Playing Like a Mad Scientist

Sometimes it is just plain fun to experiment.  I did just that for this month’s Technique Challenge at Club Scrap - heat embossing on dark colored paper.

Once I picked the papers and image that I wanted to use for my card, I realized that I didn’t have an embossing powder color that matched my palette.  I really liked where this card was going, so rather than change my papers, I did some research and found out that it is possible to custom make embossing powder colors. So I gave it a try:

To create your own color, you have to use clear powder and some type of alcohol ink.  Any other liquid form of color (such as re-inkers) do not work.  Trust me, I just had to try even though everything I read told me it wouldn’t work.  It also seems to work better with the clear powder.  I tried it using some white powder with some success, but my experiment was pretty convoluted by that point so I don’t trust the results. I might revisit that again sometime in the future.

Here is the finished card:

The focal image is a Club Scrap stencil from “Shades of Winter”. The whole image was inked (in steps) using Club Scrap White Pigment ink.  The stems were embossed using Club Scrap Blue Satin embossing powder.  The berries were embossed using my custom blend made from WOW Clear powder and Raisin Adirondack alcohol ink.  (Because of starting with clear powder, it is important to use the white ink underneath if it is on dark paper.)

Other supplies I used are:

**Paper from Club Scrap and Gina K. Designs.

**The focal image panel was die cut using a Taylored Expressions “Label Stacklet 3” die.  It was edged with Picket Fence Distress Marker.

**The sentiment stamp is from Club Scrap’s “Cherry Blossom” kit, stamped with VersaMark ink and embossed with Denim Zing embossing powder.

**The sentiment tag is from Die Versions.

**The pink ribbon is upcycled, the other ribbon is from Club Scrap’s “Pure & Simple” kit, altered with Copic Marker B21.

**The edges of the pattern paper were inked using Chipped Sapphire Distress Ink.

**The gems (altered with Copic B21) and the brads (altered with Copic B39) are from my stash.

I followed the sketch for this month's Club Scrap Sketch Challenge.  You can check out the original here.

Thanks for stopping by!

Let’s Get Leafy

This week Stamp TV is challenging everyone to create a background that utilizes leaves.  I quickly thought about the new Gina K Designs Foliage stencil that I recently acquired.  Here is what I came up with:

I mixed some Jelly Bean Green ink from Gina K. Designs with Ranger Texture Paste and spread it over part of the stencil.  After that dried, I added the final “sprig” and repeated the drying process.  A little bit of Stormy Sky Distress ink on the edges and my background was good to go.

I stamped the flower from Gina K. Designs’ “Boho Flowers” with the Jelly Bean Green ink and embossed it with Spring Leaf Chartreuse powder from Lindy’s Stamp Gang.  It didn’t have enough contrast, so I stamped it again (thanks to my MISTI) using Ivory Gina K. ink and the same embossing powder.  Better, but still not what I was looking for.   So, I started over with just the Ivory and the embossing powder.  Bingo!  I fussy cut them both out and stacked them together for the focal image.    Don’t give up too easily on something that doesn’t turn out exactly like you imagined!

Other supplies I used are:

**Paper from Club Scrap

**The sentiment stamp is from Gina K. Designs’ “Autumn Wishes”, inked with Stormy Sky Distress ink and embossed with Gina K.’s Fine Detail Clear embossing powder.

**The ribbon is upcycled, altered with Stormy Sky Distress Marker.

**The gems came with my Club Scrap “Paradise” kit.

Thanks for stopping by!

Anything Goes with Koi

The Simon Says Stamps Wednesday Challenge for this week is Anything Goes.  Sometimes that stresses me out…you know, way too many options.  This time, I did ok with it.  I just jumped in and played around until I came up with this card:

I created the background with Sea Glass, Electric Blue and Dragonfly GlimmerMists and Ranger Watercolor paper.  When spraying each color, I tried to keep them each to 1/3 of the panel, or at least as much as I could control those little flying drops of color!  In the end they blended better than I expected.  Once it was dry, I used a background stamp from Technique Junkies and Library Green Archival Ink to add the swirls.   As a final step, I dry embossed it using an old Cuttlebug folder.

Other supplies I used are:

**Paper from Gina K. Designs and Club Scrap.

**The sentiment stamp is from Gina K. Designs, inked with Versa Mark, embossed with Lindy’s Stamp Gang Midnight Emerald powder and cut out using a Spellbinder Deckled Rectangles die.

**The Koi fish die is from Elizabeth Craft Designs.

**The ribbon is from Club Scrap’s “Garden Shed” kit.

Thanks for stopping by!