April 2016 Stamp of the Month - Prickly Pear

The Texas Prickly Pear is seen every where it seems.  And when they are in bloom the landscape is transformed.  Texana Designs has several cactus stamps and really great sentiments.  This month the team was challenged to use the prickly pear stamp and a choice of three sentiments.  Enjoy the following.

12" x 12" Page Layout by Karen Lambert

Karen Lambert's Supply List:

TD stamps:  Cactus Heart, Cactus Bloom, Prickly Pear and Find Beauty in the prickly things in life.

Craft Card Stock

Bazzil Basics faded yellow polka dot pattern paper

Manila Shipping Tag

Versa Mark to stamp Cactus Heart on Craft Card stock and then lightly go over it with Tea Dye Distress Ink on a blending tool

Distress edges of all paper and tag with Tea Dye and Spiced Marmalade Distress Ink

Stamp Cactus Bloom on cardstock and color with Promarkers.

Stamp Prickly Pear and Sentiment on Tag and color with Promarkers

Ribbon and Jute for Tag Decor.

A2 Card by Jilda Bolton

Jilda Bolton's Supply List:

 

Texana Design Stamps: Prickly Pear, Feeling a Little Rough

Paper: Green, yellow & white

Green ink pad, sponge

Copic Markers: Green YG91,93,95 Yellow Y08

Spellbinders Celebrations 3D Embossing folder – Fabric Weave

X-Press It ¼” high tack double sided tape

I stamped the Prickly Pear three times, sponged a green background, colored the cactus with Copic Markers, and cut out the images.

To create the back ground, I used a Spellbinders 3D Fabric Weave embossing folder on yellow paper.  The Spellbinders Celebration Embossing folders were created to use in the Spellbinders Grand Calibur Die Cutting & Embossing Machine.  Since I don’t have that machine, I found directions online for using the Sizzix Big Shot instead:

1)      Sandwich the Sizzix multipurpose platform with both Tab 1 and Tab 2 closed and one cutting plate

2)      Since the Celebration 3D embossing folders both emboss and deboss, you need to lightly spritz the paper on one side with water to soften the fibers of the paper so that it doesn’t tear

3)      Place the 3D folder with the damp paper inside on top of the multipurpose platform and put one cutting plate on top

4)      Roll through the machine and remove the paper

5)      Because the paper will be damp you need to let it dry (doesn’t take very long but you can lightly heat it if you are in a hurry)

I used X-Press It tape to put the paper pieces together since the surface is bumpy and I wanted to make sure they would stay stuck together.

A2 Card by Megan Bickers

Megan Bicker's Supply List:

Texana Designs Stamps: Prickly Pear Cactus, Cactus Border, Find Beauty in
the Prickly Things of Life

Georgia Pacific: White Cardstock

Bazzill: Navy Cardstock

Tsukineko: Memento Inkpad (Tuxedo Black)

Ranger: Tim Holtz Distress Crayons #2 (Festive Berries, Rusty Hinge,
Fossilized Amber, Peeled Paint, Chipped Sapphire),
Distress Inkpad (Fossilized Amber),
Foam Blending Tool

Pentel: Aquash Water Brush

Heat Tool

3M Foam Tape

I colored directly onto the edges of the stamped images with the Distress
crayons and used my water brush to fade and blend the color over the entire
image. I used the Fossilized Amber inkpad and my foam blending tool to add
some yellow ink to the edge of my card base, then mounted it on navy
cardstock.  The focal image was colored in the same way, and I added the
Prickly Pear cactus over the cactus border with foam tape.

A2 Card,  #8Tag and ATC card

Janet Bradshaw's Supply List:
 

Texana Designs Stamps:  Prickly Pear

 “Feeling a little rough around the edges…”

“You’re looking sharp today.”

Color Blocking technique

Paper House ColorWays – noir – 12” x 12”

BoBunny Double Dot Paper

Versamark

White Embossing Powder

Ranger Mica Spray - Tarnished Brass

Brads and

Grosgrain ribbon and crinkle ribbon colored with Distress Stain

Check out the prickly pear tag on Janet's blog and posted on the Tim Holtz' 12 tags of 2016, March 

 

March 2016 Stamp of the Month - Bluebonnet 2 and Paintbrush 2

Spring in Central Texas brings a bounty of beautiful wildflowers.  These flowers were the inspiration of our artists to create some beautiful bluebonnet and paintbrush images for stamping.  Enjoy the fabulous designs of the Texana Design Team using these stamps.

Bluebonnet 2, Bluebonnet (mini), Paintbrush 2 or Paintbrush 2 (mini)

Scrapbook Page by Karen Lambert

12" x 12" Layout by Karen Lambert

Supplies used:

Bluebonnet #2 and Everythings coming up bluebonnet stamps
Bo Bunny Basics dark denim dot and Ocean Double Dot Patterned Paper
VersaFine Black Onyx Ink
Gelly Roll Glitter Pens
Die Cut mats cut with Silhouette Cameo

Two A2 Cards by Megan Bickers 

A2 Card by Megan Bickers

Supplies Used For Green card:

Texana Designs Stamps: Paintbrush #2
Bazzill: Green Cardstock
Georgia Pacific: White Cardstock
Tsukineko: Memento Inkpad (Tuxedo Black)
Ranger: Distress Inkpads (Festive Berries, Abandoned Coral, Scattered Straw, Peeled Paint); Foam Blending Tool; Multi Medium Matte; Heat It Craft Tool; Spray Bottle
Molotow Art Masking Liquid: Wide and Narrow Markers
Best Test: Pik Up Rubber Cement Eraser
Zig: Wink of Stella Glitter Marker (Clear)
Spellbinders: Dies (Small Scallop Ovals, Small Standard Ovals)
Cuttlebug Die Cut Machine
Recollections: Washi Tape
Bead Landing: Sequins (Red & Gold)
Kuretake: Water Brush
3M Foam Tape
Clear Stamp Block

