Meadow and Mountain: 3 cards, 3 Different Looks

Meadow and Mountain

Hello my crafty and creative friends!

Today I've got lots to share with you!

I've created 3 cards with Blue Knight Rubber Stamps May New Release MEADOW and MOUNTAIN stamp.

This stamp/image is a large card front sized image with lots of beautiful image details.
It's a great image for card makers who enjoy coloring...and, it's also a great stamped image for those who shy away from detailed coloring.
By switching things up a bit,..you can achieve multiple looks with this image!

Let's take a look at the 3 cards that I created...with 3 very different looks!

First...I created this card for my friends who love detailed images...but shy away from attempting detailed coloring....
I decided to go with a sepia-tone look...
Simple simple simple....
S I M PL E
This card literally came together in minutes....
I stamped the image with black ink....and added some sepia ton color with PanPastels...
A few swipes of PanPastels to this entire image piece was all that it took..."Next...I used brown ink to add some edging to the image...building it up in the four corner areas to create a vintage vignette look.
I chose a wood grain textured card sock for the larger mat layer...and also added a few swipes of PanPastel coloring to give the wood grain a vintage look.
After matting the image piece...I assembled the card.....and in just a few minutes (literally!)...the card was done!

Next....and again...for those of you who shy away from detailed coloring...I created a second card with a vintage postcard look.

Lots of muted tones...light coloring... soft greens...a muted red-based tone...and some soft blue...
Again...simple simple simple....

I stamped the image with Memento black ink using a stamp positioning tool

*IMPORTANT: after stamping the image..leave the stamp in the positioning tool...you will be using it again...and it needs to be in the exact position that you used to stamp it the first time.

After the image was stamped, I added green to the flowery grassy area first...
Yes..I went right over the flowers with the green PanPastels.
See? No fussing with small details, if you aren't a fan of coloring detailed images...
PanPastels are erasable....so the next step was to use a clean eraser to quickly remover the green for the flowers...
This takes a minute...no need to fuss over the exact shape of the flower when erasing...

Remember...we are going for a muted vintage look where colors almost blend together...yet remain separate...
(For the erasers....I like white pencil top erasers..and buy them in bulk (100's often in a huge container). Most office supply stores carry them...in store...and on line....

After the flowers are cleaned up A BIT....I added the red tone to the flowers...
Again...no need to be fussy about staying in the lines..
This look calls for a bit of softness...as opposed to very defined-in-line-coloring...
The desired look is a hint of color...not a heavy blast of color.

After the flowers were "colored"....I added some blue to the sky...a bit of color to the water...and then went over the entire image with PanPastel's Colorless Blender...NOTE: I did not use the blender over the trees and mountain.

When the "coloring" was complete...I returned the image piece to my stamp positioning tool...and restamped the imaged....
This is the best way to get a great defined image after using PanPastels
Skipping this step will leave your original stamped image looking dull and powdery...
Please don't skip the re-stamping part...
This will give your colored image a crisp clean look...

Afte the re-stamping...I sealed the color image so that any remaining PanPastel residue wouldn't smear...

(Yes...you've heard me say this before..I seal my Panpastel colored images with NEXXUS Comb Thru Hairspray)

Finally..I double matted the image...assembled the card....

and ...

Wha-la!...My vintage post-card colored card was complete!

For the third card, I went with full-on traditional coloring...
I used Copics for some bright bold color. to the image....flowers...shoreline...water...trees...and grassy area...
I inked the sky with an old Stampin Up Favorite...Sky Blue ink..to create a cloudy sky

I double matted the image....and completed the card by positioning the matted image piece of fun foam for added dimension.

It was fun creating three cards with 3 different looks...all with varying degrees of coloring.....and all, fun to create!
I hope that today's cards have inspired you...and given you some creative ideas for different ways that YOU can create cards with beautifully detailed images like Blue Knight Meadow and Mountain...even if you aren't a fan of doing detailed coloring....

Most of all...have fun creating cards that you love...whether they be with lots of coloring...or minimal coloring...
Find a card making style that works for you..makes you happy...makes the creative process enjoyable..(NOT frustrating)....and allows you to create cards that you feel excited about when they're complete!

Some helpful links:
You'll find today's featured  Meadow and Mountain stamp and all of the most recent Blue Knight New Release stamps HERE

Subscribe to my blog, if you' like...on the upper right of this blog page.

