Wreath Builder technique

Created by Stacey Cogswell
Copyright Stampin'Up!

I've been seeing all kinds of cards created using the Stamparatus and a star like template to make what is being called the Wreath Builder Technique.  So, I thought I would give it a try. I love it!  Basically, you use the Stamparatus to stamp the same image in in exactly the same place on each corner of the paper. You keep stamping and turning the paper until you have a "wreath" image.  I've found that this technique works better with smaller stamp images or multiple small images. I was having so much fun stamping that I continued the technique to the envelope. Yes, the word "amazing" was heat embossed and then fussy cut by hand. This card was made using several Sale-a-bration products....which are still available until the end of March!

Products used to make this card:
Card Stock: Whisper White, Lemon Lime Twist and Calypso Coral
Ink: Lemon Lime Twist, Calypso Coral and VersaMark for heat embossing.
Stamp Set: Beautiful Peacock and Amazing You.....each FREE with a $50 order
DSP: Bubbles and Fizz....FREE with a $50 order
Accessories: 2" circle punch, 1 3/4" circle punch, gold embossing powder and white ribbon (sorry retired)

Enjoy,
Stacey

Brusho paper sample #1

I played with my new Brusho Crystal Colour until my fingers were every color under the sun. For this card, I sprinkled the Brusho on to an open embossing folder, spritzed it with water (too much water I think), adding the water color paper face down and then ran it through the Big Shot.  It's pretty cool how the color bleeds and blends together to create all kinds of color, but it I had not added so much water there may have been a few white spaces left open. I think I will have to do a little more experimenting with the technique.

Created by Stacey Cogswell
Copyright Stampin'Up!

Supplies Used to Create this Card:
Stamp set: Falling Flowers
Dies: May Flowers Framelits
Card Stock: Night of Navy, Whisper White, Pear Pizzazz and Water color paper
Ink: Pear Pizzazz, Night of Navy and Momento
Accessories: Alcohol Blends markers, Layered Leaves embossing folder, Big Shot, small corner rounder punch (sorry, retired)

Brusho effects

Have you seen the new product on page 26 of the Occasion catalog called Brusho Crystal Color?  It's super concentrated ink pigment that is activated with water. You get 5 colors, red, yellow, orange, greed and blue. You can paint with it, sprinkle it, use on bubble wrap or embossing folders. The possibilities are endless. All you need is paper, a spray bottle with water and a few things you've probably got laying around. So, last night I rounded up everything and started playing. It can be a little messy, so if you don't want multi-colored fingers, you might want a pair of glues as well.  For these samples, I used large bubble wrap (1"bubbles). Just sprinkle a little Brusho on the dry bubble wrap, spritz with water, lay the paper face down on the wrap and lightly press. You'll never get the same effect twice, but it's so cool. The light blue sample is made with the bubble wrap inflated, then on the other two I popped the wrap and press the paper into the color that was pooling around the popped bubbles.  I will share some more samples in the up coming days and if you're interested in trying it for your self, just click the "Shop" button above or leave me a message.

Wax Resist Technique Again!

Created by Stacey Cogswell
Copyright Stampin'Up!

I couldn't resist to show you another example the wax paper resist technique.  This time I simply crumpled up the wax paper before ironing to my gloss white paper.  I sponged with three different colors of ink to color the white areas of the paper, then used I used black Stazon ink to stamp the image.  I didn't want the background papers to compete with this image so I just spritzed and sponged them with a little ink.  If you haven't tried this technique yet, you really should....it's so much fun!

Products used to create this card:
Stamp set: Serene Silhouettes (pg. 75) Loving Thoughts (greeting pg. 136)
Cardstock: Lucky Limeade, Pool Party, Early Espresso and Gloss White
Ink: Lucky Limeade, Pool Party, Early Espresso and Black Stazon
Extras: 1/8"  Early Espresso ribbon, gold brads, heat tool with gold embossing powder and Modern Label punch.

Smiles,
Stacey

Wax Paper Resist

Created by Stacey Cogswell
Copyright Stampin'Up!

Here is another example of the Wax Paper Resist technique.  I used a different color scheme for this card, but the same stamp sets as in the last post, but for this card I chose to use a lighter ink color over wax paper resist piece of paper.  As you can see it gives a whole different effect, less bold and much more soft....maybe a little bit more"sky" looking?   Can you see a different pattern on this background verses the background on the last card in the last post?  Do what to know how I did it?  Come to the February Stamp Camp and I'll show you or you can google "wax paper resist", but that won't be as much fun!

Smiles,
Stacey

Triple Stamping

If you've been surfing the web lately, you've probably seen this technique popping up everywhere.  Of course I had to give it a try.  It's another one of those easy techniques that looks hard, but it's not.

