2017 #13 Metallics: Metallic Secrets with EEA {by Alison Bomber}

2017 Topic 13: Metallic

If you are a bit of a more is more crafter, and would like to learn how to master the more is more but in a subtle way, then this post is for you! Alison's layers are soft and subtle, flicks, splats and embossing all come together in soft Vintage shades. Beautiful!

Hi everyone, it's Alison here from Words and Pictures, and I've been having a lovely time playing with some metallics both old and new.

From the moment the White Fire Fresco Chalk Paint arrived on the scene, I loved it.  It has such a fabulous sheen and a delicate gleaming hint of silvery-gold.  I also noticed how close it was in colour to maybe my all-time favourite metallic embossing powder, the Ranger Liquid Platinum.  So for this collection of altered money-envelopes I decided to combine the two.

I toyed with brayering the White Fire directly onto the kraft envelopes, but then decided I'd get more layers, more texture and probably more golden gleam if I did a couple of sweeps of Snowflake Fresco Chalk Paint first.  That was my base layer.

I love this recent Everything Art set, EEA06. It has such great elements for adding background detail and texture, as well as those haunting vintage photos.

Eclectica³ {Everything Art} Set 06

My very first idea was to emboss those broken frames in the Liquid Platinum, so that it would look as though they were emerging from the brayered White Fire background.  Very happy that it turned out exactly as I'd imagined!

I layered in some more stamping in Sepia Archival, and also used the ink around the edges as well as over the embossed frames for more burnished look.  By this point, I'd also stuck the envelopes onto some stiff card so that they would behave themselves and stay flat.

I know myself well enough that flat out shininess is not going to make me happy, so the Sepia Archival was the first step towards a slight rustiness... and some actual rusty wire put in an appearance pretty soon after that.

I stamped the strip of photos in Potting Soil Archival, but since I wanted slight variations for each of my envelopes, I cut a different trio of people for each one.  Of course I needed the vintage look, so I weathered them with some Antique Linen and Vintage Photo Distress Inks.

And I also knew from very early on that one of my own word stamps was calling to me from those faces in the photos.  It's from EAB03 Music and Silence, and it's a quote by one of my favourite writers, Rilke.

Eclectica³ {Alison Bomber} Set 03

It just wanted to come and play with these images.

I'm sure there are some secrets hidden behind some of these eyes...

And, if not, at least two or three of them have a strong desire to be alone... so perhaps they're the ones "saying" the words.

Oh, I nearly forgot: the metal filigree leaves have also had some embossing done - slightly more full on than the Liquid Platinum...

I used the Stampendous Chunky Metallic (of course) Embossing Enamel in Seasonings (I guess they mean it's sort of salt-and-peppery?) for them, and I do like the finished effect.

As I said, I love the subtle gleam and glow of the White Fire - it's already less full on than some metallics - but even then I can't resist going down the slightly decaying route.  I guess I'm just not one for clean and shiny.  And especially with such vintage-style images it felt right.  I do like the embossing for the frames - I think that works really well to give a look of antique picture frames - I suppose it's a "realistic" way to use the embossing powder.

Thanks so much for stopping by today and I hope you've found some metallic inspiration to play with here.

Alison Bomber
Blog: Words and Pictures
Pinterest: Butterfly Crafter

Wow, it really is amazing how layers of slightly different tones of metallics can give such a soothing effect overall. We'll all be pulling out the embossing powders now!! ~ Leandra

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