Have you joined The Stamp Nation yet?  Hey, $27 bucks for a 3-month subscription plus access to a world of classroom tutorials, videos, challenges, and networking is a fabulous deal.  Here's the LINK in case this is the day you jump in!!!

I'm so excited about this week's challenge because it's all about using Gelatos!!!  Faber-Castell is sponsoring two generous prizes valued at $62 each!  To be eligible, just upload your card by July 7th.

Here's my cards:

I began making the insert background on paper I had prepped with Gesso (Krylon spray Gesso!) and scribbling 3 colors of Gelatos in random areas.  I used orange, yellow and salmon.  With Gesso paper, you can easily use your finger to blend colors.  Add more Gelato as needed.

Once dry, I placed a Stampendous/Dreamweaver stencil over the Gelato and using a baby wipe, removed color.  Tip:  Try using a less juicy wipe to avoid excess seepage.  A lint free cloth dipped in water works as well.  Remove the stencil and allow the ghosted image to dry.  Using a Misti, stamp the botanical branches and tiny birds as shown (Catherine Pooler).  

Though it's hard to see, the panel behind the framed panel is 'stamped' (Catherine Pooler) with Gelato scribbled directly on the stamp and lightly misted with water.  I got several stampings before I needed to 're-load' with more Gelato and water.  Even if you get too much water, just stamp off on a scrap piece.

The word best (Catherine Pooler) is diecut out of craft foam.

This card background is a similar process to the above card where I used a Stampendous/Dreamweaver stencil.  Once dry, I stamped the Medallion (Catherine Pooler) in Ruby Red ink (Catherine Pooler) and then layered the diecut doily (Catherine Pooler and also colored in Ruby Red).  Prima flowers were colored directly with yellow Gelatos and spritzed with water to blend color.  Best (Catherine Pooler) diecut sentiment was inked with a Palette glue pad and WOW glitter.  The sentiment ever (Catherine Pooler) was stamped just under the diecut word.  Butterflies were diecut from extra pieces of Gelato papers (A Muse Studio). 

Okay, so I think you know I'm gaga over Gelatos and LOVE a reason to play.  Challenges keep our skills fresh and utilized.  We have years of skills and this is a great way to continue our creative process.

Thank you for stopping by!

xoxo

LYN

Wow!  I can't believe how long its been since I posted on my blog under The Stamp Nation tab.  I love this site (have I mentioned that 100 times already in my e-news?)!!  This month's Pen Pal swap theme is black & white with 1 or 2 color pops.  Since I just received the Stamp of Approval box, I couldn't resist working with some of the new items.

I wanted to create a background in black and white and simply stamped images all over.  Inside the SOA box was a new inkpad called All That Jazz and it's gorgeous!  All the color you see on my card is done with either blending the ink onto white card stock to create card base or taking a Tombow blender pen and dipping it into the inkpad and coloring in the little hearts!

This card started one way and ended up totally another way!  Wish I had taken photos.  Once I stamped the background, I actually diecut the sentiment out of All That Jazz that I colored onto white cardstock, but it just didn't pop!  Next I diecut the same word out of fun foam and mounted it right over the original die.  That didn't pop either.  FINALLY, I glittered the word in black glitter and that did the trick.  To break up all the background, I added the diecut frame.

Here's a list of supplies:
Stamps:  Catherine Pooler Designs Simply the Best, Beautiful You
Paper:  
​Dies:  Catherine Pooler Designs
Inks:  Catherine Pooler Designs All That Jazz, Midnight
Embellishments:  A Muse Studio-Gems, Stampendous-Glitter
Other:  Tombow Blender Pen, Tsukineko Quickie Glue Pen, 3M 1/4" tape roller, 3M Foam Tape


Thanks for stopping by!

xoxo

LYN