a little recycling

Hi my friends. Post number two today. I decided to make a card for the technique challenge on SCS. The challenge was to use newspaper on your project. I had to pull out some ad copy, since we don't subscribe to any newspapers anymore - just one of those areas where we needed to cut some expenditures. And I certainly don't miss the never-ending stack of papers, mostly unread at that.

I pulled out a card base that already had burlap background (CHF) stamped on it and decided to build on that. I stamped two additional backgrounds, print pattern and French filigree (both SU). I love how using two or more backgrounds can give the look of designer paper.

I tore a piece of the newsprint, crumbled it up, smoothed it out, inked it with some distress ink and misted, heated to dry - distressed it up pretty good and then just scrunched it up a bit and glued it to the card base.

The next layer is some corrugated cardboard. First I misted one side and let it sit for a few minutes, making it easy to pull off the smooth outside layer. Then I tore a small piece to fit on the card and added some vintage photo and tangerine tango ink and glued it over the newspaper.

Of course, I needed some flowers on my card, so I stamped a bunch from embrace life & fifth avenue floral (both SU) with black stazon on white cardstock. I sponged with marina mist, cut them out and sponged the edges with pacific point. Then I layered two flowers from embrace life with one from fifth avenue floral. I love how that gives a completely different look to the flowers. I added a bunch of dots in the centers with white gel pen.

Although I wanted leaves, I really didn't want to introduce green into the picture, so instead, I used the layer that I had removed from the corrugated cardboard to make some leaves. On the smooth side I roughly drew leaf shapes and then used deckle scissors to cut them out. I turned them over to the rough side, added some veins with a black marker, sponged the edges with vintage photo and then sponged over the top with tangerine tango ink. The end result looks like rusted metal.

When I put together a grouping of flowers and leaves, I almost always glue the flowers down first, using glue only in the middle of the flowers - not all the way out to the edge of the petals. Then I tuck the leaves in behind the flowers where I think they need to be. Here's a little tip for you: Sometimes the leaves are too long to fit underneath the flowers and I don't want them to hang way out, so I just snip off some of the part that will be tucked underneath, add a dab of glue and tuck them in. Unless the recipient decides to rip the card apart, that part is completely hidden.

The sentiment is a stamp that I purchased locally many years ago in a large word set, but I have no idea who made it. I cut the little tag banner freehand and inked it up with some distress inks.

I really like how this card turned out. I hope you do, too. Thanks for stopping by for a visit. I hope you have a joy-filled week.