Trouble was I didn't want to do a tutorial, as I really dislike making tutorials where I am seemingly expecting folk to "do it as I do", I would rather just give general comments and plenty of tips and things to avoid and then the viewer can be more creative, using whatever tools and supplies they have available...any how, it is what it is...at least I have got it out of my head now.
During the week I also spent some fun time working with my recently acquired TH Stamp Platform...a wonderful tool indeed. I have resisted until now, following the release of the MIsti and all the lookalikes from other companies...when I saw the Tonic version demonstrated I knew I need resist the purchase no longer...it is a much simpler and seemingly robust tool, to my eye.
I love the way I can now use multi layer stamps with such precision and accuracy, even coming in after I have coloured an image to re-stamp an outline, add heat embossing or a sentiment...
I also found I can make stamped sentiments and watercolour stamping images so much more vibrant and coloured using various inks beside or over each other...I can now get out a lot of my stamps once again, as they have been a tad underutilised recently...
One stamp and die set from Altenew called "Lovely Day" with four- layer rose and three layer leaf images had hardly been used and was a great one to test for accuracy of placement. I had a good try with it during the week. I have several different coloured versions of the flower stamped and die-cut ready to make into cards...I think I will use them as little square note or gift cards...they will be pretty and different to the images I normally use.
I enjoy watching Therese, (LostinPaper blog) and YouTube who make the most wonderful cards, time after time...I get a lot of inspiration from her...like a couple of flower image cards she made recently in a range of grey inks. I don't have anything like her choice of inks and colours, but I found several, with enough contrast to have a good play.
I then (rather disastrously) went on to stamp a heavy silver layer (also pigment ink), over the top, then added a darker grey dye ink...and yes, I ended up with a grey sludgy blurred image...very disappointing.
I gave up then as it was around 0200 hrs. but my brain must have been working on the issue while I slept because I woke with a start about 0400 hours thinking "Let the ink dry between stampings"...I went back to sleep but in the morning I tried that obvious suggestion I had made to myself and yes, it worked a treat...as you can see in the detail photograph, still a bit fuzzy but I like the softness it gives and it is so much better than the original!
I also made a sympathy card, while I was working with these neutral colours...this time I added some green to the leaves and a touch of gold to the flower centres...
bye now,
Di