Monday 9 September 2013

UKS End of Summer Blog Hop - Using Woodgrain Textured Cardstock


 
Welcome to the first stop on the UKScrappers End of Summer Blog Hop!
 
Here at ATDML we have recently taken delivery of some fantastic cardstock. A customer posted on UKScrappers asking if anyone could source some white wood grain textured cardstock she had once had in a Studio Calico Kit.
 
Ever keen to rise to a challenge we tracked it down to Germany and ordered it in. However it came in HUGE sheets 1 metre by 70cm so we then sent it to be professionally cut to 12x12.
 
 
I was intrigued by this cardstock and decided I ought to have a play so todays post is all about how I used this cardstock to make a card with lovely distress inked, textured hearts on it.
 
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1) First I punched out some hearts from the cardstock. You can just make out the wood grain texture in this photo.
 
 
2) I then experimented with different ways of applying distress ink to the hearts. In the photo below you can see the three colours of distress ink I used: Fired Brick, Tea Dye & Walnut Stain.
 
The heart on the left has a stronger pattern which was achieved by directly smooshing the ink pad across the cardstock.
 
The one in the middle has a more subtle effect created using the applicator and dabbing gently onto the cardstock.
 
The heart on the right was made by swirlying the applicator, starting off the cardstock on my craft mat and moving it in circular motions onto and over the cardstock.
 
 
3) I made myself several hearts in the larger size and also some smaller ones. Once they were done I inked the edges as well to add more definition.
 
4) Next it was time to make the card base. I used a brown mottled background from my scraps box (it was from the Glitz French kiss range) and cut it so it would be slightly smaller than my card blank.
 
5) I added two strips of co-ordinating washi tape and cut the ends to look like ribbon & applied these to the bottom edge of the card.
 
6) I inked the edge of the brown paper and added a faux stitching border to the paper (just because I like to add extra edging detail!)
 

7) To assemble the card I mounted a small heart inside each of the larger ones and arranged these along the washi tape strips.
 
8) I stamped the greeting in the top left hand corner with archival ink, however as the background was quite dark I wanted to give the greeting extra oomph so I added some clear embossing powder over the greeting and heat embossed it to make it raised and shiny.
 
9) Finally, to add a little extra interest and dimension I added a layer of glossy accents over the top of the small hearts.   


 
Of course you could use the same technique to make embellishments for your layouts, or journaling cards in any colour you like. I used the same technique to make a star and heart embellishment for a Project Life journal card:
 

Thanks for stopping by, your next stop in the blog hop is Fiona's (Angelfish on UKS) blog "Staring At The Sea" When you have visited all the blogs and left your comment don't forget to go back to UKScrappers and post on the blog hop thread there as this is what makes you eligible for the prizes!

Talking of prizes, before you go scroll down to the post before this - we are currently running a back to school giveaway which ends TONIGHT at 8pm so taking time to comment on that post will also give you another chance to win - and who doesn't like to win a crafty prize?!?!