A Great Opportunity

Recently the opportunity to send a package to a friend of my sister-in-law's came up. He's serving his country in Iraq right now. I was poking around on the Internet deciding what to send and the best way to send it, when I stumbled across this incredible web site called anysoldier.com. It hooks people like you and me up with soldiers who are actively in harms way (i.e. serving in Iraq, Afghanistan, etc.), so we can support them with letters or packages. How cool is that? So, today I have a picture of a thank you card I'm including in my package to some of these brave men. I'll explain a little about the materials and technique after the picture.

All of the supplies are Stampin' Up! Stamp used was the Classic Star Wheel. Paper is Night of Navy, Real Red, and Whisper White. Ink is Versamark, Bashful Blue, Night of Navy, and Real Red. Ribbon is Night of Navy, Real Red, and Whisper White. I also used clear embossing powder and lg and sm star punches. The "thank you" sentiment is a rub-on.

I used the emboss resist technique to create this background. I started by inking my stamp (wheel in this case) with versamark ink. Then, I covered it in embossing powder, shook off the excess, and heated image. Then I sponged ink over the paper (starting with the lightest color and working my way to the darkest). Finally, I wiped the excess ink of the embossed star images. This is one of my favorite techniques for creating color backgrounds.