Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Love Stories ~ ScrapFIT Step Class

I made this Valentine for my wonderful husband, Gary. We'll be married 30 years this summer!!
I decided to try out a couple new techniques while creating this card. First, I used Shelia's fabulous technique of covering chipboard with fabric. Head on over to ScrapFIT for her wonderful tutorial. If you use this technique on one of your projects and link it at ScrapFIT, you could be selected to be the Featured FITgirl of the Month.

I also used a punch technique by Susie posted over at Scrap-Friendzy in this week's Technique Tuesdayz - something new we started this month - another opportunity to earn Girlfriend of the Month Pointz. Her tutorial can be found over at Scrap-Friendzy in the Technique Tuedsayz section. 


Techniques:

Covered Chipboard ~ Check out Shelia's tutorial at ScrapFIT. I also took this one step further and stamped the heart image onto the fabric with Archival ink before adhering it to the chipboard. Then, I stamped and embossed with glitter embossing powder the same design on my card. When the fabric covered heart was done, I adhered it over the image stamped and embossed on the card. Also I started out with a piece of plain muslin, so I spritzed it with glimmer mist to color it and let it dry before stamping. I took some inspiration from the video in Tim Holtz' February 12 Tags of 2012 to place the heart in the center of the stamped heart image. 

Patterned Strip-Pieced Border Punch ~ First I found scraps of red paper that would coordinate with my heart, and cut them into strips of different widths. Then I adhered them to the edge of a piece of thin printer paper. You want to be sure to abut the strips but NOT overlap them, as this would make them too thick to punch easily. Also be sure not to put your adhesive down where you will be punching, so you don't gum up your punch. For a photo tutorial of this technique, head over to the Technique Tuesdayz section of Scrap-Friendzy.

Inking ~ My card started out a pale cream color. I rubbed multiple colors of distress ink over the front of the card, then spritzed on water with a mini mister (any kind of mister should work). I spritzed a small area at a time and tilted the card so the pooled water would drip in different directions. I then dried it with my heat tool. My paper was a bit warped after all this, so I used an iron set on low to press it flat again. Either use a dedicated craft iron, or place a scrap of old fabric over the card so you don't transfer ink to your favorite clothing. 


Heat Embossing ~ I used two different embossing powders. For the heart image I used a black glitter powder and for the sentiment I used the aged black powder by Stampendous that has a blend of gold and black. It's amazing how these wonderful colors show up in the final image! I stamped the images with Ranger's Archival Ink, which is a slow drying ink, then sprinkled on the embossing powder right away while the ink was still wet, and used my heat tool to melt the embossing enamel. 

Glitter Ribbon ~ With my card having a distressed appearance, my ribbon looked too "pretty" so I grunged it up by squirting on some black glitter glue and rubbed it across the center of the ribbon. I did this on my craft mat and then let it dry before adhering it to the punched border strip. 

Paper
Cardstock ~ Stash
Scraps ~ Stash
Chipboard Scrap ~ Stash

Technique Products
Ribbon ~ Stash
Ranger ~ Glossy Accents
Muslin ~ Stash
Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist ~ Starfish
Zing Textile Marker ~ Green Gray
Mod Podge ~ Gloss Lustre
Ranger Distress Ink ~ Vintage Photo, Weathered Wood, Old Paper, Frayed Burlap, Walnut Stain, Aged Mahogany, Black Soot, Pumice Stone
American Crafts Zing Embossing Powder ~ Glitter Black
Stampendous Embossing Enamel ~ Aged Black
Ranger Archival Ink ~ Jet Black
Studio G Glitter Glue ~ Black
Ranger Stickles ~ Black Diamond

Tools
Martha Stewart Punch Around the Page Punch ~ Topiary
Cloud 9 Design Rubber Cling Stamps ~ 8 x 6 Love Phrase
Vistual Artistry Stampers Anonymous ~ City Central
Ranger ~ Mini Mister
Martha Stewart ~ Scoring Board
Tonic Studios ~ Red handle scissors
Inkssentials ~ Blending Tool and Foam
Stampers Anonymous ~ Grid Blocks
Fiskars Craft Knife and Self-Healing Mat
ATG Tape Gun

Thanks for stopping by! I treasure your comments.

~ Blessings ~

12 comments:

  1. Tracey, beautiful card, I really like the covered chipboard idea.

    Blessings, Lori m

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  2. The heart is neat. It looks like clay. Happy Valentines Day.

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  3. this is beautiful and i love the colors
    great job

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  4. Wow wow wow wow!!! I loveeeeeee this! I love love love that background and loving that HEART!! AMAZING!

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  5. That card is soooo beautiful---you have a lucky valentine! I love how the heart turned out! Thanks so much for trying the step class and promoting the idea on your page :o) Have a wonderful day!

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  6. Wow what a gorgeous background!!!! Love this technique and you did a fabulous job on it too!!!!

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  7. Cool work great technique on your lovely card!
    byebye,Lean

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  8. Such a beautiful card. I bet your hubby loved it! Thanks for sharing your techniques with us!

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  9. Bet your hubby loved it...you really rocked Susie's technique!
    Alison xx

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  10. Me encanta!!! el corazon te quedo super bonito...

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  11. i like that grungy heart, looks really cool. congrats on your anniversary - what an accomplishment in today's world!

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  12. I love your card! The background is really striking and I love the heart! Congratulations on 30 years..Awesome!!

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