Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Back to the Basics





Sometimes, we get so obsessed with new that we forget the tried and true. This month, we're going Back to the Basics to remind ourselves that these techniques are timeless options for stamping and scrapbooking. 

If you've arrived from  Michelle's blog, you're in the right place! If you just happened to stumble in, welcome to The Scrap Buzz! My posts tend to be long, because I want to share ALL the details!

To view all the posts in this month's blog hop, follow the link in each post to the next blog until you arrive back where you started. If you get lost, or run across a broken link, you can find the complete list of participants on Melissa's blog.

Let's review RANDOM STAMPING. This technique can be used to create your own Background & Texture (B&T) paper. It is my favorite for scrapbooking sports because I can customize my paper every year using a few stamps and the team colors.

To begin, stamp two images, then stamp a third to form the points of a triangle. The distance between images will depends on the size of the stamp, what else you plan to add, and the size of your paper. The stamp I used was the coffee ring from the Perk Up stamp set. After making one triangle, use two of the previously stamped images and add a fourth to form another triangle. Repeat until you are happy with the result and/or fill up the paper. If you are using more than one stamp image, start with the largest then go back and fill in using the smallest image last.

For my project, I chose the Hawthorn paper pack and selected ink colors to match. Did you know these colors are listed 
  1. on my website with the paper
  2.  in the catalog at the beginning of each paper suite
  3. on the last page of the recipe booklet
  4. on the zip strip for each B&T paper.
I found some pumpkin spice lip balm and had to make a fun card with Perk Up! I selected the leave/green print paper to be the base of the card. On the front, I added a piece of Sage cardstock,   light side up, to coordinate with the Hawthorn paper. My first ink color was Toffee. Notice that I didn't make the triangles very even. The point of random stamping this paper was to add some texture. I focused on two opposite corners and made one "heavier" than the other. Next, I used our new Paprika ink. At this point I needed more so I stamped another round with the same color. These three images form their own triangle but they also form triangles with the three previous Paprika images. Notice too that I am overlapping my images this time. Sometime this works, it depends on the stamps.

Finally, I stamped two sets of rings in Pebble; you can barely see them. To keep the upper corner heavier, I stamped more of the rings on the paper. In the bottom corner, the more of the ring images go off the paper. Always stamp some of the images off the edge or your paper when random stamping. It helps the visual and prevents a trapped or framed look.

After stamping a few sets of ring images, I laid the elements of my card in place to see if more rings were needed.

Tip: When using the Versamat as your stamping surface, either lay a piece of scrap paper over it, or clean if off when your done. I love that the Stamp Shammy is perfect for this!! If you don't wipe the ink off the Versamat, you may lay something down and pick up the ink where you don't want it. 




Here is my finished card! Our B&T duos are just perfect for cards like this when both sides of the paper show. On the outside of the card, I used the October Stamp of the Month, Autumn Air. "Fall" is embossed with Princess Gold powder. "Is in the air" is stamped in Charcoal ink. I made sure to leave room in this area while I was random stamping. The inside sentiment from Perk Up is stamped in Paprika.




This fancy fold design came from a make up sample I received. I copied the design and adjusted the size. I did several of these a few years ago, measuring and scoring each card individually. This time, I made a Cricut DS file. If you would like to try this card, you can use my file for FREE!



Next, hop over to see what Amy has created.


If you're ready to shop, and don't have a consultant, you can find these products on my website.

Note: There are thin cuts for Perk Up, but they are currently unavailable. More are scheduled to arrive soon!

Products Used:
Perk Up stamp set & thin cuts
Autumn Air - October SOTM
Pebble
Charcoal
Versamat
All-Purpose Mat
Stamp Shammy
Princess Gold embossing powder
Anti-Static Pouch
Versamark ink
Heat Tool