Stampin' Up Classic Ink vs. Archival Ink -- WOW

So something exciting happened today -- I got my starter kit! In my starter kit I had ordered the Basic Black Classic Stampin' Pad, one of the new foam pads. I also got Whisper White card stock. So I decided to experiment with the ink and paper since my stamping has always...well, sucked, and I couldn't figure out what I was doing wrong. Turns out -- I was using inferior supplies! Take a look at my supplies here, and then take a peek at the example below:

 

On the left we have Whisper White card stock from Stampin' Up. On the right, we have card stock I bought from Michael's. I used a well-used Congratulations wooden stamp from Hobby Lobby. As you can see, the bottom right image is faded. It looks terrible, doesn't it? The color is uneven and drab. That was stamped on regular card stock with Archival Ink. Above it I stamped the same stamp with Stampin' Up's Basic Black Classic Stampin' Pad. Perfect!

Now you might be thinking, "Well Katie, maybe you just have a bad stamp pad." That was my worry, too. But read on.

Now for the Whisper White. The bottom image on the left is using Stampin' Up ink, nice and dark. Above it I used Archival Ink to stamp, and while it's not quite as dark as the Stampin' Up ink, in person it looks perfect (minus the stray marks from me pressing too hard on the stamp)! My Archival Ink pad isn't the problem, it's the card stock! And the best result I got was using both Stampin' Up products -- card stock and ink.

NOW I know why people get addicted to Stampin' Up products -- they're flat-out better! :)

Wisteria Wonder Butterfly Card

I have a fourth card from my upline Peg's stamp club on Saturday to share with you! By the end of the club my wrist was hurting from carpal tunnel, so a lot of this card was done by Peg. We used a stamp I would not have thought to buy, but now that I see what it looks like when we used the embossed resist technique, it's on my wish list! It's called the Hello, Doily stamp. We embossed it with white embossing powder then when it cooled we inked over the image with Wisteria Wonder ink. And voila, embossed resist! The photo does not do it justice.

We also used the Beautiful Wings Embosslits Die for our butterflies. It cut and embossed at the same time, how cool is that?!

On the inside we added more butterflies for some extra interest.


Products Used:
Wisteria Wonder Cardstock
Whisper White Cardstock
Beautiful Wings Embosslits Die
Decorative Label Punch
Teeny Tiny Wishes Stamp Set
Hello, Doily Stamp
Four Frames Stamp Set
Wisteria Wonder Classic Stampin' Ink
White Stampin' Emboss Powder

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Baby Dresser/Bureau Congrats Card

Happy 4th of July, America! This is such a special holiday. And a belated Happy Canada Day to my Canadian friends!

Today I have a card I cased from one I found on Pinterest. That place is GREAT for inspiration! Unfortunately I was unable to track down who made this card, so if you know who came up with the original design (it's very similar), please let me know so I can give proper credit! (It came from the Friday Mashup blog).

This was nerve-wracking to make at first...I wasn't so sure about what cuts to make and had to visualize everything in my head before slicing into the paper, and my mind likes to play tricks on me so that was confusing to say the least! But I managed to do this exactly as planned, which I didn't expect to happen. I used kraft cardstock for this and a tapestry stamp from Stampabilities. I also used wide white lace, lots of Vintage Photo distress ink, Very Vanilla 1/4" grosgrain ribbon, and 12mm cream half-back pearls. This is supposed to resemble a dresser or bureau, whichever you like to call it :) I hand-drew the design at the bottom left, and was super surprised it came out so well! I used Antique Linen distress ink to color white cardstock to give it a yellow appearance since the sex of the baby is not known yet. Though it's a dress with lace it's supposed to be a gender-neutral card LOL. A friend is 15 weeks pregnant and I wanted to send her a card congratulating her and her husband on their soon-to-be new addition!

Thanks for stopping by! Remember to leave a comment and I will follow your blog back! :)

Awesome Giveaway!

I have a super awesome giveaway to share with you! Ashley over at The Creative Place is giving away great packs of goodies. Head on over for your chance to win!

