Hey look! I stamped for FUN!

I was over at my friend and downline, Beth's, blog looking for a card I wanted to CASE. Well, she found the tutorial over on Kristina Werner's blog, and after I watched the video tutorial, which was from last April, I had to check out Kristina's latest updates. Wouldn't you know, there at the top was this:

Another of her wonderful color challenges. I haven't participated in a challenge, or even stamped just for the heck of it in a long while. So, as is the point of a challenge, I was inspired. I spent the morning preparing for my Big Shot open house, which is this Sunday, and since all my Big Shot toys were out, I decided to play around some more.

I had seen but never tried the "Negative Effect" technique, which originated using Cuttlebug embossing folders. However, I thought, "If it works for a CB folder, it should work for my Big Shot texturz plates." And guess what, it did!

To do this technique, lightly ink up the texturz plate. This works best using a brayer, but you can use a sponge, sponge dauber, or the ink pad directly on the plate, just be sure that little or no ink gets into the recessed areas. Then compile your "sandwich" as usual. Now, I didn't want to get ink onto the silicone rubber pad that goes after the cardstock in the sandwich, so I placed a tissue between the paper and the rubber. I did add a cardstock "shim" (an extra layer to increase the thickness of the sandwich) between the rubber and the impressions pad. I have been warned that if you ever need to add a shim, to be sure to do it somewhere in the sandwich and not to the very top or bottom because the paper can actually roll up into the machine and get all kinds of stuck.

To finish the card I used the Bigz Beautiful Butterflies die, the Hostess Level 2 A Little Somethin' stamp set, and some Kiwi Kiss satin ribbon.

Sweet wishes!

eta: Rhonda asked, I'll answer. The colors I used are those from the challenge swatch at the top of this post: More Mustard, Really Rust, Kiwi Kiss, and Whisper White. To do the "negative embossing" technique, I brayered Really Rust ink onto the texturz plate and then ran some More Mustard CS through, pre-cut to the size I needed. Then I layered that panel onto W. White and layered that onto R. Rust, and finally attached it to my Kiwi Kiss 5x5 card. I hope that helps. I don't think brayering a lighter color would show up. The lighter color (in this case the M. Mustard) is the color of the CS and the part that is raised from the embossing process. The darker color (R. Rust) that was inked on is the "flat" part. Clear as mud?