Friends, you are witnessing a FIRST here on my website. My very first foray into the world of mixed media cards! It has long been an art I admire, but one that gives me serious anxiety, as it involved getting messy. Verrrryyyy messy! If I'm being honest, I'm still not sure what I think! I mean I like (kinda sorta) how this card came out, but I wouldn't say I love the process of how I got there. One very messy step at a time and a lot of self doubt. So, I'll preserve judgement until I play around a little bit more to see if mixed media will "be my thing." Card details:The base of this A6 (6 1/4" x 4 1/2") is made from 80 lb. Neenah Solar White Smooth cardstock. The background paper was leftover in my scrap bin, but it had the perfect fall colors I wanted, so I cut it to 6" x 4 1/4" and then splattered black ink and gold metallic spray all over the paper before adhering it directly to the card base. Using the Adornment Oak Leaf die, I die cut three different colored leaves in a rust colored cardstock, a yellow cardstock and a cherry red cardstock. I then cut the overlapping detail element from gold glitter paper. I adhered the gold glitter paper over each leaf and then splattered the leaves with black ink and gold metallic spray. I adhered the leaves to the card using 3M foam adhesive for added dimension. Using the Big Sugar Script Thanks Die, I die cut the shadow layer from white cardstock and the thinner layer from rust colored glitter cardstock. I adhered both layers together with a fine-tip liquid glue and then I adhered the entire sentiment to the card with 3M foam adhesive. I love the colors of this card, but will I try mixed media again? Yes, in small doses, when I am fully prepared to be splattered by my own ink flicking! Thanks for visiting and have a wonderfully creative day! XO, Crystal
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Hello friends and happy Friday! I hope you have fun things planned for the weekend ahead! Today I am on the Birch Press Design blog with this card using the new Adornment Pumpkin dies. I looooooove how this card came out, if I do say so myself! While the pink alcohol ink pumpkin is a little more vibrant than I had initially intended, it works. That's the thing with alcohol ink, you never quite know what you're going to get and they can be a bit unpredictable in how they move and dry as you blow them around. Card details:*A full list of supplies is located at the end of this post. The base of this A2 sized card was made from 80 lb. Neenah Solar White Smooth alcohol ink. Using Layer Plate A (the top layer) of the Herbarium Plate Layering Set, I die cut this from white cardstock and then mounted a sheet of magneta cardstock behind it before adhering it directly to the card base. I die cut the solid pumpkin from a scrap piece of an alcohol ink background I had in my craft bin and then die cut the frame using pink glitter cardstock from the 6" x 6" Glitzy Glitter paper pack. I adhered the two layers together with a fine tip liquid glue. I created a pumpkin stem from espresso brown cardstock and leaves from both green cardstock and green glitter cardstock. There was a lot of piece work here using these smaller contour dies. Next, using the new Oval Leaf Branches Contour Layers, I die cut leaves from pink glitter cardstock, espresso brown carsdstock and the same green and green glitter cardstock used on the leaves. Then I pieces all the layers of the leaves together (again, a little bit time consuming here to do all these small details, but SO worth it in the end). Then it was just a matter of adhering all the small branches and leaves into a pattern that was pleasing to the eye. I stamped the sentiment "forever grateful" in magenta ink on white cardstock and used oval punch to punch it over before adhering it to the pumpkin with 3M foam adhesive. This sentiment is from the Brush Sentiments clear stamp set. I love using non-traditional colors to create holiday or seasonal cards. Pink is perfect in lieu of traditional orange pumpkins. Thanks for visiting and have a wonderfully creative day! XO, CrystalProducts used:You might also enjoy:Hello friends and happy Wednesday! Today I am sharing a card that I designed using the Lumina Layering Set from Birch Press Design. Unfortunately, when I made this card, I did not realize these plates have retired, so you are no longer able to purchase this exact die, but perhaps my card might inspire you to try a similar layering die, or use a combination of these fiery colors. I can recommend the Enchantment Plate Layer set or the Viola Plate Layer set both by Birch Press Design in lieu of the layering plates I used. Card details:The base of this A2 sized card is made from 80 lb. Neenah Solar White Smooth cardstock. I then covered the white card base with a 5 1/2" x 4 1/4" piece of Basic Black cardstock. I Cut Layer A (the top layer) of the Lumina Layer Plate with yellow cardstock. I cut Layer B (the middle layer) from orange cardstock and I cut Layer C (the bottom layer) from orange glitter cardstock. I adhere the three layers of the die together with LineCo fine tip liquid adhesive. This is my go-to liquid adhesive for card making. It is actually a well-known book binding glue, so it works exclusively well on paper products with out warping or damaging paper. I adhered all three