Snowflake Card with Warm Distress Oxide Colors

I rarely know what card will be well liked on Instagram, this is one of those cards. Maybe it's the colors or maybe I just hit the Instagram algorithm correctly but this one was liked and had some questions about how I made it. I didn't take photos as I was making it so I just remade a few of the main elements here (I used a different embossing folder in the pics but I'll list the original folder here.)

Here's a photo of the supplies I used: 

Distress Oxide Inks in Fossilized Amber, Picked Raspberry, Ripe Persimmon

Simon Says Stamp "Snowflake Visions" embossing folder

Simon Says Stamp "Harmony Snowflakes" (used only the large one)

Poppystamps "Seed Snowflake Outline" (it's an old die)

Darice vellum

I blended the 3 Distress Oxides onto the white cardstock cut to 4.25" x 5.5".

I cut a piece of vellum 6.5" long, which is longer than the cardstock so I could fold it over and attach it to the back after I run it through the Big Shot. (Please note, this is a different embossing folder but same process.) The adhesive shows through the vellum which is why I attach it to the back. The width of the vellum is the same as the cardstock 4.25", there's no adhesive on the sides.

I diecut the snowflakes out 3x each, glued them together for dimension. The larger snowflake has Stickles on it for shine. The smaller snowflake has the Distress Oxide blended onto it. I mounted this panel onto a 4.25" x 5.5" standard card. That way you can't see where I attached the vellum to the back.

That's it! Thanks for looking.

I'm also on Instagram @susanbcards

 

Tim Holtz Roses Embossing Folder

After the holidays I hit a wall. I was making Christmas cards and gifts until the end of December. 

I actually sent cards out to everyone I needed to and donated some and made some gift sets! Then Jan 2 came and I couldn't think of anything to make. At all. So I started watching YouTube, my favorite place to find new ideas or retry some old ones.

I really enjoy mixed media, so I re-watched Tim Holtz's demos. He suggested making technique tags, similar to swatches, so you'd remind yourself how something is done. I have the worst memory. I always think I'm going to remember how I did something and then someone asks me and I draw a blank.

I'm going to try harder to blog more too, I've seen that many more people have been looking here, probably wondering what colors I used or how I made something. I'll do my best but I get lost in the making and often forget to take pictures or take notes. 

I made this vintage card and received lots of DM on my Instagram account asking how, what, where. I really didn't think many people would like this card much less ask about it. So, I'll do my best to remember.

I took a piece of Distress Mixed Media Heavystock and spritzed and sprayed the paper with Distress Oxides in Crushed Olive, Rustic Wilderness, and the Distress Mica Sprays in Tree Lot and Holly Branch, adding only a little of the dark shades. I also added a bit of Snow Flurries Mica Stain Spray (ugh, I'm almost out of this limited release!) I let it dry.

I then used the Tim Holtz/Sizzix Roses embossing folder, I didn't spritz my paper, just ran it through the Big Shot. This is where the Tim Holtz demo came in, I watched the one on Distress Crayons and saw how you could paint with them. You scribble a bit on your craft mat, spritz it with water and with a paintbrush paint it on. It's a pretty cool look, very pigmented. I used Peppermint Stick and Picked Raspberry, the Peppermint has mica in it so it sparkles. 

After it was dry, I couldn't see any of the lines in the flowers or leaves so I used a small blending tool and Espresso Distress Ink and blended the ink onto the raised areas of the flowers and leaves ON THE FOLDER and immediately reran the paper so the ink would be pressed into the paper. 

I could have just taken a thin paintbrush and painted these lines but after getting the rose and leaves wet, they kind of deflated and rerunning the folder with the paper pops it back up.

I was happy with the result so I took Black Soot Archival ink and the script stamp from Dearly Departed and lightly stamped a few areas that needed "something". I took just a bit of the Distress Mica Spray in Flickering Candlestick and dropped a bit in a few areas for highlights and spritzed a little water to make it blend. The sentiment is from SA Tiny Text.

I hope this helps anyone wondering. Thanks for stopping by, I post several times a week @susanbcards on Instagram.

I'm entering this on the Funkie Junkie Blog Challenge called "Out with the old, in with the new", since it's an old folder using some of the new holiday Distress Mica Stains and Crayons.

You can find the challenge here:

http://frillyandfunkie.blogspot.com/

YAY! LOOK WHO WON! Thanks to the Funkie Junkie Blog!