Modern Poppies

Posted on March 9, 2013 by Brian

If nothing else, I’ve played around with a variety of styles this week. I’ve created cards from bright & cheery to dark & dirty. I created cards that are soft & ornate, so I figured I’d give bold & modern a try. My goal? To play around with Pleasant Poppies, creating a modern interpretation of the flowers. As I started shading the elements of the flowers, I realized this wasn’t an impossible task. I am so happy to share this card with you today - I couldn’t be happier with how it turned out:

Tips, Tricks and Reminders:

Go Monochromatic. I derive almost all my knowledge from Wikipedia (it’s such a reliable source of important information), so it’s only natural that I turned to Wikipedia for a sharp definition of the term ”monochromatic.” Here’s what I found:

Monochromatic colors are all the colors (tints, tones, and shades) of a single hue. Monochromatic color schemes are derived from a single base hue, and extended using its shades, tones and tints (that is, a hue modified by the addition of black, gray (black + white) and white. As a result, the energy is more subtle and peaceful due to a lack of contrast of hue. Monochromatic color schemes may be considered boring unless there is diversity within the design.

That really makes so much sense. There’s a certain peacefulness in a monochromatic theme – now we understand why. This scheme, though, isn’t boring because the design of the images is so diverse. Thank you, Wikipedia!

Instead of watercoloring or adding depth to these poppies, I boldly colored-in sections of the flowers with Marina Mist, Midnight Muse and Pool Party. This added a modern flair to this beautiful image.

Let the layers overlap. Trapping all those poppies inside the framelit would be kinda’ boring (unless you have made a card like that – at which point I think it’s quite lovely). I quickly decided to let some of the flowers hang over the border. To add some uniqueness to the overlapping flowers, I decided to only let one side hang over. I colored the flowers and then cropped the images with the Labels Collection Framelits. If you look closely, you can see where I added the cropped pieces back to the flowers: www.stampwithbrian.com - Modern Poppies

Adding the sentiment. I like to find new and unique ways to add sentiments to a card. I knew I wanted to “cover up” the long, wiry stems of these poppies, so I cropped a 3/4″ strip of Very Vanilla, positioning it along the bottom of the Labels Collection framelits. I stamped this sentiment from Sweet Essentials. I needed something to differentiate the Very Vanilla strip from the background, and I didn’t want to add sponging to an (otherwise) crisp, modern card so I ran the brush tip of my Stampin’ Write Marker along the edge of the strip to give it a thin border. It almost adds a light shadow. How cool is that?

Stamp sets: Pleasant Poppies, Sweet Essentials Papers: Midnight Muse, Pool Party, Very Vanilla Inks: Midnight Muse, Midnight Muse Stampin’ Write Marker, Marina Mist Stampin’ Write Marker, Pool Party Stampin’ Write Marker Accessories: Labels Collection Framelits

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Brian

A Herringbone Halloween

Posted on October 31, 2012 by Brian

So, I got a little ahead of myself yesterday. I was so excited to use the scraps from my Festival of Prints DSP Stack that I totally forgot time was quickly ticking away for me to use up all my Halloween paper scraps. Argh! You all provided great feedback on how I can use my scraps, but one (thanks, KnitterPam) sent me in just the right direction.

KnitterPam suggested I use the scraps to complete a “herringbone technique” card. I was playing around with the scraps early on and was ALMOST there, but I stopped short. I had seen this pattern but had no idea what it was called so that I could find a tutorial. Now I do. Here’s a card I made with my leftover Howlstooth & Scaringbone DSP:

Tips, Tricks and Reminders:

Herringbone Technique

I found a video for the Herringbone Technique on Dawn Olchefske’s site. Dawn uses double sided carpet tape, but I found that my 2-Way Glue Pen worked really well to complete this technique. Here’s what I did:

I trimmed a couple of strips of 1/2″ strips of Howlstooth & Scaringbone DSP.
With my 2-Way Glue Pen, I drew a solid line across the center of a 3-7/8″ x 5-1/8″ piece of Very Vanilla cardstock. I glued down a strip of the DSP.
I turned the carstock over and snipped the edges of DSP that were hanging over the edges. I then drew another line perpindicular to the first strip and glued down another piece.
I added more strips, creating an “arrow” at each point. Glue, add paper, snip edges. Glue, add paper, snip edges. Are you starting to see how easy (but how time consuming) this can be?

