Give Thanks – Featuring IndigoBlu

Hi Friends! I’m so happy you stopped by for this week’s Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge. This week our theme is, Thanks/Thanksgiving and we’re featuring IndigoBlu products. For my project this week, I created a pretty gilded frame to showcase the lovely fall flowers and leaves. I also wanted to try a different method of coloring fall leaves, so this week I have two small tutorials on how to gild a frame and color fall leaves using stamps. Enjoy!

Also, we have a new guest designer for the month of November, Suman Pandit from Imagine Create Art. Please stop by her blog and see her unique artistic style. You won’t be disappointed.

 

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Handmade Thanksgiving Card

 

Creating Rich, Deep-Colored Fall Leaves

 

Step One - Creating Fall Leaves

Mix together, Rusty Hinge Distress Ink and water onto a craft mat by smudging the ink onto the mat and spraying it with water. Spray a piece of watercolor paper with water and run it through the ink and water mixture that you’ve created on the craft mat.

 

Step Two - Creating Fall Leaves

Spray the panel with more water and dab off with a paper towel. Allow to completely dry.

 

Step Three - Creating Fall Leaves

Begin stamping on color with Fossilized Amber Distress Oxide using one of the leaves from the Tim Holtz Leaf Prints stamp set. Stamp the image in random areas.

 

Step Four - Creating Fall Leaves

Next, using the same image, apply it with Peeled Paint Distress Oxide in random areas.

 

Step Five - Creating Fall Leaves

Next, apply the image using Fired Brick Distress Oxide in random areas.

 

Step Six - Creating Fall Leaves

To deepen the colors, using a mini ink blending tool, randomly add more Rusty Hinge Distress Ink.

 

Step Seven - Creating Fall Leaves

Now to brighten the colors a bit, add Fossilized Amber Distress Ink in random areas.

 

Step Eight - Creating Fall Leaves

Cut your leaves from the paper created above. I used the Tim Holtz Fall Foliage Thinlits dies.

 

Step Nine - Creating Fall Leaves

Next, ink the edges of the leaves with Gathered Twigs Distress Ink.

 

Step Ten - Creating Fall Leaves

The leaves were a bit dark for me so I brightened them by applying a little Fired Brick Distress Ink. Now they look like the late fall leaves that I remember as a child growing up in Wisconsin. Set them aside to dry.

 

Creating A Gilded Frame With IndigoBlu Mega Flakes & FlitterGlu

 

Step One - Creating a Gilded Frame

For the frame, I used the Tim Holtz Ornate Frame #2 and cut it out of Neenah Solar White 110 lb. cardstock. I applied IndigoBlu FlitterGlu to the entire surface of the frame using a foam dabber. You need to allow the glue to set for 3-5 minutes. When the glue is ready it will be very tacky. (Remember to clear your dabber immediately before the glue sets.)

 

Step Two - Creating a Gilded Frame

When the glue is tacky, sprinkle on IndigoBlu Mega Flakes all over the surface of the frame and gently rub in with your fingertips.

 

Step Three - Creating a Gilded Frame

When you’re finished rubbing the entire surface of the frame, gently begin going over the frame with an IndigoBlu Scoochy foam. This will remove the flakes from empty areas and any that are left hanging over the edges.

 

Step Four - Creating a Gilded Frame

Here is the frame after all the extra flakes have been gently removed.

 

Step Five - Creating a Gilded Frame

To give the frame an aged look, I colored the edges with a Ground Espresso Distress Crayon. I then rubbed the pigment gently along the edges with my fingertips to blend it into the colors of the gilding flakes. I set this aside to dry.

 

A Simple, Yet Beautiful, Background

 

Creating a Simple Background for a Handmade Card

To create a simple, yet beautiful, background for the focal point of the card, I ink a 4-3/4″ x 6-3/4″ piece of Neenah Solar White 110 lb. cardstock with Vintage Photo Distress ink. I’m not looking for a seamlessly ink blended background. I want lines and variations of ink here and there. If you want a seamlessly ink blended background, use Strathmore watercolor paper instead of Neenah Solar White cardstock.

 

Creating a Simple Background for a Handmade Card

Next, I stamp on the Tim Holtz Flourish Background stamp in the center of the panel. Next, I stamp on some stitch patterns from the Bo Bunny Stitches stamp set along the edges with Walnut Stain Distress Oxide.

 

 

Handmade Thanksgiving Card

To finish the card, I attach the stamped card panel to a 5″ x 7″ piece of Simon Says Stamp Dark Chocolate cardstock. I adhere a corrugated background painted with Broken China Distress Paint to place behind the frame. I adhere the gilded frame over the corrugated background with 3D black foam tape. I arrange the leaves, flowers and branches in and around the frame and add a burlap twine bow with a metal piece center. I add a small sentiment from the Simon Says Stamp Autumn Greetings stamp set and my card is done.

I hope you enjoyed seeing how I created my Give Thanks card for the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge and that you’ll join us in this fun challenge. Remember to link your project to the challenge for a chance to win a $50 gift card to Simon’s amazing store.

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18 Comments

  1. Pingback: Simon Says: Thanks/Thanksgiving - Simon Monday Challenge Blog

  2. Gorgeous panel Cathie! the frame is stunning and I love the background and all of the layers and the leaves, the whole design of this is beautiful! 🙂

    luv
    Lols x x x

  3. Absolutely BEAUTIFUL <3 I love the simple and amazing background which calms down the entire project. Love the frame (it's my fave frame die) with megaflakes layer, amazing result! Love the miv of flowers and leaves and their colors too! Hugs, Macarena

  4. Gorgeous work of art, Cathie! I love the depth of color you create, and that frame is stunning with the mega flakes! hugs, Maura

  5. Beautiful card, Cathie!!!!!!!!

  6. Love the background paper you created to make the leaves! Such a beautiful card!

  7. Stunning work, Cathie! I love the flakes on the frame and the variation of color and texture is just perfect!

    *mwah*
    Steph
    Simon Says Stamp!

  8. Love this card! very nice project!

  9. Wonderful project! I so enjoyed following along and seeing how you made those leaves zing with colour – beautiful 😁. Wishing you a happy week and weekend! J 😊

  10. As always, I love the step by step process of how you created this beautiful card and the finished project is just stunning, Cathie! The colours, the flakes, the texture…it all comes together beautifully! <3

  11. such a unique and wonderful card! Love it!

  12. That frame looks fantastic Cathie! And I love the pretty flowers that you made and the vibrant leaves.

  13. This turned out SO perfect! I love how it has traditional colors, but then includes that gorgeous unexpected pop of blue. You used the flakes so well and the whole thing has such a sophisticated feeling!

  14. Wow, is the only word I can say! I love every single detail, background, step by step , leaves and … the frame is outstanding! Fabulous job! barbara

  15. beautiful project Cathie, love that gilded frame and the gorgeous flourish background…hugs kath xxx

  16. I really like the strong contrast of colors and original composition–nicely done!

  17. This is such a gorgeous card, Cathie. Love your wonderful step photos. All the details on this project are amazing. 🙂

  18. Wow Cathie, this is so pretty. Love the gorgeous frame you’ve made with those flakes. Hugs, Sandra

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