Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Navy ink with May Flaum

Hey everybody! It's just me, May Flaum here, and you know I just am so in love with the color Navy in my ink lately. In fact, you might say it is one of my favorite colors of ink! This is relevant because this week here at Simon Says Stamp & Show we're sharing projects with our favorite inks.
 
I blame the Tim Holtz Chipped Sapphire distress paint for this recent navy obsession, because ever since I got that paint I have been really inspired by this color in general. To show you how I made the card above, and talk about my favorite navy colored inks as well as color combinations and more possibilities, I've created a video to share with you here today.

 
 Now I leave it to you! Whether I've inspired you to run wild with the rich blue hues or you're feeling nautical, or of course if you want to share your own personal favorite ink be sure  to enter this week's challenge! The prize (randomly drawn) is a $50 voucher to the Simon Says Stamp shop! It's full of inky goodness always of course.

For the full challenge rules check out the information in the side bar, and to be entered just check out the post just below this for the inky challenge. We'll be back next week with an all new challenge of course - we're always up to something! 
(and there's loads of new fun stuff in store too!) 

Monday, May 20, 2013

Challenge: Favorite Ink

 While it’s true that it depends on what kind of project you’re crafting and what you’re trying to make, we all have our own favorite ink pads. This week the challenge is to create something using your favorite ink pad, your #1 most used pad, or otherwise to create with a favorite ink.

Candy's favorite ink pad of all time is Tim Holtz' Gathered Twig Distress Ink and she has used it in detailing and distressing this vintage skewer card with a gift card pocket on the inside.
My favorite ink pad was Vintage Photo Distress Ink until the introduction of Gathered Twigs. It has got to be the deepest most beautiful brown ever!  It is perfect in vintage work; especially when distressing and aging the edges of paper. Coupled with Black Soot, you can instantly give paper the appearance of being old and worn. It seems like the gorgeous images on Tim's stamps; in this case, Classics #5 for the face, Artful Tools for the paint brushes and measuring tape, Papillon for the dimensional butterfly and Simple Sayings for the sentiment are even more enhanced when Gathered Twigs provides the rich warm tones surrounding them.

Suzz has a love of color and picking one ink pad as a favorite was tough but she decided that today her favorite was Memento Sweet Plum.
 Asking me to pick a favorite ink pad is like asking me to pick a favorite child. I love all types of inks and colors as they allow so much flexibility. I selected the Tsukeniko Memento Sweet Plum for the challenge this week because I wanted to create a birthday card for my Mother-in-Law. I used the Stampendous Hollyhocks because she is a fantastic gardener and I know she will love the flowers. I added a tissue paper butterfly cut with the Memory Box Darla  die. I added a few lovely Maya Road Trinket Pins to my ribbon for an additional detail.

This proved to be such a difficult challenge for Anita, so she is leaving her choice of #1 Ink Pad up to you.
You've read it correctly everyone... the choice is yours. I sure couldn't make up my mind between three inks. I love Tim's Distress Ink in Aged Mahogany because it's my favorite color and I am always drawn to reds. I also love Ranger's Jet Black Archival, and use it more than any other ink I own for it's permanent bold self. Then again, I love Tim's Rusty Hinge Distress Ink for it's fun, bold liveliness and versatility for making something look vintage and antiqued, plus it's my second favorite color. So, I've made three identical cards from Ranger's Giant #12 Manila Tags using only each of the three inks I love. I need help picking my favorite, so I am leaving the winning choice up to you!


Anna-Karin has many favourite inks, but picked the most versatile for this project, Ranger Archival Ink Jet Black.
Archival Ink Jet Black is such a versatile ink and is the pad that I reach for most often. I love that it is waterproof and can be stamped on many different surfaces. I also used three favourite Distress Inks: Gathered Twigs, Salty Ocean and Antique Linen. The card is a double high accordion card made with the Sizzix Accordion Flip die. The gentlemen from Tim Holtz Time Travelers set were stamped with Archival Jet Black on watercolour paper and watercoloured with the three Distress Inks. The same inks were used to colour the canvas panels and I stamped on the canvas with both the black and the coloured inks. More Jet Black stamping, a ticket and some Idea-ology pieces finished the card.

