Monday, April 12, 2021

Who Wore It Better?

 Do you ever read People Magazine's "Who Wore It Best"?  It's a photo article they do where two celebrities wear the same outfit and you get to compare them to see which photo is more flattering.  Silly, I know...

But then I started making my own shimmer paper, and got to wondering which technique is better.  Take a look:


I know, I know...I've resorted to using my favorite suite from the January-June Mini Catalog, the Sand & Sea Suite.  But it was the Pearlescent Paper, part of the suite, that got me to thinking about making my own shimmer paper.  IN A DIFFERENT COLOR!  In fact, using these techniques, you can make your own shimmer paper in ANY color!  

So let's take a look at each card and I'll tell you how I did it...then you can tell me which card "wore it better".  ðŸ˜‰

First:


This was the first one I did.  I took Seaside Spray (a retiring In Color 😢) and sponged it with Frost White Shimmer Paint and a Stampin' Sponge.  I tipped the paint onto a clear block, swiped it with my sponge, and colored over the entire sheet of cardstock.  Once dry, I embossed the page with the Seashells Embossing Folder, wrapped some Seaside Spray ribbon around it, and added it to the front of my card.  So easy, and SO pretty!  


All it needed was a simple greeting (from Friends are Like Seashells) and a shell embellishment (Seaside Shells stickers) and some Opal Rounds jewels.  

And look how shiny:


But then I decided to try another way to make my paper.  This time I took the Frost White Shimmer Paint, dripped about 5 drops into a Stampin' Spritzer, and filled the spritzer with rubbing alcohol.  I sprayed the Seaside Spray cardstock until it was pretty wet, and then used my Heat Tool to dry it.  Here's the results:


The basic card is the same as the first; this time I added the ribbon with a little adhesive, and popped on a greeting cut with the Layering Circle dies.

It's also quite shiny:


I did note that the spritzed cardstock didn't seem as "smooth" as the sponged one.  And due to the excess moisture, the cardstock buckled a bit.  I needed more adhesive to hold it to the card base, and even then the bottom corner was not quite flat.  But it's still a beautiful card!  And I have to admit, the spritzing was definitely easier than the sponging.  

So what do you think?  Which card wore it best?



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Thursday, April 1, 2021

The Missing Piece

Yesterday I showed you a card I made using the large background die from the Potted Succulents set (you can see it here).  I mentioned that I had cut out an oval from the middle of the die-cut to make a second card.  Well here is that other card with the "missing piece":


 The original die-cut used Granny Apple Green, which you see in the center of this card.  I cut another large background with Basic White, and cut out the center with a Layering Oval die.  


I adhered the cut Granny Apple Green piece to the Basic White Oval and matched it to the white die-cut.

And see that green background?  That was added using the new Blending Brushes and Granny Apple Green ink.  These brushes make it so easy to add a color to your projects; start with a light hand and gradually add more color until you get the shade you want.  The brushes make it easy to blend so the background is "smooth".  



Two small succulents were stamped, colored with Stampin' Blends and cut with the coordinating dies, and the greeting label is another die from the set.  

Just one more way to use your dies with this beautiful stamp set!  


Don't miss Simply Succulents!  This is such a lovely and versatile set, one which I'm sure you'll use for all kinds of cards for many years.  



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