March 2019 Keeping Christmas Blog Hop

Hello everyone!  It's the 25th of the month so that means it's time for the next edition of the Keeping Christmas Blog Hop!  Thanks for popping in today to see my projects.  I am super happy with the way these turned out even though when I first started this technique, I wasn't too sure it was going to turn into anything.  This particular group of cards was started by just playing with Alcohol Inks on an 11" x 14" sheet of Heavyweight Yupo.  I don't normally like the heavyweight because you can't die cut words out of it, but I have a sheet or two left still that I'm planning to make backgrounds out of as well.

This is going to be a long and very photo heavy post, but I got a lot of questions about the background when I posted this one on Instagram, so I want to be able to give you some of that information in this post.

To create this background was simply sitting with my Alcohol Inks and also my new Alcohol Pearls along with some of the Pinata Alcohol Ink in Brass and playing using a combination of Alcohol Blending Solution and Rubbing Alcohol.  I used 99% Alcohol for this project but it can be hard to find.  It also evaporates quickly giving you less time. The 91% is easier to find and doesn't evaporate quite as fast.  The 70% Rubbing Alcohol that I always have around for cleaning doesn't work too well as it evaporates much more slowly.  All told, I spent about two hours getting the large piece to look the way I wanted which was agate or marble with gold veins running through it. I love the end result but the larger sheets of Yupo can be a challenge.  I knew I wanted to use vivid pinks, purples, and reds for this piece so I pretty much restricted myself to those colors.

You can also do this technique and then run it through your laminator or Minc machine with Deco Foil, but the Brass Pinata ink is a far superior choice to the Mixitives that are part of the regular alcohol ink line of products.   I wanted that bright shiny gold to give it the more defined look of actual veins, so I chose that product rather than a mixative.  The Alcohol Ink Mixative's give more of a pearly color than the bright pop of gold and you can't really get the super defined look of veins without laminating it or rubbing deco foil on it while the ridges are still slightly tacky.

I used an Air Puffer from one of my previous cameras to move the ink around because I don't like to get too close to the fumes of the alcohol.  Plus, it puts out a bigger puff of air and I can lay it on my table to move the ink around.  Rather than bringing it up to my mouth level and not really being able to see where it's moving.  Mostly it's a whole lot of playing until you get a result you like.

I posted this image on Instagram and it was done on a sheet of glossy cardstock rather than Yupo.  Let's face it, Yupo Paper is expensive.  Therefore, I've had to try other materials for this method.

Here are some things to know about working with Alcohol Inks:

• They are messy and they stain!  So I have trash bags over the back of my chair and the seat of my chair and I wear an apron or an older t-shirt.  My work Surface is glass, but I use a craft mat on top of that.  If you are working on a smaller panel, it's easier to contain some of the mess. 
• When working with Alcohol Inks on Yupo, you can clean up a mistake by cleaning it with a bit of alcohol ink on a paper towel or rag.
• When working with Glossy Cardstock, there is no going back.  You can add ink over the top, but you cannot wipe away a mistake. You can dab at it to remove some of the texture, and then put color over the top again, but you cannot wipe away the color like you can with Yupo.  In the beginning, I only used Yupo until I got a feel for how the inks moved and worked.  I recommend using Yupo in the beginning but cutting the sheets into card sized panels. I like to get the 9 x 12 and cut it into four panels which gives me four pieces of 4.5 x 6 inches so I have a little extra because I like to die cut all of my background panels for the crisp edge.  That size is also less intimidating.
• Alcohol Inks, Blending Solution, and the Rubbing Alcohol will pretty much destroy the finish on the handles and discolor your ink blending tools when using the felt pads, so I have a couple that I use exclusively for this purpose. I'm usually trying to get more texture, so I don't often use the felt pads.  
• Start with just a few colors and play around to see how many different looks you can get.  Once you get a feel for them and if you are happy with your results, then you can add more colors to your collection.
• Last, but not least, playing with Alcohol Inks can be very addictive!  Don't say I didn't warn you!  *Ü*

The biggest thing to do is just sit and play with different techniques.  There are a ton of YouTube videos out there to watch if you want more information.  I've tried the straw method to blow the color around but it doesn't work that well in my particular case because I've had lung surgery so my left lung has diminished capacity.  The puffer works great for me.  It also keeps you from accidentally hyperventilating.  *Ü*  You can find one on Amazon.com. 

