Muse paid a flying visit

I am in the middle of an Alphabetica postcard swap, but my muse has been missing, and it's been hard going. And then, she paid a flying visit...

L is for Leonardo - a man I greatly admire.  I am also rather taken with these backgrounds, which my friend Pauline taught me how to do.  It's really simple, just stroke 2 or 3 Distress Ink pads onto a teflon craft or baking sheet, spritz with water until it beads up, then dab your card around.  You can make them a bit upmarket by adding a spritz of a mica colour spray. The backgrounds are great for stamping on, they add interest but don't detract.

 I used Tattered Rose distress ink to stamp text all over the backgrounds, then Soot Black, Fired Brick and Spiced Marmalade for the rest of the stamping. These Leonardo stamps are from Rubbadubbadoo, Rubber Baby Buggy Bumpers, and Invoke Arts.

K is for Knight - one day maybe I'll find one, wearing shining armour.  I doubt it.  I used another of those Distress Ink backgrounds, and stamped a diamond pattern in Tattered Rose. I used Black Soot and Spiced Marmalade to stamp the knights with. I used a scrap of slightly glittery painted card to stamp and emboss the words (all Rubadubbadoo).

For the back of this one, I laser printed some old text, then used the same Distress Ink technique to add colour - less water this time, as I wanted stronger colour.  Also, the paper sucks it up differently to the card.  

I stamped and gold embossed the diamond pattern (Invoke Arts), then added the K (cut form Tim Holtz paper) layered onto a scrap of card with the same gold embossed pattern.