from my ink pad to yours

If you are just beginning...

I'm thick into nursing classes and clinicals right now (today I'm home on an intensive homework day) but took a little time to answer this email from a new stamper. It was such a good question that I thought that I would share it here.

She wrote:

I'm a new stamper, haven't even started yet.....should I get the ink pads or the spots??? I don't have money to waste, so even though the spots are less expensive, I don't want to buy them to find out that I wish I would have purchased the pads!!!

Any advice???

Thanks.

Personally, I prefer the larger classic pads for most projects. The spots that I do use are the craft spots that I wouldn’t suggest getting until you have stamped a little longer – many people stamp for years without using craft ink. The style (solid vs line art) and size of stamp that you use will also make a difference in how well the spots work for you.

1. Larger stamps are more difficult to ink well with a inkspot – especially if they are solid images.

2. If you want to stamp anything larger than a 3/4” image several times its much faster to ink it with a full sized pad.

3. You will need refills much sooner for a spot than you will with a pad.

4. You need to buy the spots in groups, whereas you can hand select the colors with the pads.

5. You can also use markers to ink your stamps: slightly more time consuming than inking with a spot but the markers are more versatile, since you can also color with them and purchase them individually. When I first started I used my kids’ washable markers to expand my color repertoire beyond my small collection of pads. That helped me determine colors I really liked to use versus colors I wouldn’t use much.

6. You may be able to choose just a black pad(especially if you like to color) and 3-5 other colored pads to start with. As a beginner it may be good to work with a limited palette as you buy/scavenge other accessories such as cardstock, ribbons, buttons, brads, found items etc.). You’ll find that things go together better.

Did you find my email off my blog? If so, maybe you have seen some of the cards I did with my Playful Palette (Black, Real Red, Ballet Blue, Summer Sun, Green Galore).

Chris

There is also a photo album with just pictures of cards with this color combo.

Of course the spots can be fun to use ... and they are cute! Here's a little out of the ordinary use I found for them a while back: Autumn Plaid.

What 4-5 colors would you start with if you were just starting out?

Happy stamping and thanks for checking my blog!

Don't be afraid...

...to scribble on your cards. This sat on my counter the last few days and I just added the scribbling today. I made the card Saturday morning before I set up for my stamp club. I had just peeked in on SCS's Inspiration Challenge 111 and couldn't resist putting it together. The inspiration piece is a seed packet with a picture of red flowers on a white piece a paper on a brown bag. What a classic color combination! Some of my favorite cards have included red ink and kraft cardstock. If you visit SCS you will find a link for the challenge's gallery and find many others that probably aren't too different from mine.

Stamps: Embrace Life, Celebrate
Ink: Basic Black, Real Red, and Summer Sun classic pads, Sage Shadow and Basic Black marker
Paper: Kraft , Basic Black and Whisper White cardstock
Accessories: Round Tab punch, Sponge Daubers - used to apply color to the flowers

Butterfly Merci

KathyC is the Featured Stamper over at SCS today. I encourage you to check out her gallery. All of her cards are truly wonderful but I'm especially impressed with how well she uses large patterned designer paper. I myself shy away from paper with really large, colorful patterns but she makes them look great. Since I don't keep many large pattern designs in my collection (yet!) I couldn't really do a card with that but I did make an attempt with this one.

Stamps: Merci
Ink: Black, Soft Sky, Old Olive
Paper: Kraft, White, Fall Flowers
Accessories: Soft Sky double stitched ribbon, Word window punch, Earth Elements brad

I have started a Merci photo album on my sidebar if you would like to check out more of my Merci samples.

Chocolatey Iridescence

This is for SCS's Ways to Use It challenge 149: Embossing powder rerun. It is a swap card design I've been playing off and on over the week. The cake is embossed with Versamark, clear ep on chocolate chip CS. Candle flames and cake are colored with Versamarker and embossed with Iridescent Ice; Chocolate Chip layer is embossed with Versamark and Iridscent Ice. I've tried the cake with both classic and unembossed craft ink on the Pretty in Pink CS but liked it best clear embossed on Chocolate Chip cardstock.

It doesn't show well on the picture but the candle flames and the plate are colored with a Versamarker and embossed with I. Ice. I really like the IRL look of chocolate plus rose colored iridescence but you'll probably have to try it for yourself to really see what it looks like.

