Scrapnextras

Technique Tuesday; Double Stamped (overstamped) Backgrounds

Background stamps are one of my favorite tools, and I say tools, because they can do so much.  They are a quick way to make patterned paper and they can give your card subtle texture or a bold design.  One of my favorite techniques with background stamps is double stamping, or overstamping.  To do this you need two background stamps.  For this demonstration I chose Tres Chic...my latest fave, and Sanded, an ultra cool background stamp with so many possibilities. 

When I first started stamping I had a hard time getting a good impression with background stamps.  Then I learned a little technique at a Stampin' UP! regional seminar that changed the way I looked at background stamps.  So to start, here is a simple way to get a great impression every time.

Start with your background stamp rubber facing up.  Hold your stamp pad with the grooves and ink the stamp.  I usually start by swishing my stamp pad around, then tapping it.  Swishing gets the ink on, tapping gets it inked fully. 

Next you are going to lay your card or piece of cardstock on your stamp while it is still facing up.  You can position it by moving it slightly. 

Then, with the cardstock on the stamp, place a sheet of paper, just scrap copy paper.  Run your hand firmly over the paper to ensure your card or cardstock gets evenly inked.  Pay special attention tracing the edges with your fingers and ensuring the centre gets fully inked.

Then voila... a perfect impression!  Sorry the picture isn't so great...my photography skills could use a bit of a brush up.

To double stamp your image, you are going to go through this same process.  You can choose to use the same colour or a different colour, there are no rules.  I chose to use the same colour, So Saffron.   The final result is a gorgeous shabby Tres Chic image!

When I assembled the card I decided to work with Julee's Mojo Monday #15 sketch, and I am really giving my retiring stamps a workout!  I chose Oh So Lovely, a level one hostess set that is so gorgeous, and So Many Sayings, another level one hostess set that is so appropriately named!

The card base Old Olive, and I added a layer of More Mustard, which stamped with Sanded in More Mustard, to keep with the shabby feel of the card.  I stamped the background image on Very Vanilla, and then stamped the flower and watercoloured it with Watercolour Wonder Crayons and the Aquapainter.  I distressed all the edges with the Cutter Kit, and sponged a little more mustard around the edge of the So Saffron layer.  The sentiment is framed with a chipboard frame from the On Board Basics set.  I love the mottled colour it took!  I simply rubbed the chipboard directly into the classic pad.  I lifted it to see how fully it had taken the colour, and decided that I liked the mottled look the way it was.  I attached it with two gold brads, and placed it over the band of Old Olive layered with More Mustard Prints Designer Paper.   The half circles on the top and bottom were made with the 1 3/8" circle punch, and rather than adding another layer I simply punched the half circle from the So Saffron to let the More Mustard layer show through!   Click on the image so you can really see the overstamping, and the mottled colour of the chipboard..gotta love it!  So do you think it's a winner?  Should I enter it in Julee's sketch challenge?  Or should I enter this one:

I thought it would be fun to show a different set of background stamps, so I whipped up this card for a totally different look.  OK, not so different, I kept the same sketch...did you recognize it?   To achieve this look I wanted to imitate a golf shirt of my husbands, sort of a beige on beige knit, so I started with Sahara Sand, and stamped Print Pattern in River Rock, then overstamped with Canvas using Sahara Sand ink.  Love the way it turned out!  I stamped the deer from Wildlife Reserve and watercoloured it.  I used my Cropodile to set those Jumbo Eyelets...how cool are they?  They add real masculine touch don't they!  I couldn't resist adding some of that luscious satin ribbon from the Holiday mini..so sad it retired, I think it's behind everything so it doesn't take away from the masculine look.  I decided the sentiment should go directly on the card, and I stamped it crooked!!!  I tried various ways of covering it, but they all seemed out of place, and made the card look too busy.  So there it stays, Happy Birthday in all it's crookedness.  I guess I will just have to give it to the recipient when he's well into his celebrations!  Maybe he won't notice?  Ya think? 

Well what do you think?  You have now seen three cards with Julee's sketch, including this one from my earlier post...which one should I enter?  Leave a comment and let me know what you think!  Hope you are having a great day! 

Happy Mail

I just love getting mail that either A) comes in a big envelope or B) has a handwritten address.  You just know it's not going to be a bill or a flyer!  So yesterday I opened my mail to find a RAK (Random Act of Kindness) from Julee at www.poeticartistry.blogspot.com !  You recall this post, where I had to share my exciting news about winning on her sketch challenge, well she sent me a little package and a card she made! 

