Banner Blessing for As You See It Challenges

One stamp set that I ordered a while back and haven't used much is Banner Blessings. It's a Photopolymer stamp set that  you won't find on the catalogue pages. I love the shape of the images, but just haven't found the appropriate card to use them on.That changed with As You See It Challenges #086. Here's the sketch:

Isn't that cool? This design made me think of a grad card and the "Shine" sentiment from Banner Blessings. Here's a closer look:

• This was another opportunity to use the Brushed Gold cardstock which is retiring and is now sold out, unfortunately. Originally, I was going to pair it with Basic Black cardstock, but since I used a lot of that recently, decided to go with a regal purple in Elegant Eggplant instead.
• The Gold Soiree Designer Series Paper was perfect for the horizontal element of the layout, with it's gold foil accents. It's hard to see in this photo, but the stripes have a gold sheen to them.
• I used the Stars Framelits for the larger star and the Itty Bitty Accents Punch Pack for the small stars. One punched from some Elegant Eggplant forms the center of the striped star.
• I heat embossed the Banner Blessings image in Gold Stampin' Emboss Powder on the Elegant Eggplant and then die cut it using the retiring Labels Collection Framelits. which are on sale for 50% off!!
• The congratulations sentiment is from Guy Greetings which will be sticking around in the new Annual Catalogue and I stamped it in Elegant Eggplant on Whisper White. I trimmed the word with the Stampin' Trimmer and rounded the ends using the Word Window Punch.

Silent Auction for Nepal

Thanks to everyone who participated in my On Line Silent Auction to raise funds for Earthquake Victims in Nepal. All of you will have heard from me and received the photo tutorial for downloading. After I have received your totals, I will ship out the items to you. Please make sure I have your emails.

Click on the links below to take you to my On-Line Store, where you can read about, look at, and purchase if you wish, the Stampin' Up! products used to make this card today!

Product List

Banner Blessings Photopolymer Stamp Set [136720]	Guy Greetings Clear Stamp Set [138828]	Guy Greetings Wood Stamp Set [138825]	Guy Greetings Photopolymer Stamp Set [137178]	**Brushed Gold A4 Card Stock [124917]
*Gold Soiree Specialty Designer Series Paper [133697]	Wisteria Wonder 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [122922]	Elegant Eggplant 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [105126]	Whisper White 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [100730]	Versamark Pad [102283]
Elegant Eggplant Classic Stampin' Pad [126969]	Gold Stampin' Emboss Powder [109129]	Embossing Buddy [103083]	Heat Tool [129053]	*Labels Collection Framelits Die [125598]
Big Shot [113439]	Window Word Punch [119857]	Itty Bitty Accents Punch Pack [133787]	Stars Framelits Dies [133723]	Stampin' Dimensionals [104430]
Glue Dots [103683]	Liquid Multipurpose Glue [110755]	SNAIL Permanent Adhesive [104332]

* Retiring June 2/15

**Retiring but already sold out.

Beauty of the Season and New Photopolymer Stamp Sets

Today's post is a closer look at one of the three cards designed for November's Stamp of the Month Club.  For more information on that, take a look here.  This card also uses Beauty of the Season, the November Stamp Set of the Month.

This card also uses a technique called the Spotlight Technique, where a small portion of the black and white image is highlighted by colouring it on a separate piece of paper and lined up with the original image.

• The black and white background Designer Series Paper is from the Back to Black collection.  I thought the feather design was particularly appropriate!
• The cardinal is coloured using the Cherry Cobbler Assortment of Stampin' Blendabilities. For more information on how to blend with Blendabilities, you can join the Stamp of the Month Club for this month (and only this month if you choose the month-to-month option) and get a photo tutorial for this card with step-by-step instructions including how to use these markers.
• I altered the project slightly with an easier bow, but this one was not difficult to create.  I just layered the loops, one side and then the other back and forth and tied the extra ribbon at the end around the middle and trimmed the ends and adjusted the loop sizes.

For more information, sign up for this month's Stamp of the Month Online Club and get the clear mount stamp set, the three completed cards and step-by-step photo tutorials for all three, including measurements and a list of all products used.  Just follow the link above and fill out the form at the bottom of the page and submit it.  You will not be charged until I have contacted you and answered any question you may have.

Each month, on the second Tuesday of the month, Stampin' Up! releases a new photopolymer stamp set.  I'm afraid I forgot to show you last month's Gentle Peace set and now there's a new set for November - so I'm showing you both at once!  I've seen some wonderful stained glass effects with the Gentle Peace set and I've been very tempted to get it. $19.95 is so affordable for each of these sets. 

Now that Banner Blessings has just come out, I love it and I think I will be getting both sets!  How about you?

Here's an abbreviated list of some of the main products I used on this card.  Get the full list by joining the Stamp of the Month On-Line Club.

Product List

Beauty Of The Season Wood-Mount Stamp Set [135776]

Beauty Of The Season Clear-Mount Stamp Set [135779]

Back To Black Designer Series Paper [133700]

Circles Collection Framelits Dies [130911]

Cherry Cobbler 1/2 Inch Seam Binding Ribbon [120992]