All Occasion Card | Cut It Up! Challenge #199 - "Friends"

Hey Everyone!

Thanks so much for stopping by as we start another Cut It Up! Challenge! We are need some positivity right now and our very timely theme is "Friends"! I'm sure we all have people we are missing in our lives right now and we would love to see any projects celebrating, thanking or representing friends/friendship - and don't forget the die cut! The design team has come up with some great inspiration for you so head on over to the Cut It Up! Blog to check it out! We are lucky to have TWO GENEROUS Sponsors for this challenge: Shery Russ (STAMPlorations/$20 Gift Code) who provided the design team with a wonderful selection of her CUTplorations Dies for us to use on our projects and Michele Gross, who owns CAS-ual Fridays Stamps! She has offered one winner a $20 gift code as well!

I began with a simple distress oxide ink blended background and added extra pattern with a simple mandala stencil that reminds me of fireworks! I spritzed this panel with gold shimmer mist, spattered it with metallic watercolor and cut it with a dotted rectangular die. This panel was glued onto the front of an A2 stitched rectangle die cut and set aside. 

I die cut the "Life Is Good" CUTplorations Phrase sentiment six times - two from black card stock and four from white card stock. These were carefully glued together in pairs. I stamped one set of white card stock dies with VersaMark Ink and heat embossed it with gold powder; this process was repeated two more times and produces a foiled effect. Once cooled/dry, I glued the embossed sentiment die cut just offset from the black version and then added the white cut offset as well. This gave me a really dimensional effect that pops right off the card front!

I stamped the additional sentiment by mixing and matching words from MFT's "Bitty Thanks and Gratitude", which is an awesome set of great small sentiments/words. I cut several words separately and put them back together using the MISTI to create my final thought. This was stamped with VersaMark Ink, heat embossed with the same gold powder and trimmed with a skinny sentiment strip die. This long strip was glued into place on the bottom of the front panel and the stacked die cut was popped just above it with small bits of foam tape. I added a mix of coordinating sequins to finish off the card and the entire panel was adhered onto an A2 top-folding white card base.

This card really sparkles and has a festive, celebratory feel to it...I can't wait to share this one with a very special long-time friend! Hope to see your "Friend" projects in our Cut It Up! Gallery!

Additional Challenges:

Cardz 4 Guyz - #243 Use Dies as the Main Element

Watercooler Wednesday - #269 Anything Goes

Simon Says Stamp - Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes

The Male Room - #135 Sentiment In Focus 

Krafty Chicks - #505 Anything Goes

Southern Girls - Anything Goes

Art Impressions - Best Friends Challenge

Thanks so much for taking the time to comment!

Rachelle ♥