Sending You Blessings

Merry Monday Christmas Challenge Blog's current theme is "Sentiment in the Spotlight." I decided to create one more card for their challenge.

It took me a few minutes to figure out how to do the double die cut inlay I wanted to do. I started by die cutting a circle in my patterned paper (from my scrap stash), using a Spellbinders "Standard Circles SM" die. I also die cut a circle with the same die from some dark green cardstock. I cut a piece of white cardstock to 4x5.25", the same size as my patterned paper, and ran it through my Xyron Creative Station to apply adhesive to one side. Then I adhered that to the back of my patterned paper, and positioned my green circle in the window.

For the stamped portion of my greeting, I used two stamps from the "Holiday Sentiments" set by Clearly Besotted. I placed my panel in my MISTI, and roughly positioned my stamps. After picking them up with the door of the MISTI, I curved them, frequently checking to see if the curve basically matched the circle. I did try using the die to curve them, but that turned out to be more difficult than just eye-balling it. Finally, I stamped them with Versamark ink, and heat embossed with Ranger Gold embossing powder, to complement the gold in the patterned paper.

I then took the "blessings" die from Simon Says Stamp's "Christmas Blessings," and die cut it from the panel. I also die cut it from some red shimmer paper. I cut a piece of scrap white cardstock, large enough to fit behind the die cut opening in my panel. Just in case any of that piece peeked through, I inked it with Barn Door Distress ink. After the ink dried, I applied a lot of adhesive with my ATG gun, and adhered it behind the opening in my panel. I carefully inlaid the red "blessings" die cut, and then placed the negative pieces in the letters from die cutting the panel. To finish the card, I adhered the panel to a piece of burgundy cardstock, then mounted that to a white A2 card base.

I'm also entering my card in the following challenges;

Simon Says Stamp's Monday "Love this Technique" (die cut inlay)
Live Love Cards' September Challenge: "Shimmer & Shine"
Simon Says Stamp's Wednesday "Die Crazy"