Hand Stamped Sentiments Challenge Blog Feb 1, 2011

Well, I've been keeping some very exciting new from my followers and subscribers.  I was invited to join the Hand Stamped Sentiments Design Team beginning February 1st.  The HSS Design Team members are passionate Stampin' Up! Demonstrators who love a good challenge & the creativity that this sparks.  


I hope you'll join in on this week's challenge using the romantic colors of red and black and as a neutral white or very vanilla.  These are some of my favorite colors.  And you can use any color or shade of red that I wanted.  Many of you that frequent my blog will know that I had to throw Cherry Cobbler in there somewhere. Did you  notice how I added detail to the Eiffel Tower (Artistic Etchings Stamp Set)?  I inked the tower in Real Red and then took my Cherry Cobbler Stampin' Write Marker and used it to add the deeper color to the edges of the stamp, creating the added detail and dimension.  Cool Huh?  I love doing stamps this way.  I used the same technique on the Amour sentiment from the same stamp set.  For the cool technique on the card background.  I used a brayer to coat the inside of the Vintage Wallpaper Embossing Folder with black ink, then embossed it leaving the black ink in the de-bossed area (A technique I first saw on Diana Gibbs Blog.  Makes it really look old world.  Then I distressed the edges of all the white papers, added layers of Black CS and Red Glimmer Paper and finished it off with the luscious Stampin' Up! 1-1/4" Striped Grosgrain Ribbon. I hope you enjoyed my card this week.  Please leave a comment and let me know what you think.