Are you thinking about Valentines Day yet? It's one of our most favorite card making times of year. This card not only explores the subtle shades of pinks and greens but illustrates a technique using a larger stamp across more than one Inchie Square.
There are different techniques to stamping a larger format onto inchies, but when the stamp is only going to cross over onto 2 Inchie Squares the easiest way is to direct stamp. The key is to make sure that your squares stay perfectly still and flush to one another when stamping. It might even be a good idea to put a piece of tape across the back of the 2 Inchie Squares to hold them together! Also, before you stamp, turn the squares round and round until you find the two sides that are the best 'fit' - this will help insure the visual continuity of the image across the break.
Note: Be sure you are stamping on the 'right' side of the Inchie Square. If you are not familiar with the difference in the two surfaces take a second and refresh by reading our very first posting under the 'tips' section titled, Is there a 'right' side?
The stamp is one of the newest Lockhart images, Pea Pod of Hearts #2099. Tsukineko Momento Tuxedo Black is a great ink for stamping on inchies because you can color right away with Copic Markers without any bleeding of the stamped image! Start with the greens/yellows first. YG01 on the leaves with a dot of YG03 where they meet. Color the inside of the pod with YG03 and the thin outer wall of the pod with Y15. It can be tricky coloring in these small spaces so hold steady, take your time and barely touch the surface with the sharp point of the marker.
An easy way to create the shading effect in the tiny space of each heart is to color the hearts first with R00, then simply put a dot at the upper center of the heart with RV21 and then a smaller 'dot' in the same place with R32.They will all bleed together creating a nice lighter/darker coloring effect. Color the background with G20 (we go through this color like crazy)
It's easier to see the difference a backgound color makes when side by side with one that has not yet been colored. Although it's tough to see 'true' color in a photo, the goal was to have the ink colors be similar in value (lightness/darkness) and hue (saturation) to the colors of the paper used. The card is an Inchie Note from the Fall collection - a sage tone. The solid pink paper is from our 'miscellaneous' box, and the pink pattern is Pink Salt from Paper Pizazz.
Don't forget to color the edge! The fact that white Inchie Squares are a solid core white allows you to finish your inchies with this extra touch. Whether you choose to color with a complimentary color extending your background...or a contrasting color to add another design element, this is something you cannot do with chipboard.
The finishing touch to this card is the coordinating sentiment Peas be Mine #10051, also new from the Lockhart Stamp Company!
Happy Valentine making!
I love your inchies! I was introduced this week to Scraplings as well. I am hopelessly addicted as they are SO fast and cute! These look like they would be cuter and faster - lol! Beautiful work!
Posted by: Patti J. | January 31, 2009 at 01:12 PM
ohhhh, I love this!! makes me wish I had some Lockhart stamps!!!
Posted by: Donelda | January 23, 2009 at 09:13 PM
This is so cute. I've been trying to avoid looking at Karen's new designs, but dang this one is just to cute! Love how you stamped across the inches. Oh, and thanks for the reminder about the "right" side! LOL
Posted by: Kathy V. | January 21, 2009 at 10:09 PM