That's Life: mica spray

Showing posts with label mica spray. Show all posts

Monday, 24 August 2026

Harvest Moon...

Hello everyone...

Hope you've all had a good weekend and you're now ready for a new week, and a new Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge.

This week, our theme is all about LOTS OF LAYERS and we'd love to see how you will interpret this theme and can't wait to see what you create.

For my make, I chose to create a card to celebrate my favourite season, Autumn/Fall and not only did I add layers to build up the card base, I also added layers of die cuts and layers of Distress Inks, to bring the scene to life.

So, let's get started, it's time to take you through all the details of how I made this layered card.

To begin with I created a black card blank, measuring 20 x 15cm.

CARD LAYERS

To build up the layers of the card, I began by cutting another panel of black card, 19.5 x 14.5cm and I lightly spritzed this layer with Decayed and Unravelled Mica Sprays. I don't want a solid block colour on this panel, just a splatter of shimmery dots. Mount this layer onto the black card blank.

I then cut a piece of silver metallic Kraft card and layered this onto a panel of slate grey card, 18.5 x 13.5cm, which leaves a border of the darker card showing. Mount these layers onto the card blank using foam pads.

The layers are now ready for the background scene...

BACKGROUND

Cut a panel of Mixed Media Heavystock card, 17.5 x 12.5cm.

To create the moon, I used the middle sized, solid piece from the Stampers Anonymous/Tim Holtz Moon Mask Stencils and placed this on the left hand side of the card panel, positioning it so it's off the edge of the card.

I then used the following colours of Distress Ink to create the night sky, blending the colours in layers.

DISTRESS INK: Black Soot, Villainous Potion, Uncharted Mariner, Ground Espresso

Starting with the blue, followed by purple and ending with the two darker colours, I applied each of these colours with a Blending Tool, and building them up to create the moody sky.

Once I was happy, I removed the mask and then placed the co-ordinating detail mask back onto my panel.

I blended Hickory Smoke through the stencil before removing it and then blended Antique Linen and Fossilised Amber over the entire moon area to create the glow.

Finally, I splattered some Decayed Mica Spray across the skyline and allowed this to dry.

Once I'd machine stitched a border around the outside of the card panel, the scene is ready to bring this story to life.

SCENE BUILDING

For this I used The Scarecrow Stampers Anonymous/Tim Holtz stamp set and the co-ordinating dies from SSS and firstly, I stamped the bats over the top of the inked moon, using Black Soot Archival Ink.

Now for the fence that you can see sitting at the back of the scarecrow. This is die cut from black card using the Seth Apter Gridiron Die Set by Sizzix. I then cut the die cut down to the size I needed to create my fence and applied Gilding Wax over the surface to add a bronze shimmer to the die cut.

I applied foam pads to the back of the gridiron die cut, placing them where they won't be seen and will be covered by the scarecrow and grasses and attached the 'fence' to my background.

Next I stamped and coloured the scarecrow. I stamped this onto Distress Watercolor Card and then watercolored the image with Distress Watercolour Pencils before using the SSS Co-ordinating dies to die cut the image.

I then stamped the two grasses in Peeled Paint Archival Ink and again used the co-ordinating dies to die cut each piece. I inked the edges with Walnut Stain Distress Ink.

I attached these pieces to my card using foam pads to add dimension.

I then added some moss and dried grasses around the base of the images.

To complete the card, I stamped the Happy Fall onto the bottom left hand corner....

...and then added some gold stars to the sky. These stars are die cut from gold metallic card, using the waste product from the Falling Stars Die Set but if you don't have this die set, any die that features stars will work.

Finally, I attached the ':' idea-ology Type Chip as a decorative element in the top right hand corner....

So, that's my layered card finished and I hope you love this little scene that was bought to life using many layers.

As always, if you make anything, or if you've been inspired by anything that you've seen here on my blog ~ then please, let me know by tagging me on social media or leaving a comment here and I will be right over to take a look!

Don't forget that every week, one lucky random participant has the chance to win a $25 gift voucher from Simon Says Stamp and you can join in up to 5 times, which means you could have 5 chances to win. You have until next Monday at 8am Ohio time. 1pm UK time, 2 pm CET to join in and good luck....

Thank you so much for taking the time to stop by today...

Love Emma xxx

Recipe for project:

SSS/Tim Holtz Stamps and Dies Bundles: The Scarecrow

Stampers Anonymous: Moon Mask Stencils

Sizzix: Big Shot, Gridiron, Falling Stars

Distress Ink: Walnut Stain, Black Soot, Villainous Potion, Uncharted Mariner, Ground Espresso, Hickory Smoke, Fossilised Amber

Mica Spray: Unravelled, Decayed

Distress Watercolour Pencils

Mediums: Matte Collage Medium, Foam Pads, Black Soot Archival Ink, Peeled Paint Archival Ink, Gold Luster Wax, Rose Gold Luster Wax

Surfaces: Watercolour Card, Mixed Media Heavystock Card, Metallic Kraft Classics, Black Card

Glass Media Mat

Heat Gun

Moss

Dried Grasses from my own stash

Monday, 15 September 2025

I Want Candy...