Created by Stacey Cogswell
Copyright Stampin'Up!

Pretty cool isn't it. All you do is figure out the three sizes of Vanilla card stock you would like to use, layer them one on top of the other and stamp with a little bit of repositional adhesive.  Stamp the greeting first (I used Early Espresso ink) and then the leaves (I used Cajun Craze), making sure you over lap the images onto more than one of the pieces of paper.  For this card I used the stamp set French Foliage.  After stamping, take the pieces apart and layer them with a darker color card stock, here I used Early Espresso. Add some Baker's Twine and button. Finally, adhere the layers together with dimensionals.  This technique can be used with just about any stamp set.  It also looks pretty cool with floral stamps or the The Open Sea stamp set for a nice manly card.  Hope you like it.

Smiles,
Stacey

New Discovery with Framelits

I just love all the new Framelits that Stampin'Up! has come out with in the Holiday mini!  I've been going to town making all kinds of samples using these and the coordinating stamp sets and as I was doing this I discovered something really cool.  The "mug" die from the Holiday Framelits and the "jar" from the Cannery Framelits are perfect to layer!  I get all giddy just thinking about it!  It's so cool when you figure out something else to do with you tools and make then stretch further.  Let me show you what I mean:

Cut out a mug and cut off the handle piece, then.....

Cut out a jar.

Then cut the jar again with the same die.

Now layer them.

Isn't that cool!

Now stamp an image and make a little project.

Hope you like it and now are as giddy as I am!

Smiles,

Stacey

Zentangle Stampin'Up! Style

Created by Stacey Cogswell
Copyright Stampin'Up!

 

About a year ago I was introduced to the art form called Zentangle by my friend Pat Brasch and I was instantly in love.  You'll have to check out the link, but if you like to doodle, you'll love Zentangle. What's cool is you can learn easy ways to make complicated looking designs or tangles and create amazing looking designs.  Anyway, when I saw the new Stampin'Up! stamp set called "Fabulous You" (page 39 of the main catalog), I knew I had to have it!  It looks so much like a Zentangle design without as much work.  I created the card above by stamping first and then filling in parts of the flowers with a black pen.  I also added a few rhinestones for some sparkle.  LOVE IT!  Here is a close up picture of the shoe.  Hope you'll give it a try!  Smiles, Stacey

Created by Stacey Cogswell
Copyright Stampin'Up!

Water Stamping Card

Created by Stacey Cogswell
Copyright Stampin'Up!

Do you see the technique called Water Stamping on Splitcoaststampers on August 8th?  I did and I just had to try it with my stamp set called Flowering Flourishes.  The tutorial on Splitcoaststampers used a wet paper towel as the ink pad, but I found that if I misted the stamp with water before stamping that the image came through better.  As always, the card looks so much better in person.  Someday I hope to have a photo booth in my craft room, until then I'll keep trying to get a better pictures.  For this card used the stamp sets Lacy & Lovely (large flower) and Pursuit of Happiness (greeting)   I even stamped the inside of the card.   Check out the tutorial on Splitcoaststampers and then give it a try......I'd love to see what you create!



Created by Stacey Cogswell
Copyright Stampin'Up!

Happy Stamping!
Stacey



Emboss Resist Technique

Created By Stacey Cogswell

Copyright Stampin'Up!

This is a really fun technique with big WOW factor.  All you need is a piece of Designer Series paper, VersaMark ink, clear embossing powder and a brayer with a matching classic ink.  I made this card a few months ago at our team meeting, so the designer paper and stamp is retired, but your could use any paper or stamp for this technique.  Here's what you do:

1. Stamp a bold image with VersaMark ink onto your designer series paper. (If you have an embossing buddy, run this over this over your paper first to remove any static from the paper)
2. Sprinkle with clear embossing powder and heat set.
3. Ink up your brayer with desired ink and brayer over the top of the embossed paper until you reach good coverage.
4. Wipe off the embossed area with a tissue to remove any ink.  The embossed area will resist the ink, so you shouldn't have much ink to remove. 
5. Finish card!

Pretty cool!  You'll have to try it.  Have fun and play around with different stamps and ink colors to see what you can come up with.

Smiles,
Stacey

Last Card Contest Share

                          Created by Stacey Cogswell 
                                      Copyright Stampin'Up!

This is the last card I submitted for the card contest.  It features the very cool technique of Spirelli.  The flower was created with three stair step layers all sponged and wrapped with gold thread.  The largest layer was created by first punches out a scallop circle, then placing this punched circle back into the punch and punching it again.  This creates more "petals" to wrap your thread around.  The second layer was crated in the same way except I used the square scallop punch....yes, the square scallop!

