CHF Backgrounder Blitz and Blog Candy!

ETA: Please note that there are new posts following this one - I placed it as a sticky until the drawing for the blog candy is complete. Thank you for stopping by!

Have you heard the news? Cornish Heritage Farms is having a major league "Backgrounder Blitz" over this next week!!! We here at Ellen Hutson LLC are thrilled to be playing alongside them and will do our best to stimulate your creativity and give you new ideas as to how to use these wonderful stamps as well!!! In honor of this special occasion we will have a week long promotion beginning today on the CHF backgrounders in our store. Be certain to enter the code: CHFFun in the Promo Code area as you are checking out to receive a 10% discount on all backgrounders that you order from us during this week.

Today's post is to play along with the wonderful challenges CHF has created for this week. The first backgrounder challenge is to create a card using Lisa's awesome sketch!

There are two techniques I would like to share with you that I used as I created my project for today's challenge. The first is a real WOW in my opinion and I haven't seen it done much lately.

VELVET STAMPING

The key to success with this technique is the velvet that you select. I find that a man-made velvet works the best. In this case I used a velvet ribbon that is 100% rayon. This technique is one that works beautifully with the deep-etched red rubber backgrounders!!!

Place your backgrounder face up on your work surface, I used the new Sophisticated Swirls. I preheat my regular large iron with it set on rayon/polyster. Spritz the face of the ribbon generously with water - I have a mini mister filled with water that I always keep by my work surface, it works fabulously for misting the velvet. Place velvet face down (fuzzy side down) on the backgrounder and then iron from the backside of the velvet. I would typically place a piece of typing paper between the ribbon/backgrounder and the iron, but I wanted you to see the layering process without it being covered. Press your iron down firmly and move it about on the ribbon surface so that you do not create a hot spot.

It is SO beautiful and elegant in real life - I hope that you can get a sense of the beauty from this picture.

EMBOSS RESIST

This next technique is one that I have always loved. From the beginning of my stamping adventures there has always been a sense of wonderment as I watched embossing powder melt. Now being I photographed and worked this portion of my project before deciding to use the velvet I didn't quite think it through enough - LOL!, so my final project doesn't even use this beautiful creation. But at least you get the idea as to how to complete the background of the card I will share below.

Tip: Before I  begin I want to share how it is that I keep my Clear Embossing Powder. Being it is one that I use a LOT I purchased a large supply and placed it in a rubbermaid type of storage container. I do this so that I do not have to clean up the powdery mess that can occur if you use a tray. I love the convenience of just spooning the powder on to my project and letting the excess fall back into my container!

OK - on with it Ellen! To begin I place my backgrounder face up on my work surface and ink it completely with a "sticky" ink. In this case I used Perfect Medium, but Versamark or any other Clear Emboss Ink will work as well.

I then spoon the embossing powder on to the inked paper surface and dump the excess powder back into my tub. I then heat set it using my embossing heating tool. Be certain to watch the surface as you do this so that you don't overheat it and melt the powder until it is completely gone. When it becomes glossy that is the time to move on over with your heat tool. It is like magic as you watch the surface begin to glisten in the light.

Now it is time to make the background pop! Ink your brayer using a dye ink - I love using the large brayer being it covers the background completely in one motion. This does not mean that you do not need to go back and forth across your surface a number of times, but it does make it so simple to get an even ink coverage. I used Adirondack Lettuce as the main color for this project.

Being that I wanted a more distressed look and did not want the white to pop off the paper I then used my iron to "melt" the embossing powder into a piece of scrap paper. Iron over the paper covered image completely - then move your scrap paper to a new location and repeat. Do this until all sheen has disappeared.

I then used my Ink Blending Tool and Adirondack Pesto to distress the edges and "buff" out some of the white in the center of the image.

My focal image is the Lockhart Delphinium and Peony Watering Can. These are two of my favorite flowers and I can't believe that I hadn't given this beauty any "love" yet. To color the image I used a combination of Copics and Prismacolor color pencils. This truly is my favorite combo. The intensity and dense coverage that the Copics provide, followed by the Prismacolor pencils which just grab the tooth in the top surface of your paper gives such incredible depth to your image.

I began with the Copic Markers - BV000, R46, R81, Y21, Y21 Special, YG00, YG63, YG95, B21, B23, W1, W3.

I truly wish that you could all see this image up close - the detail that jumps out when you add the Prismacolor color pencils (Limepeel, Goldenrod, Burnt Ochre, Process Red, Warm Gray 80%, Pink Rose, and Imperial Violet) along with Spica Glitter Pens (Gold, Sky and Pink) is so "purdy".

