Christmas Greetings

Our Daily Bread Designs is having their final challenge this month. I must say, I'm really sorry to see it go. I haven't been prolific in entering, but their challenges have always seemed to push me creatively. This one is no different.

The theme for June is a color challenge. Pick 3 or more colors from the palette provided for your focal point, and make a card. I chose pink, white, black, & silver for my card.

I began by heat embossing one of the ornaments from ODBD's "Christmas Ornaments" stamp set onto a scrap of Strathmore Smooth Bristol paper, using Ranger Silver embossing powder. I colored portions with Light Pink & Black Zig Clean Color Real Brush Markers, and fussy cut it out. After die cutting an oval with a Spellbinders "Grand Ovals" die (discontinued), I embossed it with 3 of the "Gold Ovals One" dies. I used Perfect Paper Adhesive to glue the ornament to the embossed oval.

For the greeting, I used ODBD's "Let It Snow" stamp set. I stamped the greeting on bristol with Versamark, and heat embossed it with silver embossing powder. I die cut that with a Spellbinders "Grommet Tags" die (discontinued), & inked the edges of that with Worn Lipstick Distress ink.

I have to admit, I really struggled with the background. I wanted something that wasn't just flat, but that also didn't compete with the focal point of my card. I found the "Mini Rosetta" stencil from The Crafters Workshop in my supplies, and decided to do something with that. I adhered it to a piece of black cardstock cut to 4.25x5.5" (I had previously applied repositionable spray adhesive to the back). Then I inked all over the panel with Delicata Silvery Shimmer pigment ink, using the direct-to-paper technique. When I lifted the stencil, though, I had one hot mess on my hands! Despite the adhesive on the stencil, ink had still seeped underneath, and I ended up with an almost totally silver panel, with just hints of the stencil design. NOT what I wanted!

So I had to regroup. I sat at my desk & thought for a minute, and an idea popped into my head. Could I do a monoprint with the stencil instead? So I cut another black panel, and inked up the stencil with Silvery Shimmer. I laid my panel--carefully--over the stencil, and went over it several times with my brayer. Then I lifted the panel from the stencil--and had a nice, shimmery background design! Yay!!!! After I was sure it was dry, I glued my matted ornament & greeting to the panel. I added a black brad in each hole in the "Grommet Tag" die cut, adhered the panel to a white A2 card base, and rounded the corners with a 1/2" Corner Chomper.

I'm also entering this card in the following challenges:

Simon Says Stamp's Wednesday Challenge: "Anything Goes"
Dies R Us Challenge #76: "Layers"
Through the Craft Room Door: "Anything Goes"