Smack Down Technique

Over at Splitcoaststampers they have a weekly new technique challenge. Having stamped for over 25 years, I rarely see something new to me, but this week I learned to Smack Down a Background. A really fun technique.

This was my first and favourite card. I like the old world chintz fabric look that the technique created.

My second card was made with more ink colours and is a bit busier, so I chose to cover it up a bit more.

The technique is simple. Ink up a stamp. Smack it down on your cardstock and just keep smacking it down until there is no ink left, Then repeat.

I used the focal flower stamp on these cards to create the backgrounds. I look forward to playing around with this some more.

Bold and Blooming in Coral

I recently got the Bold and Blooming Stamp Set from Gina K. Designs. I really like it. Included are three large sentiments, for birthday and friendship, and this Thank You.

I heat embossed in fine detail white embossing powder and then coloured in with Zig Clean Color watercolor markers and moved the ink around with a damp brush. I added a few heat-set Swarovski crystals.

I am looking forward to trying this on kraft cardstock with pencil crayons and embossing in gold on black and painting with Twinkling H2Os. Lots of possibilities!

Seize the Birthday - Creatures and Animals

I made this card for a male colleague. He is from Britain and so I thought the bowler hat would be a nice touch.

The challenge blog Seize the Birthday is looking for Creatures or Animals for its Toppings Theme so this fits the bill there. All the stamps used are Tim Holtz Stampers Anonymous stamps. I used Copic markers to colour in the images.

May Christmas Card

Sylvia Durocher's Christmas Card Challenge for the month of May is to incorporate an oval and the colour black. I recently picked up this JustRite Stamp called "Christmas Holly Background Stamp" at the local stamp store's going out of business sale, so it worked well.

Using my MISTI I stamped it first in Versafine black and heat set, Then I coloured in with Zig Clean Color watercolor markers. I cut out the center as I was originally going to mount on a different coloured background, but then changed my mind and used the same white Bristol.

After finishing the colouring, I placed the panel back in the MISTI and overstamped with clear embossing ink and embossed with clear embossing powder. You can see the raised detail below. The center sentiment is a Quietfire Design stamp. I stamped in Versafine black and clear embossed. Both were mounted on black Recollections 110# cardstock from Michaels. As the card is a little longer than the panel, I added gold peel-off border top and bottom.

I had a Pop-Tone Black Licorice A-6 envelope (4.75 X 6.5 inches) from Paper-Garden.ca that fit well so I stamped a JustRite holly border from the Christmas Trimmings set in white StazOn. I will need to use a white label for mailing. 

Am entering this in the Christmas Card Throwdown Challenge as there are two layers on top of the base card. And that's a wrap!

Hello

Who hears Adele right now? :-)

When I made my Mother's Day card, I also made a second card using the reverse combo of a paler background and more vibrant center panel. To soften the panel so the "Hello" would stand out, I laid a piece of pink vellum over top and stamped the Hello there.

This is an A2 sized card and I stamped the white envelope to match.

Happy Mother's Day

Here is a card for my Mom. I used Jennifer McGuire's instructions to use first generation and second generation stamping to create two cards at once. I will share the other card tomorrow. 

The background was first generation stamping. The center panel is second generation, so it is paler. The flowers are AlteNew Vintage Roses. The sentiment is by Verve.

I decorated a coordinating matte envelope using a Paper-Garden.ca Pop Tone Pink Lemonade A-2 envelope. This is a Canadian website and they offer volume pricing. My local stamp store has closed so it is nice to have a mail order option.

Have entered this in these challenges:

Allsorts Challenge - Ring a Ring A'Roses

Crafting with Dragonflies - Flowers/Mother's Day

Crafty Calendar - May Flowers