Hugs

I won this stamp a couple months ago and really didn't think I would probably get much use out of it.  BUT, this thing is gorgeous!!!  The coloring takes a little while since it is so large, but you don't really need to do anything else to it since it is so large.    I've been very slowly cleaning up my crafting area.  No time and lots of new goodies means big piles of stuff!  So, as I'm organizing and putting new stuff away, I'm trying to use them (at least once).  This week it was this stamp's turn and while I had it out I made cards in two completely different colorways.  The first one is bold and beautiful.  I used reds and aquas.  I colored the "HUGS" with an ombre effect and added some clear wink of Stella to add some fabulous sparkle.  You can't really see it here, but you can in the next photo.

 You can just see the sparkle on the lower part of the "HUGS".  To finish this off, all I had to do was die cut with a stitched rectangle and add a heat embossed sentiment popped up on foam tape.

My second card card is a softer version of the first one.  I wavered back and forth between trying a no-line coloring technique on it  or coloring it and then heat embossing the image.   Well, my no-line coloring didn't turn out very well, so I ended up putting it back in my mini MISTI and stamping it again with versamark and heat embossing with silver embossing powder.  So, at one angle, it just looks like a pretty image, maybe you can see the embossed outlines.

 But turn it in the light just a bit and that's where the magic happens!!

Oh, my that silver embossing is just stunning!!  I popped up another small sentiment, this time in dark brown on kraft and added some clear Nuvo drops around the image to dress it up even more.  They ended up with some air holes, but that makes it have a fun bubble like look.  So, which do you prefer?  The bold and beautiful or the soft and elegant?  I think I prefer the first, but it's such a hard choice!

Card #1:

Supplies:

Stamps: The Grey Muse "Hugs"; MFT "Essential Sentiments"

Dies: MFT "Blueprints 13" stitched rectangle

Challenges:

30 Day coloring challenge--just color

Through the Purple Haze #165--anything goes

Dare 2B Artzy--anything goes

Crafty Gals Corner Challenge #205--use flowers

Creative Fingers #182--anything goes

Art Impressions Stamps #279--Bloom where you're planted

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday--anything goes

Word Art Wednesday--anything goes with uplifting sentiment

Creative Moments #187--anything goes
Cardz TV #111--anything goes
Stay Crafty with Hero Challenge--Never Seen Ink (As I mentioned at the beginning of the post, I've had this since before Christmas and had never inked it up until now.)

Card#2:

Supplies:

Stamps: The Grey Muse "Hugs"; Papertrey Ink "Mat Stack 2" 

Dies: MFT "Blueprints 13" stitched rectangle

Challenges:

STAMPlorations Theme and Prompt--stamps  + nature

Creative Craft Cottage--for the girls
Penny's Challenge--anything goes
Southern Girls--anything goes
Creative Knockouts--anything goes
Addicted to Stamps #382--make your mark
Crafty Catz #479--anything goes: use kraft