Artsy Inkers
Stamping/Crafting Fests! => Older Fests => Inktoberfest - October 26th--November 3rd 2019 => Topic started by: howdyheidi on October 25, 2019, 01:35:47 PM
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I’d like us to think about what has changed in your craft life since we were stamping at 2Peas. This can be the industry, your personal style, etc.
Let me know if there are any other topics you would like to discuss. Chat can start on Friday, if you like, even thought challenges won’t start till tomorrow.
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I started out pretty early in stamping doing techniques and that has not changed for me. My style has become less frilly and more cutesy lately. Part of it is due to postage going up so much and having to make cards flatter. I still like all styles and I like to try different styles. Of course the industry has changed so much since I started about 27 years ago! Dies, alcohol inks, oxide inks, distress inks, electronic cutters, copics, oh my so much has developed since I was using embossing powder and heating it over a stove burner! LOL! :smile:
April :smile:
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Oh April, I totally agree about your point about styles changing due to postal rates. When I first started making cards when I joined 2Peas, I totally loved adding buttons and other thick embellishments. If I use them now, it is because I know that I will be able to hand-deliver.
The biggest difference, for me, between now and then, is that I am not a beginner anymore. I felt that there were many people just learning about stamping at 2Peas, and now, it doesn’t seem like there are very many beginners at all!
The main difference in the industry that I see is that most people use dies a lot now, and barely anyone did before. It was just punches.
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Hmm, I actually went back and looked at some of my 2peas gallery. I saved it on Scrapbook.com when they offered an easy way to upload to their gallery when 2peas closed. It's a coincidence that you ask about 2peas, just days after I returned from Denver, and I was in Denver when I got an email warning me to save everything because they were closing. I'm pretty sure it was Daria, and I was so glad she had my email address and could warn me!
How has my stamping changed? I was thinking the same as Heidi and April ... I think I use less embellishments, though I didn't use that many before, I might use a little less printed paper now, and I have way more dies! I had to laugh when April mentioned heat embossing over the stove burner! I made a set of Christmas cards that way! I love my heat gun. It's my original Milwaukee that my mom bought me for Christmas after we were awed by an embossing demonstration at a LSS. Oh yes, and we have WAY more inks! Clear stamps were not around when I started either ... I didn't see an obvious style change when I looked back. I've always liked trying techniques. I'm still not good at shabby chic!
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I always felt way out of the league at 2 Peas, I was not a big stamper and sometimes I still feel it is that way, I probably use more pattern paper than I do stamping my own background, probably because I feel I bought it I had better use it, LOL!
The biggest thing I like is the MISTI, I am more willing to try stamping if I know I can fix it if I didn't get it stamped correctly.
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Yes, the Misti and other stamping positioners really have changed things! Excellent point, Connie!
I still use plenty of patterned paper. I really like it.
Cindi, yes, we have lots of inks now. Maybe even too many. For a beginner, I think they would be overwhelmed. I remember the videos that covered basically every brand of ink and how to use it. That would be hard to do now that there are dozens of brands. Even though many of them are basically the same.
The other thing that is super popular now, that was rarely used when I started at 2Peas are stencils. Maybe they were used a lot previous to when I started, but it was really only those metal stencils that I remember in that time frame.
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Oh yes, stencils are big with me now. I have way too many! I bought some at the last show in Sept. and I haven't used them yet. I use my Misti all the time instead of blocks and I love the clear stamps because they take up less room and cling well. You can see better where to stamp sayings since the sayings can go crooked quick! LOL!
April :smile:
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Tip :
I have a piece of acetate in my stamp positioner. If I need to test out a sentiment (especially red rubber) before I stamp on my project ... I place the acetate over the project and stamp on that. If it's good, I remove the acetate and stamp again.
I'm so glad Connie posted a patterned paper challenge! I like it and need to use more!
Yep, I have stencils too, and I've kept my brass stencils. Even used one recently with glitter paste.
Also, way too many embossing folders!
I think I'm a slower crafter now because I have too many choices. Which stamp? Embossing folder? etc.
One of my favorite memories of 2peas was Jennifer McGuire's Thinking Inking series.
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I love stencils because they take up almost no room to store!
I actually was just wondering about embossing folders. I think I have a bunch that I almost never use, but I keep them, nonetheless. ——[=-pt6y7r6f6ef8fvg (Simba just walked on my keyboard).
