Sugar Sugar March Project

This month's Sugar Sugar Project is Cracked Glass, and I have been lucky enough to be a guest Sweetie. I really love this technique and have made several cards using it - non blogged so as not to give the project theme away.

So this is the finished card - I have done a more detailed tutorial, using my WOJ GDT challenge card which is later on in this post. I would have done it for this card but the light was so bad the photos haven't come out well.

I used Girl and Birdhouse for the project, as I wanted to create the illusion of a photograph. I coloured the image in distress inks and distressed it. I then used the cracked glass technique (tutorial further down) and rubbed brown ink into the cracks. I distressed the papers and added organza ribbon. I used my ribbon punch to make holes to thread the ribbon through the image.
Prima flowers, brads and spacers, and scrolls cut using a sizzix die complete the card.

This is the coloured image ...

and after the heat embossing ...

The WOJ challenge is a guest design team call, following one of Katharina's sketches. I made this card when the challenge was posted, but have held off entering until the Sugar Sugar project was announced, so as not to spoil that challenge.

I have used Willow with floral wreath and masked her onto the stump. I coloured her using distress inks and distressed the edges. I then applied the cracked glass technique to the image. The dp are BG Mellow and I used lace and organza ribbon for parts of the sketch. I added flowers and swirls to complete the card.

OK so on to the tutorial for how to do Cracked glass...

1. colour your image as normal, and cut out to desired shape/size

2. Cover the image in Versamark or similar, and clear embossing powder. Heat the powder until melted. Repeat the inking and embossing until you have clear,smooth glaze. I found it worked best to leave the image to cool between each embossing, and that about 5 layers was enough to get a smooth glaze.

3. Put in the freezer and leave it until it is cold. As soon as you get it out crack the image in different place - the glaze will split like cracked glaze. I was careful to avoid the face area.

(I did find if I left the image for a few minutes and then tried to crack it it didn't work, so crack it immediately)

4. Finally rub brown ink into the cracks and clean off to create a vintage look.

Its really that easy ... go on have a play and join in the Sugar Sugar project this month.

Recipe:
Stamp(s): Sugar Nellie Girl and Birdhouse; WOJ Willow sitting with floral wreath
Colouring Media: distress inks
Papers: Basic Grey Mellow; unknown; cardstock from stash
Embellishments: prima flowers; charms, spacers, brads, lace and ribbon from stash; sizzix swirl

Other: Versamark ink; Heat it Up clear embossing powder; Versafine Sepia