Set in Stone

I wanted to achieve a gold-flecked marble effect with this computer generated and die cut heart panel.  The effect was achieved with 2 layers of clear embossing powder and 2 or so layers of UTEE, interspersed with sprinklings of pale gold Sakura Tempera Powder Color and WOW Earthtone Blueberry embossing powder.

The outer heart was embossed using WOW blueberry and gold powders, as well as UTEE.  The UTEE mixes and marbles the embossing powders underneath it as well as giving great dimension.

I've had the tempera powder in my stash for over 20 years, having bought it for calligraphy purposes before I even started making my own cards.  Initially I was looking for some gold glitter to sprinkle but remembered I had this little bottle of powder so I experimented with it.  It didn't work with Glossy Accents - it reacted with the glossy accents and turned a murky blue-green colour.

I accented this Simon Says Stamp Triangle Pattern card front panel with pearls coloured with gold and denim alcohol inks.

The design was inspired by CAS(E) this Sketch #178

I'm entering this in the HLS Anything Goes with Dies June Challenge

I'm also entering this in the current Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - to add shimmer

Thanks for stopping by - especially if you take the time to leave some feedback,

Kate

Incy Wincy Spider

Simon went to a birthday party of one of his best friends today.  He gave him a remote control spider as a birthday present so I thought a spider birthday card would be cool.  I cut and layered three of this spider to give him some substance, double coated him with two coats of black embossing powder and UTEE to give him that extra glossiness.  However being all black he seemed a little dull, so I coated him with just a little silver embossing powder in the hope of marbling the finish.  It worked but I wanted more colour so I also added a little red embossing powder (every decent spider should have some red on him, don't you think) and then pushed the red embossing powder around by directing the heat from the heat gun and this was the result.

I wanted my spider to wiggle and jiggle so I added an acetate spring constructed from some old packaging, and placed him strategically on a dry embossed web.

The current Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge is 

ANIMAL MAGIC

so my little spider will be wiggling and jiggling over there !!!

Thanks for stopping by,

Kate

A Glossy Apple for the Teacher

It's that time of the year again when we have the opportunity to thank those who have made an enormous difference in our children's lives over the past year.

When I started this card I already had the idea of using a negative of an alphabet die cut to create a panel.   I used this XCut Centurion Alphabet die to create the panel.  There's a sheet of acetate under the negative and I adhered the little inner parts of the letters to that.  I then cut it to size using a WMS Stitched Rectangle.

 This sketch from Mojo Monday gave me the idea of how to hide the unfinished bottom of the die cut where the Ms and Ns were truncated.   

I was at a loss as to what to put in place of the square when I thought of a juicy apple decorated using one of my favourite techniques - multiple embossing.  

I started by cutting the apple from white card twice (so it was a bit more solid).  I coloured the leaf and stem with Promarkers and coated the body of the apple with versa mark and embossed with pink embossing powder and then red embossing powder (doing my best to avoid the stem and leaf).  The real magic happens though, when you coat it with UTEE and it starts to marble.  When I had finished the body, I applied Versamark to the leaf and stem and coated that with UTEE too.  I decorated three apples at the same time using the same procedure but as you can see they all turned out differently.

I set off these pretty papers from My Mind's Eye On Trend 2 with a grey, oxford striped DP and some charcoal cardstock.  I thought the Oxford striped added to the academic look.

I will also be entering this card in the Anything Goes with Dies Challenge at Happy Little Stampers

Thanks for stopping by, particularly if you take the time to leave some feedback.  I love to read your comments and would love to visit you as well!!!

Kate