Friday, April 06, 2007

Friday's Forgotten Stamps

ETA: Is the white font easier or harder to read than the black?


Good morning!

Well, it's that time of week when I dust off a stamp set that's been sitting on my shelf unloved! I can honestly say, from Day 1, I have not like today's stamp set. I really don't know why, although I suspect it's because every time I inked it up it picked up ink where it shouldn't have! Just a minor annoyance, right....? Wrong.

So which stamp set am I featuring today? Label Classics. I have hardly ever used this set because nearly every time I inked it up, it got ink in the center of the image. You have to be VERY careful not to press on the ink pad too hard with this set, otherwise you'll end up with a big blob INSIDE your label, exactly where you DON'T want it. So, needless to say, I was very hesitant as I neared the Pink Passion inkpad last night.....

....Success! I managed to ink the stamp up and keep the ink only where it was supposed to be!(ok, big digression here but I have to share....I'm sitting at my office desk writing my blog. There is a window in front of me. The ground is level with the window. Guess who just stopped by and was looking inside the window at me? Peter Rabbit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He's so cute! He hopped away after about 10 seconds, but for a minute there, I was priviledged enough to experience the beauty of God's earth right there at my fingertips! Amazing! On a icker note, I've also experienced nature right here on my desk this morning as I watched one spider, and then another, crawl on the wall right in front of me, YUCK! Sionara spiders!) Ok, back to today's card. As you remember, I left off saying that I had successfully inked up today's stamp and stamped the image onto a scrap piece of Whisper White cardstock. Miracle!

So, I bought this little bee stamp yesterday at my LSS. It's one of the new Stampendous stamps. I love this little guy holding the flower! Isn't he a cutie-patootie? I sponged some Bashful Blue ink inside the label image to imitate the sky (since the little guy is flying), and then stamped him once in the center of the label with brown Staz On ink. I stamped him again on another scrap piece of paper and colored him using my SU markers in So Saffron, Basic Black, Pixie Pink and Pretty in Pink. Then I cut the little guy out, just his body, and attached him on top of the stamped image in the center of the label with foam tape so he pops out. I did the same with with the flower blossom! For his wings and little feet, I used my glue stick and applied fine glitter to make him spaaaaarkle just a tiny bit!

The bg designer paper is by EK Success and is called Blooming Flower, I matted a piece of that with So Saffron cardstock and mounted it to a piece of Pretty in Pink cardstock. Using my flower punch (Paper Shapers by EK Success), I punched out three flowers, one Pretty in Pink, one So Saffron, and one Pink Passion. Using some scrap polka dot paper, I punched small circles for the center of the flower. IThen I applied those to the front of the card randomly using foam tape. Thinking the card needed a little more "bling", I applied Stickles in small polka dots all over the flower leaves. Still needing a place to include the new sentiment I got yesterday, I made a flower leaf using Green Galore and stamped the sentiment on that! Very clever, uh?

And there you have it, today's card using my unloved Label Classics set. Hope you like it! I think it's the perfect card for a cold spring day, isn't it? (it's 16 degrees right now, ugh). Is spring ever going to get here? I sure hope it comes soon!

Well, I want to say thanks for all the wonderful comments about the new blog look. I'd say 90% of the comments were positive, but I did get a few that weren't so positive. One reader actually said she won't be back! Wahhhhhh! I don't want to lose anyone because of my blog, that's for sure. But I'm thinking the ones that are having trouble might be using Macs, not PC's. For some reason, Macs have a difficult time with color on these blogs. I had the same sort of comments on my old brown blog too. I will try tweeking a few things over the next week, so don't be surprised if you keep seeing things change ok? The bulk of the new look will stay, rest assured!!!

Have a great day!

18 comments:

  1. Anonymous8:58 AM

    The black is a little bit hard to read against the strong pink color, but I'm sticking around.

