Stamp With LisaT: Masculine Card with a Mosaic Tutorial

I'm back from vacation and dusting off the craft table! Actually, I haven't created anything in close to a month, between family demands, vacation prep & being away. I'm feeling a little withdrawal, but there's nothing like a crafting challenge to make you jump right back in! I've been enjoying the EtsyInspired challenges lately, so thought I'd start there.

If you're not familiar with these challenges, Ashley selects an Etsy store each week. (Etsy is an online forum for crafters of all types to sell their handmade creations.) You browse the store, select a piece that interests you and get busy creating something based on your 'inspiration piece'. Then, to participate, post a link to your creation on Ashley's blog Heart Hugs Designs. It's that simple & so much fun!

This week's challenge, EIC51, features the Etsy store Red Crow Arts, which contains all types of interesting pottery - dishes, pendants, beads, buttons, etc. Here's a wonderful miniature chest of drawers that inspired me:

I chose this piece for two reasons: 1) love the earthy, jewel-tone colors and 2) I've been thinking about mosaics in my papercrafting lately. The Stampin' Success Magazine that demonstrators receive monthly featured a different type of mosaic technique. This reminded me of mosaics I used to create with cut-out Sizzix shapes. I even found an old sample from years ago that I might share at the end of this post (don't ask me why I still have (mostly ugly) cards that I created years ago - I feel a purge coming on!).

Anyway, here is the card I created. I created a mosaic background using the Top Note die. The focal image was created using the Baby Wipe technique - I folded up a baby wipe, squeezed a few drops of different color inks onto it, and used that as a stamp pad for the pheasant from the new Autumn Days stamp set. I love the multi-colored stamped image that I ended up with!

Here's a quick how-to on the mosaic:

Prepare your shape. In this case, I cut 5 Top Note shapes - one in Burgundy for the background, and one in each of the 4 colors I selected based on my inspiration piece. (I trimmed around the perforation on each of these 4.)

Cut random pieces from your shape. Be sure to cut through all layers at the same time. (Since the Top Note shape is pretty large, I cut a few pieces at a time, and kept them carefully together.) Sorry this picture's blurry - but it conveys the idea:

Carefully lay out the pieces on your background shape. Kind of like a big puzzle, right? (Hint: be careful to keep the pieces that you're NOT using in order - you can use them to create additional mosaics!)

Using paper snips, trim away little strips on all of your inside edges. This will create the 'gutter' or 'seam' between the pieces of your mosaic. Attach the trimmed pieces to your background, and you're done!

This mosaic technique works well for background elements or focal images that you can use on your cards or scrapbook pages. My challenge card features a mosaic background image. Here's a card I created years ago that has a mosaic focal image. It predates my acquaintance with Stampin' Up! - see the blurry stamped image (on poor quality white card stock) and the colored card stock that buckled with the adhesive I used? Sheesh - live & learn!

Recipe: (all supplies Stampin' Up!; images copyright Stampin' Up! 1990-2009):
Paper: Always Artichoke, Bravo Burgundy, Brocade Blue, Kraft, Very Vanilla
Ink: Always Artichoke, Bravo Burgundy, Brocade Blue, Soft Suede
Stamps: Autumn Days
Accessories: Big Shot, Top Note Die, Always Artichoke 1/4" Grosgrain Ribbon, dimensionals, baby wipe