This is such a gorgeous card, and you should see it in real life!  I tried to capture the sparkle as best I could, and you can see it a little better if you click for a larger image.  She even put stickles on the flower...so cool, I will have to try that!  Her colouring skills are far beyond mine...and I just love her colour choices!  She posted this card on her blog here, so you can read all the "deets" as she refers to them.  I'm so happy to receive it! 

Along with the card she sent me some gorgeous 6x6 papers!  I just love them.  You can see little scraps in the picture, well she didn't send me scraps...I just had to cut into them and make a card!  It's always so much fun to have new stuff to play with, and I try to use new stuff as soon as I get it...a new rule I have for myself as I try to get past my "hoarding" issues!

I had several goals as I made this card.  I thought I would make a card for Julee... "J" is for Julee! (and it is also the 3rd letter in the word enjoy..which I don't have a stamp for!) Secondly, I saw that some of the papers were a perfect match to Purely Pomegranate...and I just love that colour!  I also wanted to use some of my retiring stamp sets, you know..just one last fling before they're gone!  I used three retiring sets for this card!  Label Classics, it just fit the vintage kind of feel these papers have, and makes a perfect frame for the monogram; Alphabits, love them for doing some cool formatting, or for those sentiments that aren't quite on a stamp yet; and Headline Alphabet, which I used for the "J".   I also used Julee's Mojo Monday sketch 15 !  I love the way it came together. 

I stamped the letters on Very Vanilla textured cardstock, and the texture gives that sketchy look...(click above to get a larger view) with Purely Pomegranate.  I punched out the letters and popped them up.  For the "J" I stamped it on Very Vanilla textured cardstock in Soft Sky Classic Ink, and rock and rolled it in Purely Pomegranate! I used the Three for You flower punch to punch the flower that adorns the "J", and added a circle in Soft Sky, then a little rhinestone from K & Co.  The velvet ribbon is from Flirty, a ribbon original from Stampin' UP!'s winter mini 2007, and it's a much better match in real life!  I am so pleased with the way it turned out, I almost hate to send it off!

Happy Stamping!  Got lots more to show you so stay tuned!

Pick a Gift Class and Retirement Party Updates!

Pick a Gift Class - Space is still available!  Photo's have been added, along with a description and price for each item on the Pick a Gift class on the Upcoming Events Page.  This class is for you if you still have a few people to buy for on your list, or a few people you would like to acknowledge this holiday season!  Registrations accepted until Friday, December 14, although some items are available in limited quantity, so register early to ensure your first choice!  (403) 343-1714 or email.

Don't forget Tuesday is the Retirement Party!  This is the last chance of the year to order from the Fall Winter Collection, and get any of those retiring items that you just must have.  Orders should arrive before Christmas, if you have any last minute gifts you need to get!  You will create three Christmas make and takes, and have the chance to win the hostess benefits!  The evening starts at 7:00 pm...call me if you want more details  (403) 343-1714 

Retirement List; Contest Winner and a card

Yesterday we put up our Christmas tree, which officially starts the Christmas season at our home!   Yesterday Stampin' Up! released their list of retiring stamp sets as we approach the Spring Summer Collection.  So we say goodbye to some old favorites!  Here it is:

'07 Retirement List in Numerical Page number order

'07 Retirement List in Alphabetical order

These sets will be available for purchase for the remainder of December, so if you need one or two, be sure to get your order it asap!  On January 2nd the new catalogue will be out, and these sets gone forever.

Stampin' Up! has also created a gift idea list for any of the stampers or paper crafters on your list, so make sure to check it out: Great Gifts Under $35.00

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We have a winner!

Congratulations to Liz C., who guessed the most correct retiring sets on her list of 10.  I'll be in touch with you Liz...you will be able to choose one of my retiring sets.  The rest I will be putting up for sale, so watch for the list in early January.

I made this card this week for the Ways to Use it Challenge on Splitcoast Stampers.  I had a feeling Solemn Stillness might retire, since it's been around for a few years now, but it's still so classic, so I wanted to make sure I had the chance to use it before it's gone for good.  The challenge was to use Metallic Paper, so I chose Stampin' Up!'s Brushed Gold, which is so classy.  I started with a base of white cardstock, cut lengthwise for a top fold.  I ran my embossing buddy over the background layer of brushed gold, and stamped Tres Chic in Versamark, then embossed with Gold Glory embossing powder.  The centre panel, I used the embossing buddy, then stamped the flourished overstamp from the set, and embossed it in Gold Glory.  I used my ticket corner punch on the corners and layered it on whisper white.  I added some gold brads to the corners, and mounted it with Stampin' Dimensionals.  I will definitely miss this set.  Be sure to check out some of the samples I have created in it's photo album on the left, and if you decide you can't live with out it, get your order to me right away!

