Saturated Canary Wendy

Hello Stampers!

Here is another one of my projects with my brand new Saturated Canary stamps!  I've been looking at these online for ages, so was thrilled to get to colour them up now that we have them at SGD!

This is "Wendy"!  She is stamped on XPress It with Memento ink in Rich Cocoa (my favourite!).  She is coloured with Copics, and die cut with my Spellbinders Nestabilities.  While still in the die, I inked up the image with my favourite Tim Holtz distress ink in Antique Linen.  This is my go-to colour!

I've used an old punch to cut out some corner tabs.  And I've used my "Seeing Spots" Cuttlebug embossing folder - which is apparently all the rage again lately!  We can't keep this thing on the shelves, wild.

This paper is one of the newest releases from My Mind's Eye, "Come Away With Me".  I LOVE a new 6x6 pad!

I have to say, I've never been a ribbon girl - but I think that is because I needed some lessons, badly!  Thankfully, BFF Andrea to the rescue - with some "Bow-Easy" lessons, and here we are!  Ribbons!  I have to say, I'm liking them!

Happy Stamping!

Sarah
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Copic landscapes part 4

Hello Stampers!

Sarah here and yes, I'm still playing with landscapes. I'm having so much fun creating my own scenes.  Probably as close to fine art as I'll come, ha ha!

This is one of my absolute favourite Golden Oldies from Art Impressions.  We have most of them at SGD and I think they're a blast!  This is Vera and I think the expression on her face is classic.

I've accented with Crystal Lacquer on Vera's sunglasses, that are also coloured with Spica Atyou pens.  I've accented with lots of Liquid Pearls for texture.

Sarah
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Saturated Canary Autumn

Hello Stampers!

Hard to believe that summer is nearly over.  Back to school time is here!  This weekend has been all about school supplies and new shoes in my house.  My soon-to-be third grader is pretty excited!

This is my FIRST fall project of the year!  I wait as long as I can every year, because I love summer so much especially all the bright colours.

This little beauty is one of our brand new line, Saturated Canary, that we ordered at CHA Chicago.  This is "Autumn".  Isn't she sweet?  Those of us who took Suzanne Dean's Copic class on hair the other weekend had fun learning some techniques on these cute stamps.

She is stamped on XPress It with Memento ink in Rich Cocoa (my favourite!).

I've inked the edges with some Tim Holtz distress inks (old paper, frayed burlap, brushed corduroy) using the distress tool.  I've used my Viva Decor pearl pen in bronze to add some accents.

Happy Stamping!

Sarah
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Copic landscapes part 3

Hello Stampers!

Here's another card in my ongoing landscapes practice.  Another stamp that I borrowed from a lovely lady in my card classes from Heartfelt Creations.  This is a line of stamps that carry beautiful scenery & images.

Sarah

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Copic landscapes part 2

Hello Stampers!

As I mentioned in my last post, I've been working on landscape techniques.  A lovely lady in one of my classes loaned me some Heartfelt Creations stamps and this is what I've been working with.

My last post I shared this wonderful video I found on YouTube - and I think this is the best one I've tried so far for sky and for grass.

I also found this awesome tutorial by Copic's own Marianne Walker on water.  I think this is by far the best I've seen.

Happy Stamping!

Sarah

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Copic landscape techniques

Hello Stampers!

We had a wonderful weekend at Scrappin' Great Deals hosting the lovely Suzanne Dean, Copic instructor extraordinaire!  I know I learned a lot from the lessons - and I hope my classmates did too!  

If you aren't as lucky as me to be able to go to SGD in person, then you may not have seen some of the awesome new things we have in store!  The staff is working frantically to get it all added to the website!

In the meantime - let me share with you one of my favourite lines.  This is Sarah Kay from Stampavie.  They are beautiful images and fantastic quality!  The always stamp crystal clear - and clean up like a dream.  I don't know about you - but I can't stand a stamp that takes four tries to get a sharp image.

This image is "Laura and Henri" and reminds me of my beloved Holly Hobby from when I was little!  I remember going to school in England when I was about 5 or 6 with my Holly Hobby plastic lunchbox.

I've been working on landscape techniques lately - so you can see here my methods for grass and for sky.  Now don't tell anyone - but I'll share with you my SECRET......  YouTube!!!

Check out this awesome video - this is where I got my techniques from.  Don't tell anyone I told you - shhh!

YAY!  Isn't that a cool one?  I love it!

