Practice makes perfect!

Hi Everyone!

One of the gorgeous AALL & Create stamps I purchased recently was this beautiful butterfly collage image by Olga Heldwein.  I've only used it once before and not as a complete image but just to cut out a couple of the butterflies to add as embellishments.   I had the stamp out on my desk last week and wanted to try stamping the whole image.  I tried a couple of times with a block with poor results so decided to use my Be Creative stamp press so that I could reapply ink and restamp several times if necessary.  I found it best to prime the stamp, first with Versamark then clean with a wet wipe followed by Archival which I let sit for a while.  I think I wiped mine off with a rag but you can just leave it to dry.  I finally used Versafine to actually stamp the image and I only had to repeat stamp once to get a pretty good image.  What I didn't realise at the time was that the card I had picked up has a slightly shimmery, pearlescent surface so I think had it been proper stamping card it might have stamped well the first inking, lol.  Never mind, all's well that ends well!

The stamped image sat on my desk for a few days until I caught sight of Jenny Marples' beautiful DT card using the same stamp on the AALL & Create FB group which lit the inspiration fuse and today's card is the result.

After stamping the main image I stamped and cut out a mask for the large butterfly then I put some Amsterdam Acrylic Inks onto my craftmat and spritzed with water to thin them a little before picking the colour up on a brayer and very randomly brayering over the whole surface.  I deliberately missed areas here and there.  I blended a little black Archival around the edges

I stamped the big butterfly again onto a piece of card and fussy cut it then adhered it to the main piece just by the body leaving the wings free for dimension.  I trapped some thread beneath the butterfly at the same time.  The finishing touches were some beads of Ranger black enamel accents and the little quote from one of Tracy Evans sets for AALL&C

Once I sussed out the stamping of the main image this was quite a simple card to create and yet I think it's very effective.  

Have a lovely sunny day everyone and see you soon.

Hugs

Lesley  Xx