Thursday, January 29, 2015

Altered Playing Cards, Week 20: Hearts and Love

For Week 20 at Claudine's Art Corner the challenge was to alter two playing cards with the theme Hearts/Love in honor of Valentine's Day.

Before we get to the playing cards, I simply had to show all my east coast friends who are up to their eyeballs in snow

that we have set record highs in this area for the past three days.

So, on my way out to retrieve my now empty trash container this afternoon,

I thought a few windswept photos might be worth seeing.

And although this ground is very dry, but fertile after mulching the leaves last autumn, there are still signs of green which means spring may be on the way.  Of course, we are supposed to get snow on Saturday and Sunday, just in time for the famed Superbowl.

But I've taken enough of your time, so let's get back to these APCs.  Once again, I didn't have many hardly any of the same supplies Claudine had, but I have hearts and I have lots of love, so I'm sure I can make things work.  I'm no longer stressing over having the right tools and products, because I've finally decided that for me, the challenge is not to make things exactly as Claudine did, but to use her theme and art as inspiration. 

I chose these supplies for my two cards: on the left, two of my handmade shimmering mists and on the right two colors of acrylic paint.

I'm not sure about commercially made mists, but my shimmering spray mists have a tendency to actually remove the gesso.

After four tries of spraying, then drying, then spraying, etc., I finally got something I liked for the background.  However, when I did, I lost the two distinct colors I had used for this first card.  Not wanting to waste any of my shimmering mists, I sprayed the card on a used file folder.  I'm sure you'll see it at some point in my other weekly challenge (Journal 52).

I realized I needed a second color, so grabbed some of my deep yellow shimmering mist.  I forgot to take a picture before I put it away.  I was trying to control the areas this color would go on the card, so dripped it from the mister (onto my hand, too).

While my first card was drying for the fifth time, I squirted out the very last of the red paint.  I was sick.  I love that metallic color and used it a lot in my Asian art.  Now it was gone, and I had more than I could possibly use on 10 of these APCs.  I chose this paint so it would cover the very thin coat of gesso I had applied to this APC,

not realizing how transparent this paint was.  Or how WET it still was when I applied the Butterscotch.  Needless to say, I had a mess on my hands.  Not mud, but blended colors.

Using my heat tool with the paint in this stage of drying caused the bubbles that eventually took over the card.  At least the backgrounds were FINALLY finished.

That's when it was time to pull out my heart stamps.  I have lots and these are only a few.  At first, I considered using the gifted never-before-used purple stamp on acrylic as a border, then found two others that were actually called border stamps!  I also discovered two stamps in a package I had never opened.  I believe I bought these several years ago when Big Lots was still in my neighborhood.  They sold sets like these for $1.00 (USD).  None of the stamps I have purchased for myself have ever cost more than $1.49 (USD), except the reindeer stamp I bought for this challenge a few weeks ago.  I simply don't pay much for stamps, since I'm not much of a stamper.

Speaking of stamping, it was now time to cull through the ones I planned to use and put the rest away.  I was off to stamp and finish these cards.

For "Love Lives Here," I used the heart stamp for the focal image, the heart border stamp around all the borders, added a bit of washi tape, and hand wrote the sentiment.  Note how the butterscotch paint bubbled, something that happens whenever heat is applied to paint that is nearly dry.

For "Love Out Loud," I used the other border stamp and the love out loud stamp. 

Here are both cards together.  Don't forget to visit Claudine to see her beautiful APCs.

And can someone tell me what "embossing paste" is?  I've never heard of it, much less clear embossing paste.  Looks like Claudine will be demoing it next week.

Thanks as always for your generous and kind comments.  They keep me going, even when I make unintended messes!

20 thoughtful remarks:

TwinkleToes2day said...

Your 'unintended messes' have turned out fabulously Elizabeth! I really like BOTH cards :o))
Here is some info about embossing paste
http://rubberstamping.about.com/od/shoppingguide/a/Embossing-Paste-Profile.htm
((hugs))

Claudine said...

These are both fabulous, I love what youve done here!

Jo Murray said...

You'll just have to invest in more of that red...it's yummy.

