Monday, September 20, 2010

Layered backgrounds

I've been playing with my new Cover-a-Card backgrounds... the possibilities just are limitless, which drives me crazy, probably because I want to try out every possibility there is...

The CAC stamps that were released in the summer (view catalog supplement here!) were designed with layering in mind. If you look closely at many of the leading brands of designer paper, the motifs are created with layered patterns. These designs are geared toward that idea - creating your own background paper using a variety of patterns, techniques, and inks. There are a variety of effects you can achieve simply by the kind of paper you use. You can stamp directly to the paper, or mist your stamp with water first for a more muted, watercolored effect. There are botanical stamps and flourishes to throw into the mix as well - see, I told you the possibilities are endless!

So here are a few cards that feature layered background stamps. I've used adhesive glossy photo paper, which has some different properties than regular glossy cardstock. These are super simple layouts meant to show off the base layers... This first background layers 2 favorite CAC stamps - Screen and Script, with some added sponging with Sand ink. I used Flourish 2 on the card base. The sentiment can be found HERE (and it's on sale!).Here I used Screen on the brown card base - tone on tone - just to break up the solid color. On the map layer, I covered the photo paper with Versamagic chalk ink first (Aegean Blue), then stamped over that with Scratches (Memento ink) and quickly wiped away the areas where the two inks met, using a tissue. This produces a subtle distressed look, because the second ink removes the first ink... still working on an tutorial... I stamped the Map over everything, and used a marker to fill in the land areas lightly. Edges are sponged. Those are rolled paper beads on the twine, made from book pages. One of my favorite quotes, too......
Last card - here is Screen again on the card base.... after this card, I had to make myself put the stamp away...! Love it. For this background piece, I rubbed my yellow inkpad (Adirondack Lemonade, same ink I used for the Screen) on the photo paper, then stamped the Kaleidoscope background in Bisque, and stamped the Large polkas over the top in Tangerine chalk ink. I sanded the whole piece horizontally and vertically for a distressed look. The cupcake image (Party Kisses) is watercolored on a Twinchie Square using reinkers. Sentiment is called "Fill Your Day".

Hope this gives you new ideas for playing with backgrounds! If you have questions, let me know.


Thanks so much for stopping by!

3 comments:

  1. Love those backgrounds, all of them! Great cards, can't wait till I receive those new backgrounds to play with! Greetz, Miranda

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  2. Ooooh... I like them all! Love how you layer, color, and distress your backgrounds! My fav is the map card- so pretty! I remember making jewelry with those rolled up paper beads when I was little. Love that- hadn't thought about those beads in a long time :)

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