This week Dan decided to use his favorite ink pad to make a page for the art journal he made last week.
Asking me what my favourite ink pad is is like asking me what my favourite food is  - there's more than one answer and it changes regularly!  Having said that, thinking back through my crafting life it came down to a choice of two - Gathered Twigs and Fired Brick Distress Ink Pads.  I use Gathered Twigs most of all, but as an accent and distressing colour.  Fired Brick is the one that I actually use when I want a blast of rich colour in a composition so it won out here.  I decided to challenge myself and use only that inkpad for the whole piece, apart from some black for stamping.  I used several stamp sets on this page, including Valentine Blueprint, Around the Edge, Mona's Sketchbook and Rockstar.


Tracy showcased her favourite ink pad, brushed corduroy Distress Ink in a steampunk dimensional canvas.
This weeks challenge was an easy one for me as I absolutely love brushed corduroy Distress Ink; perfect in my opinion for ageing any project or item, it adds that subtle aged colour without over powering the focal image. Tim Holtz Top Hats image takes center stage in my dimension pocket watch cut using the Pocket Watch Frame die. The Idea-ology Pocket Watch embellishment echoes the main large focal pocket watch to give further interest and dimension to my canvas.

 
Ashli agrees with Anna-Karin this week - Jet Black Archival Ink is THE BEST!
I know, I know... all the many ink pads that are out there to choose from and I am going with Black Archival? Yep! Just like Anna-Karin said, it is endlessly versatile. For this layout, I wanted to play with lots of fun colors and a whimsical design to document our last little moments before leaving Disney World. I used one of my all-time favorite stamps - Ranunculus by Stampendous, along with some Amy Tangerine Sketchbook Stamps to scatter my background images about. Since the Archival Ink that I used is waterproof, I was then able to paint with Watercolors in and around all of my stamped images to create my colorful background.

Sandra Mouwen fell in love with Peacock Feathers Distress Ink the moment she saw it on Tim's announcement video last spring.

My favorite ink pad is Peacock Feathers for sure. I love the color of it! And that it's Distress Ink makes it even better. I covered the whole tag with my #1 ink, then stamped the in the same color with the background stamp of the Paris Memoir set. I distressed the edges with Walnut Stain Distress Ink. I love the Eiffel Tower Sizzix die and it love the matching Eiffel Tower Embossing folder too. It gives it so much texture!

Trace's three Versamark Ink pads are never far from her reach.

I decided my favorite ink is the one I use the most and couldn't craft without! I think I use Versamark Ink on almost every project. Versamark must stand for versatility, for you can use it as a watermark, embossing, and emboss resist just to name a few! My favorite way to use it is to stamp an image with it, and then emboss this image in white WOW embossing powder; like I did with this gorgeous Hero Arts Ruffled Flower stamp. I like to do this because then I can easily colour with my Tim Holtz Distress Markers, and it always looks like perfect colouring!

Sarah always seems to be reaching for her Salty Ocean Distress Ink these days and it was still on her table from the last project, it was the perfect choice for this week. Somehow you just can't go wrong with white and blue!
Many years ago I started out my crafting journey by making a few Christmas cards and today I still love to create cards. When I'm not up to my eyes in a complex project I really enjoy working on one layer cards. I still get a lot of pleasure from seeing the imprint of fresh ink on white paper. I was also wondering how I could play around with lots of my Tim stamps to create interesting designs. I love how the eye fits inside the frame and I never get tired of playing around with the Papillion set which I teamed with the smaller  butterflies from Attic Treasures.

I (May) will be sharing my pick and a tutorial later this week.
Come back by on Wednesday when I'll be sharing a video as well as project featuring my current favorite inks here on the Stamp & Show blog for even more inspiration!
 
Now it is your turn! We can't wait to see what you make, and what your favorite ink pads are! Also don't forget, for more project details and supply lists be sure to click on our design team's blog links. 
 
