Hello

I created my card today for the Essentials by Ellen August Pin-Sights challenge. They posted the following photo, and challenged participants to create a project based on any inspiration they gleaned from it. The colors & flowers appealed to me, so I used the Essentials by Ellen "Bold Blooms" stamp set & its coordinating dies for my card.

I began with a scrap of Canson XL Mixed Media paper that I'd colored with my Winsor & Newton Cotman Alizarin Crimson watercolor. I stamped 1 large & 3 small flowers on that with Versamark ink, and heat embossed them with Ranger Silver embossing powder. I also stamped the 2 larger leaves from "Bold Blooms" and heat embossed them. Then I cut them out with their matching dies. I also die cut a doily from white cardstock, with the largest of Spellbinders' "Delicate Doilies"; and my greeting from My Favorite Things' "Happy Hellos."

I cut a piece of grey cardstock to 4.25x5.5", and played around with the placement of my die cut elements. When I finally had the larger grouping like I wanted, I used a small piece of Press 'n Seal to pick them up as a group. Then I glued them in place on my panel with Perfect Paper Adhesive in the matte finish. I also glued the small rose & 2 leaves in the lower right corner with PPA. I let that dry, and then trimmed off the overhanging parts with my scissors.

For my greeting, I inked the bottom part of the word with Hero Arts Unicorn white pigment ink, and sprinkled on some more silver embossing powder. I let some of the powder granules stick above where I'd inked, to give it a bit softer look. Then I melted the powder with my heat tool. I'd gotten this idea from this tutorial that Carissa Wiley did recently. Finally, I glued that in place with more PPA, using my tweezers to help me place the die cut.

To finish my card, I adhered my panel to a white A2 card base, and rounded the top right & bottom left corners with my 1/2" Corner Chomper. I will send this card, with a cheery message inside, to Darlene at Live Love Cards, to donate to the Meals on Wheels program. Hopefully it will bring a bit of cheer to someone who is home bound!