Lemon Juice Goes Christmas Waltzing With Joy

front of card 

close-up showing lemon juice stamped image
 & textured russet cardstock

close-up showing lemon juice stamped sentiment

inside of card

close-up showing textured white cardstock & 

red Mirri card of message panel

I had not intended doing these challenges yesterday – in fact the Keep it Simple! challenge was not one of which I was aware until I was looking for something else, stumbled across it & explored as I’m becoming more & more interested in the “Less Is More” concept when it comes to design & style. There is a place for cute & coloured images within this but also for the non-cute & the more traditional. I like both & am still quite new to the former.

It seems that the Waltzing Mouse Sketch Challenge lodges in my brain each week & makes itself known at a point when I am doing something else, whether crafting or looking at stamps etc…   I was mounting my Lemon Juice Project for the Terrific Techniques “homework”  this morning when the Waltzing Mouse sketch came to mind &, quick on it’s heels, that I’d seen something about JOY & that that would be perfect for a circular sentiment panel. I had actually dismissed the Keep it Simple! challenge as I didn’t think it would apply to me for Challenge 1 stated "The basic idea is to make a clean, stylish and simple card using our theme to inspire you in 30 minutes or less!". I can never make a card in that period of time but,
looking at the current Design Team samples, it seems to me that it is a case of what can be interpreted as Clean & Simple in appearance. Hopefully I'm not wrong for I was really inspired by what I saw. 

The flower & the sentiment were stamped using lemon juice in place of ink. A hot iron was then applied to activate the juice in order for the imprints to appear.


Recipe
Stamps Elusive Images UA4SP0185 Fantasy Floral (image), Elusive Images UA6GW0211 Celebrations Alphabet (text).
Inks Distress Ink (Scattered Straw) for inking various cardstock edges.
Cardstock Assorted reds & golds in various finishes & textures plus textured white from "stash"; pearlescent white from Crafter's Companion Special Effect Card Pack.
Punches Woodware (circles & scalloped circles, flower), Fiskars (Lace ornate corner).
The gems are Kanban & the button is from "stash".


Challenges Entered
Waltzing Mouse Sketch Challenge 25 - WMSC 25 (see above) 
Keep it Simple! - JOY (see above)