This is for Linda's fun Ways to Use it Challenge - Silhouettes and Stripes. The inspiration for the background came from a TV report about the Northern Lights being seen in countries that don't usually see them. The pictures looked incredible and immediately reminded me of Cracked Pistachio and Pickled Raspberry Distress Inks.
The background started out life as a failed brusho background (dirty grey with a few tiny highlights of blue and yellow). When I say failed, I mean seriously ugly. I have learnt though that distress inks applied over the top of the brushos is a match made in heaven. The brusho acts like a smooth gesso coat.
Using the smack & squirt technique (smack distress ink pad onto al foil, squirt on a lot of water and scrub the inky water over the card using a foam blending tool). With the brusho undercoat you hardly need to do any blending, it sort of looks after itself.
The Lavinia fairy sitting on the branch was stamped about 4 times using MISTI and Versafine black onyx ink. I did the top half of the background stamping in Versafine and Archival for the foliage at the bottom. The archival ink is not as black as the versafine, so it makes a nice contrast.
The doodled border, water drops and sticks were hand drawn with micron pen and white Sharpie paint pen. Lydia has a great tutorial for the waterdrops here .
I cut two narrow strips from the stamped panel, then attached the panel to 4" x 8.25" black card base. I cut off the excess black (about half an inch) from the front and adhered the coloured pieces to the outer edge of the inside back. I hope that makes sense, even I am confused now. I hope strips of stamped card qualifies as stripes??
Thank you for looking.
Date: Wednesday, June 24, 2015 GMT Views: 12420
Favorited:34
Registered: January 8, 2011 Location: Sydney, Australia Posts: 40326
Wed, Jun 24, 2015 @ 11:59 PM
Hello gallery neighbour! Wow, this is just gorgeous, Susie, LOVE the colours in the bg!! I saw the northern lights on TV, too, it would have been amazing to see IRL.
------------------------------ Sue
Fan Club Member QFTD143 FS420
Registered: June 10, 2011 Location: Canberra, Australia Posts: 7304
Thu, Jun 25, 2015 @ 12:49 AM
Stunning Northern Lights Susie - saw them once in Canada - they woke me up in the middle of the night and had me wondering where all the green and purple lights were coming from until it dawned on me - I watched them till they faded - half the night!! Love the inky black fairy.
Registered: June 4, 2009 Location: Deatsville, Alabama Posts: 82296
Thu, Jun 25, 2015 @ 2:59 AM
Wow - this is amazing! Such gorgeous colors, image,s techniques, bling-like details make this card really beautiful. Love it - into my faves. Hugz
------------------------------ Nancy Williams - Hope your day is Spirit-filled and ink-filled (in that order)!DRS Designs-DT, Punchkateerforever, Dirty Dozen Alumni