Textured Background

Spellbinder's Impressabilities embossing stencil was used for this background.

A few hints on using embossing folders and stencils: 1. slightly dampen the paper with a fine mist of water
2. let the paper dry completely before attaching to card base
3. for a textured shape (like a Spellbinder's Label) cut the shape first and them emboss
4. use white core papers and sand just the very top of the texture to expose the white
5. to accent the texture, brayer over the top with a slightly darker ink
6. ink the embossing folder or stencil and quickly emboss.

Let It Snow

Since I know very well that I can't prevent the coming predicted snow I have decided to be happy about it. Okay, not happy, but at least accepting.

Here again the Spellbinder's Impressibilites was used to create the raised snowflakes. The raised image was lightly brayered over with a medium blue ink. The oval, scalloped oval and the dark blue border on the right of the card to the left were all from Spellbinders dies. The dark blue snowflakes are from various punches and die cuts.

The second card is the same Spellbinders Impressibilites. It has been layered on dark blue and white then mounted on a meduim blue card base.

Beautiful Little Girl

Another stamp by Second Star On The Right. The stamped image did not turn out well when I reduced the size of the photo.

The die cuts are from Bosskut. The card base is paper from a DCWV (Die Cuts With a View) stack called Old World. The three pearls are from Creative Impressions.

The edges of the card base and the oval stamped image have been sponged to give vintage look and to add depth.

I usually stamp the highly detailed "art" stamps on glossy paper and put the ink on the stamp with a brayer.

Precious Girl

This precious girl image is a stamp. The company was Second Star On the Right. I have had it for at least 10 years. I did a search for the company and could not find it.

There is a little trick to getting these highly detailed art stamps to stamp well. First you need to prime you stamp. Ink it up and stamp on scrap paper several times. I like to use a brayer to ink up these type of stamps. You will have to go over the stamp from several directions to get an even inking that has no lines in it. Glossy paper seems to work better than matte. If you ink pad is too juicy, the ink will pool on the stamp between the fine lines and dots and be a blob when you stamp it. This is why I like the brayer, I can't get too much ink on the rubber.