Sunday, March 2, 2014

The Stamp Review Crew: Fabulous Florets Edition


Welcome to another Stamp Crew Review Blog Hop!  We share our take on a selected stamp set every first and third Monday.  This round we are looking at the flower set Fabulous Florets.  This set has a fun combination of line art and solid images, which allows a great opportunity to incorporate various coloring and stamping techniques. 

This is the first stop from the top, but if you are hopping around in a circle, you have just come from Jill's beautiful blog.  Don't you just love her style?

I have used Fabulous Florets LOTS, so it is hard to come up with something new and different.  Splitcoaststampers' Mix-Ability Challenge #33, Signed, Sealed, and Delivered, to the rescue.  This challenge was to color an image and seal it with some sort of glaze.  Although Crystal Effects would work here, it would give me a glossy finish, and I was looking for something with a matte finish.  The options were transparent gesso or, my choice, Mod Podge.

This is all one stamped layer, including the background text.  :o  The masking turned out pretty accurate, and potentially the Mod Podge could have been a disaster to my finished main panel.  Thank goodness all was ok.  Once I started with the messy stuff, I couldn't stop, and I used acrylic paint to soften and distress the edges.  This card also uses Freshly Made Sketches #122.

In this photo, I'm trying to pick up how the matte layer softens the colors a bit.

Stamps: Fabulous Florets, Really Good Greetings, Dictionary BG; Paper: Calypso Coral, Baked Brown Sugar, Whisper White, Etcetera DSP; Ink: Daffodil Delight, Calypso Coral, Pumpkin Pie, Tangerine Tango, Old Olive, Early Espresso, Black Stazon; Accessories: Dotted Scallop Ribbon border punch, Aquapainter, Mod Podge, White acrylic paint, Sewing machine, Thread, Dimensionals.

Flowers are an easy choice for many mixed media challenges, so I did another one.  I played along with Mix-Ability Challenge #27, A Little Sketchy, and I love how this card turned out.  The challenge was to use some pencil to shade the background.

Can you guess what this is?  First I created my background (a flowing creek) with watercoloring, then spritz the entire piece with water to blend the colors.  For the challenge, I shaded under the leaves and blossoms with pencil.  Framing it on a clean card looks so artsy fartsy... heehee.

Stamps: Fabulous Florets; Paper: Basic Black, Very Vanilla, Watercolor paper; Ink: Real Red, Old Olive, Crisp Cantaloupe, Black Stazon, Coastal Cabana & Island Indigo reinkers; Accessories: Aquapainter, Stampin' Spritzer, Sponges, Pencil, Dimensionals.

Tanya was hoping for some 3-D items, which I find difficult with a versatile flower set.  I need something that says, "This is what this set is made for."  The more specific, the better for me.  I'm strange that way.  I whipped together a seed packet matchbook for my girlfriend.  :)

What kind of flowers are in this set anyway?  I think it is purposely ambiguous; all the more difficult to figure out which seed packet to target.  I inked the flowers and sponged the center of the stamp before stamping.  I edited the seed packet label I had on file from a punch art class.

Stamps: Fabulous Florets; Paper: Old Olive, Basic Black, Whisper White, Etcetera DSP; Ink: Old Olive, Crushed Curry, Pumpkin Pie, Tangerine Tango; Accessories: Dotted Scallop Ribbon border punch, Sponges, Stapler.

Make sure you check out the next stop to see what Cindy at Stamps, Paper, and Ink put together with the set.  Her projects are always amazing!  Thanks for stopping by!

 

The complete hop list:
    1. Heidi Baks  runningwscissorsstamper.blogspot.com
    2. Cindy Beach stampspaperandink.typepad.com/
    3. Tanya Boser   tinkerin-in-ink.blogspot.com
    4. Debra Burgin  heartfeltinkspiration.com/
    5. Deb Currier  artfeltimpressions.blogspot.com/
    6. Yapha Mason   yaphamason.com
    7. Mary Rindal   maryrindal.com/ 
    8. Nancy Smith  iguanastamp.wordpress.com
    9. Martha Stewart  seasonsofstamping.com/ 
    10. Dawn Tidd   tiddbitsfromdawn.typepad.com
    11. Betty Traciak kittystamps.blogspot.com
    12. Lisa Young   addinkandstamp.blogspot.com/ 
    13. Kerry Willard Bray  kerrywillardbray.com
    14. Paula Wright  paulastamps.blogspot.com/
    15. Rita Wright  ritascreations.blogspot.com/
    16. Jill Coleman  jillstamps.com/

      16 comments:

      Unknown said...

      These are all gorgeous Heidi! The flowers in this set remind me of peonies and poppies. The single leaf is definitely similar to the ones on our peonies (can't wait until they bloom!).

      MaryR said...

      I so love your first card! heidi, you always create such lovelies

      Unknown said...

      Heidi - your cards are amazing! I love them all, but I think the first one is my favorite. Just beautiful!

      Dawn Tidd said...

      Wow, wow, & wow!! Three totally different yet beautiful creations. I love the whimsy of the second one!

      Tanya Boser said...

      OK, I can't pick a favorite! These are all so wonderful and diverse, I want to CASE them all immediately :)

      Yapha Mason said...

      Wow, Heidi, you have totally out down yourself! These are absolutely amazing!You definitely put the fabulous in Fabulous Florets!

      Betty said...

      You certainly did add a fresh perspective to this set.. each one is bursting with personality! The first one is especially amazing that it is all one layer!

      Linda Callahan said...

      Beautiful set of cards!

      Debbie Mageed said...

      I learned so much from you today! Great cards and it really has me ready to play with different mediums. I am curious how the Mod Podge COULD have been a problem. Would you recommend it at all or would the Gesso be a better option for a newbie like me? Thanks for your wonderful inspiration!

      Wendie Waldman said...

      Ditto, all of the above! You are so talented!

      Michelle Quinno said...

      They're all amazing but the first is my favorite!

      Margie Calenda said...

      WOW Heidi! Beautiful cards and fun techniques. Will have to start getting my feet wet with new techniques and these cards are so inspiring.

      Jill Coleman said...

      Heidi -

      I think I actually gasped when I first saw your projects. They are each beautiful!. Love the simplicity of the watercolor wash. The first card is my favorite though.

      Paula said...

      Fabulous job, Heidi! These are so beautiful. I pinned them so I could gaze at them some more.

      Add Ink and Stamp said...

      What a great idea to use this set with mixed media! And I love the flowers and leaves floating in the creek. That is such an artistic spin and I love it!

      Rita W said...

      Amazing, Heidi! I love all the ideas so much. I'm just starting to try more mixed media and am loving it!