Adding Dimension to Die Cuts with Distress Inks

My daughter has participated in the local summer swim team the last couple of years and this summer my youngest son is joining her. Their first swim meet of the season is this coming Saturday and I wanted to give them each a little note of encouragement before the meet. When I saw the adorable MFT Fish Bowl Die-namics set I knew I had to have it to create swimming themed cards for my kids!

I love that the MFT Fish Bowl is big enough to create a shaped card by temporarily securing a folded notecard/cardstock slightly below the top edge of the die (or whatever side you wish for the card to open) and run it through the die cut machine for an instant shaped card!

I used Tim Holtz Distress Inks with Tsukineko Sponge Daubers to add shading to the die cut shapes. The Sponge Daubers work well with these smaller die cut shapes allowing more precise inking. I used Tim Holtz Distress Markers in Ripe Persimmon, Wild Honey and Picket Fence, blended out with a damp paintbrush to add additional detailing.

The greeting and heart speech bubble are from the new Simon Says Stamp Thought Bubbles Stamp Set. I stamped the longer phrase first using Versamark Ink and heat embossing with American Crafts Wave Embossing Powder. Then I created a mask of the phrase by stamping it on Eclipse Masking Tape and cutting it out. I adhered the mask over the embossed phrase and stamped "wishing" over the script phrase. I removed the mask, added Hero Arts White Embossing Powder and I had a fun sentiment for my cards!

I die cut the heart speech bubble from vellum using the coordinating SSS Thought Bubble Die then stamped it and embossed with American Crafts Rouge Embossing Powder.

I added stamped sentiments to the back of my card using the fabulous new Simon Says Stamp Made By Stamp Set.

 

(Click SSS = to purchase from Simon Says Stamp, EH = to purchase from Ellen Hutson, MFT = to purchase from My Favorite Things, SB.COM = to purchase from scrapbook.com, AZ = to purchase from Amazon)

My Favorite Things FISHBOWL Die-Namics MFT My Favorite Things Die-namics, Fishbowl Die-namics Fishbowl Simon Says Clear Stamps THOUGHT BUBBLES sss101415 Pure Sunshine Simon Says Stamp THOUGHT BUBBLES Craft Dies sssd111364 Pure Sunshine Simon Says Clear Stamps MADE BY sss101405 Pure Sunshine#sss101405 Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad SQUEEZED LEMONADE Ranger Distress Ink Pad, Squeezed Lemonade Distress Ink Pad, Wild Honey @ellen Wild Honey DISTRESS INK Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad, Shabby Shutters @ellen Tim Holtz Shabby Shutters Distress Ink Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad, Mowed Lawn @ellen Mowed Lawn Distress Ink Distress Ink Pad, Tumbled Glass Tumbled Glass Distress Ink Tim Holtz Ranger Distress Ink Pad, Frayed Burlap Frayed Burlap Distress Ink Distress Ink Pad, Pumice Stone Pumice Stone Distress Ink Tsukineko STORAGE BOX Sponge Daubers Tsukineko Ink Pad 10 SPONGE DAUBERS Rubber Stamp Tsukineko Rubber Stamp Ink Pad 6 SPONGE DAUBERS Distress Marker, Wild Honey Tim Holtz Wild Honey Distress Marker Distress Marker, Ripe Persimmon Tim Holtz Distress Markers RIPE PERSIMMON Ranger Distress Marker, Picket Fence Tim Holtz Distress Markers PICKET FENCE Ranger White TDM33073 Claudine Hellmuth Studio Paint ARTIST BRUSHES Brush Ranger Simon Says Stamp Premium Dye Ink Pad SEA GLASS Blue ink004 My Favorite Things BLACK LICORICE Hybrid Ink Pad MFT Hybrid Ink Pad Black Licorice Zig Wink of Stella Glitter Brush Tip Marker ZIG Wink of Stella GLITTER CLEAR Brush Tip Marker VersaMark Dazzle, Frost Versamark Frost Inkadinkado Embossing Magic Powder Bag Hero Arts WHITE EMBOSSING POWDER Hero Arts Embossing Powder, White American Crafts Zing! WAVE Opaque Embossing Powder American Crafts Zing Rouge Opaque Embossing Powder @simon Milwaukee Model 1400 Heat Gun Hero Arts Heat Tool Simon Says Stamp Card Stock 100# LEMON CHIFFON Yellow Simon Says Stamp Card Stock 100# SUNSHINE SS9 Simon Says Stamp Card Stock 100# GREEN APPLE GA6 Simon Says Stamp Card Stock 100# GREEN LEAF GL11 Simon Says Stamp Card Stock 100# AUDREY BLUE AB19 Simon Says Stamp Card Stock 100# ISLAND BLUE IB12 Simon Says Stamp Card Stock 100# KHAKI KH14 Simon Says Stamp Card Stock 100# SMOKE Gray Simon Says Stamp Card Stock 100# SLATE Gray Bazzill 21 LB VELLUM 8.5" x 11" White 25 Sheets @simon Neenah Solar White Cardstock Glossy Accents Simon Says Stamp Card Stock

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The winner of the Simon Says Stamp June 2014 Card Kit from THIS blog post is Sheri Elmont. I've emailed you!