Now let's get on to the cards!  This was the first card I made and when I was die cutting the background panel, I didn't tape it down so it wasn't quite straight mean I had to recut it using a slightly small die in order to salvage it.  Then the Gold die cut panel is one size up from that as I like a narrow border most of the time.  That is the main difference in this card from the other five that are like it.  I die cut the Art Deco Tree from the inside of the gold background to save on my gold cardstock.  This first card was also assembled using Ranger Multi Medium Matte for the frame and tree.  Because it is a fine-lined die cut, for the rest of them I used my oldie but good, Xyron in the 2.5-inch width.  It was so much less of a headache than glue!  I pretty much always have the smaller little Xyron sitting on my desk but I don't use it often.  It this case, it was perfect to use for the interior tree in the frame. That frame is a single die from Poppy Stamps called Deco Tree Frame Craft Die and it cuts the frame and tree in one pass.  I love all things Art Deco because of the super clean lines and graphics. 

The Greeting is from a Papertrey Ink stamp set called A Thrill of Hope.  It's one of my favorites for Christmas Cards.  I die cut a Double Stitched Rectangle from My Favorite Things and then stamped with Versamark and Heat Embossed with Simon Says Stamp Antique Gold Embossing Powder being careful to use my Powder Tool (cornstarch these days due to the dangers of talc) on each one of these.  I used a negative as my placeholder in my mini MISTI.  This card has a white border around the edge while the others all have a gold border around the edge.  

These next few cards are all made using cut down panels from that original piece of Yupo, each unique in that each section is from a different part of the larger piece that I cut down for my card panels. 

If you'll look carefully, each of the backgrounds is slightly different since the background was not symmetrical in any way.  Once I started working on these, I had everything I need to make six cards, so I did all the die-cutting from the interior of the background panels for the trees, die cut both layers of the background panels and the stitched rectangles for them sentiment and then just assembled everything.

When I was finished, I had a scrap of the marbled piece big enough to put behind the framed tree die, so I grabbed a sheet of the Scarlet Shimmer Cardstock from Papertrey Ink, and die cut a scallop A2 Notecard from it.  The piece was about 4.25 x 2.75 inches tall so it was big enough to put behind the tree.  I still have a little square left so it's on my table for a possible future something on some other card.

And that, friends, is how I ended up with a 7th and slightly different looking card.  This last card is actually my husband's favorite.  That scrap of Yupo had the largest concentration of the deep red which is why I chose the Scarlet Shimmer Cardstock.

Here they all are together and they are simply gorgeous!  I topped each tree with a sparkling gem for the star on top of the tree.

There are several more stops on this hop today so be sure to stop by each of the blogs and leave some love in the comments section.

Kelly Lunceford

Anita Madden

Broni Holcombe

Claire Broadwater

Julee Tilman

Kim Heggins

Lori Tecler

Nance Salkeld

Nina Forsyth

Vicki Finger (you are here)

Nancy Guse

We all work hard to bring beautiful projects to you each month in a wide variety of styles, so I hope you'll be sure to check out everyone's Blog Posts today.  

I know I haven't been blogging as much but my schedule has been absolutely crazy for the last 10 months.  I'm trying very hard to get back into my normal groove and I have a few deadlines for Blog Hops that I am participating in over the next 5 or 6 weeks.  I thank you very much for all of your visits, and notes of encouragement.  See you soon!

