KCC #13

 

For the first time, I've decided to try Kendra's Card Challenge for this quarter - #13.  I've looked at them for several seasons now and tried a sketch or two, but this is the first time for me to actually make the set as intended. I have a paper pad that I was given that has a lot of coordinating papers, and decided to use some of them.  Unfortunately, I forgot to take a picture of the 6 patterns, but you'll see them as we go along.  

In the meantime, here's a picture of all 15 cards as made:

I'm still learning how to get a good photo of so many cards at once.  The only real place I have to lay out so many is a place that has really poor lighting.  I tried to correct for it!  

I am finding that these KCC are more interesting than some sketches or one sheet wonders because you need to find other papers to serve as backgrounds and/or matting. Though Kendra mentions using plain card stock, I'm finding that sometimes another pattern in my scraps stash is a great choice.

And now for a closer look at each card.

Card #1:

This first layout consists of a large panel, a square turned on end in the center of it, and then narrow strips running along each edge of the square and along to the edge of the card.  As you can see, my main panel is a pink/coral/white somewhat random painted pattern.  The center square is a pink pattern, and I used white for the narrow strips.  To this, I adhered a cut out from the same paper pack after inking the edges with Picked Raspberry Distress Oxide ink and adding foam tape to the back.

Card #2:

I wondered how this would work, but so far I'm quite happy with them.  This next card starts with a square of the patterned paper which I've matted on dark green and turned on-point for a diamond shape.  The background paper is the same dark green - with a strip of embossed (5X7 Damask by Darice) white card stock down the center.  After adding the focal, I finished the card with a cut out strip of paper from the pack - that had this nice saying on it.  I matted it with the dark green before adding it.

Card #3:

Here's the third card.  I really wish I had matted the focal with gold (cut from the set of papers), but I didn't.  The little flag at the top is really two - both the original and the alternate layered with a little gold strip on top.  I finished by adding some scroll work Dazzles from my stash.

Card #4:

Pretty simple - just the pieces from the sketch, and a cut out from the paper pack, along with 3 paper punched pieces in the upper left corner.  All pieces were inked around the edges (again with the Picked Raspberry Distress Oxide).

Card #5:

Here I used a black glimmer paper for the background & the outer mat for the focal.  The inner focal mat is pink marbled paper from my stash.  Both focal mats were cut using a Spellbinders Petite Scalloped Oval set of dies. The focal is a cut out from the paper pad.

Card #6:

Next is a dark green suede paper as background and mats (oval one again cut with the Petite Scalloped Oval die set).  The cat was made using an Elizabeth Craft cutting die.  The sentiment is part of a border from the paper pack.

Card #7:

I DO find that I like the glimmer black with these papers!  Looking at this now, I'm realizing that it would have been nice to mat the greeting in the black as well.  Oh well, it looks better IRL.  The fact that I attached it with foam tape helps.  This one is mostly just using the sketch as is.  However, rather than wasting another large piece of the black glimmer paper to mat the flowered paper, I simply added two small strips top and bottom.  It may be hard to believe, but the pink strip (from my stash) was even brighter before I added a touch of ink to tone it down!  The sentiment is a cutout from a Debbi Moore freebie - with inked edges.

Card #8:

Once again, I've used an Elizabeth Crafts die set for my focal - this time for the elephant & hearts - all cut from scraps from my stash - Note that they don't show him with tusks, but I just used the tail piece cut from white - works great.  Again I've used the black glimmer paper for the background - and added a paper I had wadded up, spread out again, and then inked as the background behind the elephant. The rest is per the sketch.  Again, looking at it here, I can see that the sentiment might have been better if matted with the black glimmer.  It IS on foam tape, so stands out better IRL.

Card #9:

Wow, this layout REALLY challenged me!  I spent quite a bit of time trying to figure it out!  The paper pieces that are pre-cut for this layout are just the strip on the far left, and the little pieces for decorating the border strip.  I had a really hard time finding a background I liked with it - let alone focal & greeting.  The focal is another cut out from a Debbi Moore freebie, and the greeting is one of my Mom's stamp & die cut set.  The "raindrops" are little jewels from my stash, and 1/8" black satin ribbon flanks the border strip.

Card #10:

Here the focal is another cut out from the set of papers - I rounded the corners & inked the edges.  The plain green & plain white is card stock from my stash.  I used Spellbinder's Labels Eleven dies to cut the mats for the focal.

Inside:

Since these are A2 cards, I seldom do much on the inside, but this card just really called for you to read what was on the inside!  The sentiment is cut from a border print in the paper pack.

Card #11:

I DO tend to deviate from the sketches from time to time.  In this case, I think it was expected that you'd use a smaller focal and see more of the patterned papers - but I liked this one (another cut out that came with the patterned paper).  I matted the focal with a dark pink vellum.  Before gluing it in place, I added black Thin Line Dazzles as a border between the two patterned papers.  Finally, I added other dazzles for the corners & the "Life is Good".

Card #12:

As you can see, I embossed the card front to create a bit more interest (Spellbinders M-Bossabilities A2 Quilted Delight).  The decorative panel is a black glimmer paper to which the 3 different patterned papers have been added, leaving some of the glimmer paper showing between them.  The focal heart is a foiled cut out from the paper pack - but I fussy cut around the edges of the heart rather than leaving it as the rectangle they printed in the pack.  Dazzles "Thank You" and small hearts complete this card.

Card #13:

Here I used a watercolor background from my stash to serve as the background - but I matted it with silver tag board - as I did with the other patterned paper (helps to tie in the holographic a bit). The horizontal paper I also narrowly matted in pink to help it stand out from the 1st one.  The circle was cut from a holographic foil pattern (used circle die from HOTP Paper Artist Snow Globe set)- very pretty.  I also used a paper punch to punch 3 small circles that I added near the upper right corner.  The dog was made using another Elizabeth Crafts die set.  So cute!  The sentiment is from a Hunkydory Little Book of Essential Sentiments. 

Card #14:

This is another pattern that I struggled with a bit.  I finally decided to add the black lattice (Cheery Lynn French Lattice cutting die) for the background and mat the diagonal pieces in the same black before gluing them in place.  I used a Spellbinders Labels Four die to mat the focal with the same black.  The focal itself is another Debbi Moore freebie that I printed & fussy cut.

Card #15:

It's hard to believe that I've finished all 15 cards.  It was a fun experience - but required quite a bit of thinking to make it happen.  The background on this one started with a piece of gold metallic tag board.  After cutting it to the approximate size, I embossed it using an embossing folder called Brocade Imprints from Fun Stampers Journey.  Next, I matted the strips with black - and did the same to the focal and it's mat.  Before gluing everything down, I added 1/8" white satin ribbon with gold edging to each of the two corners of the embossed background piece - then glued the strips & trimmed off the excess.  After gluing the panel to the card front, I glued the mat in place & added a Dazzles sentiment.  Finally, I added the focal (another cut out from the paper set) with foam tape.