All photos in this post are taken from Ashley's blog. They are her property, not mine :)


Taken from Ashley's Blog:
"Two winners will each win a mini paper scrap pack from my shop. Per my shop description: I am an avid collector and lover of all things paper! Needless to say, I have a ton of paper that I have collected over the years - from art supply stores to antique stores to consignment shops as well as from other wonderful etsy sellers! This pack contains over 25 pieces of paper goodness. It is chocked full of new papers like scrapbooking papers, calendar and notes pages, graph paper, as well as vintage papers including

maps, advertisements, sheet music, flash cards, playing cards, papers from ledgers, school books, books and children's books. Great to use for scrapbooking, making decorated journals, or something else creative. Scrap pack comes packaged in a clear, resealable cello bag that is 6.5" x 9.5"."

You can get multiple entries by sharing this on your blog, Twitter, or on Facebook! These are a $6.95 + shipping value, so don't miss out on your chance to win!


Thanks for stopping by my blog! Don't forget to follow! :) Comment and I will follow you back!

Stamp Club Cards

Hey stamping friends! I thought I'd show you the cards I made at Peg's (my upline) club on Saturday. These are her designs, not mine. I will update this with her blog address when I get it so you can check out her creations!

I really like how this card turned out. Neither my upline or me is into bright colors, but these worked so well together. And she gave me an awesome idea: see that strip of paper at the bottom? It's patterned paper with a roller stamp over it! Who would have thought to stamp on patterned paper? That stitched grosgrain ribbon is awesome, too. I made the bow using, of all things, a fork! (Product List Below)

This card features a stamp that is on my MUST HAVE wish list -- the "thinking of you" sentiment is from the Teeny Tiny Wishes stamp set (item #115370 for wood mount and #127802 for clear mount), which can be found on page 133 of the 2012-2013 catalog. I was so excited that I stamped it perfectly with Red Razzleberry the first try! I'm normally a hit and miss stamper, but with Stampin' Up products the only thing I ever mess up is alignment (stamping at a slant...don't you hate that?!). We used the little hearts edge embossing folder for texture, and I love how SU has coordinating stamps and punches. That scallop would have been a pain to cut out without the punch! Then we added the designer paper and some of the baker's twine. I added a clear heart button to the center of my bow.

Now this card was the most challenging. I used the striped embossing folder and forgot to just emboss the front...I embossed front and back! Oops! Nothing a little cardstock can't fix, though :) This is a stamp set I never would have thought of purchasing, but it made a lovely card, designed by Peg Adams. This card features Stampin' Up's new seam binding ribbon, which I am in LOVE with! That linen thread goes great with buttons, such an easy vintage look! (Product List Below)


Card #1
Stamp Set: Betsy's Blossoms
W (Wood mount): 126004
C (Clear mount): 126006
Ribbon: NEW! 1/4" Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon in Daffodil Delight (#126872)

Card #3

Stamp Set: Tea Shoppe

W (Wood mount): 125545

C (Clear mount): 125547

Embossing Folder: NEW! 1/4" Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon in Daffodil Delight (#126872)

*I apologize for not having all the colors and product specifications. If you would like to know what something is, just let me know and I will find out for you!

1st Blog Entry of my Journey as a New Demonstrator!

Hey stampers! In case you are not on my e-mail list, here is a copy of this month's (July) e-Newsletter. This is my first one so hopefully I will improve as time goes on! :)

Yesterday I went to my upline's house (the lovely Peg Adams) who graciously allowed me to come to her club free oof charge. I made three cards and she started the fourth. My wrists were hurting from carpal tunnel (crafting has a dark side - Carpal Tunnel Syndrome!) so she gave me the rest of the elements of the card so I could finish it at home. In my next entry I will upload the pictures of the cards Peg had designed for us to make. I had so much fun meeting two new friends who love to stamp. We had a great time and I got a good idea of what I'll need for my first workshop. I'll need to place one more order when money allows to get the basics. Peg generously offered to let me borrow anything she has (like the scoring tool, heat tool, and products to pass around and let people take a look at), even have the workshop at her home if I wanted to. I have the best upline!