Happy Monday everyone...

I can't believe how fast the last week has gone, it doesn't seem a minute since I was last here but as always, the start of the brand new week means we have a brand new Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge and this week our theme is called ADD SOME METAL.

With so many products that either are metal or have a metallic finish, you will be spoilt for choice and we can't wait to see what you will be making and hope you'll join us and play along.

For my make, I chose to add metallic shimmer and shine, using papers, sprays and embossing powders and I used these together with a few metal embellishments to make this Halloween card featuring two of the cutest ghosts I've ever seen.

So, let's get started because it's time to share how I created this project...

To begin with I used a metallic pewter coloured card to create my tent fold card blank, measuring, 15.5 x 19.5cm.

I then used some older Halloween idea-ology Design Tape from Tim Holtz and created a border around the edge of the card.

BACKGROUND

Moving onto creating the background and for this I cut 2 panels of black heavy stock card, the first panel measuring 12.5 x 16.5cm and the second one slightly larger in size, 13.5 x 17.5cm.

Taking the smaller panel, I began by inking up the spider web stamp from the Life of the Party stamp set and stamped this in clear ink across the top section of the cardstock. I sprinkled white embossing powder over the top and then after tapping away the excess, I heat embossed the powder until molten and glossy.

Once the powder is cool, I added my metallic shimmer using the following Distress Mica Sprays: Empty Tomb, Crooked Broomsticks and Decayed. You can see the shimmer from the sprays in the photo below...

I misted these sprays very lightly over the embossed cardstock ~ the embossed web will resist the sprays.

Once happy with the background, I repeated the process on the larger piece of black heavystock card and then allowed both pieces to dry thoroughly.

When the mica sprays were dry, I machine stitched a border around the outside, and instead of having the perfect straight edged line, this time I decided to make it uneven and all "higgledy piggledy".

Across the bottom of the card, I added a sentiment banner. For the sentiment, 'candy made me do it", I've used an older STAMPtember Tim Holtz Exclusive stamp set from 2019. You might be fortunate enough to have this stamp set in your stash, but if not, any sentiment will do ~ I just loved the fun nature of this one. The sentiment was stamped onto a narrow strip of black card using clear ink, and then embossing in White Embossing Powder.

After spritzing the banner strip with the same colours of Mica Spray to match the background, I allowed them to dry and then matted the card onto a piece of silver Kraft metallic card.

I adhered the strip to the panel, securing it with some stitching down each side and then mounted this background panel onto the larger panel, followed by a panel of silver metallic Kraft card.

Mount the panels onto the card front using foam pads to add height and dimension.

I completed the sentiment banner by adding a mini clip to either end of the strip, which I painted with gold metallic paint.

I also added three Hardware Heads on the left hand side of the clip, again painting them gold.

GHOSTS

We're now ready to start bringing the scene to life and I began by stamping the ghosts from the Halloween Doodles stamp set.

Using Black Soot Archival Ink, I stamped one ghost directly onto the smooth side of watercolour card. I cleaned my stamp ensuring there was no residue of ink and then, placed some masking tape across the face of the ghost on the rubber stamp. I inked up the stamp once more, removed the tape and then stamped onto another piece of watercolour card. You now have two images, one with a face, one without.

I watercolored each of my images using Distress Watercolour Pencils, and kept the colours neutral. Once I was happy, I used the dies from the co-ordinating SSS die set to die cut the images of both ghosts and inked the edges with Frayed Burlap Distress Ink.

ADDING DETAILS TO THE GHOSTS

I wanted each ghost to have its own personality, but come together to tell the story of the scene and that's why I chose to mask off the face of the second ghost, because I want it to look up to the other ghost. And the way that I did this was to draw my own face, adding the eyes and the tiny mouth using a black fine line pen.

On the second ghost, I added a tiny patch of calico cotton to his sheet, stitching this onto the card to look as if there had been a hole in the sheet.

Finally, the second ghost needed his witches hat and once again I used the Halloween Doodles stamp set and stamped the image onto watercolour card before watercoloring it with Distress Watercolour pencils and die cutting it with the die set. Ink the edges of the die cut with Frayed Burlap Distress Ink.

Attach the finished witches hat to the ghost's head and then using foam pads, I attached both ghosts to the background, slightly overlapping them and positioning the one ghost so it looks up towards the other, with a slight look of surprise ~ but in his defence, the candy made him do it!!!

FINISHING DETAILS

We're now ready for the finishing details and I stamped the twinkles from the same stamp set as I've used throughout and stamped these onto black heavy-stock card before I embossed them with gold embossing powder. I then used the dies to die cut them and attached them around the two ghosts, placing them on either side.

I cut some bats from more of the black card, using the die that is in the Sizzix Halloween Coffin Die Set by Tim Holtz and after mounting them onto silver card to create a shadow.

I attached each bat to my card using matte collage medium, ensuring the wings are free, so I can lift them and make them appear to be in flight.

Finally I adhered the number 31 into place. This is from the Halloween Ephemera Pack from 2024, I'm not sure if it's in the 2025 set but if not, then there are plenty of pieces in there that can be used. I adhered this with Matte Collage Medium.

