On a stamping roll

I really got inspired by looking through some old samples yesterday. I don't usually have a sketch in mind when I start making a card. Deciding on a stamp set is normally my first thought. I used to make many of my cards using the same type of style. (I guess I've been stamping so long the terminology has changed on me!) Anyway, looking at the cards, I thought it would be fun to take a set (A Flower For All Seasons), use the same style or sketch, and use each of the stamps to make a different card. Clear as mud, huh! LOL Here, I'll show you what I mean...

Here are the four cards using the four stamps from the set. Can you see what I mean about using the same style, but changing it up for each card by using different colors and elements? It's not really hard to create when you have some pre-determined basics. Each image was stamped on Whisper White cardstock that was the same size and layered onto a contrasting color of cardstock. Each card has a ribbon bisecting it across the middle of a top-folded card. That's about it for similarities.

Now let's look at each one individually. The spring card used Copic markers for coloring and is very bright with a Pumpkin Pie card base. The layers are Close To Cocoa and Creamy Caramel. I used the Close To Cocoa Marker to add stitching around the layers and also around the sentiment layer. The sentiment (from Always In My Thoughts) was stamped in Tempting Turquoise ink. It needed something else, so an orange color Fire Rhinestone brad was added to give a little pizzazz.

The second card is the summer theme. Here I went with So Saffron card base with a layer of Certainly Celery that went through the Big Shot using the Top Note Bigz Die. The Saffron card also has a tone-on-tone stamped background using the flower from the Sprinkles set. The image was colored with inks and AquaPainter - my favorite tool! I also added a little Encore Silver on the water can. This was layered onto Basic Gray. A Celery ribbon was added and 3 Fresh Favorites Buttons filled in the corner.

Next comes our fall themed card. This one was cut a little shorter - only 5 inches wide. The card base is More Mustard with a layer of Bella Rose DSP. The coloring was done with inks and AquaPainter again. This was layered onto Close To Cocoa, then onto Pumpkin Pie. Looking at the card, it needed another shot of color, so a scrap of Old Olive was added. A More Mustard ribbon was tied on. The last touch was the sentiment (from Always In My Thoughts again). To try something different, I punched it with a 1 1/4" Circle Punch and the So Saffron layer with the 1 3/8" Circle Punch. Again it needed something extra, so a brown Neutral Brad was added.

The last card of the quartet, was a Christmas card. Oh my you say, pink for Christmas? Well, I love the poinsettias that are pinkish and varigated, so that's what I tried to make. It seemed to get lost on a red card, so it was Pretty in Pink to the rescue! Again I used markers and also some ink and AquaPainters, sort of a mix of both. The front edge has a scallop punched border with white cardstock behind to set it off. The ribbon is the retired Lt Pink Gingham and the sentiment is punched with the Word Window Punch.

Whew, there you have it! It was a stamping marathon using only one set and a basic design with some variations. Give this idea a try yourself. It's surprising how different the cards end up even though they are similar. Hmmm... sort of like siblings. They all come from the same parents, but they're each unique in their own ways. Something to ponder...

Have a creative day,

Sharon