All about the background...

Hello all!  You've probably seen that there are some more new releases being announced every other night over at PaperArtsy.  Tuesday saw the launch of eight new minis by Seth Apter.  I was lucky enough to have them in hand, as I've been making some samples for the trade show stands.  Now that the stamps are on sale, I can share what I've been up to.  So today I'm starting with a trio of tags using these fantastic textural stamps, and there'll be more to follow.

The new minis are brilliantly grungy and perfect for layering into backgrounds.  Each of these tags uses a different one of the new stamps, and then the "toppings" are similar for each.

The middle tag had been hanging around on the craft table for ages, all nicely inky from some previous Oxide experimentation, so let's start there for today.

The first layers are smooshed variations on a Distress Ink/Distress Oxide themes.  I'm afraid I don't know the exact colour combinations any longer, but most of my usual favourites are in there.














I stamped EM44 in embossing ink a couple of times fairly centrally, and used Seth's Rustic Indigo embossing powder to bring it to life.
















It has a lovely glossy sheen and since the powder has variations in the granulation, it creates great texture.  And obviously embossing helps the stamp to stand out from the inky splotches too.
















Around the edges I added some partial stampings of the same stamp in brown.  I love the angular energy of it.















Obviously, given that the background stamps are pretty much the whole point of the samples, I didn't want to cover them up too much. 

I went with an Idea-ology Photobooth photo layered over a scrap of book text and some of my much-loved rusty mesh, all held together with a mini paper clip (also by Idea-ology).













The single word addition is from one of the recent Finnabair word pads - the Art Daily sentiments.  I gave it a smoosh of Antique Linen Distress Stain to soften the look a little.












Some simple twine finishes things off at the top, and this photo gives you another really good look at the cool industrial grunginess of EM44.











I think rather than create another mammoth blogpost, I'll leave it there for today, and I'll be back over the weekend with the details of the other pair.  Be sure to come back soon and check out the gleam of gold to be found in those grungy backgrounds!  Thanks so much for stopping by today, and have a great weekend when it comes.


I think that when you remember, remember, remember everything like that, you could go on until you remember what was there before you were in the world.
From War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy