Scrap Page Featuring Forever Blossoms By Stampin' Up!

I teach a scrap class once a month and like to focus on a particular Stampin' Up! product that suits the technique we are using. 

This month I decided on the techniques of stamping off, masking and sponging.

I printed my photo in sepia tones.

Sometimes the decoration on a page can overwhelm the photo, so I've kept this quite simple. I used some doilies as masks, sponging over them with Smoky Slate ink, then stamping off doily images starting with full strength Smoky Slate.
The blossoms are from the Parisian Blossoms stamp set that forms part of the Parisian Blossom Suite

Stampin Up Alaska Cruise Swaps

What a fun time I had on the Stampin' Up! Alaska cruise  a couple of weeks ago. It was awesome to share this trip with my husband and some lovely friends who are fellow demonstrators. As you can see from the photo - the weather was perfect.

This year, my swaps were very last minute, but I thought I'd share them and the technique I used. 

It is the basic technique of MASKING. 

I've been using this technique a lot lately in a variety of ways - it is such a useful technique in helping you achieve depth and interest in your card making.

I used one of Stampin' Up's! Distinktive Stamps from the Healing Hugs stamp set. These Distinktive stamps create different opacities in a single stamped image for realistic depth and intensity. 

 And here is the stamping on the card I made:

  I've stamped the main image 3 times, starting with the darkest (full ink strength) then masking, stamping off and repeating for the 3rd flower.

 You can see the build up of the masks, and note that the mask is placed inside the edge of the stamped image. This is done to ensure the next stamp positions closely to the original. 

The process is repeated when adding the leaves.

 I can't believe that I didn't photograph the complete card but you can see it amongst the other swaps on one of the swap boards at Base Camp on the ship. 

Can you spot it on the board?

I used some stamps from other sets as well - the background texture is from Artisan Textures, and the greeting is from the Blended Seasons stamp set that is an exclusive set only available during August. 

Hopefully I'll get back into the swing of sharing more often..

Until next time

Happy Stamping!

If you would like to order any of the products I used you can order on-line at my store

Product List

Whisper White A4 Thick Cardstock

[140490]

$13.50

Whisper White A4 Card Stock

[106549]

$17.00

Blackberry Bliss Classic Stampin' Pad

[147092]

$13.00

Old Olive Classic Stampin' Pad

[147090]

$13.00

Healing Hugs Clear-Mount Stamp Set

[146530]

$37.00

Artisan Textures Clear-Mount Stamp Set

[146573]

$30.00

Blended Seasons Clear-Mount Stamp Set

[149016]

$68.00

Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad

[132708]

$10.00

Linen Thread

[104199]

$8.00

Blackberry Bliss A4 Cardstock

[133682]

$14.75

SNAIL Permanent Adhesive

[104332]

$10.00

Embossed and Masked Christmas Cards

I love so many of the techniques that can be used with stamping and one that I find offers  enormous scope for creative interpretation is Masking. Stampin' Up! has a wide selection of Punches and Framelits that make creating a Mask a very easy activity.

I prefer to use the Framelit dies for creating a mask as they can be placed in any position, allowing you to have a mask that covers your entire card front, with the negative shape just where you want it.

I used the Stars Framelit Collection, the Circles Framelit Collection and the Banners Framelit Collection to create the masks on sheets of Whisper White card that was cut to measure 10.5 cm x 15.0 cm.

Starting with Pear Pizzazz, I selectively sponged ink onto the areas I wanted. then I added some Pool Party Ink and finally some Wisteria Wonder ink. These colours are soft but still Chrismassy.

The next step is to add images. I stamped select images using Wisteria Wonder Classic ink to create a shadow for the final images then I dusted the entire inked surface with the Embossing Buddy before stamping with Versa Mark. I chose this simple set of snowflakes from the "Endless Wishes" stamp set by Stampin' Up! and heat embossed them in silver.

The silver really "pops" with the other colour just slightly showing and the card was finished simply with some silver rhinestones from Stampin' Up! and a greeting. 

These cards would look great using other colour combinations. What do you think?

Hope you enjoy them.

If you would like to re create these cards you can  securely purchase most of the products via my on-line store
The items will be delivered to your home by parcel post.

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog

Bokeh and Stampin' Up! = Very Cool Results

Hello, hello.

Are you in the mood for a little serendipity? Then you must give the Bokeh technique a try using some of your Stampin' Up! supplies.

What is Bokeh? And how do we translate that to our stamps and inks?

In photography, bokeh (Originally /ˈboʊkɛ/, /ˈboʊkeɪ/ BOH-kay — also sometimes pronounced as /ˈboʊkə/ BOH-kə, Japanese: [boke]) is the aesthetic quality of the blur produced in the out-of-focus parts of an image produced by a lens. Bokeh has been defined as "the way the lens renders out-of-focus points of light".

