Saturday, February 13, 2010

Pressed Flowers Tip Sheet


Your favorite stamp set just got better: All images in the "Pressed Flowers" set fit the line art blossoms, leaves and stems in "A Year of Flowers". (And this means the masks you already have for the first set will work with the second, don't you love that?!) Store these sets together, you will be reaching for them both all the time! Some of the tips below use both sets.


If you don't have "A Year of Flowers" or have not not yet made masks for the set, it is well worth the time to take a few minutes to stamp out all the images in this set on scratch paper (I use printer paper) and then cut them out and keep in a bag with your set. You can use these to cover your stamped flowers to create a large arrangement that has flowers in the the foreground and background. The easiest way to make your masks is to ink up the whole sheet of rubber before you trim your new stamps and stamp once onto your paper before trimming them out!


Depending on your arrangement and how you apply your color, you can make these images look very flat, like a pressed, preserved flower in a book or give them a lot more depth. Both looks will be very versatile!


Use them on their own to stamp up designs with bold color in seconds, use them as a two step with the "A Year of Flowers" set, or mix them to have open borders and solid together.


Store all your flowers set in one place to make it more convenient to use them together, four sets will fit in one Gina K Binder. For now I have these sets together, but Festive Frame could be swapped out for one if you have that also, the poinsettia fits it)


A Year of Flowers


Pressed Flowers

Throw your Ziploc bag of masks inside!


When using the outline and solid together, stamp the outline first. Then use a stamp positioner to add the bold image. Eyeball it for a more loose look, like on the rose card, does NOT have to be an exact match.

When masking or putting a flower together, work in this order: flower, stem, leaves.

If you don't use the stems, stamp the flower first, place the mask over it and add the leaves over that so they will look like a cluster under the flower.

Stamp the "A Year of Flowers" outline in black or brown for dark contrast, or use a color a shade or two darker for the outline. Example: red outline rose with a pink bold rose stamp over it. Try very different colors for the bold and the outline like tan with red, or even color that flowers don't come in to create a really funky, contemporary card!


Stamp the bold flowers tone on tone to create a dry embossed look without embossing. Example: Versamark or aqua ink on the Ocean Mist cardstock in this sample to create floral patterns or scenes that will look you have Cuttlebugged them!


Beyond just inking and stamping, these bold images are glorious using the following techniques(these are some of the most common but by no means all techniques for bold stamps)

Rock and roll: ink bold image in a lighter color, then roll the edges into a darker color (the lower part of the image will give it a realistic dark underside) and stamp. Example: spring green for a leaf rolling the bottom in olive.

Embossing: Versamark, add embossing powder and heat! Example: Silver or gold roses for an elegant wedding or anniversary card!

Emboss Resist: stamp in Versamark and emboss. Sponge color around it to make your embossed flower pop!


Ghosting: Stamp onto glossy cardstock with Versamark, then sponge over then the Versamark will resist the colored ink.

Poppin Pastels: add lots of different soft colors and shadows by stamping in Versamark and sponging pastels over it, example orange on the center of the daisy, yellow on the petals. the chalk only sticks to the Versamarked image.



Pullin Pastels: rub chalk onto CS and then stamp your bold flower inked up with Versamark onto the chalky background, when you pull the stamp away it takes off the chalk to give you a negative image.


Emerging color: stamp smaller flowers and leaves in different colors from the set all over white or light CS, then stamp the large daisy over them in Versamark and clear emboss. Sponge ink or brayer all over and the daisies will resist leaving the other images to show through.


Direct to Stamp: Color directly onto your images with markers to put the color exactly where you want it, then stamp. Tracing over the veins in the leaves with a darker green will really make these pop out! See these first two samples.


Kissing: stamping a funky pattern onto your bold flower before stamping can give some really fresh results, try polka dots on the daisy or perhaps some script onto the rose.



Misting: mist your cardstock or mist the stamp after inking and then stamp to get a lovely watercolors look to your bloom.



Bleaching: Create a "stamp pad" from bleach and paper towels and stamp the flowers onto colored CS. Watch the paper change color and see a beautiful floral pattern emerge! Be sure to clean stamps well after using bleach.



Create beautiful, bold backgrounds in a flash with one or two colors and the new images, then add a single flower for your focal point, either the bold or a colored line art one from "A Year of flowers" and you're done!



Create really cool borders or corners using the contrast of the line art with the bold. Example, stamp the bold and line art daisies in black on white CS, leave uncolored, then add a pop of bright colored cardstock in your mats for a very fresh and fun card! (like the yellow one I showed in the previews)


Create amazing patterned backgrounds with these bold images and designer papers. Example: take a solid colored (distressed) or delicate patterned piece of Basic Grey paper and stamp the flowers all over in similar or darker colors to create a wonderful new floral!


Embellish the flower centers, with buttons, glitter, pearls, rhinestones, etc.


Trace the details like petals and veins in glitter pens or black gel pen for a sparkly or embossed look.


Bold flower stamps are great for home decor. With craft inks or paint, you can add them to walls, cloth napkins, painted wooden containers etc, go wild!

These large scale flowers are perfect for adorning your scrapbook pages...

Use them to create gorgeous gift wraps, tags and bags for your gifts!

Possibilities with this new set cannot be fully covered in any one post or tip sheet! :) So instead of going on and on typing here, I'm going to go get busy stamping more samples!! I will be sure to share lots of techniques and samples with both sets every week for you inspiration!

5 comments:

  1. Wow, thanks for all of the tips. Now I am on my way to order this stamp set!!

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  2. Wow is right! That took lots of work to write. I can't wait to see your samples with your explanations beside them so I can better understand what you just said. I have the Year of the Flowers and I love it. More to get! Thank you for all this good information. You are awesome!

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  3. Whoa! What a fine ride you have taken us through generous technique ideas, Mel! Thank you! I'm off to cell a bold flower stampin' friend who loves her sunflowers. See you on the net chattering about stamping great Mel shared style. Keep Looking Up!

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  4. very nice Melanie - love the fact they work together!
    Sandra

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  5. Oh my goodness, i am SO going to make masks when I get this set! Thanks for the tip to stamp the whole sheet first! Genius!!!

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Your generous feedback helps make my work and this blog better! Thanks for inspiring and motivating me! :)