As always, Simon Says Stamp is giving away a $50 gift voucher that will go to a random entry chosen by Random Generator. To qualify all you need to do is create a new project that ties in (in any way!) with our theme and post it, along with a link back to this challenge, and add a link here. This challenge will end at 11:59pm on Sunday May 26th EST.

For the full rules, read the "challenge rules" posted in the side-bar here on our blog.
 
 


 



Friday, May 17, 2013

winners: inspired by challenge

I'd like to thank Simon Says Stamp for another great chance to win a $50 voucher!!

The lucky (randomly drawn) winner for the inspired by challenge is...
 
69  ellie Knol

Please claim your prize within the next two weeks by emailing May. Now let's talk about the top 3 projects as chosen by the Stamp & Show design team.  This week the honors go to:


31  Paula W
99  Kirsten
110  Stacy 

Be sure to visit their blogs and check out their amazing entries. So inspiring! Congratulations to each of you on a challenge well done! Please email May for the Top 3 Blinkie.
 
I'd like to thank everyone who took part in the challenge. It is always a joy to see what you create. I'd also like to say thank you again to Simon Says Stamp for their generosity - each week we give away a $50 gift voucher to the shop that you can use to buy all kinds of fabulous stamps, inks, and paper crafting supplies. Remember - you just need to enter the challenge each week to be entered into the drawing!

Monday, May 13, 2013

Challenge: A little paper

Pads of small paper in 6x6 size have become all the rage in the crafting industry, and for those who make cards and other small projects it is a true blessing! Now there are small paper pads of cardstock, patterns, and just about any design you could choose. Whether you choose to use a small piece of a larger paper, or dig into your 6x6 paper pad stash this week we invite you to join us in using small sizes of paper!

Dan has uses small 6x6 designs by Tim Holtz as covers for his home-made pocket art journal.
I love how Tim Holtz includes 6x6 versions of his paper designs as part of his collections. When cardmaking, often a 12x12 design doesn't make sense when cut up into smaller pieces and that's when 6x6 pads or designs really come into their own. I saw of a similar style to this in a store recently and was shocked by how much they were charging for it. After having a good look at it I realised that I could easily make something similar myself, and here are the results! I've made a template you can use if you want to make one of your own. I used 6x6 designs from the Destinations paper sash along with one of Tim's new buckles, an ornate plate and some grungeboard.

Tracy was inspired to put 6x6 papers to work on a special birthday card for the challenge. 
 I love the Karen Burniston Flip Accordion Album die, its perfect for the embellished look I love, so much space to get creative. My husband works a great deal in London, and so I thought that this would be the perfect theme for his birthday card this year. The Bracket Frame and Label die makes decorating the flip album so easy and I loved using the Prima 6" x 6" Engraver paper pad to decorate and stamp throughout. I will definitely be decorating more of these, they are great fun and give movement and dimension to all your card makes.

Candy totally loves Tim Holtz' new French Industrial Paper Stash and it was the inspiration for this nostalgic 8x8 canvas.
How about all different size papers in one paper stash?  That is just one of the things I love about Tim Holtz' French Industrial Paper StashI worked with everything from a 12x12 piece all the way down to a 2x2 square that I used as the background in my altered Pocket WatchOriginally silver, the Pen Nibs, the Philosophy Tag and the Mini Numerals take on a whole new antique gold look!  Even Chit Chat, technically small paper, was used in the Pocket Watch and the sentiment on the Label Pull. 

Suzz  used a series of scraps from the Bazzill Antique 6x6 papers to create a golden clipboard.  
 

The Bazzill papers are perfect for backgrounds because of the neutral colors and small patterns. I wanted to pair them with some golden touches and had this fantastic Wendy Vecchi Metallic Gold Embossing Paste begging to be used. I used the Crafters Workshop stencil along with the paste to create my golden clocks. I then decided to use the DarkRoom Door New York Volume I and Volume II to finish my Golden Opportunity clipboard.  

