ODBDSLC35 Dies and Punches

The Shining Light Challenge this week over at Our Daily Bread Designs Blog is to choose one of their top 3 challenges to make a card with. I chose "Dies or Punches" though I used both on my card. I had some new punches that I couldn't wait to use knowing they'd go well with some die cut flowers I wanted to make!

I just came home from spending a few weeks with my folks in Iowa. My Mom is a big crafter and stamper, one who played a big roll in my addiction with rubber stamps & card making : ) While there, she had me making scrunchy flowers with her Dahlia flower dies. I had only read of the technique and never tried it before. Nothing like getting together with another stamper to get motivated to try new things!!

I had to try making them with my Blossoms 2 dies now that I'm home. To age/distress/darken the red cardstock, I stamped it with the Amazing Grace Hymn stamp before using the dies then I sponged more ink around the edges before assembling the flowers. It's not as easy to "scrunch" cardstock versus copy paper weight or tissue paper, they're a little stiff but it gives them a different look. Gold Stickles were added to the centers to add some sparkle.

Rather than layer the Labels 4 die cuts with the verse, I made a frame using 2 dies to put around the verse that was stamped directly onto the designer paper base. I really like the light pattern on the paper for this card and had fun putting it all together.

Stamps: ODBD - Scripture collection 4, Amazing Grace Hymn

Ink: TH Distress Ink-Frayed Burlap (flowers, edging), VersaFine Vintage Sepia (verse)

Other: Spellbinders Labels 4, Blossoms 2; Martha Stewart Arch Lattice, Leafy vine punch ; Gold Stickles, Pop dots