Hi! I’m very happy to be here with you today with a card for Happy Little Stampers February 2017 Mixed Media Challenge.
Our challenge:
Here’s my card.
Washi tape, stenciling, stamping, die cutting, sponging, and of course, tearing/ripping went into the making of this card.I used Happy Little Stampers’ Butterfly Birthday and Butterfly Dies.
This level of grungy mixed media is out of my normal comfort zone. I considered reworking it or ditching it all together. I showed it to my husband and told him what I was thinking.
He gave me some advice,”Well, be honest. Share that this is not your favorite card or style. You don’t always have to love everything you do. Maybe it would be refreshing for someone to read that you are sharing something that you are not really super crazy about.”
So, here we are. Grunge Melissa-style. Hmmm. I’ve seen some people who do lovely work with this style, but it is not really my favorite. 
I stamped the butterflies in a dark brown. After waiting a while, apparently, not long enough, I added the white embossing paste stenciled hearts. The brown ink bled through and gave the hearts a dirty, grungy appearance. I’m not a big fan of that. This is what I would do differently next time.
Any advice? Will the ink bleed through no matter how long I wait?
Thanks for stopping by!
Grace & Peace,
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Honey Bee Lane 
Maybe it loose more messy in person but on screen it looks soft and watercolory. I think it’s a beautiful card. Just last night I spent about 2 hours on a card and definitely didn’t love it, but I hope someone will think is really great. Not everyone loves pink and flowers as much as I do.
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Thanks, Donna. 🙂
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Hi Melissa, sometimes it’s great to try something out of your comfort zone. The bleeding butterflies had the watercolor effect! I think you did a great job with this card. Helen Liu (DT sister)
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This is gorgeous, Melissa! I love how you used the embossing paste and washi.
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Another fan here! I likethe surreal look to it! Good for you for posting it! I think if you put a coat of clear gessoover it you would not get the bleed through. Sometimes you want a crisp look to the topmost stenciling. I guess this is why I do grunge :). Thank you for sharing it with us at Emerald Creek Dares! Hugs! Sara Emily DT
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This looks fab ….. I love the colours and the texture.
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I’m a sucker for butterflies and I love the overlay of the hearts!
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oh wow!!! i love all of these layers!!! thanks for joining us on the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge!
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So beautiful…love your gorgeous butterflies, what an amazing card!
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Love the inky goodness, Melissa! Totally gorgeous! Thanks so much for playing Simon Says Stamp Wednesday “The Color of Love” Challenge! Beautiful colors and design. Well done!
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Awesome card, lovely details.
Meena (DT sister)
hugs xx
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I love how it is. I like the color red on it.
Greetings Michelle (DT sister)
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I think I’ll just have to repeat what Wendy has said – I love the effect that the embossing paste has created! And I am glad you decided to post it instead of hiding it away! 🙂
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I think it looks terrific, very artsy! I like the bokeh effect the embossing paste has on the background, the bleed through adds to that. If you don’t like that effect, use a waterproof ink like Archival or India ink. Your husband gives good advice, he’s right! ♥
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