Fans of Blue Knight Rubber Stamps (Facebook group) is HERE

Blue Knight's Inspire and Create Blog is HERE

and the Blue Knight Rubber Stamps YouTube Channel is HERE

Thanks for stopping by today!

Wishing you a creative joy!

Michelle.

Blue Knight Rubber Stamps: Reeds and Ducks

Hello my Crafty and Creative Friends...

Today, I'm sharing a super speedy card with you...created with Blue Knight Rubber Stamps REEDS and DUCKS stamp set and BK's BIRDS II stamp set.
If you love silhouette stamping...you'll love today's card!

When I mentioned super speedy....I wasn't being dramatic!

Thanks to these silhouette stamp sets, some Panpastel coloring and a little bit of marker highlighting and masking...this card came together in a flash!

I started out by stamping the DUCKS and  REEDS images using a stamp positioning tool once...(thee bird wasn't stamped at this time)
The silhouettes won't be a solid back image yet...but tamping it once is enough to allow you to start adding color to the card.

Next, I used a circle punch and a 4 x 5 piece of scrap card stock to create a simple mask-like template for the sun.
I also got out a 6-inch length of scrap card stock...(approx 2 inches wide.

I placed the ling strip where I wanted the horizon line to be..separating the sunset sky from the water.

To create the sky I place the circle where the sun would be so that it would remain "un-colored" when I created the sunny sky.
I added all of the background color with Blue Knight Sunrise/Sunset PanPastel palette.
After the orange and yellow sunset sky was created....I removed the circle-shaped mask and added color to create the sun. ...making sure NOT to make it the same color as the background sky.
Adding too much yellow and orange would make the sun blend into the sky.

When adding color to the sun was complete..I placed the negative space piece of card stock (that the sun mask was punched former) over the sun...and used a white pencil top eraser to trace all around the opened circle shape to define the edge of the sun.
(Yes...PanPastels are erasable...so creating this outline was a cinch!)

I removed the long strip of card stock that created the horizon line and moved it up...covering the lowest part of the sunny sky...and positioned it on the horizon line...leaving the uncolored water area exposed.
Then, I added the water coloring, using Blue Knight's Day and Night Palette.

After I colored the water...all of the coloring was complete!
It was time to return the colored piece to the stamp positioning tool.
I inked up the stamps up and stamped and re-stamped a few times, until I had said black silhouette images...
I added the bird to the sky.
Finally, I highlighted the reeds with a green marker.

I cropped the completed image piece to size...matted it first with black card stock and then added a second gold metallic mat layer before positioning the piece on a scored card base.

These step-by-step directions have walked you through creating this card...and will allow you to create this card, on your own.
If you like creating multiples...like I do..this card is a great choice for creating a stack of cards because each card comes together so quickly and easily.

Here's one more look at today's card....

You can find today's featured stamps HERE, at the Blue Knight Rubber Stamps web store

Some other helpful links:
Subscribe to my blog, if you' like...on the upper right of this blog page.
Visit and subscribe to my YouTube Channel HERE
Fans of Blue Knight Rubber Stamps (Facebook group) is HERE
Blue Knight's Inspire and Create Blog is HERE
and the Blue Knight Rubber Stamps YouTube Channel is HERE

Thanks for stopping by today!
Wishing you a creative joy!
Michelle.

Replenishing My Card Stash in a Few Hours

Hello my crafty and creative Friends!

I rarely have 2 blog posts on the same day...
However...I JUST finished a little card making project and wanted to share it with you.

I'll keep this blog post as brief as possible...Not a lo of chit chat..
Just lots of photos...and some basic info...

THE REASON FOR THIS CARD MAKING PROJECT
My card stash was dwindling...
I needed to replenish it by creating approx a dozen cards....and I didn't want the project to be tedious.
This was kinda like a 9-1-1 card emergency.

SUPPLIES and MATERIALS:
I wanted to keep it simple...
A small collection of materials and supplies.
Nothing complex.
The cards were going be similar...but different

I knew that I wanted to create all of the backgrounds with Blue Knight Rubber Stamps PanPastel palettes
I knew that I wanted to use Blue Knight's SILHOUETTE CORNER FOLIAGE  stamp set for all of the cards
And...
I knew that I wanted to use an assortment of different sentiments and quotes for each card

I have a large collection of sentiment and quote stamps....and chose stamps by Papertrey Ink..Avery Elle...and Crafters Companion....