Affiliate Links Used Whenever Possible

Kokuyo Long Dot Runner Adhesive Shop at: SSS	Marvy Jewel Picker Shop at: SSS	Mini MISTI Stamping Tool Shop at: SSS | ALT | GKD	PTI Scarlet Shimmer Cardstock Shop at: PTI
PTI Stamper's Select White Cardstock Shop at: PTI	Ranger Multi Medium Matte Shop at: SSS	Ranger Non-Stick Craft Sheet Shop at: SSS	SSS Antique Gold Embossing Powder Shop at: SSS
SSS Stitched Rectangles Dies Shop at: SSS	Teflon Bone Folder Shop at: SSS	Tim Holtz Ranger Alcohol Pearls - Set of 12 Shop at: SSS	Tim Holtz Tonic Paper Trimmer Shop at: SSS
Tim Holtz/Ranger Alcohol Ink Blending Solution Shop at: SSS	Tim Holtz/Ranger Alcohol Inks Shop at: SSS	Tonic 6 Inch Personal Trimmer Shop at: SSS	Versamark Ink Shop at: SSS
Wagner Heat Tool Shop at: SSS	WPLUS9 Gift Card Layers Designer Dies Shop at: SSS	Yupo Paper 74 lb. Shop at: SSS

Enhancing Embossed Cardstock

Hello there!  Thanks so much for popping in today.  I'm joining in with The Paper Players Challenge this week which has a theme of "Spring".  I'm also going to add this card to a challenge over at Papertrey Ink in Laurie's Fabulous Favorites where we are to use one of our favorite accessories.  One of my favorites in addition to Papertrey Ink's Cardstock is Nuvo Drops.  Seriously, Papertrey Ink Cardstock is #110 and smooth making it perfect for card bases or card panels.  I pretty much use Papertrey's Stamper's Select White Cardstock for all of my card bases.

I know that I am beyond ready to have some sunshine and warmer temperatures for sure. I think this is pretty well reflected in my color choices at the moment which seems to be pastels for the most part.  This is the coldest Texas Winter I remember for many years although we are in North Texas so it will be somewhat cooler than an hour south of us in Dallas.  When we were at a doctor's office on Friday evening, there was a Redbud Tree with tiny little buds on it which is the first sign of spring I have seen.  Later, we also saw a Bradford Pear that had small blooms, so Spring is trying to get here.

I have a few cards to share with you that I made using a bottle of Nuvo Drops to enhance the embossed image on my cardstock.  This is a technique I developed in the last few days and I am so happy with it that I have made a few more cards in addition to the originals I posted on Instagram and Facebook.  I feel like at this point I am perfecting my technique and improving each time as well as getting faster each time I make one of these now.  That is a good thing since having RA makes this pretty hard on my right hand.

I'll share a few tips and trick along the way in case you want to try this yourself. Tip #1:  Make sure that your Nuvo Drops or Liquid Pearls are warm in the bottle so they are pliable which also makes it easier to control where you are putting them and helps make the bottle easier to squeeze.  If the bottle feels cold, you'll need to warm them up.  I usually warm mine up in my hands by sitting and rolling the bottle back and forth in the palms of my hands until I feel like they are more pliable.  In the summer, this isn't an issue but in the winter, my studio gets chillier and they aren't as workable.  You could put the tightly capped bottle in warm water if the rolling in your hands doesn't work.  I haven't had to try that yet.

I have several types of embossing folders in my supplies, but this one kind of always stumps me with what to make with it.  I love the design and it is so pretty that I hate to cover it up.  Therefore, I played around with some embellishments to see what I could come up with.  I used Pale Gold Nuvo Drops for this which have a pearly shimmer to them.  While it came out nicely, I wanted to try something with a bit more contrast.  The image on the left is from my original attempt.  I tried a few more attempts that same day and came up with these two additional cards.

