Lovely Plum Rose: CFC169

Today's card was inspired by the "Off the Edge" challenge over @ the CAS-ual Fridays blog  and by a tutorial I saw on Split Coast Stampers a while back that I've been meaning to try...they called it a "tent topper card". What I love best about it, is that it finishes up to be a standard size 4 1/4" x 5 1/2" card- so it mails easily in a regular A2 size envelope. I will also be applying this card to the Anything Goes Challenge RRCB58  over @ Retro Rubber, since the rose stamp I've had in my stash since the early 2000's. 

Once I got started, I decided that this card will also be one that the library gals get to make during the month of May. So when I gathered my supplies, I made sure I had enough to make up kits for at least 10 more cards. After choosing my pattern papers and the script embossing folder, I cut a white card base of 4 1/4" x 8 1/2 " and scored it in half at 4 1/4" to make a top folding square card. I cut the white and dark plum circles using my Creative memories circle cutting templates...the plum is about 1/4" wider than the white one is- around 3 1/8" across.

I first stamped the Antique Rose (retired stamp from the Angel Company-circa 2003?) on a scrap of cardstock to get a feel for where I wanted the image to fall on my circle and then cut it out. Once that was done, I  fussy cut around the rose to use as my mask for inking the background later and saved the negative outside of the circle to use as my template when stamping my final image...I left it in the base of my Stamp Perfect (held down by the magnets and tucked tightly into the left corner) laid my white circle in the hole it provided, inked up my stamp (keeping it attached in the same spot on the lid) in black ink and got a perfect impression. 

Using repositionable sticky dots, I laid the fussy cut rose piece over the rose on the white circle to mask it off and keep it white, then applied Antique Linen Distress Ink with a Ranger blending tool to color the background that soft creamy tan color. Once I removed the mask and rubbed off any remaining adhesive, I colored the rose and leaves with eyeshadow/makeup sponge applicators & 2 colors of Stampin' Up chalk pastels...using Perfect Plum and Garden Green...and layered the rose circle onto the plum circle.

Next, I ran two colors of the plum patterned paper through my embossing machine with the script folder, sanded it to reveal the white and cut them to fit the card front and meet in the middle. Using tape runner, I added the layered rose circles to the top of the card...lining it up so that the length of the card reached 5 1/2" from top of the circle to bottom of the card. This leaves about 1 1/4" of the circle hanging freely off the top of the card, so I had to be sure not to add any adhesive to the top of that circle, lol! 

 I tied a lilac organza bow along the seam of the patterned paper that fell just under the bottom of the circle and diecut an ornate label in white to stamp my "With love" (clear stamp- origin unknown) sentiment on, using a dark purple dye ink. The sentiment I then popped up on to the card front with foam squares. Inside, they will have the option to stamp either "Happy Mother's Day" or "Happy Birthday". Thanks for reading along with me and I hope you'll give making a Tent Topper Card a try next time you sit down to craft!