Guest Designing for Top Flight Stamps

I have happy news to share today.  I'm guest designing this month for TopFlight Stamps!  If you're not familiar with this online store, owner Donna Bowman procures stamps from around the world and sells them from her one-stop shop.  International stamps don't have to cost a fortune anymore!  You'll find a nice selection of some of your favorite international stamp companies represented in her store.

For my first project, I've created a 6x6 inch canvas featuring the Carabelle Studio "Loving Thoughts" stamp set.   

Here's the awesome stamp set that I'm using today.  Butterflies are the theme this week.

I've got a tutorial for you as well.  Besides the stamp set mentioned, you'll need:

-6x6 inch gesso board canvas

- Ranger Ink Hickory Smoke distress spray stain

-craft heat tool

-clear gesso (Dina Wakley)

-Mod Podge

-white cardstock

-black dye ink (Memento)

-craft mat

-Nuvo Crystal Drops Bubble Gum and Carnation Pink

-water brush

-Ranger Ink Picket Fence Distress Paint

-DecoArt Satin Multi-surface Cotton Ball paint

-large acrylic block

-fine tipped scissors

-white construction tissue paper

-foam paint brush

-water bottle mister

-paper towel

-small fine tipped paintbrush

1.  To begin, pour yourself a cup of coffee.  If you enjoy a hot cup while crafting, that is.   

2. Grab your clear gesso and spread a thin layer with a foam brush, on your gesso board canvas.  The advantage to a gesso board canvas, over a traditional cloth canvas is, you can stamp on a firm surface.

3.  Allow to dry or speed up the drying process using a craft heat tool for a few seconds.

4.  Spray your hickory smoke distress stain (4-5 spritz) on your canvas.  Make sure you have cleared the area on your craft desk and use a craft mat or large box.  Dry with your heat tool and spray a second layer of hickory smoke stain.  Dry again with your craft tool.  

5.  Take your water mister and spray generously into your hand.  Splatter the water from your hand onto the canvas.  Let sit a few seconds then blot with a paper towel.

Looks a little bit like marble or granite, don't you think?

6.  Load your flower stamp on your acrylic block and stamp with the black dye ink.  To add the faded floral images, do not re-ink but continue stamping in random sections of your canvas.  This is called generation stamping; stamping multiples with one inking.

7.  Pour a tiny amount of Ranger Ink Picket Fence or other white distress paint onto craft mat.  Grab a little of the paint with your waterbrush and paint around your flower buds.  Blot with paper towel when finished.  This will give a light, mottled effect.  Dry with heat tool.

8.  Stamp your sentiment onto white tissue paper.  Additionally, stamp the word "Bloom" onto white cardstock.  This is optional.  Fussy cut around the sentiment with fine tipped scissors and adhere on canvas with Mod Podge, making sure you quickly heat dry the wording first before the Mod Podge, so it doesn't smudge or bleed.  If you wish, fussy cut the word "Bloom" and add on top of the stamped word, covering with Mod Podge.  Dry.

9.  For the butterflies, stamp them as pictured with the black dye ink.  We are stamping first so that the tenticles will not have to be fussy cut later.  Next, stamp your butterflies on white cardstock, fussy cut and adhere with Mod Podge, both under and on top of the butterflies.  Do the same with the leaf petals stamped on white cardstock.

10.  Pour a tiny amount of white Decoart paint onto craft mat.  Use fine tipped paintbrush to paint tiny spots on the flower buds.  I did not do this on the faded floral images.

11.  Completely cover your entire canvas with a layer of Mod Podge.  Dry.  Coat once more and dry.

This was my finished project.  But......

I just couldn't make up my mind if I wanted to leave this monochromatic.  I had that little nagging feeling that I should add a pop of color, so I decided to add tiny drops of Nuvo Crystal drops in 2 different shades of pink to just a few of the buds, not all.  Pink (and the pink ribbon) is symbolized in October for Breast Cancer Awareness Month, here in the USA.  It's a cause that is near and dear to my heart, as my mother and sister have both battled the disease (successfully!).

I really love that little addition of color.  What do you think?  Do you prefer the monochrome colors or the added pink?  I'd love to know which is your favorite.  Tell me in the comments, if you like.

I know I promised a brief tutorial, but I really hated to leave out any steps and the more I typed, the more I remembered!  In actuality, this did not take long to create.  I would say, less than 30 minutes.  

Thanks so much to TopFlight Stamps for having me guest design today! Be sure and visit their blog for more inspiration.  I'll be back next week with another project.  Check out all the products from Carabelle Studio, here.

Make sure you're following Top Flight Stamps on Instagram and Facebook too.  You'll discover frequent sales, contests and more.  Plus, they have a rewards program on the website.  See you next week!

Terri

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