P retty Christmas card using the Alcohol Marker Marbling technique and Stampin' Up! products.
Project Recipe
Cut cardstock, Adhesive Sheets, Foil Sheets, photo paper, and copy paper pieces to the following sizes using a Paper Trimmer:
- card from Whisper White Thick Cardstock at 5-1/2" x 8-1/2" and scored at 4-1/4"
- 4" x 5-1/4" from Highland Heather Cardstock
- 3-7/8" x 5-1/8" from glossy photo paper (or Glossy Cardstock, if you still have some)
- 3-7/8" x 5-1/8" from Whisper White Cardstock
- 1-3/4" square from Silver Foil Sheets
- 1-5/8" square from Adhesive Sheets
- 4-1/4" x 5-1/2" from copy paper
Tip: You will definitely want to have the piece of glossy photo paper (or Glossy Cardstock) cut and ready to use before you start this project.
Fill a Stampin' Spritzer with rubbing alcohol.
Use washi tape to adhere the piece of copy paper to some Grid Paper on your work surface. This will be a template to help you know how much space to color with the Stampin' Blends in a later step.
Use washi tape to adhere the Ziploc bag over the copy paper on your Grid Paper so it completely covers the copy paper.
Use three or four colors of Stampin' Blends Markers to randomly color directly on the bag so the colors just touch. No need to blend them. (I used the Night Of Navy Light, Highland Heather Light, and Pool Party Dark Stampin' Blends on my project.)
Thoroughly spritz the colored bag with rubbing alcohol until the colors start to bleed together a bit and drops appear on the bag.
Place the glossy photo paper rectangle glossy side down on top of the wet, inky bag. Fold a couple of paper towels in half and lay them on top of the paper and press firmly. Carefully lift the glossy paper off the inky bag and set aside to dry for a few minutes.
Tip: If you are making more than one card, you can just lightly wipe the bag dry with the paper towels and then scribble on it again, spritz it again, and add another piece of glossy paper.
Pick out the curving line of tiny dots die from the Curvy Dies. Put it on top of the white rectangle on a platform on your Stampin' Cut & Emboss Machine so it will cut off a section of the rectangle along the top that will be about 1" wide on the left edge, about 1-3/4" wide on the right edge, and about 2" wide at the deepest part of the curve. Make sure the dots are on the upper side of the die so you cut off the bottom of the rectangle just below the dots. Run through the machine. Use the Take Your Pick Die Brush Tip and Take Your Pick to remove the pieces. Keep both the skinnier top piece with the holes cut into the curving line along the bottom edge and the bigger bottom piece with just a curving line along the top edge.
As you are ready to stamp using the Curvy Christmas Set, place the cardstock on the Stampin' Pierce Mat. Using the mat will help you get a cleaner image each time you stamp. Put a piece of paper (Grid Paper works great) on top of the mat to protect it from ink.
Mount the curving lines with small groupings of stars along it image from the Curvy Christmas Set on Block I. Ink it up with the Night Of Navy Ink Pad. Stamp it on the skinnier white piece just above the curving line of dots so that the curves mirror each other as much as possible.
Mount the "Thinking of you at Christmas" sentiment from the Curvy Christmas Set on Block H. Ink it up with the Night Of Navy Ink Pad. Stamp it on the larger white piece just below the curving line on the right side so that the curves mirror each other as much as possible.
If the marbled glossy paper is dry, proceed with the next step.
Mount the curving line of trees image from the Curvy Christmas Set on Block I. Ink it up with the VersaMark Pad. Stamp it on the marbled glossy paper so the top of the tree on the left edge will be about 2-3/4" from the bottom of the glossy paper and the top of the tree on the right edge will be about 2-1/4" from the bottom of the glossy paper and the curve will match the curve cut into the bottom sentiment piece of white cardstock.
Lay the stamped, marbled glossy paper rectangle on top of some Grid Paper in the center. Sprinkle on some White Stampin' Emboss Powder so it covers the stamped image. Tap off excess powder. Return the excess powder to the container to use again later.
Tip: If you have stray bits of embossing powder sticking where you don't want them, use a clean, dry paintbrush to brush them off.
Heat the powder with the Heat Tool until it is completely melted (shiny and smooth).
Tip: Use a clothespin to hold the cardstock while using the Heat Tool to avoid burning your fingers.
Adhere the stamped, curved sentiment bottom piece to the bottom of the heat embossed and marbled glossy paper so the curved line along the top of the white piece is just below the curved line of heat embossed trees. Use Paper Snips to cut off any excess white cardstock along the bottom edge.
Adhere the stamped, curved top white piece to the top of the heat embossed and marbled glossy paper.
Adhere the glossy paper/white cardstock layer to the Highland Heather rectangle and then to the front of the Whisper White Thick card.
Peel the protective backing off of the Adhesive Sheets square. Adhere the Adhesive Sheets square to the white side of the Silver Foil Sheets square. Be sure to leave the other protective backing in place for now.
Pick out the medium sized, detailed, filigree, single star die from the Stitched Stars Dies. Put it on top of the Silver Foil Sheets square on a platform on your Stampin' Cut & Emboss Machine so the shiny silver side is facing up. Run through the machine. Use the Take Your Pick Die Brush Tip and Take Your Pick to remove the pieces. Make sure the protective backing for the Adhesive Sheet stays in place for now.
Carefully remove the protective backing from the back of the filigree star cut out and adhere it to the card front so it overlaps the curve at the top of the glossy paper near the deepest part of the curve.
Use the mini spatula on the Take Your Pick to carefully peel up a small Night Of Navy gem from a sheet of Blue Adhesive-Backed Gems making sure that you get the adhesive backing as well. Adhere it to the front of the card in the center of the filigree star cut out.
Use the mini spatula on the Take Your Pick to carefully peel up 3 iridescent snowflakes from a sheet of Snowflake Adhesive-Backed Embellishments making sure that you get the adhesive backings as well. Adhere them randomly to the front of the card above the heat embossed trees on the glossy paper layer.
Cut a 4" piece of the Snowflake Splendor 1/4" Ribbon.
Tie the ribbon in a half knot. Trim the ends.
Use a Mini Glue Dot to adhere the ribbon knot to the front of the card on the upper left side of the curve along the top of the bottom, sentiment white layer.