However, the embossing folders were definitely one of my very most favorite cardmaking looks when I first started out.
Cindi, the Thinking Inking was SUCH an awesome resource!
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What changed my card making has been utube videos.
Before I was trying to learn from books.
When I started I used a lot of stickers because how few stamps I owned.
I remember embossing with the stove and burning my cards. Toastier worked better.
And inks there were only two kinds then, die and pigment. Not as confusing.
Not that I don’t love my distress inks!
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I have a lot of embossing folders, not too many stencils but I had forgotten all about my metal ones, I need to get them out and see if I could use them now. I came in late with the embossing, never have tried it over the stove, wow that must have been hard.
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The greatest change re: stamping for me since 2Peas is just doing lots less stamping. Frankly. If it weren't for being an AI & managing to attend our fests, I'd do even less.
Some of my reduction is due to personal circumstances, but mostly it's just a regular happening in my crafting life. I never completely stop doing any craft that I've done over the past 50+ years, but frequency waxes & wanes.
And within the Craft Industry there has definitely been a reduction in available materials--i.e. Colorbox closing.
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What trends in the industry now do you like?
I love the oxide inks. I use them a lot to stamp solid stamps and to make backgrounds. Stencils are popular now too and I love using them and using different media to "color" them. I like the foiling and there are many ways to do that, though I have not done a lot of it. I hope to do more of it in the near future.
April :smile:
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I really love the oxide inks too. At first, I really thought they were a gimmick, but now I think a new stamper might want to consider these as a stamping ink before buying any pigment inks. I like to make backgrounds with them, and sponge with them, but I also regularly stamp with them. I might have to buy some reinkers soon!
I like stencils a lot. If I make another online order, I want to buy some of that Pixie Spray that is a temporary adhesive for your stencils. I know Technique Junkies carries it but probably other stores do too. I also have some Heidi Swapp metallic pastes that I really like to use with stencils.
Some of you know that I have started scrapbooking a little now. There are some lovely 12 x 12 papers available that are really inexpensive when they go on sale. I like that I can use my stamps in different ways on a scrapbook page. Either as a title, or a little piece of art that fills in between the photos.
I really love the look of foiling, but I am not willing to invest in some of the tools and space in my craft room to do that. The hot foil dies and so on look really crisp, but I can’t imagine buying them.
What are the companies that are catching your eye right now? As far as stamps, etc.
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I haven't used my oxides as much as I thought I would but I don't do a lot of my own backgrounds either, maybe I need to invest in some more stencils.
I am big on dies too, I like the combo of stamps and dies but don't have many, it is too costly.
A new stamp company the Greetery, is one I really like, she used to be with Papertrey ink I believe. I won some stamps off her blog and I really love the way they work.
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Connie, I haven't heard of the Greetery ... I hope she does well.
I'm a fan of Oxide inks too, but I have so many regular distress inks, I don't really have room for more. I do love how the oxides stamp.
I would like to do more foiling. I bought a cheap laminator and I have some foils and adhesives and toner. Need to pick a day and play with them more. I don't plan to buy the hot foil plates or quill. The foil quill that goes in the cutting machines looks cool ... but I'm holding off. I just threw away the horrible WeR foiling pen and stencils I never used. I tried it again and couldn't get a nice result. Now they have a new hand held pen. I think I'll pass.
Hmmm, I can't think of any new companies. A video that recently caught my eye was Lisa Yang (https://youtu.be/JkLF61MDts4) from Local King rubber stamps. They have new stamps coming out with 2 dies. A very detailed, closely trimmed die and another that leaves a border. She's promoting a butterfly and I think 9 flower sets. She's showing new blending foams (magic mushrooms) that make the images quick to color and then cut with the detailed die. I do like the idea of not having to have the white border around the die cuts. The dewy background stamp in the video really catches my eye!
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I really don’t do trends, mostly cause they evolve money I don’t have.
I watch all the utube about them, but still don’t buy them.
I love to stamp, and like to cut out items. I think most dies are silly, plus I don’t like that white border they leave. I end up trimming that border off. Although I made seven ATCs each having three or four cut out pine trees on them. I did find myself thinking when I was almost finished that a die would have been nice.
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I will have to look up the Greetery and also see what Lisa Yang is doing. I love her company!
April :smile:
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I have seen the Greetery. They have a cute layering bird stamp set I like and a layering knit stencil that I really really want!
