Magenta Card Exchange October: Distress Blends and Mandala Dreams

 This is the third card exchange sponsored by Magenta in which I have participated, and it's so much fun. This month, I coincidentally got the name of the person who got my name last month. So I'm getting a chance to send her a card this time.

The front panel of this card was blended using brushes and Distress inks, with Picked Raspberry, Abandoned Coral and Worn Lipstick. I stamped Mandala Dreams and Sending Hugs with Versamark ink and embossed with gold embossing powder. It was mounted onto a mat of Super Gold cardstock from Curious Metallics, and then onto a white card base. I'm super happy with how it turned out. I stamped Mandala dreams on the inside and also the envelope, and enclosed a couple of extra panels from stamps I designed.

I did the same design as a birthday card for a family member overseas. I think it works as a guy card too.

On this card, the only difference is that I used Distress Inks in Faded Jeans, Cracked Pistachio and Wilted Violet. Instead of just flicking water onto this one, I also put some of the Wilted Violet on my palette, wet it, and flicked that onto the panel as well.

Shaving Cream technique update:

The above cards were originally going to be done on a couple of my shaving cream background cards. When I tried to gold emboss on those though, part of the embossed areas turned dark.

They also had what I considered excessive pitting or bumpiness in the gold embossing. I even tried two types of powder to be sure it wasn't just the powder, and I tried embossing twice, which only made certain areas too thick and did not solve the darkness problem. The problem was immediately solved when I moved to using blended Distress Ink panels as my substrate.

In talking to Pam, who first brought the shaving cream technique to my attention (see my previous shaving cream card posts here and here), it seems that I missed the step of wiping off the panel with a cloth after scraping off the shaving cream. I didn't do that, and there was probably some shaving cream or sort of a soapy reside left on these cards. At this point, since they are all dry, the only solution I can think of is to spray them with a fixative, and I may try that, and let you know. I can also use them for die cutting and for putting die cuts onto.

Magenta Products used:

14.679.Q Mandala Dreams

07.971.F Sending hugs

07.1028 Happy Birthday!

Other Products used:

Distress Ink: Picked Raspberry, 

Abandoned Coral, Worn Lipstick,

Faded Jeans, Cracked Pistachio,

Wilted Violet

Ranger gold embossing powder

Versamark ink

The Greetery Crimped Frame die

Super Gold Curious Metallics cardstock

Neenah Solar White 80# & 110# cardstock

Magenta Super Saturday: Happy Birthday with Distress Blending

Hi I'm over at the Magenta blog today, and you can see that post here.  I very much felt like making a happy card today. I've been feeling a bit down lately, and bright happy colors cheer me up.

I made the background of this card by blending Distress Inks through the wonderful Square Silhouette stencil designed by Nathalie. I love the uneven edges of the stencil design.

After blending the colors, I flicked a little water all over the square to get this speckled look.

I then stamped the whimsical Graceful Tri-Petals stamp in Versamark over the panel, and embossed in gold. I decided to add more color to the petals with color pencils, and it was so easy and fast to do.

I chose out some pencils and made a quick swatch of them to find colors that would go well with the blends.

At the end, I stamped the Happy Birthday sentiment in Versamark ink and embossed with gold embossing powder. I cut the panel out with my current favorite edger, the Crimped Frame Die from The Greetery, and added 3 enamel dots.

I love how the gold embossing made it look.

I hope you enjoy! Stay safe out there everyone!

Magenta Products Used:

TM277 Square Silhouette

0810.P Graceful Tri-Petals

07.1028.D Happy Birthday

Other Products Used:

Distress Ink: Mustard Seed,

Candied Apple, Speckled Egg

Prismacolor Pencils: PC925 Crimson Lake,

PC930 Magenta, PC1003 Spanish Orange,

PC1032 Pumpkin Orange, PC1079 Blue Violet Lake,

PC1025 Periwinkle, PC912 Apple Green

Versarmark Ink

The Greetery Crimped Frame Die

Versamark Ink

Brutus Monroe Gilded Embossing Powder

PTI Terracotta Tile Cardstock

Neenah Solar White Cardstock 80# & 110#

Super Saturday at Magenta: Cherry Blossom Chickadee and Distress Oxide Blends

Hello Everyone! It's my turn at the Magenta Blog today, and you can see that post here.

