Design Focus: Traingular compostition (Pail of Artfully Asian Blooms card) +powderless embossing

In more efforts to cure my layout-laziness, this card follows the design notion of triangular composition-thanks for the pointer Maria! :0)

"Create a visual triangle with photos and embellishments. Triangles pull all of the items together, while pairs or groups of 4 will separate them into sections. The triangle is the strongest shape in nature and it can prove to be as powerful in your scrapbook pages" (source Tips from Clipperstreet.) Here are the triangles in this layout:

The River Rock pieces & silver bucket & brads create a triangle, but the four River Rock sections-visually created by the bucket-are rather symmetrical. (Except my bucket is off to the right a little-OOps!) :0)

Of course, composition can also refer to empty/negative space

Here is a whacky interplay of triangles (or else I'm just imagining it) lol ;0)

Card Supplies:

Cardstock & Measurements:

• Blue Bayou standard card: (4 2/8" w x 5 4/8" h)
• Naturals White piece: (3 2/8” h x 2 6/8 w)
• Not Quite Navy Mat: (3 4/8” h x 3” w)
• River Rock strip (for 'table top'): (6/8" h x 2 7/8" w)
  
• Scraps: River Rock & Not Quite Navy scrap for tabs, grey for pail
  
• Flowers: embossed on Naturals White & cut out (sturdier than Whisper White)
  

Inks: River Rock, Blue Bayou, (Chocolate Chip craft, Encore Silver)

Accessories: silver brads, Sakura clear glaze pen, Crystal Effects, wire, sponge (silver & clear embossing powder,)

Stamp Sets:

• Artfully Asian flower stems
• From the Garden (Fancy Pants) flowering branch background
• Paisley Print background (retired set but close to the new Paisley)
• Basket Full of Fun pail (retired set but Blooming with love(47) Best Kind of Friend (85) would work )

Card Instructions:

The main card:

• Stamp From the Garden (Fancy Pants) flowering branch onto card (Blue Bayou ink)
• Dot flower centers with the silver end of a Zigpainty

The image:
(Image Size-Naturals White= 3 2/8” x 2 6/8) (N.Q.Navy Mat size= 3 4/8” x 3”)

• Distress Naturals white card stock with sponge /dauber & River Rock ink

You can make layered side strips from punched tags (lrg & sml):

The shine of the embossing you see here is powder-less embossing. All you need to do is doodle with a Sakura glaze pen. It dries quickly and is a technique that is fast, tidy, and affordable. It also lets you be very selective about where you do and don't want to emboss.

The side strips:
I usually cut these but discovered that you can use two tag punches instead. WAY easier!

• Punch the Not Quite Navy cardstock with the large tag punch
• Stamp River rock strip with Paisley Print in River Rock ink
• Stamp full background with Paisley Print & punch 2 tags out with the small tag punch
• Adhere the four punched tags together (to make a pair of double- layered tags)
• Adhere the River Rock strip to the bottom of the distressed main (Naturals White) image

Freehand Doodle-Embossing (powderless)

• Doodle-Emboss onto 3 river rock pieces with a clear Sakura glaze pen (Adds shine sans the powdery mess)
• Set aside to dry (dries very quickly!)
  

Adhering the flowers:
This technique works well for adhering any teeny item

• Turn over & apply small amounts of crystal effects (or another dimensional/liquid glass glue)
• Allow the glue to set for 10-20 seconds (keeps it from messing up your card by sliding)
• NOTE: Dry times for anything depend on type of adhesive, humidity, & temperature-- so if it dries on you just add more glue & leave less time :0)
• Adhere to card (It dries quickly and bonds well)

To adhere the pail (to make it look 3D):

• Shape the pail gently with your hands, so the middle rounds out.
• Add a dimensional under it at the top (hidden); add adhesive at sides of pail
• Add Brads & Assemble everything
  

To make the flowers:

• Emboss the Artfully Asian stamp (using Chocolate Chip craft ink & clear embossing powder)
• Watercolour with inks (I've used not Quite Navy ink & Blue Bayou)
• Cover some blooms with Crystal Effects
• Trim them (TIP: You can cut them apart to get different shapes of branches)

To make the pail:

• Stamp pail (from Basket Full of Fun set) in silver encore ink & emboss with silver e.p.

(The pail is embossed on SU's Going Grey cardstock, but it's retired—this layout would also work with a terracotta pot stamp or another pail stamp or even a cut out shape of a flower pot/urn)

• Distress the embossing. In other words, overheat it to lose some of the shine (if desired.)
• Watercolour with wash of Basic Grey; add white signo gel pen by the handles (or trim little bits out with an exacto blade)
• Optional addition: Add a little wire handle before you adhere the pail

Thanks so much for stopping by; may your crafting be blissful! :0)