#TGIFC357 Technique Challenge: Blending Brushes

The #TGIFC challenge this week was to incorporate blending brushes in our projects.  My favourite thing to do with my brushes is create a cloudy background, so I went straight for a fun fold card with a sky!

With all the new mini catalogues recently I decided it was time to revisit a favourite set from the annual catalogue for a change.  The Sweet As A Peach bundle was exactly right for what I wanted to do!  This diorama card took a bit of figuring out but I love the soft, fluffy clouds as a backdrop for the peach tree branches.

I started by inking and stamping a whole bunch of the leaves and peach images from the Sweet As A Peach stamp set.  For the peaches I used Petal Pink ink and added Calypso Coral ink with a sponge dauber for some additional shading.  The leaves are Pear Pizzazz with daubs of Old Olive.  I die cut all of the images with the coordinating Peach Dies, made it super quick to assemble the branches.

The card base is made from Thick Basic White cut to 4.25" x 11", scored at 2.75", 5.5", and 8.25."  This is a standard gate fold base BUT with an extra score right down the middle of the back panel, which is what gives depth to this fold for all the extra layers of die cuts.

I added two "bridges" across the back panel of my card, so that my fruit branches dangle at various depths and heights.  The front bridge is 1.25" x 6 3/8", and I scored a tab at each end at the 0.5" mark which is how the bridge is attached to the base, and once in the middle of the bridge.  The second bridge is 0.75" x 4.75", with tabs again on each end and a score line in the middle.

The trick to assembling the bridges is to have the card base open flat, and then line up the middle score line of the bridge with the middle score line on the card base.  Start with the smaller bridge and drop it down from the card edge about 0.5"; add the fruit branches; and then add the larger bridge and decorate it too.

I did all of my blending before scoring, so that the ink went on smoothly.  I blended clouds in Pool Party with my Blending Brushes on the card base as well as both bridges.  The Basic Borders dies provided the stencil for my blending.  Die cut a border of clouds from Thick Basic White cardstock, and then starting at the top of the paper, gently blend the ink over the stencil, slowly moving it towards the bottom of the piece.  I also blended clouds on some Basic White cardstock and die cut two large circles from the Layering Circles dies and a Stitched Rectangle die for writing a message to the recipient.

I used the coordinating You're A Peach DSP to decorate my card base, including "grass" for the inside of the diorama and that gorgeous watercolour stripe.

And of course the finishing touches!  I added a pretty frayed bow of ribbon and twine, Polished Dots, and Brushed Brass Butterflies.  My sentiment is from the Sweet as a Peach stamp set, heat embossed in White Embossing Powder on Basic Black cardstock.

Thanks for stopping by my blog today!  I hope you'll leave me a comment about my project before you head over to the #TGIF site for more inspiration on using Blending Brushes.  :)

Happy Crafting,

Barb