Five Glitter Pot Class Cards

On Thursday I ran two classes at the Glitter Pot - the morning class was Beautiful Backgrounds and the afternoon class was Pop Out Cards.  What a lovely way to spend a day!

Distress Inks were used for all the Beautiful Backgrounds cards - everyone went home with very inky fingers!  This first card uses the fab water stamping technique which creates  soft, subtle background interest.  I applied Broken China and Dusty Concord inks to a panel of white CS using Smoothies ink blending sponges, keeping the coverage fairly light.  I spritzed the Penny Black 'Peacock Feathers' background stamp with water from a Mini Mister bottle - about 8 to 10 spritzes - stamped onto the panel and dried it with a heat tool.  Distress Inks react with water so the water lifts off the ink where the rubber touches the CS.  You'll get different results depending on how lightly or heavily you've water spritzed and depending on the colours and amount of inks applied.  It really is a wonderful background technique and is well worth experimenting with.  I stamped a sentiment and images from the Woodware 'Grass Stems' set and inked the edges of the panel with Black Soot Distress ink.  I attached a strip of gingham ribbon, a separate bow, layered the panel onto a mat of Broken China CS and adhered the mat to the front of a white A6 card base.  I used a black Gelly Roll Glaze Pen to add gloss highlights to the dandelion heads.

Here's a closer look at the very pretty water stamped background.

For the second card I switched to Mini Ink Blending Tools to apply Distress Inks to a white CS panel.  I punched a 1 1/2" circle of thin white card and attached the circle to the panel with removable adhesive to act as a moon mask.  I applied Faded Jeans and Seedless Preserves inks, opting for a deeper colour coverage than the previous card, and  removed the circle mask.  I didn't want the moon to remain stark white so I lightly sponged some of both inks over the moon before I stamped the Woodware 'Wheat' image.  Using the non brush end of a paintbrush I took a little bit of Perfect Pearls 'Pearl' powder from a pot, placed it on a tile and spritzed the powder with water to get a pearly white paint.  I mixed the powder and water with a brush and then flicked the brush over the panel to add the lovely shimmery speckles - a great tip I got from a Jennifer McGuire video!  I then cut my panel into five pieces, inked the edges of each piece with Black Soot ink and adhered the panels to the front of a white A6 card, popping up the top right and bottom left panels.

Here's a closer look at the inking and pearly speckles.

For the third background card I used a stencil and Shabby Shutters and Evergreen Bough inks.  I returned to my much loved 'egg sponges' (the Smoothies ink blending sponges) as they are SO easy to use with stencils.  I taped the 'Eastern' stencil down over a panel of ivory card and applied the inks by dabbing with the sponges.  I think 'pouncing' is the correct arty term but one of the ladies said I was 'bouncing' the sponges and I like that description much better!  I don't rub with the sponges when I'm stencilling, I just bounce and I still end up with a nice blend of colours even though I've not rubbed.  I stamped the sentiment and a couple of Geometric Leaves images using Walnut Stain ink, inked the edges of the panel with Walnut Stain ink and glued the panel to the front of a cream A6 card base to finish.

Here's a closer look at the sponged ink stencilling.  

For the afternoon class I made two gatefold pop out cards.  These look quite daunting at first but the fancy pop out inserts only require six folds - they're easy when you know how!  This first card is kept closed by a belly band that slides on and off.  The balloon and stars were cut using punches and the wording was cut from patterned paper.

Here's the card open.

This pic is from a different angle so you can see the reverse of the patterned paper is visible when the card is open.

I took this pic from the top.  That's how the card should be displayed, you don't open the gatefold pieces all the way back.

Here's the next gatefold pop out card - this one is kept closed by ribbon.  Punches were used to make the flower and I added a white Candi Dot to the centre.

Here's the card open.  I covered the two end triangles with pink paper, added punched flowers and leaves and used a Craftwork Cards Mini Message for a sentiment.  The three small flowers were blinged with gem centres.

Another pic from a different angle.

I used a 10" x 5" piece of paper to make the pop out inserts.  Because the piece has to fold up inside and so is a tad bulky, you need 'clearance room' so that the insert fits inside nicely.  I made the gatefold card 5 1/8" tall and made sure to score my gatefold pieces at 2 5/8" from both ends so that the 5" wide insert piece fits inside the score lines and the card closes neatly.  Things I learned with my first couple of attempts making these pop out cards!

Supplies for Just a Note card:
Stamps: Woodware 'Grass Stems' set, Penny Black 'Peacock Feathers' background stamp
CS: Glitter Pot thick & medium white card, Broken China Distressed CS
Ink: VersaFine Onyx Black, Ranger Tim Holtz Broken China, Dusty Concord & Black Soot Distress Inks, black Gelly Roll Glaze Pen
Tools: Smoothies ink blending sponges, Ranger Mini Mister bottle, sponge dauber
Embellishments & accessories: black & white gingham ribbon

Supplies for wheat card:
Stamps: Woodware 'Wheat' set
CS: Glitter Pot thick & medium white card
Ink: VersaFine Onyx Black, Ranger Tim Holtz Faded Jeans, Seedless Preserves & Black Soot Distress Inks
Tools: 1 1/2" circle punch, Ranger Mini Ink Blending Tools, sponge dauber
Embellishments & accessories: Perfect Pearls 'Pearl' powder & paintbrush, 3D foam pads

Supplies for leaves Thinking of You card:
Stamps: Woodware 'Geometric Leaves' set, Personal Impressions 'Large Everyday Messages' set
CS: cream A6 card blank, Glitter Pot Natural Ivory CS
Ink: Ranger Tim Holtz Shabby Shutters, Evergreen Bough & Walnut Stain Distress Inks
Tools: That Special Touch 'Eastern' 6" x 6" mask, Smoothies ink blending sponges, sponge dauber 

Supplies for balloons pop out card:
Stamps: none
CS: Glitter Pot thick white CS, Bazzill 'Typhoon' & 'Kisses', silver mirri card 
Patterned paper: Pebbles Birthday Wishes 'Confetti' & 'Birthday Wish'
Ink: white gel pen
Tools: Woodware Super & Large Balloon punches, Regular Star punch
Embellishments & accessories: 3D foam pads

Supplies for flowers pop out card:
Stamps: none
CS: Glitter Pot thick white card, Broken China Distressed CS
Patterned paper: Doodlebug Sugar Shoppe 'Birthday Bouquet', Echo Park Birthday Wishes 'Girl - Pink/Light Pink', Bo Bunny Mellow Yellow Double Dot
Ink: none
Tools: Woodware Super & Regular Flower punches, Large Plum & Grass punches, flower shaper & moulding mat
Embellishments & accessories: 15mm Baby Pink organza ribbon, Craftwork Cards Tiny Sentiments Black die cut messages & Icing Sugar Card Candi, PaperMania clear gems, 3D foam pads