Fill 'er Up T -- Thanks

Quietfire Design has several new stamps/stamp sets and one of them is this Fill 'er Up T Thanks image.  It's very cool as you can choose to fill the large T up any way you want... color, background technique, Zentangle, embellishments, etc... the list could go on and on.  In fact Suzanne is sharing several different ideas from the DT on the Quietfire Creations Blog today so be sure to pop over and check them.

I've filled my T up using Distress Stains and an old watercolor technique using salt to add design/texture to your color.  I also did the same technique on another piece of paper so I could use it as a layer in my card and everything would match.  The Thanks piece and background piece are both watercolor paper.  I wet the inside of the T slightly before adding in my stain colors (mowed lawn, evergreen bough, and salty ocean) using a paint brush.  While the color was still wet I sprinkled on table salt and set it aside to dry naturally.  I did the same thing with the extra piece (wet it, added color brushing it on with the dabber top this time, sprinkled on the salt and left it to dry).  After the pieces were dry, I brushed off all the salt.  It can help to use a paper towel to rub the salt off.  I added colored speckles to the Thanks piece by picking up stain on a waterbrush and flicking it against my finger.  I edged the piece with Distress Paint tarnished brass.  On the extra piece I added speckles of the tarnished brass paint in the same way as the colored speckles and also edged the 3 straight sides with the paint.  The next layer is off-white cardstock embossed with the Cuttlebug D'vine Swirl folder.  The piece was too large to fit completely in the folder so I embossed as much as I could, then embossed again just what didn't fit the first time.  This leaves a bit of a line so I colored a piece of silk ribbon with the tarnished brass paint and wrapped it around the piece covering that line.  Attached it all to a folded off-white card.