And Club Scrap only has unmounted sheet stamps but they have some unique sentiments and themes.
The Local King Rubber company is one I have browsed before, but also hasn’t purchased. That is interesting they are doing the two dies.
I have come to terms with the white edge around most stamps with the dies. I think when they are all cut that way it looks pretty good.
I love all of the Hero Arts “From the Vault” re-released stamps. I like the older styles. I also work for I Brake for Stamps, but I still really appreciate that they carry all these older style stamps. It gives more variety to the industry and I think most of them are not all that dated, depending on how you use them.
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Yes, I think there's room for all stamp companies. It would be a shame to only have one style, cute, for example. I just saw a "from the vault" stamp online ... I'll have to look to see what else Hero Arts has brought back. I Brake for Stamps has a nice variety. And now I need to go look at the Greetery too!
Has anyone seen black watercolor paper before? Kristina Werner used it in her Christmas series video today. I have a set of pearlescent watercolors, not metallic. I don't know if it's worth investing in black watercolor paper.
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I don't think I have seen black watercolor paper, Tim holtz came out with that black paper for Alcohol inks. I don't know that I would use it much.
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Several of my inks /paints dried out and most can not be revived. The expired inks/paints were mostly with specialty paints/ink whose companies have closed. I am not buying very much until I get a grip on what I really need. But I am totally amazed at what feels like every stamp company is now selling some lines of ink that are unique to their company.
Some of the new products I like so far...the new dome blending tools from Scrapbook.com The foam domes seem to do a nice blending so far. I definitely love the oxide inks...is anyone using the oxide sprays?? I still have the dylusion distress sprays. The alcohol pearls are okay but I still have only seen a couple cards posted with them. Oh my, I just watched Jennifer McGuire's video from yesterday and she showed several ways to use the oxide sprays...perhaps I need to reconsider lol :smile:
I also watched a Scrapbook.com video (not one of their video classes) titled: The Best Tips and Tricks for crafters using stencils. The presenter is excellent.She also made 2 more stencil videos that are great.
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Jan, I will need to check that Scrapbook.com video. Sprays are so neat, but I have not really gotten into them mostly due to the fact that my room has carpet and I am afraid of making a huge mess. I think April may have the Oxide sprays? The dylusion sprays I have seen in videos and they have such great vibrant colors.
I am sorry many of your inks dried up. I have a few pigment inks that have, but most of the others are lasting a long time. I know the stamp companies are making their own ink colors to get a new revenue source but it is overwhelming. And several companies seem to be coming out with inks that behave a lot like distress inks. I think Hero Arts is and Colorbox did (before they went out of business.)
We have a new, closer (but not very close) Hobby Lobby and I was going to go there sometime to see if they had the alcohol pearls. I would get a few to try but I just haven’t come across them anywhere I usually shop.
I have not seen the black watercolor paper, or I possibly didn’t realize what I was looking at. I have missed most of Kristina Werners holiday cards so far. Is there a difference between pearlescent watercolor and metallic? I don’t have either. I do have metallic watercolor pencils but don’t use them often.
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The black watercolor paper sounds intriguing! I have a lot to look at, with jennifer McGuire's video and the others mentioned. Will need to spend time today to look at all these plus the companies mentioned. I have the black card stock from Tim Holtz. I feels velvety and works great with the Pearl alcohol inks. The only thing about the pearl inks is that they do not blend out as well as the regular alcohol inks. I found that putting them on your craft mat, spritzing them well with alcohol and then swiping your glossy card stock through them works much better.
I do have some of the oxide sprays and I like them. They blend real well and they cover an area well. I will post some cards below that I made using them.
April
On the cards below I used flower dies and adhered them to watercolor paper. I sprayed over them with 2 colors of oxide sprays. This added texture and bright color to the backgrounds.
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When I was trying to do some layered stamping I dragged out quite a few of my old pigment inks and they had dried up, cleared out some room in that drawer for me :)
I like to find the packs where all the colors should go together.
Heidi, I am thinking I found my pearl inks at Hobby Lobby.
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Well, Connie, you and I posted about the same time. I did get my Pearl inks from Hobby Lobby and the oxide sprays too.
April
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April, those cards are very pretty! That is a neat technique! Were the flower die cuts on regular cardstock or watercolor paper?