I adore this new bird stamp, Cherry Blossom Chickadee, designed by Nathalie, and it's perfect for a Spring card. Our cherry trees recently blossomed and there's nothing prettier.

My panel was cut to 5" x 3.75" using the Lawn Fawn LF768 Small Stitched Rectangle Stackables. The largest die in this set cuts to this size and adds a nice stitched edge finish.

I colored my panel by blending  Distress Oxide ink, using Mermaid Lagoon, Peacock Feathers and Cracked Pistachio. I think it's such a beautiful combination.

After the background colors were dry, I stamped the image and sentiment in Versamark ink and embossed with JudiKins White Diamond embossing powder.

I added additional color to the petals by painting on some Picked Raspberry Oxide ink. I tried to take a picture at an oblique angle to capture the sparkly look of the images, but it's really hard to see it in a photo. It's very pretty in real life.

This was a very easy and fast way to make a pretty Spring card for whatever occasion you need. I hope you like it. 

Hope you are all staying healthy and safe, and not taking any chances by going out unnecessarily. Wishing you all the best.

Magenta Products used:

03.127.P Cherry Blossom Chickadee

07.1028.D Happy Birthday

Other Products used:

Distress Oxide ink: Mermaid Lagoon,

Peacock Feathers, Picked Raspberry

Versamark ink

JudiKins White Diamond embossing powder

Neenah Solar White 80# & 110# cardstock

So Silk Beauty Pink cardstock

Lawn Fawn LF768 Small Stitched Rectangle Stackables

Magenta Super Saturday: New Designs for Spring

I hope that everyone who can is staying home and that you are safe and healthy. My heart goes out to everyone who is suffering. Other than a few trips to the grocery store, I have been staying home for some time, and I feel fortunate to be able to do so. I have been cooking and reading a lot. My mojo has been a bit low, but getting some new stamps and stencils in the Magenta Spring collection has helped tremendously. I am at the Magenta blog today, and you can see that post here. You can also look at the new catalog by clicking on the image on the main blog, or you can click here to look at them in the online store. Click on "Rubberstamps" or "Templates and Masks" to see everything.

I'm really fascinated by this new stamp called Mandala Dreams, and I'm looking forward to seeing what the rest of the Design Team will do with it. This beautiful stamp was designed by my friend and super talented designer Miranda Degenaars. She is also a member of the Magenta Design Team, and you can check out her blog here.

I made this card by first blending some Distress Oxide colors onto a piece of 80# Neenah Solar White cardstock.

I flicked water drops onto the blended colors at the end for a little texture. I made a whole pile of these for future projects.

I cut a 1.25" strip from my panel to use for this card. I then put the stamp into my MISTI stamping tool and aligned the colored strip to about where I would want it on my finished card. It was stamped with Versafine Onyx Black ink.

I cut another piece of 80# Neenah Solar White cardstock, using the stitched rectangle die from the MFT463 Die-Namics Blueprints 13 die set, which cuts a rectangle to 5.25" x 4". With my stamp still in the MISTI, I stamped the white panel with Versamark ink and embossed it with Ranger gold embossing powder. I stamped the sentiment with Versafine Onyx Black ink.

I aligned the colored strip with the gold embossing and adhered it to the panel. I matted it with gold cardstock and mounted to a base card. A few gold and silver glitter dots from Elizabeth Craft were added at the end. I want to mail this card overseas and didn't want any gems poking through the envelope.

Magenta Products Used:

14.679.Q Mandala Dreams

07.1028.D Happy Birthday

Other Products Used:

Distress Oxide ink: 

Mustard Seed; Twisted Citron; 

Peacock Feathers; Picked Raspberry

Versafine Onyx Black Ink

Versamark ink

Ranger gold embossing powder

Neenah Solar White 80# & 110# cardstock

Papercut Gold Glossy cardstock

Elizabeth Craft gold/silver glitter dots

MFT463 Die-Namics Blueprints 13 die set