PanPastel Background

I've been experimenting with the use of PanPastel Artists' Pastels to create a quick and beautiful background on some of my cards. These artists' pastels are soft and very easy to use. Although I have some Sofft Art Sponges, I have found that a simple makeup sponge works quite well for application and is much less expensive. For the background of this card I used Phthalo Blue for the sky and Raw Umber for the ground. By passing over an area several times and applying medium pressure it is easy to deepen the colour. Conversely, by applying light pressure one can achieve a very pale and soft depth of colour. The texture of the chalk can easily be changed by the movement of your hand. I just love the effect! After applying the background, I stamped the image using a Hero Arts rubber stamp (Silhouette Grass)and Versamark Ink. I then applied and heat set the image using Ranger Embossing Antiquities in Rust. This is a really different type of embossing powder and gives a matte, rough texture to the embossed image. The picture really doesn't do this justice. I was very pleased with the result.

I am current taking another Online card making Class. This one is called "Clean and Simple Card Making" and involves Kristina Werner, Jennifer McGuire, Julie Ebersole and several of their friends. I highly recommend these classes and I'm thoroughly enjoying the fresh new ideas. I've been pretty busy and haven't had a chance to make many cards using the new ideas, but here's one that I whipped up after watching the initial class. I find that I anxiously await each day's new posting. Such fun!

Until next time,