Inspired by: Sandy Allnock

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Today I challenge you to be inspired by someone that has a totally different approach or style than your own. Me? I’m inspired regualarly by an amazingly talented artist and card maker: Sandy Allnock.

Sandy blogs and shares her many artistic talents through online classes as well (check it out here!)  I learn about coloring techniques, copic markers, and always enjoy seeing what she does with stamps. Her classes are epic – if you’re looking for watercolor, copic, or coloring instruction? Look to her. She’s a MASTER.

Me? I’m not a master of copics or watercolor but I do enjoy learning and dabbling in techniques and new ideas. I love the process and enjoy them tremendously and that is definitely what matters. Last summer Sandy sent me some brusho colors  while I was struggling with feeling totally useless and only able to work left handed. I could stamp an image onto watercolor paper. Sprinkle some brusho. Add water. And OH! How creative I felt and how magical it was to be making stuff one-handed. Brusho saved my sanity at a time I was barely hanging on – and I’ll forever be grateful to Sandy for sharing with me. Thinking back on that, I knew I had to create with them for this post, and I decided some star gazing Lawn Fawn stamps would be the perfect compliment.

Here is a my YouTube video tutorial for how I made this fun card.

I used (links go to Ellen Hutson) the Lawn Fawn “Upon a Star” stamp set.  Oh how I love this set! Looking at this set I thought of Sandy, the gift of brusho, and let inspiration run from there. I also used black archival ink, white embossing powder (and pigment ink) and the coordinating dies for the stamp set.

Speaking of Brusho, I used Prussian blue, violet, turquoise, and cobalt blue – Ellen has all of these and many more in stock. If you want to get a few I’d stick to a trio that go together and see how you like them or the starter kit. While I did a background here, there’s some really fun stuff you can do with water + stamps + brusho. In fact, I’ll be sure to create another video (or three) with them in the coming months because they really are just the most fun! Used carefully, they really don’t make a mess either.

Sandy inspires me so much with her intricate creations, but not to make my own. You see I’m a big fan of a enjoying what someone does with something, then taking it in your own direction. Two examples – I’ll take just one idea of how she colors a background, or take a general coloring tip such as shading. I thought the stars would be the light source hence the dark on their booties, light at top. How else can you be inspired by someone who has an entirely different style than your own?

  • A single tip or technique that they use
  • General design of the project
  • A color combination you’ve not thought of or used before
  • Try something “not you” just to see how it goes and stretch your style
  • Get inspired to use that — (paper, stamp, ink, whatever!) because they used it or something similar

I get great joy from watching Sandy create intricate backgrounds I’d never attempt to do myself. And, people like her who do what they do as well as they can and continuously challenge themselves creatively are the BEST inspiration! Similar style to me not required.

For one of you, I’ve got a fun goodie bag of (not yet released!!) 28 Lilac Lane sequins & paper crafting treats I think you’ll enjoy. If you’d like your chance to win simply leave a comment on this post. The winner will be drawn and announced on July 16th in the ’round up’ post here on my blog. Good luck – and happy crafting!

card making: Winnie & Walter stamps

Can you create with a bit of ink, a few little embellishments, and a sentiment stamp? Of course you can! Card making can be a lot of fun and I’m one to get intensely complex and wild with my cards at times… but I also like the simple side! Today I’m featuring a beautiful Winnie & Walter set – and stay tuned because they have a discount code AND two give-aways to share today!

Inking, coloring – it can all get pretty time intensive. But sometimes I really like a clean and simple look that is also quick and easy. The answer? I start with the message or sentiment. On this card I used the sentimental love set – I love Winnie & Walter’s sentiment stamps! Here is my YouTube video sharing how-to for these cards.

There is no wrong way – heck you could stamp over tape or patterned paper… you don’t even have to use color mediums!

Your challenge: Use a sentiment stamp in some way. Could be on a card – or anywhere else

Bonus! Winnie & Walter is offering us all a coupon code for 10% off all in stock items: 

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This code is good through July 30th 2017 – so you’ve got time to shop and enjoy!

