Trying a new die set sometimes means looking at the manufacturer’s blog for ideas on ways to use it. I looked at the LDRS blog for inspiration. The idea of ink blending a piece of cardstock in sunrise colors seemed appropriate.

Using a piece of white cardstock larger than the 5 1/2 x 4 1/4 inches coverplate dies, I ink blended six lighter/darker shades of pink, purple and blue Distress Oxides inks with sponge daubers. Next I cut the  blended cardstock using Coverplate III, saving the large cutouts to be inserted later. Using Opal Blaze Polishes, I rubbed three shades of the polished sheen onto the die-cut frame, leaving the inserts plain. (The polishes tend to make the ink colors be a shade whiter and thus adding drama to the differences between the plain insert bold colors and the lustrous polished frames of the coverplate.)

For the Coverplate I, I used a non-shed glitter cardstock that had been in my stash (Sorry, I don’t know the brand.) I played with the positioning of the two layers of coverplates, until I settled on the most pleasing one for these materials.  Next, I re-inserted the leftover inserts from Coverplate III reversing the order to get the most contrasts between insert and frame ink colors. To back the layers, I used a very thick and fibrous, black cardstock (again from my stash, so I don’t know the brand.) The piece was then mounted on a pink card base and the back of the card decorated with scraps left from die-cutting the two coverplates.

For the front sentiment, I went through my stash of foiled greetings that I do from batch foiling on scrap pieces. The rose gold foiled piece on dark blue is attached to the card from with foam tape to make it float above the background.

The inside sentiment is from a new stamp set by PoppyStamps. It is stamped on adhesive backed blue vellum with black StazOn ink. (I used StazOn ink because vellum sometimes is hard to get ink to dry on. StazOn as its name implies will stay on most surfaces that are hard to ink.)

The final touches to the card front were adding some bling with flat back gems from my stash of Buttons Galore & More shaker element mixes. (Many of their mixes are limited editions, so order early when you browse their website and see a mix you love.)

The envelope flap was stamped with another sentiment from the PoppyStamps set with a pink to purple ombre ink.

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Materials Used:

Dies

• LDRS Creative – Pretty Things Coverplate I – 8291
• LDRS Creative – Pretty Things Coverplate III – 8293

Stamps

• PoppyStamps – Clear Stamp Set – Colorful Life – CL509

Inks

• Ranger – Jim Holtz’s Distress Oxide Ink – Spun Sugar, Festive Berries, Shaded Lilac, Dusty Concord, Tumbled, Prize Ribbon
• StazOn – Solvent Ink – Jet Black
• Recollections – Ombre Ink Pad Pink to Purple

Foiling

• Spellbinders –Glimmer Hot Foil System Machine
• Spellbinders – Let Your Sentiments Shine GOM-JUN20
• Spellbinders – Glimmer Foil – Rose Gold

Papers

• Blue scrap cardstock
• Lightweight white cardstock
• Thick black cardstock
• Pinkish lavender glitter cardstock
• Xcut – Xtras Adhesive Vellum Sheets – Blue
• A2 pink card base and white envelope

Miscellaneous

• Cosmic Shimmer – Specialist Acrylic Glue – 125ml
• Sizzix – Big Shot PLUS die cutting Machine
• Fineline 20 Gauge Applicator & Bottle
• LDRS Creative – Stampendable Stamping Tool
• Stamp Cleaning Cloth
• Sponge Daubers
• Button Galore & More – Doo Dadz – DD113-Halloween Party
• Cosmic Shimmer Opal Blaze Paste – Teal Raspberry, Sunset Orange, Pink Blueberry
• Foam Tape