Decidedly Different

Sorry, lovely people, that I've been missing in action since the calendar turned to 2015.  Happy New Year!  I've finally gotten to get in my Closet and craft today for the first time in the new year!  I wanted to try out some of the new goodies I received as the most thoughtful gifts.  Let's see what I can do with them!

There are many challenges this time for us to use or try something new, so I have tried something I've never done before--make an all white, shabby, feminine card!  The Challenge over at Cheery Lynn is to create an all white card using at least one Cheery Lynn die.  Only the image may have color--thank goodness!  I was about to go nuts trying to make a card with no color at all And as you know, photographing an all white card is quite a challenge in itself.

I used my only Cheery Lynn die which is brand spankin'new--French Lattice Small Frame.  I wanted to try a Cheery Lynn die out, since I've seen them used on so many beautiful cards around the blogs.  To get a little more out of my one die, I also used the bits that fall away after you cut.  Armed with so little, and limited to white,  I realized I need to focus on texture. By the way, I will definitely be purchasing more of these fabulous dies--they cut perfectly every time!

Here is what I did with my die and die cast offs:  I cut my lattice using the Cheery Lynn die out of plain white card stock.  I gave it two coats of  Shimmers Air Dry Perm-enamel which is also brand new to me--I've had it on my shelf for ages, and never used it.  I expected something blue and fuzzy to pop out when I opened the jar!  It gives a nice porcelain sheen to the paper, which I just could not pick up with the camera.  You're just going to have to go on faith with me, as I tell you, in person, this card shimmers and shines  from top to bottom! I embossed the bits with my Cuttlebug Swiss Dots embossing folder.  First I tried the Shimmers on the embossed bits,  as was done with the lattice, but it just didn't give the card the look I was going for.  So into the tool chest I went and dug out another first use product for me, although I've had it for years--Cloisonne High Gloss Granules.  I had no idea how to use them, and have been hunting on the Internet for years trying to find something out about them with no luck (I bought these off someone whom I have lost contact with).  I did a little test strip using my new Ranger Glue and Seal, some micro beads, and the Cloisonne granules, because I wanted to see what would appear white on my background. Once dry, the micro beads weren't going anywhere, but the granules sloughed off.  So I blasted it with my heat gun, and there was the most beautiful porcelain surface before my eyes!  Happy accident for sure! By the way, I've tried using the granules with embossing ink with no luck. If you like UTEE, you would love this!  It only takes one layer to achieve what 5 or more does in UTEE! I only did one layer on my little bits, because I wanted the embossing to show.  I have this in 6 colors--lucky me!

The layer directly under the lattice is plain white card stock embossed with the same embossing folder, and each dot except those around the perimeter were high lighted with Crystal Stickles.  Very tedious, but well worth the view in person. This panel was popped up off the bottom panel which is a very thin, fine white finely textured paper.  I used texture paste through a Recollections stencil and while the paste was still wet, added Tim's Rock Candy Distress glitter with a light hand to give a hint of sparkle (couldn't get that on camera, either--trust me--it's there!). I distressed the edges and glued this to a card stock base.

I heat embossed white vellum with a stamp from Tim Holtz Urban Grunge and white embossing powder, then tore around the image and popped it off it's background with dimensional glue dots.

The swallow from my new Tim Holtz Bird Feather set was stamped in coffee Archival ink, painted with Distress markers and a waterbrush. I edged with Bundled sage for a shadow, but it kind of lost that shadowy feeling when I fussy cut the image.  To give it a little pizzazz, I added woodland microbeads.  I added some white fibers to finish.

Now here's why I made this special card...My Mom and sister are coming for a brief visit, and I am able to actually give my Mom a nice card without worrying it will get squished in the mail.  I think she'll love it!

Thank you for stopping in to take a look!  I love your sweet comments, and read and try to respond to each and every one! I should have another project posted in another day or two, which is quite different from anything I've made. After all, it's a New Year--time to try new things!  To tease you a little, I will let you know my kitty picked the color palette!

I would like to link this up to the following inspiring challenges:
Cheery Lynn Designs Challenge #166 "Winter Whites"

Frilly and Funkie "Anything Goes"

Mixed Media Place Creative Gym Exercise #3 "Wings" First time entering!  Thanks, Georgie!

Artistic Trading Post Exchange "Fresh Beginnings" I used 2 stamps on this card; my new products (to me) are in bold text.

Country View Challenges "Use Something New to You" All the products in bold text are new to me. I've also tried something new to me--a shabby, feminine style and a completely white card (except for the focal image).

Fashionable Stamping Challenges # 88 "Turn Up the Heat" I used heat embossing on the frame stamp, and heat gun to melt the Cloisonne granules.

The Mixed Media Card Challenge #7 "New" New products used are in bold text; my new style I've tried out is shabby, feminine, all white (except the image, of course).