Vellum, Poinsettias and Winter Frost---Oh My!

You've seen the poinsettia which crowned my little Christmas Box in the Wacky Watercooler Blog Hop and, from the comments I received, loved it.  I'm continuing my own love affair with making vellum poinsettias for the card I'm going to show you today.  This time I'm marrying it up with one of the foil designs from the Winter Frost Specialty Designer Series Paper and the results are even prettier than my expectations.

I began with a base of Smoky Slate cardstock.  My next layer was also Smoky Slate which I ran through my Big Shot using the new Stylish Stripes embossing folder (love how those stripes run diagonally across the paper).  One of the foil designs in the designer paper also runs diagonally and so, by flipping my embossed cardstock, I managed to get the two diagonals to meet in a "V".

My next step was to take some of the Whisper White Organza ribbon and adhered it with a glue dot under the cardstock, where the two papers joined in the "V" and tied it in a simple knot about an inch from the bottom of the paper. Then I used snail adhesive to adhere it to the base cardstock.

Because I intended to mount the poinsettia to the top portion of the card, I decided to have a square of cardstock underneath almost like a stage.  For that I used the Whisper White cardstock which I first ran through my Big Shot using the new Pretty Print embossing folder.  Then I mounted that onto a square of Island Indigo cardstock.

I mounted the "stage" onto the card using dimensionals.  After all, if it's a stage, it needs to be elevated, right?

This is the point where I would normally make the poinsettia.  This time I didn't do normal.  I went "rogue" and decided to make my greetings for the card front.  While I was working on all the pieces, one part of my mind was considering and rejecting a number of possibilities.  I wanted something to tie onto the ribbon with my white Baker's twine.  I have been using a lot of banner shapes and so that was one of my first thoughts.  No, I decided.  I didn't want to have a banner tied to the ribbon.  Nor did I want a scallop, circle, or any of my other punch shapes.  And then I noticed my Ticket Duo punch and quickly checked to see if there was a Christmas greeting in my That's the Ticket stamp set.  Well, of course there was!  A wonderful design and greeting.  And so my greeting "tag" was born.  I love the way it looks, tied onto the ribbon, don't you?

Now I was ready to make the poinsettia.  When I first saw the Joyful Christmas stamp set in the Holiday Catalogue, I knew that I wanted it.  I did not know how often I'd use it or how beautiful the results would be.  The poinsettia is beautiful simply stamped or embossed on regular cardstock.  Embossed on vellum and then coloured, it becomes magical.  I've already coloured using Bermuda Bay ink and cut out the ones below.  They're just waiting for me to use my bone folder to curve the petals.

It's hard to tell in a photo, but if you look carefully, you will see that the leaves which I've embossed below, are actually lightly sponged using my metallic silver Encore ink pad.  In real life it's a subtle effect but it shows up better than in a photo.

Once I used my bone folder to give dimension to the flower and the leaves, I used dimensionals to mount first the large flower and then the smaller one.  Then, using glue dots on the "stem" end of the leaves, I nudged them under the flower as seemed most aesthetically pleasing.  I wound up making one additional leaf because it just didn't "feel" right with four.

Doesn't the poinsettia look wonderful on the card?   There was just one thing missing.  Something was needed for the centre of the flower.  Yes, I could have used pearls or rhinestones, but the new Frosted Finishes Embellishments offered in the Holiday Catalogue are the perfect size and shape for the centre.

There---now it's finished.  Perfect!

Close up of the poinsettia