I LOVE this card!  {smiles}  I mean ... I REALLY LOVE IT ... I'm actually surprised by how much it has grown on me!  This card started out as a card for the Retiform Blog Hop.  I wanted to combine Retiform with a Window Card.  Unfortunately ... by the time I added all of my elements it just didn't go with Retiform so much.





My white cardstock is our Premium Cardstock and I just don't recommend this for a card base like I've done.  It was the only white I had in my studio so I used it.  Note the side of my card where the fold is.  I scored the card with my Scor-Pal, however, the cardstock still cracks when I fold it.  It does this because it is so heavy and so thick.  Ideal for many things but trickier to use as a card base!



If you notice the back of the card it appears that the ink is seeping through my cardstock.  That isn't the case though!  I have a lamp pointing towards the card and as a result you can see the image through my premium cardstock.



I knew I wanted to place my owl on Pop Dots and I soon discovered that I needed to place the owl when the cover of the card was closed.  I wanted him to 'pop' through the window.  It was soon apparant that this limited my beautiful golden background from being seen.  {bummer}



A few hours later I came back and looked at this card and KNEW something was missing!  You guessed it ~ Glossy Accents!  SEE the difference for yourself!



Glossy Accents, a white gel pen, a brown marker ... oh ... and a yellow copic marker to make my rhinestone golden!  I also sponged Tangela Memento ink on the outside petals of my flower to give it more dimension.  The finishing touches!







And now ... the TUTORIAL!  I picked a palette that I thought would show up well on film.  OH!  And it reminded me of the cold, harsh weather that was coming down outside ... freezing rain.  It was truly more gray outside but my insides felt ice cold blue like this card!



First I cut my card to size and then score it.  I DON'T fold it at this point though!  I align my cardstock with my die cut and then run it through the die cutting machine.  I scored it afterward.  Yes, it is premium cardstock which results in a harsh fold line!





Next I took a piece of scratch paper and ran it through my die cutter to make a mask.



I added some glue on the back of my mask to hold it in place while I work.  I let the glue dry completely before putting it on my card.  A heat tool speeds up this process {smiles}.



Next I position my mask on my card ... you can't see it but the card is facing FACE DOWN.  The back flap is standing straight up in the air.



And then I lay the back flap onto my mask and pat it to adhere my mask.



I let go and it pops right up!  You can see that my mask has adhered in place.



When I open up the card to begin work everything is ready to go!



If you notice ... I stamped my image on my mask ... towards the top ... in the area I want to adhere it to the finished card.  I did this just to give me an idea of how I wanted my color to be placed.



I used post it notes to create a rough edge ...



and then I started inking ...



and inking ...



and inking ...



until I was okay with it.  I was wishing I had hydra sponges!



The BAM moment is when you remove the post it note mask!  I LOVE that!



Then I put my post it note mask in place and prepared for my next shade of blue.



Same process ...



YIKES!  I have a heavy hand but nothing I can do about that now!







For my last shade I just used the original mask I added to the card.



TIP:  I ALWAYS place my sponge on top of the color it goes with while I am working!  Otherwise I WILL grab the wrong sponge and {ruin} what I was trying to create.



After I finished I removed the main mask and then erased up any glue spots left by my Glue Marker.



And then I put my mask back on because I forgot to add a touch of blue to my bottom color ... and it needed it!





Next I set my card aside to 'settle' and began creating the frame for the front of the card.

This is how I place my dies on my magnetic sheet.  (For the first card I used the scallop circle die on the outside and a plain circle die on the inside). 



Then run it through your machine!  I didn't use the 'inside' pieces for this card but save those!  You can use them on future cards!





I hadn't yet tried embossing the frame and using an embossed frame on any of my window cards so I thought I'd give it a whirl.  It turned out GORGEOUS!



However, it didn't fit!  That little 'pinch' is just enough to make it NOT line up on your card!  So that was a no-no for this card.



And then I put all of the pieces together and added some Scrappers Floss!





Remember that I have a VERY bright light pointed at my card so that is why you are seeing the image on the back of the card flap.  On the actual card it is white as can be and not an inkling of ink has seeped through!









ONE LAST TIP!  I thought I was SO clever!  I use my Glossy Accents so much that the tip tends to get clogged up now and then.  So I decided to keep my pin with my accents.  I gently pushed the pin into the plastic bottle.  About the 3rd time I was using my accents I looked down and I had DOTS of Glossy Accents randomly on my card ... here and there ... and EVERYWHERE!  What the heck!  It took me about 5 minutes to realize they were coming from my teeny, tiny pin hole!  YIKES!  Don't try this at home!



Happy Paper Crafting!

Mischelle

Supplies used:

happy for you owl card: premium white and brown cardstock, dandelion, cantaoupe, tangelo and tuxedo black memento inks, spanish orange, sunburst yellow, pale vermillion, pumpkin orange, limepeel, apple green, olive green, dark green, burnt ochre, dark umber and dark brown prismacolor pencils, odorless mineral spirits, glossy accents, pop dots, brown marker, white gel pen, yellow copic marker, orange flower, glue dots, scallop circle and circle nesties dies, sponge, thoughts and prayers t3343, whooo loves ya ta3324, you whoo t3393

many thanks angel kitty card: premium white and blue cardstock, summer sky, danube blue, paris dusk and tuxedo black memento ink, cool gray 10%, cool gray 20%, cool gray 30%, sky blue light, powder, blue, imperial violet, violet blue, indigo blue, mulberry and black grape prismacolor pencils, odorless mineral spirits, pop dots, white gel pen, blue scrappers floss, nesties dies, sponge, glossy accents, bless your heart ta3238 and bow chica bow wow t3230