Cards: Creative Challenge Submission

Angie Juda of mychicnscratch.com issued a creative challenge. Using only Stampin' Up! products, we are supposed to create a card and send it to her for her website visitors to vote for the winner. Well, I decided I am sending in two cards. Because I will be explaining how to do these cards, I will show only one card per post. If you are interested in placing an order, please email or call me: creativepzazz@gmail.com or 334.493.2511.

These are my first submissions to anything. I have never swapped or submitted a project so that my peers can see my work. It took me 3 years to finally start a blog, and I am still VERY nervous about posting projects here! I am even going to post these cards on SplitcoastStampers, a community of people who love to stamp. So, although I do not expect to be selected for the creative contest, I am very excited to actually participate! Ok. No more stalling...here is the first card!

This has to have 3 photos because of the technique I used! I created this technique myself! I call it Triple Dipping. The technique involves stamping the image in one color, stamping directly on top of the first stamp in a second color, then completing the image by stamping Shimmer Paint over the colored image. By using two stamp colors you get a completely new color for your image. It takes two photos to really show the depth of color and the glimmer of the Shimmer Paint.

Here's how I made the card. Cut a piece of Not Quite Navy cardstock to 4 1/4" x 11" and score and fold at 5 1/2". Cut a piece of Old Olive cardstock at 5 1/4" x 3 7/8". For the stamped image you will need a 5" x 3 1/2" piece of Whisper White cardstock. You will need a Stamp-a-ma-jig also. Next cut two 3" pieces of Old Olive 5/8" ribbon. The Classic Ink colors I used are Old Olive and Garden Green. You will also need the Frost White Shimmer Paint. It is sold in the new Holiday Mini Catalog. It is so beautiful!

The first thing you need to do is to ink your ribbon. Place the Old Olive Ribbon pieces on the Garden Green ink pad and press them with your finger until they are fully inked. Lay them aside to dry. I let them dry overnight, but I am sure you could heat them with your heat gun to get them dry faster. Next, stamp your image onto the image sheet of your Stamp-a-ma-jig. Line the image sheet onto the Whisper White cardstock where you would like the image to appear. Note: the size of the piece of WW cardstock is slightly smaller than the full image, so slide the image into position allowing a small bit of the snow line under the largest tree to be off the edge. Next, and this is VERY IMPORTANT, place the stamp-a-ma-jig in place next to the image sheet and DO NOT remove your hand until you are finished with the next two steps!! Ink the stamp in the Old Olive ink (or the lighter color you are using). Stamp going straight down the Stamp-a-Ma-Jig. Lift the stamp straight up. (Remember don't move the hand that is holding the Stamp-a-ma-jig.) Ink the stamp in the Garden Green ink pad. Stamp over the top of the Old Olive image using the Stamp-a-ma-Jig again. Note: If you try to line up the image sheet in between stamps, instead of hold the SAMJ in the same spot with your hand, it will never line up. I have 6 attempts to prove it. :)

You can remove your hand from the SAMJ, but do not move the SAMJ. You will need it in the same position in a moment. Now clean you stamp really well. Pat dry with a paper towel. Shake the Frost White Shimmer Paint well. Use a paint brush, sponge, Q-tip, or sponge dauber to apply the shimmer paint over the stamp (I excluded the bird and the sentiment.) Make sure you dab the paint on, You do not want the paint to pool in the depressed areas. Use the SAMJ once again to stamp this Shimmer Paint directly over the stamped images. Now gaze at the beautiful creation you made. Ooooh, aaaah.

Now to add the night/dusk. Use a sponge and pounce Not Quite Navy over the sky area of the stamped image. I punched a 1" circle and placed it in the "sky" as a moon, but do not glue it. Continue to pounce NQN all over the moon area too. Add as much NQN as you like. Finally take the moon off and pounce once over the top of the moon area just to keep it from being so stark white.

By the way, I got the idea for the night sky from Jan Tink (All Hail the Great One) at her blog. I refer to her as the Great One because she has the best ideas and techniques! She has a great sense of humor too! Plus, she loves chocolate. Like me. So that alone makes her awesome. LOL

Take the 3" pieces of dyed ribbon and attach them to the sides of the Old Olive Cardstock where the land line of the image would be. Measure to make sure both sides are even. Attach the Old Olive cardstock to the Not Quite Navy card base. Attach the Whisper White on top.

For the inside of the card, I cut 2 pieces of 2 3/4" x 3 1/4" Whisper White cardstock. I used the God's Blessing stamp set's Christmas message stamp on the inside left. Then on the inside right, I used the Holiday Best (Hostess Level 1) stamp set's Merry Christmas stamp at the top leaving room for a signature.