Gift Card Holder

Gift cards are a popular choice for gift giving ideas. I wanted to create a gift card holder that would be as fun to receive as the gift card itself!
I used the Come Softly image from the Ching-Chou Kuik collection that is available on Sweet Pea Stamps Plate #25.
Before stamping the image I colored the entire gift card using a combination of distress inks and homemade pearl-ex watercolor sprays. I rubbed several distress ink pads onto a craft sheet, sprayed with water, and pressed the card holder into the mixture. After drying this application with a heat gun, I sprayed the card holder with the pearl-ex watercolor sprays. I still wasn't quite happy with the coloring so I sponged china blue distress ink around all the edges of the gift card holder. Okay, now I was happy! Once the paper was dry I stamped the Come Softly image using India Ink black. I wasn't crazy about how the coloring looked on the image so then I painted some areas using twinkling H2O's and added highlights with a glitter pen.
I used a Cuttlebug border embossing folder on the bottom edge of the front flap.
Here the top flap is opened, but the bottom flap still closed. On that bottom flap I stamped one of the sentiments that is available on plate #25. I also stamped some stars in coordinating colors.






On the inside of the top flap I attached an embossed piece. I used a piece of Core 'Dinations paper, ran it through the Cuttlebug with an embossing folder, trimmed the piece to fit on the flap, and sanded it to reveal the purple color that is on the reverse side of the paper.
With the bottom flap of the gift card holder opened you can see the center section where the gift card is placed.