hand-drawn dots cards

hand-drawn dots cards

Hand-Drawn Dots is a new background stamp from the 2023 January – April mini catalog. It is also the featured stamp set for the Stampin’ Through the Catalog challenge from last Thursday, so I love to play along with challenges and these are the cards I came up with!

The first card uses the stamparatus to stamp the background and then slightly offset the paper to make the first stamped dots appear like a shadow! I love this stamp positioning tool for projects such as this one!

Measurements:
Base: Crumb Cake 4 1/4″ x 11″ scored at 5 1/2″
scrap for the Stylish Shapes circle die
scrap for the sentiment die
Basic White Layer: 4″ x 5 1/4″
scrap for the Brilliant Wings die
Vellum: scrap for the Brilliant Wings die
background technique

Place the stamp on the acrylic hinge of the Stamparatus. Ink the stamp surface with Crumb Cake ink and stamp onto the middle of the Basic White Layer.

Clean the stamp image and re-ink with the Craft White ink pad.

Move the paper slightly so that the white dots are offset from the Crumb Cake ones – making a shadow image.

I embossed the Craft ink with White embossing powder and set it with a heat tool for added shine and texture!

Cut the solid butterfly shape out of Vellum cardstock and place on the extra acrylic hinge piece of the Stamparatus tool.
Choose three colors of Stampin’ Blends colors, I chose Mambo Melon, Flirty Flamingo and Daffodil Delight. Scribble on the vellum surface.
Using a spray bottle filled with rubbing alcohol, liberally spray the vellum surface and push the ink and dry it with a heat tool.
Add more color if necessary once the vellum is dry or leave as is!
Die cut the cooresponding detailed butterfly die out of Basic White cardstock and adhere together
Adhere the Basic White embossed layer to the Crumb Cake card base.
Pop up the butterfly onto Mini Stampin’ Dimensionals tucking them onto the back where the white veins of the butterfly wings will hide the adhesive.

I stamped the sentiment in Craft White ink and heat embossed with White powder as well and die cut using the Fancy Dies.

Because the Crumb Cake circle die cut from the Stylish Shapes set is being adhered over an embossed surface I used Tear & Tape for a more secure adherence.
Adhere the circle die to the upper middle section of the Basic White embossed layer.
Place the popped up butterfly in the center fo the circle die and cut about15 inches of Sweet Sorbet metallic woven ribbon and wind loosely around your palm, place a piece of adhesive under the sentiment piece and adhere the ribbon to the backside of that die piece. Secure the ribbon by placing Stampin Dimensionals on top and add to the lower right hand side of the card front. Add Opaque Adhesive-backed Gems and the colors of the ribbon and Gems compliments the Vellum Alcohol background nicely!
This next sample starts with a base of Soft Sea Foam Cardstock and stamped the Hand-Drawn Dots in Versamark and embossed with clear embossing powder and a subtle tone on tone look. I added a die cut from the Basic Borders Dies in Pear Pizzazz using both sides of the border to lend a whimsical curve to the middle of the card! I stamped the sentiment to carry the tone on tone style throughout the card in Crumb Cake ink on the same color card stock. Added plain vellum background butterflies under the Basic white cardstock overlay of the more detailed butterfly dies and added 2022-2024 In Color Decorative dots to the sentiment focal piece for the finishing touch of interest.
I stamped the Hand-Drawn Dots background on Crumb Cake in the same ink and distressed the corners and added a bit of crumb cake ink diagonally down the center of the 4″ x 5 1/4″ layer to add an aged look. I added the same directional inking to the Fancy Dies sentiment die cut piece. I added the Vellum backed Butterfly dies to the top and bottom of the opposite diagonals on the sentiment piece and finished the card with the Iridescent Pastel Gems for a little subtle bling!
My last sample is a shaker card – I used the negative piece from the circle die cut from my first sample and adhered a Window Sheet to the back of the Crumb Cake die opening. I layered Foam Adhesive Strips around the circle opening and added some retired sequins (a great way to use up old sequins containers – for new product you could use the For Everything Fancy sequins or the Loose Flower Flourishes or the Effervescent Elements these are all great choices!)
I stamped the Hand-Drawn Dots in Mambo Melon on a 4″ x 5 1/4″ piece of Basic White Cardstock and added that to a Mambo Melon Cardstock base. I filled the basin made with the Foam adhesive strips with the sequins and adhered another window sheet to close up the cavity. I adhered the shaker portion of the card onto the stamped layer and added the sentiment piece and the layered butterfly die as well as a Brushed Brass Butterfly to the ink Blended sentiment focal piece for the finishing touches. Shake and enjoy!
I hope you enjoyed the samples of our newest background stamp. Dig out some of yours and go and create some art of your own – one stamp at a time!

Happy Stampin’
Natalie

Product List
Paper Snips
[103579]
$11.00
the art of shading – watercolor pencils – part three plus a bonus night scene background idea

the art of shading – watercolor pencils – part three plus a bonus night scene background idea

Watercolor Pencils are a fabulous way to shade and add color to your line art stamp sets.

The Perched in a Tree Bundle was used for this technique in the Art of Shading series and used with a paint brush or our Water Painters or Blender Pens it is an easy way to shade your stamps and look like a watercolor artist!

There is also a bonus segment for the background night scene behind the Aspen Dies on the card!

Measurements:
Base: Night of Navy 5 1/2″ x 8 1/2″
scored at 4 1/4″
Layers: 4 pieces of Basic White 4″ x 5 1/4″
One for the background technique
One for the bird and branch stamps
One for the Aspen tree die
One for the inside layer
Stamp the bird and branch from the Perched in a Tree stamp set onto one of the Basic White layers, and with the desired colors of watercolor pencils start to color light in some areas and darker where there would be shadow or need for shading. There is no need to color the entire surface if you plan to use liquid from a brush or pen as the liquid will push the colors and act as the blending tool.

Continue to color the bird from lightest colors to the darker colors last, clean the blender pen or Water Painter in between colors.
If there are shading lines included on the stamp use those as an easy benchmark of where to shade color darker as you see on the branch.
BONUS Night scene background:

Using two colors of blue (I used Night of Navy and Pacific Point inks) and Blending brushes, burnish color over an entire section of 4″ x 5 1/4″ piece of Basic White CS layer. Blend the two different colors together in the middle.

Using a Water Painter flick droplets of water onto the inked background.
Do the same with the Wink of Stella pen, this will create depth and dimension on the background as well as star like splatters on the paper.
Using White craft ink and the smaller circle from the Watercolor Shapes stamp set, stamp a moon image onto the upper right hand side of the background paper.
Adhere to the base Night of Navy cardstock.

Pop up the Aspen die onto Stampin’ Dimensionals and adhere to the night scene background paper.

Adhere the bird and branch images to the front and stamp the sentiment in Night of Navy ink onto the last 4″ x 5 1/4″ Basic White layer and adhere to the inside of the card.

Try out this background technique or your watercolor pencils and go create some artwork of your very own – one stamp at a time!

Happy Stampin’
Natalie