Instant Aging

Ick!  Who would want to be aged instantly?!  Not okay for women, but great for DP that you want to look shabby in seconds.  I had been looking at some cards that were "shabby chic" or "vintage" which is a look I love!  And I was thinking how cool Bella Rose would look if it were aged or tea-dyed.  So before I show you my sample and tell you how I did it, here is a card made for a special someone (she'll know when she gets it!) with SU's beautiful Bella Rose DP  "straight" (unshabby) and Dreams duJour:

Pretty straightforward; the "DREAMS" is popped up with dimensionals.  Now here is the one that I shabby'ed up:

Instant aging!!  This is a really easy technique and it is great to show at a workshop because it is like getting another piece of DP!  Using More Mustard ink and a brayer, I simply brayered over the paper with the ink; if it looks a little splotchy or uneven, that's fine, it adds to the aged look.  I find More Mustard looks more "golden" than Creamy Caramel.  (I used a sponge brayer, but the hard rubber one in the SU catalog would work as well, I think.) I did use CC for stamping Canvas over top; that made it look more like fabric.  Linen would have been PERFECT; however, since SU retired it, I can't use it in a workshop!  Anyway, I sponged the edges with Close to Cocoa to finish the look.  I also sponged the twill & button to tone down the color and distressed and sponged my sentiment panel.  And remember, these are things I want to show at a workshop, so they are simple, uncomplicated cards.  So there you have it--aging in an instant.  Here's another:

And just so you can see the actual difference in the before & after:

  

I'll bet you have some DP that you'd love to try this on!

I also wanted to try stamping the floral image from Inspired by Nature using my Versamark & pastels, which is a neglected item on my stamp table!  So here is my attempt:

This is an easy technique with a great "WOW" factor.  I simply stamped on Confetti white with Versamark, then added my pastels, starting with the stems, then centers, then petals, using a cotton makeup applicator.  It is easy to add shading with the pastels, and since I don't have Kiwi Kiss pastels to match my cardstock, I simply blended Yoyo Yellow & Garden Green on my applicator and applied it to the stems.  There is no limit to your color palette when you have 48 colors of pastels!!!  The small sentiment is stamped in Close to Cocoa and it is from All Holidays.

I hope you have a great weekend--it is beautiful here in SE PA and DH & I are going to take a little day trip--my surprise to him when he comes back home from his errands!  Enjoy!
LeAnne