Card created by Suzan Visentin

 At our team meeting this month we focused on experimenting with the Bokeh technique. It was a first for all of us and the results were quite diverse. See the circles of white on the background - they are created with Stampin' Up! Whisper White ink sponged through a mask cut with different sized circles. I used Window sheet and the Circles Framelits  to make the masks. Don't try to use your punches as they don't cut window sheet very well!!!

Card created by Patricia Arentz

To create the background we spritzed some water colour paper with water, then dropped 2 - 4 colours of re-inker onto the paper. Spritz again to disperse the colour more. If the colour is too intense for your liking, simply blot with some paper towel, then dry with the Heat Tool.

Load a sponge with Whisper White, and starting with the largest circle, sponge through the mask moving it randomly over the background. Next sponge through the next smallest circle and continue until your background looks like it is spotted with light. Hasten drying by using the heat tool, because you just will not be able to wait to continue with your creation! You will start to see some very interesting effects now. 

Card created by Ann Craig

The 3 samples above show the varying degrees of intensity that you are able to choose when adding the white ink. We used the gorgeous Butterfly Basics stamp set and Framelits dies which we bought as a bundle and saved some $'s. The stamps are gorgeous and so adaptable.

When the background is thoroughly dry you can add stamps, die cuts, embellishments or ribbons to complete a unique card. 

Card created by Ceshton Hanns

Contact me if you would like further information on this technique. We will be doing a class on this method of creating in my Techniques Class some time later in the year. You are welcome to join the class.

Here is a list of the products used:

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog

You can order these products at my On-line Shop 

Or contact me for assistance.

I Love Using Different Techniques When Stamping.

Tonight I've been preparing for our annual Australia Day picnic. This is something we have done every year with friends since 1988. We head down to Lake Burleigh Griffin for breakfast and enjoy the beautiful Canberra sights and morning festivities that come with Australia Day. It is wonderful living in the Nations Capital - we are very lucky and thankful. Now, however, it is time I caught up with some posts on my recent creative exploits.

This year I've started a  monthly Techniques Class, and I'm really enjoying trying out many new techniques and revisiting some that I've used over and over again. We had our first class in January and because I had a group with mixed experience I decided to show a couple of techniques using MASKING  methods. 

The first sample was the traditional paper masking using a sticky note.

The idea of the class is to try out the techniques, keep a record of them and then try them out on cards or other projects. The birds from A HAPPY THING  stamp set - one of the free offering in the Sale A Bration catalogue make a great little duo sitting on the branch. They have been coloured using Blendabilities.

The second technique is fun and gives a different finish. I think it works well for children's cards, so I chose this set from the new Occassions Catalogue.

The image is part of a set named HEY VALENTINE, but it becomes a terrific set for a young person when you mask off the greeting. 

The image is stamped and coloured with Blendabilities, then covered with Versa Mark using a Versa Marker pen. Clear embossing powder is heated over the top and then background colour is sponged over the image. I love how I got little bits of colour in areas where the embossing did not take, and this is a great way to add an interesting background. The background is sponged on and then the image is buffed with a tissue. 

I hope you'll enjoy these technique posts

Thanks for visiting

Brayer Some Atmosphere onto Your Stampin Up Cards

I had the best fun the other night getting my fingers dirty and playing with abandon with my lovely Stampin' Up!® Classic Inks and a brayer.

Some of us are a little afraid of the brayer, but it really is a wonderful tool and it makes card making really quick and colourful. 

For these cards I worked on Glossy White card stock. The first example is named "Bushfire Haze" as it reminded me of driving through the bush after a fire had swept through and blackened everything. The method I used is to swipe the glossy card with the Embossing Buddy (very important when using black emboss powder) then stamp all the images with Versa Mark ink and finally pour Black Emboss Powder over the image. Make sure you have a good coverage and ensure you give the card a good flick with your finger to remove any stray embossing powder

Heat the embossing powder until glossy.

I added some additional sponged colour in some areas to enhance the colour palette. To create the moon just punch out a circle (any size that suits your design) on a sticky note. Ensure you have some of the sticky portion in the circle and stick onto the card where you want to place the moon. 

Then brayer away happily until you achieve your desired effect.

HINT: Always start with your lightest colour, and remember that the colours will be blending into each other so do not place complimentary colours next to each other unless you want to end up with neutrals. 

The ink stays moist for a while on the glossy surface so continue the brayering motion until blending occurs. This may take some practice, but one of the wonderful things about using a brayer is the serendipity - you never quite know what will eventuate.

The second card is framed on Basic Black card stock. The moon is masked before any ink was applied so a white circle was left. I sponge additional ink on the moon area to create depth and to soften the shape a little.

