I can't tell you how many times I almost threw this away! While I was working on it, I couldn't see any way that it would turn out to be something I would show anybody! Wow! Was I ever wrong! I will try to tell you what I did.
I was going to try something more complicated than the simple cards I had tried debossing when I was learning the technique. What I picked was really too hard, but I didn't know that then. The debossing info is here: Forums at Splitcoaststampers
I had in mind to do the Floral background with the Baroque swirls superimposed on top of it. After I stamped the whole thing in black as the instructions said to do was the first time I was going to throw it away because it was ugly. I decided I would get some practice with the debossing before I threw it away. Then I was going to turn the back side to the front, because I was kind of liking the way the back looked. Then after I colored it, I wanted to throw it away again. But I turned it around to the front where the ugly black swirls were and gasped at how pretty the flowers were on the other side. So I set about to redeem the black swirls and sponged the tops of the debossed swirls with gold. Pretty good. Then I stamped the verse on it, and the verse was mounted crooked, so it came out very crooked. I almost threw it away again. I got the sponge and tried to wipe it off. It worked. So I stamped again--and again. I finally got out the Stampamajig to get it right. By the time I got finished wiping that corner, the top was curled and the floral BG was all gone from that corner. Okay, distressing and more gold. Tried paper piercing, didn't really like it. Added the brads.
The debossed piece is mounted on a sheet of apricot appeal with glue dots under the flowers so they don't show. The apricot doesn't show either, but lightens and antiques the debossed piece. The whole piece is mounted on old olive card stock which has been edge sponged with old olive, close to cocoa, chocolate chip, gold and copper inks. I finished the whole thing off with sponging a little copper on top of the gold.
And that is my story.
Date: Monday, March 3, 2008 GMT Views: 1400
Favorited:10
Registered: August 31, 2007 Location: Ohio Posts: 3164
Mon, Mar 03, 2008 @ 4:46 PM
Wow! This is sooo impressive! It's just beautiful--I'm so glad you didn't give up and throw it away. I guess when I see something like this and think *wow--that must have taken forever* it's probably true! TFS
------------------------------ Sherri
"When I do good I feel good, when I do bad I feel bad, and that is my religion." --Abraham Lincoln
It turned out marvelous.......and after all that work you better frame it and hang it on the wall........or send to someone who will really, really, really appreciate it and save it forever..............