Artsy Inkers

Stamping => Stamping Swaps => Topic started by: Far North on August 05, 2016, 01:46:10 PM

Title: Happy Mail Swap-totally stamping
Post by: Far North on August 05, 2016, 01:46:10 PM
I hope Artsy Inkers have time to play in 1 more Happy Mail card swap before school schedules alter everyone’s summer routine. 

Swap--I am happy to share Yana Smakula’s video for stamping a simple and fast card.  Please use the background method as inspiration for this challenge and change up at least one element of Yana’s final card to make it your own.  As always you can adapt the challenge as desired. In this case you may want to change the stamp theme to leaves or seashells or something else.  The inks & colors are totally your choice.  Here is the link to Yana Smakula's blog that freatures this technique:  http://www.yanasmakula.com/?p=54310

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4M0jP3tIPg

To play in this swap please leave a comment on this thread and I will sign you in on the list below.  I will send my card to the last person signing the list so everyone will receive a card.



Timeline details:
1.  Sign-up with a note on this thread before Tuesday, August 9 at midnight your time. 
2.  Make your card.
3. Take a photo of your card before mailing.
3.  All cards must be in the mail no later than Tuesday, August, 23 midnight your time.  Please post a note here when your card is in the mail.
4.  When you receive your Happy Mail card please post a note on this discussion thread.
5.  After your card recipient has posted a note here saying your card was received please post your photo in the gallery with description.  When making your gallery post please remember to find the “Swap Album” and click on the “Happy Mail Swap”.

Please post on this thread a note of your progress as well as any questions/comments.
Thanks for considering this swap! …Jan

Sign-up for Happy Mail
1.  Jan sends to last player
2.  April sends to Jan
3.  Heidi sends to April
4.  Cindi sends to Heidi
5.  Kathy sends to Cindi
6.  Sheila sends to Kathy
7.  Jan sends to Sheila
Title: Re: Happy Mail Swap-totally stamping
Post by: stampwilly on August 06, 2016, 09:12:12 AM
Please sign me up! Thanks for the video. A great background! :smile:

April
Title: Re: Happy Mail Swap-totally stamping
Post by: Far North on August 06, 2016, 10:12:22 AM
So glad you will be giving the technique a whirl April!

In my first run through of my stamps I didn't find any larger flowers with this type of image.  So I tried a couple 2" stamps.  They worked fine but the smaller images required me to use 6 different colors resulting in a very colorful background.  I am going to look for some other combos.
As always the stamping is quick...but the experiments take some time. Hope you have fun!
Title: Re: Happy Mail Swap-totally stamping
Post by: howdyheidi on August 06, 2016, 11:56:19 AM
I am going to take a chance and sign up before I watch the video.  Thanks for organizing!
Title: Re: Happy Mail Swap-totally stamping
Post by: Far North on August 06, 2016, 07:35:40 PM
Thanks Heidi for joining in the fun of trying a new technique!
Title: Re: Happy Mail Swap-totally stamping
Post by: Iring on August 07, 2016, 11:26:34 PM
Please sign me up too!  I have an idea ...
Title: Re: Happy Mail Swap-totally stamping
Post by: Far North on August 08, 2016, 09:09:17 AM
Cindi, so glad you can make time to join us between your wedding invitations!
Title: Re: Happy Mail Swap-totally stamping
Post by: SWLady on August 08, 2016, 11:43:43 AM
Sign me up! Just got back from our Arizona trip. It was awesome!
Title: Re: Happy Mail Swap-totally stamping
Post by: Far North on August 08, 2016, 01:23:16 PM
Kathy glad you had a great time in AZ and made it back in time to sign up for this Happy Challenge too!
Title: Re: Happy Mail Swap-totally stamping
Post by: Iring on August 08, 2016, 03:41:25 PM
I'm already glad I signed up.  I went out in the rain to get today's mail and all that was in it was credit card offers and a political add.  Blah!
Title: Re: Happy Mail Swap-totally stamping
Post by: Yankee on August 08, 2016, 09:53:42 PM
Me too!
Title: Re: Happy Mail Swap-totally stamping
Post by: Far North on August 09, 2016, 12:48:06 PM
Glad you can make time to play Sheila!
Title: Re: Happy Mail Swap-totally stamping
Post by: howdyheidi on August 10, 2016, 12:51:22 PM
I finally watched the video and it is so pretty! I am not sure what stamp I will use, but I need to look through them!
Title: Re: Happy Mail Swap-totally stamping
Post by: Far North on August 11, 2016, 05:49:45 PM
So glad you liked the cards Heidi...I certainly thought those soft colors might be appealing to you :smile:

