NEW Rooster Stamps are IN the HOUSE!

One of my favorite stamps and stamp sets from recent releases are the Boho set and the Boho Stamp.  These stamps allow for such a wide variety of combinations and techniques, I literally could NOT put them down when my samples arrived.  Which means I literally stamped a zillion papers in my creative experimentation with them.  So, when my new summer release samples arrived, I took one look at my solid silhouette roosters and knew EXACTLY where I was going to head!

I grabbed a sample from all my previous Boho experimenting and the rest just....happened!

And oh my....this card was such a simple quick process.  That's why it really pays to make lots of extra background paper designs when you are "in the magic mojo moment".  You never know when you will need one!

This sample shown below was done on a printed text page from an old hardcover book.  It was stamped using a variety of Clearsnap Archival ink colors and sponged with a quick drying pigment ink.  Since it had been allowed to dry for weeks, it was all ready to use when I found it in my stash!

To create my rooster card,  I stamped  Rooster 1 and Rooster 2 using Clearsnap's Top Boss embossing ink and heat embossed with clear powder.  Doesn't really get simpler than that!

Then I hand tore around edges.....

....and attached the stamped/embossed layer to an off-white cardstock layer using Beacon Adhesives' Zip Dry Paper Glue.  Finally, I attached everything to a tan notecard and grunged the notecard edges with Clearsnap's Art Dauber and Wicked Black Archival Ink.

That's it.

Easy peasy!

Hummingbirds...and away we fly on a creative adventure!

As I tentatively embrace spring (which, in Chicagoland, has been mostly non-existent so far), I'm reminded that summer cannot be far off.  And the arrival of summer also includes the Impression Obsession SUMMER stamp release! Yay!  I have some SUPER fun new stamps and stamp sets launching with this release.......

So, in celebration of SPRING (hopefully...finally...we need spring...), I'll start this new blog series with my brand new Hummingbird stamp set!

This is SUCH a fun set, I couldn't wait to start playing with it...

But first I had to narrow down exactly what I wanted to make.  And, if you know me at all, you know I usually don't just do traditional.  Nope.  I usually try to find new ways to use materials or change up techniques so they have a new "spin".  So, yep...you guessed it!  I went renegade before I even opened the Hummingbird set packaging.  LOL!And away I flew on another creative adventure!

When I went to grab my Strathmore Bamboo notecards, I accidentally grabbed a stack of the coordinating envelopes instead. That's when the light bulb went on and I decided to try making a card out of.....an envelope.

Here's how:

After carefully opening up the envelope and trimming off edges with remnants of adhesive, I opening it up flat on my stamping table.  Then I stamped the hummingbird and lily cluster on the left panel, using Clearsnap Wicked Black Archival ink, as shown:

I continued stamping lily clusters and other floral elements from the set as shown:

Next I stamped another one of my new phrase stamps (Bird Sings)...inside the center panel of the card...

Next step was to color the images using a combination of Derwent watercolor pencils and markers. 

I loved the way the colors harmonized so well but...it just needed a finishing touch.  I wanted to keep it simple so I added a simple gold trim on the underside of the left panel and a simple pink cord along the edge on top .  Beacon's Fabri-tac Adhesive made it super easy!

This Hummingbird set can be used in SO many different ways...this is just one of them. 

Here is the finished project!!!