Living My Dream: "One Stamp, Five Ways"

Hello friends! Today is my FIRST blog post under the new header called "One Stamp, Five Ways". I'll be doing these posts twice a week - most likely each Tuesday and Friday. I'll be making several projects with one stamp set (approximately five, but don't hold me to that number - haha). The purpose is to inspire us to get more use out of our stamps and think of different ways to use them. I hate buying stamps and only using them once or twice. I know these blog posts will get me using them more and I hope it will help you use yours more as well! So with that introduction, I am on to my first set - Stacking Animals. I bought this from Simon Says Stamp as it is one of their exclusive sets. They are currently out of stock but expected to be back in stock soon! I'll be careful to only highlight stamps that are available from here on out - oops!

Here is a look at this stamp set. There are also dies that match.

When I saw this stamp set after it was released, I knew I had to have it. I love zoo type of animals. I love ALL animals. And this set is especially cute.

I made several cards and tags using it (like I said, don't hold me to five as I will usually end up making even more things with each set!). Here are my first three cards which are all VERY similar. I'll give you directions for each and explain WHY I made three different versions.

For all three cards, I laid the animals out the same way using the same technique. I stamped all of them on stamping mask paper using the SSS black intense ink as it works with both watercolors and Copic markers (only black ink I have found that works with both). I cut them out and used these masks for all three versions of the cards. I then used Neenah white cardstock (110 lb version) for the card base on this first card as I planned on coloring the images with Copic markers and they work best on this paper. I used the Colorless Blender pen to take some color off on the elephant. I also added some dots to the croc using a white uniball pen. I cut a rectangle out using the Lawn Fawn stitched rectangle dies (second largest). I stamped the images in this order laying the masks over them as I went: First the bird, then I stamped the turtle (no mask needed), then I masked the turtle off and stamped the elephant, then I masked the elephant and stupid the croc, then I masked the croc and stamped the giraffe. Last, I masked the giraffe and I stamped the little mouse. This gives them the look of some being on top of or behind the others.

For this version of the card, I colored all of the images in with Copic markers. Next, I attached the masks to ALL of the animals. I then used the Ranger Mini Blending Tool to apply Mowed Lawn distress ink to the bottom of the card and Tumbled Glass ink to the top of the card just around the animals. Last, I stamped the sentiment on the bottom half of a small tag from the Lawn Fawn Tag You're It die set. I had to cut my words apart - I do that often to get the to fit in different ways on cards. I added some stitching marks with a fine tip black marker and attached that to the top of the card.

For this next version of the card, I did the exact same steps to stamp all the animals, but I used Canson watercolor paper instead of cardstock. I watercolored all of the images. I then watercolored green grass and a blue sky around the animals. I stamped the same salutation on the top of the card using a banner from the Mama Elephant Framed Tags die set for the second set of words. Done!

On this third version of the card, I stamped all animals on watercolor paper again. I used watercolor pencils this time to color them. Any form of watercolor would work fine. I used pencils as I wanted to do the stripes in lines on the giraffe. I wanted to show you that you can color the animals with non-normal animal colors to give it a more fun bright look! I mean, I think you can do this. Right? Is this ok? haha I actually stamped some for my daughter to color and this was what she did, so I copied HER! I don't take the credit for this idea (or the blame if it is disrespectful to these poor creatures!). I stamped the salutation on the smallest rectangle in my Lawn Fawn stitched rectangle sets. For the grass I used the pencil to add grass lines after I had watercolored the original ones (added layers of color and texture).

My point from these three cards was to show you how you can use any coloring medium (Copics, watercolors, or watercolor pencils) to get different looks from the same card layout. You can also go with a non-traditional color scheme to totally change the way the card looks! I'm VERY curious - which one is your favorite? Mine is the third one as I always prefer bright colors!

Next, I wanted to make a very simple card:

This is an example of making a card in an hour or less. I used a patterned paper for the background - I die-cut it first with an MFT scallop edged rectangle from the Blueprints 20 set. Next, I used the SSS circle die to cut a circle out of the top two thirds of the rectangle. These dies have stitching on both the inside and the outside of the circle leaving a nice open circle that is bordered with stitching. I also die-cut the word FRIENDS with a really pretty script die by SSS. I then stamped and die-cut an elephant and mouse from the stamp set and watercolored them. I attached the scallop edged rectangle to a card made from Canson watercolor paper (I liked the look of the texture of watercolor paper in the center circle). Just make sure to use the same shade of paper for the friends, the card base, and the elephant and mouse - in this case using the same Canson watercolor paper made them all match as it is slightly off white. Last, I stamped the salutation from the stamp set under the word friends. Super simple card compared to the ones above.

Next, I made a smaller card - this is 3" x 4.25" that is also fairly simple:

I die-cut a rectangle to fit on the front of the card from watercolor paper and I did a watercolor wash on it using blue and green colors mixed. I die-cut a circle out of that with the SSS stitched circle die set. I attached that to the card base. I stamped and die-cut two birds from the set and colored them with Copic markers. I added glossy accents to their eyes to make them pop. I stamped the smile from the Lawn Fawn stamp set called Into the Woods and used the die-that matched it to die-cut it. I use these little word bubbles from this set all the time. I used LF Fake Tan ink - their ink is so good and the only colored ink I use anymore! I used the same ink with the smallest frame in the Flirty Frames set and die-cut that as well. I stamped the words I SEE YOU on the frame. I had to cut the I from a different word to make this work. I love how the birds have these big eyes and it says Hello, I see you for a note to someone that thinks you have forgotten about them (pretty much ALL my friends most of the time haha).

Next, I made a bunch of tags with my extra animals I had stamped and die-cut!

This first tag is die-cut from watercolor paper using the largest Paper Smooches Gift Tags 2 set. I watercolored the inside of the tag. I stamped and die-cut the two animals and watercolored them. Last, I stamped the salutation and was done! This would be so cute tied to a little package for a friend!

Apparently I have quite a few friends that I need to tell "I've got your back" to! This one is die-cut using a textured cardstock and the SSS Large Tag dies. I love making tags, so I have quite a few tag dies that I use all the time. I die-cut the little quote box using a Pretty Pink Posh Stitched Speech Bubble die. I stamped the words and added some twine. The elephant and mouse are colored with Copic markers.

And one more time ... For this one I started with a Lawn Fawn Tag You're It die cut from Neenah white cardstock. I stamped the inside of the tag with LF Fake Tan ink and the LF Thank You Tags stamp set. I colored the giraffe and mouse with Copic markers and tied some brown twine on it.

This tag uses two of the turtles from the set. I watercolored them and attached them to a tag die-cut using the adorable tag in the Mama Elephant Framed Tags die set. I used the speech bubble from the LF Into the Woods set with dies again and the LF Wild Rose ink.

This tag uses the same LF Tag You're It tag set. This time I used the Birthday Tags stamp set for the inside of the tag. I colored the animal stamps with Copic markers. For the salutation I tilted the letters a little to make them funkier! Some twine and done.

Whew - done! And their will be TWO of these crazy long posts a week. Or so I plan. We shall see... And with that, see you all on Friday! Thanks for visiting!!!!!!! suzy