Sunday, February 24, 2013

THE STAMPS I LOVE AND USED!!

How many of us have all sorts of stamps sitting around that we love and don't use?  I am so guilty of that!  This weeks' Simon Says Stamp and Show Challenge is to use a stamp you love ... but don't use.

Stop by the blog and check out all of the really cool pieces that my design team buddies have waiting for you to see.  It's interesting to see all of the different styles of stamps and how they used them in their projects.

I have to admit...I have cheated just a little bit on this challenge.  I recently purchased Darkroom Door's "Fun and Games" stamp set from Simon Says Stamp.  So, I've not had it all that long...but I haven't used them yet!  And I do LOVE LOVE LOVE this stamp set! 


Every stamp in this set is so cool!  Vintage, nostalgic and I wanted to use ALL of them on this piece!  I almost did!


I started with a 5x7 canvas that I brushed with Studio Matte Multi Medium and then covered with 7 Gypsies Life Tissue Paper.  Then I heat set it.


I love teal mixed with browns or sepia tones, so I washed the canvas with Studio's Classic Teal paint mixed with water and heat set it again.


Next, I added a wash of Sable Brown over the canvas to antique it a bit.  Then I heat set it.  Next I rubbed some Graphite then Old Silver and then Copper Inka-Gold randomly around the edges and on the canvas.  It adds so much depth and richness to the canvas.  You will see the different in the next photo.  In the meantime, I had stamped all of my images and sort of laid them out where I thought I would want them to go on my canvas.  In doing that, I noticed a big blank area on my canvas that I didn't like.  What to do?


How about adding some of Wendy Vecchi's Studio 490 White Embossing Paste using her Brick Wall Stencil?  LOVE it!  Okay...but now the white is really stark against my finished background.


More Sable Brown paint and a little Copper Inka-Gold rubbed on the textured bricks.  LOVE it!  In the process of putting my design together, I decided to add another smaller 2x2 canvas; covered the same way as my larger canvas to really give dimension to my piece. 


Here is that 2x2 canvas with the word "LIFE" on it.  The letters are from Tim Holtz' Mixed Minis Grungeboard set.  I first painted them with a Pitch Paint Dabber followed by touches of a Gold Paint Dabber.  Then I rubbed some Inka-Gold Old Silver over them.  Next, I glued them in place using Glossy Accents and covered them with Crackle Accents to really lift them off of the canvas.  The different suits of cards are glued behind the 2x2 canvas using Tim Holtz' Memo Pins.  I love the extra dimension and color they provide to that corner of the canvas.


I really wasn't able to capture how cool these look in person. They are dimensional and crackled.  The "i" is dotted with a Bingo piece from the set that has been covered in Crackle Accents as well.


The Bingo cards were stamped onto manila cardstock that was distressed with Vintage Photo Distress Ink.  That wonderful vintage red ink color is Archival Vermillion.  I then cut out the cards, distressed the edges with a Tonic Paper Distresser and then inked the edges with Gathered Twigs and touches of Black Soot.  I bent the cards up a bit, added another Bingo piece to one card and layered them onto the canvas.


The joker.  Isn't he great?  I love this stamp!  He was stamped onto manila cardstock that was distressed with Vintage Photo Distress Ink.  Then I colored in the joker using my Derwent Watercolor Pencils.  I inked the edges in Black Soot and glued him into place.


Underneath the "LIFE" canvas are the words "ENJOY THE GAME".  I stamped them onto manila cardstock using Jet Black Archival Ink.  Then I cut closely around the letters.  The stamp set has those wonderful domino images.  So, I stamped them out using Jet Black Archival onto manila cardstock, cut them out, glued them onto chipboard for more dimension and then inked the edges with Black Soot.  Then I popped the words onto the top of each domino and covered the words with Crackle Accents.  When dry, I staggered them in place on the brick background.


Finally ... the chess pieces and dominoes across the bottom.  Originally, I just had the chess pieces laying across the bottom but they sort of died into the background.  But, when I added the domino strip across the bottom ... POP!  The chess pieces are stamped with Jet Black Archival ink onto manila cardstock and highlighted with the Inka-Gold Old Silver rubbed on their highlighted area.  Then they are pop dotted onto the dominoes.


Here is a different view of the canvas so you can see all of the dimension you can achieve by adding another smaller canvas, bending the Bingo cards, gluing the dominoes to chipboard before gluing them in place and pop dotting the words and chess pieces.

Now it's your turn to pull out that stamp that you love but haven't used!  Create something wonderful and post it to our challenge.  You could be our lucky weekly winner of a ...


$50.00 credit voucher to buy more stamps!!  Or whatever your heart desires!
You could also be selected as one of our TOP THREE entrees for the week...a nice honor!

Good luck and I can't wait to see what stamp you will use and how you will use it!

Here are the products available at Simon Says Stamp used in creating this canvas:








35 comments:

  1. Hi Candy, you never fail to impress, with your stunning art and this piece is no exception! It is absolutely gorgeous.....the brick wall is amazing, your use of the Inka Gold, the fabulous bingo card stamp (it looks vintage the way you have stamped it), the addition of the 2 x 2 canvas to give dimension and the wonderful dominoes - all so carefully thought out. You rocked this piece totally! Hugs, Anne x

    ReplyDelete
  2. Another fantastic piece of art, Candy! Love it all, but especially like the texture of the brickwork embossing paste and old bingo card stamp. You always put so much into your pieces and they are so interesting to look at! Lisa x

    ReplyDelete
  3. Wow that background is fabulous and I would have a hard time covering it up! Love this whole project and how you used the Fun & Games set! Beautiful!

