Stashbusters | 3 Valentine’s 1 Set | Pinkfresh Studio’s Word Series: Happy | Video

One of the main reasons I started this Stashbusters series was to try to ensure I get use from my stamp sets. This set, for example, has been languishing unused since I got it. It’s been so long I don’t remember exactly when it was, but probably the better part of a year. So I decided it was about time to get it inky, and further challenged myself to make three Valentine or love-themed cards with the Pinkfresh Studio Word Series: Happy stamp set.

Card 1 – Loose Wreath

For the first card I decided to make a loose wreath. I started by stamping the large focal “Happy” with embossing ink. I then stamped several of the flowers and leaves around the sentiment to create a wreath shape. I added Love From Lizi Ivory Pearl embossing powder, checked if the wreath needed filling out any more, then heat set.

I coloured the flowers by pushing my Spun Sugar Distress Ink onto an acrylic block, picking up the colour with a clear Wink of Stella pen, and lightly watercolouring. This added both colour and sparkle. Then I heat embossed the remainder of my sentiment onto a snippet of white, trimmed it into two pieces, and popped it up on my card panel.

Challenges:

Crafty Gals Corner – Make It Sparkle

Digi Choosday Craft Challenge – Anything Goes

Inskpirational – Photo Inspiration (I was inspired by the pink and gold, and the love theme)

TCP Tuesday – Love

Card 2 – Floral Pattern

For my second card I started by creating a floral pattern. I used Rose Quartz and Lavender Fields inks from Altenew for stamping the flowers. I wanted a light grey for the leaves but don’t actually have a light grey ink so instead I used Barely Beige from Simon Says Stamp, which does have a grey-ish look to it. Once I’d finished stamping I used a glitter gel pen to add dots to fill out the pattern even more.

I wanted to add some dark grey elements too, but couldn’t find any suitable coloured paper in my stash. Instead I made my own by colouring a snippet of white card with a Spectrum Noir Illustrator markers. I adhered a narrow strip of the coloured card to either side of my panel, then used another strip of it for my sentiment. I heat embossed the sentiment in white and popped it up over the panel on my card base.

Challenges:

Freshly Made Sketches – SketchMFT Color Challenge – Color Palette

Polkadoodles Craft Challenge – Anything Goes

Stamping Sensations – Fabulously Feminine

Card 3 – One Layer Clusters

I decided to go for a much bolder and brighter design for my third card. I began by stamping the large “Happy” sentiment onto my card base with Altenew Dusk ink. I added clusters of flower to the top left and bottom right with the same ink, then coloured them with Ocean Waves stamped over using the wrong side of the stamp to give a graphic look.

I realised my card seemed unbalanced so whilst it wasn’t y original intention I decided to add something along one side. This did result in me bringing in another stamp set. I stamped the diagonal stripe border from Simon Says Stamp’s Crafty Friends with the Ocean Waves ink. I then masked off a very narrow strip between that and the white of the cardbase, and ink blended over it with the dusk ink.

Challenges:

Crafter’s Castle – Anything Goes

Kat Scrappiness Challenge – Anything Goes

STAMPlorations CAS Card Challenge – Anything CAS

The Paper Shelter – Shades of Blue

……….

I had a lot of fun coming up with three designs for using this stamp set. It’s a great exercise to try before buying a stamp set – see if you can think of three designs to make with it. If you can’t then it might be worth getting something else instead. I actually had a couple of other ideas with this set too, but they weren’t Valentine-themed so I didn’t make them this time. I’d love to know which of the three you like best. I think the third might be my favourite, though the first too are very pretty too. The pictures don’t do them justice!

Love,

Lady Joyful

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