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.

 

 

 

 

Creating Rich, Deep-Colored 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.

 

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

 

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.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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.)

 

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

 

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.

 

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

 

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

 

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.

 

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.

 

 

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.