My local scrapbooking store, Island Scrapbooking, offers really great classes and I spent the past Saturday at Stamp Camp II. I always learning new techniques. The only drawback is that when you learn techniques you want to buy all the these new things to be able to do these techniques at home! This is why I try to limit the classes I take because ultimately I end up doing some very expensive shopping after classes ;)
On August 4th I attended Stamp Camp I. The Stamp Camps are taught by two really great crafters: Jenny and Debi. Jenny also has her own stamp line called "Sister Stamps." Coincidentally I also work with Jenny's husband. They may call it the "Big Island," but there's definitely a "small-town" feel where everyone knows everyone.
Here are their blogs:
Debi's =
http://craftybuzz.blogspot.com/
Jenny's =
http://sisterstamps.blogspot.com/
I wanted to blog about Stamp Camp because I wanted to show and tell what I made, but also it's a good way to document what I learned so I don't forget! Some of my images won't rotate correctly which is frustrating me...but this is my third time writing the blog and I'm not trying to fix that problem anymore since I keep crashing the blog site! Guess you'll just need to rotate your head :)
Here are the products from Stamp Camp I:
Technique 1: Distress Stains to color embellishments
For this this thank you card we learned to use Tim Holtz's Distress Stains to color the rosettes. I had never used Distress Stains before, but have some of his Distress Inks. The stains are like those old school paint dabbers we all used in preschool. However, I actually didn't like my rosettes so I chose to leave them off my card, but you can still see the effect in the picture below.
Technique 2: Tim Holtz Crackle Paint
For this tag we used Tim Holtz's Crackle Paint in Rock Candy. We painted it onto the pre-cut heart, which was cut out of some material that I can't remember what it was, but it's not paper. What surprised me the most was how much of the crackle paint you need to glop on. It's a pretty thick coat you add. As the paint dried it crackled and when it was completed colored we used Distress Stains again to color the heart. The rest of the tag is pretty straightforward, we just inked up and stamped a background and the sentiment on the card before adhering our heart. I liked the crackle effect and that you could color it whatever you wanted so of course I bought myself a little jar of the crackle paint.
Technique 3: Stamping on Decoupage/Sticky-Backed Canvas
Our next card involved using a medium I hadn't used before, sticky-backed canvas. (I think Debi really likes this stuff since she used it again in Stamp Camp II!) It's exactly as it sounds...canvas, but with a sticky back so can just adhere it to another surface. We decoupaged the background and then stamped over it when it was dried. We then stamped and cut out the bird, then added the twine for further embellishments.
Technique 4: Make your own twine flower embellishment
For this card we used the Distress Stains to make our background. Then we learned to make twine flowers using the styrofoam with the needles. Basically you wrap the twine around the needles until you make a flower. Then you pull out the needles and you have your flower. I used the stains to color my twine flowers, but I kind of regret that since I liked the look before I colored them.
Technique 5: Distress Stains + Water
This was my favorite technique that I learned in Stamp Camp I. You take the Distress Stains and liberally stain your paper. Jenny uses watercolor paper since the paper gets pretty soaked (which reminds me that I need to get some). Then you mist some water over the colors and the stains begin to blend since they are water based. It creates this really neat tie-dyed, watercolor effect. We used Distress Ink to distress the edges (that the browning on the edge of the page). We then stamped the background in white and then stamped the butterflies.
Technique 6: Distress Markers + Water Brush
Our final technique was to learn how to use Tim Holtz's Distress Markers (can you tell yet that Tim Holtz's is totally a rock star in the crafting world?) and the water brush to blend the colors. We first stamped the image of the flower with an oil-based ink (Important detail!). Then we colored in the flower using the Distress Markers. Since the Distress Markers react with water, you use the water brush to blend the colors so that you get a water color effect. It's very soft and pretty. We then used Distress Ink to color the background. (Sorry it's sideways)
This past Saturday I spent another few hours at Stamp Camp II. I loved the cards we made in Stamp Camp II even more than the ones we made in the first Stamp Camp.
Here are the products from Stamp Camp II:
Technique 1: Distressing Embossed Canvas
Here Debi used the sticky-backed canvas again. We embossed it and then used Distress Ink to color the raised part of the embossed canvas. Next we wound some pretty twine around the scalloped circle and put together the card. I really liked this card.
Technique 2: Stamping with Water
Now this technique REALLY surprised me. First we used the Distress Inks to color in a background. Then we stamped the background (that lattice like image in the back) with an embossing ink, spritz the stamp with water and then stamped the image. Because Distress Inks are water, they react to water. Thus with Distress Inks in the background you can stamp with water. Neat huh? We then used another product I've never used and that was Adirondack acrylic daubers...by...you guess it, Tim Holtz! If you aren't a crafter, by now you've probably figured out that Tim Holtz is a crafting rock star. The Adirondack acrylic dauber was used to stamp the gold butterfly. You can't really tell in the picture, but using the acrylic paint instead of regular stamping ink creates really crisp edges. The image looks so crisp, one of my fellow campers thought the image was embossed. Pretty card huh?
Technique 3: Stamping with an Adirondack Acrylic Dauber as a Resist
I love this card too. We used the same gold Adirondack acrylic dauber to stamp the pennants behind the sentiments. Basically we stamped a background image using the acrylic paint and then cut that paper into strips. We then swept over the stamped background image with the Distress Stains and wiped off the stains so that you were using the acrylic paint as a resist. Finally cut the strips into pennants. We just stamped the front piece with the flowers, the sentiment and then distressed the edges. Another pretty card!
Technique 4: Embossing + Painting with Water Brushes
This next card is one of my favorites. I was seriously contemplating making wedding cards like this...until I realized I would have to make 250 of them. Still it would be neat... Anyway, the technique. First we embossed the background stamp with a pearlized white embossing powder. Now, we could've used Distress Markers, but not everyone has bought those yet (I have...) OR Jenny ingeniously showed us how we could just stamp our Distress Inks onto our crafting mat and use the water brushes to pick up the color. I think I really like this technique because I really like paint-by-numbers...but this is way more practical. Rather than having some random paint-by-number of a German castle, I can paint images that are actually something I'd use. The embossed (i.e. raised) part of the stamp helps keep the colors from running. Jenny mentioned this technique also works with embossing folders. Can't wait to keep doing this technique for sure!
Technique 5: Masking + Memento Dew Drop Inks
I think this card is so pretty...although I see some details that really bug me. How the technique works is you use Post-It paper to block out or "mask" part of the card. Then we used the Memento Dew Drop inks and sponges to color in the exposed part of the paper. I was so happy to use the Memento Dew Drops since I own a few but haven't used them yet! Then we embossed the white butterfly. Finally we removed the Post-It paper and stamped the remaining images. Ta-da!
Technique 6: Layered Stamped Image
This is actually the card that made me sign up for Stamp Camp II. I don't particularly like how mine came out, but the technique is really neat (and easy!). Basically you layer the white cardstock, adhering the pieces together with a little bit of removable adhesive. You stamp your image. Then you back each white card stock with the black card stock and put it all back together! Easy!
