Pocket Letters and a little contest.

Hi you all happy crafters.

Time for a new challenge at The House of Cards, and this months challenge is use color or textures.

I planned for both but, my choice for colors are more bright. And I wanted to show how you can make your own embellishment to texture you cards with. And what is better to show off that than a Pocket Letter. This is a new trend here in Norway and it is my second I have made. Did not think it was for me but It is really fun to do. 

So here is mine.

Ready to go in a envelope and in the mail!



Here it is unfolded.



So here I have used different techniques here, shortly explained in the follow description



1. Fussy cut a lace from a large lace and inked it with alhohol ink. But you can use any kind of ink or markers. Versamark ink all over and emboss with fine clear embossing powder will lock the treads and not torn it up.

2. Embossed with embossing powder along the egdes to make a frame with textures. The medalion is cut out of cardboard, embossed with severals of layers of embossing powder and then used a rubber stamp covered with Versamark, and pressed it down and hold for a bit, carefully released it.

3. Cut out some flowers and branches with my Silhouette in craft cardbord, and inked them up in fall colors. Covered them all with Versamark and clear embossing powder, severals layers.



4. Used PolyShrink paper and cut out some leafs with my BigShot. Inked them with alcohol inks and shrinked them with a heat gun, and covered them in Versamark and UTEE embossing powder. Tip by inking them up befor shrinking the color are brighter than when you ink they when they are shrinked.

5. Cut out a heart shape of cardboard and cowered it with ink (deep purple), Versamark and Pearl embossingpowder, heat and dry and inked with chalk ink, repeat several layers. Covered in Versamark and a layer of UTEE embossingpowder to get the enameld look.

6. Old Priama flower, inked up with drops of alhohol ink, perlize and blending solution.

* You also here see how I filled the holes with ribbons, treads and laces. You can also put trinkets here. The ribbon Idea is from a friend, Tove - Tove's Hjerterom.



7. Same as #2 but with a text stamp in rubber.

8. Alchol ink on metal gives a nice shine.

9. Swirles cut out of a soda can. Inked in alcohol ink and embossed with layers of clear embossing powder.

Here are the links I have used for the embellishment and got inspired by:

#2 Background paper with embossing

#4 Embossed PolyShrink items

#5 Marbled Heart

#7 Text print in embossing

#2 & #7 Texture in embossing

Here is my textured backside of the pocket letter:



I started by covering the sheet with whithe gesso, then used a stencil and stencil paste. Here you could have used Versamark ink and embossing powder but I did go for the paste this time.

When dry I added a layer of gesso with a little black paint and got the greyish look. Worked on with some gelatos and finnished of with Inca Gold paste in copper. I had ment to use it for the embellishment but I thougth it looked so good that I did not want to. The lucky one who gets this will have 9 backgrounds to play with :)

To hold it all together in the mail I made a cover of the rests of the papers.



Decorated the cover for the pocket letter with leftovers from the papers and embelishments



Just the cover, it can be used in a card as an element.



The flowres and textured paper worked well together on the cover. Added some extra pearls.



Here you see how I folded upp the ribbons and laces in the back tucked inn with the pocket letter in the cover.

I have used:
pockets for collector cards
binding covers 180mic - 9*(3,5x2,5)
2 sheets of 12x12 papers - 9*(3,5x2,5) and 9*(3x2)
1 sheet A4 - 9*(3,5x2,5)
The size of the pockets are 3,5x2,5

To fold the cover you have to measure your folded pocket as they can vary in size. Mine I foldet at 10,11,21,22 cm. Fold and glue, cut of acess paper. Then decorate cover.

If you use a paper that has a nice backside you just ned two sheets of 12x12, the smaler size (3x2) can cut larger but smaller than the (3,5x2,5) to have a smaler frame. I dont glue the pices together so they can be used by the receiver. Some of the embellishment i glue with a tiny drop of glue og gluedots or foame pads to the binding covers so they can be used to. You can wrap whashi tape around it to.

Heres some links for tutorials and inspiration on the pocket letters. Fun gift for your crafting friend. It is so much you can do.

I got inspired by this youtube by Kirsten Hyde

And here is a link to my Pintrest board - Pocket Letters - here I have collected tutorials and inpirations. Have a look.

This is a lot of fun and sure that your frind would love to get one . ;)

So to my little contest....

The first one who can tell me what the meaning of my name "Merethe" is and got it right, will get this in the mail.

Good luck everyone ;)

Ma (✿*‿*) HOC DT