C017 Spectra tissue butterflies

The butterfly was stamped three times on prepared Spectra tissue.

Stamps - 03.054.M page 14, 23.167.I page 179, H.0303 page 242

Cardstock - Teal, White, Gold.

Black Memories ink.

DTP with Orchid, Turquoise and Colonial Blue from the Aurora Petal Point.

Accessories - heart corner punch, mounts

C017a Spectra Background

Years ago, I received a swap card from Carol Brown, where she used Spectra Art Tissue for her background. I fell in love with this technique! No matter the colour combination, it turns out beautiful!

Spectra Art Tissue is a special tissue that will bleed it's colors when wet. This background is also know as a cheaters way of watercoloring. Not all tissue paper will do this so you may want to experiment if you have tissue paper on hand. I really don't know what the purpose of this tissue is but I'm sure glad someone invented it!

Prepare your Spectra Art Tissue by ripping it into smallish pieces (1"to 2"). Keep the colors separated so you can grab them easily. Mist glossy cardstock with water. Place torn pieces of Spectra Art Tissue all over the wet cardstock, alternating the colors. Overlap the colors by at least 1/8" or more. You will have to mist over the tissue, as you go, to hold it in place. See above sample.

When your glossy cardstock is completly covered with Spectra Art Tissue, mist again. Immediately lay a second sheet of misted glossy cardstock, face down on top of this. Cover with wax paper Set a heavy object on top such as the Sears catalogue and let bleed. My second sample was left about an hour before I got back to it. Nice eh? Leave overnight to dry before stamping on it.

My next couple of posts will show some cards done with this technique.

M092 Butterfly and Flowers

Berries 14234.C page 167

Main image 23307.Q page 229

Black embossed, coloured with pencil crayons.

C018 Serendipity

Prepare card by folding 61/2" x 81/2" black cardstock in half using a bone folder to make a nice crease. Stamp the front with #0296.I page 233 using VersaMark ink. Decorate a coloured envelope with the same stamp and ink. Set aside.

Turn your decorated Serendipity (from September 29th post) over so you are working on the wrong side. Cut into 11/4” squares using a craft knife. As Ruth says, a steel core-backed ruler works great as it happens to be the right width. A square punch would be perfect but I think you would be asking a lot of it to punch through all the thicknesses.

Arrange nine squares on a 41/8” square of black cardstock, rearranging them until you are satisfied with the combination. Start by gluing a square into each corner, then the center, then put the remaining pieces in place. Cut into a 4” circle. Gold emboss the edges. Set aside.

Gold emboss the Happy Birthday #07305.G page 228 on to black cardstock. Trim close with decorative scissors. Mount on to a piece of purple cardstock and trim close.

Mount the circle and phrase to the prepared card in a pleasing manner.

First taught this class on July 4th, 2001.

C018d Serendipity card samples

Here are a couple of samples of what I did with the Serendipity background:

The dots on the first card are #18031.A page 87.