combining the pieces...

one thing I REALLY love about rubber stamps is their versatility...

a stamped image doesn't need to look the same every time it's used...

this is easily accomplished by using bits & pieces from several images & combining them in a new way...

think about combining portions of stamps you already own with some new...

it totally freshens up older stamps & gives them a new life...

the background is manila cardstock with the reinker/rubbing alcohol technique, using the tree branch & dandelion reinkers...with one drop of gold metallic mixative added in for a bit of shimmer...

I added random text to the background, using watering can...

next, I stenciled the checkmate stencil to the top of the card, using tree branch archival...

you'll see that the card bottom was made my masking off half of the new vintage lace background stamp...

only the bottom half was inked with tree branch archival & stamped...

in my sample below, you'll see the new chrysanthemum stamp-it stencil-it (SiSi) used with the leaves from the new pansy SiSi...

I stamped just the flower on a manila scrap, inked over the flower with beautiful forget-me-not & then over stamped with polka dots, using watering can archival...and cut it out to layer...

I stamped the pansy leaves on a manila scrap, inked them with leaf green archival & added some random text, using watering can archival...

I added some new flourishes & the sentiment...

both stamped in jet black archival...

by using other archival colors for the background, the main jet black images really stand out...

this process also makes it easy to layer multiple stamps & stencils in the background...

the bow (LCS097 shopping is an art) was stamped on a watercolor cardstock scrap & inked with fern green archival...

and the card front got mounted to a black card...

here's what the pieces looked like originally...

my MOST FAVORITE EVER...

vintage lace background stamp...

the pansy leaves...

they can also be used upside down...

the chrysanthemum flower...

the flourish...

and the other flourish...

I used the same principle with the sample below...

did you catch this on the Friday post?

I used just the flower from the SiSi pansy with the leaves from the funky flower on SCS126, shown above to make a whole NEW flower!

before I head to the studio, I wanted to say...

THANK YOU SO MUCH for the awesome comments...

I'm so happy that you're excited about the new release too...

store owners will receive their "official" announcement on Friday, but you can contact them & let them know if there is anything specific you'd like them to order...

I'm super excited to have new supplies to...

make art!

wendy

ps...I just ran across this oldie stamp...

it still makes me laugh...