Background effects

WOW...2 posts in one day!  LOL  Actually, just need to catch up on some posting I should've done throughout the week, but this takes time to do, so I'm adding several in one day.

Wendy G. at sb.com inspired me to start getting creative making background paper for my layouts.  She did a really cool layout using several coats of UTEE piled on the corners of her paper.  So, this week for my latest layout, I tried my hand at doing some creative stuff with UTEE.

Both of the following papers started out as white cardstock. 

 The first thing I did was take a large faded text background stamp and stamp the entire piece with versamark embossing ink.  Covered that with platinum UTEE and heated it up.  Then I took the embossing pad and randomly ink the CS and the edges, added more UTEE and heated, then as it was hot, added more UTEE and heated again. Then, I inked all over the cardstock with Black Soot distress ink, spritzed it with water and wiped it off, so that the UTEE would show better.  I wet distressed the edges just spritzing a little at a time, shaping it, then drying it.  I took antique silver pearl ex powder and made some glimmer spray mixing it with water and gum arabic, then sprayed my paper with it.  Using a toothpick, I randomly put small bits of glue around the distressed edges, then added the antique silver pearl ex powder with a dry paintbrush to give the edges some extra shimmer.  Everyone who sees this in person thinks it is tenfoil...lol.

 On this sheet, I again stamped with Versamark embossing ink and my large faded text background stamp all over the paper.  Then I applied Platinum UTEE and heated it up.  As I was heating it, I randomly added more UTEE to some parts of the stamping for a thicker raised effect.  I just kept adding more UTEE and heating until I got the look that I wanted.  I then folded the paper randomly to make some creases, which would cause the ink to be darker on those spots.  I inked the paper randomly with distress ink in stormy sky, chipped sapphire, walnut stain, frayed burlap, and weathered wood.  I ran a baby wipe lightly across the top to remove the ink from the embossed areas.  I distressed the edges with a pair of scissors, then inked them with black soot.  Shelby told me the finished paper looks like the earth.

I had so much fun making these 2 sheets and can't wait to try my hand at some more custom backgrounds!  Thanks for looking!