shy crafty girl: caught in crystals

Next week from Sept 23-29 Some members of the VLVS! Design team are doing a Halloween blog hop using the awesome new Halloween stamps! To get your feet wet for the hop here are 2 cards I made with an awesome background technique-caught in crystals. And not using glassy accents which can be expensive to use.

So one night I was chatting with some friends, and one of them, Julia showed up how to do the caught in crystals technique. It was really cool. I've been wanting to do this for the Design team when I saw to do it. I didnt have the right stuff to do it at the time. I still don't really. but I will tell you how I did it and why I used and also tell you what you really have to use instead. I first made a whole bunch and this was the result. I will say I did have a hard time trying to get good pictures of these, due to them being transparencies.

Then I forgot to take step by step pictures! so I did it again. :)

What I used (what you really need with be in parentheses)

transparency film-if you want to stamp and emboss it needs to be heat resistant

Stamps

Versafine black inkpad(You really need a stazon ink pad. I do not have one so I made do with what I have)

Embossing powder

Glitter -I used Art Institute glitter

Shimmer spray-I used Lindy's stamp gang

Pledge Floor car clean and shine (you really need pledge floor care with future shine in the US. This is really hard to fine. but try Wal mart.) I thought the one I got will work as it is clear. and it did, but I had to do an extra step.

Tissue or napkins that are pulled apart for one layer of tissue or napkins

Gel medium (this you do not need if you find the one with future shine, but this in my extra step)

Stamps I used

Other items used

Graphic 45 Happy Hauntings

Black cardstock card bases by recollection

Fall seasonal distress inks pads

spider die cut

Black Memento ink pad

Halloween paper by GCD Studios

foam tape

Miracle tape

Ultra High Gloss embossing powder

Embossing buddy

Now all that is out of the way. now the step by step.

If you want to stamp and emboss the image, first take the embossing buddy and go over the transparency film. Then stamp your image and pour embossing powder over it. Heat to emboss. It will warp a bit. and using Versafine instead of the Stazon the image did bead up and separate a bit, but nothing horrible. And it could be covered up.

Next,turn it over embossing side down.Spray on your sprays. I used these three by Linday's stamp Gang. and sprinkled some glitter.

Next pour a pit of the floor care onto the transparency. move it around with your finger. This is what once the spray and floor care is put on. Spread it around with your finger (this is a messy project).

Next, Take a tissue and pull the layers of paper apart, so you have 2 sheets. crimple it up a bit and put it down on the transparacy. pat it down, letting it soak the liquids. this should hold the transparancy to the tissue. let it dry. overnight is nest. This is what it looks like.

and this is what it looks like when dried.

Here is another way to do this. This time I didn't stamp before. This will just be a background.

Instead of spraying I put some of the floor care onto the transparency first. I then sprinkled glitter and sprayed some lindy's sprays. gt get this. This was was really moving around on me., when i was trying to take the picture.

I then put the tissue on. you can also use napkins, just remember to pull the layers of the napkin apart and use the single ply of it. Let it dry.

Now I do have to say When I first was doing this and the first one I did was drying, I noticed that the backing was not sticking to all of the transparency. and some if came off. To try and save the other ones I did I took the gel medium and very carefully, so it didn't tear the tissue or napkins brushed it on. then let that dried and that did the trick.Like I said in the beginning if I had found the one with Future shine it probably wouldn't have happened.

Now You have all these backgrounds (I will do a video showing all the ones I did, as this post is getting kinda long. LOL) now what. Well now you can make a card!

I trimmed the Transparency to get rid of the access. I used recollection black card bases that were 5 x 6 1/2. I matted two of the papers of the Graphic 45 Happy Haunting paper line trimed one to 4 3/4 x 6 1/4 and the other 4 1/2 by 6. Used Mircale tape to attached the papers to the card base. Also used it attached the transparency to the card. I stamped the "happy Haunting" with black Memento ink pad, on a piece of scrap. used some of the Seedless Preserves and Ripe Persimmon on it. Mounted it on the card using foam tape.

This other card I trimmed the extra transparency around the image. Used the same Recollection black card base. Attached the spider paper by GCD Studio with Miracle tape. stamped the "all Hallow's eve on white cardstock. Mounted that and the spider die cut with foam tape.

Hope you try this. Its really fun and addicting to do. I'm still on the look out for pledge with future shine. :)