For the second card, I inked up the flat area of the embossing folder with some Simon Says Stamp Lemon Chiffon Ink.  It wasn't very noticeable at first, so I inked it up again which gave me the deep golden tone.  My best friend loves this very Tuscan Yellow color and so I made it into a card for her.  I also used a finger dauber to add some Nuvo Embellishment Mousse to the flowers.  It's actually very pretty in person and I framed it with some Avocado Green Shimmer Cardstock which is another of her favorites.  As I told her boyfriend the other night when we met up for dinner, Sometimes I give her a card because the colors make me think of her and other times I give her a card because I want it to remind her of me.  She loved this and in fact, framed it when she got home.  It just reminds me of the 1970's and all the harvest gold appliances, wood paneling and avocado green carpet that everyone had.  YUCK!  The softer yellow one turned out very pretty and I sent that off to a friend already.

But then I wanted to try some other colors and see how things turned out.  I really like the contrast of the Ivory Seashell Nuvo Drops vs. the soft gold.  But it just so happens that my most recent order from Simon Says Stamp arrived on Friday and I had a Bottle of the brand new Nuvo Dream Drops which are iridescent.  All of the Dream Drops are Iridescent and I got all of the colors available so far;  Gold Luxe, Indigo Eclipse, Love Potion, Fairy Wings, Dragon Scales and Cloud 9.  Translate those names to Soft Gold, Pale Purplish Blue, Pink, Lavender, and Pale Green.  Cloud 9 Dream Drops are White with Iridescent Shimmer.  You'll be able to see the difference in my pictures further along in this post.

I also got the idea that I wanted to add a bit of color to the two main leaves with another finger dauber.  I am anxious to try other colors as well, but there are already three more cards for this post so I'll save that for another time.

Tip #2:  If you mist your cardstock panel with a bit of water, it will take the impression better and your cardstock will not crack.  This particular Embossing Folder is a 3Dimensional Folder so it was somewhat of a challenge to figure out the proper sandwich for my Cuttlebug.  My particular sandwich is C Plate, Magnetic Plate, Metal Shim, B Plate, Tan Embossing Mat, Embossing Folder with cardstock inside, and B Plate.  These folders are really much thicker.  I encourage you to get your folders and try embellishing them with whatever you have such a Nuvo Drops, Liquid Pearls or Stickles.  So far, I like the Ivory Seashell best although I think the gold might look nice on certain colors.  I also think this wouldn't work on darker cardstock.

Since I'm using the very tip of the bottle to "paint" my design, it's important to keep the tip clean and not get a lot of excess product on there.  That's why practice is important.  My first attempt was not bad, but my additional attempts are better.  I have four other cardstock colors embossed and ready to do.  I'll wait until another day for those.  I give my Sisters-In-Law a set of cards every year at Christmas, and I think this will be one of the ones I stash for them.  I also think these would make great Mother's Day Cards.

This card was embossed on Gina K Designs Sea Glass Cardstock.  once I run it through the embossing sandwich, I mist it up again with Iridescent Gold Shimmer Mist and Clear Sparkle Shimmer Mist.  Each of those is very pretty by themselves but I've found the combination is even prettier.  The flowers are sponged with Sea Glass Ink and the leaves with Vintage Jadeite from Papertrey Ink.

Here's a slightly angled view which I hope allows you to see that extra dimension from the side.  I die cut each panel before embossing it with a stitched rectangle die that is slightly smaller than an A2 size panel and then matted it on a gold cardstock panel that is a full A2 size which makes for a 1/16th-inch frame around the embellished panel.

This card is made with Lemon Tart Cardstock and Ink from Papertrey Ink with the same Ivory Seashell Nuvo Drops.  The leaves were again done in Vintage Jadeite.

Here's another slightly angled view for you.  The Sentiment is from the Friendly Flowers Stamp Set.  I used the same narrow mat around each of these card panels.

This last card was done with the Cloud 9 Nuvo Dream Drops and while it is very pretty, it is more subtle and not as striking as the ones done using Ivory Seashell Nuvo Drops.

I hope you enjoyed reading this post and my attempt at trying to stretch my supplies in ways that are a bit unexpected.  These cards were all made with supplies I already had on hand.