Trial and Error

Sometimes I look at a stamp and have a certain image in my head of what I want it to look like stamped. Sometimes I get that look on the first try (rarely), and sometimes I have to play around with it a bit. The poinsettia stamp from Impression Obsession was one of those stamps. I LOVE solid stamps because they are so versatile, but sometimes they require a bit of trial and error to get them just right. For this stamp, I tried coloring the inner leaves with a lighter color of watercolor crayon and darker colors on the outside leaves. However, when I stamped the image, the colors blended together. Therefore, I had to try stamping it a different way. For my second attempt, I colored the stamp with watercolor crayons and then stamped it onto scratch paper. I then added more crayon and some Twinkling H2Os to the bottom leaves, spritzed the stamp with some water and stamped it onto my card. This time I loved the results! For this stamp, it seemed to work best when the inner leaves had less "ink" on them the bottom leaves. Sometimes, it just takes a little trial and error.

New Things Coming

It seems like I just started on the design team for Impression Obsession, but it is already time for a new "challenge" to be sent to me! (Insert happy new stamp dance here). The design team section will be on the IO webpage soon, so be sure to check out what everyone has created. In the meantime, I will get to play with some of their new clear sets. What fun!
For the card today, I once again used the faux batik technique. I stamped the leaves (don't remember the company) onto mulberry paper and embossed with clear powder. I spritzed the paper with various Colorwash sprays and then ironed the piece to remove the embossing powder. I then placed the mulberry over fall script text paper so that it would show through the leaves. You may have to click on the picture for a better view of the font that shows through. I finished by stamping a "splotch" stamp (Just for Fun) over the top with gold ink. Trust me, this is one of the best stamps for finishing a card!

Dave is Coming!

Ok, Harry Potter has been read, and I can now return to the land of the living! I have so many ideas for cards and classes right now...I just need to find the time and space to create.
I am so very excited because Dave Brethauer is coming to Angela's to teach in September! When Angela first opened her store, she asked us if there were any specific artists we would like to host at the store. Dave Brethauer was my first pick. His book, Stamp in Color, is probably my favorite craft book. It has since gone out of print, but he has a new book coming out this fall. Am I starting to sound like a commercial? I am just so excited he will be at the store!
The card today is a mini homage to Dave. The stamp is one of his (when he was designing for Rubbermoon). He now owns a company called Memory Box. I stamped the pumpkin image and then colored it in using Prismacolor pencils. It is a little early for Halloween, but oh well. Did I mention that Dave is coming? :)

One Day till Harry Potter

How am I supposed to get any crafting done when I am so excited about the new Harry Potter book? I must admit that I have been referring to the upcoming weekend as "Harry Potter Weekend." The weekend will begin with a Harry Potter party at Barnes and Noble where I will pick up my book at midnight. Am I sick, or what? Then it will be read, read, read this weekend. I am determined to finish the book before I hear any spoilers. Is this sane behavior for a woman in her thirties with no kids?
On a positive note, I received an email today from Barnes and Noble saying that I was one of two winners at my local bookstore of a $25 gift card. That means I get book 7 for free with a little left over! I don't know why, but I seem to be winning a lot of things this year. Woohoo!
The card today is one made from some of the upcoming Impression Obsession designs. I stamped the border stamp around the edge of a cream cardstock piece to create a frame. I then cut out the outside of the frame using an exacto knife. I stamped the pumpkin flourish on the center panel along with a saying. I then colored in my pumpkin using watercolor pencils. I hope everyone has a great weekend! You know what I will be doing!

Favorite Stamps

I was going through some of the cards that I have made and noticed that I tend to use some of the same stamps over and over. Yes, I have a wonderful selection of stamps.... but that doesn't stop me from favoring some over others. I don't think there is anything wrong with using "the old standbys." You know how they are going to stamp, how much pressure to apply, etc. The iris stamp from Penny Black is one of those stamps for me. I don't think it ever gets filed with other flower stamps I own simply because it always seems to be out on my desk. I wish I had a link for the Penny Black site, but I don't think they have a site yet.
The sample I am posting today uses the faux batik technique (try saying that three times fast). For this technique, bold stamps work best. I stamped the iris onto mullberry paper using Versamark ink. I then embossed the flowers with clear embossing ink (make sure you emboss over a craft sheet as the embossing powder will melt through the mullberry paper). I sprayed the whole thing with an assortment of Adirondack Colorwash sprays. To finish the card, I ironed away the clear embossing powder.

It's beginning to look a lot like...

Christmas? Humm...it is over 90 degrees and humid. What else would I be working on besides Christmas cards?
I am close to finishing up making cards for the latest Impression Obsession deadline and have been playing around with some of their new Christmas stamps. I am trying to combine my projects so that I can make IO some samples while at the same time design some classes for fall and winter. I have never been so far ahead of schedule!
For the card I am featuring today, I stamped a large swirly background onto the front of the card using Versamark ink. My crafting friends know that I am "X-Acto blade challenged." Nevertheless, I managed to cut out a window in my card and place some acetate in the open area. I stamped the tree flourish onto the acetate using green Staz On ink and colored the back of the image with Souffle pens. I am including a scanned picture of the front to show the card details and a photo of the card to show that you can see through the window in the card. The background stamp and saying are available now at IO and the tree flourish will be available July 23rd. Happy Holidays!

Different Points of View

For those of you who know me, I am really into the "practical." If you can use something over and over again, it makes me so happy! When Mitra from Impression Obsession let me pick stamps from her upcoming new releases, I knew I wanted the present stamp. To me, it is the quintessential present that can be used for weddings, Christmas, birthdays, etc. For today's cards, I used the same layout and just changed the saying to go from birthday to Christmas. For both cards, I stamped a large background stamp onto light and medium colored papers. I then cut them up and reassembled them to form a background paper. I stamped the present onto white cardstock and colored with Prismacolor pencils. I added some of my Stardust pens to the bows, but it is hard to see the shimmer through the scanning. Very practical and versatile! PS.. the background stamp and sayings are currently available from IO, and the present is another sneak peak of their July 23rd release.

Blogs, blogs, blogs!

I have to admit it, I have become addicted to reading blogs. I knew it was just a matter of time, but it all happened rather fast! I find myself checking the other IO design team member's blogs frequently. Those in turn link to other blogs which link to other blogs. It is a never ending cycle! It may take a long time to check them all out, but I have been so inspired by the crafting I have seen.
Today is the last day of dog sitting for a while. Yeah! I am ready to sleep in my OWN bed and be by my OWN stuff. The dogs I am watching now have stopped barking at me, but they managed to eat part of a couch. Yikes! Did I mention that I am really glad to be going home?
The card today uses a stamp made by Stamper's Anonymous. I love collage stamps because they do all the work for you. The background was made with sponged pink and purple inks onto white glossy paper. I then toned down the brightness by sponging on some distress ink. I finished the card by stamping the collage image.

Sneak Preview

I found out that it is okay if I post what I am working on for Impression Obsession. I am calling it a sneak peek because you can't actually buy the stamps until July 23. I am having a hard time getting the Eddie Murphy bit out of my head where he chants "I've got an ice cream, and you don't got one." Substitute "stamps" for "ice cream" and you can see how truly obnoxious I am. :) I really don't mean to taunt, but there is just something so exciting about having something that isn't out on the market yet!
I call the card I made above "bat martini." I LOVE this stamp! It was the first one I picked when I selected images from the new releases. Something about it just "spoke" to me. I don't know what that says about me! I colored the stamp with watercolor pencils and then covered the glass with Diamond Glaze. It is hard to tell from the photo, but the Diamond Glaze created a hard shellac that is fun to touch.