My Blog Crush - Clear and Simple Stamps Spread the Love Challenge

Wow, this week has been a crafting world wind! I'm back with a truly different challenge entry. I hope you can check it out and take part. Click here for more info! Ok, here's the skinny... one of my fav stamp companies Clear and Simple Stamps is hosting the Spread the Love campaign in conjunction with Amber at Damask Love (where you can link your project). I was challenged to highlight a blog I love, explain why and create a project with one of the challenge color schemes (I chose the one below) all in ode to my blog crush.

One winner will be chosen as Clear and Simple Stamps' blog crush and will be invited to be a guest designer for the Collection 7 release (meaning lots of great product for free and lots of exposure!! I am so SO excited about that!) All participants get a virtual swag bag too. It's all good and all fun! I chose the bold springtime blooms color scheme and several Clear and Simple Stamps products for my project. And here it is! I tried some new techniques with stamping and coloring and using twine - things I don't usually do in ode to my crush!

Who's my blog crush??????? Drum roll please......

My blog crush is Thoughts of a Cardmaking Scrapbooker!!!!! Michele Kovack does it all - she crafts, published her work in craft magazines, serves on craft design teams, is a loving mom and wife, works and blogs about it all - daily! I love her ability to be open, honest, humble, inspiring and I admire her work ethic and her amazing crafts. She always adds a little something extra (lots of glitter, LOL) and knows her unique craft style. She is doing everything I hope to do some day. So, this project is dedicated to you Michele Kovack!!! I hope you like it.

Here's a closer look at my project. I think crafting is a therapy Michele and I share!

If you can take classes with Clear and Simple Stamps for Copic instruction. They are wonderful. I learned a lot (but didn't practice). Now that I am getting the courage to color and put my work out there here's my crafty tip of the day. When working with Copics (I am new at it) make several impressions on the same paper you are using to try out colors and to make notes. Not all inks work with Copics and some will work only after you heat set it. I learned the hard way. I stamped in black, 2 shades of brown and then gray before choosing.  If your collection is not that large or is not set up in trios for blending, you'll need the practice before moving to the final.

I discovered using the hybrid ink from Clear and Simple Stamps works best. I liked the look of stamping and coloring in shades of brown. After I colored the skin and hair completely, I went over everything with E00 and it made it look better. I felt the areas I wanted differentiated and those I wanted blended all came together. By mistake or not, it' a good tip that I discovered. Try it (on your scratch paper first).

Supplies:

• Pink bib card - The Paper Cut
• Purple cardstock and metallic orange cardstock - DCWV
• White cardstock - Bazzill Basics
• Orange, purple, pink twine: American crafts
• Flower embellishment - Jolee's Boutique
• Embossing Folder: Sewing- Sizzix run through the Cuttlebug
• Punch: Paper Shapers for Stampin' Up!
• Ink - Espresso Your Style - Clear and Simple Stamps
• Stamps: Crafting is my therapy from the Craft Room set, Carlie from Rag Doll Carlie:Hello set - Clear and Simple Stamps
• Copics - Skin: E33, E00, Clothes: G02, RV09, Hair E37, E29, E00

 

La-Vie