SSS United We Craft Blog Party - "One Stamp, Five Ways" - Cosmos Bloom Cling Stamp

Hello party hoppers! I hope everyone is well out there and are getting a little positive energy/distraction from today's blog party by Simon Says Stamp called United We Craft. You can visit the link HERE to get to the SSS blog where there are over 100 blogs linked with lots of inspiration using older/previous SSS products to inspire you. I used a SSS cling background stamp called Cosmos Bloom that came out in the Believe In You release a few months ago. Today I have a "one stamp, five ways" post to share, but I actually have 6 cards and I'll explain why as I go along. Here we go!

CARD 1:

My first card is the one that is totally ME. It's my colors and my favorite coloring medium/technique. I stamped the large Cosmos Bloom stamp on white cardstock with MFT Natural Ink and then colored it in with colored pencils. I use a white pencil to lighten the areas in the middle of each petal. The Prismacolor and the Luminance pencils are best for this as they are the most "waxy" feeling and they smooth out the other colors. I colored the background with yellow pencils.  

I die-cut the outside edges of this card front with the Lawn Fawn just stitching dies and attached it to a card base. I stamped the greeting from the Just Because Word Mix 2 stamp set and embossed it with Sunflower embossing powder (this is a perfect yellow as it is dark enough to show up well). I used a square from the Hello Bluebird frames dies, but this stamp set has a set of dies that go with it and work with several other sets in this series that I want to buy. I attached that to the front of the card and added some sparkling clear sequins. I also used yellow glitter drops by Nuvo in the center of the flowers. 

CARD 2:

Now this card is just the opposite of my style. I used a color palette that isn't me (not much into reds) and I stamped it with black ink (don't like lines around my coloring) and I used Copic markers (not my favorite coloring tool). I do like it. I just find pencils to be so much more fun to color with. I also have trouble blending as I am so out of practice. I actually ended up using a dark Luminance pencil for the inside of the flowers as I couldn't get them dark enough with my Copics to make me happy! I die-cut this piece with the SSS A2 die (largest one in set) as it cuts the card front to be one size smaller than a card front leaving a nice border whether you use the frame or not. 

My favorite greeting dies are the ones by Cathy Zielski. I used the newer one "miss you" with red letters on a white base. I attached that over the card. I resisted my urge to use Nuvo drops over the centers of the flowers as I wanted this card to be more clean (again, not my usual thing haha). I added some sparkling clear sequins. I really try to show different styles and techniques in my "one stamp, five ways" posts, so I make myself do things that aren't my favorite. I do think it turned out pretty though and I know a lot of people prefer black ink and Copics!

CARD 3:

This card and the next card represent a technique I was trying to do that failed miserably. But as I have mentioned before, I never throw a card away. I always figure out a way to use it. I started by using WOW Royal Crush embossing powder on Ranger watercolor paper. I aligned the stamp to cover the bottom 2/3rds of the card on an angle which was the look I was after. I then painted over it using my Nuvo Shimmer powders in Lilac Waterfall and Violet Brocade (very similar; Lilac Waterfall is a little lighter). The color is so intense that it covered the look of the purple glittery embossing powder. I wanted to throw it away at this point. 

I was determined to make it usable so I used Purple Rain Nuvo Glitter drops over the petals. I used white glossy ones over the centers of the flowers, but they picked up the colors beneath and dried purple. I then tried using Cloud Nine Dream drops as I thought they would be more opaque but they also turned purple. I die-cut another Cathy Zielski "happy birthday" greeting die for the sentiment using a matching purple cardstock for the letters. I finished with some PPP Amethyst jewels around the sentiment. It's not my favorite, but it does demonstrate using a background stamp at an angle on just part of a card front.

CARD 4:

This was my second attempt at the same thing (actually this one was first I believe!). This time I did the same thing using SSS Antique Gold embossing powder. After I embossed it, I left a strip of about 1" and stamped it again on the top portion so I could add a sentiment in the opening. It looked great, but my opening wasn't straight! So I fixed it by adding a SSS Sentiment banner over the opening between the two embossed areas. This covered my crooked opening! (again, I saved the card front which is always my goal). 

