I'm usually not much of a card maker. don't get me wrong, I make all the cards I give for friends birthdays and special occasions, but I usually don't go out of my way to make a card "just because". When presented with a pack of Gemstones Pearlescent Finish Cardstock from Core'dinations, I couldn't help but break out my dies, and start piecing a card. These papers are part of the Cut and Emboss Series, and are made for embossing and die cutting. The 4.25×5.5 inch dimensions of each sheet were perfect for feeding through my diecut machine without needing to be trimmed. Each cut was clean and precise, which made putting my card together a breeze!
I used a base of Core'dinations Color Core Cardstock, and sanded the edges to distress. Did you know They make a nifty little sanding block called the Sand It Gadget? With 2 sizes of sandpaper, in 150 and180 grit, it's the perfect little sanding tool! Although the Pearlescent finish paper states it isn't sandable ( due to the finish) I had to give it a shot anyway ( I love to break rules…) I wanted to see if I could sand a bit of the edges of the stainned glass to give a bit of texture and colour variation to the glass. While you wouldn't want to use this technique for most projects, I think it works well here.
The card base, the leaded frame and inserts are all stuck together using Helmar Acid Free Glue. I made sure the surfaces were all free of sanding dust first, by wiping them with the Dust Buddy Cloth.
The window frame is glued on using Helmar Liquid Scrap Dots to give it a slight lift.
I also used Liquid scrapdots to prop up the leaves that I die cut and embossed while Helmar 450 Quick Dry keeps the roses securely in place.
There's nothing like having the right product and tools at your disposal to make a project go smoothly!
Helmar Design Team Member
