OCC Brighter Days

Today I am posting 3 cards I created Inspired by a post I saw from Brenda Jennings on the Online Card Classes Brighter Days Facebook Group. I have not actually completed the cards from the classes yet so I was just going by her picture and some techniques I wanted to try. Coincidently, there was a swap in a group I belong to that the jump off point was Rainbows. This fit in perfectly. I had also been seeing an advertisement for Ranger Ink (I believe it was) where they were using sprays to drip and blend down a page. I kept thinking I wanted to try this again. All of these things were my jumping off point. 

I started with 3 panels of Tim Holtz white watercolor cardstock. I was going with a rainbow on white look so the white cardstock watercolor cardstock seemed fitting. I do not own the oxide sprays and I wanted a more "pastel" tone so I pulled out my Distress Oxide re-inkers in Kitsch Flamingo, Saltwater Taffy, Dried Marigold, Scattered Straw, Peacock Feathers, and Salty Ocean.

Dried Marigold

Kitsch Flamingo

Peacock Feathers

Saltwater Taffy

Salty Ocean

Scattered Straw

I moistened the cardstock with a spray bottle of water, dripped the ink down the cardstock in rainbow order in a landscape (on the 5 1/2 side) fashion.  I wet the cardstock again until I got the blend I was wanting.  I set this panel aside to dry.  Next, I grabbed some matching bottles of Distress Mica Stains.  If you know this product, they do not exactly match the distress colors.  The Mica Stains have a tinted liquid and, as I understand the same color of mica for the shimmer.  I was able to find a few of the colors I have that closely matched with the Oxide colors I used.  I used the same process for spraying the page, rainbow order on wet cardstock and keeping the paper wet until I achieved the look I was after.  Lastly, I pulled some Dina Wakely Gloss Sprays in roughly these same colors and followed the same process.  All of these were set aside to dry.  Once dry the first piece I created with the Oxides I sprayed with Sheer Shimmer in the color Sparkle by Imagine.  I love this stuff, it make the most beautiful shimmer every time.  

Each of these panels were very different when dry.  The first, was very shimmery after I sprayed with the Sheer Shimmer with the Oxide colors.  The 2nd with the Mica Sprays was shimmery but not quite as much and a bit brighter in tone.  The 3rd, although it was a Gloss Spray, was not glossy after it was sprayed with water in the original technique, but I was going to go with it.  

The sentiments for all 3 cards came from the OCC (Online Card Classes) Brighter Days Die Bundle called Easier and Brighter.  All 3 cards also used the umbrella from the Weather Together Bundle also from the OCC Brighter Days classes.  I also pulled in a few other items from my stash.  The Taylored Expressions Die called Rainbow Bright, the Simon Says Stamp Birthday Blitz and the OCC Celebrate Bundle called Sparkle Waves.  I added raindrops with the Altenew White Relief Paste .  I also pulled in some Confetti from Honey Bee Stamps called Blizzard. 

Starting with the panel with the Mica Sprays.  I used the Taylored Expressions Rainbow Bright die and cut a panel of white cardstock 4 1/4"x 5 1/2" just for the 2 outside pieces.  I saved the fall out pieces for a later project.  I used Hammermill 80lb cardstock in white.  I was planning on several stacked layers and I did not want to add additional bulk.  I adhered my cardstock to the colored panel.  I cut the umbrella pieces 3 times from the same white cardstock and stacked them, setting aside for the glue to set up.  I cut the backer of the umbrella out of a lightweight vellum.  I did the same for the script word Brighter (cut 3 times and stacked it, and the outline from the same vellum).  Once the glue was set up I adhered the umbrella pieces together added to its backer and put the Brighter on its backer.  I stamped You Make Life, from the Easier and Brighter stamp set on the same Hammermill White Cardstock and then cut it with a sentiment strip.  I cut the same strip out 3 times and stacked those as well. I arranged the umbrella and sentiments on my card front and added those confetti from Honey Bee Stamps. 

The second card I used the panel with the Gloss Sprays.  This time using the Sparkle Waves Dies from OCC Celebrate.  These dies took me forever to figure out how to line them up so they fit together, but now that I have it down I have it down.  I adhered the strips from the Sparkle Waves to the front of the white panel  This time I added the sun and the clouds to my composition these were from the Weather Together Dies.  The Wishing You and Days ahead are from the Easier and Brighter stamp set.  I did not layer these, seemed that I had plenty of stacked elements on my card.  I added a black panel to my card front that was slightly larger than my panel to make the white and the rainbow colors pop.  

Lastly I used the 3rd panel with the Oxide Inks and the Sparkle Sprays I cut this one from the Birthday Blitz die from Simon Says Stamp.  It was intended to cut a stamped rainbow from the stamp set of the same name.  I cut the shape out from the shimmery cardstock piece I had left, conserving as much as possible for use in another project.  I mounted it to the card panel in a landscape fashion on a 4 1/4"x5 1/2" card base with Foam Tape.   I did not do all of the stacking this time I only stacked the umbrella, Since the umbrella was partially glued to the rainbow piece I added foam dots the the left edge to make it one level. I added raindrops using the stencil from the Weather Together Bundle and the Altenew White Relief Paste.  I had done this first and let it dry while I was working on the rest of the card.    I stamped Keep Looking For and Tomorrows from the Easier and Brighter stamp set and cut the strips out with a banner die.  Mounted the word Brighter to its outline vellum backer and arranged on the card front.  Again I added the Honey Bee Stamps confetti in Blizzard. 

I don't believe these cards were exactly what was posted in the OCC Class or by Brenda Jennings.  As I previously noted, I have not yet taken the class, I was simply using the photo as inspiration.  Thank you Brenda!

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