    ReplyDelete
  4. What a very unique and cool piece! Your brick wall stencil gave me an idea for a project I'm working on - thank you!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Fabulous canvas Candy! Love all the dimension and textures. The background with the text tissue paper and the bricks is wonderful. Love the small canvas, bingo cards, chess pieces and everything else. Archival Vermillion is my favourite red ink.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hi Candy,
    this is really fabulous!
    I love mixed media, and I am addicted to templates, modeling paste and color mist.Your canvas with the brick wall ist soooo beautiful and I love what you created with these stamps.
    Have a nice week.I am waiting for spring but it snows all day long. The snow reaches up to my knees. Can you imagine that? But the dogs love it. They look like little yetis when we com home fromn a walk.

    Anke x

    ReplyDelete
  7. Your canvas is gorgesous. Thank you for sharing the making

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hi Candy. Just popped by for my weekly fix of viewing your wonderful SSSS projects. Great use of your new stamps so love the background you have created. Stunning piece beautifully created

    TFS

    Crafty hugs

    Annie x

    ReplyDelete
  9. Smashing mixed media canvas Candy and can see why you love your new stamps. Hugs Annette x

    ReplyDelete
  10. WOW what an incredible gorgeous work full of life! All elements you've decorated are amazing, love it very much!
    Wish you a fine week,
    xox Anja

    ReplyDelete
  11. Hi Candy, I love your canvas, love the background before anything was even added, the wash if paint looks fabulous and the textured brick wall is a fantastic touch. I love all the game pieces and the mini canvas with the lettering is such a lovely touch as are those card suits and domino pieces with the sentiment added. I always love to see your mixed media pieces and the step by steps are wonderful to read. Enjoy your week my friend. Tracy x

    ReplyDelete
  12. Wow Candy! your canvas is really amazing! Love the background with the tissue paper and the embossing paste! And all those stamps! I understand why you cheated a bit! They are really awesome! Hugs, Sandra

    ReplyDelete
  13. Gorgeous project, Candy!! It's ok that you "cheated a bit" because it just looks so awesome together ;) I love the exposed brick look!!

    *mwah*
    Steph
    Simon Says Stamp!

    ReplyDelete
  14. I loved all the work. I fell in love with the background and detail of bricks. The theme of games is simply fantastic. The colors are beautiful.
    (Amei todo o trabalho. Me apaixonei pelo fundo e o detalhe de tijolos. O tema de Jogos é simplesmente fantastico. As cores são lindas. )

    ReplyDelete
  15. I love, love, love, this canvas. So many different techniques used, totally amazing!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Oh this project is just freaking fabulous! I loved in on the DT blog and now seeing all the photos it's even better! LOVE this! The images rock, and on canvas even better! So cool and so fun! Amazing DT work Candy!

    ReplyDelete
  17. FAbulous canvas! Stunning ! BArbarayaya

    ReplyDelete
  18. Wow! I love this! Thank you for the steps too! Very cool! :)

    ReplyDelete
  19. Candy, auf dieser Leinwand sind so viele verschiedene Spiele vereint, das ist großartig, ebenso die Stempelauswahl. Der Joker-Stempel ist so toll und Sie haben wieder ein wunderschönes Kunstwerk erschaffen, mein Kompliment!

    ReplyDelete
  20. candy I LOVE this project!! Awesome as always xxx

    ReplyDelete
  21. Amazing work yet again... the layers of colour on that fab tissue background give such depth - and I love your wall (just got that stencil but haven't used it yet!), and I can totally see why you love those stamps! Oh, oh and I love the extra little canvas on top... altogether wonderful!
    Alison x

    ReplyDelete
  22. I just love visiting your blog. You make the most amazing art. Your attention to detail is phenomenal and I get so excited to see how you use things in unexpected ways. Love the smaller canvas attached to the larger one. The brick wall looks awesome and each element looks vintage and well loved. Very cool! You have rocked this stamp set!

    ReplyDelete
  23. great idea for a panel. the color is beautiful. cool project!

    ReplyDelete
  24. Wow and wow! What an amazing project. I am coming from the card making side of things, and only just found the SSSS blog--I've never seen anything like what you have made--what an amazing piece of art. Just incredible.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Fantastic texture and interest, Candy! I love the raised brick corner~

    ReplyDelete
  26. Incredibly beautiful and well made as always, I can see why you are a fan of that stamp set so I think the cheating can be excused ;). I love the depth and texture. Stunning Candy, I wish you could bottle that creativity up x

    ReplyDelete
  27. Oh wow Candy, this is wonderful! I love that joker, the pencil colouring is perfect to make it look like an old card. My favourite parts are the dominoes -they look so real!! All those fabulous games from my childhood, and I totally agree with the sentiment. Enjoy life because that's what it's all about. Thanks for the fab comments you leave on my blog, they are much appreciated as are you. Maddy x

    ReplyDelete
  28. Waow! This is so wonderful! x

    ReplyDelete
  29. Way to rock out that stamp set!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  30. Love the way you have created the base on your canvas and the stamped emphemera are perfect. I can see why you love this stamp set. Hugs, Jenny x

    ReplyDelete
  31. Stunning canvas Candy. Thanks so much for sharing what you did. I've some tissue paper on the way to play with, really look forward to giving it a try.

    ReplyDelete
  32. What a beautiful canvas, Candy! Love how you stacking the little Life box and added the awesome texture through the brick wall stencil. This is some awesome wall art!

    ReplyDelete

I am so happy that you stopped by my blog! I truly appreciate your time and thank you for leaving a comment! Have a wonderfully blessed day!