This card uses a different colour palette  and was a little dark so I added highlights with a white gel pen. You need to wait until the ink is thoroughly dry before attempting to use the gel pen, but it gives the composition a lift  when using these darker colours.

The Stampin Up stamp set used is a very versatile silhouette style stamp called "Serene Silhouettes". I also used this set for a lot of my Convention swaps and find it quite delightful to use as a stand alone image or as multiple stamped images as I've done here.

Hope you like the cards. I'm making a series of them for the upcoming Canberra Craft Fair.

If you would like to order any of the products used in these projects, please have a look at the catalogues and try placing your order on-line via my new on-line store. This is a new and easy way for you to obtain your Stampin Up products. If you would prefer me to place your order then just contact me and I'll be happy to help

Until Next Time

Stay Crafty!

Masking Makes a Statement On CAS Cards

Masking is such a simple technique and today I have a few cards that I've made recently that use Masking and Sponging together. One of them also uses the brayer to apply the ink. 

I'll start with the brayer bacground card.

So how do you make a mask for this card?

There are 2  easy ways:

1. Use your Stampin' Up! Framelits on a piece of computer paper to cut out the shape you want. I like to use the 80gsm as it reduces the amount of space that doesn't get coloured due to the difference in height when using a brayer.

2. Cut a Window Sheet into 4 x 6inch square pieces. Use your Stampin Up Framelits and the Big Shot to create more permanent masks that can be used over and over again, simply by wiping off any ink that gets on the surrounds.

Once your shape and colours have been completed imagine which of your stamps will look the best and stamp away over the top. No need to stay within the boundaries unless you really want to.

The next card uses sponging for the colouring of the background masked shape. This mask was created using the Postage Stamp Punch from Stampin' Up! and it has been punched 2 and a half times, matching the notches.

My favourite bird stamp - Young Vermillion (retired) from Stampin' Up! picks up the colours on its breast. I used a blender pen to fill in the lower half of the bird front, and tilted the mask so that it was not perfectly vertical.

The next images show 2 of a group of cards I made using the Postage Stamp Punch for the mask. Pretty In Pink, Tempting Turquoise and Perfect Plum with a tiny bit of Elegant Eggplant make up the background and this creates the opportunity to mat with the 4 different colours. Here you see the Eggplant and Pink mats.

An the finished card. Very simple but quite elegant.

Why don't you have a try of this technique? Your results will be fabulous and you'll have lots of fun.

Until Next Time

Stay Crafty!

MMSC # 124

Midnight Madness Challenge blog has another lovely sketch to test us this week and here is my solution to it.

I made a series of these cards this week and wanted to take this one a little further and the challenge was just what I needed to inspire me. 

This is the sketch 

And here are some detail photos to let you see up close what I've added to the Sponged and Masked image created from the Stampin' Up! stamp set: LOVELY AS A TREE and the small reindeer from  a retired stamp set. 

There is a small glossy gold border around the dry embossed "frame", so I added gold ribbon and flowers, and a glittery gold tree. 

Decoration in the top corner is 3 simple gold stars. I didn't want to overload this card with embellishments as it would detract from the rather involved images used.  The colour for this card is CHERRY COBBLER - a beautifully rich colour just right for Christmas.

Hope you enjoy the card,

Christmas Scenes in Monotones

Christmas cards are high on the list for many card makers at this time of the year. 

I've been hosting Christmas Card Stamp-A-Stacks all through the year, so I and a few other stampers have a good supply of cards ready to go. There are still 2 more classes - the 1st Monday of the month - in both November and December, so if you would like to attend you are welcome to contact me via my Demonstrator Business Website to reserve your place in the class.

The October Stamp-A-Stack was a little different as I had a request to design a card using the Stampin' Up!stamp set,  LOVELY AS A TREE and to use the Sponging and Masking techniques. 6 cards made using that method would have taken way too long, so we did 3 cards using the STITCHED STOCKING stamp set and 3 different colours of this design.

The detail photos show how much depth can be achieved by careful placement of the masks.

Colours used are: Cherry Cobbler, Old Olive and Elegant Eggplant - all Stampin' Up!® inks.

 

A slightly different scene is created by using the same mask but at different  angles. The choice of colour will create different effects too.

 

Dry embossing around the "frame" had to be done in 2 steps as the folder was not wide enough. A little sponging with the ink used on the scene helps to soften the stark white surround.

The Olive card has a little Soft Suede sponged onto areas of the cloud where I wanted to create more depth and helps make this version more Vintage.  

The scalloped frame is made using the SCALLOP CIRCLE BIGZ DIE and the BIG SHOT.  

The cards are 6 inches square finished size.

You can see a tutorial for this Masking and Sponging technique here. Why not have a go at this - it is fun.

Until next time

Stay Crafty!