Monday Challenge

Good Morning Ladies,

Well, where did that weekend go???, No sooner was I wishing you a lovely weekend than I am here welcoming in the start of another new week!
How many of you had to relent like us and put the heating on, the weather man said it was going to get down to 2 degrees last night, so the heating went on!
Paul didn't get to try out his new Rotovator, the weather was just rubbish, so much rain I thought we were going to have floods. It will have softened the ground ready for turning over though.

This weeks Challenge is a little different, I would like you to make a card with a 'Background that you have created or 'enhanced' yourself'.
So you can use a piece of decorative paper that you have embossed or added some kind of sparkle to. it can be an 'Blended Ink' background, you could use Gilding Flakes, Gilding Wax, Glitter, Embossing Paste, Micro Beads, (I know that most of you will have a jar of those somewhere)!
Or you could simply stamp your background, creating your own background paper.
I know that you will all create some amazing cards, I can't wait to see them.
So to summarise:
Your Challenge is to make a card using a Background that you have Created or Enhanced yourself by using :
Embossing Folders
Gilding Wax
Gilding Flakes
Ink by either Blending or stamping your own design
Enhancing decorative papers by adding :
double sided adhesive and using glitter, Iced Snow, Micro Beads,
You could highlight areas with Glitter Pens, or pick out detail with a Glue Pen and add glitter etc.

My card is another card using some of the dies I bought from Anne at 'A Crafty Place'
I used the 'Netted Star' background die to cut my background piece, I placed this die cut on a Double sided Adhesive sheet, I then added Frantage Glitter to the exposed areas. I added foam tape to the back of this and mounted onto  a piece of 'Coastal Cabana' Stampin'Up! card, I then made a card base and set about deciding on the decoration.
I knew I wanted to use the new 'Angelina' die as it was so pretty, but it has that lovely detailed pattern around the outside which meant it got lost of that Netted Star Background, so I searched through my dies and found that one of Grand Floral Oval dies made a perfect mat, I then used a mat of Coastal Cabana cut with a plain Grand Oval and built up my layers,
I used Sue Wilson's Classic Poinsettia dies to create the flowers, I cut them in both Coastal Cabana and Whisper white, I then kind of scrunched the up  and carefully opened and mounted together, I went around all edges with a Metallic Gold Pen, I then pumped the pen a couple of times on a piece of scrap paper and held it over my flowers and tapped it with a Bone Folder to get spots of Metallic Gold all over the flowers.  I arranged them around that central oval and then added two bows, one made from the Dotted Tulle and the other Foil Edged Coastal Cabana (both Stampin Up!) That dotted Tulle is perfect for tying pretty bows and makes a great base for a smaller ribbon too.
I hope you like my card and it inspires you a little.

I hope that you enjoy the challenge and most of all have fun making your cards.

Have a lovely start to the week,

Love and hugs

Sandra
xxxxxx