New Technique - Huge Disaster...

Is anyone out there like me when they go to shows such as the NEC.  You do really well buying only the things that you really want and then nearing the end of the day (but this phenomena can strike at any time) you buy something that you didn't know you wanted.  You watch the demo and get totally caught up in how easy and what fantastic results can be achieved not realising that it's all a bit like that fluffy puppet thing on the little TV screens in stores like Woolworths, etc where the fluffy puppet pet runs up and down the presenter's arm like magic.  Then you buy one and yours turns out to be more like a dead dish cloth!

Yep we've all done it - been there - done that and well and truly got the T-shirt.  

Well this time I bought metal embossing flakes, double sided A4 sheets and a burnishing brush.  I would have bought the glitter too but knew I already had black unused at home .

I really, really paid attention at the show - honest and thought I knew just what to do, but oh dear!!!

I decided to start with a small brass tree stencil, which may have been too finely detailed, but it seemed like a good size to use for my first attempt.  I cut a piece of the double sided sheet to the right size and prepared my stencil by rubbing on soap.

At the show someone stood behind me muttered that even with soap applied to the stencil it still stuck a bit too fast so I was quite wary and maybe too enthusiastic in applying the soap.  Anyhow I placed the soaped stencil on top of the sticky and started to place the metal flakes on top. 

oooooooooooh snowing metal - good job I used a deep container.  This bit was great and the embossing brush did a great job in removing the excess flakes.  So far so good!

Then I lifted the brass stencil - it came away easily and ooooooooooooh what a lovely tree.  Just gorgeous.  At this point I should have taken a photo because from then on everything went decidedly pear shaped.

Next step is to apply black glitter which is supposed to adhere to the background and only the background.  Oh dear where is my tree?  

Out came the brush to bring the tree back and remove any loose glitter.  It had stuck, but not particularly evenly and there was glitter everywhere, including in my eyes.  It will be a long time before I use black glitter again.  The effect was not bad but quite patchy and the tree wasn't as clear as I would have liked.  I thought that taking the sticky from the back and attaching the whole piece to black card may help and it did a little, but it still wasn't perfect.  At this point the design was sort of grungy passable, but not perfect to my liking.

This is the part where I really messed up and tried to use black chalk to cover the patches.  This covered the metal as well and just messed the whole thing up and the sample went from bad to worse.

By this time I should have been asleep and probably anyone who started reading this post has either fell asleep themselves or hopped off to another blog.  Please bare with me a little longer cause there is a good bit coming - I promise.

I loved the effect of the metal, but couldn't stand the hit and miss effect of the glitter.  I certainly didn't want to waste anymore flakes and no way is that glitter coming out again.  So after running through all sorts of ideas in the middle of the night (well I couldn't sleep very well as my eyes were so sore from the glitter) it came to me!!  

Cut out the glitter and brass stencil part altogether.  Make your own stencil in black (or maybe another colour) using a cutting machine or by hand.  Yeah I couldn't wait to try the idea this morning.  I daren't get up in the middle of the night as my Cricut is rather noisy.   Anyway this morning (still too early to wake everyone else with sound of Cricut) I punched a shape into black paper and then stuck this on to the sticky sheet.  Then I applied the metal flakes.  Yeah it works!!!  I really can't wait to try this with some Cricut designs.  Just think of the possibilities.  Silver metal flakes would make amazing snowflakes.  Ooooooooooooh so pretty.

Here is my sample ....

I've not made it up into a card cause I'm thinking I might use it on one of my scrapbook pages about York.  It reminds me of 'The Rose Window' there.  Hmmmm well I've not had much sleep!

For those who've managed to get to the end of this post my sore eyes and sleepless night were mainly for the following challenge

• Crafty Card Makers - a new technique

I do hope they appreciate the blood, sweat and tears that went into this.  Don't forget to watch out for the new Bah! Humbug! challenge starting tomorrow.  I wonder if I can use my new technique for it!!!