layers of the Lumina plate to the black background. For the sentiment, I used the Find Joy Word and Outline die. I die cut the back shadow layer from orange cardstock and the top layer from white cardstock. I adhered the two layers together and then mounted the sentiment to the card using 3M foam adhesive for added dimension. Initially when I created this card I thought it reminded me of the sun, or sunflowers, but I love how vibrant and bold the colors are against the black background. I hope you have enjoyed today's card. Thank you for visiting and have a wonderfully creative day! XO, CrystalProducts used: You might also enjoy:Hello readers! Today I am sharing one of my "oldie but goodie" favorite dies from Birch Press Design. (*Unfortunately this die is no longer available, sorry!) As much as I despise birds (shhhhh!), I do admire the peacock simply for the gorgeous plumage of its quills. I mean who wouldn't want to shake their booty and boom instant wow factor! : ) Just look at the detail in those feathers! Card details:The base of this A2 sized card was made from 80 lb. Neenah Solar White Smooth cardstock. On a 5 1/4" x 4" piece of the same white cardstock, I heat foiled the Gilded Grace Hot Foil plate with gold foil. I only used the large background piece (and not the center cut outs) for this card. Then I created the layers of the peacock using a variety of teal and purple cardstock from the Ocean Blue 6 x 6" paper pack and Vibrant Violet 6" x 6" paper pack. For the top layer (Layer A) and the main body of the peacock I used a teal glitter paper from the Glitzy Glitter 6" x 6" paper pack. I then adhered the peacock to the card with 3M foam adhesive for added dimension. For the sentiment I heat foiled the Hello Sugar Script with purple foil on white cardstock. I used the coordinating die to cut it out and adhered it to the card with foam adhesive. Swoooon, she's so pretty! Birch Press Design just came out with a whole new release geared toward the upcoming holidays and I can't wait to get into my craft room and begin creating. Thanks for visiting and have a wonderfully creative day! XO, CrystalProducts used:Hello today I am on the Birch Press Design blog sharing three ways to use the beautiful new Large Cosmos Contour Layering dies. Initially, I had only one slimline card in mind, but I ended up die cutting soooooo many cosmo flowers that I made multiple cards to show you a variety of ways to use them. So, sit back and enjoy the inspiration! The easiest way to begin making all of these cards, is to first create the large cosmos. For the flowers, I used a combination of purple colored cardstock. Then I just began assembling the flowers following the guided image. I ended up with almost 20 flowers by the time I was done. This truly was the hardest part of the entire process. Then I just took the flowers and designed multiple layouts. The first card is an 8 1/2 x 3 1/2″ slimline card. It is designed to fit inside a regular #10 business sized envelope. The white base is made from 80 lb. Neenah Smooth white cardstock. I adhered four of the large cosmo flowers down the center of the card. Behind a couple of the flowers, I tucked a few leaves, die cut from the Curved Leaf die from lush green cardstock. I heat foiled the sentiment in purple foil on white cardstock. The sentiment is from the Sugar Script Sentiments Hot Foil plates. I added the sentiment to the card using 3M foam adhesive for added dimension. My next card is an A2 sized card made from the same 80 lb. Neenah Solar White Smooth cardstock. I matted the base with a piece of plaid foiled cardstock from sister company Memory Box. This plaid foiled paper is 5 1/4″ x 4″. Next, I die cut a large scalloped oval from white cardstock. I adhered this to the center of the card. I adhered one of the large cosmos to the lower right side of the oval. I also added a few leaves behind the flower. I heat foiled the sentiment in purple foil on white cardstock. Again, this sentiment is from the Sugar Script Sentiments hot foil plates. My third card for today is also an A2 sized card made from a base of 80 lb. Neenah Solar White Smooth cardstock. I heat foiled a piece of white cardstock with the String Art Frame Hot Foil Plate. Once this hot foiled background cooled, I adhered it directly to the card base as my first layer. I adhered one large cosmo to the lower right side of the card and tucked one leaf under the flower. Using the Find Joy and Outline die, I die cut the sentiment from purple and white cardstock, adhering the two layers together before adhering both to the card with 3M foam adhesive. I hope you have enjoyed seeing a variety of cards all made in monochromatic purple and white with the new Large Cosmos die! XO, Crystal |
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I, Crystal Komara, am solely responsible for this blog and all of its content, including, but not limited to designs, concepts, text, images and photographs. This website is for your personal enjoyment, inspiration and to help stimulate your own creativity.
If you use one of my posts, images, classes or designs please be sure to give credit where it is due. Thank you! 2019 © Disclosure:Whether gifted, or from my own supply, all of my recommendations are based on items that I use and truly love, and I think you will too. |