I have used some Crystal Lacquer on the bow and flowers, as well as some Atyou Spica pens for accent, and lots of Liquid Pearls.

Happy Stamping!

Sarah

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create bold and beautiful with distress inks and sprays!!

Hello Stampers!

There's nothing I love more than finding a great source of inspiration that makes me want to run to my craft room and CREATE!  I subscribe to Craft Stamper Magazine from the UK and it is chock full of awesome ideas.  This particular card is inspired by a beautiful creation in the latest issue.

Here's how I made it!

First, use some sprays to create a background out of white card stock.  I used Tattered Angels lemongrass and pink bubblegum.

Spray one colour at a time and blot really well with paper towel in between colours to help the colour absorb.  Try varying your spray distance and your spray speed to get different effects.

Then you'll want to leave this to dry - or like me, use your heat tool to speed up the drying process.

Once dry, I used a Mister Huey mask - and Tim Holtz distress ink to add a few details.

This is Picked Raspberry from the limited edition Summer 2012 set.  I LOVE my distress inks and rush to add each new colour to my collection!  I love that each time there is something new - and not just a slight variation on past colours.  This bright pink just screams summer to me!

Then I used a white gel pen to add some detail to the circles. 

I stamped some beautiful flowers from my Unity stamp collection on white card stock with black Ranger Archival ink.  Then I coloured then with my Tim Holtz distress markers.  I am absolutely IN LOVE with my markers lately!  I am really enjoying creating with them.

I cut the wavy piece free-hand.  I used a ruler and a white gel pen to add the lines onto black card stock and then mounted onto that.

To finish off, I stamped a Unity stamp sentiment onto some of the sprayed card stock - and accented it with white gel pen as well.

Voila!  Inspiration from Craft Stamper magazine UK!  LOVE!

Sarah

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art journaling - part 3

Hello Stampers!

Here's another page (with all it's good & bad points) in my art journal!  As I've mentioned before, I am BRAND new to this - but I am loving it!  I think that even when you make an "oops" it's worth keeping - as you learn what you like & don't like!

For example - it wasn't intentional for my flowers to bleed like this.  I just forgot to "set" them - before spraying them with Perfect Pearls - oops!  But next time, I'll remember - hee hee!

Lots of layers on this page, as usual.  Here are some of the products I've used:

• Golden Gesso
• Golden Acrylic ground medium
• Krylon fixative spray
• acrylic paints
• Pan Pastels
• Vintage French book pages (etsy)
• Donna Downey for Unity stamps
• Memory Box Stamp
• Tim Holtz distress markers
• Tim Holtz distress ink pads
• Tim Holtz Parisian stamps
• Ranger archival ink (black)

The technique I really liked on this page - was creating a subtle stamped background (the Parisian elements) with a pale pink wash on top.  Then the bold doodled flowers (sorry they are old - I think they are Hero Arts?  Not sure) stamped in black - and coloured with distress markers.  I discovered that this makes them really POP against the background!  They look so bright and bold!  Especially when I used the Picket Fences marker on top for accent.  I love this look!  Now - don't go and spray on top of them - distress markers are activated by water - hence my runny flowers.

Happy Stamping!

Sarah

art journaling part 2

Hello Stampers!

Welcome to part 2 of my art journaling!  Now, I preface this post with the fact that I am very much new to this art form!!  I am much more a "want-to-be" art journal crafter.  But I LOVE it!  It is a great form of R&R I think.

I've used lots of layers on this page layout.  Some of the products I've used are:

• Gesso
• Modeling paste
• acrylic paint
• Pan Pastels
• Mister Huey's stencils
• Mister Huey's sprays
• Prima stamp (text)
• Vintage French book page & music score (etsy)
• Fab Scraps chipboard elements
• Ultra Thick Embossing
• Ranger Archival ink (black)
• punches (to create my own stencils) - butterfly & flower
• Tim Holtz distress inks

The technique I enjoyed trying out here was creating the little "windows".  I adhered the vintage paper onto the page.  This is paper I bought on etsy - but I suggest scouring garage sales and second hand bookstores.  I love French text and music pages.  Then I "whitewashed" them with some thinned white acrylic paint so they weren't quite so stark.  I painted some Fab Scraps chipboard windows and stuck them on top.  Then I used my Ultra Thick Embossing on top of that to create an awesome thick glaze, making them look like little windows!  I've used a Prima script stamp to randomly stamp around the page.

Happy Stamping!

Sarah