Hand Stamped Sentiments #114 {Black Magic Technique}

Pin It Now! I have to tell you, crafty friends, that this week's HSS Challenge was way, way out of my comfort zone!  Yow!  But that's what a challenge is all about, right?!  Here's the finished product, but the road to get here was a comedy of errors!

The challenge is Black Magic, for which there are plenty of tutorials and samples out there.  I'd never heard of it!

I decided that I would incorporate it into a card I would normally do, to add the Black Magic portion as a step along the way.  Turns out, no matter what you do, this technique takes center stage!  I used layers, frames, die cuts, doilies, ribbon, brads, pleating, sponging, punching.  And yet there it still is!  Haha!

But I digress.  My black magic technique was a little different from many of the samples I looked at.  First, I didn't want to use black, so I used Rich Razzleberry.  Second, I had no colored pencils, as I'm away this week (Have Stash Will Travel), so I used Watercolor Wonder Crayons.  Third, my gel pen is being a brat, so I used Frost White Shimmer Paint and a toothpick.  Here's my process:

 Stamp the image onto dark cardstock with Whisper White Craft Ink.  Set with a hair dryer because you may not have a heat embossing gun :). Color the image with Watercolor Wonder Crayons, Pretty in Pink and Baja Breeze used here.

 Here is where the "magic" occurs.  Apply gel pen or (in this case) Shimmer Paint around edge of stamped and colored image, which makes the image really "pop". I admit, it is a striking technique, and my 2 sons graded it an A Plus.  But they are certainly buttering me up.

Then came the layering, embossing, etc.  Tucked underneath the three layers of Edgelits is a Doily die cut, which I shimmed the wrong way, and none of the die cut pieces completely cut through.  But I loved the way it came out in one piece, so on it went, as the very bottom layer.  You can see it in the second photo, where the card is standing upright.  Then many other layers, listed from bottom to top:

- Edgelits

- Lucky Limeade embossed with Vintage Wallpaper

- Rich Razzleberry punched with Scallop Edge Border punch

- First Edition, cut 12" x 1-1/2", pleated and adhered

- Lucky Limeade 1/8" Organdy ribbon, wrapped 4 times around, and knotted with Lucky Limeade Bakers             Twine and Linen Thread.

- Designer Fabric Brad from Summer Smooches

- Finally, the bird, cut from Rich Razzleberry and Pretty In Pink, embossed, sponged, and layered.  Her eye is a Linen Thread knot.  

So there it is, come what may!  

I hope you will try this technique out for yourself, there are so many ways to use it!  Link up your creations at Hand Stamped Sentiments, and check out all the other samples for inspiration!

SUPPLY LIST:

STAMPS:  Printed Petals, Fabulous Phrases

INK: White Craft Ink

CARDSTOCK: Pretty In Pink, Rich Razzleberry, Lucky Limeade

DSP: First Edition, Summer Smooches

ACCESSORIES:  Edgelits, Edgelits embossing folders, Doily die, Vintage Wallpaper embossing folder, Scallop Edge Border Punch, 1/8" Lucky Limeade Organdy ribbon, Lucky Limeade Bakers Twine, Linen Thread, Elegant Bird Bigz die, Summer Smooches Designer Fabric Brad, Watercolor Wonder Crayons, Frost White Shimmer Paint, Basic Rhinestones, Tag punch.

Elegant Bird and Blossom

Pin It Now! I really should be doing other things today! But when there's a card challenge rolling around in your head, new supplies, and housework to be done, what are you going to do?  All I can say is, thank God for the washing machine.  I still look somewhat productive, having the mountain of clothes attacked, and still have time to fit in this card...

I love the new Elegant Bird Die.  I plan to make some fabric projects with it very soon!  Today, she was cut with Crumb Cake and embossed with Vintage Wallpaper, inked with White Craft. Her wings are actually from the Two Step Bird Punch, not the die cut that exactly matches.  However, I thought it played well with the blossom as both leaves and wings. 

I stamped up the Crumb Cake base and the inside of the card with images from Sale-A-Bration,  Fresh Vintage.  Just enough to shabby it up a little!

The center square and bird are spritzed with Vanilla Shimmer Smooch Spritz, I took a pic in the sunlight to catch the sparkle...

 You can see how I make flower rosettes on this earlier blog post.  I used white waffle paper (from the 2012 Spring Mini) for this rosette, and spritzed it with Blushing Bride Smooch to give it a little shine and color (also from the mini).  Fabulous stuff!  I love when you can make something truly unique from Stampin' Up!'s basics. 

 Here's the sketch  posted today on Stamping 411 with The Operators.  So many possibilities here with that lovely circle in the middle.  I really love what the designers have done, you have to check it out. All sorts of creations in the center...medallions, squares in the round, doilies, a maze, and die cuts.  Fantastic!

 SUPPLY LIST:
PAPER:   Crumb Cake, Very Vanilla
STAMPS:  Fresh Vintage, Kindness Matters
INK: Crumb Cake, Soft Suede, Blushing Bride
ACCESSORIES: Elegant Bird Bigz Die, White Waffle Paper, Vintage Wallpaper Embossing Folder, Smooch Spritz, Blushing Bride Pleated Ribbon, Victoria Lace Ribbon, Bird 2-step punch, Pink Rhinestones from Blossom Builders Designer Printed Kit.
OTHER: Sewing machine, scotch tape