Buy it - Try it: SU Moroccan nights stamp set

Something a little more current than the last post - in fact I think this might be either a first, or part of a very exclusive club LOL.  I have actually tried out a new stamp within ten minutes of its arrival!!!!
The stamp set in question is the Moroccan Nights from the latest Stampin Up catalogue.  I did hesitate over buying it, as I am not sure what I am going to do with the lantern images, but the medallion just called to me :-)
I knew I wanted to try it with gilding flakes when I first set eyes on it, so that's what I tried first.  I got an Indigo Blu starter kit some time ago, have used it a couple of times, and it's high up on my "I really must use that more often" list.  So here are Autumn Blaze, Morris Dance (both from IB starter kit) and Mulled Wine flakes from Cosmic Shimmer.  I did have a go with Chocolate Box (IB), but I stamped too enthusiastically and there was too much glue to give a good result, or even one worth photographing LOL.  I'm also including a picture of some essential pieces of kit for using gilding flakes .... First, anti static tumble dryer sheets as the stuff floats everywhere and clings everywhere it lands!  Second, a mini dustpan and brush for clearing it all up.  I got mine from the Glitter Pot, but there are a few different brands around.  Also really good for clearing embossing powder off your desk LOL.

Next up was to use embossing powder.  I had also ordered some SU embossing powders, as I wanted to try the new copper and someone had recommended either the silver or the gold, since I couldn't remember I ordered them both!  The silver didn't photograph at all well, I'll try to get a decent pic another time, but it does look fine.  The gold and copper, and indeed the silver, seem to have a matte metallic effect, although they shine, it's in a subdued kind of way :-).  They do look nice and there wasn't any shadowy residue which some brands leave behind.  The last colour to try it with was an old one - Verdigris by Stampendous.  It's a variegated powder and I wasn't sure how it would hold up to such fine detail, but it looks fantastic and is my favourite of all the embossed ones.

So I have had an experimental kind of day, it's been fun :-)

Distress Ink Trio

A few weeks ago, I decided to try to make three different cards with the same three DI colours.  Did I write those colours down?  Noooooo!  Can I remember them now, having been both poorly and suffering from an acute attack of Real Life in the meantime?  Noooooo!  I can tell you that there is a red, an orange and a yellow and that I am fairly sure the yellow was Fossilised Amber.  But I'm afraid that's it...... :-(

For the first card, I made a stencil using a scalloped circle punch and blended the three colours through the aperture, then over-stamped in black.  One of the mini butterflies is there to cover up the accidental black smudge, the rest are to balance it LOL.

For the second card, I applied the three colours randomly over a stencil.  This made such a nice background, I didn't want to cover it up too much (always my problem with backgrounds....), so I die cut the sentiment and butterfly, which is only stuck down along the body so the wings are free and finished off with pearls.

For the third card, I embossed some white cardstock in the Bigshot and brushed the three colours over it.  Then I stamped the flower in a mixture of the colours and softly blended over with the yellow (Fossilised Amber!!!).  One flower is stuck flat to the card and the second is raised on foam pads.  The banner sentiment is coloured to match.

 



Whilst typing, my brain is whispering that the red and orange might be Fired Brick and either Spiced Marmalade or Dried Marigold.  But don't hold me to it :-)