Encrusted Jewel Technique Christmas Tree Card

This is another card I did last summer using the encrusted jewel technique.

I got the Inkadinkado stamps with a magazine I bought last year, and knew I wanted to make a red and white card. I also knew I wanted to play some more with encrusted jewels, so I decided to stamp the tree and sentiment using white EP, and surround it with the encrusted jewels to make it look like you are viewing the tree through a frosty window.

I ran out of most of my Stampendous Shabby White, so this card uses what was left of it with some regular white EP and some Stampendous chunky glass glitter melted into it. A Versamark stamp pad was run around the outside of the panel and I did the embossing after sprinkling the glitter on the outside edges of the white, so it would be a little narrower than the white part. It was really fun!

Next, I added some gold Stickles "balls" to the tree.

The embossed panel was matted with more of the red and some gold mirror card, then mounted onto a white card.

The red CS is actually from a sheet of art paper. I am always really frustrated with the shades of red in the card stock in the stores. It seems like they are either orangey, purpley, or faded looking, so now, whenever I see art papers, I always look for nice reds. They usually come in large sheets, which I then cut to a manageable size using a carpenter's square and knife. They come in beautiful shades of red, much richer than ordinary card stock, and they are nice and heavy.

I have had such fun playing with the Stampendous Frantage products that I sent for some more. I can't wait to get them! Since I haven't bought anything new since last winter, I also sent for some new Spellbinders. The Stampendous products were ordered from their website, and were sent out very quickly. I ordered them on Monday, and they should be here tomorrow. (Of course they are sending them by the Post Office, so the two day priority mail will most likely be closer to a week, even though they are only coming from New Hampshire, but that isn't the fault of Stampendous, it's the fault of the strange way our mail comes now).

The Spellbinders were ordered from Cut At Home, on 30 September. Unfortunately, the very next day, they went on sale for 40% off. Since I ordered $260 worth of dies, and they haven't even shipped them yet, I wish I had waited. I specified UPS delivery, but I called to find out where my order was, and found out that they are going to be shipped through the post office, and no discount, even though they waited a week and a half to process my order. For those who have followed me for a while, you know how bad our mail delivery is, so this really bummed me out. I wish I had ordered them from Joan's Garden, then I would have had fast shipping, and talked to a person who really cares about her customers.

Anyway, it will be really fun to play with some new things!