On Stage Swap 4 – Artistically Asian

Wow! On Stage went by so fast and I still have posts to do on the swaps I shared.  This swap, using the Artistically Asian stamp set evolved while I was playing with Glossy paper. Glossy paper is like photo paper.  Super smooth and shiny.

Stampin Up! Blends on Glossy paper

I started by adding layers of color with the Light and Dark Blends in Cherry Cobbler, Pumpkin Pie, and Daffodil Delight.  I went over the layers a couple of times and tried to make the transitions blend a little, but the ink dried very quickly.

I really like the color saturation at this stage, but I needed something to make the layers ‘work’.  So, I broke out the Brusho Crystal Colours in Brilliant Red, Gamboge, and Yellow.

 

Stampin Up! BrushoI played with the crystals, adding more water, moving the color around with an Aqua Painter, until I was happy with the overall effect.

This had to dry, and then I had to brush off the extra crystals.  If you are a very tidy crafter, this might not be a product you enjoy. I love mixed media effects and the beautiful imperfection of the results. So I was really happy at this point!

 

To finish the card I decided to use the Artistically Asian stamp set.  Thank goodness my Stamparatus, that I had preordered, arrived while I was creating this swap.  Stamping on glossy paper is not for the unsteady hand.  I ended up trashing three of these backgrounds.

Finally, I mounted the backgrounds on Tangerine Tango and Basic Black.  The sentiment is from the Artistically Asian stamp set also.  I did put a retired black rhinestone as a touch of bling.  I couldn’t resist.