It's All Fun & Games

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.)

True story ... it's all fun until someone checks that list, whether it's Santa, or maybe it's you - realizing that there's a lot to get done before the big day!

Let’s Get Started:

Card Base: 5.25 x 10.5, scored and folded at 5.25

Green Border: 5 x 5

Card Face:3 x3

Dark Red Card Face Border: 3 1/8 x 3 1/8"

Small Scrap of Cardstock for Sentiment

Card Face:

• There are 4 rows and 4 columns of circles on this stencil, so I positioned it carefully on the card face to allow the grid of 9 that is pictured, and then secured it with Mint Tape.

• I used a light yellowish-green and my blending brush to ink the circles.

• I put the card face into the stamp positioner, and added the elves and the x's.

• Using a ruler and a grey marker I added the vertical and horizontal lines.

• It didn't have quite the look I was going for - I wanted an obvious tic tac toe board. I added grey lines to create a border around the square, and that did the trick.

• I drew a diagonal line with a fineliner between the elves. It wasn't as eye catching as I needed , so I added the small black dots to the line and that detail created enough visual interest to do the trick.

Other:

• I created the sentiment on the computer, and cut it out with a stitched rectangle die.

• I heat embossed the entire surface with clear embossing powder to intensify the print, as I find that the ink in our printer isn't as dark as the ink I stamp with.

• I ran the green border layer through my Big Shot with an embossing folder.

Assembly:

• I glued the green border layer to the card base.

• I glued the card face to the red card face border.

• I glued these two resulting layers together.

• I glued the sentiment to the card face in the lower left. I didn't add any dimension to the sentiment as the card was getting quite thick with all the layers.

• I added 5 red pearls in 3 sizes towards the lower left of the card: the colour enhanced the elves, and the placement enhanced the sentiment.

• I added another 5 pearls to the card face , placing them in such a way that they created a random feeling rather than the structured placement of the others.

Final thoughts:

I had to work for this one, but in the end I managed to create the look of a tic tac toe board and I was satisfied.

Supplies: (and links where possible)

I have listed which products I have used, and where they may be purchased. It's a huge marketplace and in most instances there are multiple sources and many alternatives to choose from.

Stencil: 16 Circle Shadow, A Colorful Life Designs

Stamps: Big Bubble Medium, Woodware, Amazon

Ink: Stampin’ Up!

Black Fineliner: Amazon

Gray Marker: Stampin' Up!

Mint Tape:Scrapbook.com

Blending Brushes: Stampin’ Up!

Wine Berry Pearls, Studio Katia

Stamping Platform::Misti, Spellbinders

The platform I use has retired, but the Misti is very similar.

Adhesive: Tombow Aqua, Michaels

Green Cardstock, Stampin' Up!

Red Cardstock, Stampin' Up!

Card Base: Accent 100 lb., Amazon

Card Face: Accent 80 lb., Amazon

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