    By the way, take a craft knife and cut the rubber away at the middle. you can put your stamp in the micro for a few seconds to help loosen the adhesive just a touch. It has helped me breathe new life into my frame stamps, hope it works for you.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I just started another sympathy card, third one this week. Though some may think it inappropriate, I think this card would make the perfect sympathy card. It picked me right up and I am having a wonderful morning that doesn't even need a pick me up. Colorful, bright and SO so so so... happy!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous9:03 AM

    I cut out the centers of my label classics with an exacto knife. It helps and it isn't very hard to do. Another thing you could do if you don't want to cut out the inside since it is already mounted is cut out a piece of paper the size of the inside of the stamp and put it on the stamp so it catches that extra ink as you stamp it. Does that make sense? Kinda like a mask. Love your blog!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Won't be back?!! Awww ... now that's a shame and it's their loss too. I check in every day and am always impressed and inspired. Love today's card!!!! It's so gloomy and cold here in Michigan and these colors and perked me up for sure. I love my label classics but don't always know how to use them for more than tags and labels - this is a great idea (yea, I know what you mean about the ink in the wrong spots too! But you did good today- yea!)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Yours is one of my FAVORITE blogs out there and I love the colors. If people do not care for it THEY can adjust their monitor settings. Sheesh. What an unkind statement to make on their part. Don't be discouraged!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous9:42 AM

    I can't believe someone won't return because you changed the look!!! WOW - were they coming for info or for "purty colors"? I love the new look. I think the white font is wonderful...the only tip...the white subtitle on the yellow is hard to see...I almost missed it! (But rest assured...I will still return!)

    I love this card. It is cold and glum here today so this was a real pick-me-up. Thanks!

    by the way...I have a Mac, and I can see everything clearly and the colors are wonderful!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Cute card. I see someone beat me to my tip: My husband cuts my stamps out using one of his saws and he always cuts out the middle of stamps like the frames or one's that have large open spaces. It helps to avoid those blogs of ink. Another trick if you don't cut the middle's out is to look at your stamp before stamping it down and if there is ink on it use a Q-tip to wipe it off before stamping. Ida

    ReplyDelete
  8. Very cute card Amy! Love the bright, springy colors! Great job as usual!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Anonymous11:11 AM

    I love the new colors! Bright is good! I have a Mac and no problem, It's all in the monitor anyway isn't it? Love your blog - just discovered it recently and check it daily. You have a different style than I do and that's good to get me out of the box!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Such an adorable card! I can read perfectly!

    ReplyDelete
  11. That bumblebee is super cute! The white IS easier to read on the pink than the black was. (thanks!)

    ReplyDelete
  12. I LOVE to read your blog and I keep coming back to it at least once a day! And by the way, I think the white is easier to read than the black...

    ReplyDelete
  13. First of all, this card is adorable! I love the scalloped layers and the flowers! Not to mention the little bee!

    Second of all, whoever that person was that said they weren't coming back, it's their loss. It seems like such a silly reason to stop getting inspired by someone.

    Thirdly, I can read the white type just fine but the black is easier to read. Use whichever makes you happy!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Anonymous8:07 PM

    In addition to cutting the excess rubber out the middle of Label Classic, I tend to use my brayer and that avoids that tell-tale blotch AND gives me a nice crisp image too.

    I know some folks aren't gung ho on brayers - I have never understood it because it is such a great tool!

    Although I'm not big fan of bright colors on the web in general (I'm more into focus on the text or the featured artwork and less on the backgrounds), people leaving because of it? Their loss!

    Neighbor_Nancy in NY

    ReplyDelete
  15. Anonymous9:25 PM

    Wow....that's just super cute. I love your little bee card.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Well I absolutely love your card. It certainly says welcome spring with all the lovely color and design. Nice work!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Anonymous6:53 AM

    I love this little card. I was wondering if if was a foamy or a rubbah. I had a fantastical stamp that I got rid of because it did that. I learned afew things. If its rubbah trim it with your xacto knife. If it's foam use masking take around the edges and ink up. Pull the masking tape off and stamp away.

    ReplyDelete
  18. I just LOVE this feature on your blog. You've inspired me to add a "Forgotten Scrap Stash Friday" to my own blog!

    I look forward to coming every Friday just to see the amazing cards you make! Keep up the good work!
    Tiffany
    www.scrapsadaisy.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete

Blog Widget by LinkWithin