My Favorite Things - Color Palette Challenge #1

Greetings friends and Happy New Year!!  I'm doing my best to find even a tiny bit more creative time during my days now.  I've been so dormant craft-wise for the last year or so with being pregnant and having a newborn but our schedule has been lightening up a bit and we've settled into life with three quite well so I'm doing my darnedest to create when I can!  I was thrilled when I saw the newest color challenge over at the MFT blog!

This first challenge calls for the classic MFT colors - pink, black and white - so appropriate!!

I started by designing the background.  Using heavy duty watercolor paper, I stamped Laina Lamb's Mod Borders - using the arrow pattern repeatedly in Unicorn White Pigment ink and then heat set it with white embossing powder.  I took Spun Sugar distress stain, which is a very light pink wash and coated the paper.  The areas that were not covered with ink absorbed the stain and dried with a beautiful watercolor look.  I love how some of the areas are lighter and some darker as shown in the picture below.  I matted it with MFT's Pink Lemonade Card stock.  

I then set to creating my focal sentiment.  I knew I wanted to make a chalkboard greeting so I reached for the fantastic Birthday Sentiments set using the banner looking greeting.  I first dusted my black card stock with my EK Success powder tool.  When embossing with white powder on black card stock or black powder on white card stock it's helpful to use a tool like this so that no excess powder sticks to areas it's not supposed to.  Often if there is a stray bit of powder I will go in with a very fine paintbrush and flick away any bits of powder that don't belong.  With a chalkboard style I didn't have to be *too* particular as I was going to rough it up after I inked it up anyways.  But it's simply food for thought for other projects;)  After I powdered up my surface, I inked my sentiment up with Unicorn White Pigment Ink (simply THE best white craft ink...ever.) and then heat set the image with white embossing powder.

After my image was dry and cool, I took a small bit of the white craft ink onto my fingertips and gently smudged it around to create the look of chalk dust.  I originally left the image plain but decided when the card was assembled to add faux stitching with my Uniball Signo white gel pen.  Again...THE best white pen...ever.  It actually works!!  I have quite a few different white gel pens and they are SO fickle depending on the texture of the card stock and they often don't work...which can be particularly frustrating when you really need one!  But this one is AHHHHHHHHMAZING!  I promise!  I then matted my chalkboard image with MFT's Pink Lemonade card stock.  I then set to using my Fishtail Flag Stax and Layers to create the multi-layer banner effect sitting just below the main panel - which is popped up on a thick layer of 3-D foam adhesive.  

I used some VERY old patterned paper from MFT (no link as they are no longer available) and some coordinating patterned papers from MME's Madison Avenue 6x6 paper pack.  I cut a bunch of different size fishtail flags and then arranged them in alternating patterns, directions and heights to provide visual interest.  I took the handle of a thin paintbrush and wrapped the flag end of the banners around it to create the curly effect.  I then added a sprinkling of black sequins complete with a rhinestone in the middle adhering both with a tiny dot of Glossy Accents.  At this point I sat back and looked and decided it needed just a bit more of something...so I reached for a metal rimmed tag as well as MFT's Lovey Dovey Sentiments and paper pieced the tiny little open heart onto the tag.  I balanced it all out with a delicate twine bow in the opposite corner and another sequin/rhinestone on the tag.  

I must admit that it felt SO good to sit back and really love the final product!  

Thanks for coming by today!

Crafty Hugs!

Meredith