As you can see I used a square nestability to cut out the image and emboss it. Little mini brads were added to the corners just to draw extra attention to the focal point. Instead of the Sophisticated Swirl background I created above I changed it out for a much more subtle Weave pattern. It would have been great if I would have actually thought ahead to the completed project, but hey now I have an awesome sheet of patterned paper that I can use for a future project Ü

To help celebrate this fun learning experience and backgrounder blitz we would like to give away two of my FAV backgrounders - yep that's right. All you need to do is leave me a comment below telling me which backgrounder is YOUR FAVORITE! You have until Tuesday morning to leave your comment - at that time we will do the Random Number Generator thingy and select two names from the comments section.

The first number drawn will receive the Lined Paper backgrounder and the second number will receive Grid Paper.

For yet another FABULOUS technique you must head over to the CHF Forum and read Mona Lisa's Distress Ink Burnt Edge it is WAY cool. They also are running some of the most fun challenge's - like the one I posted above.

Have a wonderful weekend! I'm going to give it my best effort to play along with the Backgrounder Blitz challenges - I have been missing creating!!! So check back in soon if you get the chance Ü

Comments

[Sandy]

Paisley is my favorite. Don't really know why but anything paisley just catches my eye this year. Love the ideas you showed; can't wait to try them out.

[Misti]

Does all of them count?? HA! HA! The only CHF backgrounder I have so far is the Geometric flowers one. I love several others too. I just have to pace myself!!! Great tutorials Ellen!

[Andrea]

They are lovely backgrounds - so versatile

[Regina Cornelius]

Oh gosh!!! i must win! i was just thinking that i needed a large stamp to journal on fo rscrapping....so the lined paper backgrounder is at the top of my list!!!!! thanks for all of your inspiration!!! :)
regina

[Shelby]

Funny! I just spend about an hour looking at all of the backgrounders today! I think my absolute fave (although there are a LOT that I love) would have to be Paisley.

[Cheryl Sims]

My favorite is the victorian floral backgrounder. Now if I can just figure out how to stamp it perfectly. This is a beautiful card Ellen (as usual).
Cheryl Sims

[Kathy]

Boy, that's a tough one. Trees is stunning, and I'm really drawn to the versatility of weave, open plaid and tri-dots. Then again, the script backgrounders are useful--oh my--I think Sandy's on to something--ALL OF THEM is the only answer! LOL

[Adelina]

I really like that weave backgrounder. It's so perfect for shabby chic cards! Thanks so much for the chance at winning!

[Denise - Paper Ponderings]

Ahhh...I have such a hard time choosing favorites! I LOVE the notebook paper one! Okay...yea...I'll call that one my favorite for this little minute.

[Cheryl]

Right now my favorite is the polka dots. But I really love that lined paper background.

[ERIN]

I think i like the lined paper background best. It would be pefect for scrapping and cardmaking.

[Tricia]

Fun, fun, fun! I've been wanting one of the backgrounders! :)

[Gabriela]

oooh! love that. The lined paper background is totally cool. TFS!

[Heather Mitchell]

My favorite backgrounds are the polka dots. They are not too busy... I like things simple! :-)

[Otter]

Oh Ellen thank you so much for the velvet stamping toot!! LOVE IT!!! My fav bkgd is the two you have shown!! I love what Mish does with the lined paper one!!

[Elyssa Tanenbaum]

I love those backgrounds! My fav is the lined paper!

[sally s]

I love the chicken wire backgrounder, it is one I have not yet purchased.

[Louise]

I just ordered my first backgrounder . . paisley . . so I guess that would be my favorite. However there are lots more I am looking at.

[anne]

I like the wood grain one the best!
I use it to make faux leather.

Anne

[Molly B]

I cant wait to try the velvet idea. How cool is that?! Thanks for all of the great directions. -Molly B

[Lesa Rapp]

That lined paper is stinking cute! Oh my goodness what a fun stamp and I love the tutorial on the velvet. Beautiful!

[Pegg]

I love the new sophisticated swirls!! Wow, they are really coming up with such gorgeous backgrounders!! Thanks for the tutorials -what a cool effect on the velvet!

[Theresa Grdina]

My favorite is the note paper backgrounder! I'm a teacher! What more can I say????

[Regan D'Agostino]

I love the lined paper- that is just the neatest idea ever!!!

[Colleen]

Wow! I can only choose one?? Hmmmm.... ok, under pressure, my favorite today is the Weave pattern.
Thanks!
Colleen