Stamping Inkspirations Blog Hop - A Technique Challenge

Hello and welcome to my blog! Today I am taking part in a blog hop with some fellow enthusiasts who love sharing their creative talents using their Stampin' Up!® products. This month the Stamping Inkspirations blog hop is technique challenge.

The challenge for us this month is to create a card using the etching technique, which is a new one for me! The idea is to add dimension and detail to an open image using a fine liner pen. Whilst I have done this type of thing when I'm doodling for fun in a journal, I have not done it on a card.

My stamp sets are not really sympathetic to this technique so, I've cheated and used the Enduring Beauty set which already has lines of texture incorporated into it. I love how the little lines and dots create texture and depth.

Initially, I started by blending colour through the coordinating masks to create the petals and leaves using Fresh Freesia, Highland Heather and Granny Apple Green inks. The masks enable you to build an image which looks colourful yet subtle, but I thought it needed a bit more detail. I tried adding lines, dots and flicks with a fine liner pen but decided that my mark making should stay in my journal! 

Luckily, the stamp set has a wonderful alternative. Stamping the fine detailed image and blending colour over the top using the masks yields a beautifully coloured image. (I omitted masks 4 & 5 to leave off the second, detailed layer of colour for the leaves and the centres of the flowers.)

To get back on track with the challenge experimented with a couple of watercolour pencils to add some additional colour to the petals and the leaves. I just followed the contours from the stamped image to add a little extra colour. 

The floral image is mounted on top of an embossed layer of card - the obvious choice was the cross-hatched pattern in the Basics set - together with a few die cut leaves and flower buds. I wanted a simple sentiment for this card so, I fussy cut the skinny happy birthday from the new Sweetly Scripted set. To finish I added a trio of Purple Fine Shimmer gems.

I'm not sure if I prefer the simple version or the one with the extra lines best. My mind is buzzing with the possibilities for colouring this set; Blends, watercolour pencils, adding Wink of Stella...then you can change the colour scheme and it would look totally different again. I hope that you are inspired by my cards today and that you will continue along the hop to see what the others have created too. Enjoy the projects. We would love to hear from you and so if you have been inspired, please leave a comment.

Angie McKenzie  ●  Jan Musselman

Tricia Butts  ●  Leonie Stuart   ●   Mo Rootes

Karen Henderson  ●  Aurélie Fabre  ●  Rebecca-Jo Unwin

Do you need any of the products  used on today's cards? If you live in the UK please take a look in my online Stampin' Up! shop. You can follow the link or click on the pictures below of the products I have used today.

Stay safe and as always, happy crafting,

If you would like to order any supplies, and you live in the UK, I would love to be your demonstrator. Use the current hostess code (March 2024 code: GKVYMKKM) to get some free product (it will follow in the post after the end of the month). If your order is over £150 do not use the code as you become the hostess and get the rewards. To place an order please visit my online shop HERE. 

If you would like to join my team, you can choose your starter kit HERE and if you have any questions, please contact me at furrycatdesigns@gmail.com

Click on the images of the products I have used today to purchase them in my online shop:

Rembember to use the current hostess code.  

March 2024 code: GKVYMKKM