This week the challenge is

We are showcasing Stampendous Products this week.  If you have any of these products, we’d love to see them used, but it’s certainly not a requirement to join the challenge.

As always, the generous folks at Simon Says Stamp will be giving away a $50 voucher to one randomly selected winner to shop at the fabulous Simon Says Stamp Store.

I started this card on a 6″ x 6″ piece of Bristol Smooth paper.  I stamped the lovely Cora Background stamp by SSS using my Stamping Platform.  I knew I was going to have to stamp it several times since I was using Bristol paper so I also had my SSS clear embossing powder on standby just in case I had to switch gears a bit.  After stamping it 5 or 6 times, I decided to do just that.  I poured clear embossing powder off the still wet ink and heat set it.

I took several Distress Oxide inks and started blending over my background image.   I started with Cracked Pistachio, then moved on to Mermaid Lagoon then Peacock Feathers and lastly I used Blueprint Sketch around the edges.   I cut it down to 4″ x 5.25″ paying close attention to where I was cutting it.  I wanted to make sure the center of the background stamp was set off to the left a bit mainly because I didn’t want it dead center but also because I wanted to make sure I didn’t cut off all of the Blueprint Sketch.  I really liked that color around the edges.

Moving on to my sentiment, I heat embossed the word Happy from the stamp set called Big Words Happy by Stampendous on some black card stock using white embossing powder.  Unfortunately it’s out of stock at the moment, but if you click on the “Notify Me When Back In Stock” button, then SSS will send you an email when it’s back in stock.  Then I fussy cut it.  I added several large and small foam squares to the back to pop it up for dimension.  Next I heat embossed the word Birthday, (also from the Big Words Happy set) on vellum using the same white embossing powder.  I cut that down to a thin strip and tucked it behind the word “Happy”.

I used Tombow Mono Multi Liquid Glue to attach my card front to a black card base.

To finish it off, I added a few charcoal and silver sequins here and there and added a dab of Silver Moondust Nuvo Crystal drops in the center of each sequin.

I wasn’t too sure if I liked how dark the black on black was so I just quickly created another background, only this time I used white embossing powder for the background stamp instead of clear over black.  Side by side, I end up liking the black on black better, but I’m happy to have another card for my card stash.  I have a craft fair this weekend and I’m usually always stressed that I don’t have enough cards.  But this year is different.  I have lots of cards to get rid of!!

It’s kinda crazy what a difference the color of the background stamp makes.  I used the exact same Distress Oxide inks on both of these and they look completely different!!

Ok, here’s how my CRAZY week is going to go….  I have a craft fair to prepare for this weekend.  I still have to make signs and pull everything out and wash the tablecloths, iron them, all that good stuff.  It’s also STAMPtember on Saturday (WOOHOO) so I still have to make my project for that awesome event, which I’ll start first thing tomorrow morning.  It’s also Jayden’s 11th Birthday on Thursday!!!  He always has a sleepover this weekend so Friday night (the night before my craft fair begins) I’ll have a house full of wild and crazy boys!!!  Before I have a house full of wild and crazy boys, I’ll have to clean my entire house, top to bottom!  As if I don’t have enough to do this week.  Don’t even ask me why I have to clean BEFORE having a house full of boys because I do not know the answer.  All I know is it will give me MAJOR anxiety if I don’t do it.  Somehow I’ll have to get up at 4 or 5 Saturday morning to prepare for my craft fair, leaving my house full of boys to my hubby.  Even just typing all that is giving me anxiety…  It may not sound like much to do, but for someone like me that gets sidetracked at the drop of a hat SQUIRREL!!!!  It’s going to take a miracle to get it all done.  Prayers and good luck wishes are welcome.

Thanks for listening to my panic ~  😉

So now it’s YOUR turn, Happy Crafting!!

You have until Wed  8am Ohio time. 1pm UK time, 2 pm CET to join in