I was inspired by the technique called “Negative Space Coloring” posted in a YouTube Video by Jennifer McGuire and made a few changes in the technique to my card. I die cut the scallop and standard ovals with white cardstock. Then I stamped the paintbrush image onto cheap white cardstock (watercolor paper would not pill when wet, and I would use this instead in the future). The image needed to be masked for my technique, so I used the Molotow Fluid Masking Liquid Markers to cover the image, and let it dry. Then I used my three distress inkpads (Festive Berries, Abandoned Coral, Scattered Straw) to smear color directly onto a clear stamping block, which I misted with water and used to transfer the ink color to the background. I dried the layers with my heat tool, and added color to the background several times so it would build up to the intensity I wanted. Once this layer was completely dry, I used my Rubber Cement Eraser to rub off the blue masking fluid and revealed the white stamped image underneath. Then I used my waterbrush and the distress inkpads to color in my white image. I also added some clear glitter on top of the colored image. The stamped layer was glued down to the white scallop layer, and I added it to the card front with foam tape. The card front has a single row of washi tape for the image to sit on. I added some sequins to complete my card.

A2 Card by Megan Bickers

Supplies for Blue card:

Texana Designs Stamps: Bluebonnet #2
Bazzill: Blue Cardstock
Georgia Pacific: White Cardstock
Tsukineko: Memento Inkpad (Tuxedo Black)
Ranger: Distress Inkpads (Seedless Preserves, Faded Jeans, Stormy Sky); Foam Blending Tool; Heat It Craft Tool; Spray Bottle
Molotow Art Masking Liquid: Wide and Narrow Markers
Best Test: Pik Up Rubber Cement Eraser
Spellbinders: Dies (Small Scallop Ovals, Small Standard Ovals)
Cuttlebug Die Cut Machine
Recollections: Washi Tape
Kuretake: Water Brush
Coats & Clark: White Crochet Thread
Buttons: from Craft Stash
3M Foam Tape
Zots: Glue Dots

I was inspired by the technique called “Negative Space Coloring” posted in a YouTube Video by Jennifer McGuire and made a few changes in the technique to my card. I die cut the scallop and standard ovals with white cardstock. Then I stamped the bluebonnet image onto cheap white cardstock (watercolor paper would not pill when wet, and I would use this instead in the future). The image needed to be masked for my technique, so I used the Molotow Fluid Masking Liquid Markers to cover the image, and let it dry. Then I used my three distress inkpads (Seedless Preserves, Faded Jeans, Stormy Sky) and my foam blender tools to add the color in an ombre pattern to the background. I misted the distress ink with water droplets and blotted with a paper towel to lift some of the color. I dried the image completely with my heat tool. Once this layer was completely dry, I used my Rubber Cement Eraser to rub off the blue masking fluid and revealed the white stamped image underneath. For this card, I chose to leave the white bluebonnet plain so that my colorful background would draw attention to the stamped flower. The stamped layer was glued down to the white scallop layer, and I added it to the card front with foam tape. The card front has a single row of washi tape for the image to sit on. I added a button and white crochet thread to complete my card.
 

Card by Jilda Bolton

 

Wildflower Card by Jilda Bolton

Supplies used:
Texana Designs Stamps: Bluebonnet #2, Paintbrush #2 and Script Happy Birthday
Paper: X-Press It Blending paper, white and pink card stock, handmade marbled paper
Memento ink: Tuxedo Black

Kaisercraft Decorative Die: Stained Glass – C6

Copic markers:

Bluebonnets -- B23,24,32,69, BV08, YG67

Paintbrush – R30,32,34, G85

Scotch Quick-Dry Adhesive in Fineline 18-gauge standard tip bottle

First I created the card front with the papers and Stained Glass die.  Then I stamped the Paintbrush image 5 times and the Bluebonnet image 4 times on X-Press It paper and colored them all with Copics. I fussy cut the flowers, arranged them on the card, and glued them down with the adhesive in the Fineline bottle. I left some of the tips of the flower petals and leaves unglued to create a bit of a 3D effect.  Finally, I added the sentiment and the card was finished.

Tag, ATC and A2 cards by Janet Bradshaw

A2 Cards, Tag and ATC Card by Janet Bradshaw

Janet created a couple of cards with the top and bottom of the front only connected by the focal image.  Patterned paper was used to decorate the top section and bottom section of the card.  The sentiment was stamped on the inside of the card so that it showed through the opening between the top and bottom of the card front.  She also used the mini stamp on the inside to pull the card together.  The tag is made into a similar card by connecting two tags at the top and the top one scored to open.  The ATC was created as a single layer.  The images are colored with pencils and blended with gamsol.

A2 Card cutting guide for bluebonnet card:

Black Cardstock
4 1/4" x 7", scored at  5 1/2" - card base
4 1/4" x 2 1/2" - bottom of card front
4 1/4" x 1 3/4" - mat for connecting focal image

White Cardstock
4" x 5 1/4" - mat for inside
4" x 1 1/2" - for stamping focal image

Patterned Paper - Echo Park, Jack & Jill collection - Plaid
4" x 1 1/4" - top mat
4" x 2 1/4" - bottom mat

The sentiment on the paintbrush card is a bit tall, so I trimmed the bottom black and patterned paper to fit the sentiment.

Variations:

So many variations, you can trim the front card at an angle or rotate the card.

Be sure to browse many more flower samples at Texana's Pinterest Board