Polished stone Technique challenge card 4

 

Good Thursday morning Ladies, 

I hope that you are well, thankfully I feel a hundred times better than I did last Thursday (after my vaccine). It probably took me until Sunday to feel more like myself.    

We had a little bit of a treat last night, as we were celebrating 34th Anniversary of the day we met. It has really gone so fast, I can hardly believe it's been so long, I can honestly say that I still get as excited to see him after he has been at work all day as I did back in those early days.  I know I have told you before but I first met Paul in Sainsbury's in Ipswich, he was and always will be my best shopping bargain find ever!! 😂

Today's card was created after I had a play with a new (to me) technique called 'Polished Stone', all you do is take Ink Pad re-inkers (I used three shades of SU green), you dot them onto a ball of cotton wool and then take a piece of glossy card and tap the inked cotton wool ball all over the glossy card, it gives a real mottled sort of look, like you are looking down onto a forest...

I will say that some of the little fibres from the cotton wool get stuck in the ink but that adds to the texture I think because I tried the same technique using a little make up style sponge and the effect was completely different, it barely had any texture at all. I guess the 'polished' part is the shine from the glossy card. Funny story, I didn't think I had any glossy card as its not something that I would normally use, so I had a rummage around and found a complete pack of glossy card, almost like photo size, I think that I ordered them about 10 years ago from Create and Craft after watching Barbara Gray demonstrate with them, they are Clarity ones, they came with some little sheets of acetate and some double sided adhesive sheets all the same size, I can't for the life of me remember the technique, I believe it involved Gilding flakes! It will come to me, probably at 3am next Tuesday! haha

So to create the card I took my 'Polished Stone' background and sat with it in my hand for about an hour and then remembered that I had ordered this stamp set.....

Now I am sure we have all done this but I bought this stamp set purely for the beautiful Fern Frond, I believe it's Maidenhair Fern but I may be wrong.  

I stamped the Fern Frond a few times in different shades of green and then picked two that compliment the background.  I die cut a a little topper using one of the dies that are in the matching die set to the stamps.  I popped some foam pads on the back of the die cut piece and twisted some Braided Linen thread around and finished with a bow.  I picked two of my fern fronds and added foam pads to the back of them and tucked them under the thread.  The sentiment is from the 'Art Gallery' stamp set that I used last week, I chose 'thinking of you' as I thought that this card would work for male or females and could easily be a 'Sympathy' card or a card for someone that is going through a tough time.

I have to say that I am really pleased with how it worked out, it really does pay to try new techniques sometimes.  I can do a little video if any of you want me to, it's sometimes easier to see it being done than understanding instructions. 

I hope that you all have as good a day as possible, the weather here has taken a turn for the worse making any garden activities difficult, so I will be spending the day experimenting in my craft room, I also need to pop to the Post Office to send some Happy Mail. 

Sending my love and hugs to all of you,

Sandra                                                                                                                                                          xxxxxx