Living My Dream: "One Stamp, Five Ways" - MFT Cozy Companions by Stacey Yacula

Hi friends. Today is the My Favorite Things release for November. I get to work with the Stacey Yacula sets before the release so I can show them to you at release time. Today I have a "one stamp, five ways" post to share with you using the new Cozy Companions set. Here is an image:

This is a little different than most of her sets have been and although I absolutely LOVE it, I had a little bit of a hard time using it in 5 different ways. I couldn't do a "random stamping" technique as the images are too big, so that one was out. I didn't want to emboss the images as they don't look like they should have white outlines. So I just stamped them using MFT Natural Ink and colored them all in with colored pencils. All of the images on all five of my cards were done in this way, so I didn't change the stamping technique or coloring technique at all. But I did come up with five different types of backgrounds to share, so let's get started!

CARD 1:

I used the Cozy Companions stamp set for this card, but I also incorporated another one of the new products called Simple Snowflake cling background stamp. I started by embossing it with Tonic Pink Popsicle embossing powder (new to me and a nice soft pink). I used Ranger watercolor paper and then I used some of my Catherine Wheel Shimmer Powder to watercolor it. These powders give you very intense color, so I dropped some of the powder in my paint palette and then picked a little up and mixed it with water so it was a nice soft color. I also flicked some additional drops of the pain over the background. I cut a strip of white cardstock and colored it with Copic markers as a ground or carpet and attached that below the pink paper. I die-cut a white frame using the MFT A2 Rectangle Frame dies and attached that over these two background pieces.

a perfect day cu

I stamped the images from Cozy Companions on white cardstock with MFT Natural Ink (I've tried so many light color inks for no-line stamping and this is my favorite by far!). I colored them in with colored pencils. I added little dots to the stones on the fireplace to give them texture. I used a Gold Uniball marker for the fireplace rack. I used Glossy Accents over the glasses and some Nuvo Drops on other areas of the stamped images. I used glitter ones on the fireplace flames. I stamped the sentiment on a small banner using Ranger Pink Peony embossing powder and attached that over the fireplace. I added some Nuvo Drops to each side around the sentiment.

CARD 2:

let's snuggle

I made the background for this card using my new Tonic Shimmer Powder called Golden Sparkler. Have a mentioned how much I love these shimmer powders? I had to buy all 11 colors after playing with a few. You can use them light as I did in the first card, or very opaque and glimmery as I did here. I wish you could see the entire piece before I covered so much of it up. The best part of these shimmer powders is they have multiple colors in them. I attached this piece to a white cardstock card base.

I stamped all of the images from Cozy Companions on white cardstock with MFT Natural Ink. I decided I wanted thin black lines around them this time, so I used a 005 Micron to outline them before coloring. I'm not much for black lines around my images, but I do sometimes like to add them with a very fine tip pen so they aren't very noticeable. I colored these in with colored pencils. I used strokes for the animals and over the furniture to give it texture. I embossed the sentiment on the top of the card using white embossing powder and added some Nuvo Drops around it.

CARD 3:

you can read me like a book

This card background uses another one of my Shimmer Powders (yes, I'm addicted to using them!). I used Catherine Wheel which has pinks/corals/reds/ and yellows with lots of shimmer added in. I die-cut this piece into a rectangle and attached it to a white card base. I then used an MFT Stitched Rounded Rectangle die for the center piece die-cut from white cardstock. I embossed the sentiment on the top center of this piece with Ranger Carnation Red embossing powder.

you can read me like a book cu

I stamped the images with MFT Natural Ink on white cardstock and colored them in with colored pencils. I'll be honest on this one just as encouragement. I had about 30 mins left before I was responsible for watching my 1.5 year old grandson. My light was going away and I had to finish this card fast. So I colored these images in about 30 mins. I applied the color so fast that it is really messy. I colored in a circular pattern so it looked like it was suppose to be messy. I couldn't do my usual "perfection" method and had to be satisfied with it - so don't look too closely. Nice to know I can color fast if needed though - haha! I added a ground with gray colored pencils and some glitter Nuvo Drops to the fire.

CARD 4:

you fee like home

I had the idea that I window would look cute behind these images so I went with a snowy night look for outside. I used ANOTHER one of my new Tonic Shimmer Powders called Meteorite Shower. I applied some white paint drops to looks like snow. I embossed the sentiment with white embossing powder. I die-cut a frame using the MFT A2 frame dies for the window frame. I made the inside walls using a SSS Tiny Dots Stencil and Texture Paste. I applied a floor at the bottom of that and colored it and the window frame with Copics.

you fee like home cu

I used Sparkling Clear Sequins and Snowflake Sequins inside the shaker window. I stamped the images on white cardstock with MFT Natural Ink on white cardstock. I colored them in with colored pencils. I attached them over the background in front of the window. I added some additional snowflake sequins on the top of the window and glossy accents to the bear glasses.

CARD 5:

have yourself a merry little christmas

Being out of ideas for arranging these cute Cozy Companion stamps, I decided to add in some images from a stamp set from last year called Secret Santa. First I rubbed Distress Oxide Inks on the cardstock for the background. I used Tumbled Glass and Peacock Feathers for the top and Tattered Rose for the bottom.

have yourself a merry little christmas cu

I embossed the sentiment on the top of the card with white embossing powder. I stamped the images from both stamp sets on white cardstock with MFT Natural Ink and colored them all in with colored pencils. I added the tree and Santa behind the Cozy Companion images. I added a gift from Secret Santa on top of the table. I used Nuvo Drops on the ornaments on the tree and over the ribbon on the package. I finished with some more Nuvo Drops on the top of the card.

That's all five and I think I made them differently enough to qualify as 5 different techniques! I had so much fun coloring these images and adding shading and texture to the furniture with my pencils. This is what I love so much about colored pencils! I have linked all of the products I used in this post to both the SSS store and the MFT store below. Thank you so much for visiting today and have a great day! xoxo Suzy