Playing around with a digi stamp

I haven't used a digi stamp before but I have seen some beautiful cards made using them, so when asked to use one I thought I would take the opportunity to play around with it and see just what I could get out of it. It's been fun using my printer to alter the effects, I expect most of you already know how but for anyone who doesn't here is what I've discovered so far.

    There are four variations in this picture. 

    #1 is the image as received from the supplier.
    #2 is the image printed out on the 'draft' setting on my printer, this gives a paler image which can be really useful.
    #3 is the result of reducing the 'magenta' ink input to zero using the advanced settings on my printer. Now I have green trees.
    #4 is the result of reducing 'magenta' and 'yellow' to zero on the printer which left only 'cyan', blue trees.
    I am not a very technical person but I did find this quite easy, so I would encourage you to play around with your digi's to see just what you can do with them, after all we crafters love value for money don't we?!
    If you would like to see what I've done with these images and where the original came from then please join me on Sunday afternoon for the House Of Cards Blog Hop when all will be revealed, there are prizes to be won so pop over to the House Of Cards where the hop begins (Sunday 1st December 12noon GMT) and read all about it.

Industrious Little Boy

     Today sees the beginning of a new challenge over at The Male Room, this time we are looking for anything for 'Little Boys or Babies'. It doesn't have to be a card, it could be a scrapbook page or an altered art project, as long as it fits the theme and follows our few rules we would love to see it.
     This card has been made with a stamp set from Stampendous  called 'Gears Kiddo', it reminds me of my son sitting on the floor engrossed in making something. The cogs are stamped and embossed in black, I have found this makes colouring in much easier as the pen stays within the embossed lines very easily. I have used a variety of metallic pens to colour the cogs and alcohol markers to colour the boy.
     The main cog image is cut out with a Spellbinder label die and then inked with a shaving brush with the die still in place so I get the little white border. The background is the same stamp clear embossed on a white card before being inked with Distress ink, believe it or not it's the same blue on the image panel but as the card is different the colour looks different too.
     The boy is cut out and mounted on foam pads once the image panel is stuck on and the sentiment is cut with the smallest die of the same set, this is also mounted on foam pads. If this card was for an older child I would have used some metal cogs and brads but my concern is that a small child may hurt themselves so I have kept it all card just in case it should be chewed!!

Salt 'n' Flake

     This is my second Christmas card this week, which is a good way of catching up on some weeks that I missed altogether. In the run up to Christmas life is becoming busy so I am very glad that I've been making seasonal cards all year.
     The layout is inspired by a sketch at 52 Christmas Card Throwdown, the 'homemade background' by The Glory Of Christmas Challenge and lots of bling for CraftyHazelnut's Christmas Challenge.
     The background has been made using Cosmic Shimmer misters, a plastic bag and rock salt. I began by spraying the thick white card with the inks to spread them around, this gives a lovely effect in itself but I then sprinkled it with rock salt while it was still very wet. The salt absorbs the liquid around it causing the little blotches and rings of colour, this process should not be accelerated with a heat gun, it is much more effective when left to air dry slowly.
     The snowflake is a Tim Holt Rosette Die cut in glitter paper, I have reinforced the back by using surgical tape, this stops the perforations splitting when you fold but still allows a clean fold. There are two blue ribbons across the card stuck down with red line double sided tape as it's a bit stronger than ordinary DST. The greeting is a Tattered Banner from another Tim Holtz Die, edged with blue ink and decorated with a silver peel off greeting.

     I would like to enter this card in the following challenges:

52 Christmas Card Throwdown - Sketch

CraftyHazelnut's Christmas Challenge - Bling It Up

CraftyHazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra - Anything Christmas

The Glory Of Christmas - Homemade Background

The Male Room Remembers

     This fortnights challenge at The Male Room is Remembrance. We would like to see your creations following this theme whether they are cards or scrapbook pages, take a look at the DT inspiration and come and join in.
     I have had this set of stamps by Hobby Art for over a year now and I felt they would be perfect for this theme. My family has always been very interested in WWII aircraft, some of them being involved in manufacture during the war. These three aircraft are a Lancaster Bomber, a Hurricane and a Spitfire, which make up the Battle Of Britain Memorial Flight.
     The fields were stamped in Memento Ink Gray Flannel and then coloured in with Graph It markers (very similar to Promarkers). The sky has been washed with a weak solution of Distress Ink Stormy Sky before stamping the aircraft in Archival Ink Jet Black. The image is mounted on blue card before being stuck on to a card blank covered with sky scrapbook paper. The quote is stamped in Archival Ink Cobalt blue.
   

Framed Baubles

     This month's challenge at Technique Time Tuesday is to create a Faux Frame around your image. There is a great tutorial on the blog to show you just how do it so please pop over and watch it, you'll see all the lovely ideas the DT have come up with too.
     As we are approaching Christmas I chose to make a card using my Spellbinder Heirloom Ornament dies. I cut my bauble shape from the middle of my square piece of card, I wanted to make use of the bauble and the offcut.
     The bauble has been stamped, with the die still in place, using Perfect Medium Ink and then embossed, without the die, in Cosmic Shimmer Bright Gold. I then put the die back over the bauble and used Distress Ink Festive Berries to colour the whole bauble. When you take the die off again there will be a small even white frame around the whole shape.
     The next step was to clean the die thoroughly and put it onto the offcut square, I then inked this with Distress Ink Evergreen Bough and stamped a small tree branch in the same ink across the top. Again this gave me a small white frame around my bauble cut out.
     The square has been mounted over a layer of gold paper and the bauble has been mounted on thick foam pads to lift it up. When the card is at an angle you can see the gold behind the bauble, but viewed head on it just has a wider white frame.
     The small bauble has been coloured in the same way after stamping a small greeting in gold on to it. This has a thin foam pad on it. The gold ribbon bow on the bauble is stuck on with silicone glue. The white card blank looked a little too white so I have inked the edges with Evergreen Bough to soften it a little.
     Please give this technique a try, it's very simple but very effective. Come and join us at Technique Time Tuesday, you have until the end of the month to play along.

I would like to enter this card in the following challenges:

CraftyHazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra - Anything Christmas

Holly Jolly Christmas Challenges - Red and Green

Heck Of A Challenge - In The Frame

CraftyHazelnut's Christmas Challenge - Bling It Up  (thanks Hazel)