It's a Party!

Is there anything in the world so beautiful, elegant and feminine as Pink and Gold?  Metallic Gold that is, not harvest gold... Many a woman has had pink and gold in the form of decor, clothing or as a theme for a party, a baby or bridal shower in that color combination. I have long been pinning cards, announcements and invitations that I found on Pinterest in that combination.  I think it is ultra elegant and so very feminine.  So when I saw today's Weekender With Wanda on the Simon Says Stamp Blog I immediately thought of my water glass that I had set back a week ago after I completed some Thank You Notes for one of my Sisters-In-Law.  Here is the inspiration image from Wanda Guess:  

The thing about the Finetec Metallic Water Colors is that you have to use a small amount of water with it. Enough to get it wet for the spatter, but not enough to saturate your paper. And when you finish using that particular kind of paint, set the glass aside and let the water evaporate out of it as there is a lot of the mica pigment that has settled in the bottom of that glass. I used the leftovers to create my card.

I started by using a Mini Ink Blending Tool with some Simon Says Stamp Hollyhock, Teeny Bikini and Thistle Inks on a 4.25 x 5.25 inch panel of 110# Stampers Select White from Papertrey Ink.  As you can imagine, this is a very thick paper but it takes the ink very well.  I knew when I started that I was only going to use three colors for the ink blending and I also knew that I would mist some Perfect Pearls Solution onto that panel to really blend everything together seamlessly after I was finished inking it up.  I also inked up a scrap of watercolor paper with just the Hollyhock Ink and did a few layers to intensify the color and then misted both using Perfect Pearls Solution.  You can make your solution however pearly you like. I put about 1/8th teaspoon of the Perfect Pearls Pigment Powder into my bigger-than-most spritzer bottle and fill it nearly to the top and shake it very well. This gives me a beautiful shimmer when it dries.

I loved the way the ink blended on the background panel and the scrap piece with it's richer color. Using a Princeton Neptune #1 Script Brush and a few squirts from my little spritzer plain water bottle, I mixed up the leftover mica pigment into the brush and tapping it against my index finger created the spatter on the balloons, the background panel and the front of the White A2 sized card base.  I should probably tell you here that it's important to have everything else clear of that paint.  I got spatter on my envelope, but I decdied to go with it and do the whole envelope front. Next, I cut the background panel using the Simon Says Stamp Stitched Rectangle in the largest size and then I cut the balloons with a die called "Balloon Bash" from Papertrey Ink.  I got the brush a little closer to the paper for the larger spatter. All that rich gold spatter feels like confetti to me and I love how festive it makes this otherwise ordinary background panel look.  It's easily achieveable and I know I will do more of this in the future.  

Next I used some DMC Metallic Gold Thread to tie around the balloons for the strings and adhered those to the background panel using foam squares on the center of each balloon's back side.  Then I gathered all 3 strings and pulled them taut against the bottom of the panel and secured them on the backside with a piece of tape.  You could use Washi Tape, Scotch Tape or whatever you have handy.  I confess; tying such little knots at the end of the balloons was a bit of a challenge for me as I have RA and MS, but I just slowed myself down and got it done then trimmed the excess off the one side.  I cut the Happy Birthday (a no longer available Penny Black die) sentiment from a scrap of gold foil card stock and adhered it to the background panel using Ranger Multi Medium Matte and then attached the background to my A2 Top Folding Card. A final sprinkling of sequins and it's ready to go.  One of my nieces has her 17th birthday later this month and I love this card for her.  While feminine, it is not frilly and that describes her to a "T".  

I have done so many Winter and Christmas cards that I had trouble trying to come up with a design for this week's Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge which is "Party".  I'm glad Wanda's post gave me the much needed inspiration. This was a super easy card to create and I will use this basic design over and over again.  Thanks so much for stopping by my blog today.  I hope you find something that inspires you!