Stampin' Up! Independent Demonstrators Techniques Blog Hop

Another month another Stampin' Up! Independent Demonstrators global Totally Techniques Blog Hop.  Our technique this month is all about 'reflection'.  This is a fun and easy technique and all you need your stamp, ink and the acetate imaging sheet from your Stampin' Up! stamp-a-ma-jig, stamp positioner.

If you've arrived here from Nadine's blog what did you think of her wow project?  You're here now with Zoe Tant Stampin' Up! UK demo and I've used the perfect set for nature lovers and also a great set for men's cards, Stampin' Up! The Wilderness Awaits.

So the reflection technique is achieved when you stamp an image onto your card stock and then stamp the image again onto your imaging sheet. Stamp it carefully so as not to smudge it.  Then turn the imaging sheet through 180degrees and flip it so as to place it onto your card stock below the original image.  Do this carefully and don't allow the imaging sheet to move.  Then gently rub the imaging sheet sheet so that the inked image on it goes as a reflection image on your card stock.  

I've actually heat embossed my first image in whisper white and then used my aqua painter, markers and re-inkers to colour the Mallard and the reeds.  I also used a watercolour wash to colour the sky and add water to the reflection pool.  

I've added some burlap with machine stitching and sentiment from Wetlands stamp set along with some foliage from the Wetlands set too!

Your next stop on the Totally Techniques blog hop is to Barbara Meyer in Austria.  Thanks for joining our hop and please do comment along the way so we can visit you too.  

Enjoy hopping Zx

 

1. Zoe Tant - that's me

2. Barbara Meyer - Austria 

3. Mathilde Kortekaas - The Netherlands 

4. Patrice Halliday-Larsen - New Zealand

5. Amy Koenders - USA

6. Shelagh Freemantle _ Canada 

7. Shannean Moncrieff - Australia

8. Nadine Weiner - Germany

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Stampin' Up! Cards for Men

 I'm loving this Stampin' Up! Woodland embossing folder and have had a lot of fun creating some cards similar to many you may have seen with trees behind trees.  I've taken it a little further and created a whole scene  with the bold stag from the Wilderness Awaits stamp set.  The whole scene is stamped and brayered onto the embossing folder before putting the card through the Big Shot.  The only additions to the card above are the sentiment and I've coloured in the stag and rock with my marker pens.  I also used a marker pen to add a little definition to the embossed trees.  

This lower version is good as a birthday card for men.  The same process, but on this one I added some different embellishments ; some burlap and a wood element and I also 'smudged' some grey ink which could be clouds or smoke rising from the near by camp fire.  A perfect combination of stamps for all those who love nature or indeed the hunting, shooting, fishing brigade.

Supplies
Stamps - Lovely as a Tree, The Wilderness Awaits, Holly Jolly Greetings, Guy Greetings
Colours - Early espresso, soft sky, whisper white, mossy meadow, soft suede, smoky slate, so saffron, basic black
Embellishments - silver foil card stock, Into The Woods Elements, burlap
Tools - washi label punch, Christmas Greetings thin lets dies, stampin up stapler

Remember you can buy these and all other current products in my Stampin' Up! online shop.

Use November's Stampin' Rewards code when you spend £25 or more and I will send you a gift from the rewards when I close the code at the end of November.   NOVEMBER CODE  44AVQT6T

More soon.
Zx

Challenges
Don't forget to join us at MAWTT with our challenge of Leaves and/or trees

Stampin' Up! Set The Wilderness Awaits

I've been playing with marker pens, water spritz and clear blocks to create fun backgrounds bursting with colour.  I've used black Staz On ink to add an image in this case the Mallard from Stampin' Up! set The Wilderness Awaits.  I've used the bold, but perfect autumn colours of Blackberry Bliss, Lost Lagoon, Mossy Meadow, Tangelo Twist and Hello Honey all part of the 2014-2016 Stampin' Up! In Colours.  My simple sentiment is from Teeny Tiny Sentiments and I've added some Into the Woods Elements which I coloured with the marker pens. the image is matted onto Mossy Meadow card stock and then on a base card of Blackberry Bliss which is textured with the Brick Wall 6" x 6" embossing folder.  Quick and easy for simple makes for masculine cards.

So to create the background
1. Colour stripes of different colours onto your clear block.
2. Spritz with water.
3. Stamp onto preferably water colour paper, but it worked ok for me here with whisper white
4. Allow to dry then add your image.

You can use any clear blocks, but there is a huge selection from Stampin' Up! and you can see them all in my stampin' up! online shop.

