Occassionally on my video clips I'll be working on a project using my Lindy's Stamp Gang Starburst sprays and I'll say

'You don't need to waste the excess, just use a piece of card to mop up the left overs and you can use it as a background".  

Well I thought today that I'd show you one way to use those pieces of mopping up card.

What I used:

• Lindy's Stamp Gang Starburst Sprays: Afternoon Delight Denim, Passionate Plum and Wake Me Up Before You Go Gold (these were the colours on the original projects)
• Watercolour Card
• Viva Decor Inka Gold: Silver, Violet, Graphite and Gold (this is metallic wax paste)
• Cuttlebug
• Embossing Folders: Darice - Damask Background, Couture Creations - Seedling Nouveau  and Sizzix - Leaves

What I did:

While spraying other projects, mop up any excess spray with a piece of absorbent watercolour card - just keep using the piece until no white is visible.  Once dry you will have something with different colours, different shimmers - mine looks like this after mopping up a blue, a purple and a gold. 

I used textured watercolour card - cold pressed - and the shimmer settles into the texture - yum yum!

I store up my mopping up pieces of card until I have a few and then I create a bunch of backgrounds.  Today I am putting each piece into a different embossing folder.

Your backgrounds are now half done - simple hey! 

Now you can easily use them just like this, BUT.....

I like to zhush them up a little.

Now when using sparkly backgrounds  it can sometimes be difficult to find things to compliment them!

Shimmery Background + Shimmery Layers on top or underneath = blah!

Shimmery Background + Matt Layers on top or underneath = great

Shimmery Background + Metallic Layers on top or underneath = great

Shimmery Background + Glitter BLING Layers on top or underneath = so so

Basically if you add layers which compete for attention with your shimmer background, you can end up creating a monster - there is TOO MUCH of a good thing when it comes to sparkle!  I find that complimenting your beautiful sparkly background with either a matt or a metallic works beautifully.

 So following this idea I am adding some metallic Inka Gold paste over the top of my embossed areas, using my favourite tool - my finger!

I've added Silver to the leafy background - the silver provides a wonderful contrasting colour.

On this background I've used Gold which creates am amazing opulent looking effect.

On the final background I used Violet and graphite (yes you can combine the different colours) - when you look at all 3 together you can see how the different colours of metallic wax paste can completely alter the look of the base card - though they are all completely gorgeous.

and that's one way to use those pieces of mopping up card.

Now I did use one of these on a card recently - so keep an eye out this coming week and yu'll see the finished card right here on my blog :O)