I started out by gathering up....cutting and preparing everything that I'd be using.
I didn't want to be jumping up and down from my studio worktable to get things
I cut all of the Spectrum Noir Ultra Smooth white card stock...the black mat layers....I always pre-cut lots of card bases...I scored a stack of card bases....got out Memento Tuxedo Black ink...my stamp cleaning and scrubbing supplies....stamp positioning tool....an ATG gun ....my Blue Knight PanPastel palettes...and Panpastel colorless Blender...some applicator sponges...and NEXXUS Comb Thru Hairspray  (used for sealing the PanPastel pieces to avoid smudging and smearing.

*You'll find the SILHOUETTE CORNER FOLIAGE stamp set, the PanPastel Palettes and Colorless Blender at the BLUE KNIGHT RUBBER STAMPS web store HERE

After I had everything that I needed....
I got started....

First...I created the backgrounds...with PanPastels....
I knew that I wanted to create a few different looks....
Marbelized...ombre...and some random blending.

I applied the PanPastels to each piece to create the different looks...finishing each piece with the Colorless Blender...This is not a maybe I'll apply the colorless blender/Maybe I won't kind of thing.
Finishing each piece with the colorless blender is the key element ins blending...thus the name colorless BLENDER
The effect of the blender was most noticeable with the marbelized look...

(*I'm hoping to put together a video within the next week or so showing how to create different background looks with PanPastels.,...mostly because there's been an interest expressed to me for a video featuring PanPastels in general..and more recently...about how I created the marbelized look)

Okay...back to my card making project....

I created 13 background pieces...

After the backgrounds were created....
I added the SILHOUETTE CORNER FOLIAGE image to each one...and ...each piece started looking like a card!

I really enjoyed going through my (1000's) of sentiment and quote stamps...
yes...I have a "thing" for sentiment and quote stamps....
I collect them...I hoard them...I love them

I chose some that are old favorites..and some that are new...and haven't been inked up...YET

I used the background pieces in different positions ...as they would work best with each sentiment or quote stamp...which means that the foliage image was in varying sides of the completed cards....which gave the look of collection of cards some nice variety.
I gave attention to choosing background pieces that seemed to "match-up" nicely (color-wise) with each sentiment...
ie: I used the more subtle pieces with sympathy sentiments....brighter pieces with birthday sentiments....
As soon as the sentiments were stamped...they became cards!

THE NEXT STEP:
PanPastels will leave a dust-like residue on your card stock....
So... I gave each piece a light misting of NEXXUS Comb Thru Hairspray to seal the PanPastels
Yes, HAIRSPRAY.....
Every time I say this ...people are in disbelief.....andthey say...HAIRSPRAY????
My cards don't need to be archival safe...and hairspray works well...
(originally recommended to me when I went to an art shop to buy a sealant...
The Panpastel specialist at the shop encouraged me to use Hairspray

BUT...please don't cheap out on the Hairspray...invest in NEXXUS....and make sure it's their COMB THRU variety
Their other version is too heavy...
Comb Thru is much lighter....and the spray mechanism is fantastic.
One can will last you a very very long time...because you're just using a light mist on each piece.
Budget hairspray won't yield the same result.

NOTE: If you want whatever you create to be archival safe....you should seal your PanPastel piece(s) with a sealant purchased at an art store that works well with PanPastels to make your pieces archival safe.

After the completed pieces were sealed with the hairspray...I matted each one...and positioned them on the base cards....

And ...Wha-la....
Presto-change-o....
13 cards....
Complete...and ready for my card stash!

Here's a look at each card...individually....

I had a GREAT time creating this little collection of 13 PanPastel cards with the Blue Knight Rubber Stamps SILHOUETTE CORNER FOLIAGE stamp set...and an assortment of sentiment and quote stamps. ( The Stamp set is HERE )

This card making project friends me of the fact that sometimes...one stamp holds lots of versatility...in unexpected ways...and you know, in your card making little heart...that the stamp is a keeper...and that you'll use it over and over ...This silhouette stamp set is one of those samp sets.

I hope that YOU feel inspired to create a collection of cards of your own...using one stamp...as I did....
If you love to explore color....and enjoy boundless creative possibilities for adding color and creating/blending new colors...I think that you'll love PanPastels!
( PanPastels are  HERE )
*The Colorless Blender is also at this link

Okay my friends..
Thanks for visiting today....
It was fun sharing this little project with you....
Wishing you many happy creative adventures!
Michelle.