Wednesday, April 13, 2016

Gilded Christmas


Hi everyone.  I recently bought several colours of gilding flakes and I'm trying different ways of using them.

For today's card, I stamped with them.  I sponged gilding flake glue onto my holly and berries stamp.  I stamped onto white card stock, then left to dry until tacky (only takes a few minutes).  I keep my gilding flakes in a large plastic container.  I held my card front over top of the open container, placed the flakes on top, and let the excess fall back into the container.  To finish, I burnished the flakes with a scrubby pad over top of a piece of copy paper and then transferred all the leftover bits back into the container. This works for me to keep the flakes under control as much as possible.  They are super light, so they tend to "float". :)  I use a wet silicone pad to wipe any stray flakes off my work table.

I added a strip of 1/2" Be Creative Tape (by Sookwang) along the edge to add even more gilding flakes.  I've used Autumn Leaves Gilding Flakes for both the holly image and the 1/2" strip ... the colours are SO beautiful!

The holly and berries stamp is a gift I received from my good friend, Mary H.  Thanks so much Mary.  Doesn't the image look beautiful with the gilding flakes??!!

I die-cut a small bird from heated copper and popped him up over his holly vine perch.   I used a wafer thin die from Poppy Stamps to cut the copper.  I usually have trouble cutting thick copper with these thin dies, but my good friend Nancy S. sent me a metal cutting plate to use with my Big Shot which makes cutting so much easier.  The metal plate doesn't warp like the acrylic ones, so the dies have even pressure and always cut cleanly.  It really works well, giving me clean cuts even with intricate dies that normally cause me grief with the acrylic cutting plates.  The wonderful thing about the metal plate is I won't have to replace it. :)  Thanks again Nancy!

Edited to add:  Nancy developed this metal plate and had a machinist friend make them up for her.  They are not available in stores.  If you are interested, send me an email (my email form is in the right hand column near the top).  Include your email and I'll pass it along to Nancy.  She can then let you know more details.  Thanks.








Stamps:  Holly and Berries (Penny Black); Christmas Sampler (Paper Smooches)
Paper:  White (Neenah 110 lb. card stock)
Ink:  Versamark
Accessories & Tools:  Flake & Glitter Glue (Cosmic Shimmer); Autumn Leaves Gilding Flakes (Cosmic Shimmer), sponge, scrubby pad (Rub-it Scrub-it from Inkssentials), Be Creative 1/2" Tape (Sookwang), copper sheet, butane torch, Nestled Bird die (Poppy Stamps), gold embossing powder, heat tool

43 comments:

Mac Mable said...

What good friends you have. The flakes look great with the stamp and the tape edging, such gorgeous colours. I must hunt out a metal plate, sounds great to use. The most gorgeous card and so very pretty and loving the contemporary font on the sentiment x

Bonnie said...

OMG! This is so GORGEOUS, my friend! Love that strip down the side and the copper bird with the gorgeous holly branch! More enabling....

Lee-Anne said...

Absolutely stunning! Love that heated copper bird with the gilding flakes, Loll!

Cathy said...

What an amazing effect Loll, the gilding is stunning. Such a beautiful card, Cathy x

Betty said...

wow - gorgeous - those gilding flakes really make a beautiful card!!

Ingrid said...

Holy moly my friend! That's just drop dead gorgeous!!! I LOVE everything about it....more for my list! I won't even say it.... :) :)

Linda said...

Loll, this is absolutely gorgeous.

shirley-bee said...

This is beautiful, Loll! I love how you've got the little bird perched in the curve of the branch. Great way to use gilding flakes.

Colleen said...

Oh My, Loll, this is simply stunning! Are you saying I now need some of these gilding flakes? *wink!!

Stamps and Paper said...

Beautiful classy card Loll the guiding flakes gives a really expensive look to your card

Anne

nancy littrell said...

Did you hear my out loud "WOW" Loll? Love the colors and shine from your gilded flakes and pretty copper die cut bird. Your gilded strip along the side adds so much interest and shine. TFS all the details too my friend. Hugs, Nancy L

Christine Alexander said...

Loll, this is gorgeous, can't wait to try it all at the weekend.

Heather said...

This is so elegant and makes me want to do some gilding.

Marcia Hill said...

Beautiful, beautiful card Loll! I tried gilding flakes maybe a year ago at a class, and just remember it as being very messy! Your card makes me think I need to give it another try though...absolutely lovely!! :0)

My Card Attic: Hazel said...

That is one super amazing card Loll! What a fabulous effect you have got with the mix of colours there! Thanks for the tips on 'controlling' the stuff! I will give it a go again ... when I'm feeling brave ;) Have a great evening! Hazel xx
My Card Attic

Susan said...

Loll, I'm blown away by how beautiful that is!! I can't wait till Saturday to play with gilding flakes with you!

Susanne Vargas said...

