Joan's Gardens Weekly Challenge

It is time for a new challenge at Joan's Gardens.  This week the challenge is: 

• Use some kind of lattice - we want you to be creative
• Use a circle or oval die cut background
• Create a flower that has been painted.  You can use Gesso on it, acrylic paints, stains, etc. - be creative
• Include some dry embossing that has been inked.

Today I have used a new embossing folder I have not used yet.  It is the  eBosser "Magic Celebration" embossing folder. The eBosser embossing folders hold an 8 1/2" x 11" piece of card stock and this particular one creates three panels, with score lines for easy folding. Once folded, the left side of the front has a beautiful vine with two small butterflies on it and the right side has a "small" dotted Swiss embossed design.   I love how the embossing wraps around to the back side of the finished card. You can see that in the picture below. It does not show up very well in these photos, but I used a small sponge dauber and added "Peeled Paint" Distress Ink to the embossing.  There are two small butterflies in the embossing and I wanted to make them dimensional, so I used the Martha Stewart 3-1 butterfly punch and used the largest butterfly to glue over the embossed ones.  I wanted to add antenna's and body to the butterflies, so used the one from the Memory Box "Pippi Butterfly" die.  I had to cut the lower portion of the body off  off because this butterfly is very small. It is a perfect fit. I used a Heartfelt Creations sentiment on the inside of the card.  It was stamped on the Marianne Design Oval and attached with adhesive.

 For my "creative" lattice, I used the Memory Box "Hopmeadow Circle".  This worked also for the "circle" requirement of the challenge.  This is a gorgeous die to frame my flower.   I attached it to a piece of green card stock and fussy cut around the edges to give it a colored background - very easy to do!  The flower was attached with dimensional glue dots in the center of the doily.  Before attaching it to the left side of the front of the card, I added a Cheery Lynn "Anastasia Border" down the left side, to make the front a little more decorative.  The flower and Hopemeadow Circle were attached with dimensional glue dots added only to the left half of the circle.

The way I created my flower was to die cut the Spellbinders "Rose Creations" flower.  I used the four largest flowers using watercolor paper.  Gesso was "painted over the top of each flower and I let it dry. I used the Adirondack "Cranberry" Acrylic Paint Dabber to add color over the Gesso.  I love the "marbled" look it gives you.  Be sure to wash your hands, the brush and your Teflon mat as soon as you are finished using the Gesso, because once it dries, it is hard to get off.  The flowers were then turned over and I misted each one with water and let them sit for a few minutes before shaping each petal.  Once they were dry, I layered the flower, gluing together with "Crafter's Pick" glue.  This is a fast drying white glue that holds well.  In the center I added some more of the glue and placed in white pearls. 

I hope you will join us this week in our challenge.  Be sure to go over to Joan's Gardens to see Joan's beautiful card and to see what the prize is for this week. 

All the products I used can be purchased from Joan's Gardens: 

Spellbinders "Rose Creations" dies S5-050

eBosser

eBosser "Magic Celebration" embossing folder 

Memory Box "Hopmeadow Circle" 98513

Memory Box "Pippi Butterfly" 98508

Martha Stewart "3-in 1" Butterfly punch

Cheery Lynn "Anastasia Border" B136

Marianne Design "Oval" LR0240

Adirondack "Cranberry" Acrylic Paint Dabber 

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