The Stamp Review Crew: Country Home

Welcome to another Stamp Crew Review Blog Hop!  We share our take on a selected stamp set every first and third Monday.  This week's hop focuses on a fun fall set from Holiday Catalog set, Country Home.  If you are following the hop in order, you have just arrived from the fabulous Holly Krautkremer's blog.

I love me some cattails.  In fact, I attempted to preserve some cattails this summer.  Even though I had sealed them, they started exploding while we were away.  I hear they made quite a mess in the house, and my son blamed the cat.  Awwww!

So, I'll have to settle for the paper version of the cattail bouquet.

I used Freshly Made Sketches #352 for this card.

Stamps: Country Home; Paper: Crushed Curry, Whisper White, Country Lane DSP; Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Stampin' Blends; Accessories: Chicken Wire Elements, Braided Linen Trim, Banner Punch, Tin Tile Embossing Folder, Stitched Shapes Framelits, Big Shot, e-cutter, Dimensionals.

I signed up for this set at our upcoming downline meeting.  Since it is shoebox format at a local restaurant, coloring images can be time consuming.  Rather, I thought I would focus on the Faux Patina technique.

Shoebox swap friend Diane Hughes was reading my mind when she paired this technique with the new Tin Tile embossing folder.  I used white acrylic paint, colored with Bermuda Bay reinker, as a base for mine.  This card uses Freshly Made Sketches #353.

After heat embossing my card, I promptly dropped it in the kitchen sink.  Can you tell?  Eh, character.

Stamps: Country Home; Paper: Crushed Curry, Soft Suede, Very Vanilla, Country Lane DSP; Ink: Crushed Curry, Blackberry Bliss, Soft Suede, Versamark, Bermuda Bay Reinker; Accessories: Linen Braided Trim, Copper Embossing Powder, Acrylic Paint, Sanding Block, Sponge, Brayer, Tin Tile Embossing Folder, Big Shot.

Hop on over to Cindy Elam's blog to see what gorgeousness she has put together with this week's set.

 

>> Receive a FREE card kit with every online order <<
>>> SHOP ANY TIME ~ HOST CODE 9P7ZZXS6 <<<

Technique Tuesday: Black Ice

Hi Everyone!  For May's Stamp Club, I thought we'd try the black ice technique.

This technique reminds me of tintype or daguerreotype vintage photographs.  I'm using the lovely set Waterfront from the Occasions catalog, which is returning in the Annual Catalog (yay!).  I'm not sure the origin of this technique; I used instructions from Melissa Kerman.

I put my tintype photo on a polaroid layout - is that mix-matching eras?  I kept it simple, focusing on the technique, and put the sentiment on the inside.

Here's the outline of the technique:

• Starting with a silver foil sheet, use the direct to paper (DTP) technique with Basic Black Archival ink pad to create black linear streaks (heavier on the edges, light in the center).
• Stamp images with Basic Black Archival ink.  Set aside to dry or heat set.
• With a Versamark ink pad, draw the pad very lightly across the front of the sheet in a vertical direction using the DTP technique.  Don't apply any pressure; let the weight of the ink pad do the work.
• Cover the entire piece with Clear Embossing Powder and heat set.
• See Melissa's YouTube video for tips on the amount of pressure to use for the DTP technique.

Stamps: Waterfront; Paper: Sahara Sand, Very Vanilla, Silver Foil Sheets; Ink: Black Archival Ink, Versamark; Accessories: Linen Thread, Clear Embossing Powder, Dimensionals.

>>> RETIRING STAMPS AND DISCOUNTS <<<
>>> SHOP ANY TIME ~ HOST CODE G442VJYY <<< 

Technique Tuesday: Northern Lights

Welcome to the second half of the Technique Class I held at my house last week.  We created with the Northern Lights technique, and let me tell you, this one is a workout!

Here I used an inspiration photo from Pinterest.

