Frilly and Funkie Challenge - Impress Us!

Make an impression on recycled cereal packet with your favourite embossing folder.

I love the chance to make something that is actually fake, look so real that people look twice. Paint is the thing to achieve this and I was thrilled to see that this month's Frilly and Funkie challenge was perfect to show it off.

And there must be sparkle!

Impress Us is the theme this time and that means dry embossing! Which is a happy thing because although you can create faux finishes on a flat surface, adding some embossed detail takes it to a new dimension and allows the technique to really shine!

The holly berries are Nuvo drops. I like to make them on a non-stick craft mat and when they are dry, glue them in place. That way, they don't run together.

Now I have a tutorial on faux rust which you can see here so we won't go over it again. The idea of this card is to show you how you can put it to good use. 

So what is needed to make this vintage Christmas card?
-your usual needs of card blank, card stock etc
-Distress Oxides - pumice stone, old paper, frayed burlap, antique linen
-Distress ink- brushed corduroy
-Distress Oxides in all the greens (have at least four). I have a leaf tute here. It creates Autumn leaves but the technique is exactly the same.
- a rusted and embossed element. I have used the Tattered Poinsettia die by Tim Holtz for Sizzix
-a spare rusted and embossed panel to cut out the main word.
TIP: the poinsettia and the main word embossing folders are best if they have an all over pattern.
- Die for the main sentiment. This is another oldie called Vintage Noel (Sizzix Bigz)
-script background stamp
-a bow die or a bow of ribbon
-clear drying decoupage medium. I love DecoArt Decou-page for this.
-clear glitter. I love the Ranger Rock candy one
-Christmas Design Tape
-red Nuvo drops for berries
-gold Nuvo drops for the Poinsettia centre
-jute twine
-Your usual card making needs including a Sizzix Paper Sculpting Kit to put the veins in the leaves.

Begin by choosing a design tape with quite a lot of red in it. cut a piece of card stock to fit the front of your card and attach the design tape around the outer edge...

Red somehow makes the rusted elements pop!

The tape will overlap in the corners and fold around the back

Don't worry about the overlapped corner.  It is easier than mitring it.

Next make the background using the appropriate Oxides.

Always make a couple of these so as not to waste ink. You can put the other one away for another make.

I love the variation in this! But it is still light enough to stamp over...

Honestly where would we be without Oxides!

Ink the edges with 'normal' Distress in Brushed Corduroy

This frames the panel beautifully.

Use the background script stamp to make a random pattern on the inked panel, also in brushed corduroy and adhere the main sentiment to the top third.

Then layer the panel onto the taped one and sew it with black thread ...

Sew around twice and do not be neat!

As you can see, the background script does not need to be perfect. You will not see enough of it in the finished card to notice.

LOVE that stitching - I cannot stop myself from putting it on every card!

As I mentioned before, I will not go over old ground with the embellishments (my blog posts are long enough!) but  when I made the rusted elements, I made some extras and put them aside for cutting out.

And don't even THINK about throwing the scraps out! I will cut this one to pieces making smaller and smaller embellishments until there are only crumbs left!

The surprising thing is that even though they are embossed, they can still be cut out in the usual way and they will not loose their embossed profile.

I love the way that this has a dusty look to it, like real rust!

Make your leaves next too. The link that I have given you is for Autumn leaves but it is the same technique and simply choose different dies. 

Glitter on only some of the leaves turns them into an accent as you can see here on the finished bouquet.

The only difference is to lightly paint some of the leaves with a clear drying medium like DecoArt Decou-page and then dip them into the Rock Candy glitter. Tap off the excess glitter and allow them to dry.

Have everything ready.

Assemble the main elements and make a bouquet in the bottom left hand corner of the card. The bouquet if built from the back coming forward so the leaves which go down first are the ones furthest to the back. pine needles in my case.

Some pre-prepared berries and flower centres go next. I dipped some of my leaves in a clear drying medium and then into Rock Candy glitter.

Allow some of the leaves to overlap the stitching too. And then add your bow...

This bow does not have to be die cut. it can be a beautifully tied ribbon too.

And that is more or less it! The whole idea is to upcycle something and then make it more fabulous than before!
I added twine to the side and glued a tiny gold snowflake over the trimmed knot...

Details peeps!

As you can see, I also slightly curled the printed panel over the stitching in places. This greatly adds to the texture and interest.

To me, this card screams Dickensian Vintage!

And by impressing a pattern onto it, it raises it to a whole new level too.
I hope that you enjoyed the process and will have a go yourself. And do consider entering the challenge. it is such a fun ride and very fulfilling.

Love the layers and textures in cards like these.

Thank you for stopping by!
Hugs
Debbie
xx