Altenew "Blossoming Branch" Aged Faux Metal Card

It's like opening a gift when I run a 3D embossing folder through my Big Shot. Here I used Altenew's "Blossoming Branch" folder. The dimension a 3D folder makes is amazing, especially when using metallic cardstock. 

This is the cardstock I use from Michaels

 (purchased last year)

Altenew prints the name of the folder on the front so it's easy to tell which end is up.

You could stop here if you like a shiny piece, but I like to age it.

This is what I use: Black acrylic paint, a foam brush, Tim Holtz mister bottle, a paper towel. I have all these ready because you need to go fast with a small amount of paint applied (see how much is on my mat? That's more than enough.) I use a mister because my paper towel is barely damp, too much water will just make a mess. Plus I like the brush strokes just a little paint and damp towel make.

Quickly apply a thin coat of paint with the foam brush.

Quickly wipe away paint, leaving some in nooks & crannies.

I like the brushstrokes of going in 2 directions.

That's it. I then just made a 5 1/2" x 5 1/2" card out of black cardstock and cut down my panel so it left a small border. Pretty dramatic for such a simple technique. I learned this from a Tim Holtz YouTube demo (I'm pretty sure it was the one on Distress Paints).

Thanks for reading! I'm on Instagram nearly everyday as Susanbcards.