Handcrafted background paper is a beautiful thing

For today's card I'm finally getting around to using a background that I created a few weeks ago.

You may remember this card that I made using my own custom inkpad created with baby wipes and reinkers:

Well, ever the canny crafter I didn't want to just bin the inky baby wipes when I'd done stamping with them, so I used them to hand colour a resist technique background paper.

Recipe

Stamp set: A Beautiful Thing

Cardstock: Ruby Red, Whisper White

Ink: Ruby Red, Versamark

Reinkers: Ruby Red, Pumpkin Pie, So Saffron

DSP: Pumpkin Pie Patterns

Punches: Scallop Oval, Large Oval, Scallop Edge

Other: Clear EP, Crop-a-dile

To make the background paper - The detail flower was stamped out first in Ruby Red ink on Whisper White card. Using the stamp-a-ma-jig for placement I then stamped the bold flower over the top with Versamark and heat embossed with Clear EP. Next I dabbed all over the top of the card with the used baby wipes. A dabbing/pouncing motion keeps the colours seperated a little better than sweeping which can muddy them - experiment to get an effect that you like (I lost a bit of the So Saffron underneath the Pumpkin and Ruby). Wipe any excess ink from the glossy flowers with some kitchen towel to expose the uncoloured areas where the embossing has resisted the ink.

To make up this card - I started with a landscape A6 card blank of Ruby Red and stamped a row of small flowers in Ruby Red ink along the bottom, using the stamp-a-ma-jig to extend the line. The centre of each flower was punched out using the large hole on the Crop-a-dile. Strips of Pumpkin Pie DSP were punched with the Scallop Edge and adhered behind the background paper which was then adhered direct to the card front. The sentiment was stamped in Ruby Red onto Whisper White card, punched with the Large Oval and matted onto a Scallop Oval punched from Ruby Red card. This was popped up on dimensionals on the card front.

For the inside I stamped a (retired) sentiment and the dinky heart from the I {heart} Hearts stamp set and adhered a strip of the Pumpkin Pie DSP along the bottom to show through the flower centres.

... and I've still got some background paper and stamped trees left over to use. Not only great value paper and toppers but also guaranteed to match your other supplies.

Thanks for stopping by.

Sara xx