{Topiary} New Little Paper Shop Release!

I Lurrrrve this new {Topiary} set from Little Paper Shop. When I first saw it, I thought of pretty gardens with starry lights at night, so I thought it'd be so fun to add little gems. In real life, they are so glittery against the black ink.

I'm calling this technique "Embossed Silhouette Stamping" even though it's not actually a silhouette stamp... however, the colouring in black makes a silhouette out of an outline stamp (and embossing it first still keeps the details of the outline.)

To try it yourself, just...

1. Stamp image in black craft/pigment ink
2. Heat emboss with clear embossing powder and
   
3. Colour in with a black marker

Variations:

1. To create depth, you can add low-lights by adding black craft ink or more layers of black marker
   
2. Add high-lights with a white marker or white ink on a brush
3. For even more depth you can add glitter pen and/or lacquer to give shine

Of course they don't just have to be coloured in black, you can use lots of colours to make colourful silhouettes (just match embossing colours with colouring colours.) Phew, that was a mouthful!

Cool things about it:

• The nifty thing is that you can make old stamps new again by creating silhouette stamping out of any stamp you like and...
  
• You don't loose the detail because you've embossed it, so you get two layers of interest: the first one--a silhouette that's bold looking & the second one--embossed lines that draw you in to look at 'em (and if you're like me to pet 'em, LOL)
  

Materials:

Stamps!
{Topiary} a new Little Paper Shop release! Browse the LPS gallery for {Topiary} here

Paper: SU Bali Breeze Designer Series Paper (retired);Cardstocks: Always Artichoke, White, & Black

Colour: Stamp in: Black Craft Ink with clear embossing powder; Colour with: Black marker, Black craft ink (on a water brush) White CTMH marker.

Embellishments: Ribbon SU Certain Celery wide Grosgrain; Green gem brads (dollarstore), Self-adhesive gems.

Tools n stuff:
SU punches: Key Tag punch, Oval punch (Large)
Dimensionals for image
Paper piercer (to pierce stitching holes)
Needle & green embroidery thread
Floral Screen Cuttlebug embossing folder

Here's the inside of the card....

Additional Ideas for this set:

• I can't wait to do a front like this inside (with the addition of another of the new sets that's coming out from LPS.)
• ...and make a group of 4 cards: one for each season!
• ...and stamp it with snow on it & add gems and Dew Droplets (they reflect each other!)

Check out all of the stunning cards from the Design Team here.

Some potential stuff to try:

The Topiary leaves make the perfect pattern on mats.

I embossed this oval in clear (my first oval on a card <--can you believe that?) The acrylic lets you see so you can line up the topiary to stamp it repeatedly & get a leaf pattern.

One way to add a little detail to mats:

Define them by drawing an edge in Silver Zigpainty pen

A trick to add cuttle bug textures to big cards:

1. Cut two pieces, run them through the cuttlebug embossing folder.
2. Stick the two cuttlebugged pieces on a mat or card and
3. hide the seam/gap with ribbon or a strip of paper

A punched sentiment:

The sentiments in {Topiary} all fit perfectly inside SU's large oval punch! (me likey likey likey that.)

To make this punched & framed sentiment, I did this stuff...

1. Stamped the sentiment on white cardstock
2. Punched it out with SU's large oval punch
3. Punched an oval out of Always Artichoke cardstock
4. Punched around that oval with SU's Key Tag punch
5. Punched a second Key Tag punch (with no oval in it this time)
6. Nestled the oval in the frame made for it & backed it with the solid key tag

The flowers:

These are just made by:

1. Embossing a pattern with Versamark & clear e.p. on white cardstock
2. Punching with SU's Boho Blossoms punch & their Three for You punch
3. Shaping the flowers, piercing the centers & layering them on brads
   

Thanks for checking this out! Don't forget to go and comment for World Cardmaking Day blog candy in my previous post. :O)