Enjoy playing.

Zx

Happy Birthday to my fabulous hubby

Stampin' Up! UK The Wilderness Awaits, Lovely as a Tree, Wetlands

It's happy half century day to my husband today.  We've celebrated at home with presents and gifts and now he's having fun sorting out the fish tank! Excitement has nothing on this household.

We've also had afternoon tea with chocolate chip Victoria sponge made by Charlie and some quality family time.

I made him a card without the big '50' on it, but I have to confess I partially cased the idea from a super start made by the customer of one of my team. You can see her card here on lovely Mandy's blog.  I did add the tree she threatened,  Wetlands grasses  and some extra trim with a birthday sentiment from Endless Birthday Wishes.

I used some of the retired laser cut embellies which came as two pieces, but they fit together like a glove and I coloured the rim with early espresso marker pen and then married them together again.

We have a crazy border collie, but this rather fine dog is from Stampin' Up! set The Wilderness Awaits.  It is great for masculine cards and you can revisit one I made using the fox in the set on my earlier Stampin' post.

Off now to finish the rest of the day.  Best wishes to all for a great week ahead.

Zx
Challenges
Sweet Stampin' Challenge - create a scene

You can purchase many of the products used for this card now in my Stampin' Up! UK Online Shop right now and remember if you add the stampin' rewards code in the top right of my sidebar and spend £25 or more up to £150 (excl.  P&P) you will be sent a gift in early September by me after I have closed the code and ordered some rewards for everyone who has a qualifying shop on this code.

Stampin' Up! Cards for Men

Stampin' Up! cards for men are much easier to make with fabulous stamp sets like The Wilderness Awaits.  Recently I shared that I had made a handful of cards for the boys and this is one with that set.    It is very simple and teamed with a sentiment from Stampin' Up's Guy Greetings it really is one for the boys.

• Make a base card with crumb cake card stock and 'smudge' the edges with  a sponge dauber using crumb cake ink.
• Cut a piece of kraft card stock just a little smaller than the base and 'smudge' this too!
• On the reverse of the kraft card score lines using the Stampin' Up! or other score board to add texture, but not bulk
• Stamp a design using a border stamp in black ink,  I used Staz On and the border is Chalk Lines, across the top of this layer
• Stamp the fox from The Wilderness Awaits in black ink onto the kraft layer
• Stamp another fox on a scrap piece of card and carefully cut out the head, colour the eyes with cajun craze marker and adhere to the fox on the kraft layer with a stampin' dimensional
• Smudge around the fox with a dauber or sponge using crumb cake ink
• Add some linen thread wrapped several times neatly around the kraft piece and secure with a knot
• Adhere this layer onto the base card with stampin' dimensionals
• Stamp a sentiment from Stampin' Up! Guy Greetings onto a strip of kraft card and use the banner punch to pennant one end then adhere to the card as seen above
• Punch 3-5 3/4"circles out of kraft card and stick one on top of the other using Tombow multipurpose glue to make a button. Once the glue is dried use a tool like the crocodile (sadly now retired from SU) to put two holes in the button.  Cover the top with some crystal effects and allow to dry
• Thread early espresso cotton ribbon through the button and secure with a knot
• Add a folded piece of the same ribbon onto the card and then adhere the button on the top

This stamp set is perfect for the men and boys who like the great outdoors!

Have a good bank holiday as if it is raining with you like it is with me then it's a perfect excuse for crafting and chocolate. 

Zx

Stampin' Up! The Wilderness Awaits for Male birthday cards

Stampin' Up! The Wilderness awaits great for male cards 

We have a handful of birthdays coming up and it's mainly the men in our family so I've been playing with Stampin' Up! 's set The Wilderness Awaits.  This first card is very simple, but quite effective with the Hardwood background stamp, stamped tone on tone in lost lagoon as a base card, followed by mint macaron as the top layer stamped again with a tone on tone effect using Gorgeous Grunge and the magnificent stag from The Wilderness Awaits.  

I'm rapidly moving my way through boxes of  the Expressions Natural Elements and you don't have to keep them with the natural wood look! You can colour them with a sharpie pen or Staz On black in  pad and make them the colour you want.  To add a little more interest to my card I've rolled back the corner of my matting layer, having first broken the card fibres with my bone folder and held it in place with some linen thread.  A bit of 'smudging' with tone on tone inks and a sponge dauber or two and you have a great card for one of the men in your life! 

So this one is a happy birthday for my brother-in-law.

More soon Zx

Challenges 

Pixie Snipets - must use snipets