Monday, August 8, 2016

Creating My Own Background

As I've admitted to many of my friends in the blogging and crafting community, I am a creature of habit who tends to create within her safe little box (my "comfort zone"), and I rarely ever take on trying something new or learning a new technique.  However, I did go out on a limb, and I ordered some Heavy Gesso by Prima and some cute little stencils.  I wanted to try my hand at a technique I had seen here on Melissa Phillips' Blog.  First, I stamped some PTI Background Basics words onto a piece of Watercolor Paper using Hickory Smoke Tim Holtz Distress Ink.  Then, I laid the PTI stencil across my stamped paper and spread a layer of the white Heavy Gesso across the paper/stencil.  You carefully peel up the stencil and let your gesso dry.   Once it dried completely, I had my hand-made background (which is the theme/requirement for this week's challenge at Pile It On Challenge Blog.
I added my sentiment using a new technique called Sentiment Strip Grounding which I learned on the Papertrey Ink Blog today.  I used a scrap of Crate Paper patterned paper which I inked to lay my strip, then I added a PTI (YOU) die-cut,  and a PTI stamped sentiment (sweet you), and a small piece of vintage tape.
For the "image" that I added to my Sentiment Strip, I cut a heart from a Papertrey Ink Stitched Heart die, and stitched it with ivory DMC floss.  I added a baker's twine bow and a tiny black button with mint baker's time in its center.  I also took a close-up of my card that allows you to really see the texture that Gesso gave my hand-made background.  It was really fun to create, and it's good to learn new things!
These are the challenges where I'm entering this card:

Pile It On Challenge Blog - Challenge #114 - Make Your Owhn Backgrounds    As I explained in detail above, I created this background by hand-stamping a piece of watercolor paper, and then layering it with  heavy white gesso using a floral stencil.  Once it dried, there was my hand-made background piece.

Nicole Heady's Papertrey Ink Blog - Make It Monday Challenge # 257 - Sentiment Strip Grounding - I used a piece of scrap paper to create my sentiment strip.  I added a Papertrey Ink "YOU" die-cut and a Papertrey Ink stamped sentiment using the Wonderful Words Stamp Set (sweet you), and I used a Papertrey Ink Stitched Heart Die, and a Papertrey Ink Woodblock Stencil Set to make my gesso background (learned from Melissa Phillips blog). 

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge Blog - Simon Says "Fabulous Florals" - I used a floral stencil to add a floral background over the stamping using Heavy White Gesso.  There's a photo that shows you a close-up of this fun technique and the sweet floral texture it gave my card.

Thanks so much for visiting!
Karen

14 comments:

  1. love your card - such a great challenge mashup! thanks for playing make it monday!!

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  2. Wow! Have to say, you're bg is a star. Love the grounded heart, but keep looking at that gorgeous bg, and thinking, 'can I do that?' You are definitely an enabler! Beautiful card!

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  3. Looks amazing Karen! Glad you stepped outside your comfort zone... LOVE it!

    Theresa
    Theresa’s Crafty Creations

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  4. BEAUTIFUL!! Love the text and layering! So glad that you join the fun over Simon Says Stamp Wednesday “Fabulous Florals” Challenge! Awesome details and design! Super work!

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  5. Wow Karen you really made a wonderful background with this technique, and the way you grounded your sentiment is spot on. A really dramatic card with the black and white and hint of colour, and that wonderful textureed background.
    Blessings
    Maxine

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  6. Beautiful, beautiful card and I absolutely LOVE your background...I think I need to try that too! And your stitched heart looks fabulous grounded on your sentiment strip. Lovely, lovely card!! :0)

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  7. what a Great job you have done, love learning new things even when it kid of scares me. that I'm going to mess it up. but you wow oh wow you did it and boy did it turn out Fabulous. we seem to keep ourselves in a comfort zone, and I think it is good sometimes to get out a little and try something new...

    God Bless you Karen again an Amazing job !!

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  8. What a cool technique for your background! THanks for sharing. That big heart is amazing!

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  9. Welcome to stepping out of your comfort zone beautiful job Karen! Happy for you!

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  10. Great card! I love all the texture you achieved!

    Patti

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  11. Wonderful card! Thanks for the link to the gesso product and a great photo of how it looks on a card!

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  12. Super joli Karen, très moderne, biz

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  13. Gorjuss card. I love how you used your new stencil with Gesso. Thanks for playing with us at Pile it On. Keti (DT)

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