On Your Engagement.

This is a quick little number I whipped up more to try out a couple of the new inks most recently acquired and for submission into this fortnight's CR84FN Color Challenge showcasing Chartreuse, Gray, and Lavender.   The Hero Arts Cling stamp in Wallpaper (can you see that cool dragon?) was stamped with one of their new Mid-Tone Shadow Inks called Wet Cement and then lightly edged in Old Paper Distress Ink by Tim Holtz.  The Hero Arts Mid-Tone Shadow ink in Wet Cement, as with all of the Mid-Tone Shadow Inks I recently purchased, is most curious.  Curious in the fact that this warm gray ink at first looked slightly sudsy (on the stamp) and a wee bit blotchy on first stamping, but once dry (which really is within minutes) it is smooth and semi-velvety.  Most of the blotchiness is gone.  The Mid-Tone Shadow ink is by no means blotch-free as some might expect or as perhaps advertised, but very nearly so and the bits that remain are somewhat endearing if you ask me and add character and charm.  I  kind of dig the effect actually.  They also can handle a liberal spritzing with Glimmer Mists or the like too, which is very cool.  Nothing worse than having your once crisp stampings blur into oblivion, right? My stamped Papertrey Ink card base in Soft Stone got a sogging with Pearl Glimmer Mist on this occasion and certainly stood up most formidably to the onslaught.

The other newy to my ink arsenal stamped with on this card was the Amuse Ink in Heather, which was used on that lovely Waltzingmouse Stamps frame from the Very Vintage Labels 10 set.  I have enjoyed these pigment rich inks and their luxe coverage.  They do seem to dry down a fair bit and get softer once completely dry which can take some time.  For the type of stamper I am, use of Amuse inks does take some forward planning.  I have found that I cannot be as cavalier as I habitually am when stamping with this brand of lush pigment inks.   For instance, if I am going to stamp like I always stamp, and get down and dirty, I need to distress ink first then stamp with the Amuse inks.  In fact, this is the opposite of what I normally do, which is stamp first then dingy up my card to my heart's content.  Perhaps no biggie for some, but I have had more than a few Doh! moments while getting used to this new ink.  Lucky for me though, I adore their colors and the pigment rich coverage.    So, I just have to slow my roll when using these I gather.

Well, that's this card done.  Thanks so much for stopping by and allowing to me to share with you some of my crafty musings.  I appreciate it tremendously.  Here's to an inspired day for us all!