And here is the technique card -

Stamps: White Christmas; Paper: Basic Black, Whisper White; Ink: Daffodil Delight, Pistachio Pudding, Tempting Turquoise, Rich Razzleberry, Wisteria Wonder, Night of Navy, Basic Black, Whisper White craft, Black Sharpie; Accessories: White gel pen, Sponges.

White Christmas is another set that is on the Retiring List, along with the Signo White Gel Pen.  Make sure to grab yours before they are gone!

Technique Tuesday: Rainbow Stamping

Hi Everyone!  You may remember a sneak peek of this Rainbow Stamping technique.  I used it on a recent Sunday Stamps challenge.

I'll admit that I did a better job of stamping with the technique card.

I found several key items to stamping the rainbow image -

• Repeated stamping with the MISTI or other align tool
• Ink spots work better than markers
• Make sure you use a tissue/cloth to wipe/dab a smooth edge at the top/bottom of your inked area on the stamp (to avoid the "crying" look I got on my card in green)

Stamps: Another Thank You; Paper: Pacific Point, Whisper White, Everyday Chic DSP; Ink: Pacific Point, Cucumber Crush, Daffodil Delight, Tangelo Twist, Real Red, Perfect Plum spots; Accessories: Gold Sequin Trim, Watercolor brush.

I have to point out that this set is part of the Retiring List.  If you are looking to purchase it, make sure you do so very soon!

So with the retiring list out, new product will be coming our way soon!  Introducing.... the new In Colors!

I can't wait to get my hands on these and play!  As a demo, we get to preorder next week -- and you could too if you join up!

SSC123 Rainbow Fun

Hi Everyone,

Today I am playing along with Sunday Stamps #123, along with prepping my technique cards for the Binghamton Shoebox Swap.

Since the Friday Mashup announced they were ending, I've been feeling homeless... jobless...  I panicked a little.  Thank goodness Holly is letting me join up with Sunday Stamps!   She is so awesome!!

My technique is called Rainbow Stamping, and unfortunately this was not the best sample.  I had to save those for the swaps, but I just got tired of stamping, so I picked an "ok" sample.

I'm debating a technique class for this month, so I don't want to unveil the technique card sample just yet.

When I read "rainbows and unicorns" on the challenge description, it remind me of a bike jersey design from a local team.  I swear they had a unicorn peeing a rainbow, but I could only find this later design.

Stamps: Another Thank You; Paper: Whisper White, Everyday Chic DSP; Ink: Pacific Point, Cucumber Crush, Daffodil Delight, Tangelo Twist, Real Red, Perfect Plum spots; Accessories: Gold Sequin Trim, Watercolor brush.

The Stamp Review Crew: You've Got This

Welcome to another Stamp Crew Review Blog Hop!  We share our take on a selected stamp set every first and third Monday.  This week we are looking at a main catalog stamp set, You've Got This.  This set has a nice line art flower for coloring, a great background stamp, and some wonderful sentiments.  If you are following the hop in order, you've arrived from Jen Timko's blog.  She always has such elegant projects!

I'm a big fan of watercoloring, and often I like to make monochromatic projects, usually in gray or sepia tones.  I haven't inked up this flower image yet, so I thought coloring in gray tones would be fun.

What fun and how relaxing it was to color while watching television on New Year's Eve!  I went with a clean layout from Freshly Made Sketches #217.  Don't you love how that large stamp subtly fills the background?

Stamps: You've Got This; Paper: Basic Gray, Whisper White, Watercolor paper; Ink: Smoky Slate, Basic Gray, Basic Black Archival; Accessories: Pearl jewels, Aquapainter.

I thought I'd include a project designed by Lydia (UnderstandBlue) at her pre-Convention retreat last summer, highlighting the Water Magic Stamping technique.

Since this project is the reason I bought this stamp set, to share with my club members, we'll give this technique a try at stamp club this month.

Stamps: You've Got This; Paper: Tempting Turquoise, Whisper White, Basic Black; Ink: Tempting Turquoise, Memento Tuxedo Black; Accessories: Washi tape, Water-soaked paper towel, Sponge.

