Black and White and Sweet Stems all over

Posted on March 17, 2010 by mauistamper

Oh man, does it feel great when my hands and my brain are on the same page! I get all buzzed because it happens so seldom. I’ve seen a lot of cards using a quilt-square layout on the forums and blogs lately but nothing came to mind until yesterday. When inspiration struck, it was very specific:

Sweet Stems stamp set
Whisper White, Basic Black and Bermuda Bay card stock
Basic Black Classic ink pad; Whisper White Craft ink pad; Black Stampn’ Write marker
Embossing buddy (a MUST), WHITE embossing powder and heat tool
1 3/8 and 1 1/4 inch square punches; Round tab punch
Corner rounder, white gel pen and Bermuda Bay polka dot grosgrain ribbon

To get that white–on-black look just right, I stamped the image in Craft White and then embossed it with white embossing powder. You have to take your time with this – even with judicious use of the Embossing Buddy, there are a few tiny specs of white embossing powder on that black card stock. I remove those specs with a fine paintbrush, very lightly moistened (OK, I admit it, I lick my finger and twist the fibers together). If you leave just one, when you’ve finished with the heat tool those specs look like bowling balls.

I suppose I could have embossed the black images too, but I was in too big a hurry to see this put together. I think start to finish it was 15 minutes – that’s a record for me!

Why you should invest in Ink Refills Part II

Posted on October 17, 2009 by mauistamper

Ink refills plus an Aquapainter equals simple watercoloring. A drop or two in the lid of your stamp pad and you are good to go. Mix in some Shimmer paint and you won’t be able to stop yourself! I’m no Monet, but this is really fun.

Spring_Sweet_Stems_crop

Sweet Stems stamp set
Mellow Moss Classic Stamp pad; Mellow Moss, Pretty in Pink, and Barely Banana re-inkers
Barely Banana, Mellow Moss, Very Vanilla and Pink Pirouette (retired) cardstock
Scallop Square, Scallop edge and handheld rectangle (retired) punches
Very Vanilla narrow grosgrain ribbon
Aquapainter and Champagne Mist Shimmer paint

I didn’t think I’d use these stamps much. Crystal (middle name Give) gave them to me when she realized she had a duplicate set. Turns out they’re just the thing for a sweet little card. She gave me the layout, too. I played with it a little – added the scallop on the edge and a little Shimmer to the pink – but it’s her design. She’s good, no?

Cheerful Flowers Part Two

Posted on September 7, 2009 by mauistamper

I felt so much better today…lots of texts from my college student made it seem like she wasn’t really 5,000 miles away. I started playing with the layout from the Stampin’ Addicts Thursday Sketch Challenge and after a couple of false starts, came up with a card that made me happy.

Sweet Stems

Sweet Stems and Teeny Tiny Wishes stamp sets
Bermuda Bay, Whisper White, and Regal Rose cardstock
Certainly Celery Designer Series Paper (this pattern is retired, but new patterns are available)
1 1/4″ and 1″ Circle punches, Scallop Edge punch
Bermuda Bay, Certainly Celery, and Regal Rose ink
Regal Rose Ribbon

I usually start by choosing a stamp set, then a principal color. Sometimes I stick with those choices, sometimes I don’t. This time, I reached first for the Bermuda Bay, then Certainly Celery, and finally (hey, these are flowers, you can’t have just blue and green) added the Regal Rose. This isn’t a sketch I would have designed on my own, but it’s fun to stretch yourself with the challenges. The end result is whimsical and fairly simple.

Sweet Stems (113726, $16.95) is currently on the Dormant List from Stampin’ Up! That means it’s not in the catalog, but it’s still available for purchase. You can order it directly through me or through my Stampin’ Up! website.

I’ve spent too much time this morning reading WordPress tutorials, playing with watermarks, and studying other people’s blogs! Time to quit laboring and get outside on this Labor Day holiday.