Sponge!!

A useful tool for applying ink to paper, edges and even stamps, the Stampin' Up! ink applicator sponges (101610) come in packs of three for £3.25. But you can cut them into wedges and make 24 applicators. You'll want to have a sponge for each ink pad colour to avoid contaminating ink colours. Trust me,  a blue sponge dabbed onto a yellow ink pad will give you nothing but a green stain and a seething hatred for the world!

Black & white

My natural design style tends to be a bit chaotic, layered & grungy. If it's got an edge, ink it! If it looks symmetrical, prod it around a bit til it looks wonky! Friends with an eye for crisp lines, symmetry & order itch when faced with my random, mismatched approach.

So, I thought I would have a go at paring it right back & producing something clean, crisp & simple. One colour. No layering (well, hardly any). No inked edges (this one was tough, but the images are so strong, inky distressed edges would have looked weird). 

I was aiming for an ink blot test type look with this. What do you see? I see a butterfly & a delightful dancing rabbit. If you see severed limbs you should probably seek professional help. And kindly cease following this blog.

My second card is a simple wedding card using the Perfect Couple stamp set. 

I used the image from one stamp & the sentiment from another for this. Totally different from what I would normally make, but I do like it & think it would be great for a younger wedding card.

What I used 

Card 1

Gorgeous Grunge stamp set

Embosslits Beautiful Wings emboss & cut die

Black Stazon ink

Whisper White card stock 

Card 2

Perfect Couple stamp set 

Whisper White cardstock 

Black Stazon ink

Cherry Cobbler Stampin Write marker

Buy any of the above from my Stampin' Up! shop. Click on the links to get started. 

Just for you...

I've made no secret of the fact that what I like most about Stampin' Up! is the way they colour match across all product ranges (cardstock, patterned paper, ink, embellishments), & this card shows that. The cardstock & ink are the 2013-2015 In Colours & the colour match is spot on! 

Look at the way the brown ink (Baked Brown Sugar) used on the Hardwood background stamp simply blends into the backing card. I could spend hours hunting through my existing (non- Stampin' Up!) stash & not come anywhere near a decent match. As it was, this took minutes.

Here's what I used... 

Hardwood stamp 133035 

Label Love stamp set 130622

Coordinating Artisan Label punch 130920

Gorgeous Grunge stamp set 130517

Little Leaves Sizzlets die 114511

Sizzix Spiral Flower die 129379

2013-2015 In Colour cardstock & ink bundle 131293 (inks & cardstock available to buy individually) 

Buy from my Stampin' Up! shop - click on the links to get shopping.