Stampin' Up! had some organised swaps on our Alaskan Cruise for which we prepared 26 identical cards before we went, handed them in to the Stampin' Up! staff in the Stamper's Base Camp when we got onboard Explorer of the Seas, and on day 4 or 5 of the cruise we able to pick up a bag of "swapped" cards to take home, containing 26 cards designed and created by other Cruise Achievers.
I used a few different tools and products for my swaps including the Tailored Tag punch for punching the elongated hexagons of Share What You Love Designer Series Paper.
The base layer of the card is pretty straight forward. Punch 7-8 hexagon shapes with the punch, then starting from the bottom of the card front, layer them up the card with a tiny 1-2mm gap between each one. I used the grid paper and a clear plastic ruler to make sure they were lined up straight.
Die cut flowers and border were attached with Fine Tip Glue Pen and Velvet Trim stuck down with Tear'n'Tape.
The Stamparatus got a workout next.
By cutting the A4 card in half lengthwise (10.5cm x 29.75cm) I was able to use the Stamparatus and it's magic 1" step markers to stamp 4 of the jar of paintbrushes images on each piece of card (remember, I had to make 26). I stamped 2 one way, then flipped the card around and stamped 2 more at the other end facing the other way - you'll see it in another photo further down :)
I had to make sure there was enough space between each one to cut out with the oval Stitched Shape framelit, so using the Stamparatus was perfect.
Having stamped the images in Black Stazon, leaving the stamp in exactly the same place on the Stamparatus, I then inked it using the Stampin' Spots (Crushed Curry, Rich Razzleberry, Bermuda Bay, Berry Burst and Soft Suede) and gave it a very heavy spritz with water. Not just 2 quirts but 5 or 6 squirts. You can see in the photo how wet it is.
One of my downline team members Karen Lincoln showed this technique at our team night many months ago after she learnt it from (I believe) Tandra Boyers. It's a really fun technique that really appeals to my creative, love of wet-on-wet watercolouring, messy side!
In google searches the technique has been named Stamparatus Slap technique, though for some reason my brain keeps calling it Stamparatus Splat technique, so excuse me if I mix and match the two . . . I meant the same thing!
After spritzing, you then want to bring the plate up to vertical, then give it a good slap (or splat) down onto the cardstock. Not so that you break it, but let's just say it may not be a good technique for 2am if you co-habit LOL.
Your images won't quite look like mine above, because the original Stamparatus Slap technique does not have the Stazon stamped image underneath. I stepped it up to include the black outline as I wanted a little more definition underneath, knowing that I was going to make my coloured part really wet. And the Designers Series Paper includes black, so I wanted them tonally closer rather then the pot of paintbrushes looking a bit wishy washy (no, not Washy Washy LOL).
This one possibly wasn't quite wet enough for my liking, as you want to get little splatters or splashes across the card. I made them wetter and wetter as I went along.
At this point, I decided to add more colour to the pot the brushes are sitting in, and like any good old fashioned kids water colouring books - you know the ones with the lines of colour already on the image and all you needed was a brush and a jar of water, and you spread the colour as you wet it - you can do the same here. Just drag the colour that's already on there. Or if you are like me, and want some intensity and love the blobby wet on wet look, scoop up some extra Soft Suede ink from the lid of your inkpad using the Aquapainter and swoosh that on.
I also touched up the tips of the paintbrushes on some of the images.
Now I just want to point out for the benefit of my team members that LOOK!!! I used the magnet! I used one of the magnets that comes with the Stamparatus! I said I was never going to use them, as they are not needed every single time you stamp, and I'm definitely not using 2 of them so I don't break them, but here is my witness! I used one LOL!
After setting these aside to dry for a while, it was time to cut them with the oval Stitched Shape Framelits.
These closeups give you a much better view of the splats and splatters from the technique.
Layered onto a Blackberry Bliss scallop oval from the Layering Ovals Framelits - really makes it pop! Then layered onto the card front with Stampin' Dimensionals.
I really love how these came out, and I have to also take a moment to heartily thank Jenny Wren and Alisha Watson for spending hours with me on the Saturday night before the cruise, punching, sticking and trimming so I had these finished to take with me.
I think the Share What You Love Designer Series Paper with it's pearlescent finish on several of the sheets is one of my favourite paper packs from Stampin' Up! in the nearly 11 years I've been using their paper. If you would like some of your own, or to buy any of the other products I have used on this fun project, click on the thumbnail below and it will take you right to that item in my online store.
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