What is it about the stamping classes you take that makes you sign up? Is it the personality of your demonstrator? Is it your desire to learn some new technique? Do you want to meet with other stamp addicts? Is it the plethora of ideas you garner when together with other stampers? I know for me as a demonstrator and teacher I LOVE sharing what I know with others. I love filling a need for those that love to craft. I adore opening up a brand new world for someone who has never created a hand stamped card before! Stampin’ Up!’s Statement of the Heart truly expresses my desire!
In order to fulfill that desire I need to know what you all want! Share your thoughts! Please take this survey and let me know why you take the stamping classes you take!
I am constantly trying to better meet the needs of my customers!
Do you ever feel like you are in a rut with your crafting? I’ve been there many times. When that happens I tend to go back to the things I once loved and see how it inspires me. Recently I was reorganizing some drawers in my craft room (probably to procrastinate from doing some other chore!). I found my Stampin’ Spritzers! Wow! It was like finding a favorite pair of shoes in the back of the closet that I forgot I had! The last time I used the spritzer I didn’t have clear blocks! What fun it has been to play with the clear blocks, the spritzer, re-inkers, and watercolor paper!
It has been fun trying to see how many different looks I can come up with using the spritzer in different ways! Take a look at some of the things I’ve created.
Here I used the Sweet Soirée Decorative Masks (145489 $7.00- Occassion Catalog 2018) and spritzed a mixture of Island Indigo with rubbing alcohol. I wanted it a bit dark so I spritzed fairly closely.
This is what the image looked like after spritzing! I absolutely loved this look. I started playing around with card designed based on this. Here is what I created!
This uses Celebrate You Thinlits Dies (FREE in the Sale-A-Bration 2018 catalog). The card uses an Island Indigo cardstock for card base and the “celebrate “die, Soft Sky cardstock as an accent and for the “you” die, and Calypso Coral for the “amazing” die and Shimmer Ribbon (Free from Sale-A-Bration 2018 catalog).
Unfortunately the image here doesn’t show the true detail of this spritzing. You can tell from my hand holding this piece that it is actually vellum (cardstock). I then put embossing powder and heat embossed it. It became the background of the following card:
This card uses the Large Numbers Framelits dies (140622 $31.00 Annual Catalog 2018p.215) and Number of Years stamp set (140653 $27.00 photopolymer Annual Catalog 2018 p. 178). The 3/8″ Shimmer Ribbon in Powder Pink was used to coordinate with the Powder Pink in-color cardstock. I love the way the Island Indigo spritz on the vellum cardstock and stamped on the Powder Pink cardstock looks with the Powder Pink!
I decided that I wanted to see what the spritzing on Designer Series Paper (144193 $10.00 Annual Catalog p. 187) would look like. The DSP was the Color Theory stack. The two images below are two other pieces from the stack. As you can see I was playing with the distance from which I spritzed. The more splotchy (yes, very technical term) the closer I was to the paper.
I like the contrast of the Indigo Ink against the Berry Burst.
Here it s the Island Indigo on the ombre Dapper Denim paper.
So, I wanted to see what spritzing on the clear blocks would look like. Here it is pictured above. I love the way it appears in the image of the size of the block. This is a look you cold recreate using a masking or reverse masking technique as well.
Here is an image of the spritzer on a solid piece of cardstock. This shows the what a fairly concentrated spritz looks like when sprayed from the bottom right corner.
Here is the stamped image that I spritzed. This wasn’t my favorite. I think if I had chosen a different stamped image I would have liked it better. I felt the cake image wasn’t the right theme to spritz. I like the idea of it just not the final result.
However, even though I didn’t like the spritzed look right on top of the cake I did like it using the mask (see the polka dots and band on the bottom of each cake layer) and on the background paper). The really is value in trial and error. If you don’t like the way something looks, try changing one aspect of it!
This card used the Dapper Denim DSP as a background layer. I think I will replicate this card but spritz it once the DSP piece is adhered to the white card base. I can’t decide if this “little moments” card is my favorite or if the “celebrate” card is? Which is your favorite card using the spritzing technique?
What is something you once loved that has gotten shoved into the back of a drawer somewhere? I challenge you to find it and share your new creation with us!
Find something you used to use – either a tool or a technique that was long forgotten.
Is there a stamp set you used to love? Try creating a card with a theme that doesn’t seem so obvious. Can you combine it with a sentiment stamp set that would give it a different feel?
Did you have a color that used to be your go-to color until you found and fell in love with Daper Denium, or Emerald Envy? Now – put it with one of the In-Colors or a color that you just wouldn’t have thought to use.
Do you have Aqua Painters? What about Blender Pens? When was the last time you used them? Have you used them with re-inkers?
Is there vellum in your paper supply? What have you done with it lately? Tried it as a layer? Used it to cut out a shape with your Big Shot?
What about embossing? When was the last time you heat embossed? Do you ever dry emboss?
Post your creation on my Facebook page with the #Neweyesonoldthings.
If you are like me, (and hopefully you are) you are still enjoying some down time for the holidays. We are down in Florida visiting my parents for Christmas! The weather has been gorgeous. Probably the nicest it’s ever been during Christmas since we have been coming down. I think my opinion may also be bolstered by the fact that the weather back home in Cleveland has been in the single digits with wind chills in the negative numbers. The snow they are getting wouldn’t bother me as I love the way the world looks covered in snow (when it has to be cold). However, the white Christmas I’m enjoying involves white sand between my toes and sunscreen on my face.
Boy, I wish I had pretty feet!
It may seem that the thing I’m enjoying the most is the weather. It is not. The relaxing time spent with my husband, my boys, my parents, and my sister and her family is what matters most! We have had lots of laughs (a great many due to a new game my sister introduced us to- Telestrations). The moments we shared have given us time, precious time in a busy world to share dreams and happenings, to get to know each other even better! We learn about the things that matter most to us and the things that drive us all crazy! Like who keeps leaving socks around the floor and who doesn’t put the seat down on the toilet! We know who is extremely afraid of the the alligator that suns himself on the bank of the pond just outside my parents’ lanai (no names will be mentioned here!). And we know who the bird geek is that doesn’t to tire of taking pictures of any flying creature!
Visiting bird!
Okay- I’ll admit that one is me! These times are special to me for many reasons. I am definitely one who needs down time. I need to kick back and have time where there is no schedule and I can do what I want. That can only last so long before a) I get bored and b) the world comes tumbling down because there is no food or clean clothes! That unscheduled down time can be sustained even longer when I am at home because my stamping tends to be a go-to activity when nothing is on my agenda. Here in Florida I don’t have access to stamps or to any crafty thing and I am missing it! I can’t wait to get back home (sort-of). I am NOT looking forward to having to bundle up and fight off colds and cold weather but I am looking forward to my craft room and getting back to being crafty. And I even have a new toy to play with that I want to get my hands on (the wonderful Stampin’ Blends). It is the best way I know how to relax (aside from toes in the sand). Now, if I could only find a way to combine the two! That ‘s my next project!!!
If you haven’t yet, please sign up for Creative Contemplations. It is full of tips, ideas, projects, products and deals and more importantly, my class lists!
Happy Stampin’ in the New Year! May your fingers be covered in ink!
The content in this blog is the sole responsibility of Christy Woods as a Stampin' Up!® Independent Demonstrator. The use of and content of classes, services or products offered is not endorsed by Stampin' Up!
