A Favorite Old Technique–Cracked Glass!

Good Monday morning!  Thanks goodness that we’ve finally had a little rain and the temperatures have cooled.  Hopefully I’ll be able to get out and walk the dogs this week and get some much needed exercise.  It’s also going to be a very busy week with doctor appointments for most everyone in the family.  Mallory’s is coming up Tuesday and maybe, just maybe, they’ll be able to tell us why she still has this cough . . . I’m not holding my breath on this one though . . .

Anyhoo, moving on from family medical issues . . .

I’ve had a couple of LaBlanche stamps for some time now and not once have I ever done anything with them.  I’ve had an idea running through my head for a couple of weeks and decided it was time to do it . . .

One of my favorite techniques from a few years ago was Cracked Glass.  I loved making card with this technique and over time, I’ve just gotten out of the habit of doing some of my well loved techniques.  I decided that yesterday was the day and I paired the technique with this image from LaBlanche Stamps.

Let’s start with the image.  It was stamped on Arches Hot Press Watercolor Paper in Archival Coffee and then water colored with Tombow Markers.  Even though it is very difficult to see, once the image was die cut/embossed with Spellbinders Classic Ovals it was very lightly stenciled with Antique Linen Distress Ink.    The panel was then inked with Distress Embossing Ink and probably covered in oh . . .  5 or 6 layers of Ultra-Thick Embossing Enamel (UTEE).    To make the cracking easier, I placed the embossed panel in the freezer until it started to curl.  Once the panel was straightened, it formed cracks.  Don’t you just love how the image cracked right in the butt   . . . trust me, not intentional!  Sadly, all the layers of UTEE make the image pale compared to how it looked before . . . there is actually blue water colored in the background . . . it disappeared to somewhere.  The cracks were enhanced by rubbing Gathered Twigs Distress Ink over them, with the excess being wiped away.

If you are unfamiliar with this technique, you can find a tutorial here under the Resources on Splitcoaststampers.   Maybe someday I’ll quit being lazy and break out the video camera and remake some tutorials of my favorite techniques for you.

Because the flowers in the image were water colored with a pale lavender, I picked Prima Garden Collection paper to use at the background.   I tried a couple different colors of ribbon too, but finally decided that this Buttery Gold May Arts Silk was perfect and brought out the butterfly and the flower centers.

Oh and the card is also a different height for me . . . 4.5 x 7”.  Haven’t made one of these for a very long time!

Well, that’s all for me right now.  Thanks for stopping by and remember . . . life is short, embrace the adventures that come your way today!

Project Supplies:

Spellbinders Paper Arts Blog	Spellbinders E8-009 Classic Decorative Inserts One	Spellbinders E8-008 Classic Edges Two
Spellbinders S4-356 Floral Ovals	Spellbinders S4-110 Classic Ovals LG	Spellbinders Grand Calibur
LaBlanche Pondering Child	Arches Hot Press 140lb Watercolor Paper	Prima 6×6 Paper – Nature Garden
Mix’d Media Inx – Jasmine	Ranger Archival Coffee	Ranger Distress Embossing Ink
Distress Ink – Antique Linen	Ranger 2011 Fall Seasonal Distress Inks	Ranger Cut N Dry Stamp Pad Foam
Ranger Melt Art UTEE	Heat it Craft Tool	Ranger Non-Stick Craft Sheet
Tombow Dual Brush Markers	Scrapbook Adhesives 3D Foam Squares