Butterfly birthday

I have been messing around with the technique required at CAS Mix Up for a few days now.

I had looked through my stencils many times, cut several, both from dies and with my Silhouette Portrait and there was always something not quite right. I found this butterfly file in my Silhouette library and really wanted to use it so I tried cutting it many times in different sizes and using different materials...  (vellum, paper, card etc) but didn't really do very well. There were often bits of the design not cut properly or the material wasn't really suitable for the embossing technique. Anyway, yesterday a package of new blending brushes arrived, (the lovely, very fine bristled sort) so I adapted the technique slightly and I was really pleased with the result. 

I had a stencil cut from vellum, which was a reasonable size and a reasonable cut, so I used it with Distress Oxide Inks and a new blending brush and I was delighted with the outcome. To fulfil the embossing part of the challenge I sprinkled Holographic Embossing powder over the ink and melted with my heat tool.

The brush gave a remarkably clean finish to the inking and as it says wet for quite a while, easily took the embossing powder.

I found a Memory Box butterfly body die and cut one, twinkling it with Glamour Dust before applying.

The sentiment is from Avery Elle.

I think I need a new carrier mat for my Silhouette, I think that may be the reason for some cutting boo boos. I do spray it with repositionable glue from time to time, but I think the surface has nearly got to the point of no return!

Stay well everyone!