So, that's my card finished and I hope you love all the metallic shimmer and shine that I've used to interpret our theme.

Thank you so much for taking the time to stop by today!

Love Emma xxx

Recipe for project:

Halloween Doodles Stamps with Simon Says Stamp Dies Bundle

Tim Holtz/Stampers Anonymous: Life of the Party, STAMPtember 2019 Exclusive from my stash

Sizzix: Tim Holtz Big Shot Foldaway, Vault Coffin Box Die Set

Distress Ink: Frayed Burlap

Distress Mica Spray: Empty Tomb and Decayed

Distress Watercolour Pencils

Tim Holtz Idea-ology: Hardware Heads, Silver Metallic Kraft, Tiny Clips, Halloween Ephemera 2025, Halloween Design Tape from my stash

Mediums: Matte Collage Medium, Black Soot Archival, Foam Pads, Gold Embossing Powder, White Embossing Powder, Black Pen

Surfaces: Watercolor Card, Black Heavystock Card

Monday, 7 April 2025

Happiness Is A Butterfly....

Hello friends and welcome to a brand new week on the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge.

This week, the DT are showcasing products from Studio Light and combining it with our theme, TAG IT! We'd love for you to join us and of course, unless you want to ~ you don't have to use Studio Light products within your makes.

For my project, I chose to create a Size 8 Etcetera Tag and combined some Studio Light Ephemera with Tim Holtz products.

So, let's get started and here's how I created this tag!

To begin with I used a Size 8 Etcetera Tag, and a Size 8 Mixed Media Heavystock tag.

TAG

Using the Mixed Media Heavystock tag, I chose to add colour with Distress Spray Stains, Oxide Sprays and Mica Spray in the following colours:

DISTRESS SPRAY STAINS: Ground Espresso, Uncharted Mariner, Speckled Egg

OXIDE SPRAYS: Speckled Egg

MICA SPRAYS: Crooked Broomstick

After spritzing the tag with a light misting of water, I then spritzed each of the Distress Spray Stains, and the Oxide Sprays to add colour to the tag. Once I was happy with the blend, I heat dried the inks and then flicked some Crooked Broomstick Mica Spray across the surface to create the splatters. Once again, I heat dried the tag.

Across the bottom section of the tag, I added a separate piece of card, spritzed with the same colours and cut to approx 1". I stamped a border in clear embossing ink, using one of the Ornate Trims from the Stampers Anonymous stamp set and after sprinkling gold embossing powder over the ink, I heat embossed the powder until molten. I then attached the border strip, and machine stitched around the edge of the tag, and along the edges of the strip. I then adhered the tag to the Etcetera Tag using Matte Collage Medium. I did add some stamping to the tag, but in the finished version, it got hidden behind the ephemera...so, just ignore that!

My background is now complete, and is ready to add some embellishments...

STUDIO LIGHT EPHEMERA and RULER PIECE

I began building the scene by snapping a ruler piece into two. Using one half of the ruler, I inked the surface with Walnut Stain Distress Ink and then attached it across my tag.

I then chose a selection of the ephemera pieces from the Studio Light Paper Elements People and Botanics Grunge Collection pack, including the little girl, the butterflies and the foliage. I loved the colour tones and the white butterflies from this pack and apart from the little girl, which I colour tinted using Distress Crayons, I left the other pieces as they were.

I attached the foliage piece directly onto the tag using foam pads, which I splattered very lightly with Picket Fence Distress Paint. I then layered the Milk Cap over the top, which once again I gave a light splattering of white paint.

Finally, I added the little girl which I had colour tinted with Distress Crayons. I placed a butterfly behind her and lifted the wings to add dimension.

In the photo below you can see the dimension of this piece...

FLOURISHES

In this arrangement, I added two of the idea-ology metal Flourishes. To add colour to the metal idea-ology Flourishes, I used Statue and Sterling Foundry Wax on each of these pieces, applying one layer of wax at a time and then adding the second layer over the top, but not giving the metal a complete coverage. This will allow the layer of wax underneath to show through and create the variation of colour to the metal.

After I'd heat set the wax on all the pieces, I applied some dribbles of Mushroom alcohol ink over the metal to add more of a vintage feel to the pieces. I then rubbed some Black Soot and Crackling Campfire Distress paint over the surface, making sure it settled into all the recesses and the detail, before wiping away the excess paint and polishing the metal with a soft cloth to bring back the shine from the waxes.

I attached each flourish to the tag with Matte Collage Medium.

FINISHING DETAILS

We're nearly there and all that's left is the finishing details.

So that the little girl is grounded, I added some moss around the base of her feet and along the top edge of the ruler piece.

I also added some dried seed heads from my stash...

...and a few Tim Holtz Bouquet Findings, coloured with Wild Honey Distress Spray Stain.

As the finishing touch to the arrangement, I placed two of the smallest butterflies from the Studio Light pack onto this piece.

To complete the tag, I added some Word Clippings ~ "my beautiful butterfly" taken from Tim's Clippings Stickers. I cut the sentiment into three separate words before attaching them to my tag and adding some pencil shading around each.