Artisan Post #5: Lighting the Way

For this post I will be sharing my 5th Artisan Post for the year. I made these cards which are reminiscent of warm summer evenings and lightning bugs “floating on a breeze.” These rich and lush cards are filled with several simple, yet effective, inking and stamping techniques.

Give the lantern an aged look by pressing the die directly into a Smoky Slate Ink Pad cut side down. Carefully remove the die from the ink pad and place it inked side down on a piece of Basic White Cardstock. Run through the Stampin’ Cut Emboss Machine as usual. Next, watercolor the lantern with an Old Olive Ink Pad and a Water Painter.

To create a shimmering/illuminated appearance for the light inside the lantern, ink up one of the circle images from Lighting the Way with Fresh Freesia Ink and stamp it over and over being sure to slightly reposition and rotate the stamp each time. Repeat the stamping until desired effect is achieved. Use Wink of Stella Clear Glitter Brush to add an extra sparkly glowing look.

To create multicolored flowers ink up your floral image from the Petal Park Stamp Set with Petal Pink Ink, then use a Small Blending Brush to dab on Fresh Freesia Ink. Pounce the color here and there. Give a huff/breath on the image then stamp on Basic White. This is the simplest inking technique and works with all stamps and inks. Just be sure to ink up with your lighter color first.