More Scallops

Stamps: Whimsy Wheel, Merci
Inks: Old Olive and Rose Red craft, Cameo Coral (sponged),Versamark
Paper: Whisper White, Barely Banana, Romantic Rose, Old Olive
Accessories: Scallop and circle punches, Iridescent Ice Embossing powder

Donelda's design posts

I think there are two main things that excite me about stamping: playing with color and playing with layout and design. While I know that you can really study these things I've always just kind of gone by instinct with them. I'm actually jealous of one of my daughters who will be taking a college art class about color and design next month. She knows that I'm waiting eagerly to hear about it. In the meantime I'm keeping an eye on fellow blogger, Donelda, is making a series of design posts on her blog, Wiggy's World of Crafts, every Tuesday. She is showing some great examples about using space. Check out her blog!

Scallops and more scallops

I was inspired by some posts by Debbie Olson to do this scoring technique again. I've also been making some more medallions, this time with So Many Scallops, a new Sale-a-bration set that just arrived on Friday. The three dots at the top of the card are made with the crop-a-dile.

Stamps: So Many Scallops
Ink: Rose Red
Paper: White, Rose Red, Old Olive
Accessories: Crop-a-dile, Scallop and circle punches, White taffeta ribbon, 12" scorer plus bone folder.

Just a few more...

...for now. Back to the full Playful Palette. This one features Time Well Spent again. I was trying to use last week's SCS sketch challenge, # 157, but had to put the upper (vertically speaking) layer under the lower layer to get the message to look right.

The waffle texture of the Green Galore layer is done by rolling the cardstock through the paper crimper, turning it 90 degrees and rolling it through again.

Stamps:Time Well Spent, Polka Dot
Ink:Playful Palette
Paper:Playful Palette
Accessories: Red brad (Bold Brights), Crimper, aquapainter, dimensionals are used under the flower center and the whole flower

This next card is one I did ages ago with a set, You Warm My Heart. I don't think that the set ever had a strong following but I still love it. The set, and this card in particular, have a kind of Mary Englebreit feel. If you'd like to stroll down memory lane a bit you can find a few more cards that I did with this set at the beginning of my SCS Gallery.

Stamps: You Warm My Heart, Cheery Chat, Check(?) wheel, Good Times
Ink: Playful palette markers, Black craft
Paper: Whisper White
Accessories: Black embossing powder

I hope you have enjoyed seeing a few of the possibilities with just these colors. Feel free to leave a link in the comments if you have cards with these colors posted in your blog or gallery.

More with Playful Palette: Summer Sun Solos

well, solos with B&W accompaniement...

Stamps: Seeing Spots, Polka Dot
Inks: Summer Sun Classic, Whisper White Craft, Basic Black marker
Paper: Summer Sun, Whisper White, Basic Black
Accesories: Scallop and circle punches, B&W gingham ribbon, black (Vintage) brad

Stamps: Time Well Spent
Ink: Black Stazon, Summer Sun Marker
Paper: Whisper White, Basic Black
Accessories: B&W gingham ribbon

This is such an easy and perky color combo. I've used this before to make quick work of a detailed image that needed at least a little color. Does anyone remember Jest Between Friends, the clown set? That clown was really detailed and I needed to make swaps with him. So, I colored in just what could be colored in Summer Sun, which helped me to focus on the daisy he held. I'll have to see if I can track down that card and get a pix.

BTW, I now have a album in the bar with recent and not so recent cards that use my Playful Palette.

More Playful Palette

Here are a few more from my Playful palette - this time without Real Red.

This card truly was about having the colors out of my palette out and working in small snippets of time. I had stamped a bunch of backgrounds when I first set up this palette. Another day I made three scallop "medallions" with Seeing spots. Yesterday I played around with this medallion and added the Happiness base to the card.

Stamps: Seeing Spots, Polka Dots, Happiness
Ink: Green Galore (craft on Ballet Blue CS and Classic on Green Galore), Summer Sun, Ballet Blue
Paper: Whisper White, Ballet Blue, Green Galore
Accessories:Scallop punch, Circle punches, white Taffeta ribbon

This card was inspired by Jeanna Bohanon's sweet butterfly card. I simplified it for a make and take by stamping all but one of the butterflies directly on to the card. I like to use word sets for my make and takes and stamp a stacks because it gives so many options for occasions.

Stamps: Time Well Spent(hostess), Curvy Verses
Ink: Basic Black classic with Green Galore, Summer Sun, and Ballet Blue markers.
Paper: Whisper White
Accessories: Cereal Box Stencil