"One Stamp, Five Ways" - Mama Elephant Carried Away

YUMMMMMMMY - that's what I have to say about today's stamp set in my "one stamp, five ways" series. Why do I love love love Mommy Elephant stamps so much? Every time I work with them I love them more! They are just so CUTE! Today's set is part of their newest release and is called Carried Away. It also has a set of dies that go with it or you can buy them as a set together. It has three cute little people and a very large balloon. Here is an image of the stamp set:

I had so much fun with this one that I made six cards and two tags. Will I ever stick to the point - five things with a stamp set?!?!?! So let's get started with the cards. I always try to use different coloring methods and different techniques for backgrounds throughout so you can get lots of ideas. Here is my first card:

Unfortunately you can't see the background very well and it turned out so cute! I die-cut the cloud border from the Mama Elephant Landscape Trio from white cardstock. I used this piece as a stencil. I placed it on the front of a watercolor card base four times and then inked the border with a Ranger Blending Tool and Distress Inks (in Tumbled Glass and Salty Ocean). They are subtle, but show up much better in real life! I tried them first on Neenah White Cardstock and it was hard to get the colors to be subtle and smooth. So I tried them again on Canson Watercolor paper and I found it much easier to get the inks to be smooth without lines or blobs! Now I just wish I hadn't covered up all that prettiness!

Next, I stamped the three balloons and the three little peeps on watercolor paper using a light colored ink - I used Antique Linen Distress Ink, but any light colored ink will work for no line stamping. BUT, if you want to make sure no lines show, Distress Inks dissolve in water where other inks don't. So I tend to use them when I am watercoloring, but other dye inks when I am using Copic markers for no line stamping. These images are watercolored so I used the Distress Inks and I also used Distress Inks to paint them. I LOVE MY LITTLE DISTRESS INKS - even though I am a self professed watercolor snob, I still love using these especially on little images. I press them onto a stamping block (or any glossy surface like a craft mat) and I pick the color up with a watercolor brush. I don't use much water (and never a water brush as it is harder to control the water output) - I use the ink almost straight as it is with just a damp brush when I want darker colors and when I am painting little images. I also watercolored the balloons again stamping with Distress Inks in a light color and watercoloring with Distress Inks. I added some white dots with a Uniball - another crafting MUST HAVE. I got lucky and once Amazon sold 12 for $3.95 or some low price so I bought three. And I got 36 pens! I felt so guilty as they soon changed the price to one for that price - I guess it was a mistake. But I have been happily using up my stash for years now and have stopped feeling overwhelming guilt. I stamped the sentiment on a stitched banner also on watercolor paper so all the colors matched and attached it over the balloons.

For this card and one more below, I used a technique with Texture Paste that I love doing. The little dots are raised and soft like cotton. I mix a little texture paste on my craft mat with some Distress Ink. In this case I used a mixture of Tumbled Glass and Mermaid Lagoon. I then attach a stencil over white cardstock and tape it in place. I rub the texture paste over the stencil pressing it in all of the holes using a palette knife (plastic craft type). I wipe off the excess from the top of the stencil and carefully remove the tape and lift it off. Then I set it aside to dry. I attached a die-cut frame from the Mama Elephant Framed Tags Dies. I die-cut a piece of watercolor paper using the Simon Says Stamp Wavy Scalloped Stitches border die. I painted it green with watercolors and attached it behind the frame over the texture paste background.

I stamped two balloons on watercolor paper using SSS Black Intense Ink and watercolored them with my Daniel Smith watercolors. I also watercolored the little girl. This shows you how the images look with black outlines. I prefer them with no lines like on the card above. I attached all and then stamped the sentiment on the balloon with VErsamark Ink and used white embossing powder to emboss it. I had to cut my sentiments apart for several of my cards, but I do that to get more use out of them and just carefully place them back together when I am done. I added some white lines and dots to the balloon with my 36 Uniball pens!!!

For this card, I did the same technique as I mentioned above using Texture Paste over a stencil. This time I used the Simon Says Stamp Falling Snow Stencil with Tumbled Glass Distress Ink mixed in.  

Next, I stamped the two balloons on Neenah White Cardstock using an MFT Natural Ink that is really light. I colored them with Copic Markers - creating a no line look. I added some extra orange to one. I stamped the little people on the same white cardstock, using the same ink, same technique, and Copic markers. I watercolored the banner on watercolor paper and stamped the sentiment on it tucking it under the little boys. I added a die-cut number to one of the balloons - you could use this technique for a child's birthday. And with two balloons, you could even use it for an adult's birthday (hopefully you wouldn't ever need three balloons!). I used By The Numbers Die-namics by MFT which are the perfect size to fit in these balloons. 