Divers and Sundry said...

I like "Love Lives Here" best. It speaks to me, and makes me happy :)

I always enjoy seeing your State of the Plants. Spring will come soon!

pearshapedcrafting said...

Elizabeth, these are both fabulous from the bottom to the top layers - you really do play your cards right!! Loved seeing the street where you live again - it looks so open! Nice to see some greenery peeping through here and there isn't it, although we had a bit of snow here today - going now though!! Hugs, Chrisx

Quirky Homemaker said...

I think they both turned out very well. :) Of course I love the theme of love.

~*~Patty S said...

Well there are no mistakes are there!
Lovely cards and I hope you find more of your favorite red...better to have fun using it than trying to keep it around and then it dries up in the bottle (ask me how I learned that!).
Hope you've enjoyed your respite from winter weather...your yard is looking good.
oxo

Lorraine said...

So glad you shared your process for this project. I love seeing how others create. The finished products are wonderful.

Lady Catford said...

Lovely cards, I am using some of your ideas for my cards. Here on Vancouver Island crocus and snowdrops are blooming and the daffodils are 6 inches high. so nice

froebelsternchen said...

fantastic APCs Elizabeth!

Wendy said...

they look great - I love the look of the bubbling butterscotch paint. Embossing paste is a thick white paste, I've used it with brass stencils before to create a raised image. It's good fun to play with.

Halle said...

I love the background on the green one. The brown or rust flowing thru added a really great element.

johanna said...

first: the outcome of the Cards is fantastic!! i LOVE These Backgrounds, they were well worth all the effort!
when i read which low Prices you pay for stamps... ugh!! i don´t think i could get ANY for this amount (well, stamping may be more popular in the USA of course!). you would roll your eyes if you knew the fortune i spent on my stamps (good that i don´t Keep reference...)

and i have no idea what embossing paste is. never heard of that.

have a great Weekend ahead, elizabeth!

Darla said...

Great cards. I like the bubbled paint for the texture.

Darla

Craftymoose Crafts said...

Both came out awesome--I'll have to remember that bubbling effect using the heat tool. I really like that.

Much more fun when now that you have let go of the stress of not having the same supplies.

Thank you for the warm photos....it snowed again last night--just a few inches, but enough to plow. Windchills of -20 tonight...glad I don't have to be out.

Have a good weekend!

Nan G said...

Ooh E, I chuckle at your trials and tribulations of creating. (with much love) Your APCs turned out fab! Again as usual! For someone who claims they aren't good at stamping your background are wonderful.! Embossing is the precursor to the new molding paste that's out there. We used embossing paste with brass stencils to get a raised design. It can be painted with ink or paint. I have tons of it so I don't need to invest in the expensive molding pastes out there.hugs to you, Bleubeard and Squiggles from me and the Girls. (Who are out in the other room making a mess from what I can hear. ahhh our fur babies.)

Claudine said...

These are very cool, I love the effect you have achieved on your backgrounds, they are beautiful.

Vicki Miller said...

I am amazed at your staying power. Only because I have none! You are going to have a wonderful set(s) of cards to treasure.

ionabunny said...

Hi Elizabeth, these are great. Love the shimmer. The red and gold is very cool. You asked about black washi on Claudine's post. I bought mine in IKEA or you can make your own by painting masking tape. Embossing paste is great. The bought stuff can be expensive but I have seen lots of people making their own. Haven't tried myself but Pamellia has a tutorial that looked good http://mylittlecraftthings.blogspot.ca/2014/09/home-made-texture-paste-glitter-paste.html

Hugz

massofhair said...

WOW you got two comments off Claudine lol!

FANTASTIC APC's as always Elizabeth, you backgrounds are brilliant and i love the bubbling for added texture.

One tip i can give you is don't make too much of the home made embossing or texture paste as they tend to go off very quickly, but they are much more affordable than the purchased type and more versatile as you can add your own colours to them.

Great inspiration Elizabeth, i need to go back and catch up as not done mine for 2 weeks with not being too well :-) xxx

Oh forgot to say you live on a beautiful street :-) xxx