Creating...

How do you create?

Do you have a "method" you use successfully each time you start creating cards, for instance?

I've discovered I do! Whoda thunk? ha

Here are some photos to demonstrate:

I start by taking a stamp set and stamping each image on a piece of scrap Whisper White CS.

Or, if you prefer, Ivory - it generally depends upon what I think my backgrounds are going to be.

Fall colors (i.e. Earth Elements) almost need Ivory, rather than white, because they're more "dusty" colors. White's almost too stark for most of them.

For the images above, I used either the Black Staz-on pad, or the NEW MARKERS in the "IN" colors!

I'm LOVIN' those markers - SOOO much easier than trying to ink up separate parts of a stamp using the pads.

From there, I layer each of them on to a piece of colored CS or Designer Series Papers (DSP).
Sometimes I use a full quarter sheet to mount the images, but most of the time I cut the quarter sheet in half - that makes the piece of CS 2-3/4" by 4-1/4".

This time around I was using quarter sheets of the new "In" colors, and the Razzleberry Lemonade DSP. If necessary, I trim the white CS to fit this piece.

Or, in the instance of the dragon flies, I use our punches.

After punching the white CS with the 1-3/8" square punch, I then cut the Green Galore CS into a 1-3/4" square, which makes it LARGER than the punched image.

And then I cut the Bermuda Bay CS square 1/4" LARGER than the piece of Green Galore. (or 2" square)

This is an easy way to layer - always keep your larger layer to 1/4" or 1/8" different than the layer beneath it.

You can use 1/2" larger, but it really makes a MUCH larger edge. Remember, by adding 1/2" to each side, you're actually adding 1 full inch to the width, and 1 full inch to the length.

Here are a couple more cards I was able to finish tonight. Nothing fancy, but certainly serviceable for a quick and easy card.


Bermuda Bay CS, Razzleberry Lemonade DSP, Mambo Melon CS. I also used another small stamp to stamp the background on the Bermuda Bay CS to create the tone on tone effect.

The greeting was made using the new Modern Label punch, as well the *NEW* matching insert to the Movers and Shapers BigXL die.

Rich Razzleberry CS, Mambo Melon CS, a scrap of Razzleberry DSP, and the verse punched out with the scalloped oval punch. The Aqua Painter and the Razzleberry and Bermuda pads were used to color in the flower.

This card could still use a little somethin' in the way of a background image to pull it all together.

Many times I'll use the Dotto adhesive when I'm creating, simply because it's not as permanent as SNAIL. That way, if I decide I don't like what I've done, I can easily take everything apart, and start again.

Which means, I can pull everything off the Rich Razzleberry CS and add a background image, or stamp one of the other stamps from the set in a tone on tone look.

Or, I could add some ribbon, or several brads... The card itself is a little out of balance, and adding any of these things would help "re-balance" it.

So - how do you create? Do you have a "method" ? Leave me a comment and let me know YOUR style!

Here is the Kidz' photo for the day...
Happy stampin'!

Sam