Monday, June 6, 2011

Girly Grunge + a Distress Stain Ribbon Sampler

This week over at the Grungy Monday challenge - where we pay homage to a different technique or product of the great Tim Holtz - we were asked to use Distress ink. My card shows how you can use Distress ink in a very subtle way, to make a pretty, feminine card. This is also my 'better late than never' submission for Theme Thursday's Pink and Brown challenge. Oh, and after seeing Evelyn's fantastic Center Step Card, I had to try one!
 
After coveting this birthday girl stamp from Red Lead for ages, I finally got it last week. She is so sweet! Her dress is colored using Spun Sugar Distress ink and a piece of Cut-n-Dry foam. The background was sponged with Antique Linen Distress ink and the edges were frayed with a Tim Holtz Paper Distresser, then inked with Vintage Photo Distress ink. See - lots of 'Distress'ing, but it's still very feminine! I mounted it on a panel of the new TH Distress Core'dinations paper that I embossed using the TH Sizzix Collage Texture Fade. If you look very closely, you can see that the stamped image is covered with a thin layer of Rock Candy Distress Stickles. I also added just a bit of vintage sparkle with some Antique Linen Distress Stickles.

The sentiment was created using the Faux Enamel tag technique found here. LOVE the look of it with the Wish stamp from Tim Holtz's Stuff to Say stamp set. It's attached using Idea-ology Long Fasteners, Idea-ology Charm Clips and a length of ribbon that I dyed using Distress Stain. So pretty and it coordinates perfectly!

Speaking of coordinating, the flowers on the top of the card were also dyed with Distress Stain. To see how it's done, check out this post on the Inspiration Emporium blog. I guarantee you will become addicted to making these in every color!

While I'm on the subject of Distress Stain (my choice for most awesome new product of the decade!) - a few days ago, I decided to cut a bunch of ribbon and dye it in every color of Distress Stain I had. I also wanted to see what it would look like if I diluted the stain just a bit. As you can see from the picture above - it's gorgeous!! What was so surprising was how pretty the colors were when diluted. Here are the colors, from left to right, front to back (click for the larger version, it looks much better!):
Fired Brick, diluted Fired Brick, Peeled Paint, diluted Peeled Paint
Wild Honey, diluted Wild Honey (love this color!), Spun Sugar, diluted Spun Sugar
Vintage Photo, diluted Vintage Photo, Faded Jeans, diluted Faded Jeans
Walnut Stain, diluted Walnut Stain, Broken China, diluted Broken China
Antique Linen, diluted Antique Linen

YUM! 
I thought about doing a little tutorial, but wasn't sure if that was really necessary. If anyone is interested, let me know and I'll do a quick one!

43 comments:

  1. LoveLoveLOVE this card! LOVE IT!!! You know that's one of my fav stamps - and I've always loved pink & brown together - oh, it's just wonderful, Shelly!!

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  2. Very very pretty piece, love the image and your colour choice is perfect. Love the dyed ribbon too, they all look so lovely together. Inspirational as always. Tracy x

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  3. This is so pretty. I love the idea you have had to dilute the distress stains. They are beautiful both ways.

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  4. Yummy card and yummy ribbons too!
    xoxo Sioux

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  5. Oh Shelly, I just adore this card! I love that stamp and pink and brown together! Awesome job!

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  6. It IS a stamp! And it's so much YOU! This is an amazing creation with such a great explanation of the "how-I-did-it" included, Shelly. Just plain beautiful.

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  7. very soft, very girly, very pink and... very lovely! :)))

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  8. Love the brown edges against the pink embossed panel.... what a gorgeous combo.

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  9. Another stunning piece of work! What a lovely, lovely card! Haven't used the Stains to dye my silk ribbon but have used the ink pads...lots of fun!

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  10. Your card is beautiful! The ribbons turned out fantastic!

