Saturday, August 13, 2011

Home Made Smooch ....

It's Saturday which means a new challenge is up at Less Is More... yeah!! ... and what a fantastic challenge. Today is the dreaded One Layer Card which I tend to suck at; or at the very least struggle with; however today there was a lovely add-on to the challenge which was to use inks in a new way.




Here is what I did:
I heat embossed the leaf image in clear powder onto whisper white card stock. Then I placed several drops of Lucky Limeade ink into a mini mister and added a couple drops of water. I misted the corner area then blotted the excess off with a paper towel. I added a few more drops of water to the ink and sprayed again only further out into the card area. I repeated that one more time so there was a light, medium and dark progression of color.

Then I loaded up a paint brush with several big drops of Always Artichoke and "tapped" it onto the card creating the dark ink drops.

At that point I thought the card was going very well, but it definitely needed something else. I looked around and thought maybe I could spray it with Smooch. So I quickly made a "sample" card and sprayed it with the Vanilla Smooch from SU!. (there was no way i was going to try that spray on this card because I really loved how it was coming along and we ALL know what happens when we go too far ... disaster!!!) It was ok, but it really washed out the darker spots on the card and turned the ink drops into a funny greenish gray.

So I sat there thinking .... always dangerous ..... and wondered if the Smooch would take the SU ink. As I was washing out the mini mister my eye caught onto another cool SU product called Shimmer Paint/Ink. I already knew the Smooch faded out my green so I decided to give the Shimmer Ink a try.

It worked!! Unfortunately I don't know how much of each I used. I poured a few big drops of the Shimmer paint into the mister first and kept adding drops of Lucky Limeade until it was a nice blend with the overall card.

This card looks so wonderful IRL but I just can't seem to capture it on film (well digital actually). The glimmer from the home made smooch is definitely not showing up and the layering of color doesn't seem to show up either.

Poor picture aside, the coolest thing about this is I can have Shimmer Mists in any color I want. I'm going to take a stab a Ranger's Broken Glass next; it is one of my all time favorite blues.



Thank you for taking the time to visit, it is much appreciated.

42 comments:

  1. Hi Carole, this is absolutely gorgeous!! A fabulous OLC. The techniques and products you've used sound like a foreign language to me, lol!! xx

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  2. Well... what to say?
    Carole, this is simply amazing!
    It looks like you had a ball making it too!
    Well done you!
    SUPERB!
    Thanks so much.
    Chrissie
    Lady LIM
    "Less is More"

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  3. Wow! This is amazing! I am in awe of the way that you built up the colors!

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  4. This is amazing, I wish I could be so brave with ink!

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  5. This is truly stunning, and so great to read how you developed the design from the start. A great technique which products a fabulous card.
    hugs
    wynneth
    x

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  6. Stunning card Carole. Love everything.
    Lynne xxx

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  7. Lovely what you did, very beautiful card!

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  8. Don't you just love it when experiments work as well as this one has?

    Kathyk

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  9. A terrific card, love your technique. Cazro

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  10. This is fabulous - I love the graduated effect you have in the green! And the simple, graphic leaves are super!

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  11. Wow... I don't think you suck at one layer cards at all. This card is a great card.

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  12. I just adore the colours and stamp you used Carole! Those dark spots of colour just make it for me against the green :)
    Thanks for talking us through the technique too it sounds quite a journey of discovery :)
    I bet you didn't even have time to think about the one layer aspect when you got crafting???
    Jenny x

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  13. Beautiful card and a gorgeous colour
    Margaret x

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  14. your card is absolutely way too cool, carole!! love it!!!

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  15. Love the sprayed bg -- terrific card!

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  16. Gorgeous card!! love the way you did it with the leaves.

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  17. well you certainly got inky - the result is fab, love the colour combo.
    Linbyx

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  18. Fabulous inking Carole. The colour is gorgeous. xx

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  19. stunning, love how you made this card

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  20. FANTASTIC card Carole
    How could you groan then create this!!
    Amazing
    Thanks so much
    Mandi
    Diva LIM
    "Less is More"

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  21. Stunning results - great colour!

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  22. Such a fantastic effects with inks, water and stamp!!

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  23. Fab effects. Love the inky background with the white leaves. x

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  24. Gorgeous colours and stunning work.

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  25. Love, love, love how this turned out!! I think I have some of those mini misters somewhere...need to find them!

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  26. WAHOOOOO - I just LOVE THIS. Fab fabby fab fab! LOL! The colours are so refreshing.

    Hugs, Sandra

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  27. Gorgeous green, very fresh card.

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  28. What a stunning card you made, I love it...super greens too! think I need lots of those mini misters now though oh-oh !!! :O) Viv xx

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  29. Wow Carole .. .. this is fantastic.

    How clever are you .. .. and very experimental into the bargain!!

    Me and one layer cards just don't get on at all!!! I give them a miss completely LOL!!!

    Hope you had a good weekend and didn't spend too much in the craft shop on Friday evening?!?!?

    Love Jules xx

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  30. Fabulous choice of colour Carole - this really "zings". Love the inking technique.
    Sylvia x

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  31. Turned out gorgeous...love those sprays!!

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  32. This is gorgeous, fabulous technique and I love the colour. Carol x

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  33. Wow! A stunning card! love that zesty green

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  34. Love your experiment - worked beautifully!

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