Hi there crafty friends!! It's Lisa back with you once again for another #TexturalTuesdays. I thought I'd make a little 'ol card for ya today and just show you some of the things that I like to do when I'm crafting. I am in NO way, shape, or form a CAS (clean and simple) card-maker or crafter. I have no clue how to pull that look off and I give huge kudos to those who can. I subscribe to the "more-is-more" club * wink * ;) and love to get inky!
Let me show you my card for today and then I'll get into what I did. Sound good?
My card today is about using paper and tools to create subtle texture.
Using foam adhesives can also help by creating dimension. I like to use varying thicknesses of foam squares when creating a card. You can build them up yourself or buy them such as those by Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L®: Thin Foam Squares & Regular Foam Squares.
When I started to make my card I stamped the Essentials by Ellen Clear Stamps, Mondo Hydrangea by Julie Ebersole in Versamark Ink and then sprinkled Wow! Bonding Powder on top and heat set it. Once it was set, I cut a piece of Lilac I-Craft Deco Foil on top and ran it through my Minc Mini to adhere the foil to the image. This was a new process for me (using the bonding powder) and I'm not sure about it just yet. It says to use it with an iron...ummm...no. That ain't happening. So, if you have this product and like to iron? Tell me how it works for you! :)
The photos are in chronological order. 1. Stamping. 2. Embossing. 3. Foiling.
You can see from the photo above that the foil did not adhere completely to the image, but it did for the most part. I wasn't unhappy with the result.
Now, it's time for me to admit something to all of you, my lovely readers. I cannot Copic color to save my life. I can watercolor (to a degree -- I'm no Sandy Allnock) and I have an understanding of color, but put a Copic in my hand and I freeze. So...to color in my image? I used trusty pencils. No rocket science required to use these. I used a light, a dark, and a midtone and then blended the 3 together using a blending solution made for colored pencils called Gamsol. I find that using the Brushstix from Tsukineko make blending a breeze.
On the left side of the photo are the petals that I've blended. The petals on the right have been colored but not blended. Then I go back and add any extra highlighting or darker areas as I see fit. I then color the stem in the same way and proceed to use the Essentials by Ellen Designer Dies, Mondo Hydrangea by Julie Ebersole to die-cut the flower out. For a little pop of color, dimension, and, yes, texture...I added Liquid Pearls in Daffodil to the centers of the petals.
Next up, I trimmed a piece of patterned paper from Pinkfresh Studio Felicity Collection and sandwiched into the Triangles Embossing Folder by We-R-Memory Keepers/Lifestyle Crafts and ran it through my Big Shot Plus. This leaves an awesome and subtle texture on the patterned paper.
Then, to make the texture a bit more visible I used a round foam blending tool and the Mustard Seed Distress Mini Ink Pad and VERY lightly went over the surface of the paper.
See how just lightly going over the surface makes those triangles "POP"?! You can do this not just with ink but texture paste, too. I would suggest using your fingers for a light touch, though.
Then, I trimmed more patterned paper from Bloom - Crate Paper and C'est La Vie - Pink Paislee and added MORE texture with very simple die-cutting using the Stitched Line Die-Namics from My Favorite Things. Remember texture does not have to be in-your-face. Adhere the 3 panels of patterned paper together so it looks like something like this:
For the word "Fabulous" (Essentials by Ellen Designer Dies, Totally Fabulous by Julie Ebersole) I die cut it twice using Licorice Twist Cardstock from Bazzill Card Shoppe and adhered the two together. Then I die cut it one last time using the iCraft Deco Foil Peel n Stick Toner Sheets.
With this last die-cut, I used another piece of foil (this time I used Wow! Fabulous Foil in Purple), put the "fabulous" with the black side up of the Toner Sheet, the foil (shiny side up on top of the word) and ran THAT all through the Minc. When it comes out you have a perfectly foiled word, that has adhesive on the back! Yay!
It may be hard to tell from the above photo, but the foiled "Fabulous" is being perfectly placed on top of the other die-cut words. I love these peel n' stick toner sheets for die-cuts!
Whew!! Getting long-winded, as usual. :D
Then it's just a matter of using your dimensional adhesives. Finding out what it pleasing to YOUR eye. I moved my hydrangea around a bunch of times before I was truly satisfied with placement. Mix and match your sentiments. I think that what my card says on the outside is fun, but pretty enough to be used for a Mother's Day card. OR to be given to a friend. Even a birthday.
Stitching is beautiful as texture. Paper piercing is, too. Think of subtle ways to incorporate texture into your next project. Something new!!
And, of course, I can't leave you without a close-up of today's card.
I hope you had as much fun today as I did! Have a FABULOUS day!! ♥
