Polished Stone Challenge

This is a card I made this afternoon for a technique challenge sponsored by my Stampin' Up! Demonstrators Online Group (SUDSOL).  The technique is called Polished Stone and is one I haven't done in a long, long time!  It's so much fun!  See details below.

Click on image for closer look.

Materials

Stamp Set
* Bunch of Blossoms

Paper
* Early Espresso card stock (8-1/2" x 5-1/2"; 4-1/4" x 3")
* Whisper White card stock (4" x 2-3/4")
* Glossy White card stock (one 8-1/2" x 5-1/2" sheet)

Ink
* Early Espresso Classic Stampin' Pad
* Cajun Craze Refill Ink
* Crumb Cake Refill Ink
* Crushed Curry Refill Ink
* Old Olive Refill Ink
* Sahara Sand Refill Ink
* Soft Suede Refill Ink

Accessories and Tools
* Big Shot Die Cutting Machine
* Leaflets Thinlits Dies
* Stampin' Sponge
* Linen Thread
* Gold Metallic Thread
* Copper Trim
* Adhesives: SNAIL Adhesive, Glue Dot

Miscellaneous
* Cotton Ball
* Rubbing Alcohol

Instructions
(NOTE: SNAIL Adhesive used throughout unless otherwise indicated.)

1. Score 8-1/2" x 5-1/2" Early Espresso card stock at 4-1/4".  Fold away from score line to create card.

2. Cut one 8-1/2" x 5-1/2" sheet of Glossy White card stock in fourths.  You will use the following technique for each piece, but each piece has different ink combinations.

Add rubbing alcohol to cotton ball.  You want enough alcohol to semi-saturate the surface area of the cotton ball, but not so much as to make it drippy.  To the alcohol, add two or three drops of each color.  Daub the cotton ball randomly across the Glossy White card stock to completely cover it.  This piece will dry very quickly as the alcohol evaporates.  Each piece will look slightly different, but each will have this marbled -- or polished stone -- effect.

• For the first piece (background), use a few drops each of Crumb Cake and Sahara Sand refill ink.  Cut to 5-1/4" x 4".
• For the second piece (oak leaf), use a few drops each of Crumb Cake, Crushed Curry, and Soft Suede refill ink.  Cut oak leaf with die and Big Shot.
• For the third piece (maple leaf), use a few drops each of Cajun Craze, Crumb Cake, and Crushed Curry.  Cut maple leaf with die and Big Shot.
• For the fourth piece (don't know what kind of leaf this is, but refer to photo above for the shape, or use any other leaf you may like better), use a few drops each of Crumb Cake, Crushed Curry, and Old Olive refill ink.  Cut leaf shape.

3. Use Stampin' Sponge to apply Early Espresso ink around edges of the background piece, each of the leaves, and the Whisper White card stock. 

4. Adhere background piece to card front; adhere 4-1/4" x 3" Early Espresso card stock over background; adhere 4" x 2-3/4" Whisper White card stock over Early Espresso.  Then adhere each leaf as shown in photo.

5. Stamp sentiment as shown with Early Espresso ink.

6. Stretch out (widthwise) a short piece of Copper Trim and adhere in upper left-hand corner over leaf stems.  (NOTE:  I would have added more of this awesome trim; however, I had just used all but this tiny piece at my last stamp camp and haven't yet reordered.  The piece I added here was simply to hide the stems a little bit and soften the area behind the bow made in Step 7 below.)

7. Make a 4-loop bow (about 2-1/2" wide) from Linen Thread and Gold Metallic Thread held together.  Use a Glue Dot to adhere over Copper Trim.

This was a very quick card to make.  As mentioned above, the alcohol dries the ink so quickly that you can almost immediately start using it to cut the shapes.  I literally made this card in 20 minutes, from start to finish.  (I had been running errands all morning, and early afternoon and lost track of the time, so I needed to finish it by 3 p.m. Mountain Time, but I already had the idea in my head before I started.)

Hope you try this fun technique (or try it again if you've done this with me in my early Stampin' Up! years. . .).

Cathy  ;D