Here’s how the finished page looks (before I added my finishing touches):

I’ll be honest…(don’t you hate it when people say that?)…don’t you always have the expectation the people are going to be honest? I mean, seriously! I tend to disbelieve people if they start with “I’ll be honest…” OK, back to the card. This pattern looked GREAT as I was making it. When I was done, though, it looked REALLY, REALLY busy. There’s a lot going on. The card needed the image on top of it to remove some of the busyness. Glad I had already planned to use that image.

On a personal note

This is SOOOOOO nerdy, but I have to give a birthday shout-out to my four-year old. I didn’t make a card for him because he wouldn’t really have an appropriate level of appreciation for a card. Instead, I’m giving him an entire roll of retired ribbon. He will LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it. Happy Birthday, Bandit! Here’s a quick picture from his first birthday celebration. He was a ferocious shark!

Stamp sets: Toxic Treats Papers: Basic Black, Basic Gray, Howlstooth and Scaringbone Designer Series Paper, Very Vanilla Inks: Basic Black Accessories: Labels Collection Framelits, Stampin’ Dimensionals

Thanks for stopping by my blog today! Hope you have a great Halloween.

Brian

Toxic Treacherous Treat Cup

Posted on September 22, 2012 by Brian

Here’s another oldie, but goodie, project I completed when I was stamping years ago. It’s not my original idea, but I haven’t seen it recently, so I thought I would give this upcycling project a revival for Halloween.

Do you have any of the small fruit cans with pop lids in your pantry? Instead of popping the lid off next time you tear into one, flip the can over and remove the bottom with a smooth-edge can opener (mine is a Pampered Chef can opener, but there are tons of smooth-edge openers on the market these days). Pour out the contents (don’t waste them – they are delicious and nutritious) and use that can to make a personalized gift for your friends:

Here’s how I did it:

I cut the bottom off the can with a smooth-edge can opener. Do you feel like you’ve heard this step before? Not one to waste, I took a break from stamping to delight in my can of fruit cocktail.
I decorated my can with Pumpkin Pie card stock, a tag from the Ghoulish Googlies Designer Kit (the backs of the tags are colorful and cute) and the witch from Toxic Treats. I’m not providing you with the measurements because every can will be different. Hint: Sticky Strip is a great adhesive to hold the paper that’s wrapped around the can. That stuff is strong!
I made a personalized 1-1/2″ x 1-1/2″ greeting card to go inside the can. Put this in first so it’s the first thing the recipient sees when they pop the lid. Here’s the front and inside of my card:

Fill the rest of the can with candy. As long as you properly washed the can, you could fill the can with jelly beans or M&M’s. I chose little chocolate candies because that’s what I had nearby.

Sealing the bottom back onto the can is simple! Crystal Effects is a perfect sealant for this type of project. Just apply some to the edge of the “lid” and press it back on until it’s dry. See? I told you it was simple.

So…what have you learned today? Here’s a quick summary:

Eat fruit. It’s good for you.
Upcycle your pantry. It’s good for the Earth.
Tell your friends about stampwithbrian.com. It’s good for them.

Stamp sets: Toxic Treats Papers: Pumpkin Pie, Basic Black, Very Vanilla, Tag from Ghoulish Googlies Designer Kit Inks: Basic Black Accessories: Sicky Strip, Crystal Effects, Labels Collection Framelits

Thanks for stopping by my blog today!

