Spring Dreamin'

Hi everyone, it is Cathie Allan again. I think I can smell it, I know I can feel it and it WILL come. Even though we experienced a milder winter here in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, we still have a good deal of snow and we have seen -30 a few times. BUT yeah!! it is March and in a couple of days our weather forecasters are telling us we might see +9 Celsius. So in celebration ... I created a "dreamin' about spring" card. Lots of lovely, fresh greens and some yellow & red to spice things up. Most of this card has been created with Fluid Chalk stamp pads in fact even the coloring of the wonderful "jumbo bird" image from Stampendous was accomplished using my stamp pads and my "paint brushes" for my stamp pads, the Colorbox stylus and white foam tips. I do love using my stamp pads to the nth degree.



To create this totally stamped and inked project ... yes, everything was white card stock to begin with, I used the text background image that came in this "jumbo set" from "Stampendous". I used my "stamp smoosh" technique that I stepped out for you in an earlier post to complete the background. I love this technique because anyone can do it. It basically is just inking your stamp and then you "smear it around" using your stamp as an applicator for the ink. I used lime pastel & ice jade, Fluid Chalk to accomplish this and then I used my Colorbox stylus and white foam tips to apply more of each color.




Love, love, this quick, easy and effective background. For the next layer I cut a frame using my spellbinders, labels 10 die and then covered it using my the teal section of my aurora, pigment petal point. Then, I embossed it with Clearsnap's, clear embossing powder. To add depth to the embossed frame I applied some hunter green pigment ink to the edges of the frame and then I simply heated that ink into the embossing. You need not add another coat of embossing powder, just melt the ink into the existing layer. I did add some dark brown, Fluid Chalk to the frame as well and sunk that into the embossing too. "This" is just way good fun!


Using your favorite "repositioner" (a stamp tool that allows you to stamp an image in exactly the same place, time and time again), stamp the jumbo bird with the lime pastel, Fluid Chalk and using your "paint brush" (your Colorbox stylus & white foam tips) color your bird. I used colors from the autumn pastel, Fluid Chalk, petal point and then added a touch of warm red too. When I re stamped the detail back in, I selective inked the leaves first and stamp them over and over using lime pastel first, then some ice jade and finally some deep green. The bird was stamped using the dark brown, Fluid Chalk and then I added blackbird, Fluid Chalk to the tail and extreme edges of the bird. Once I was content with the image, I cleaned my stamp, inked it with clear Top Boss and gave the jumbo image 2 good coats of my Top Boss and embossed the image with clear embossing powder once I removed the image from my baseboard. Oh, stamp yumminess and not a marker in site. This method of coloring is quick, the colors so easy to blend with my "paintbrush for my stamp pads" and I love that I am using a pigment based ink to accomplish the coloring so that my project will have longevity.


From here I creatively cut the bird out and then decided to turn my embossed frame into "half a frame". The ribbons were white but using my lime pastel, Fluid Chalk, I made them the color I needed for my project. For my text panel, I altered a rectangle of white card stock with my Fluid chalk colors and then stamped my "Unity Stamp Company" image with teal, hunter green and brown pigment ink using my "repostioner". My "dream" word was then embossed with clear, embossing powder. Bring spring on .... I AM READY!!

And don't forget, we have another chance to win through our "Green With Inky" contest going on via Pinterest right now -- all the details are HERE.




- Posted by Cathie Allan