Using Markers

I'm sure you're aware you can use markers to ink up your stamps. Most water based markers will do the job, although brush tipped markers like the Stampin' Up! Stampin' Write Markers are ideal as you can use the side of the brush tip to ensure a more complete coverage.

I finally got my own set of Inspired by Nature a month or possibly more ago and immediately set to work stamping with it. I coloured the flowers in with Summer Sun, Ruby Red and Old Olive markers, then spritzed it ever so lightly to blend the colours a little and give it a watercolour look (a tip: If you don't have a squirty bottle with a fine spray, you can spray it into the air and sort of "catch" the drops on the stamp - kind of like how you're supposed to "walk into" your perfume *g*) and stamped it on Very Vanilla.

Then my sample piece sat in my craft trolley for a while. A long while.

Until last Saturday when I finally used it to create this finished product. I stamped the grass in Old Olive on Old Olive cardstock to create the background layer. Love that grass stamp!

Images © 1990-2009 Stampin' Up!®

Supplies used:

Stamp set/s: Inspired by Nature
Ink: Old Olive
Cardstock: Summer Sun, Old Olive, Very Vanilla
Other:Wide Oval Punch, Stampin' Write Markers in Summer Sun, Ruby Red and Old Olive, Stampin' Sponges

A milestone post!

I'm sure that I've got some balloons somewhere, and maybe even one of those little noisemaker thingies with the paper curl that go "blllllaaaaaattttt" when you blow in them. Because this is Post # 100, a number I was never convinced I would actually reach.

In celebration, another card.

What a surprise.

I didn't actually make this one today - far too hot for stamping (it's another scorcher in Melbourne, with the temperature in the 40s, hoping for the cool change to come in quickly. They are telling us that it will be down to a top of 19 on Tuesday). So here's one I prepared earlier.

More pink. Again, another surprise.

I really, really like this set. The bold flowers just really seem to work well, and look great when coloured with markers as shown here. And I've used the smaller sprig of flowers in Pixie Pink to add texture to the layers.

Supplies used:

Stamp sets: Live Your Dream
Ink: Pixie Pink, Old Olive
Cardstock: Old Olive, Pixie Pink, Whisper White
Other: Stampin' Write Markers in Old Olive, Pixie Pink, Rose Red and So Saffron

Happy anniversary to me!

Oh, and I changed my header again. Just because I can.

A Little Thank You

I haven't really been stamping much this week (blame Christmas ... I do!) but thought I had better share something or no one will bother to visit me at casa del stamp.

Here's a little 3x3 thank you card I made for my friend and coworker Sharon. She has been my most consistent customer since I became a Stampin' Up! demonstrator and I wanted to show my appreciation. So I bought her a nifty little travel mug and made this card to go with it.

This set (Live Your Dream) is actually pretty darn nice. The big flower stamp is handy to colour with markers (as shown here) or used as a "shadow" effect ... I think you could even make a nice "garden" border with it stamped at different heights along the bottom of a piece of cardstock. Must try that one day soon.

Stamp sets: Live Your Dream
Ink: Old Olive, Regal Rose
Cardstock: Old Olive, Regal Rose, Rose Red, Whisper White
Other: 1-1/4" Circle Punch, 1-3/8" Circle Punch, Stampin' Write Markers in Rose Red, Regal Rose and So Saffron

The card revealed

It has been pointed out to me that I have been forgetting my promise to upload the Plums/Vanilla/Chocolate card I made the other week, so here is the entire thing at last!

I like how it came out. Thank you Gail for making me use these colours together - they work really well.

Images © 1990-2008 Stampin' Up!®

Supplies used:

Stamp sets: Always
Ink: Chocolate Chip, Perfect Plum, Pale Plum
Cardstock: Chocolate Chip, Very Vanilla, Perfect Plum, Pale Plum
Other: Stampin' Write Markers in Soft Subtles, Cutter Kit, Stamp-A-Ma-Jig

One of a Kind

I have just spent a few hours playing with stamps and cardstock, and ended up with this ... I still don't know if I like it, but at the least it has been an interesting experiment.

I wanted to use One of a Kind, which is one of the sets in SU's current Spring Mini (do you want a copy? Email me with your details and I can mail one out). You can buy a punch which matches the small trio of flowers from this set (not shown here), which is a bit of fun and saves a lot of time cutting out!

I tried various methods of working with the large flower from this set, and settled on simply colouring it with my Stampin' Write Markers ... who knew? Sometimes cardmaking is like having a great big colouring book *g*. You will have to believe me when I tell you that this really does look way better in person. As soon as I get my camera back I will try a different picture and see if it's more flattering. For some reason my scanner just refuses to represent Pale or Perfect Plum correctly.

Can you see that I have outlined the flower with my Going Gray marker? I was trying for the illusion of dimension. I still can't tell if it worked.

Images © 1990-2008 Stampin' Up!®

Supplies used:

Stamp sets: One of a Kind
Ink: Basic Black, Perfect Plum
Cardstock: Whisper White, So Saffron, Perfect Plum
Other: Stampin' Write Markers in Rich Regals, Soft Subtles and Neutrals, Designer Label Punch, Stamp-a-ma-jig, Stampin' Sponges

Sneak Peek

I just wanted to pop in with a really quick update ... but it's only a "sneak peek" because I don't have the original file with me to show you.

The card is the result of a challenge thrown down by my Fearless Leader, Gail - she challenged her team to create a card using the colours Perfect Plum, Pale Plum, Chocolate Chip and Very Vanilla (and after all that plum, chocolate and vanilla I was feeling kinda hungry after I finished *g*). It took me a while and ended up being nothing like the idea I had in my head (which, once I'd nailed it down on paper, turned out to be absolutely hideous).

And thanks to Karen for reminding me on Sunday that the heart from the set Always looks stunning coloured with markers. I had to make myself not use Old Olive on it (mmm, new colour combination coming up).

I will post the full card later ... stay tuned!

Images © 1990-2008 Stampin' Up!®

Supplies used:

Stamp sets: Always
Ink: Chocolate Chip, Pale Plum
Cardstock: Chocolate Chip, Very Vanilla, Perfect Plum, Pale Plum
Other: Stampin' Write Markers in Soft Subtles, Cutter Kit, Stamp-A-Ma-Jig