While I was working on my justjohanna cards for January, I was determined to use the Swirly Background stamp for one of my cards. I didn’t want to use it as a background, I really wanted to showcase it because I just love the design of it. When I get stuck on what to do and I need to meet a deadline, I turn to the Resources section at splitcoaststampers. It reminds me of favorite techniques that I haven’t done for a while. That’s what happened with this card, I was browsing the techniques and was reminded of Crayon Resist! Perfect to showcase this stamp!

The card base is Ruby Red. I used the paper piercer and piercing template from Stampin’ Up!’s Crafter’s Tool Kit to add some ddesign to the corners. I chose to just do the two opposite corners and it added enough interest to keep the card base from being too boring. I’ve seen this done on several cards, but usually forget to try it eventhough I love the way it looks.

I then stamped the Swirly Background on to Glossy cardstock using Black StazOn. Next, I highlighted the areas I wanted to remain white by “coloring” them with a very light orange crayon. I like to use a crayon with a light color, as oppposed to a white crayon, so that I can see where I’ve colored easier. I then sponged on Ruby Red, Close to Cocoa, and Pumpkin Pie over the background. I let it stand for a few minutes then used a tissue to buff the paper and wipe the crayon away. I then used the Ticket Corner punch and matted it on a piece of Close to Cocoa cardstock that had been distressed.

For the accent, I used my Cuttlebug with the Sliders and Flowers dies. I cut the slider out of Close to Cocoa and the flower out of Ruby Red. I added some paper piercing around the top and bottom to the slider before attaching the flower. The flower was then attached with the pearl brad – I love these things!! I dyed some white grosgrain to match the Ruby Red and it matches perfectly! Tied it around the matt and threaded it thru the slider to complete the focal image and accent.

The whole pannel was then adhered to the card base with Stampin’ Dimensionals. I loved the way this turned out! It’s fun to use a technique you haven’t done for a while on a card and be reminded why you liked it so much! I even did this design on a scaled down version for an ATC one-for-one swap I did. I’ll share that later after I take the picture, so you can see how you can scale down your favorite designs to share on ATCs.