Founder's Circle Swap Card

The top 100 Stampin’ Up! demonstrators in the entire US, and the top 20 in Canada are all invited to Founder’s Circle and each is asked to bring swap cards.  That means I will come home with 120 cards from the cream of the crop in the Stampin’ Up! world.  It also means I have to give each of them one of my cards. 

Gulp.

I wanted my card to use products from the Holiday mini since that is the season most pressing for many of us.  I also wanted to be able to highlight some of the super techniques we have at our fingertips, that can add pizazz to a card and step it up a notch.  Well….here is what I came up with.

Don’t you just love the ornament stamps and framelits that are part of this new holiday catalogue?!  This particular one reminds me of the gorgeous vintage hand-blown glass ornaments that I remember from my childhood.  I wanted to make a card that had that rich, vintage, elegant feel to it and I think I succeeded.   (edited to add:  The ornament is actually made using the emboss-resist technique.  Stamp it on Very Vanilla cardstock using versamark ink, then apply clear embossing powder and heat-emboss.  Use a sponge to apply Early Espresso ink (quite liberally so the Espresso is dark) to the image, wipe the extra ink off of the embossed image with a clean cloth, and cut out the ornament using the appropriate framelit.  And voila!   A gorgeous, Espresso and Vanilla heirloom ornament.)

It may not be readily apparent from this first photograph, but both the Cherry Cobbler card and the Early Espresso mat have been dusted with champagne glimmer paint to give them a gilded appearance, seen better in this close-up.   Likewise, the champagne glimmer paint was sponged over the oval embossed frame on the Vanilla top layer. Held in the light, this card shimmers with a rich champagne glow.  I wish it showed up better in the photo, but you'll have to take my word for it!

I almost settled on a simpler version of this card, but I decided to add an embellishment for balance.   And not just any embellishment.  Check out this button!   

The bronze buttons from the holiday catalogue are cute by themselves, but I threaded Victorian trim lace and a strip of cherry cobbler tulle through the button, then added a sliver of the new Champagne glimmer paper.  I love love LOVE the button this way!  Now the card has not just a vintage look, but an heirloom feel as well.  Photographs do not do it justice.  It shimmers and shines with an air of understated elegance.  It is classic and elegant.  And I love it. 

Hope my newfound Founder’s friends do too.

Can’t wait to see the swaps from the other Founder’s members.  And I can’t wait to share them with you, my friends.  For any of you who are local, you will be able to see them at the Holiday Catalogue Kick-off party I am holding here in Ottawa on Saturday, Sept 29.  RSVP so I can have your projects ready for you to create when you come.  For those of you who cannot make it, I will share some of my favourites here on my blog over the next little while.  Stay tuned.

Ever wonder what 120 cards (with embellishments) look like?  I have 2 rather large shoe boxes in my suitcase holding my swap cards.  One set already has the buttons glued on.  The other set is complete minus the button.  Looks like I still have my work cut out for me!  So if you’ll excuse me – I still have 46 cards to glue a button onto, or else I won’t have them all ready to swap later tonight.

Hope everyone enjoys their day!  I am thoroughly enjoying mine.  And it only just started!!   

God Bless,       ~Cynthia     <><