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April, your sprayed cards are so vibrant and pretty! Hmmm, I've been resisting oxide sprays, because I never use my Dylusions sprays ... I think I just resist spraying in general because I will probably make a mess. I don't want to spray my hair either, ha! My stylist uses a keratin spray that helps keep away the frizz, but I haven't bought it because I know I won't want to spray it around my bathroom. Easier for me to use a gel or lotion type conditioner.
I looked a little bit at The Greetery! I remember Betsy Veldman! I think I used to follow her blog. I like her style. The knit stencils are pretty cool. I didn't get through the whole shop but it looks very nice.
Jan, I bet the "magic mushroom" blenders that Local King sells are pretty similar to the domed blenders at Scrapbook.com.
April, I feel like I have a lot of surfing to do too! I need to see the stencil videos, and Jennifer's oxide spray post.
Sorry about dried up inks. I was looking at my old Colorbox chalk inks thinking I should test them out. I used to love them, but now I use oxides more. Remember when "chestnut roan" was a thing? Kristina Werner used it all the time. It was a Colorbox chalk ink that is a nice brown. I have it in 2 sizes, ha! When I looked at Hero Arts "from the vault" (they have a nice Summer 2019 catalog to view online that has a great history, by decade and theme) . It mentioned how there were only a few colors of ink, in the 80's I think? Black, blue, red ... maybe green? I remember always stamping in black or trying to color the stamp with markers to get different colors ... that never worked that well for me, but then who knows what kind of markers I used.
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Chestnut Roan was a lovely color of brown. Didn’t have any weird undertone, wasn’t too light or too dark.
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I want to buy some of that Pixie Spray that is a temporary adhesive for your stencils.
Heidi, at one of the Expos, the gentleman from Stamplistic told me he uses 404 Ruler Grip Adhesive, made by Odif. It's sold with the sewing and quilting supplies so you might find it locally, and with a coupon. I think I got mine at Hobby Lobby. On the can it says also used for stencils. I used it today and I was happy with it. I adhered stencils to watercolor paper and sprayed with Dylusions spray and was able to get crisp lines.
Jan, I did find the stencil video and it is very good, and I do like the person who did the demo.
What is everyone working on today?
I think I'm working on making and cleaning up messes! As I mentioned above, I was using Dylusions sprays ... I took it outside on our patio. I managed to overspray and got the table, even though I was working on a large newsprint pad. I should have covered the whole table, or sprayed in to a box (I don't have very good luck with that either). Oh well, the table has a white top, is very old, and already has mildew stains ... so what's a little pink paint? I tried bathroom cleaner and Bar Keepers Friend. Eventually I'll try bleach. So, then I came inside and I was mixing some iridescent watercolor medium with water in a small spray bottle. I hit the bottle with my arm and it went down the front of the wood cabinets and on to the wood floor! I wiped it up quick and so far haven't seen any evidence, or iridescence! Ugh! All that for two spritzes and then my bottle seized up. This is why I don't own oxide sprays. I'm very hesitant to buy more spray! All that to say ... I'm working on Jan's Take A Look challenge. Stenciled pieces are made ... I'll have to make a card from one later. Lots to do this afternoon.
How about you? Any crafty time today? What are you working on?
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Is there a difference between pearlescent watercolor and metallic?
I'm not sure Heidi, but I'm thinking my pearlescent watercolors are more transparent, and well, pearly. I would guess metallics would be more shiny, and the metallic watercolors Kristina Werner used were very opaque.
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Cindi, I will add that to my list of things to look for when I get over to Hobby Lobby. Thank you!
I have a Christmas card to post today but it does not meet the guidelines for any of the fest challenges. I had to get bloodwork done this morning and that place is near to the Tuesday Morning and I picked up a glitter texture paste to try for the snow challenge!
I am working on Jan’s challenge right now.
If any of you are interested, it is also the Coffee Lover’s Blog hop and the Daily Marker 30 Day coloring challenge. If any of your projects go along with those, it is worth entering as there are lots of prizes.
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Thanks for the heads up, Heidi!