This card was my attempt at thinking out of the box on ways to use this stamp set. It is so hard to come up with creative ways when sets are meant for one thing - a balloon and people. But I brilliantly thought of making the balloon into a sun - yay me! I stamped the balloon on masking paper and cut it out. I used the negative space to block off the outside edges of another stamped balloon. Then I used my Ranger blending tool and two colors of Distress Ink to rub ink onto the inside of the balloon (Carved Pumpkin and Squeezed Lemonade). I stamped the little sun rays using dot line stamps from two of my other Mama Elephant stamp sets - Sunday Stroll and Charmed sets. I used Lawn Fawn Sunflower Ink and SSS Orange Peel ink. I die-cut two clouds using an MFT cloud die. 

I die-cut the grass with the Mama Elephant Landscape Trio die and painted it green. I stamped all the people on white cardstock and colored with Copics and details with a Uniball. I added some Pretty Pink Posh sequins to finish it off. 

This was my second favorite card. I wanted to make one without the kids. I die-cut three sets of the clouds from the Mama Elephant Landscape Trio die set (this is definitely a ME day for me!). I layered them on a white card base and die-cut the entire thing with a stitched rectangle. I stamped three balloons on white cardstock and colored with Copic markers this time (beware these large balloons use up a lot of ink!). I tucked them under some of the clouds.

I used the tiny (very tiny) little bear and bunny to hold the balloons up and attached some sequins to finish it off. Oh and I stamped the sentiment on the top cloud border. 

This was my least favorite card which is probably why I am placing it last in this post! I stamped the two kids and the balloon right on watercolor paper and painted them all in and the background blue - very easy this time! I added some Wink of Stella glitter pen to the balloon so it is really shimmery. The sentiment is stamped on a banner from MFT Blueprints 20 and that's it!

I had some left over images, so I made a couple of tags. This one uses the SSS Stitched Dress Up Tags. I just bought this die set of tags and I really think they are cute and the tags are BIG so they are perfect for larger images. I stamped the sentiment on the top with Hero Arts Pale Tomato Ink (the perfect light red). I used one of my stamped girls that is colored with Copic markers and no lines and a little stamped bunny. The twine is by Lawn Fawn called Sweetheart Twine - love this one as it is red and pink together. 

This tag is from the Mama Elephant Framed Tags set that also has that frame I used above in it - I use this tag all the time and it is really small. I cut the "your birthday" from one of the sentiments and curved it to fit.

I'M DONE - WHEW!!! Friday nights are becoming my "I can't go out to eat with you guys because I'm typing up a blog post" excuse nights. So they go get food and feed me! ha (but seriously). I must get faster at this blogging thing. BUT, I was very happy with your comments on my last post telling me that all these typed out details are helpful! I will continue!  Next week I will be highlighting two MFT stamp sets that are brand spankin' new - so excited to play with them! Thanks for visiting me! Have a great weekend friends! Suzy

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Comments

[Jeanne]

Once again, you've blown me away with your talents! I absolutely adore that you use different looks for the cards you make. You really show their versatility! Thank you for that. Thank you for sharing your talents and the details on how you create your cards. You are amazing! It's gotta take so much time to get all this down. I'm kind of sad though that you don't get to go out to dinner with the family. Hope that changes. Don't want you to burn out or them to get sad. I do hope you have a fabulous weekend!

[Carol L]

I too am sorry that you do not get to go eat with your family! I do not blog so have no idea how long it takes. Your cards are so beautiful that I know those must take time - although you probably work quickly as talented as you are. Anyway, please do not stop. Checking your blog is a highlight of my day. You make me want to own every stamp set that you use. (But that can't happen!) So I love looking at what you do! You are so talented!! Thanks for sharing! These cards are awesome!

[G Evert]

Oh my! I have got to try doing the background texture paste technique. Love it! Once again your amazing cards inspire me and make me smile!!

[Nora]

JUST AMAZING!! I am in awe of your no line coloring and thank you for the tip on using distress ink as the base ink. Never would have thought to do this. I am horrible at this technique but keep trying. I throw most of what I make away, though. Each and every one of your cards is gorgeous. I love the background on the first card. I also adore your sunshine card. I am in awe of the different ways you come up with using the stamp set!!!