Returning to a more familiar style

Recently I've been doing a lot of coloring with pencils and copics. There is always so much to learn - new techniques, old techniques that I've never done, new mediums... you name it! Don't get me wrong, I love to try new ways to do things, but sometimes I start to feel like a "jack of all trades, master of none". How about you?
This week I returned to my inky roots (no, my actual roots didn't get inky!) and got my hands dirty. Boy, were they dirty! :D
This gorgeous image is from a set by Hampton Art that I found at Michael's (they have a 50% off coupon this week!) recently. I paired it with a technique from the new TJ newsletter - Neutral Shadows. I think it would have gone a lot easier if I actually had stencil brushes (which I bought a GIANT set at JoAnn's tonight for $2.99 - expect to see this technique again!) to do it with. The stamp was embossed with white powder on white paper then (theoretically) brushed with a neutral color of ink (I used Pumice Stone DI). I couldn't leave it looking quite so plain IRL, so even though you can't see it here (I say that a lot, don't I?) it was spritzed with Ranger's new Perfect Pearl mist and sparkles like crazy!
The background piece started out as a plain piece of white c/s, run through the Clockworks embossing folder with Pumice Stone ink on one side. While the ink was still wet I dusted it with Heirloom Gold perfect pearls then spritzed it with Midnight Blue Glimmer Mist (instead of water) to set the perfect pearls. The piece(s) down the side are a Cuttlebug die cut - unfortunately they don't put any label on their products so I don't know the name of this die/set and I couldn't find it on the Provo Craft site. It's actually two of the same edge die, heavily colored with Pumice Stone and dusted with perfect pearls to match the background.
Although the stamp set came with some gears, they were too intricate for me to feel comfortable cutting them out. Instead I inked up the embossing folder again and used that to stamp on a piece of grunge board and cut that out (once it was cut out I inked it heavily and dusted with pp also). The world nail head was silver and didn't look good at all, but that was fixed with a quick dab of Latte alcohol ink. It isn't clear in the photo, but there was a bit of black lace woven through the teeth of the nail head before I attached it with pop dots to the gear.
The final element was the black enamel accents. I found a flourish that I liked, embossed it on a piece of leftover acetate and used that for a piercing template on the card. I didn't pierce deeply, just a pin prick! Once I had the design ready I went along dotting with the enamel accents (whoops, do *not* pay any attention to the flub!) I also used some white enamel accents along the side (on the die cut), but it was much too stark so I dusted those with even *more* perfect pearls while still wet!
I'll admit, this card looks pretty cool in the picture. Trust me on this, IRL it's shiny and dimensional and very, very cool! I *love* it! And I loved getting my hands dirty! :D
Thanks for dropping by!