Playing with texture.

I've got myself all out of kilter with being off colour these last few days. I went to bed at 10 this morning and got up at about 5pm still feeling rubbish but as the evening has gone on I have felt better and better........just in time for going in to work tomorrow. Wouldn't you just know it......lol!!!

Despite that though I have spent this evening playing with some ideas for adding texture to card using adhesives and embossing powders. I expect most experienced stampers have done the Bondaweb background technique but I have gone back to it as it is one of my favourites and so easy that it may encourage learners to have a go at something a bit different.

I have also been experimenting with the blue glue that dries clear but remains tacky. I have a jar full of this because me and the pens that contain the glue just do not get on at all. Either the nib clogs up and refuses to be cleaned or it develops a flood and I end up with glue everywhere. I usually cut the top from the pen and pour the glue into a small jar intending to use it but I always forget it is there....until today:-)

With the glue I have been using a green kitchen scrubber as an applicator and have been very pleased with the outcome...........so here's what I did today. Starting at the top left is a lovely chocolate brown card textured with Bondaweb and Verdigris embossing powder. Next to it is the same card but this time I have applied the blue glue with a piece of the green kitchen scrubber which I attached to an old wooden stamp block with DS Tape. I let it dry before adding the embossing powder as I didn't want the wet glue bubbling up and spoiling the effect.

Next down on the left is burgundy card with a blue glue application and a Garnet Pearlustre embossing powder which gives a beautifully rich matt and gloss effect.

To the right of that is again the blue glue application onto gold pearlised card but this time instead of embossing powder I have dabbed over the tacky glue with transfer foil in blue and green. This gives a lovely raised foil effect that surprisingly is quite subtle.

Third row down to the left is gold embossing powder over blue glue on gold pearlised card. It looks so much nicer in real life than in the scan as it looks as if the shinier gold has worn away to reveal the duller gold underneath.

Finally we have a two tone Moonglow powder over blue glue on gold pearlised card.This again gives a quite worn effect but I did find it best to apply these powders over the Bondaweb for stronger colour.

The dragon card has used the Bondaweb

technique as follows.

Decide on the size you would like your finished background to be and cut a piece of card to that size. Here I used gold pearlised card.

Cut a piece of Bondaweb just slightly bigger than the piece of card to allow for shrinkage.

Place the piece of card inside a shallow baking tin. Remove the backing paper from the Bondaweb and and place the clear sheet of adhesive over the card.

Take a heat gun and start to heat the Bondaweb which will go clear and shiny. Allow the heat to create bubbles and keep the heat gun on them until they burst.

Once the Bondaweb is adhered to the card start to add embossing powder and melt with the heat gun. I put my EP into a shallow dish and sprinkle it on with my fingers rather than tipping a pile onto the card and this way you can control the effect better.

Once you are happy with the effect, turn off the heat gun and allow the piece to cool on the tray.

Any stray Bodaweb can be carefully trimmed from the sides with scissors.

You can now use this as a stunning background for any of your stamped images.

For the dragon sample I used-:

Moonglow EP in Holly Berry Red Gold

Chinese script paper is by Crafthouse Press

Dragon Stamp by TandaStamps

The dragon has been stamped and embossed and then coloured with a green glitter gel pen and a blue metallic gel pen which I then embossed with clear powder.......heating carefully so that I didn't spoil the first embossing.......this gives a beautiful enamelled look. If you have a go at these techniques I would love to see your work.............so point me in the direction of your blog or website and I will drop by to see you.......Have fun..........Sheila-x-