Hope you like this new technique and will give it a try yourself.

Smiles,
Stacey

Card Contest Share #5

Created by Stacey Cogswell

Copyright Stampin'Up!

This card featured the really fun technique of embedding.  Glue random sizes of circles onto a background piece of paper and then run it through the Big Shot using a texture folder. If you haven't tried this technique, you should.  It really makes the paper look like custom designer paper or if you lay down squares instead of circles it will look like quilted fabric.  The stamped image was heat embossing and then colored with ink using an Aqua Painter.  Not only does the heat embossing give the stamped image a shiny look, it also helps the ink to stay inside the lines while painting.  The finishing touch was a little glitter on the cake stand to give it the appearance of "glass".

Products used to create this card: 

Stamp Set: Crazy for Cupcakes (wood $23.95 #111618)
Card Stock: Chocolate Chip, Wild Wasabi, Pretty in Pink and Whisper White
Classic Ink: Chocolate Chip, Wild Wasabi and Pretty in Pink
Other Ink: VersaMark
Accessories: Black embossing powder with heat tool, Dazzling Diamonds Glitter, Aqua Painter, White Gel Pen and 1/8" Taffeta Ribbon in Pretty in Pink and Whisper White.  Big Shot with Square Lattice embossing folder.

I hope you'll give this technique a try and let me know what you think.  If you're like me, you'll be hooked.......making one right after another!

Smiles,
Stacey

Embedded Technique

In the last stamp camp I introduced a technique called Embedding.  This is a really fun technique and once you try it you'll be hooked!  In the last week I've made four cards, two of which I'll show you, using this technique. You can use an array of circle punch sizes to create this cool look.  One punch size can keep the pattern simple, but many punches sizes makes a interesting abstract pattern.  This is one of those fun techniques that never turns out the same twice, which for some is hard to think about, but you'll have to try it.

Created by Stacey Cogswell

Copyright Stampin'Up!

This is how to create the Embedded look:
Glue random punches circles (or any punched shape) on a base piece of card stock.  Try punching a smaller circle in the card stock first, then punch out a larger circle around the smaller circle.  When this double punched circle is placed on the base card stock the "hole" will allow the base card stock to show through, giving it the look of two circles on top of each other, but with out the added bulk of a third layer of paper. When you're done, run this piece of card stock through the Big Shot using the Square Lattice Impressions folder (or any full texture folder.)  By dry embossing the card stock you are "embedding" the layers of card stock together to create the look of fabric.  It's so cool and I hope you try it!

Smiles,
Stacey

More Rubbed Background Ideas

Have you tried it yet?  Well, if you have and you've mastered the basic technique, let me show you what you can do next.  Create a Batik look by flicking the inked CS with water either by using either your fingers or a paint brush.  It will give you this look:

Now doesn't that look cool?  Let's see some projects made with this fun looking paper.

For both of these bookmarks, I heat embossed the image with black embossing powder.  I added some Gold Spritz spray to the image on the right to give it a little sparkle.

Here is another way to change it up.  Spray a stamp of your choice (a solid image works best) with water then stamp it to your inked background. The water, like in the flicking sample, will wick up the ink and leave a "white" spot.

Lastly, you can also stamp your inked CS background with ink.  Here I used the Sanded background stamp to give the inked paper a rustic look.

So, I hope you like what you've seen and you'll get it a try.  Please leave me a comment and let me know if you would like to see more postings like this.  There are so many different ways to change up this technique, so see what you can do.....I'd love to see what you can come up with!

Have a wonderful day!

Smiles,

Stacey

Rubbed Ink Background

Yesterday's post featured a card with a new technique that is so much fun that I can't stop creating projects with it!  I'm not sure if this technique has an official name, so I'm calling it the Rubbed Ink Background technique.  Once you master the basic technique there are so several things you can do with this background to change it up (I'll show you a few ideas.)  To start, you'll need a piece of card stock, two or three colors of classic ink and sponges.  Holding your piece of CS with one hand, pick up some ink on a sponge then rubbing in a circular motion starting on your work surface then onto the CS.  You never want to start rubbing right on the CS, because you won't get a the soft blended effect were looking for.  Rub several areas with one color then fill in the other areas with the next color, blending the two colors as you go.  If you are working with a large piece of CS, always start rubbing off from the edge into the middle of the CS.  You can add a third color if you like to darken an area or to make the edges of the CS darker.

Created By Stacey Cogswell

Copyright Stampin'Up!

For this card I used Riding Hood Red and Cherry Cobbler Classic ink for the center background CS piece.  It's hard to see, but it's has a soft two tone effect. So, give it a try and see what you think.

Smiles,
Stacey