I have been having so much fun lately just playing around with techniques, making backgrounds, focal elements, etc. All with no end goal, except to just play. If you follow me on Instagram, you might have seen my Toilet Paper Moulding Video
HERE (@sewpaperpaint). I will be sharing a full tutorial/experimentation on that process here on the blog soon. But first, let me show you these fun enameled hearts I made from simple stamping & embossing...
This project comes from some very old Tim Holtz stamps. I used his SIXTH set of stamps here! It's called
From the Heart and is still available from Stampers Anonymous. For reference, he now has 391 sets. This set belongs to my friend
@carolinasweetlee. I stamped the heart four times in black Archival ink onto watercolor paper. I sponged each heart with Distress Ink in the colors shown.
Then I picked out some texty style stamps and stamped each one in various colors. I used
Newsprint & Type and
Ledger Script.
I used
Ranger's Emboss It Dabber to coat the cutout hearts generously. I dipped each heart in
Ultra Thick Embossing Powder (aka UTEE). I have tried using a Versamark pad for this and the thick powder won't stick to it as well. I embossed my hearts with a heat tool, then while it was very hot, I dipped it in the powder again, and repeated for each heart so it was coated with EP four times. You need to work on a glass mat or craft mat for this so it won't stick. (PS. an old credit card will scrap EP off your glass mat beautifully.)
When my hearts were all cooled, I took a sharpie/black permanent marker and went over the very edge of the cut to make sure there was no white paper showing on the edge. This gives an illusion of depth too.
For my background panels I had a lot of fun with my Stamp Platform and another oldie but goodie stamp set,
Slight Alterations CSM060, which belongs to my dear friend Madelyn. I spritzed each layer of stamping heavily with water and let the panels bleed and also blotted here and there to get these washed out effects. For this card I used another stamp in the set and overstamped with brown, then sponged the edges of my card brown too. I just wanted you to see all of the variations lined up. :)
For this card, I layered one of my hearts over a partially embossed Ornate Frame die and one of my background panels. I added some of Tim's tissue tape to my background for contrast. The embossed XO is from one of Tim's alphabet sets.
I went around the perimeter of the panel with a glue stick and applied Ranger's Foil Transfer sheets to the glue, burnishing with a bone folder until the foil released. I love how it works with the shine of the enamel heart. I added a few vintage buttons Carol gave me for my birthday. <3 I hope this card has inspired you to play with some new techniques for your Valentine makes! Make sure to follow or subscribe, as I have oodles more Valentines to share with you soon. Hugs, Autumn
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