Stamp Layering 3 with Main Squeeze
It’s already August! Hard to believe, right?! Who isn’t holding on to the last days of summer? Hoping they can last just a little bit longer? I think all of us are.
In the crafting world we’ve been seeing the smattering of fall themed cards and Christmas cards since July (gasp!!). Crafters are working hard to get ahead of the upcoming fall trends and holidays.
I applaud all of the early holiday card makers! I am not one of them, LOL! I’m always late to the game – and that’s OK because today I’m sharing a fun and fruity SUMMER Card!!
This card is another in my AECP for Stamp Layering 3 class.
While stamp layering is not difficult at all, I like when I can use a layered stamp that does not have to be perfectly lined up. The Main Squeeze stamp set from Altenew was so fun to create with and I did not feel like it had to be perfect because many times the insides of lemons, limes, oranges and grapefruit are perfectly imperfect.
To start, I picked out some bright green, salmon, orange and yellow inks. The Main Squeeze stamp set has 4 layers to it so it’s the perfect stamp set to use the Altenew mini-ink cubes in the paired color families. For the lime I used the Green Valley set, the lemon was Pocket full of Sunshine, Orange was done in Warm and Cozy and the Grapefruit was created with Tea Party.
The Main Squeeze stamp set has four layers as I mentioned and there are two sizes of fruit to choose from; large and small. Each layer creates and adds the detail from the perspective of a sliced piece of fruit and adds little details to the pulp and even seeds.
While it is not difficult to layer this set, there are some pointed details to look for in the cross section to make sure that you’re stamping the image in the correct direction so that it matches up with the other layers. I was a bit off on a couple of my stamped images, but I think that is what adds a unique quality to my card.
I’m not sure if it was the Altenew ink and paper combo as I used my Neenah Solar White 110lb cardstock to stamp these images, but once my images were completely stamped I noticed that the ink raises the stamped image on paper a bit which gives it a cool dimensional texture.
The Main Squeeze stamp set also has coordinating dies that go with it. I used the dies to cut out all of my stamped images. Ultimately, I ended up trimming the images down even further because I decided I didn’t like the white edge around the image with my background. I also cut one of the pieces in half for a bit more interest.
The background image was a result of me playing with some distress inks and blending them and then stamping a background stamp over the ink blending and heat embossing the stamped image. I have a habit of creating pieces with no specific purpose in mind and then setting them aside to use at a later time. This particular background really helped my stamped fruit piece pop and I thought it was perfect.
I used dimensional foam to arrange and layer all of my stamped images on the background panel.
For the sentiment, I decided I wanted to use the “summer” from the Altenew For All Seasons stamp set. I like the bold letters with the vertical arrangement. I stamped this with some embossing ink and heat set with some bright orange embossing powder. I cut the sentiment down so that it could be layered up as the focal point of my card.
As a finishing touch I added several sequins and my entire background panel was added to a bright pink card base.
Overall, I think it’s a fun, bright card for the end of summer! I really loved the additional pointers I received from the AECP All about Layering 3 class.
These classes are very helpful in teaching you how to do stamp layering and the tips and techniques that can really make your layered images shine. Many of the tips and tricks, I would have never even realized without taking these classes so it was a great learning experience for me. Thinks like marking your points to line up in pencil so it help you see the matching points on the stamps. Pencil lines can easily be erased later after you’ve finished stamping. I also like using the stamped layers in reverse. I wouldn’t have thought to do that, but it can really help.
Again, the All About Layering Courses 1-3 are free for anyone to take. You can check out all of Altenew’s classes by clicking the link below:
Thanks for stopping by! Hope you’ve enjoyed today’s card featuring the Main Squeeze layering stamp and die combo and the For all Seasons stamp set from Altenew.
Hope everyone is able to squeeze in a few more days basking in the summer sun.
Hugs,
Tonya