Recipe:  Stamp Sets:  Solemn Stillness, Tres Chic  Paper:  Brushed Gold card stock, Whisper White, Ink: Versamark  Embellishments:  gold brads  Accessories:  Gold Glory EP, Stampin' Dimensionals.

I hope you are having a wonderful weekend!  See you soon!

Technique Tuesday; Poppin' Pastels!

When I first started with Stampin' Up! going on five years ago, Poppin' Pastels was a technique I demonstrated fairly consistently.  It's amazingly simple and makes a gorgeous finished product, but with so many new tools and toys, I haven't done this quick easy technique in over a year and maybe more!  But take a look at the effect!

Stampin' Pastels are chalks by any other name, and they come in a set of our 48 colours.  That makes it so easy to coordinate with all the papers and inks.  For this card I started with a square base (4 1/4"x4 1/4") in Pumpkin Pie, and added layers of More Mustard and Ruby Red, and finally Confetti Cream.  I was going for a fall theme, and Confetti Cream is a nice heavy rustic paper with tiny fibers in it that add character.  Although Looks Like Spring might seem like the strangest choice given the title, I particularly like the flower image, as it is not block solid in design.  Take a look at the close up to see what I mean, both the stamp and the paper.   

I stamped the flower stamp in Versamark four times.  It's hard to see at this point, since Versamark is clear, but if you get in the right light, at the right angle, it's pretty clear.  Then I take my sponge daubers and rub them very gently in the Stampin' Pastels (too much pressure will cause them to crumble).  I actually put three of them on my fingers, each rubbed in a different colours, so I can easily switch colours.  Then I gently rub the daubers over the flower image, alternating to create that multi-coloured look.  Versamark, being a clear pigment ink has a slow drying time, and when it is "wet" it's quite tacky, so the chalk sticks to it.  Also, when you work with Stampin' Pastels, you want to remember to blow any excess chalk away, rather than trying to wipe it away, as it will smear and leave a trail on your paper.  So with the flowers all coloured in soft variating colour, I added the sentiment stamped in Ruby Red, and framed it with a Hodge Podge Hardware square frame in Antique Brass.  Pretty simple huh?

NOT! Well, yesterday I shared that was really a slow stamper in this post.  So let me demonstrate this as I share with you how this card really came together.  When I decided on the technique, I knew that I wanted to work with fall colours( Pumpkin Pie, More Mustard and Really Rust), and I knew I wanted to use Looks Like Spring.  From there it is all a blur.  I was beginning to colour my flowers with my pastels, when I accidentally rubbed Ruby Red instead of Really Rust.  I stopped for a second, and took a look, and decided that I quite liked Ruby Red, so then I decided I needed to have a layer of Ruby Red cardstock to balance it, since it wasn't quite as orangy as Really Rust was to fit with the colours I had already chosen.  I do cut a layer, but had to put it in between the layers so there is barely a 1/16th in margin all round.  Then I go back to colouring my flowers, and when I am done, I attach all the layers, and look at it.  There is no sentiment, and I think to myself, actually I usually do talk to myself....but that's between me and I.  I hadn't thought of a sentiment...what do you use with a fall card?  So I debate whether I should leave it sentiment-less, for a time where I just want to drop you a note...in which case, then maybe I should put a "just a note" sentiment on it?  What about embellishments?  Should I add ribbon, brads, should I tear it apart and add my favorite ticket corner punch? As I look at the card, I clearly did not really leave a space for a sentiment, or embellishments, so I decide that the sentiment must to both.  I pull out a retired set, Happy Harmony, which I kept for all it's wonderful quotes, and then I needed to decide whether to stamp directly on the card, or on another piece and cut it out, and of course what colour or perhaps black?  After much discussion with self, I decide it must go directly on the paper in Ruby Red, since the pastels do leave a "halo" and a fresh clean piece of paper wouldn't work well.  At that point I decide to use the Hodge Podge Hardware kit.  But wait, my whole card it already glued together.  I could just poke the brads holding the hardware all the way through the card, but then it shows when you open it, and isn't very....finished looking.  So I pry the top layers from the Pumpkin Pie base trying desperately not to rip or wrinkle the cardstock as I do this, because Murphy's law says if I do, it will show up in the photograph.  Finally I separate it and set the holes for the frame...one I can reach with my hand held punch, the other I have to pull out my Crafters Tool Kit for the hole pokey thing, all while I am holding the hardware piece in place with my other hand.  When I finally attach it I stare lovingly at my work of art, and wonder where the morning went.

Thanks for sharing some of your day with me!  I have uploaded some of my recent efforts with Looks Like Spring to it's own album, so have a look at some of the other designs and you'll see why I love it! 

I hope you get to stamp today!

Laura