Archive for the ‘Stampin' Techniques’ Category

Water Colouring with Stamp Pads

Sunday, May 4th, 2008

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Just some quick cards I whipped up on the weekend. I love water colouring………it is soooooo relaxing.

Now, I am by no means what you would consider an artist, but, I believe, with the right tools, anyone can create something stunning with a little bit of that “wow” factor. The essential tools for easily creating that authentic water-coloured look are: Stazon, water colour paper, an Aqua Painter, and a selection of Classic Ink pads, a line art stamp set. I have used the stamp set that we received compliments of Stampin’ Up! at Convention, “Fun and Fast Notes”, which is a really cute set and just perfect for this technique. Stazon is a must because it won’t run when the water is applied to the image to blend the colours. Stampin’ Up!’s water colour paper is just sensational and very forgiving as you can blend and re-blend colours on your image without making the paper go “furry” . It is also lovely and thick and gives a nice professional finish to your project.

To begin, just stamp your outline image in Stazon on the water colour paper. Then take your selected Classic ink pads and squeeze the flexible lids so that a little pool of colour sits in the lid. Simply pick up the pigment with your Aqua Painter and fill in the outline with your selected colours. It is better to add a little at first then go back over your image to add more later if needed. Water colouring has a lot of serendipity to it and it will never turn out exactly the same each time so your work of art will always be an original!

Below is a close-up of the card I made for some friends who have just had twin boys………..

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To create this card inked up the picture separately, stamped, cleaned off the ink and then inked the greeting. I “borrowed ” an “s” from another greeting in the same set so that the fonts would match, inked it up with my black Stampin’ Write Marker before stamping it at the end of the greeting and hand-writing the exclamation mark to turn it into a card for twins! Edited to add: just realised after making the card and posting it that it should be spelled “ies”, but, hey, it’s the thought that counts lol.

Monthly Stamp Club and Free Class

I am offering two new stamp clubs starting next month and running from June – November 2008.

The clubs will have 6 members and over the next 6 months I will be running free classes, just for club members, held every month at my home in Farmborough Heights. The class will be a cool project that I wouldn’t normally run as part of a workshop. There is no cost to attend the class and all materials will be provided, but each member of the club will commit to buying a minimum of $50 worth of Stampin’ Up! product each month, not including postage. I will also offer “club only” specials from time to time.

But here’s the best bit. Each club member will get their turn at being the “hostess”. This means that even though the classes are at my house, once during the 6 months you will get to be the hostess and receive the hostess benefits yourself. So you will have your choice of at least one of the Level 1 hostess sets in the new catalogue, plus additional cash to spend, depending on the total for the night.

Club 1: Monday evenings 7.30 pm : FULL

Club 2: Thursday evenings 7.30pm (edited 30th May) FULL

Like to be part of the club? Just email me at sandvwebb@bigpond.com with your address details and I’ll send you an application form. The first person to sign up for the second group will be the first hostess for that club and will also choose the night we will be meeting. Be quick, space is limited. First club special: Taffeta Ribbon selection, $12.95.

Touch of Nature

Sunday, April 20th, 2008

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Here is a card that I designed for a workshop last week. I have been playing a bit with Vellum cardstock lately and I love the way it gives you an extra layer to work with so you can super impose stamped images without your project looking too “busy”. This card reminds me of those beautiful botanical prints and etched images that you find in old books. I have used 3 stampsets in this project………all of which I earned free from Stampin’ Up! during Sale-A-Bration (8 sets in all!). One of those is Life Definitions, which was the first to go on my new catalogue wish list when I saw it. It is such a versatile stamp set, great for scrap booking as well as for cards. The other two sets are Touch of Nature and Defining Alphabet.

I have used Basic Black and Lovely Lilac inks and stamped once and again without re inking to create the illusion of movement with the branches of berries.

Cardstock: Confetti White, Lovely Lilac, Almost Amethyst, Vellum Cardstock

Accessories: Twill Tape, Hemp Twine, Glue dots, Snail, Heat Tool to dry the Classic ink on the vellum.

