Showing posts with label Cathie Allan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cathie Allan. Show all posts

Saturday, March 18, 2017

Stamp and Stencil card tutorial

Had a brief moment to play a little with the structure paste, a brick stencil and a cute Frog's Whiskers flower cart stamp. 


Using my Position-It, just in case, even though I didn't re-ink at any point, it's always a good idea to use it, just to be safe. You don't want to see that you need to re-stamp and can't because you didn't use your stamping tool
I used the Cosmic Shimmer Cloud Ink (Frosty Mink) to wash the background.
I used Nellie Snellen's brick stencil and the Nellie Structure paste. Leaving some bricks not filled in, just for the random affect.

Used the watercolor paper and memento watercolor markers to color in the stamp.  
Found a sentiment and frame and put the card together. Used some gilding wax on the Marianne frame. Can't really make out the cute frame this is.  Here's a close up of the frame.














Kind of cute, don't you think 😃?

So many card ideas, so little time!!

Until next time,

Jenn

For more info on the Position-It, Cathie Allan was featured in Creative Scrapbooker Magazine, have a look:




Products used: Cathie Allan's Position-It
Cosmic Shimmer Cloud Ink Frosty Mink
Nellie's Mixed Media Brick Stencil
Nellie's Structure Paste
Frog's Whiskers Flower Cart
Marianne Designs Frame
Joy! Crafts Stamp Sentiment

For more stamps from Frog's Whiskers, visit their web site:
www.frogswhiskersink.com

Saturday, February 11, 2017

Tools you need to get the job done!

So many lessons, so little time.

To help speed up the learning process, I'll share with you some of the lessons I've learned along the way. 

Today on What I've Learned So Far: The tools you need to successfully get the job done. In this particular occasion, I'm referring to the use of the restamping tools on the market. I know, like you, I thought there was no need in my paper crafting for one of those expensive Stamping Tools.

But I'll tell you, once you use one and see the benefits, the financial outlay is secondary. 

First up is the obvious ability to stamp on the exact same spot as many times as you need. Now in playing with different paints and watercolors, I have a whole new respect for this concept. 


I made this grunge-type card with Cosmic Shimmer Pixie Powders (which was another product I saw no merit in until I started playing with them .... but I'll get into the Pixie Powders more at another time) and a wood-mounted rubber stamp I had. The Position-It Ultimate Stamping Tool, sold by Ecstasy Crafts, has the ability to stamp off the tool's platform and use a "sub-positioner" to use with wood mounted rubber stamps. This particular card needed that butterfly re-stamped seven times, yes SEVEN times! Never before would that have been possible. Nor is it possible with any other stamping tool on the market, as far as I know (the wood-mounted, restamping ability).




Same re-stamping became painfully obvious when I used the pixie powders on glossy card stock and stamped just using the "Stamping Buddy" by Nellie Snellen ... the stamping tool that I *thought* was all I needed and I'll give it high praise for its contribution to my stamping progression. But it is extremely difficult to re-stamp with it. Case in point, I create this funky background and line up my stamps with the Stamping Buddy and ink up with a nice black pigment ink only to be let down with the coverage. I had to redo my background and used the Position-It and stamped the black 3 times to get complete coverage.

My days of feeling cocky with my stamping ability are over!! I'm not taking chances any longer.

A secondary little benefit to these re-stamping tools is you can relax about the pressure you put on your stamp. You know we have one shot at the perfect stamp application, so you lay your body weight on the stamp to make sure every square inch has completely touched the surface of your paper. 

And in doing this we over-stamp. Cling stamps are smooshed and the lines become blurry and thick, or with rubber stamps the outer edge is transferred to your project because we rock the stamp back and forth to make sure there is complete coverage.

I can now relax ... "oh I missed a corner?" "No problem, I'll just re-stamp!" ... how liberating!!

Until next time,

Jenn

Position-It Ultimate Stamping Tool is available at Ecstasy Crafts.
Stamping Buddy by Nellie Snellen is available at Ecstasy Crafts
Cosmic Shimmer Pixie Powder is available at Ecstasy Crafts