Brian

Just Be Happy: Rubber Band Background Technique

Posted on September 13, 2012 by Brian

When I was heavy into stamping many, many years ago, one of my favorite background techniques was to randomly wrap rubber bands around a wood block, dip this combination into some ink and then stamp away. Oh, what fun! It creates an abstract smear of streaks and lines – perfect for showcasing a simple sentiment or a bold image. I haven’t seen this technique used since I reentered the stamping world, so I thought I’d give it a try to share it with you.

I made this card with the calming (yet energizing) and classically beautiful combination of Calypso Coral and Lucky Limeade:

And here’s a closeup of the beautiful mess I made:

Easiest step-by-step tutorial on Earth:

Make sure you print this off or write it down. I don’t want you to forget these lenghty steps:

Grab an acrylic block.
Randomly wrap some rubber bands around the block.
Dip the block in ink.
Stamp the inked rubber bands randomly onto paper.
Done. Enjoy your masterpiece.
Oh, wait! Carefully remove and dispose of the rubber bands, and clean your block [and hands (if you missed the word "carefully")].

Here’s a photographic, still life representation of a rubber band background technique I did with Early Espresso:

Stamp sets: Pursuit of Happiness Papers: Lucky Limeade, Calypso Coral, Very Vanilla Inks: Lucky Limeade, Calypso Coral Accessories: Acrylic Block (I used “I”), Labels Collection Framelits, Stampin’ Dimensionals

Thanks for stopping by my blog today!

Brian

5 Things: Lori Martin

Posted on September 1, 2012 by Brian

I have never met Lori Martin, but I feel like she and I have been hanging out for years. Lori is a member of the Pals, a group of Mary Fish’s downlines. I have enjoyed bantering back and forth with Lori on our Pals Chat Facebook group and have even had the opportunity to speak with her on the phone on occasion.

I was unable to attend the 2012 Stampin’ Up! Convention in Salt Lake City. While all the Pals were there, I received this card in the mail, one of Lori’s Convention Swaps:
Now, here are 5 things I love about Lori’s card:

The shapes. I love the playful use of shapes in this card – the double layer of the Labels Collection Framelits, the Lucky Limeade scallop at the base of the card. I have always viewed the Labels Collection as a formal frame. I love that she pairs it with the playful birds, putting a new spin on the shapes for me.
The colors. I really like the diversity of color families represented in this card. Although they are In Colors, I would classify Midnight Muse as a Regal and Lucky Limeade as a Bright or Subtle. Crumb Cake is a Neutral, and Daffodil Delight is a Bright. Now that you have finished your colors lesson, take a look at how well her colors work with one another here.
The sentiment. I always love it when you can use a stamp that is designed for a certain purpose in another way. The sentiment at the bottom of the card is from a birthday set but is perfect for any occasion – in this case, to wish you a wonderful day, a bird, a butterfly and a wagon of flowers.
The paper. Don’t forget the Naturals papers! I don’t use then enough and reach for my Whisper White and Very Vanilla at every pass. Lori uses Naturals White for the base of the card and for the frames around the bird. Because I get the pleasure of holding the card in my hand, I can see how wonderful it looks on the card (in case you can’t see it in this picture). It also smells like strawberries.
The artistic effects. I really like the artistic touches on this card. Her sponging around the frames and even along the Crumb Cake base is wonderful! Lori, perhaps a tutorial on how you keep it so light? I tend to be heavy handed with my sponging. She also reminds me that I have all those markers. I tend to lean toward water coloring or coloring with my Blender Pens, but the use of Stampin’ Write Markers here is perfect!

Thank you, Lori, for this card and for allowing me to showcase it on my blog. Lori’s other creations can be seen at http://therejoicingpapercrafter.com.

Stamp sets: For the Birds, Bring on the Cake, Confetti Paper: Confetti White, Midnight Muse, Crumb Cake, Lucky Limeade Ink: Black StazOn, Midnight Muse, Crumb Cake Stampin’ Write Markers: Lucky Limeade, Crumb Cake, Bashful Blue, Daffodil Delight, Raspberry Ripple, Blush Blossom, Basic Black Accessories: 1/4″ Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon, Labels Collection Framelits, Large Scallop Edgelits, Delicate Designs Embossing Folder

Thanks for stopping by my blog today!