This looks absolutely cosmic! Not just the gilding but also the copper bird! Love it!

ednamburgess said...

So beautiful. I would love to see a video of how you did this??? Hint hint hint. Thanks. Edna

Loll said...

Thanks so much Edna. I was thinking last night that I should do a video. :) Hopefully there will be one in the next month or so. Loll :)

Nstiz said...

You just outdid yourself with this one! This blew my socks off! WOW is that gorgeous. I need to pull out those flakes and play! LOVE the intricate die cut with the flakes and never used the glue embossing powder directly on the stamp before. Geez, I need to move to Canada and learn!

HJ said...

This card is so awesomely beautiful. You hit to a new level today. I always enjoy seeing what creation you have made for us, but today's card is so above outstanding. Just love it. Thanks for sharing!

Aileen said...

This card is simply stunning Loll, I absolutely love how you used the gilding flakes with your stamp. The delicate leaves are so so beautiful. I think I have a need of this plate you mention, Ihave not been able to cut my copper as my dies are too thin and my cuttlebug not up to the job. I am going to get myself something bigger, sick of cranking back and forward half a dozen times to get a decent cut.

JJ said...

This is stunning Loll, Autumn Leaves is one of my favourite out of all the different colours as it is so beautiful.
I will email you about the metal plate.

Love & hugs

Jacquie J xxx
http://jewelscardcraft.blogspot.co.uk/

Daria said...

Your card is incredibly beautiful. Thank you for sharing how you made it.

lilian said...

What a lovely card Loll. So bright and jolly,

Lilian

Julie B said...

Fab gilding Loll, I bought some gilding glue last year and it's still unused. Note to self - get it USED! :)

Linda said...

This looks amazing Loll ...... I love using gilding flakes and you've done a great job here. That metal plate sounds like a must have to me! xx

sandie said...

I have been hunting for this, I knew I saw it on my feed and wanted to drop by and tell you how amazing it looks, a gold wonder x

Anonymous said...

Gorgeous!!

Brenda said...

Wow, this card is simply stunning Loll!!! I haven't worked with gilding metal flakes in a long, long time! They look so beautiful on your card, love the colors you used and love, love, love your bird! Hugs, Brenda

Donna said...

So beautiful, Loll. Isn't it amazing how one tiny bird can have such impact when you get the design right?
Big thumbs up from me :)

maria f. said...

Wow. Wow. Wow. That gold is amazing and that bird so delightful.

Shirl said...

Love that stamp, Loll. This turned out so beautifully! Thanks for all your details on this. I love that you do that by the way. Great post.

Shirl

Bobby said...

Now that I've put my eyes back in my head I have to say this is absolute gorgeousness, Loll. All the colors that appear when you use those flakes, and the copper bird. It's amazing!

Darnell said...

Oh, geez, I thought the more recent butterfly was your best ever, but I hadn't seen this! (Like you, I'm behind and going front to back.) Lolly, this is, I don't even have words. How about magazine-cover worthy?! It's a darn shame we no longer have magazines so more people can see this!! I'm pinning it for sure and I'll email. And it's a darn shame we don't live nearby so I can play with you every day!! Hugs, Dolly

Maura said...

Loll, these gilding flakes create such an amazing, shimmery, multi-toned look - I love it, and I love this card!! More to add to the wish list.....sigh! (a happy one, though)!

Alice (scrAPpamondo) said...

Wow!!! Just fabulous!!

conil said...

This just keeps getting better and better. Have an affinity for birds so this card delights me.

MaryH said...

Caught a quick glimpse of this gorgeousness earlier, but didn't have time to stop & enjoy it. Saw that bird, and KNEW I had to get to look closer. Never have seen the holly branch look so wonderful as on here. The copper bird was definitely "made" to sit on that gilded branch. Am loving the techniques you've been doing with the gilding, and it is just blazingly brilliant. You seem to go from strength to strength in your technique development and your layouts are always so balanced and perfect. Think this might be one of my favs of all you've done to date (well, with the bird..but you KNEW that, right?!) TFS & Big hugs.

MaryH said...

Meant to ask about the metal plate: is this the Sizzix Precision plate? I use this with my intricate detail dies, and it works great. Good to know it works with the copper & thinner dies. Don't use it with your 'open' dies, it can warp them. (ask how I know this! Then I saw the caveat on a video). TFS

nancy littrell said...

Now that I got my 1st jar of Gilded Flakse (gold) I came back to your post to read your technique description again. It was very helpful. I will play with my flakes in a couple of weeks or so. They do like to float...your container will really help. Hugs and Thank you for sharing your tips. Hope you do make a video my friend.

Barb Ghig said...

Excuse me while I lift my chin up off the desk! This is 'Swoon-worthy', my friend! WOW!!! I don't know how, but even with a special technique, you always manage to keep your cards CAS! Absolutely gorgeous work of art, Loll!

Daria said...

So beautiful and elegant! I love this.