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  11. What a fabulous card..and pink and brown is one of my favorite cardmaking color combos. Your exploits in dying the ribbons...well I could stare at the fotos of the colors of them all day...I had not idea that distress colors could look so good:)

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  12. Wonderful card Shelly and so love your main stamp. Wow those ribbons look great, so beautifully coloured. Annette x

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  13. Oh waht a beautiful stamps and what a beautiful card! i also love the lusciously colored ribbons!

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  14. Beautiful card Shelly, and I love colouring ribbon with Distress Stains too: I always wet the ribbon a little so they always seem to come out different but always such beautiful colours. Doing some batches is a good idea.

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  15. OH MY!! You have rocked this!! love it!!

    Kazx

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  16. I love your center step card for this challenge. Grungy sweetness.

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  17. This card is gorgeous! I absolutely adore this look.
    I would love to see a tutorial on dying the ribbon. What kind of ribbon did you use? And, how much did you dilute the stains? I agree that the diluted Honey color is beautiful.
    TFS.

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  18. Gorgeous! Way to make grunge go girly!!

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  19. The card is georgous, as are the stained ribbons!

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  20. You know I love pink to begin with....this card is stunning- love everything about it! I love the dyed ribbons too- how different is the stain that the distress inks on the ribbons???

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  21. Shelly, it's the perfect combination of girly and grunge! What a lovely work of Distress Ink goodness. It really has character, and the image is DARLING!!!

    Love those Distress Stained flower and ribbons, too!

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  22. Your card is very beautiful and super girly. I love it.

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  23. beautiful girly card shelly and drooling over all your Distress ribbons...hugs kath xxx

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  24. Shelly....I TOTALLY LOVE THIS CARD! I brown and pink together and I also love the Red Lead stamp you used. Oh my gosh...the ribbon color...perfection! This piece is just perfectly done...truly a beautiful card! <3 Candy

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  25. Gorgeous card, and I love all the ribbon colours, it's like being in a haberdashery sweet shop! A real feast for the eyes. Judith xx

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  26. Love your card, Shelly! I've had my eye on that little girl stamp for ages too. One of these days I'll break down and buy her...lol! The ribbons are gorgeous. Your blog is always so inspirational. Thanks for the tips:) Can't wait to see what you come up with next....

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  27. stunning feminine card and those ribbons look great all coloured ready to use

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  28. A beautiful card there and I like what you have done with the ribbons! It wouldn't take me long as I only have two - at the moment that is!! I just add a different one on to any order I make!!

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  29. The pink & brown color combo along with this image makes this one beautiful card, love love love this.

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  30. fab card and the ribbons well what to say brilliant
    thanks for sharing
    janet

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  31. I learned so much from you this week. First - your artwork is gorgeous. LOVE the colors. The enamel tag - will use that next chance I get - and the stains on the ribbons, fabulous!@

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  32. What a beautiful card. Love the colours and the image. Those coloured ribbons look scrumptious.

    Marilyn

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  33. I love this stamp! What a cutie! So pink! Love it! Awesome!

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  34. Just so lovely - fabulous colours and an amazing image - I am sure she was worth the wait. A beautiful card all round!
    Sarah at 46

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  35. Absolutely gorgeous!!! Love it!

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  36. Your card is yummy, like a box of chocolates. The colors are perfect and the stamp is way cute. Great card.

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  37. Absolutely gorgeous!

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  38. Oh, Shelly--this is just gorgeous! I love the soft pastel pink tones with the brown, the sweet image, and the beautiful ribbon and "Wish" tag--so adorable--shabby-ish and charming!

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  39. Shelley - This is just as beautiful as usual. Can't wait to try those flowers.

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  40. Nobody else has said but I would love quick tutorial on this. I have bought some plain seam binding from America for this purpose and I
    Love the richness of these colours Love love love your blog. You create beautiful art.

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  41. I'd love a tute.
    marilyn2222 @ hotmail.com

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Thanks so much for taking the time to share your thoughts. I appreciate your comments so much!