Brian

PPA138 (Part II) – This Too Shall Pass

Posted on July 6, 2012 by Brian

I didn’t set out to create a second entry to the Pals Paper Arts Color Challenge this week, but here it is!

Katy McGloin and Pam Morris come over yesterday so that Mom and I could help with their convention swaps. Katy left some of her stamp sets here overnight (I have a lot of stamps, but I don’t have these YET), so I played with them this morning. I guess I was playing around with some of my scrap paper from yesterday’s Sweet Baby card, and I ended up with another card that uses only Daffodil Delight, Early Espresso and Cherry Cobbler. Here’s my card:

I love the From my Heart stamp set, and I’ve been on the fence about getting it. I guess I’m sold now – it does half the work on this card. I stamped this image on Very Vanilla cardstock and ran it through my Big Shot with the Labels Collection Framelits. I selected the next largest framelit, and ran it through the Big Shot with a piece of Cherry Cobbler cardstock. I ran almost all of my Apothecary Accents dies through the Big Shot with all of the card stock colors and started playing around with the shapes to arrive at this layout. The yellow piece is actually shorter than this – I cut it in half and then lined it up on the outside of the other cutouts. I used Stampin’ Dimensionals to give it a pop.

Finally, I stamped the butterfly in Early Espresso on Daffodil Delight cardstock, punched it out with the Elegant Butterfly punch and added it to the card with a Glue Dot. The butterfly coordinate well with the sentiment, and the colors work together extremely well here.

Stamp sets: From My Heart, Papillon Potpourri Paper: Daffodil Delight, Early Espresso, Cherry Cobbler, Very Vanilla Ink: Early Espresso Accessories: Elegant Butterfly punch, Apothecary Accents Framelits, Lables Collection Framelits, Stampin’ Dimensionals, Glue Dots

Check out the other designs at PALS Paper Arts.

Thanks for stopping by my blog today!

Brian

Do you want to earn a free stamp set of your choice from me? Join my team in July, and that’s what you’ll get. To learn more, click here.

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So Grateful for Apothecary Art

Posted on June 14, 2012 by Brian

I’ve been playing around with my Labels Collection Framelits since they arrived in the mail a couple weeks ago. I’ve cut them out and then run them through an embossing folder. I’ve painted them with acrylic paints, embossed them and chipped away at the acrylic paint with a sanding block. While I have been excited about each of these creations, none of them have made it to the front of a card. Until today.

Today’s card uses the Framelits with The Apothecary Art stamp set.

I stamped the image in Early Espresso and then colored in the petite flowers with my Stampin’ Write Markers. As I learned from a Stampin’ Up! tutorial on YouTube, these markers can easily give amazing texture to an image by layering from soft to dark. I started by coloring all the flowers in Pink Pirouette, then colored with Pretty in Pink starting at the center of each petal and coloring about half of each petal. I then add a small touch of Regal Rose in the center of each. Very easy with a beautiful return! Here’s a close up:

Stamps: Apothecary Art Papers: Early Espresso, Pretty in Pink, Very Vanilla Inks: Early Espresso, Pink Pirouette Stampin’ Write Marker, Pretty in Pink Stampin’ Write Marker, Regal Rose Stampin’ Write Marker, Certainly Celery Stampin’ Write Marker Accessories: Labels Collection Framelits, Big Shot, Modern Label Punch, Word Window Punch, Stampin’ Sponges, Stampin’ Dimensionals

stampwithbrian.com

Paper crafts – creating, collecting, organizing, inspiring

Tag Archives: Labels Collection Framelits

Modern Poppies

A Herringbone Halloween

Toxic Treacherous Treat Cup

Just Be Happy: Rubber Band Background Technique

5 Things: Lori Martin

PPA138 (Part II) – This Too Shall Pass

So Grateful for Apothecary Art

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