 
Anna-Karin made a learning-to-count board book using a lot of 6 x 6 in paper pads.
I love 6 x 6 papers and most of the patterned paper I use nowadays come from these pads. The smaller prints fit perfectly for my favourite ways of using patterned paper: die-cutting and stamping. This week, I made a board book teaching numbers and counting. The pages were made by covering mat board with different 6 x 6 papers from BasicGrey and Studio Calico. I used the fun Sizzix Opening Door die to make doors on each page, which open to reveal different stamped images, of course the same number of images as the number on each door. Tim Holtz new Numeric stamps were perfect for stamping large numbers on the doors (0-10) and I also spelled each number with Hero Arts Playful Flower Letters.

Trace uses her 6X6 paper packs for cards, scrapbooking, and mixed media .
I really don't think I could craft without 6X6 paper pads, especially for cards; because the scale of the pattern on the papers is just right. In this 6X6 pad from Basic Grey-PB & J, the designers have done all the work for me by coordinating all the colours and patterns! All I had to do was add some neutrals like this Ranger Foil Tape which I scored using a must have tool, my Martha Stewart Score Board; and Prima Galaxy Stars and voila, done!



A scrapper at heart, Ashli is always sure to pick up the 6x6 pad in her favorite paper collections!
I love every little bit of Alison Kreft's Composition and Color, so I just had to grab the Petit Papers in addition too all of the other lovelies. One of the best things about the 6x6 paper size is how well it works within the 12x12 format. I selected my favorite patterns to create a base for my vintage photo. After stenciling on a quick pattern and playing with watercolor, I layered up all of my paper bits and journaling cards. This pack full of delicate little patterns certainly made for some scrappy fun!

Graduation time is right around the corner, so Anita took this tiny paper opportunity to make a little card.
 
Since learning to mix it up with different types of media on paper, I rarely buy any more paper, but rather alter the paper I already own. So when I read what the challenge was to be, I knew I only had one pad of 6x6 inch paper and that was the Tim Holtz Core-dinations Shattered Kraft Core Collection, so naturally I used that here on this graduation card, made from Wendy Vecchi's Art Parts Art Journal with Etched Frame. I covered the main piece of the journal turned card with a 12x12 sheet of paper from Tim's Idea-ology Lost & Found Paper Stack, that I cut into four 6x6 inch pieces, so don't be afraid to cut a larger sheet down to use for this challenge.

Sandra Mouwen is a real typical hoarder as it comes to 6x6 paper pads, she hoards but hardly uses them.
I need to use my 6x6 paper pads more often, so this challenge was not only fun, but also a really useful one for me! I used Meadowlark of My Mind's Eye. I love that black and white paper pad! I made this drawer cabinet out of Black Bazzil cardstock a while ago, but it was a bit plain. It needed to spruce it up! So out came the Multi Medium Matte and some Brushes, and started collaging the whole thing. It needed some color, with the Pool Paint Dabber I went over all the edges.

Sarah decided to go petite on all levels with her tribute to a little paper.
I have always enjoyed creating and crafting 'in small'. I love working in detail and seeing how much I can put into one project. I thought it would be fun to create a mini book using Tim's Destinations Paper Stash and went for the Steampunk page as it seems like ages since I played around in that style. Time to ink up those fine looking Gents! The book is made using one piece of 12 inch paper and is adorned with lots of smaller paper pieces and mini-tags from the same stash plus a whole range of Idea-ology including a die-cut bookplate and trinket pin.

 
For more inspiration click on our design team's blog links so you can see more photos (and full supply lists) for their projects. Then we hope you'll grab a little paper and join us in the fun!
 
As always, Simon Says Stamp is giving away a $50 gift voucher that will go to a random entry chosen by Random Generator. To qualify all you need to do is create a new project that ties in (in any way!) with our theme and post it, along with a link back to this challenge, and add a link here. This challenge will end at 11:59pm on Sunday May 19th  Eastern Time.

For the full rules, read the "challenge rules" posted in the side-bar here on our blog.