Perfect Pearls

Fall Foliage with Tim Holtz

Happy Saturday Friends!

Well, there must have been a glitch in the Matrix as we seem to have the word Fall show up twice for our Random Act of Cardness Challenge this month. That’s okay! Who doesn’t like a little extra inspiration? Especially when it involves Tim Holtz!

Today I am using the Foliage 3D Embossing Folder and the Funky Foliage Thinlit Dies by Sizzix and Tim Holtz. These two products are perfect for fall themed cards.

If you would rather watch the video then read about the process you can click HERE

Now I must admit I had a general idea of what I wanted this card to look like and it didn’t come out exactly the way I wanted it, but that’s okay. We aren’t always going to love every thing we create and I have learned to just enjoy the process with this one.

I started by taking the 3D embossing folder and apply Versamark Watermark Ink onto one side of the folder. I then place a piece of 120lb white cardstock inside and ran it through my Gemini Jr.

Next, I applied Sunflower Sparkle Perfect Pearls to the side with the Versamark. This really helps to bring out the dimension in the embossed piece.

I then die cut a frame using my Silhouette machine, but you can use a frame die if you have one. I adhered that frame onto a part of the embossed cardstock that I liked and then fussy cut around the frame. You can save the left over pieces to add to another card. I also die cut the two mushrooms, sunflower, fern sprig and little floral and adhered them together with some Art Glitter Glue. I also added some Vintage Photo Distress Ink to the edges to add dimension to the die cuts.

I have recently been challenging myself to add more layers and different textures and mediums to my cards. I pulled out my burlap and will some to my card. I pulled out some chalkboard cardstock in a hunter green colour and will use that to adhere all the elements on. Before I do that I want to distress the edge with a paper distresser. You don’t have to do this step, I just thought it would add more texture to the card.

To add even more interest I decided to use a decorative stitch with my sewing machine around the edge of the card. I can now adhere the panel down to an A2 side folding card base.

The last step is to add a sentiment and I pulled out some of my word dies and thought “Smile” suited this card the best.

I love everything that is going on with this card, but there is something that it is missing and I can’t put my finger on it….perhaps you guys can let me know what you would add or do differently with it.

Well, that’s it for me for today. I hope that you are inspired to create some fall cards of your own!

Take care and stay crafty!

~Chala

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Categories: Cards, Dies, Mixed Media, tim holtz

Tags: fall, Foliage, mushrooms, Perfect Pearls, sewing, texture

Tuesday with Tara {take 263} negative space poinsettia

1 Comment 1 Sep Tara

Happy Tuesday and happy September! We are kicking off another month of daily challenges with our Random Acts of Cardness with today’s theme, Foliage. I’m using “Poinsettia Pieces” by Tim Holtz, which I got after Christmas last year, paired with a sentiment by Gina K Designs. I thought the foliage of the poinsettia could have a non-seasonal vibe if I avoided traditional colors. By sticking to shades of green, this card has an almost tropical feel to it, though with a different sentiment it would be lovely for Christmas too.

Since these dies are designed to showcase the negative space, I wanted to play with color and some for the background behind them. I sprayed a variety of Distress Stains & Distress Oxide Sprays in shades of green and blue on watercolor card stock, then splattered with some water and spritzed with Perfect Pearls. It’s a subtle variety of colors with a pretty shimmer to it!

I cut the panel just slightly larger than the white piece I’d cut the poinsettia pieces from, then glued them together and onto a black card. It’s easy to keep the design simple when you are working with such pretty, intricate dies.

I hope you like my card and are ready for a new month of inspiration with Scrap ‘N Stamp! Be sure to check out the challenge page on Facebook and play along, and plan to stop back here on the blog Friday for our September Blog Hop!

Hope to see you then!

Inky hugs,

Tara

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Categories: Cards, CAS, Christmas, Dies, Distress Inks, Gina K. Designs, Ranger, Sizzix, SNS Challenge, tim holtz, Tuesday with Tara

Tags: Distress Oxide Sprays, Perfect Pearls, Sprays, Tuesday with Tara

SNS Perfect Pearls June Blog Hop

25 Comments 5 Jun Tara

This weekend you can save 10% on all Perfect Pearls products! It’s a great time to try out a fabulous product that’s been around for years, but might be new to you! As usual, we are giving away a $50 gift certificate for the SNS online store to one of our amazing readers who leaves comments on our posts along the hop, so please… let us know what you think of our projects!

Perfect Pearls have been around for a long time, but have recently been re-branded/launched by Ranger to introduce them again as a great addition to the Letter It Line. The new starter sets are fantastic, with two colors of Perfect Pearls, a small fluffy brush and a mini Perfect Medium Ink Pad. My project today uses Letter It Set #3 with the addition of a single color, Sunflower Sparkle. SNS has some of the original sets in stock as well and they are an even better value since they include 4 colors & two brushes!

My card today also features the Feathered Friends die set by Tim Holtz, She Sells She Sells stamps by Jane Davenport & Just Because stamps by Concord & 9th for the sentiment. I also used some mini mister spray bottles to turn these pretties into shimmer sprays- you’re gonna want to try it! I had my doubts along the way how this would all come together, but now that it’s done, I’m ready for another trip to the beach!

I used the Perfect Pearls in three different ways on this card. First, I stamped in Perfect Medium and brushed the Pearls over the stamped image. Perfect Pearls are a pearly pigment powder that has a binder mixed in with them, so they will bind to water or a wet medium. You can see an example of this on the shells that are stamped directly on the kraft “sand” layer of my card. Next, I painted with them, adding shimmer to some shells which I embossed in white on kraft. (Side note- Perfect Medium also makes a great embossing ink!) I then used a wet paint brush dipped into the Perfect Pearls to paint my shells. You can add layers for more intense color & shimmer, or add water for a subtle shine.

Lastly, I used them as a spray! I missed the Perfect Pearls with a bit of water in Mini Mister spray bottles. I didn’t measure, I simple picked up pigment with a paintbrush and dropped it in. I repeated a few times and then stirred with the same brush to get the color off. While this photo isn’t the greatest, I hope it gives a good indication of the pearly shimmer all over the card! I used blue on the sky & water layers and a mix of sunflower and pink on the sand.

I had a few puddles of color left on my craft surface when my card was done, so I selected a few of the shells I gathered at the beach last summer and decided to paint them as well for a perfectly coordinated photo prop. They turned out so pretty, I had to photograph them on their own with the pearls and the spray bottles!

I can’t wait for you to see what the rest of the girls have been creating with Perfect Pearls! It’s so fun to see a classic art medium get a fresh start 🙂 Next on the hop is Deborah, and below you will find the full set of links for each of us. Hop along and enjoy, and don’t forget to leave us comments. I’d love to know when the last time you used Perfect Pearls was!

Perfect Pearls June Blog Hop

Inky hugs,

Tara

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