Ho (Cubed)

Wednesday's theme for Catch the Bug challenge blog's this week was a bingo challenge, with an added touch of humor. I chose the row with "Bugaboo image," "Shiny," & "Embossing" for my card.

I began by choosing Operation Write Home's Sketch # 195:

For my image, I used Bugaboo Stamp's "Stocking Santa Ornament." I reversed the image to work better with the sketch. I printed it on a piece of 140 lb. watercolor paper, and colored it with my Inktense pencils, blending the color with a damp paintbrush. After the Inktense color had dried, I added a bit of "ground" with watered-down Pumice Stone Distress ink. Then I set that aside to dry.

For the background, to go with the whimsical image, I decided to use the "Dot Swirl" embossing folder by Sizzix for Hero Arts. I embossed a red cardstock panel that I'd cut to 4.25x5.5", and adhered a strip of patterned paper (from my scrap stash) to that. After rounding the corners of the focal panel with my 3/8" Corner Chomper, I matted it with a piece of navy cardstock, and rounded the corners of that as well. Then I adhered that in place on the background.

I decided to use the "embellishment" spot for my greeting. I stamped the "Ho (cubed)" (stamp set name unknown, but the greeting is humor any math person would know!) on a piece of white cardstock. I heat embossed it with Ranger Liquid Platinum embossing powder. I die cut & (dry) embossed it with a Spellbinders "Classic Ovals LG" die, then inked around the perimeter with Salty Ocean Distress ink. I glued that in place, and then adhered the card front to an A2 card base. As a finishing touch, I added a coat of Glossy Accents to the ornament & the star on Santa's hat. (Unfortunately, that doesn't show up in the photo too well.)

I'm also entering my card in Simon Says Stamp's Monday "Anything Goes" challenge.