Negative Layered Stamping

Hello everyone!

Svitlana is here today sharing a card that revisits two techniques I already showed before.

I wanted to create kind of negative image of a flower cluster using Vintage Roses set. Usually when we work with layered stamps using dye inks we start our way from the lightest shade, using it for the bottom layer of an image. And then use inks of darker shades for next layers. Reverse order usually is not an option as lighter dye inks aren't visible if stamped over darker shades.

But I wanted to use the darkest shade for a bottom layer and lighter ones for middle and top layers. To resolve this “problem” I used clear heat embossing to protect lighter inks from covering with darker ones. I showed layered embossing technique a couple months ago and this time the approach is similar.

I started by stamping the most top layer of a flower, stamping it with the lightest ink – Sea Glass. Next I applied Versamark clear embossing ink on the same stamp and stamped exactly on the top of already stamped image. Of course I used my MISTI for this precise job, but I'm a horrible stamper. Under no circumstances I'm able to stamp exactly where I want. But I know that many people don't have this problem. Then I sprinkled clear embossing powder on my stamped image and heat set it.

Moved to another layer, the next from the top I would say, using ink of a darker shade – Ocean Waves. When I stamped this layer heat embossed areas resisted ink and hence everything covered with heat embossing stayed visible. Some ink residue was left on the embossed layer, I removed it with a cotton swab before moving to the next step. Which was a repetition of the previous one. Applies clear embossing ink on the same stamp, stamped right on the top of the stamped image, put on some clear embossing power, heat set it. Then stamped the next layer using darker ink –Dusk.

After finishing stamping the flower I removed clear embossing with my iron. Some people asked me why I ironed my cards. Most of the time I do it to iron off heat embossing from my card. I love heat embossing very much. And love that raised look it gives. But when I use it for techniques, just to get a certain result, I don't  always want to have a raised effect that heat embossing gives. In this case I iron it off.

To do so I cover my card with a piece of scrap paper, set my iron in the dry mode (with no steam, this is important) and the highest temperature. Embossing powder is a plastic powder so it's melting from iron heat and is transferred from my project to a scrap paper I cover my card with. And as a result I get an effect embossing powder helps me to create with no relief heat embossing creates.

Next I masked my flower and stamped another one in the same manner. And then the third one and leaves using the same technique. It can be hard to understand the process so I hope the video below gives more clear understanding of what I did.

After my flower cluster was finished I moved to another part of my card – creating a bold black background.

On my Spring Daisy focus post  I had some people requested a video showing how I did this. It was very simple to do and in the video you will definitely see how simple it was. I just scribbled all over the rest of the panel with black marker.

For the sentiment I choose hello word from Super Script set using Dusk ink and then die-cut it using corresponding die. As I didn't want to have any white border die-cut usually have before stamping the sentiment I inked cardstock with Ocean Waves ink.

In the video I show all details of how the card was done. Also you can see there that I was making mistakes and changing my mind along the way.

Hope you like my card and give this technique a try. Have a great day!