Dimensional Background Inking

After a little sabbatical from the blog I'm hoping to jump back in. While I was absent I was immersing myself in all thing Tim Holtz and Dyan Reaveley. So I thought I would start off with some layered mixed media backgrounds. Once I started it was difficult to know when to stop layering- its such messy fun! I took Dyan's advice and had extra card available to soak up the extra ink. I now have a few backgrounds already started for another project. Time efficient and a great idea.

Here's how I went about it:

I chose some cool coloured spray inks and liberally covered the cardstock, mopped up the excess ink with kitchen roll and an extra piece of card. Some stencilling and ghosting with water then stencilling with distress paint. this is now at about 5 layers. The paint dried quickly enough and I could move on to the next step.

I embossed a piece of the background with my favourite Tim Holtz embossing folder (well one of my many favourites!) and then trimmed it to size.

Next I used distress crayons to highlight the lovely embossed texture, but I couldn't stop there and added crackle medium on top.  This also acted as a glue for the diecut happy birthday.After leaving it overnight to dry I used a white picket fence distress crayon to emphasise the cracked surface.

For the little robot I created an alcohol ink background and heat embossed the Lawn Fawn stamp with Ranger Liquid Platinum embossing powder. A white linen Dylusions spray splattered kraft card base adds the finishing detail.

Another look at the finished card:

This card came together quite quickly and I was happy to leave the crackle medium to dry over time as I love the result which is subtly different to other crackling products. Cleaning up the excess ink with extra cardstock also means you get more pieces to play with at a later date. I've used a simple diecut sentiment and the little robot for a masculine industrial feel.

Any queries let me know. Hope you can find some time to play too.

Challenges:
CAS Mix Up August Challenge: Stamping + Alcohol Inks + Your Choice (embossing)
Muse Challenge #227: Anything Goes
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge: Splatter It
Stamps & Stencils Challenge: Technique School

Supplies:
Alcohol Inks: Citrus, Mushroom, Patina, Pool, Purple Twilight, Silver Mixative
Distress Embossing Ink
Distress Crackle Medium
Distress Crayons
Distress Paint
Dylusions Sprays
Primary Elements Powder
Embossing Powder: Ranger Liquid Platinum
Embossing Folder: TH Riveted Metal
Stamps: Lawn Fawn Beep Boop Birthday
Dies: TH Handwritten Celebrate
Stencils: THMS070; Dylusions Large Arrow Border; Finnabair Harlequin, Stars, Dots&Stripes
Paint Pen

Paper Smooches Muse

I've taken my inspiration for this card from Therese Calvrid who is our muse at the Muse Card Club this week. I inverted her layout, kept 5 shapes, lots of white space and a 2 line sentiment. I've only used pink, green and blue and added some gold embossing and sequins. My triangles were created with twine stuck to my stamp press, stamped with Versamark, gold embossed and water coloured with distress inks.

I've tried my hand at shadow stamping the Paper Smooches sentiment with London Fog and Tuxedo Black inks. I like the effect but it can be a little disconcerting for the eyes. My photography doesn't help whether the poor lighting or bad focusing, I apologise.

Challenges:
Muse Card Club Challenge #50
Paper Smooches Sparks Challenge: Anything Goes {featured player}

Supplies  

Stamps: Paper Smooches Sentiment Sampler
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, London Fog, Tim Holtz Distress Ink Chipped Sapphire, Evergreen Bough, Picked Raspberry, Versamark
Paper: White card from stash
Highlights: Sequins, gold embossing powder

Hope you enjoyed your visit and see you again soon.

Happy New Home

Lots of my friends have moved so I'm in the new house cards zone for the last while, hence my take on the current Muse Card Challenge.  I love Therese's card inspiration for Muse #34. As soon as I saw her little houses, I wanted to get out my Home Sweet Home stamps and dies, but I had to wait until today to play! I've also used twine, white embossing, hearts and reversed the kraft on white colour scheme.

