White on White Challenges

Good Morning, Everyone! Today I have a project for a few challenges. I will be participating in the Inspired By All The Little Things with a gorgeous photo to inspire us, The Paper Players Challenge with a color challenge theme of White on White and the Tic Tac Toe Challenge using the center row across of Die Cut, Free, & Leaf. I've actually been watching for a White On White Challenge to come from somewhere and I felt pretty lucky today that I get to make 1 card for more than one challenge this time around. It doesn't happen very often. I can regularly combine one project with 2 challenges but I've only ever done one card with 3 challenges a few other times.

I saw quite a few white on white challenges this time last year so I've had in my mind for the last few weeks what I would create if I saw another one.  Part of the trick of doing white on white is texture so that each layer has something it offers that is different from the other layers.  For my card, I knew I wanted to use my Poinsettia Dies from Spellbinders to create my card which both cuts and embosses the die cuts. I wanted something that would emboss well so I chose #140 Watercolor Paper which is thicker and heavier than my normal white cardstock.  I took three A2 sized panels and misted them with Iridescent Gold Glimmer Mist from Tattered Angels.  I buy mine directly from Canvas Corp. I also did an A2 panel of Linen Cardstock at this time so it would have time to dry before I die cut it for my background panel.  Because those two papers are such different textures, it adds that interest when you see it in real life.  I also used a couple of the Tim Holtz Sizzix Holiday Greens Dies for some extra foliage.  

Once everything was dry I started die cutting all of my pieces beginning with the Spellbinders Hem Stitched Rectangle in the largest size.  This cuts the panel to be about 1/8th inch smaller than your card base.  I embossed it as well to give it that extra bit of detailing on the panel.  I mounted that to my card base made from Gina K Designs Heavy Base Weight White Cardstock.  I got several colors of this card stock when I ordered my Stamp TV Merry & Bright Kit last month which was a fun way to try out some of the colors.  I really love the #80 Layering Weight White and the #100 Heavy Base Weight White depending on what I am using it for.  It is the absolute smoothest, silkiest white cardstock I've used. It isn't as heavy as Stamper's Select White from Papertrey Ink, but I know there will be occasions where I want to use it and this was one of those times. The color is a little different than Stamper's Select White as well and I felt it was a better match to the not so stark white of the watercolor paper and the Papertrey Ink Fresh Snow Linen Cardstock I was using.  I like to have options so that I can choose the best fit at the time. Only the White Cardstock is a different feel.  The rest seems comparable to the Papertrey Ink Cardstock I am already using and that I have been very happy with.  I'm not one to think I have to have all of the inks in all of the colors and all of the brands, (you could go broke trying) so I want my ink to match my cardstock and Papertrey Ink's Perfect Match Ink and Cardstock system is fantastic and I am planning to stick with it. 

I took all my die cuts and started assembling the poinsettia blooms and the foliage and laying it out on my card.  I used Ranger Multi Medium Matte to adhere the flowers together using the top two layers for the smaller bloom and the top three layers for the larger bloom.  There is also a 4th and larger layer but I felt that was too big for my card. I used some pre-arranged little pearl clusters for the center of the poinsettias attaching them with Ranger Multi Medium Matte as well. They come with sticky dots on the back but Multi Medium holds much better, even through the mail. Then I started assembling my card.  I adhered the Hemstitched Rectangle to a top folding white card base using my Kokuyo Tape Runner.  For the foliage I used Multi Medium Matte with an acrylic block sitting on the top for a few minutes to give it time to adhere.  Then I added the poinsettia blooms.  Once I had everything attached, I used my Wink of Stella Clear Shimmer Pen over the flower and foliage that was showing. Even though I had spritzed with shimmer spritz, this really added a lot more shimmer to the flowers although you may not be able to see it in the picture.  My current Wink of Stella seems to have a particularly high concentration of shimmer in it.  

After that I die cut the tag from the Keep It Simple Frames Dies little tag banner from some of the leftover watercolor paper scraps.  I chose the Merry Christmas greeting from Beautiful Berries: Winter Stamp Set and heat embossed that with Antique Gold Embossing Powder and then repeated it for a double heat embossed sentiment. I used the Mini MISTI for this.  Jennifer McGuire did this technique a week or two ago and I love the difference it makes in my embossing so you'll be seeing this technique often.  For the final touch, I wanted to put a brad or something in the hole on the tag.  I chose a Christmas Tree brad (it was silver when I started) and covered it with Versamark and then gold embossing powder and heat set it.  I let that cool and then did a second coat on that as well.  

I absolutely love how this card turned out and I am really happy to get to enter it in a few places this week!  This card predominantly consists of die cutting so it went very fast.  You could do lots of die cutting and then sit and assemble the flowers how you want them. I added extra layers to the ones I've created here, but you definitely don't have to. I did because I knew I wanted to go all out for this card.  You could also use larger single pearls or Liquid Pearls or Tonic Nuvo Drops for the flower centers which will also make assembly go fast.  If you have white pearls and want them to be a different color, use an alcohol based marker to change the color (such as a Copic marker).

To get a larger version of the images, right click and "open in a new tab" and it will bring up a larger image for you to see.  Thank you so much for stopping by today!  We have about 11 days left before we go for the Finger Christmas in November Dinner and I have several more projects in mind to share with you so I hope you'll come back often.