Acrylic Block Stamping

The Group of Cardmakers are revisiting an old background technique - Acrylic Block Stamping.  

First up, a very basic way of doing it:

This is the original way I learned to do this - inking up a block with ink (in this case, with Distress Peeled Paint), spritzing with water, and stamping the block onto mixed media cs.  I used a block with a curved edge and grid lines on it to add extra interest.

I trimmed the panel, added a white die cut branch, popped it up on fun foam on a white card base, added a red sentiment, and embellished the branch with red Smooch for the berries.

For my second card, I used a different medium to colour the acrylic block - Twinkling H2Os watercolour paints.

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I spritzed the acrylic block with water, and then added my favourite shade of blue Twinkling H2O paint. I pressed it onto watercolour paper and let it dry. I then stamped the dragonfly and used a sparkly embossing powder, the colour of which is "marcasite" - not quite black, but darker than grey or silver, and with a lot of sparkle in it. I used the same powder on the sentiment. I added a shimmery black border and mounted it on a cream card base. For the third one, I used a technique I found on SCS (see here) that uses a coordinating colour of spray for the spritz instead of plain water. I used two Oxide inks - Broken China and Tumbled Glass - and smeared them randomly on a large block. I spritzed with Distress Blueprint Sketch spray and that started the two inks blending and moving. I wanted more movement so also spritzed with some water. Then I stamped the block onto watercolour paper. I love the blend of the blues and the variation in intensity! I die cut two reindeer out of off white cs (cutting each twice and gluing together for more substance). I trimmed the background panel, added the reindeer and a sentiment. There are lots more examples over at The Group of Cardmakers!

Supplies for card 1:
Stamps - A Muse sentiment
Ink - Distress Peeled Paint, Memento Lady Bug
Paper - white and mixed media cs
Size - A2
Accessories - Penny Black Winter Branch die, red Smooch accent ink, fun foam, acrylic block

Supplies for card:
Stamps - Old Island Stamp Co. dragonfly, SU sentiment
Ink - Versafine Onyx Black
Paper - Gina K ivory cs, watercolour paper, shimmery black cs
Size - A2
Accessories - Stampendous Marcasite embossing powder, Twinkling H2O Blue Flame, acrylic block

Supplies for card 3:
Stamps - Simon Says Stamp sentiment
Ink - Distress Oxide Broken China and Tumbled Glass
Paper - watercolour paper, off white cs
Size - A2
Accessories - acrylic stamp block, Distress Blueprint Sketch spray, MFT reindeer dies

Aqua Snowflakes and Tiny Wise Men

Sparkles Christmas Challenge wants to see snowflakes.  Double D's theme is winter and it has a lovely wintery mood board that inspired this card:

Here's the Double D mood board - you can see the colours and snowflakes in the top left and bottom right images.

I placed my snowflake stencil over white cs and sprayed with a Mr. Huey's spray. Trimmed the panel, bordered it with blue glitter cs, die cut three snowflakes from the same glitter cs, and added a sentiment on a stitched banner die.

The Christmas Kickstart Challenge wants "wise men three".  The only stamp I could find in my collection has three very small wise men!

Stamped and heat embossed in gold, bordered with gold cs, and a simple sentiment die cut added on top.

Supplies for card 1:
Stamps - Penny Black sentiment
Ink - Distress Broken China
Paper - white cs, blue glitter cs
Size - A2
Accessories - PaperArtsy snowflake stencil, various snowflake dies, Mr. Huey's spray, stitched banner die

Supplies for card 2:
Stamps - Penny Black sentiment, unknown wise men / Bethlehem stamp
Ink - ColorBox Gold
Paper - white and gold cs
Size - 6x3.25"
Accessories - gold embossing powder, small rectangle die

Heat Embossed Cardinal

Squeaking in under the wire for the 52 Christmas Card Throwdown "Heat Embossing" challenge!

I used an older Inkadinkado stamp that works really well for solid heat embossing.

I stamped with Versamark and then heat embossed with a mix of copper and sparkly gold embossing powders.  I fussy cut the image.

I had a piece of copper sprayed cs in my UFO box so stamped and heat embossed the sentiment on it and trimmed it down into a square for the background.

I taped the fussy cut image onto it, and added a border of copper glitter cs.

Now it's finished I'm wondering if it is too monotone.  What do you think?

Supplies:

Stamps - Inkadinkado bird / ornament, PTI sentiment

Ink - Versamark

Paper - white cs, copper glitter cs

Size - 4.75" square

Accessories - copper spray, a mix of copper and sparkly gold embossing powder