Contact me to purchase the ingredients to make this card yourself or book an in home workshop so you and your friends can see a demonstration and learn some new techniques at the same time. The free hostess sets in the new catalogue are simply stunning, check them out online now if you haven’t already.

Hint: When using you Heat Tool with vellum, place a piece of card the same size behind it as you are heating so it doesn’t curl out of shape.

I love the monochramatic colour scheme in this card.

Leave a comment and let me know what you think before the month’s end and I’ll send off a sample in the mail to you.

(Australian residents and non-demonstrators only)

Gratitude

Tuesday, February 19th, 2008

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Thought I would share with you my latest journal cover. I have decided that this will be a gratitude journal (hence the Merci stamped inside the oval frame on vellum) which I will fill with photos and journaling about all the things I am thankful for. I do forget sometimes to be thankful for the blessings and focus instead on the things I would like fixed, mended or improved just so my life is easier. Reminds me of that quote “The secret to having it all, is believing that you already do”……which really is the secret of contentment I guess.

I’ve used the beautiful Enchente papers together with Carte Postale. The 5×5 journal cover was created with the Spiral Punch (specifically designed to add covers and extra pages to the Stampin’ Up! chipboard journals.) I’ve used an oval window from the Pewter Hodgepodge Hardware and stamped the word Merci in Chocolate Chip ink on white vellum card stock. The birds are stamped in Choc Chip, Close to Cocoa and Pale Plum……they remind me a bit of those ducks in flight found on the walls of 1950’s living rooms the way that I have placed them lol.

I have covered the largest bird in some Crystal Effects for extra definition and added some ribbon scraps to the binding to finish.

Embossing

Sunday, February 17th, 2008

Here is a quick card using the embossing technique and the Carte Postale set. I have used the Gold detail embossing powder and brushed gold card stock as well as a scrap of Cameo Coral, mounted on a square of Basic Black card stock. I swiped the cardstock with my Embossing Buddy anti-static pad before stamping and sprinkling the powder over the top. I think the gold on gold look is quite stunning don’t you? You could substitute any colour for the Cameo Coral or use Silver on Silver or Copper on Copper for a completely different look. Just slip a piece of Whisper White or Very Vanilla card stock into the card for writing on and you have a very nice all occasions card.

Leave a comment for this post before the end of this week and I’ll send a sample in the mail for your card stash as well as a free postage voucher for your next order!

Why not make some of your own to have on hand? All stamping supplies and accesssories can be purchased through me until the end of this mini catalogue period. To browse the latest catalogues just click on the link to the online catalogue to the right. (Blog candy is available to Australian residents and non-Stampin’ Up demonstrators only- but feel free to leave a comment anyway; -)

All images copyright Stampin’ Up! 2001-2008

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Merci

Thursday, February 14th, 2008

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I was feeling the need to create something in honour of Valentines Day and for my three workshops this weekend I thought I would nominate watercolouring as the technique for the make-n-takes. The Merci set from the Sale-A-bration catalogue has become my firm favourite and I blame it for my recent Blender Pen burnout……..I think I have just about used up two packets of them….yes all 6 tips……. with my own personal use and at my workshops these last two months. Now that is a lot of cards!!

This is a card that I cased from one of our demonstrator publications except that I changed it slightly by adding some Organdy ribbon and some clear embossing……otherwise the colours, stamp-set and accessories are the same.

Firstly I ran over the Close to Cocoa card stock with an Embossing Buddy and then stamped the greeting in Versa Mark with a stamp from the Lots of Thoughts set (another Sale-A-bration freebie). I isolated the words I wanted by lining it up onto the pad and inking only the ones I wanted.

I stamped the heart and flower image onto some Stampin’ Up! Water colour paper (I didn’t know how gorgeous this was to work with until I tried it!). Using a Blender pen and the Stampin’ Pastels, I coloured in the image using Regal Rose, Old Olive and Close to Cocoa. I tore down one side of the Water colour paper and then mounted it onto Old Olive. The strip of Regal Rose was stamped with the Canvas background stamp to give it a bit of texture. To finish I tied a piece of narrow Chocolate grossgrain around the card and finished it off with a piece of Ivory Organdy ribbon tied in a knot.

Happy St Valentines Day everyone!

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