I put my card in the mail today to Sheila.
Title: Re: Happy Mail Swap-totally stamping
Post by: Iring on August 12, 2016, 08:44:36 AM
Way to go Jan, getting this show on the road!  I thought about it; realized my idea didn't fit this swap, and that's about as far as it got  :-\

Hopefully I'll start inking up some stamps soon.
Title: Re: Happy Mail Swap-totally stamping
Post by: Iring on August 15, 2016, 09:35:01 AM
Yana makes it look so easy!  Ha!  I spent a good part of yesterday afternoon and evening testing my inks and pulling out potential stamps.  Maybe I was just mentally impaired after working on wedding invite design all morning! 

I have a background ... now I need a finished card! 
Title: Re: Happy Mail Swap-totally stamping
Post by: Far North on August 15, 2016, 01:52:40 PM
LOL of course Yana makes it look easy.  Videos rarely show the trials of various stamps and inks. But I do appreciate Yana sharing info about what type of stamps and inks she selected. It helped me limit my trial selection to 3 stamps that were large enough and looked good (IMHO) when they overlapped. 

When I tried the layout I learned I needed a combo of 5-6 colors limiting my ink choices to only a couple combinations. With such limited choices my time for the selection of stamps and inks was greatly reduced. Cindi, it sounds like you have more stamps & colors for this challenge than I do.

I think players will find the background layout technique is the fast and easy part of this card.   

Title: Re: Happy Mail Swap-totally stamping
Post by: Iring on August 15, 2016, 07:55:08 PM
Quote
I think players will find the background layout technique is the fast and easy part of this card.   
I agree!

The quick and easy part of this project is the fact that you don't need to be precise with placement and the fact that if you go from light to dark ink colors you might not need to clean the stamp in between.

I pulled too many potential stamps  :-\.  Then I wasn't happy with my inks.  Some of my little VersaMagic tear drop inks seemed kind of dry, and they aren't that old ... I'm going to store them upside down for a bit and see if that helps.  I chose a clear stamp, and finally went with pigment and chalk inks to get a better impression.  Some ink just beads up on them!

I'm happy to report that I'm done!  Heidi's card will go out tomorrow.  I'm glad I tried Yana's technique.  In the end, I liked what I did, so while I had everything out I made a similar card to keep.

Thanks, Jan, for sharing the video and organizing the swap!
Title: Re: Happy Mail Swap-totally stamping
Post by: Far North on August 16, 2016, 10:18:29 AM
Cindi, so glad you liked your finished cards!  Great work to fit this in between working of wedding invitation ideas.  And at least this is off your mind and in the mail so you can get back to the wedding details.
Title: Re: Happy Mail Swap-totally stamping
Post by: Iring on August 16, 2016, 10:36:07 AM
It was a fun break from wedding! 
Title: Re: Happy Mail Swap-totally stamping
Post by: howdyheidi on August 16, 2016, 12:06:49 PM
My first background was a bust and this was due to stamp choice.  I had really thought that this star stamp I have would work, it is fairly solid, but it did not at all.

I wa surprised how few really solid stamps I had that would work for a patterned background like this, but I did find one and am letting the background sit for a bit before working on it further.

