Visible Image Wednesday

Hi Folks

Today I have something a little different in that it is a technique within a step by step as it were. I said a long time ago I would show you how to used embossing powder to stamp  into without having to get out your melt pots etc.
 I also thought what better stamps to demo this with than my lovely friends at Visible Image's stamps so I chose a few to use on this card and some inks of course and got started.

Here is the image for today

Last night I had to pick my daughter up from the train station and while I was waiting it was a nice warm evening with a cool breeze coming in the window and I had the radio playing and it was old summer type feel good songs and it really helped me to choose todays images I think. I have always loved music and been around music with people in bands my whole life , My husband was a bass guitar playing and both my kids now play and my brother is a lead guitarist so its always been in the family along with art and I was in the choir at school well into senior school from little. So as the sentiment says ' Music soothes the soul ' and it truly does. What music do my lovly internet friends like? comment and let me know.

So here is this weeks tutorial.

 I started with clear embossing powder versamark ink , my Music Background stamp from Visible Image ( its only red cos it is stained with ink from a past tutorial haha) I took some off white card and stamped the background across the bottom third of the card one and a half times or however many fit across the bottom of your card size. I tipped on the embossing powder and heat set of course.

 These are the colour distress inks I chose for this card, dried marigold and rusty hinge , shabby shutters and peeled paint.

 I coloured the card in the usual way with the lighter colours and then spray with water, some fine drops and some larger waited a second or two and then dabbed the water away and dried leaving the speckled backing, I then deepened the edges with the darker shades of distress and dried well. Set aside for now.

 Ok take another piece of card I used off white but at this stage it doesn't really matter, use ultra thick embossing powder here as we want nice thick liquid to stamp into. Add some Versamark ink from a pad or dabber in a nice big section, big enough to take the stamp you have decided to use and a bit more room to tear and ink the edge of the card. Pour on the embossing granules and tip off the excess, do not tap the card, just let it naturally fall off, ok heat set from below ( if you try to heat from above at this stage all the powder will probably blow away too leaving you with no more than a disappointed look on your face hehe...
Once this layer is melted go ahead and wait a moment and then add some more versamark on top of the same piece of melted powder and tip on the next layer. Heat set again and get everything ready to heat the third layer just as we have done the first two.

For this layer tap lots of versamark onto the stamp you are going to use as this will be needed to help the stamp release from the hot melted embossing powder. ( Please remember this will be extremely hot and will burn you if you put your finger in it once melted so do not test the embossing with your pinkies.) Ok go ahead and melt layer three, once it is melted lay it on your heat protection mat  ( not the table) and heat from directly above to rewarm from stopping to lay it down , Once you can see it molten again turn off gun and very quickly pick up your stamp and press it into the melted embossing powder , push in quite firm but be careful it can slide. leave for just a little while, around 30 seconds or so and then lift out your stamp while peeling away the card from the underneath.

It will release very easily cos of the versamark on the stamp that was our release agent as it were.
You will be left with a perfect image this is great for making signs and is how I made the bullet holes in past tutorials and signs etc. This Inkognito Heart was a very large image to use but I wanted to try it as I love all the melting effect along the bottom.

 I used some black archival ink to darken the edges of the heart and some walnut stain distress and black to go over the edges I tore away from the melted heart in a very random pattern.

I then added some treasure gold furniture wax onto the raised edges of the heart and torn pieces too, It really brought the sunken image to life, I just love this treasure gold it is so quick drying and is smooth in the pot and smells divine to me.

I then went back to my first piece that I had set aside and matted it onto another off white piece of card and my Image from The Soul Music set of two stamps and typed just part of the image a couple times and embossed it in normal embossing powder not utee, on the top right of the card.

 I stamped out the sentiment for the Soul Music set and cut it apart  I then inked the edges in Walnut Stain, I used the small squares of foam and added them to the back of the words ready to add to card.

 This is the bottom right of the card and you can see most of the sentiment on its foam, the Music word is above the heart.

 I added the music word here above the heart and a little metal charm in the form of a treble clef in the centre of the heart I also added one to the top right and bottom left of the card for finishing touchs too.I also added some more layers for a more complete look to the card, I personally think the more layers it has looks more finished and more professional looking.
 

Here is the finished image again .

This technique always looks so impressive on a card and people always wonder how you have made it but really it is pretty simple you just have to be super careful not to burn yourself or your table etc.

Here is a close up on the heart now it is insitue as it were on the finished card.

Ok so the stamp sets I used for this one from the fabulous Visible Image Duo Of Mark and Helen are

                                                              Music Background

                                                                  Heart Inkognito.

Soul Music.

Mark and Helen had the amazing stand and work from us on the team on it with them at Alexandra Palace at the weekend, did any of you manage to get ther this time?
I didn't get to go but I know they did well and were very very busy , I am so proud to be on their team and so pleased it all went well for them too.

Ok folks enjoy the sunshine I certainly enjoy walking to my car after work in the sunshine for a change in the early evening, much better than the usual wind and rain

Have a wonderful Wednesday and see you  tomorrow my friends.

Crafty Hugs

Kim 

XXXX