Getting a Head Start!

Innovative Design Styles for Your Cardmaking

Would you like to experiment with a design like this? You'll find a supply list below, including a link to the stencil I used from A Colorful Life Designs . Follow the link and use discount code ChrisFan10 to save 10% on your entire order! (Master Creator Bundles are excluded as they already have a 20% discount built in.

Let’s Get Started:

Card Base: 4.25 x 11, scored and folded at 5.5

Card Face:4.25 x 5 3/8

Small Scrap of Gold Cardstock for Star

Narrow strip of gold card stock for bottom of card front

Card Face:

• 
  I secured the stencil to the card face with Mint Tape, grabbed my blending brushes and ink and got started. I was using a very juicy poppy red, and got a really nice saturated tone as a result.

• I left the stencil in place to protect the uninked card face, and spattered metallic gold watercolour randomly across the red.

• I put the card face into my stamping platform and stamped the tree in black ink: I stamped repeatedly until I got the level of intensity necessary to balance the saturated red tone.

• I used a ruler and a black microliner to create a black frame around the tree.

• At this point I put the project aside for the night as the ink needed time to completely dry.

• The next morning I began by generously dusting the card face with anti-static powder.

• Then I returned the card face to the stamp positioner and used Veramark to ink up the sentiment.

• I added gold embossing powder and melted it with my (pre-heated) heat gun.

Other:

I die cut the star out of gold card stock, and glued it to the card face.

Assembly:

• I glued the card face to the card base, aligning to the top edge.

• I glued the thin gold strip (1/8 x 4.25) into the gap at the bottom of the card.
  

Final thoughts: When I began this card I had no intention of creating a Christmas card - but I quickly realized that my initial plans weren't going to work with that intense red ink, so for the first time ever I began my Christmas cards in May! (I'll be glad of this as the season draws closer - in fact I may continue the trend.) I'm really happy with the bold, contemporary look of this card.

Supplies: (and links where possible)

Stencil: Split Square, A Colorful Life Designs

Stamps:

tree: Winter Woods , Stampin' Up (retired)

sentiment: Heartfelt Wishes, Stampin' Up (retired)

Die: So Many Stars, Stampin' Up (retired)

Inks:

Dye Based Ink: Stampin' Up

Versamark: Scrapshotz, Scrapbook.com., Simon Says Stamp

Blending Brushes: Stampin' Up

Gold Embossing Powder Stampin' Up

Gold Cardstock: Stampin' Up

Anti-static powder: Stampin' Up

Metallic Watercolor: Aoutle, Amazon

Mint Tape: Scrapbook.com

Adhesive: Tombo Aqua: Amazon, Simon Says Stamp

Black Microliner: Amazon, Altenew- Scrapbook.com, Ranger- Simon Says Stamp

Card Base: Accent 100 lb, Amazon

Card Face: Accent 80 lb., Amazon

Thanks for popping by!