I just couldn’t wait for another Fran*tage! Friday to get here!  You see, I love working with hearts and when Stampendous sent my package of stamps, I was positively doing a happy dance!  My project this week is all about utilizing stamping tricks by visualizing stamps in different ways.  The cling rose heart just cried out to be cut apart and the cling dream text was not only going to be a subtle background, I also had to cut out a tiny little word and use it as an embellishment!  Let’s get started!

Here are the Stampendous stamps I used for my project:  Cling rose heart, cling heart friends,  and cling dream text.  The best part?  You can WIN all the stamps I’m using here today just by leaving a comment right here on this blog post letting us know what technique you’d like to learn.  You have until Thursday at midnight, Eastern Time.   After that, we’ll pick a winner through Random.org and announce your name on the next Fran*tage Friday.

And here is a photo of the finished card and envelope!

Supply List: Ivory cardstock, vellum, Hero Arts Shadow Ink (Soft Brown), Tsukineko Versafine (Onyx Black), Tsukineko VersaMark Watermark Stamp Pad, Ranger Distress Stain (Antique Linen, Vintage Photo, Spun Sugar), Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist (Antique Brass, Caramel Apple, Pink Bubblegum, Black Cherry), Sakura Quickie Glue Pen, Stampendous Glitter, Martha Stewart Punch Around the Page, We R Memory Keepers Crop-A-Dile Corner Chomper, foam mounting tape, gems, scrunched seam binding, Creations by AR decorative pin.

Step 1 – Using a piece of ivory cardstock, stamp the large text with Hero Arts Shadow Ink (Soft Brown).  Stamp a second time with a black Versafine inkpad (or any dye based inkpad).  Cut out the Hero Arts inked image close to text.  This is the card front.

Step 2 – Stain the text panel with the Antique Linen Ranger Distress Stain.  Apply a light pressure to dispense the stain.  Go for an uneven appearance with some darker areas and some lighter areas to create aging.

Step 3 – Emboss the heart flourish by first inking it with the VersaMark pad, stamping it onto the center of the stained panel, sprinkling black embossing powder over the inked image and tapping off the excess and then finishing the process using a heat tool.  You’ll know you’ve heat enough when the powder moves and becomes shiny and slightly puffy.  Embossing the image gives it good definition and the painted areas will stay in place without bleeding.

Step 4 – Now it’s time to paint the heart with Glimmer Mist!  Unscrew the cap of the Glimmer Mist and dip a paint brush all the way to the bottom of the bottle in order to pick up the shimmery color.  The heart has Black Cherry painted at the very top edge and Pink Bubblegum on the main part of the heart.

Step 5 – On a scrap piece of ivory cardstock, stamp the heart flourish two separate times with the dye based inkpad (there’s no embossing in these steps).  Color in the roses and leaves on both images.  Cut apart all 3 roses of one image along with keeping the leaves attached to each rose.  Here is a photo of the second image cut out including the leaves.  Save this for the inside of the card.

Step 6 – Before mounting the roses, pick up the Quickie Glue Pen and apply to the areas to be glittered including the top edge of the heart and all roses.  Because the Glue Pen dries quickly, work in small areas such as one rose at a time.  When the glitter is dry, begin with the smallest rose and mount it to the card front with foam tape.  Do the same with the middle rose adding a little more height to the foam tape.  The third rose will be mounted the highest.  Here is a close up showing all 3 roses popped in three different heights.

Step 7 – Finish the card front by adding gems, scrunched ribbon, cut up tiny word (stain it first with the Antique Linen stain) and pin.  It is ready to be mounted onto the card base.

Step 8 – For the body of the card, cut a piece of ivory cardstock 8-1/2” x 5” and fold in half along the long edge.  Open the card and punch the lower right corner first, then the two straight sides taking care to stop at the fold.  You will have to cut away ½” from the unpunched bottom and side of the card in order to reveal the decorative border when folded.

Step 9 – To create a stronger vintage appeal, stain the scallop edge with any one of the Glimmer Mists using a brush or combine it with the Distress Stains.  If you are unsure how this will look, practice on scrap paper first.  There’s really no wrong way to achieve the stained and worn edge so be ready to play!

Step 10 – Stamp the sentiment to the inside of the card.  Affix the rose cutout underneath to add visual interest.

Step 11 – To finish the project, let’s decorate an envelope!  I chose an ivory envelope and stamped the flap with the large text stamp and the Hero Arts Soft Brown.  Next, stain the flap and body of the envelope with the Distress Stain (Antique Linen) again going for mottled and uneven coverage.  To carry more of the pink to the envelope, I added a bit of Spun Sugar stain to the edges of flap only.

Step 12 – Stamp the heart flourish onto vellum and thoroughly allow to dry.  This can be speeded up with a heat tool.  Referring to the photo, cut out the flourish and roses, omitting the heart.  Pick up the Antique Linen and Spun Sugar stains and dabble and play to achieve the desired look.  Color the leaves and roses with Copics or any markers you have.  Glitter the roses with the Quickie Glue Pen to add elegance!  Turn the flourish sideways and mount onto the flap with tape runner.

Thanks to our good friends at Stampendous for sponsoring this event!  Remember, to WIN this week’s stamps, post a comment here and tell us what techniques you are interested in learning more about.  I’ve had bunches of fun today and I sure hope you can stop by and say hi and post your technique request!

This challenge is now closed.

Congratulations, Teri “Terrific”! You have won 3 great stamps from Stampendous! Please be sure to contact Susanna Boyd within 30 days to claim your prize and be sure to provide your shipping information so we can get that package out to you! And thank you to EVERYONE for playing along! There were so many great ideas in our comments!

Want to win free stamps? Check out this week’s Fran*tage Friday!