I happen to be one of those people who quickly become addicted to something and my newest addiction is Unity Stamp Company!! Right now, I am completely in love with Angie's Girls- ALL OF THEM!! The Unity Show & Tell Facebook page is having a Neutral Challenge and if you know me, then you know this is right up my alley- I love neutrals! This cute tag or maybe a card front was made with Unity's Birthday Soul and the June 2016 Kit of the Month (KOM) stamp sets, Copic Sketch markers and StampinUP Neutrals ink pads. Did you notice the birds on a wire and her tattoo? These great stamps can be found in Tim Holtz's Enjoy the Journey stamp set. After all of the layers were inked and stamped, I added some pearls and used a white gel roller pen to highlight different parts of the flowers- I think this gives a little something extra and lightens it all up.
You can make whatever size works for you, but be sure to stamp your whole area to tell a story:
Dark Brown Card Stock- This will be your card base and should be 3.5"x 6.5".
Kraft Paper- Stamping layer- cut to 3.25" x 6". Larger if you want more picture and less mat.
Get your craft sponge and go to town!. Using Early Espresso ink, sponge all over the edges, you're creating a haze effect. Sponge in circles for an even ink tone. Don't worry about getting the same amount of coverage in any one spot- it will all come together.
Using the Birthday Soul "girl"; stamp a nice clear image on paper that will allow you to get a good blend with your markers. This is a newer technique for me, but trust me, good paper makes the difference. (*TIP- Most markers will bleed through regular paper- protect your work area.) Once you have colored your girl, use your scissors and fussy cut her out. Fussy cutting is the cutting of a paper or stamped image.
Now let's give it some life! Embossing is pretty simple if you take your time. Rub the stamping area with some type of rosin to remove any static. (Tip- a used dryer sheet works too.) VersaMark is used just like ink, except it's kind of gooey or greasy. (You can get this in any craft store.) "Ink" up the flower stamp from Unity's June 2016 Kit of the Month with your VersaMark and stamp wherever you want the image to be. Remember, VersMark is clear but you should be able to see the impression. Put the lid back on the Versamark as soon as your done- everything sticks to it!
Using a tray, sprinkle gold embossing powder with a small spoon and cover the images completely- you can tap off any excess, just make sure your images are completely covered. (Tip- keep a stiff paint brush to gently brush off any powder that doesn't stick to the image.) Pour any unused powder back into the jar and close the lid. If it spills, it will make a mess!
Preheat your heat gun- be careful!! It will get super hot, melting and burning anything in its way including you!! Once your heat gun is ready, carefully heat up the powdered images. Be sure to move your gun evenly over your paper- some warping will occur- this DOES NOT ruin your finished card. You will start to see the image change and the embossing powder will start to melt and set leaving you with a beautifully smooth and golden image. Once all of the powder has melted, let it set and cool off for a minute and admire! (If you've never embossed before- practice, practice, practice!)
I should have stamped my birds before I embossed, but I was too excited! Using Tim Holtz's Enjoy the Journey stamp set, use the darkest neutral to stamp these, it gives them a further away look.
Now the fun part- building and embellishing. Using any adhesive of your choice, build the layers of your card- I added some pearls to add an even softer touch. Now, if you want, use a white gel pen and highlights elements in your stamped story for highlighting.
Image of "Girl" before I fussy cut.
