New year, new resolutions, new everything…. so why not a new challenge? Hello everyone! This is Sandhya of Sanju’s Creations and I am super excited about my first post on the Unity Blog. I got the honor of picking the monthly challenge theme and obviously had to kick it off with a floral theme. Fresh starts and florals go hand in hand, at least they do in my head. To add to that, Unity also launched the brand new Background of the Month subscription with one of my floral illustrations. With a heart filled with hope and joy, I bring to you our new challenge theme for January – fresh start with florals.
About My Cards
For my cards today, I created two cards using the Inked Floral Background, that start out with the same exact techniques and steps. But I vary them a little along the way in order to get two different designs towards the end. I also used the new Rustic Wilderness Distress Ink on one card, while I used the same Distress Oxide on the second. So, you can see how different the effect is after ink blending.
I started out with two panels of Bristol Smooth cardstock measuring 4.25″X5.5″. I used the Misti to stamp my floral image using embossing ink. Then, I heat embossed both panels with white embossing powder. Make sure to let the panel cool for a couple seconds before the next step to avoid smearing. Then, I did some ink blending with distress ink on one and oxide on the other panel to achieve an ombre effect. I gently buffed away the excess ink to let the white embossing powder shine through.
Distress Ink Card
For the distress ink panel, I added a stacked die-cut sentiment with silver mirror cardstock. I also stamped an additional sentiment from the Say It Big Sentiment Kit in green on a strip of white cardstock and adhered it below the die-cut. I stacked a few strips with the sentiment strip to get a little dimension without the bulk of foam tape. As I didn’t want to cover up too much of the floral images.
I added a few clear drop embellishments to finish off this card. Finally, I adhered the completed panel to a white card base.
Distress Oxide Card
For the panel using distress oxides, I added some water splatters and dabbed away. I then trimmed the panel a little bit and used my scissors to distress all around the edges.
I then stamped the sentiment from Everything In Between stamp set on a 1″ wide strip and matted it with black cardstock. To add more interest, I added some waxed cord around this strip and tied it into a bow.
Then, I grabbed a black card base and assembled the card by adhering the panel to it. I used foam tape to pop up the sentiment strip and balance the bulk created by the cord. Again, I added more clear drop embellishments to finish off this card.
These cards came together very quickly, and I am sure I want to try it with several other distress oxide combos to make card sets for gifting. Let me know what your favorite ink blending combos are in the comments. I can’t wait to see your entries for the Fresh Start with Florals challenge! Thank you for sticking around till the end and have a blessed day!
Hugs,
Sandhya
