Butterfly Glimmer

I actually did some stamping yesterday. I have been so caught up in scrapbooking, that I haven't done very much stamping lately. I love playing with new techniques, but I get in a groove with scrapbooking and then I can't seem to switch. I will have an idea, but I'm almost scared to try it because I'm worried that it won't turn out and I'll be upset and depressed (not seriously depressed, but in a way that doesn't make me want to stamp; maybe more of a frustrated thing). I seem to have a mental block lately about how to finish off a card. OK, I have the main part done; now what do I do because it needs something, but I don't know what. And I'm generally a minimalist, so I struggle with just leaving it knowing I want to do something else.

Anyway, I find the first few cards I make are all right, but then I can generally get back into my groove.

I received my Technique Junkies Newsletter awhile ago and since I've been so busy, I just put it on my craft room desk so that I can look through it later when I have time to play. I love my TJ newsletters as they are always full of cool ideas and often use product I already have (huge bonus!).

The technique that caught my eye yesterday was "Salty Glimmers" and it was kind of a play on what we used to do years ago, but it's beautiful and so I was so excited to try it again. I love that some of the techniques we did years ago keep coming back in various variations.

With this technique, you need to spritz your white matte cardstock with water and then spritz with a glimmer mist. I wanted a blue and a brown (I'll show that one tomorrow), but didn't have the right colour in Tattered Angels or Smooch Sprays, so I created my own with Distress Inks, Perfect Pearls and a mini mister (I've mentioned how to do that before, but if you don't know how, just ask and I can explain it!). When the paper is wet and shiny, throw some sea salt chunks on it. I remember doing this with watercolour paper and water colours. In my memory, the salt chunks pulled the colour so that area was lighter, but in this case, they pulled the colour and made it pool around it and so you got dark areas. It was quite cool!

These do take awhile to dry as they suggested you air dry them (more about how to get around that tomorrow). So, I walked away and came back after the kids were in bed so that I could try to make something out of it.

I also wanted to play with my new Plaid embossing folder from Sizzix. I embossed a piece of Core'dinations paper and then sanded it to use as my background. I love it!!

When my glimmer piece was dry, I stamped my butterfly (Fontwerks) with Silver Staz-On, but it didn't show up well, so I overstamped it in Chipped Sapphire Distress Ink. The Staz-On will resist the Distress Ink, so it came out like a shadow which I thought was very cool.

Overall, I like this card well enough. It won't make it into my favorite pile, but for the first card back in awhile, it's fine.


The Plaid folder comes bundled with a Snowflake one. I already had a Snowflake folder from Provocraft, but I really wanted the Plaid one. I do quite like the Sizzix Snowflake one though as it has some bigger snowflakes, so I'm happy I got the set.
I did keep playing with this technique and will have more to share tomorrow.