Give-away time x2. They are generously offering up two $25 credit (aka gift card) to the w&w shop! For your chance to win simply leave a comment on this post before July 15th. The winner will be announced in the July 16th round-up post.

Good luck – and thank you to Winnie & Walter for being such an awesome & generous company!

stamping: waffle flower set two ways

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!

Card making with Neat & Tangled

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 should you choose to use them! Purchases made with affiliate links keep projects & content like Camp Scrap coming to you free of charge.

Three of my favorite things come together in today’s card: rainbows, unicorns, and creating unique card designs with multiple techniques. Today I have a video tutorial to share with you (and a give-away!) featuring some Neat & Tangled products.

When it comes to rainbow I’ve noticed I enjoy playing with  non-traditional colors (breaking out of the standard rainbow), as well as just working with one part of the rainbow is my personal favorite. I’ve also found playing with watercolors and creating ombre effects and more variation with fewer colors is a real favorite too. While pink is my go-to I challenged myself to step outside the usual for today’s card.

The mane & tail of this unicorn as well as the background technique used are among my favorites right now. I will never grow tired of spraying color onto paste! Want more details? I filmed the process of making this (4 1/4 x 5 1/2 folded) card and created this YouTube video to share with you for a full tutorial.

Supplies Used (links to EllenHutson.com unless otherwise noted):
Unicorn stamp and coordinating dies, stencil (geometric blooms), watercolor paper, gold watercolor, black archival ink, light and fluffy embossing paste (scrapbook.com), Nuvo crystal glaze (link to scrapbook.com), Prima water brush (scrapbook.com), and assorted color mediums (distress ink, clean color, distress spray, prima color spray)

Challenge: Let the rainbow inspire you in some way today! Whether you go for a 2-3 color ombre party or make use of all the colors or are inspired by my card in some way I hope you’re inspired to play.

Tips inspired by my card: 

  • use a light paste for cards
  • work in pieces/batches so if you “ruin” something it’s merely one part of the project
  • these techniques will work across the paper crafting spectrum – try them on anything!
  • you can always add more color
  • don’t be afraid of little whoopsies. It’s hand crafted, not perfection! Enjoy the process!!

I hope you’ve enjoyed today’s project but don’t run off just yet- you’ll want to leave a comment on this post for sure…

Give-away:

Neat & Tangled generously sent a bunch of fun stuff for me to share with one of you! If you’d like to win some stamps, sequins, and stencils (LOOOOVE all of the above!) leave a comment on this post by July 1, 2017 to be entered for your chance to win. The winner will be drawn at random and posted on a round-up post on the 2nd of July. Thank you to Neat & Tangled for supporting Camp Scrap! Be sure to check out their awesome blog for more card making inspiration and fun.

Fiesta watercolor card

Next week is May? How is that even possible?! I really couldn’t tell you as apparently time has just FLOWN right by me! Inspired by Cinco De Mayo, and “my” month I thought I’d get funky with Lawn Fawn + 28 Lilac Lane. note: affiliate links are used in this post. Thank you in advance for supporting my site if you choose to use them!

I decided I wanted to get wild with Fruity Fun bottle – one of my new ones – along with this piñata stamp from Lawn Fawn. I also knew I wanted an explosion of fun! Here is my YouTube video tutorial.

This turned out exactly how I had hoped! That so rarely happens – love it!

EllenHutson.com has the Fruity Fun bottle used, the Lawn Fawn stamp set, watercolors, gold spray, PPA adhesiveblack ink, distress inks, and so much more! Soon as I’m off my no spend challenge (more on that some other day)- I’ve got a cart full of goodies and her shipping is so fast! I can hardly wait.

Oh just a note – I did add the pink splatter you see here after filming. Intentional? Not quite… I was cleaning up spilled a bit then said oh to heck with it and went wild! Just a reminder you can always make it work. Have a wonderful party filled weekend!