Three Final "Background Check" Cards

"Background Check," Online Card Classes' latest offering, officially closes tomorrow. *Heavy sigh!* It's been fun, as all their classes are, and I've learned a lot. Even as this class comes to a close, I can't wait to hear what their next class theme will be!

I posted about the background for this card here. I decided to make it an encouragement card, inspired by Laura Bassen, to send to Send a Smile 4 Kids. I stamped the "happy mail" from Simon Says Stamp's "Sending Happy Thoughts" set on a piece of dark teal cardstock, and heat embossed it with Ranger Super Fine Detail White embossing powder. I die cut the "Sending" die, also by Simon Says Stamp, out of white cardstock. If I were to do this again, I would probably use a darker color for more contrast, but I think it came out OK anyway. After adhering my "happy mail" panel on the background, I used tiny drops of Ranger Multi Medium Matte on the back of the "Sending" die cut to glue it down. To try and make the "Sending" stand out a little more, I applied a coat of Glossy Accents to it. All that was left then was to adhere the panel to a white A2 card base.

For my second card, I decided to go more masculine. I created the background for this card based on Kristina Werner's lesson on Day 5 of class, using embossing folders. I used the "Riveted Metal" embossing folder by Sizzix/Tim Holtz. I placed a piece of silver cardstock in partway, and ran it through my Spellbinders Grand Calibur. Then I flipped the cardstock around, and embossed the other end, leaving a blank space in the middle. For the greeting, I die cut one of the "Many Thanks" by My Favorite Things from a piece of light blue cardstock. I then spritzed that with After Midnight Dylusions spray ink. I applied little dots of glue to the top & bottom of each letter on the back, and adhered it in the blank space on the background panel. I let the glue dry for a few minutes, then stitched 2 lines with my sewing machine across the "thanks," to add some more texture, minus any bulk. Finally, I adhered the panel to my A2 card base.

My final card came together pretty quickly. I loosely based my design on one Kristina Werner did on Day 6 of class. I stamped my greeting, from Echo Park's This & That "Graceful #2" set, on a piece of white cardstock, and white heat embossed it. After die cutting it with the coordinating die, I swiped a Hero Arts Soft Pool ink pad (the same color I used in the bottom row of diamonds) over the banner. I wiped the excess ink off the embossing, and set that aside to dry for a bit. To add a bit of texture, I pierced holes in between the rows of diamonds, and stitched cross stitches with some Queen & Company baker's twine. I stapled the banner with my Tim Holtz tiny attacher tool, and mounted the finished card front to an A2 card base. I am entering this card in Simon Says Stamp's Wednesday "Tie It Up" challenge.