I actually had quite a few color combos I could have worked with since I purchased lots of Hero Arts ink cubes several years ago, so there are lots of colors there. I was happy to use them as I have not used them as much as I thought I would!
Title: Re: Happy Mail Swap-totally stamping
Post by: Far North on August 16, 2016, 12:48:20 PM
Thanks for sharing Heidi!  My first stamp was also a bust...my first stamp was like a large dandelion seed burst.  Each individual part of the burst was small with it own unique design.  When stamped with overlapping images it totally lost the clarity of being a seed burst.  It would have been okay for an abstract background but not what I wanted for this challenge.

Hopefully sharing our bloopers will help all of us make better selections :smile:


Reminder:  Next Tuesday is the mailing deadline for this challenge.
Title: Re: Happy Mail Swap-totally stamping
Post by: Yankee on August 16, 2016, 06:25:43 PM
I received my card from Jan today.  I really like it, I love blues!

I mailed mine to SWLady, hopeful she gets it before she goes to Florida.
Title: Re: Happy Mail Swap-totally stamping
Post by: Far North on August 16, 2016, 06:41:04 PM
April--your beautiful card arrived today!  I can't believe it only took 3 days to get from South Carolina to Alaska :smile: Please post your card in the gallery.
Title: Re: Happy Mail Swap-totally stamping
Post by: Far North on August 16, 2016, 10:07:29 PM
I posted a photo of the card I sent to Sheila in the gallery (http://www.duhnproductions.com/Pics/displayimage.php?album=88&pid=2855#top_display_media) I liked this technique in that it offer a little challenge but overall was easy.  And I might keep my eyes open for a couple other large solid stamps.

Here are 2 cards (http://www.duhnproductions.com/Pics/displayimage.php?album=88&pid=2856#top_display_media) that show some of my trials with another stamp and different layouts.
Title: Re: Happy Mail Swap-totally stamping
Post by: stampwilly on August 17, 2016, 09:13:16 AM
Here is the card I made for Jan and some other backgrounds I made. Jan, your cards are so pretty!

April

card --  http://www.duhnproductions.com/Pics/displayimage.php?album=lastup&cat=0&pid=2859#top_display_media

backgrounds -- http://www.duhnproductions.com/Pics/displayimage.php?album=lastup&cat=0&pid=2860#top_display_media
Title: Re: Happy Mail Swap-totally stamping
Post by: howdyheidi on August 17, 2016, 10:01:31 AM
My card is completed and I hope to get it addressed before the mail truck comes today.  I need to check out the cards in the gallery.
Title: Re: Happy Mail Swap-totally stamping
Post by: SWLady on August 17, 2016, 08:35:00 PM
LOL, I too am having stamp difficulties. I finally tried two different ones and came up with two backgrounds that  I like. Hopefully I can decide on one and get it out tomorrow or Friday!
Title: Re: Happy Mail Swap-totally stamping
Post by: SWLady on August 18, 2016, 03:41:26 PM
I received my card from Sheila today. It came out so pretty!

I am also getting mine out to Cindi in tomorrow's mail.
Title: Re: Happy Mail Swap-totally stamping
Post by: Yankee on August 20, 2016, 07:57:32 PM
I had trouble with this one too.  I tried pinks and reds, wrong shades to go together.  I tried blues and it worked.
I wanted to put some of my hand made flowers but didn't have the correct shade of blue.  So I stamped another flower and cut it out to put on the card.

http://www.duhnproductions.com/Pics/thumbnails.php?album=88
Title: Re: Happy Mail Swap-totally stamping
Post by: howdyheidi on August 21, 2016, 07:46:43 PM
I received my card from Cindi!!  I was not surprised at her color combination!  She did use some stamps that are really fun!  Please share, Cindi!
Title: Re: Happy Mail Swap-totally stamping
Post by: stampwilly on August 21, 2016, 09:23:38 PM
I received my pretty card from Heidi yesterday. I love the stamp and colors she used! Thanks, Heidi. :smile:

April
Title: Re: Happy Mail Swap-totally stamping
Post by: Iring on August 22, 2016, 10:47:48 AM
Quote
I was not surprised at her color combination!

