JOSEPH'S COAT

For those of you who have been doing cardmaking for any amount of time, you are probably familiar with the technique that is referred to as Joseph's Coat. A process that takes a few steps and can be messy and somewhat unpredictable, the end result always proves to be worth the effort and gives a stunning background for your next card creation.

To start your Joseph's Coat background, cut a piece of white cardstock to your desired size. For my card, I used 4" x 5 1/4".  Rub this piece of cardstock well with an Embossing Buddy. 

Choose a stamp that you think would make an attractive background. I used a botanical branch. In VersaMark ink, stamp all over the cardstock, not overlapping the images at all. You may want to do this in stages so the ink doesn't dry before you even get it embossed. 

Once you have several images stamped, at the heat station, cover the images with clear embossing powder and use your heat tool to set the embossing. 

Finish up this piece in the same way.

Once the entire piece is embossed, used blending brushes to add color here and there. Try not to over blend the colors to keep the colors clean and separate, but joined. 

The photo below shows my piece embossed and the color added, ready for the next step.

For the next step, choose a color of ink that is fairly dark. I used Pretty Peacock. Using a rubber brayer -- and lots of patience -- roll ink over the embossed/colored piece until it is evenly covered with the dark ink. Roll every which way, repeatedly. It will require lots of layers. You might want to be listening to Adele's Rolling in the Deep while you are doing this. Just kidding. Though I do love that song.

Once the brayering is finished and you are happy with the look, take a tissue and gently wipe any excess ink from the images.

There! Now you are ready to create your card.

An up close and personal view of my finished card:

Snce I see my labor intensive background as the star of my card, I was, of course, hesitant to cover up just too much of its wonder, so went simple with the rest of the card.

If you are interested, I used a stamp from the set Forever Fern for my background image. The colors of ink I used, besides the Pretty Peacock, include Pear Pizzazz, Wisteria Wonder, Pacific Point, Rich Razzleberry, and Bermuda Bay. I know most of these are retired colors, but if you're like me, you still have them all around.

Have you ever tried the Joseph's Coat technique? Is this the same process you use to get your results? If not, please share with us how you go about the technique.

Colorful 

Smiles.