Cracked Glass Technique

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Why is it that when you age something it gives it so much more character?  The Cracked Glass technique is one of those aging techniques that just give your project not only an antique look, but a richness as well.  I think you’ll be shocked to find out just how easy it is to manipulate your cardstock into looing like a stamped cracked glass of beauty!

Supplies –

      If you’d like to learn techniques and how to make amazing cards – check out the classes in The Creative Grove Classroom!  Specialty techniques and cards are taught every month in the Class of the Month

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Creative Tips –

  • Stamp your image that you would like seen under the ‘cracked glass’.
  • You will not need to worry about using an embossing buddy, we want all the enamel powder to stick to our image.
  • Use your Versamark ink pad upside down and smoosh it into your image.  I know, that’s a highly technical term!  You want to cover your piece of card stock completely with your ink pad.Provencal Cracked Glass Technique  (5)
  • Pour Ultra Thick Embossing Powder or enamel over your image and emboss until the powder is melted.  Immediately press your hot image into the powder again to get another coating.  Melt again using your heat tool.  You will be left with a thick coating of melted clear embossing powder.  If your image did not pick up a second layer of powder, smoosh – there’s that technical term again….lol – your Versamark pad over it again and repeat.  You will want 2-3 layers, depending on how thick you can make it.
  • Allow your image to cool.  Stamp the remainder of your card. Provencal Cracked Glass Technique (7)
  • Here I stamped the same grape image over and over in Elegant Eggplant on the background.  You can tear the edge as I did here to reveal the Old Olive underneath for the greeting.
  • Gold cord was wrapped around a few times for an element of interest.
  • Once cooled, bend your piece of cardstock until the ‘glass’ cracks several times.  You will want to bend it in both directions.  The secret to the Cracked Glass Technique is to allow your piece to properly cool.  If you’re super impatient – pop it in the freezer!Provencal Cracked Glass Technique (8)
  • Here you see the cracked masterpiece adhered to an 1/8” border of Elegant Eggplant before being added to another 1/8” border of Very Vanilla.  The Very Vanilla was distressed with the Distress Tool before an Elegant Eggplant ink pad was run over the edge in the direct to paper technique.
  • The cracked trio was then adhered in a raised manner using Stamping DimensionalsProvencal Cracked Glass Technique  (1)

This card is elegant and rich looking both with the color choices, stamped images and definitely with the embossed cracked glass piece on top.  Give it a try – I think in the end you’ll love the result the Cracked Glass Technique gives you!

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Really Good Greetings Mojo Monday 300!

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Wow, 300 sketches at Mojo Monday – that’s quite an accomplishment over the past almost 6 years!  I thought my Mojo Monday 300 card deserved some Really Good Greetings for that.  Okay, a little pun intended on the words…lol!  That was almost too easy on an early Monday morning here in the Orlando, Florida area. 

I love the way this sketch turned out, my card feels crisp, light and bright.  Of course, I went straight to my, yup you guessed it – color coach for this awesome color combination – Coastal Cabana, Crushed Curry and Pumpkin Pie.  I knew I was going to use this greeting set, and set out to use my two other favorites – Gorgeous Grunge and Dictionary.  I hope you like it – thanks for the inspiration Julee Tilman, your sketch turned out lovely!

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Creative Tips –

  • I chose a color combination from the Coastal Cabana card in the Color Coach collection.  I wouldn’t have put these colors together myself, but they definitely work – that’s why I always use my coach – color is not my thing!
  • I knew I didn’t want to over power the card, so I chose two trusty background type stamp sets – Gorgeous Grunge and Dictionary.  I used the stripes on the 5” x 2 5/8” panel – it’s my absolute favorite stamp in my entire collection!
  • For contrast, I kept the Crushed Curry banner solid.  To make the banner end, I used my paper snipsView my video on how to make banner flags Really Good Greetings 002 Side
  • The Pumpkin Pie circle was cut using my new Circles Collection Framelits – it’s the #4 circle.  I stamped the dictionary background stamp using Pumpkin Pie for just that little something.
  • I struggled a bit with how to matte the greeting square.  I didn’t want to incorporate a new color and the other three colors didn’t quite work as a 1/16” border.  I finally decided to go with Whisper White on itself.  By popping it up on dimensionals, it gave it the break and shadow that I needed from a contrasting colored matte.  Really Good Greetings 002 Height
  • To color my greeting, I used the Crushed Curry, Pumpkin Pie and Coastal Cabana Stampin’ Write Markers.
  • For the flag, I used a scrap piece from the new Eastern Elegance Designer Series Paper along with my 1” Square punch
  • The flower was made by punching out two flowers using the new Pansy Punch.  I worked the edges a little of each petal and bent them in on itself.  I worked the Pumpkin Pie flower a bit more since it was in the center.  I created a flower center using the 1/2” circle punch and finished it off with three small Pearl Basic Jewels.Really Good Greetings 002 CU
  • For a finishing touch on this card, I incorporated some paper piercing.  Don’t think that your Paper Piercing always has to be the same all around your card.  If you’ll notice I have two large corners and two lines in addition to a smaller corner on the greeting.  It’s just the right amount without going overboard.

This is actually a great card for anyone who is going through something.  What I like about it the most is that it’s hopeful, bright and cheery.  It’s the perfect card to send to someone who needs a lift in life.  I hope you like it too! 

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Stamp Sets – Really Good Greetings (130333c, 130330w), Dictionary (130351c, 130348w),Gorgeous Grunge (130517c, 130514w) Ink – Coastal Cabana (131175), Pumpkin Pie (126945), Pumpkin Pie Stampin’ Write Marker (105115), Crushed Curry Stampin’ Write Marker (131901), 2013-2015 In Color Marker Collection (131260)  Paper – Whisper White (100730), Coastal Cabana (131297), Pumpkin Pie (105117), Crushed Curry (131199), Eastern Elegance DSP (130131) Cool Tools – Paper Snips (103579), 1/2” Circle Punch(119869), Circles Collection Framelits (130911), Pansy Punch (130698), 1” Square Punch (124094) Finishing Touch –Stampin’ Dimensionals (104430), Pearl Basic Jewels (119247), Paper Piercing Tool (126189), Stampin’ Pierce Mat (126199), Essentials Paper Piercing Pack (126187)

Gorgeous GrungeDictionary Background StampReally Good Greetings