Welcome to Camp Scrap! For more details about this special blog event, prizes, community, and more check out the FAQ page here. Note that affiliate links are used in this post – thank you in advance for supporting my blog should you choose to use them!
Today is a good day to play with some new stamps, don’t you think? I pulled out a really cute new set from Waffle Flower (give-away from them below – so don’t run off!) and started playing. I tried a number of things that I wasn’t happy with. But this – oh the white embossing + bright colors and watercolor splatter I just adore how it turned out and that it can be used for not only a card, but I’ll also show you a card that would work in a pocket page scrapbook. Techniques have a way of working across many project types!
This set is the “Happy Day” stamp set. It’s available online at Waffle Flower directly, you can also get it at shops like Ellen Hutson and scrapbook.com as well.
My challenge to you today (should you choose to accept it): keep at it with one stamp. Here in my case it was the sentiment “today is a good day to be happy”. I didn’t love it in color or black… then I tried white embossing powder. Total win!
Here is my YouTube video tutorial where I walk though two similar projects.
Now I can see using those colors that “didn’t work” on future projects. It isn’t that they were bad ideas. They just didn’t work for the bright look I wanted. I am forever saying that sometimes my mistakes = what I learn from way more creatively. So don’t run or worry – embrace and enjoy it! I am so loving these projects – they came out even better than my original vision all because I kept on testing and trying.
This particular stamp set has so much potential for fun – one challenge to myself on this one was focusing on the little stamps and not the big (awesome) stamps. So there’s a side/secondary challenge for you. What can you do with the little often forgotten stamps in a set? The real challenge of course is usually making creative time – so I hope you find some this weekend!
Oh yes- and don’t get frustrated or quit – just play and see what happens. If nothing is working try switching gears or just play with something else. Remind yourself we can learn a lot from things that don’t work, and that those “oh this is terrible” experiments may actually be wonderful in some other way on another day. I’ve so enjoyed this first week of Camp Scrap and sharing with you – and I hope you’ve enjoyed it too!
The stamp set used in this post is by Waffle Flower, and you have the chance to win this (or ANY set you’d like!) because Waffle Flower is offering a $25 gift certificate to www.waffleflower.com! For your chance to win leave a comment on this post and I will post a winner on the July 2 round up post. Good luck! and Huge THANK YOU to Waffle Flower for this generous gift!
May I love your card making style! Today I scrap. I have a new brother Scan & cut and have only used it a handful of times. I did make some fun titles using my own hand writing. that is by far my favorite thing to do so far!
This is a very inspiring post. The message is just to play and be creative. I sometimes loose sight of that
Love the colors! And thanks for sharing how you had to totally change how you used the stamps – from black or color to white – to get the look you wanted.
Your cards are always so cute, and these do not look very hard to make. I think I know what I am going to be doing on this terrible rainy saturday. Like Janet above, I’m digging my ScanNCut out of hiding today and going to use that for cutting out a bunch of stamped images to use on cards taht I am going to watercolor backgrounds for using techniques I have learned from you. thanks so much May.
How cute! love the colors and simplicity!
Today is a good day to be happy!
Both cards are so pretty, I love the look of the white embossed sentiment. Now I want to emboss something. And that full stamp set by Waffle Flower was very cute! This has been one crafty inspirational week so far! Keep up the great work May!
Pretty card! Thanks for a chance to win! Michelle t
I’m loving the overall fresh colors and simplicity- such inspiration to break out my water colors and embossing powder….
Ah May you are so right!!!! Sometimes we do focus all our attention on the main image and forget that magic can come from lots of little pieces too! I adore this project and am loving camp scrap! Today is a creative playday for me so I will be posting some projects and getting caught up. Thank You!!! I really love Camp Scrap!
Great to keep going. Really enjoy the watercolour over clear/white embossing 🙂
Cute card and cute stamps. I will try stamping on a project today.
Earlier this week I began the task of sorting through my stamps. so this would be a good time to make something with one of the many forgotten. I don’t know yet what colour I will use. I do like the white embossing, especially against the watercolours.
Those cards are cute I love the designs & the colors
What fun and cheerful cards. Love the stamps. Thanks for the reminder to just play and enjoy the process.
What fun colors. I love the lovely turquoise. These cards look pretty easy for beginners like me to try. And thank you Waffle flower for sponsoring a prize.
