Sparkle on Kraft!

Hello Everyone!

Since it's yet another dreary cold day, I wanted to make my day sparkle!...well, at least my card!  I used this beautiful Summer Bouquet stamp set from Inspired by Stamping to make my card shimmer and sparkle.

Here's what I used for supplies:

• Summer Bouquet stamp set by Inspired by Stamping
• Spectrum Noir Sparkle pens: Aquamarine, Olive Jade, Macaroon, Amethyst, Cosmos, Holly Leaf, Moonlight and Clear
• Kraft cardstock cut to A2 card size
• Clear embossing ink
• White detail embossing powder
• Anti-static powder tool
• Heat tool
• Stamp Positioner
• Stickles Glitter Glue in yellow and pink
• Sequins
• Silver thread
• Glue for sequins

I started by prepping my card with my anti-static powder tool.  I positioned my cardstock in my stamp positioner, placed my stamps and stamped with clear embossing ink, covered it with the fine detail white embossing powder and melted it with my heat tool.

It was then time to add color.  I did test these pens out on kraft paper before I made my card.  I thought perhaps by adding white colored pencil underneath, the color of the pens would stay true.  But, it didn't work.  The pencil actually repelled the sparkle pens.  So the colors on this card are the actual colors with nothing underneath.  I started by adding the intense color close to the base of the leaves, berries and peels of the flowers.  I worked one section at a time.  I found that the Kraft cardstock actually absorbs the shimmer pen quite quickly, so if I tried to do more than one section at a time, the intense color would dry before I had a chance to blend it out with my clear shimmer pen.

You can see from the photo on the top section how much shimmer the clear pen adds...the bottom leaves do not have it yet.  I used the Holly Leaf to color these with and when I was done felt that it was too cool, so I added the Olive Jade on top of the Holly Leaf to warm up the green. A yellow would have worked as well.  I followed the same technique for all the parts of the design.  I went over some of them a second time to intensify the colors.  When I was done, I added Stickles to the centers of the flowers and glued the sequins on.  I also tied a silver thread around the card between the design and the sentiment.  And my card was done!

My card certainly didn't improve the weather, but it made me feel happier!  😊👍

There's still time to comment on my previous post on my review of the STAMPIN' UP Stamparatus and enter to win a Stamp Perfect from Hampton Art!

Happy paper crafting and remember, it's only paper!

Betsy