Live Out Loud - make a frame from cardboard

This is one of my weird and wonderful experimental cards trying out new techniques and some fun products. I hope you like it!

"Live Out Loud - front cover"

The background for all three panels is cut from a masterboard made by spraying pearlescent cardstock with various colours of Dylusions ink sprays and blotting. This allows the gorgeous, pearlescent sheen to come through those brilliant colours. Once dry, the background is overstamped using black archival ink.

The three birds on the front of the card are diecut and each of the bird panels is heavily embossed with thick layers of UTEE. After setting, the embossed panels are flexed to induce cracks in a roughly horizontal direction and a gold aquamarker used to frame the pictures. Gold thread is wrapped around the front panel emphasising the cracks in the panels, and the whole thing mounted on gold cardstock.

"Inside panels"

Inside, the cardstock is decorated with that fabulous Chocolate Baroque tree branch stamp by repeated heat-embossing in gold. Some of the gold thread used on the front of the card is braided to make the thicker string used for the closure and glued behind the panels. Two ornamental panels are diecut from the masterboard sheet and decorated with stamping in archival ink.

"Two little birds - inside left panel"

Spare card is stamped, cut out and mounted over the main stamping in the left hand panel to provide some extra colour and dimension. Some glitter was added to the moon using a quickie glue pen. The birds are shaped and mounted with Pinflair dimensional glue, and the diecut panel is adhered to the background with Pinflair to help it stand out.

"Birdie closeup"

The closeup of this pearlescent bird also shows some of the detail in the background layering and stamping. Some tiny self-adhesive gems are used for eyes.

"Let your mind wander and your imagination fly"

The sentiment reads "Even the wildest dreams have to start somewhere. Allow yourself the time and space to let your mind wander and your imagination fly". Oprah Winfrey (!).

I'm really pleased with how the frame turned out. Start by diecutting five frames from waste cardboard (I use empty cat food boxes) using Tim Holtz' Ornamental and mini ornamental dies. Stick them all together with plenty of PVA glue and set aside overnight to dry thoroughly. Then apply a good layer of Viva Decor Croco Gold paint, allow to dry and watch those wonderful cracks appear.

"Embossed bird"

The birds are made using the same technique as the bird panels on the front of the card, flexing after embossing to produce some cracks, and going over the edges with a gold pen.

Ingredients:

Chocolate Baroque stamp sets: Live Out Loud, Fly Away With Me

Sizzix Tim Holtz Movers & Shapers dies: Ornamental, Mini Ornamental

Dylusions spray inks

Archival Ink: Jet Black

Versamark clear ink

aquamarker: gold

Sakura quickie glue pen

fine glitter

 Viva Decor Croco Gold

embossing powders: UTEE clear, Stampendous Pirate Gold

gold thread

cardstock: white pearlescent 200gsm, gold 160 gsm, brown 300gsm

self-adhesive gems

adhesives: PVA, Pinflair dimensional glue

Entered for the following challenges:
Sir Stampalot - Take Flight
Simon Says Stamp and Show - Paint it Up
Joanna Sheen - Try Something New
Penny Black and More - Whiskers and/or Wings