Cards for gardening Fathers

Today's cards featured in our Country Life Create and Craft tv show this morning.

The quote on the 3rd card is embossed onto acetate with gold detail embossing powder. I have stamped them with Stazon inks (black and brown), and coloured with Tombow brush pens. I added a couple of real feathers to the last card.

All could be made into Father's Day cards.

Moonshadow Ink/Dragonfly Music/Dry Paper Stipple

Back again...

OK, the card I want to show tonight is one I made with Buccaneer Bay Blue Moonshadow Ink and the Dragonfly Music design from our Aspects of Design 3 - Botanical stamp sheet. Click here to see the full sheet of designs

I wanted to make a start showing some techniques that you can use with both Moonshadow Inks and Starburst Stains.

Dry Paper Stipple
I applied a wash for the background panel with the inks and a large brush onto A4 card (use smooth or textured card). I then crumpled up some plain old copier paper and stippled the still wet ink all over to create a pattern before it dried, the patterns will form more obviously when it is in that in between stage of wet and dry. Just keep going until you are happy with the pattern, picking up the wet ink to stipple on dry areas.

I sprayed the next layer onto another A4 piece of card with the same ink to create a matching contrast to the previous panel.

When it had dried I embossed the image with Moonglow Midnight Gold Obsidian embossing powder which gives a two-tone gold/black effect. The gold has a slightly different shade to normal gold embossing powder which I like for this type of work as you get a more defined outline for the stamped image with it having black in it as well, but still get the wow factor from using gold IYSWIM!

I've then detail painted the design adding the odd blob from the detail paint brush for extra shimmeriness. While you still have ink on your large brush, wipe on the side of a palette with the brush which will add a little paint into your palette, it will allow you to detail paint without having to stir up the mica from the bottom of a large jar, or apply some ink from the brush to a non-stick craft sheet or piece of acetate (which also act as non-absorbent palettes). You will still need to stir the ink on the palette/mat though, it is just a cleaner and easier way of doing it.

You can try blotting the painted image with kitchen towel while it is wet to lift some of the ink to give a blended faded effect.

I've then layered it up using black card and black brads onto an A5 card. It is not an overdressed card, simple with the effects of the Moonshadow Ink being the main focus.