I'm addicted to paint sprays and had to forcibly restrain myself from spraying more. At least it will be a reminder to the new home owner to protect their surfaces lest they get splattered with paint! My houses (especially the middle one) are more muted in real life and I've used an Icicle Promaker to add a little shade and definition to the white embossing. My happy die cut is coloured with Antique Linen distress ink and adhered with microdots.

Challenges:
Muse #34
Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge: Embossed [Heat Embossing]
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge: Simon Says Emboss It! [Heat Embossing]

Supplies

Stamps: Lawn Fawn Home Sweet Home, Smitty's ABCs
Ink: Tim Holtz Distress Ink Antique Linen, Mustard Seed, Tsukineko Versamark

Dies & Punches etc: Simon Says Stamp Happy Die, Lawn Fawn Home Sweet Home Lawn Cuts

Paper: White & kraft card from stash, Lawn Fawn Daphne's Closet

Highlights: twine, dylusions white linen ink spray, white embossing powder

Colouring: Promarker Icicle

Hope you enjoyed your visit and see you again soon.

Muse Framed

Therese Calvird is our muse this week. I've taken inspiration from her card layout and inverted it. I've used the same shaped card, plus I've framed my image in a dark solid colour with large white border and used five elements with a sentiment. 

The blue flamingo amongst the pink ones reminded me of Vincent Van Gogh's Irises: one white flower in a sea of blue, of being alone in a crowd, standing tall and being yourself.

I coloured the daisies & cardstock with Promarkers/Flexmarkers.  I love the flick the Flexmarkers provide and I look forward to practicing this technique.

Challenges:

Muse Challenge #25

Sentimental Sundays Challenge #163: You've Been Framed

Sister Act Card Challenges #15: Anything Goes

Supplies

Stamps: Wplus9 Love Birds 
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black 

Dies & Punches etc: Simon Says Stamp Fresh Daisies Die 

Paper: White card from stash 

Colouring: Promarkers & Flexmarkers

Hope you enjoyed your visit and get a chance to see the other cards inspired by Therese.

You can vote for your favourite here: voting will begin at 8:00 am EST next Monday. Voting ends on Tuesday at 8:00 am EST. The results of voting will be announced at noon on Tuesday.

Mojo Muse

I've used Mojo Monday 300 sketch as a base for my card and taken my inspiration for the colours & textures on my card from the Muse Card Club Challenge #24, Monday Muse: Laurie Willison.

Laurie's colour scheme: green, black and beige/kraft. I scoured my digi papers until I found just the right tones to reflect the Muse card. I inked my stamps simultaneously with black & brown inks and distressed my papers with Antique Linen & Walnut Stain.

Laurie's textures: buttons, thread, woodgrain. I combined two of these by using a button with a woodgrain appearance. I've used my thread is au naturel and died with the brown & black inks.

Laurie's sentiment: hello. My sentiment is in the same vein: thinking of you.

Challenges:

Crafts 4 Eternity Recipe Challenge R#131: Sewing Room  [Real Stitches]
Mojo Monday Sketch Challenge 300 Celebration
Muse Challenge #24

Supplies

Stamps: Wplus9 Love Birds

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Rich Cocoa, Tim Holtz Distress Ink Mowed Lawn, Antique Linen, Walnut Stain

Dies & Punches etc: Wplus9 Love Birds Designer Die, Xcut die Square, Lawn Fawn Circle Stackables

Paper: White card from stash, Sweet Digi Scraps SDS_PerfectU_Paper4, SDS_PerfectU_Paper5, Bella Gypsy Designs bellagypsy_cozyup_pattern10

Highlights: Button, thread used with Sew Easy piercer

Hope you've enjoyed your visit & see you soon.

Forgot to say you can vote for your favourite here: voting will begin at 8:00 am next Monday. Voting ends on Tuesday at 8:00 am. The results of voting will be announced at noon on Tuesday.