Creative Expressions - Bella Rose # 2

This is actually my project for last week but I am running late again!! This week I wanted to make something more masculine with this set from Heartfelt Creations. I love the rose leaf and thought it would work well as a deep embossed tile. 

I chose one of the Cosmic Shimmer embossing powders Malachite Fire Aurora. I built up about 4 layers of the powder onto a square of mount board. Then I inked up the stamp with Versamark before stamping into the molten powder. The versamark not only helps release the stamp, but it also leaves a sticky residue which allows you to brush on a mica powder. It wont stick to the negative part of the image. I love doing this technique.

The background was created by blending antique linen, bundled sage and brushed corduroy distress ink onto a square of ivory card. Then I added layers of stamping with the same rose leaf stamp. I quite like making both the background and the main feature from the same stamps.....some stamps are just so versatile.
The finishing touches were the raffia and a shrink plastic leaf. This die was is from the Spellbinders foliage set. 
I am just thinking it looks very autumnal. Should have really made it in spring colours...!!
It was a beautiful day today and we took the dogs up to the Hermitage near Dunkeld. It is a lovely woodland walk beside a small river tumbling down a bit of a gorge. 

It was good to stretch the legs. 

This was from inside Ossians cave, supposedly where a hermit went once upon a time. 
But it's back to work tomorrow. I took an extra day off after being away this weekend to the retreat I mentioned in Yorkshire. It was a great weekend. We were working on canvas and learnt lots of great techniques with paint and distress stains and sprays. I am still trying to get my hands clean!! I will show you what we made in my next post. 
Have a good week.
Siobhan x