Hop on over to Sue Plote's blog to see what she put together with this set. Her projects are always amazing!

 

Technique Tuesday: Ink Smash Technique

Continuing to share some techniques we learned at Lydia's (Understand Blue) Unwind Retreat at Convention, this is a really fun, messy technique.

After a soft watercolor wash in the background, you apply ink to a silicon mat and smash your paper into it. So fun and random! Every sample looks different.

Technique Tuesday: Galaxy Background

After taking Lydia's (Understand Blue) Unwind Retreat at Convention, several ladies back home wanted to get together to make some of the fun cards.  Technique classes are very popular around here; we all love to keep learning.

Our first project was the galaxy background technique -

You can use all sorts of colors for your galaxy sky, and I love the In Colors Lydia incorporated.

Edit to add: Here's a picture I came across on Facebook of Appalachian Trail boardwalk in Pawling, NY.  A great inspiration photo for this technique!

  Photo Credit: Justin P. Goodhart

And what's on sale this week?

Click HERE to check out this week's Weekly Deals!

Tune in next week (or the week after ;) ), and I'll share another technique with you.

Technique Tuesday: Bokeh Background & Weekly Deals

Here's another card and technique page set we made at Technique Class.

I've done several bokeh cards with various color combinations.  For something new, I went to pinterest and grabbed what I thought was the prettiest background using Stampin' Up items --> this one by Shannon Lane.  Aren't the colors so pretty and warm?

Stamps: Itty Bitty Banners (retiring); Paper: Strawberry Slush (retiring), Whisper White, Silver Glimmer, Sunshine & Sprinkles DSP (retired); Ink: Daffodil Delight, Pumpkin Pie, Strawberry Slush (retiring), Whisper White Craft; Accessories: Crushed Curry baker's twine, Confetti Stars border punch, Circle punches, Sponges, Sponge Dauber, Stars, Banners & Bitty Banners (retiring) framelits, Big Shot, Dimensionals.

Click HERE to check out this week's Weekly Deals!

Technique Tuesday: Bouncing Brayer & Weekly Deals

One of the techniques we did at the recent technique class was Bouncing Brayer.  This sample illustrates using the bouncing brayer technique to ink horitzontal lines to create a horizon.

This sample was inspired by Patrice Halliday-Larsen.

As an alternative, you can bounce your brayer in a semi-circle, using one end of the brayer as a rotation point, to create sun ray lines, as seen in this recent card here.

Stamps: Serene Silhouettes, And Many More; Paper: Cajun Craze, Early Espresso, Very Vanilla; Ink: Daffodil Delight, Pumpkin Pie, Cajun Craze, Early Espresso; Accessories: Baked Brown Sugar thick baker's twine (retiring), Brayer, 1-1/4" Circle punch, Sponge, Post-It Note, Dimensionals.

Click HERE to check out this week's Weekly Deals!

FM199 Faux Patina

Tara has a challenge for us this week, using the embossed embossing technique, on the Friday Mashup.

I took the technique a little bit further, using acrylic distress and sponge distress, to create a really vintage-looking background piece.  By adding various colors to age the piece, and then adding gold embossing, it gives a faux patina look.

Here you can see the nice gold embossing on the raised areas.

This week's Mashup Challenge:

• Create a project with an "Antique Style, element or theme".
• Create a project using the "Embossed Embossing technique" (tutorial) .
• or Mash it Up! and create an "Antique project using the Embossed Embossing Technique".

Stamps: Feeling Sentimental, Dude, You're Welcome; Paper: Soft Suede, Very Vanilla, Whisper White, Thoroughly Modern DSP; Ink: Pool Party, Soft Suede, Versamark, Bermuda Bay reinker; Accessories: Gold embossing powder, 2-1/2 Circle punch, Sanding block, Sponges, Circle Scissors Plus, Vintage Wallpaper EF, Square Lattice EF, Big Shot, White acrylic paint, Dimensionals.