Christmas Blessings- Faux Metal Reindeer

Hi Friends!

I decided to create a card for this week’s Merry Monday #180 Reindeer Challenge along with the Global Design Project #GDI011 Christmas Challenge and the Splitcoaststampers’ WT546 Make It Metal Challenge (my reindeer image is a Gelli Arts® Faux Metal Print).

The main reindeer image is from a portion of a Gelli Arts® print that I had created a while back and had filed away for a later day (i.e. in my “stash”) and I when I saw the Merry Monday “Reindeer” theme, I knew I had to pull this one out and use it for my card.

I sure hope you have a chance to visit the above challenge sites and check out their galleries- fabulous inspiration from all!

As I have mentioned in previous posts re: Gelli Arts® Printing- I have not ventured into the video making aspect of stamping yet but videos describing the basics for monoprinting.

I currently own the 6” square Gelli Arts® Printing Plate and have used it primarily with embossing folders for the printing and texture.  Below are the basic steps I take to create this type of background print.

Using a brayer, roll Gold and Silver paint onto the Gelli® Arts Printing Plate (GA plate) and spread to cover the plate.

Lay a piece of watercolor paper or cardstock onto the plate and lift off, lay another piece onto the plate for the ghost print.

Add a few drops of colored acrylic paint (I used a dark blue and mauve), spread with the brayer and then lay a previously embossed piece of cardstock (embossed with the Deer Run Anna Griffin® Cuttlebug™ Embossing Folder) onto the GA plate, left up (this will remove some of the paint for the print design), lay down one of your prints created in the first steps above, press into the paint and lift up, lay another print, press and lift again.

FYI- I am using very old Folk Art Deco® Acrylic Paints that I have had for years, so they are thin and dry quickly.

You can repeat the steps to build up more layers but I have found that one or two layers give me enough depth for this type of background.

Once the panel is dry, you should be able to see the outline in the paint of the embossing folder that was used as a stencil, line up the Gelli Arts® printed paper back into the actual embossing folder and re-emboss with the Big Shot™.

Add Encore!™ Silver Metallic Ink over the raised embossed areas and set with the Heat Tool.

Use the Big Shot™ with the My Favorite Things™ (MFT) Stitched Square STAX die to cut out the image, mount onto retired Cranberry Crisp cardstock and trim close to the edge.

Cut a piece of Brushed Silver cardstock with the MFT Jumbo Stitched Fishtail Banner Die, add the Silver Cord trim and mount onto a piece of Cranberry Crisp cardstock.

Trim the Cranberry Crisp cardstock panel and mount onto the Brushed Silver card base.

De-static the panel with the Embossing Buddy®, stamp the sentiment using Versamark™ ink, apply Stampin’ Emboss® Silver Embossing Powder and heat set with the Heat Tool.

Add the Reindeer panel using dimensional foam along with a Silver Cord bow to finish off the card.

Stamp Sets:  More Merry Messages (retired Stampin’ Up!)

Ink: Versamark™, Encore!™ Silver; Various Acrylic Paints- Gold, Silver, Dark Blue, Mauve (Folk Art Deco®)

Paper: Watercolor, retired Cranberry Crisp, Brushed Silver

Accessories: Big Shot™, Cuttlebug™ Anna Griffin® Deer Run Embossing Folder,  Gelli Arts® Printing Plate, Brayer, Silver Cord Trim, Embossing Buddy®, Stampin’ Emboss® Silver Embossing Powder, Heat Tool

Thank again for stopping by- I hope all of you have a fantastic week!