Inspiration Challenge card and sorta tutorial...

I say sorta because I didnt take photos as I went along doing the card! I was actually just playing around and seeing if I could get it to work...well, first, here's the card. I used the IC189 challenge at SCS for this, here is what I used for inspiration:

Tracy Porter Site

And here is my card:


The image was colored right onto the Soft Sand cardstock from Gina K Designs with copic markers and a white gel pen. The copics DO seep through on this cardstock so I added a layer of green. Now, the open circle where the image is...that came about by seeing someone ask on StampTV how to do this. To leave a blank area when using your cuttlebug, so I began playing around. I am sure I am not the first to come up with this at all, but this is how I did mine and it worked!

First, I took my Cuttlebug folder and drew around it on a piece of chipboard. This chipboard I purchased at Hobby Lobby and it says 'Grafix Chipboard' , came in big 12x12 squares, its pretty thick chipboard. I say this because for the CB sandwich, it is going to vary from machine to machine. I then cut that rectangle shape, same size as my CB folder, with a very sharp craft knife and scor-pal cutting mat. Be patient when cutting out thick chipboard, just keep going over and over it, it will eventually cut through it!

Next, I wanted a circle that wasnt embossed with my CB folder, so I took a circle nestability in the size I wanted, placed it in the middle of this cutout rectangle shape, drew around it and then cut it out the same way.

I knew also I would be stamping in the middle of this circle so I created a mask for my 4x5 piece of cardstock I would be using. Here is a picture of the piece of chipboard after it is cut and the mask I used:



Now, the important part is the sandwich. Like I said, it took me some playing around with it. I also kept thinking wrong, lol! Basically, one way to think of it is...where ever you use the chipboard at it is going to EMBOSS with this sandwich that I used for mine. Here is a picture of my sandwich I used:



This picture is exactly how it goes into the CB too.
1. Plate A
2. CB folder with cardstock in it to be embossed
3. Chipboard
4. Plate C

And after running it through, I used the mask I created to do a bit of sponging in white around the circle to kinda pop it more. And thats it! I hope this helps someone, and like I said, I am sure I'm not the first to come up with this, lol! But it was new to me and I am tickled how it turned out!

Thanks for stopping by today, and hope you all had a wonderfully relaxing and crafty weekend!

Card Details:
Stamps: A Year of Flowers by Melanie Muenchinger from Gina K Designs
Papers: Gina K Soft Sand and Pure Luxury 120lb weight, green is SU!
Accessories: copic markers, white gel pen, CB and CB swiss dots folder, chipboard, white craft ink, sponge, brad, fancy corner punch, twill ribbon, stayzon ink, buttong, twine.