Online Card Class - Stretch Your Stamps - Day 1

Hi there,

Hope you had a good weekend. I've had a fun and varied one!

I wanted to buy JT a bit of a different craft related present for her birthday this year. So I chose a class from the Online Card Class site.

I thought Stretch Your Stamps would be great for both of us, as we have a fair amount of stamps that we probably under utilise! And yes I did by the class for myself...

Be warned this is an EPIC post!

So Day 1 is about using background stamps..I chose to use a Heidi Swapp giant Chevron stamp (5.5x5.5 inches)

My main card was made during the first part of the class, we had to make an ink pad and double stamp. I didn't have some of the things used to do exactly the same rainbow technique (cut n dry felt and reinkers) so I improvised.
I inked my background stamp twice in a different colour each time and spritzed with water for a smudgey effect. I managed to achieve the double stamped / rainbow effect..without the additional tools - SWEET! I also don't have a heat it tool (yet...) and so I had to stamp my sentiment (by American Crafts) in white ink.

I feel like this card is a total win!

The next card is totally and utterly for JT!!

Paper Pieced background..wobbly owl!

I bought the wobbly owl (by Studio G) on Saturday at Michael's with her in mind and it felt like a natural fit for this card. We had to paper piece our background stamp. It's a great technique using similar coloured papers and co-ordinating inks. I used a hexagon punch and not a die for my shapes, I decided that foam Thickers were more appropriate than a stamped sentiment and I love the corrugated card texture against the hexagon pattern.
Another win for me :)

Card number 3 is all about kissing :)

Kiss technique - on the hearts

You take your background stamp and ink it up and then take another stamp and ink it up and then 'kiss' them together. Love this technique. I used a soft green chalk ink and a gingerbread ink for my 'kiss', then I punched hearts out of it and made my card.
I will totally be doing this again and once again I feel like a winner, as I love the end result.

Final card for Day 1..

Featured element..out of this world!

This is a great way to use your background stamps. Basically stamp into a 'featured' element on your card. I chose to stamp onto a piece of paper first and then die-cut my shape. I went with a 'monster / alien' theme because as JT pointed out earlier in the week..I love a monster! I used an xCut star die to cut my paper in 2 sizes, some washi tape (the blue stripey stuff) that I got from Amazon in a tin, it is awesome and has random die-cuts in it - hence the spot. The alien I bought when I was home last month and the sentiment is from a set I have..can't remember who by :( As I am so pleased with my card, I thought I'd use it as my submission for the latest Northridge Publishing blog challenge - Cards with Stars.

Day 1 of the course was great fun, I have learnt some fun new tricks and feel like I really did stretch my background stamp..

I won't be doing the next day until later in the week and I will be jumping to Day 3, as you need a heat tool for Day 2 and my new toy hasn't arrived yet...

Cx