the lucky 20 to get a tag, I was majorly stressing out over making a card with it!

I did this card and this one as practice runs, just to experiment with techniques. (Basically, I created my own tags by embossing on cardstock, and then ended up using them on the cards.) Since the tag was just cardstock, watercoloring was out, because it wouldn't take the color too well. Plus the usual problems with the cardstock warping and pilling from the water. After my second "practice" card, I finally settled on using Distress inks and spritzing with water.

I based my design on OWH's Sketch #28:

It's an oldie, yes--but a goodie! I did make some minor adjustments, mostly to accommodate the different size for the tag and add a greeting.

I first die cut a piece of Strathmore Mixed Media Paper with the largest of Lawn Fawn's "Large Stitched Rectangle" dies. After masking off the edges outside the stitching lines, and an oval for the greeting, I stamped the background with Hero Arts' "Looped Flower" stamp in Versamark. I heat embossed that with Ranger Super Fine Detail White embossing powder. Then I took Distress inks in Worn Lipstick & Festive Berries and watered them down. I applied them like watercolors to the background, creating an ombre effect. When that was dry, I removed the masking, and stamped my greeting from this Hero Arts set in Ranger Watering Can Archival ink.

For the tag, I used sponge daubers to apply the Distress inks. I colored the flowers with Tattered Rose, the butterfly with Mustard Seed, and blended Peacock Feathers & Cracked Pistachio to create the background. I spritzed the tag with plain water to help the colors blend just a bit more. After drying the tag, I also sprayed water into my hand and flicked it onto the inked tag, trying to create a bit of texture with water droplets. But that didn't work quite as intended (not at all, actually), so I ended up with just a smooth blend of color. After the tag dried, I glued & stitched on buttons in the flower centers, then punched a hole in the top and tied on some white satin ribbon.

I cut a piece of patterned paper from my scrap stash for the vertical background strip, and 3 pieces of cardstock for the 1/2"-wide horizontal strips. I ended up cutting the vertical strip slightly shorter than what the sketch called for, so it stopped at the stitching lines on the background, rather than extending into the white "mat" area. After gluing down the strips, I adhered the tag above the greeting area. I felt the card needed a bit more, so I adhered some small pearls from The Paper Studio below the greeting, one each on the 3 horizontal strips, and one to anchor down the ribbon ends from the tag. Finally, I adhered the completed card front to an A2 size card base. And this card--that I was so scared of making (or rather, of ruining)--is all set to go to OWH!

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Virginia's View Challenge #13: "All Things Embossed"
a2z Scrapbooking's March challenge: "Color It In" (colored butterfly & flowers on tag)
Simon Says Stamp's Work It Wednesday "Spring"