Haha!  Heidi must know I'm working on my daughter's purple wedding invites.  When my first pass didn't go so well, I went with the purples that were already out!

Here (http://www.duhnproductions.com/Pics/displayimage.php?album=lastup&cat=0&pid=2863#top_display_media) is the swap card I mailed to Heidi.

Here (http://www.duhnproductions.com/Pics/displayimage.php?album=lastup&cat=0&pid=2864#top_display_media) is the extra card I made to keep.

And here (http://www.duhnproductions.com/Pics/displayimage.php?album=lastup&cat=0&pid=2865#top_display_media) is the first pass I made with a different set of stamps.  This might be similar to the look Jan got with a seed burst stamp?  The little dots get all mixed up over each other.  I like the look I got with the balloons better.

Jan asked us to take Yana's background and change it up a little.  I went with balloons, and two step stamping rather than flowers.  The solid balloon, confetti and polka dots are from the SU Celebrate Today set.  I used a Fontwerks flower to decorate the silver balloons.  You can see the shimmer of the silver inks best in the 2nd photo.

Thanks for the swap Jan!  This was a fun technique once I found the right stamps and inks.  The solid balloon was a little challenging to find ink that didn't bead up and gave a good solid image, and was light enough to layer with a print.  In the end I like the way it looks like you can see through the balloons where they overlap.  I used 6 inks and 5 stamps on the swap piece.

Tip : I used a Fantastix brush tip coloring tool to color the edge of the sentiment banners.  I wanted to ink the edges to give them matching mats, but couldn't get in that inside corner with the ink pad.  The Fantastix looks like a foam crayon that I could press in to the ink pad and color the edge.  I wouldn't want to do a lot of coloring with it, but it did the trick for this application.
Title: Re: Happy Mail Swap-totally stamping
Post by: Iring on August 22, 2016, 03:01:36 PM
It's a happy mail day!  Thanks for your pretty card Kathy!  Made my day!
Title: Re: Happy Mail Swap-totally stamping
Post by: SWLady on August 23, 2016, 02:15:29 PM
Here is the card I sent to Iring.

Happy Mail (http://www.duhnproductions.com/Pics/displayimage.php?pid=2867&message_id=3b1c6a640a9058bdd4d503f63e4e9997&message_icon=info#cpgMessageBlock)

I had fun with this one. Had trouble finding a stamp I liked but I would definitely do this again!
Title: Re: Happy Mail Swap-totally stamping
Post by: howdyheidi on August 23, 2016, 02:21:32 PM
Sorry it took me so long to post, I am still having trouble accessing the site at times.

http://www.duhnproductions.com/Pics/displayimage.php?album=lastup&cat=0&pid=2868#top_display_media

:)
Title: Re: Happy Mail Swap-totally stamping
Post by: Far North on August 23, 2016, 08:20:06 PM
I love all the different terrific looks we achieved with this technique!  I too will keep it on my keeper list!  Thanks all for playing...until next time!
Title: Re: Happy Mail Swap-totally stamping
Post by: Iring on August 23, 2016, 08:30:25 PM
Early in the swap I mentioned I had an idea ... it was to make a Christmas background!  I can't remember if I had a stamp in mind but some ornament stamps might work.  Then I realized it was kind of early for me to send Kathy a Christmas card!
Title: Re: Happy Mail Swap-totally stamping
Post by: Far North on August 23, 2016, 10:35:34 PM
LOL Cindi, you got me!!  I totally thought your Christmas ornament would be a great...and was ready to ask why you didn't do it.  You could use little tree boughs as filler.  I hope you do get a chance to do once your focus is past the wedding.

Funny thing is I was gonna do autumn leaves because much my outdoor foliage got a bad infection and we are already seeing partial gold and funky brown leaves...and some are on the ground.  But I too nixed the idea as being too early.  But it may happen in September.

Title: Re: Happy Mail Swap-totally stamping
Post by: Iring on August 24, 2016, 08:27:40 AM
Autumn leaves would be pretty too!  I hope we see more of these backgrounds in the gallery.