Wednesday, July 28, 2021

Artistically Inked - Two Ways

 Sometimes my stamps excite me!  Like when I find a stamp I had not previously used and suddenly figure out what all the fuss was about.  

Like this one:


This is a great set, and I've been playing with the flowers and the greetings (AND the dies AND the fabulous Expressions in Ink Designer Series Paper!) but there is one stamp that kinda confused me:


What was this for?  It was too big for coloring the flowers, and it just seemed like a hot mess.  

And then I stamped it...and WOW!  I get it now!  It's a beautiful, multi-layered stamp that comes out in light and dark colors (using just one ink color) when stamped.  

So I started playing, and decided to try it in multiple colors on the same paper.  

Look at my cards:


For my first one, I stamped first with Pale Papaya ink; then I inked up one half of the stamp in Polished Pink and stamped it (at the bottom of the Pale Papaya one).  I repeated this using Granny Apple Green on half the stamp.  And made this:


That background got me stoked to use all the colors for my card, so you see a Granny Apple Green layer (cut with the Scalloped Contours dies) with Pale Papaya and Polished Pink on top.  I topped off the card with one of the dies from Floral Squares, adding the colored flowers to match.


So fun!

But wait!  I wasn't done yet.  I decided to try it again, using Granny Apple Green, Bermuda Bay and Coastal Cabana:


This time I used a Blending Brush and added a little Daffodil Delight to the edges.  It made me think of the beach, so naturally I needed shells...Friends are Like Seashells to the rescue!


I created a little frame with the Stitched Rectangles dies, and sponged Bermuda Bay ink over it for a distressed look.  It was all mounted to a Bermuda Bay layer, and onto a Thick Basic White base.


Maybe I need to get out more, but I really did find this stamp exciting to use.  You can bet there will be more samples coming soon!  


Last week of the Designer Series Paper Sale - Save 15% on select pattern paper packs!  



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Monday, July 26, 2021

Another Merry Monday with Penguins!

 Penguins!  How cute are they?  

While I rarely pick up "cute animal stamps", every now and then one of them appeals to the "kid" in me.  And Penguin Place (#156789) did that.  Take a look:


Hard to resist, right?

So I turned these little guys into another Christmas card, and I'm all ready to send it to my grandkids.


Charlie, here, is sliding down a hill on his belly.  He's stamped in Tuxedo Black with a Pumpkin Pie beak (do penguins have "beaks"?) and fussy cut.   Of course being in all that snow would make him cold, so he's got a little red beany to keep his head warm.


Marvin, here, was not stamped - his body is punched with the coordinating Penguin Builder Punch (#156452 or get the bundle and save 10% - #156789) and I just added some eyes, his beak and his little feet.  He's also got his beany, and I gave him a nice warm scarf to keep him warm.


And what's a Christmas card without Christmas trees?  I made it easy by using the Tree Punch with some retired holiday paper, adding some Red and Basic Rhinestones.


Can't wait to pop this one in the mail!  I know the grands are going to love it!


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Sunday, July 25, 2021

Fancy Birthday

The other day I showed you a card with a background made by adding 91% Alcohol to some scribbles of Stampin' Blends on Vellum (see it here).  Well, when I was playing with that technique I made a few other pieces.  So here's another card using that same technique:


Yeah, it's a stunner!  

For this background I took Melon Mambo dark blends, Magenta Madness light and dark, and Pumpkin Pie dark blends and scribbled on my Vellum.  Then I spritzed with the alcohol and watched the magic happen.  



Once the vellum was dry, I spread a tiny line of Multipurpose Liquid Glue in spots on the paper, and then smashed it into my Gilded Leafing flakes.  As I sponged away the flakes, the glue spread a little, and left me with rivers of gold on the paper.   So pretty!

And with all that gold, the greeting was heat embossed with Gold Embossing Powder for a shiny look.




I inked up the smaller rose and the leaves in the Artistically Inked set and stamped two, cutting them out with the Artistic dies.  I also cut one of the leaf stems using Gold Foil.  



In keeping with the gold theme, I mounted the main panel on a piece of Gold Foil, cut with the Stitched Rectangle dies, and adhered it all to some Polished Pink on a Thick Basic White base.  

Have you tried the Stampin' Blends with Alcohol on Vellum technique yet?  Why not give it a try?

And if making your own backgrounds sounds like too much work, how about picking up some great Designer Series Papers at 15% off?  




This sale is going on now, but it's almost over!  Don't miss out...get your paper by August 2!


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