Heartfelt Wednesdays...

Brrr...It's getting cold but NO SNOW YET!  I'm itchin' for some that's for sure!  I love WINTER and this time of the season but I'm getting a bit nervous that mother nature will not provide me with enough of the WHITE STUFF!  I hope and pray this will not be the case! 

Today, I'm sharing a card created particularly for the Christmas season and for the collaboration hop with Scrap-Mart.  If you haven't visited there, you'll want to.  It's a great place to pick up scrapbooking and stamping supplies and it is one of my favorite embellishment spots to stop at while at scrapbooking expos. Today we're (Heartfelt Creations and Scrap-Mart) are having a combined Blog-Hop. FUN FUN FUN!  Head over to their blog to learn more and join the fun. 

I'm sharing an artsy technique I've played around with for YEARS since first learning to use it during my college days.  I love using masking medium and find it so MAGICAL!  If you're not familiar with it, it's liquid latex and can be brushed (or dotted with a toothpick) onto paper to mask something you do not want to be colored.  It's great for watercolor painting AND for distress inks and glimmer sprays.  Perfect for this time of year right? 

OK.  So for this card, I did some masking, then inked, then masked again, then masked again...Kinda got a latex high LOL... I shared the directions on the Heartfelt Creations Blog today, but I thought I'd post them here too for those who might want to try it. 

Heartfelt Creations Products:

HCPC 3418 Poinsettia Spray Precut Set

HCPC 3346 Joyous Noel Precut Set
Zip Dry Glue

Other Supplies Used:

Kraft Card Base (A2)
Bazzill Brown cardstock (5x3 3/4 in)
White Cardstock (for background)
Copic Xpress it Card (for sentiment only)
Clear Embossing Powder
Windsor and Newton Colorless Art Masking Fluid and a fine tip paintbrush
Versaifne Onyx Ink
Memento Tuxedo Black
Ranger Distress Ink: Tea Dye, Worn Lipstick, Fired Brick
Gold Stickles
Red Dew Drops
Yellow-Maize Stitched Ribbon
Corner Rounder
Pop Dots
Spika Glitter Pens: Gold, Turquoise
Copics: G21, BG93, G0000, RV000

Directions:
For background: Stamp poinsettia image repeatedly onto white cardstock. Paint Masking fluid over flowers and inner parts of greens. Apply Tea Dye ink (rub) with sponge over entire image. Rub the masking off the poinsettias and the other flowers. Reapply Masking over the centers of the poinsettias so it doesn't get inked. Rub Fired Brick ink over the poinsettias (and masking) from the inside outwards until color intensity and blending desired. Remove Masking from remaining part of poinsettias and other flowers and rub Worn Lipstick overr this until blending and intensity desired. Rub off masking from the greens and apply Gold Spika to these. Use Turquoise Spika to trace over veins on poinsettias and the Gold Stickles on the centers of the flowers. Cut this panel to size 5 x 3 3/4 inches and attach to brown bazzill. Attach yellow ribbon and Dew Drops with E6000 Glue. Touch-up any "missed inking" by inking a dull pencil tip then rub over this ink with the eraser tip.

Stamp sentiment onto Copic Xpress it card using Versafine Ink. Emboss with clear p and color NOEL with the Copics. Corner round three corners and apply pop dots to back (secure permanently with E6000 glue. Apply stamped panel to card base.

Here's a closer look at the background.  Kinda reminds me of wrapping paper.  I love the rich look and the two-tone look of the red on the poinsettias.