First off, May, I love the projects you created today!!! Great watercoloring, & they look so happy & fresh. I also want to thank you. I have created a couple of cards with emboss resist, that the embossing didn’t seem to resist so well. I never figured out the problem, until you mentioned in your video that you don’t want the color to dry too much and get under the embossing. Ah-ha! Apparently that was what I was doing wrong! Next time I do emboss resist, I will hopefully remember to “clean” off the embossing sooner, before the ink/watercolor dries thoroughly. Thank you so much for mentioning that, and for such a great Camp Scrap experience so far! 🙂 ~ Andrea
I love this idea! Sometimes it’s great to just think differently about something. I rarely use my white EP. Maybe I should keep it in mind. LOL
Pretty cards. I always seem to mix and match items from different Stamp sets. Maybe I need this challenge to just stick with one set!
I love the sentiment! I love the colors and the design. I love the reminder to try and try another way. Thanks for a great post. 🙂
Love the bright colors and your perseverance rather than giving up or settling for something that you weren’t as happy with, I’ve got some July birthdays I need to make cards for — maybe I’ll find some time this weekend!
The cards are so fresh and pretty! Going to give the white embossing a try. Thanks for the chance to win!
Love the colours. Aiming to get something creative done this morning before heading to another evening of dancing for my eldest.
Thank you for the great inspiration and the hope of winning a stamp set!
What a great way to use those little bitty stamps sets! I think your cards are lovely!
What a great way to make your card sentiment pop…..love this quick and simple card that is so pretty.
So often I work with the negative space pieces left by my die cut machine (as scraps)and yet Never considered using white embossing on white with a color wash. Hmmmm…. Thanks for the brain reboot <3
I love the embossed resist look but I don’t think I’ve ever tried it. But The real AHA moment today for me was to put clear embossing powder on coloured ink – how have I never thought to do that? thanks May
Great message and really cute cards. Sometimes I forget that I do this for fun, so it’s good to be reminded and just play.
I love the look of the white embossing. I don’t usually think of that. I almost always use black or a color for my sentiment.
I would love to win a gift certificate to Waffleflower. i’ just took a look at their website and there are some sets I’d love to have!
I love the watercolory look of this card, but I love even more your encouragement to us to keep at it and play and learn from our mistakes. Paper-crafting is best when it’s a perfection-free zone, and some of the best designs and results come from either making a “happy mistake” or learning from a not-so-happy one. You rock it, May! 😀
Its true about sometimes things don’t turn out as wanted. I have a collection spot for diecuts and backgrounds and stamped papers that I didnt use. Ill look in these collections before starting if I’m looking for inspiration or if I know I’ve already made it.
Hope to get some time in the next couple of days to complete your challenge. I have some stamp sets that have never seen ink and I need to rectify the situation! Thanks always for the inspiration!
Loved watching you craft – watercolour resist is so much like magic!
This will inspire me to get out my stamps. I don’t use them nearly often enough. I can see a card making weekend ahead. Thanks for the inspiration.
I love the white Embossing Powder with the watercolour background! And this is a very cute stamp set!!
This looks like a fun, playful technique.
Very cute cards….I ordered some water brushes today, can’t wait to play with them!
I love both projects! The water colour is so pretty
Darling cards with this fun set! Waffle Flower has some fabulous stamps and dies!
i had a very busy weekend, so no time in the craft room. i love these cards! love the bright, flowiness of them. can’t wait to try it out!
Excellent reminder to just keep playing and trying different things. It is so true that I often learn more from what doesn’t work than what does.
I love both of your cards and the fact that you kept trying till you were happy – great advice!
I love Waffle flower stamps and dies! What a cute card!
Very nice. Such happy cards.
Loved the torn paper effect! I have never used that on a card. The paint splatter is a favorite technique because there is no mistake.
I love the watercoloring and the splatter, and such a great sentiment.
fantastic prize, and great challenge-thanks!
Wow so generous thank you for the opportunity!
This is awesome! Thanks for the chance!
Love this card and idea.
Wahoo hope I win!!
You are making this so much fun, love your inspiration!
Loving this white embossing look.
Good luck to all- would love to win some stamps this company is new to me.
Love waffle flower stamps!
Ok, I really love this challenge! I have a bunch of cards to make this weekend and a ton of stamp sets and this is just the inspiration I need! Thank You!!!