Did you find Bo Bunny glitter paste? I got some at Tuesday Morning a while back and I like it! I went to Tuesday Morning this afternoon and there are signs all over it that they are closing that location :( . There is one about 1/2 hour south of us and another 45 minutes or so, but this one was only about 10 minutes. Today everything in the store is another 10% off and I'm sure it will be discounted further ... but nothing new will be coming in. I didn't find much in the craft aisle. I was looking for Sizzix Sidekick dies. No luck on those. I bought some scrapbook page protectors, 4x6 photo storage boxes (I saw a video and they store their unmounted red rubber stamps in them .. I might give that a try for my Purple Onion stamps), another Heidi Swapp Marquee Love white wash paint kit - I've used a few of these and they are worth it! Only $1.99 and you get two bottles of craft paint, a tiny ink pad, a foam brush and a chip brush. I was so happy in Denver :smitten: ... I ventured out to HL to buy snaps for some baby booties I crocheted and I found a Tuesday Morning. It was very small and kind of a mess but I found what I was looking for that I couldn't find near me - the number punches for the WeR word punch, yay! $9.99 instead of about $17-$20 online.
Looking forward to seeing your snow Heidi!
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I DID get the Bo Bunny glitter paste and used it with a stencil already. Those should be dry now so I can figure out what to do with them. It is really pretty. They had some other colors too but I was only interested in the white.
I didn’t really see the other things you mentioned, Cindi. That is too bad the one is closing. I thought they were a pretty popular store.
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Our Tuesday morning closed down a year or so ago, I guess there is one over in St. Louis but we haven't been over there in some time.
I finished my stencil cards, all I have left is the winter card for Cindi's challenge, I haven't thought about what I will do with that yet, hope to get some free time tomorrow morning to work on it before we head out and do some running around tomorrow.
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Phew! I finished all of the challenges including April's twist. It's been a fun week! Including the two samples I made for my own challenge, I completed 11 cards. Woo Hoo!
I was pushing to finish today because I'm taking a Christmas journal class at a LSS tomorrow afternoon. So I'm not sure I'll get any stamping done tomorrow. It's a 4 hour class.
Now I need to clean up my mess and tend to the things I let slide this week! Not as much fun as stamping :-\
I hope you are busy stamping! I have a RAK almost ready to mail for my challenge ... just sayin' ;)
So what are you working on today?
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OH wow, people are done already? I just finished a card for Cindi’s snow challenge, but it needs to dry. I was sitting here trying to think of what to make for the Twist, and I left the shaker for last, of course, because it sounds the hardest! Lol.
Cindi, A 4 hour class sounds very long and I wouldn’t blame you for not having energy to stamp afterwards.
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Yes, I bet I will be burnt out after my December Illustrated class! It's an hour drive each way too. (Just had a thought ... make a thermos of coffee!) . I'm betting it will move fairly quickly. Here's (https://everythingscrapbook.com/event/december-illustrated/?instance_id=3906) a link to the class. The book looks nice and I'm ready for a project that's mainly assembly. It doesn't look like there will be too many decisions to be made ... just use the kit and follow instructions, and I'm good with that! I'm hoping if I have a December book made and ready to go ... maybe I will write in it in December? So far any December journalling projects have been a fail for me. I'm subscribed to Shimelle Lane's Christmas prompts, I think two Christmases ago I tried to combine Shimelle's with 30 days of lists ... I might have two pages done and most of what I gathered is still in a pile :-\ . Maybe this is the year?!
Unfortunately all of the air show activities were cancelled again today. They plan to have the show tomorrow, maybe the night airshow, and definitely the fireworks, weather permitting. I'm debating running home to let the dog out and then going to the night airshow/fireworks. DH will be away all day and unsure whether he will be home in time for the airshow, definitely won't be around to take care of the dog.
Hey, don't forget, we get an extra hour of sleep tonight! Yay!
I miss watching the birds feeding, we used to get a lot of goldfinches growing up in Syracuse ... we've been hearing a Great Horned Owl when we walk the dog at night. Love that! I'm afraid suet would melt here!
Anxious to see your cards Heidi!
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We ended up taking a drive up north along the Mississippi River to see the colors but it wasn't very good, either they are dead or still green or just browns, but there were spots of color here and there. I am too tired now to get a card done but coming on I see we have until tomorrow so after hubby goes to work tomorrow afternoon I should be able to finish another card :)
Enjoy your class tomorrow Cindi. That looks like it will be a fun class. We had a few weeks this summer that the suet was melting a little bit, so I can imagine it wouldn't do well down there. I like getting the extra time tomorrow, I shouldn't be late getting to church to do my office duties plus I have to get communion supplies around too, so that takes more time.