I’m going to apologize now for the cards that are coming for the next few days. Apparently, I have a thing for puns, and the next set of cards will be really illustrating that.

Today, we’ve got a lovely copic colored pencil, and a stamped sentiment. Having a few basic alphabet stamp sets in a variety of sizes really allows you a lot of leeway in creating sentiments for cards and titles and journaling for scrapbook pages. They can be expensive, but they are very reusable. I’ve had this particular alphabet stamp for close to a decade now, and the stamps still work great!

As I said, please forgive the pun. I find them irresistible. My reason for this particular sentiment? This might work really well for a note sent to a friend you haven’t seen in a while, especially if you use it to set up time to get together. Or you could use this as a save the date card. Doesn’t that sound like fun?

The stamp is from The Angel Company, so isn’t available any longer, but you might be able to make something similar with these supplies from Amazon: (affiliate link)

Have you ever seen those graphics with lots of words and phrases in lots of colors and directions? Something like this over at Stockphoto? I thought I’d make something like that with the stamps I have on hand.

This was my first attempt at trying to create this type of image with stamps. I used a roller stamp I’ve had for ages, and various distress inks. The patterned paper and dream big sticker from Amy Tangerine provide just the right counterpoint to the text image.

Things I might do differently? Maybe using clear stamps would make it easier to line up and arrange the word stamps. Do you have any suggestions for other ways to approach this technique? I’d love to hear them!

Using the same ink blending technique as yesterday with embossed images creates a much clearer image than versamark alone.That’s generally going to be the case with any resist technique, as you can see with the samples on the left. (Wet technique on the bottom, dry on top.)

Having finally learned my lesson, and just letting the paper shine, rather than trying to do something interesting with it, results in the nicest card in the group, at least as far as I’m concerned.

This was finished off with a simple hello stamped on an October Afternoon journaling card from their 9 to 5 collection. Super cute, isn’t it?

If you’d like to make this, you can try using these supplies from Amazon: (affiliate link)

Let’s move on to the dry resist techniques now, shall we? If you recall, that would be the top two examples below.
Beginning with the one on the top right, the versamark without any embossing resists distress inks nicely. Typically, you use a sponge and rub ink over the paper to create a lovely blended color, especially when you combine colors. Versamark by itself resists the distress ink very subtly, but still shows the stamped design clearly. It’s a lovely soft look.

I thought it would work wonderfully with a stamp my exchange student brought with him when he arrived. After stamping it on the paper however, the image just didn’t seem that exciting. Too much softness maybe?

So after fussy cutting out the bid, and stamping again on a piece of kraft cardstock, we’re starting to get a more finished looking piece. The leaves were stamped over a green area of the paper, then fussy cut as well, before they were adhered to the card. A bit of dimensional paint, and a sentiment, and let’s call the card done.

Apparently, I’m really bad at showcasing how gorgeous this paper really is in person. I’ve got a few little pieces of it left, so you’ll probably see it on another card before we’re all done.

If you want to make something like this, you can try these supplies form Amazon: (affiliate link)

Yesterday, we looked at a wet technique with versamark ink. Today, let’s see how a versamark image that’s been heat embossed with detail clear powder works.

The design is definitely clearer, wouldn’t you say? I tried take advantage of paper’s tendency to wick ink, but it just didn’t want to spread on this paper. I’ll have to experiment with other techniques to see what works. Science tells me paper should absorb ink and pull it upward, but there may be something about the finish of this paper that interferes with that. Or my process could be ineffective. I love crafting as science experiment.

Since the ink didn’t want to wick, I painted it on in layers to create a dark to light  effect.

To create a focal image, I got out my distress inks and colored a heat embossed celtic knot border stamp. Add a stamped sentiment on a label, and the card is done.

What do you think? This particular ombre effect definitely needs work, don’t you think?

If you want to try to make this, you can get some of the supplies from Amazon: (affiliate links)