Triple Embossed Heart Anniversary

Hi there.  I needed an anniversary card for some good friends and decided to try the triple embossing technique.  I have to say I haven't tried this technique before and I did OK I think, the finish was a bit rough and ready but I will just call it distressed...lol.  I had originally intended it for the WOW Embossing Challenge but unfortunately missed the deadline.

I started with the heart which I die cut from white card using a Sweet Dixie set of nesting hearts and  I triple embossed it using my Versamark ink and then covered in the UTE crystals and heat set, and repeated this twice more.  The third time I had my rubber stamp ready to give it a pattern.  I used one from a set by Chocolate Baroque called Fluttering Hearts, and whilst still hot I pressed it down into the embossed heart and kept the pressure on for about ten seconds, by which time it had cooled.  I then applied some Pebeo Silver Gilding Wax all over to give it a silver finish, but because the crystals have mica in them their is a slight green interference colour which the light obviously caught in the photo.

For the background I found another piece of white card and used a Leonie Pujol Embossing Folder called Dotty Heart, and ran it through twice to extend the pattern.  I then blended some Peacock Feather Distress Ink over the top using a blending tool.  I also highlighted the pattern with some of the Pebeo Silver Gilding Wax.  

For the mat I used some Turquoise Brusho powder on to my glass mat and added quite a bit of water to lighten the colour and then laid the piece of card over to cover it with the ink and when dry die cut it with a stitched circle die from The Works.

I decided it perhaps needed some more embellishment so I cut several lacy borders, about three I think, using a die from the Marianne Craftables range called Twine Border, and used it round the edge of the heart and also the circular mat.  It required quite a lot of patience and some snipping to get it to bend around sufficiently but I got there in the end.  I cut nicks out of the edge and backed the heart and the circle with double sided tape, and by pleating the edge of the border a bit as I went, and obviously making joins in several places, I did get there in the end.  I think it needs fairly light weight card to do this and perhaps the card I used was a little thick which didn't help.

I finished by layering the background and then attached the heart to the circular mat before adding it to the card.  I then made a fishtail banner for my sentiment using some more white card and stamped and heat embossed it using WOW Metallic Silver Embossing Powder before adding it to the card.

Thank you for taking a look today and I hope to see you again soon.

I am also entering the following challenges:

Addicted to Stamps and More Challenge - No. 266 Anything Goes.
Just Add Ink Challenge - No. 384 - Photo Inspiration (I used just the colour blue).
Challenge Up Your Life - No. 78 Die Cuts.
613 Avenue Create Challenge - Anything Goes.