I painted the flowers with my Daniel Smith glimmer paints (can't remember what they are called - Duochrome?). I used Gold Gouache for the leaves and in the centers of the flowers. I splattered some red paint over it as well. I used Metallic Copper Penny Nuvo drops in the centers of the flowers. I stamped the sentiment using the Deco Borders and Corners stamp set and the same embossing powder over the sentiment strip die (which I trimmed the edge off of). I added some Metallic Rose Gold jewels by PPP, but I didn't glue them on. Then I decided I didn't like them so I removed them before taking the close up images! Again, not my favorite card by any means (and totally NOT my colors), but I was happy to save it after messing it up.

CARD 5:

Awe, back to my favorite colors. I used two of my new favorite Simon dies - the A2 Thin Frame dies and the Thin Circle Frame dies on Ranger Watercolor Paper. I painted the outside piece with Atlantis Burst Nuvo Shimmer powders. I absolutely LOVE how these powders work. I used a lot of water so the color would be light. I wet the paper and then just tapped on the tip of the bottle with it held sideways to get those little splotches of color. The paint moves through the water creating bursts of multiple colors. Where it is solid, I painted over the drops mixing the colors. Isn't it so pretty?!?!?!?! I die-cut the circle from the center. I stamped the background stamp on the center of the circle with white embossing powder. 

I painted the flower piece with watercolors. I used the Cherry Bomb Shimmer Powders for the pink areas as it is such an intense pink. I attached the frames around the two pieces (they are very skinny). I stamped a sentiment from the SSS Greetings Mix 1 stamp set using Cactus Flower embossing powder. It's such a pretty bright pink almost magenta color. I added some sparkling clear sequins (again!) to finish the card front. Oh, I also used some Blue Lagoon Nuvo Glitter Drops over the center of the flower and around the sequins. 

CARD 6:

This card is SO out of my comfort zone, but was another way to use a background stamp. I stamped it on white cardstock with MFT Natural Ink. I then "doodled" over the stamped design with a very fine point black marker (a .005 Micron fine tip pen). I drew the lines twice to give it a doodled look. You could get a similar look with black ink, but that would take all the fun away. I would also like this look done in a much messier style so you can tell I drew the lines. I wanted to color them in so bad, but I resisted.

I attached it to black cardstock and used the Simon Today Will Be Awesome die for the sentiment. I kept it black and white again to stick with my so not me color scheme. I tried using a deep rose for the card base and behind to mat the sentiment and it looked good, but I kept it black and white just to try to do something out of my comfort zone. And once again, I added some sparkling clear sequins.

Which card is your favorite? Do you prefer the one that took me the longest amount of time, but is the one that is totally me (the first one) like I do? Always interesting to see what others are more drawn to. I just like to try different ways of using these cling stamps, so this was my attempt. Thanks so much for visiting today. Please try and stay well my friends. Such a scary time!!! Thanks for stopping by, Suzy xoxo

Comments

[Brandy J]

I have this stamp! So many ideas :)

[Michelle Nolan]

Good for you going out of your comfort zone and saving cards that aren't quite working out! Thanks for sharing your goofs and trying new things that aren't "you" -it inspires us to just go for it. I do like the black and white and that's not my natural tendency- I love color like on your first one. I've never used those shimmer powders but you have peaked my interest. I love how they give that pop of color. Thanks for sharing your creativity!

[Becca]

These cards are complete eye candy....the colors on the first card makes my heart smile...la la love those colors!❤️💛🧡💚💙💜

[Rose E-A]

I loved all the cards! This was also a tutorial in techniques, and so creative!
thank you for sharing

[Kari S]

I love the black and white card. It is stunning.

[Betcei]

I love what happened with the purple card! Thank you for sharing!

[Jean]

Fantastic and beautiful cards

[Susan Powell]

What a beautiful variety of cards. I love the one with the antique gold embossing powder - so pretty!

[Maria P.]

Your cards are always amazing! The colors are beautiful!

[Dorothy A]

I love that you created so many different looks with the same stamp! Very Inspiring.