Transform Your Stamps: Creative Ways to Incorporate Large Word Dies

Hey there, lovely crafters! This is my first blog post of the year and I'm super excited to be a part of the 2024 blog team. Buckle up, because we're kicking off the year with a whole lot of creative fun! 😄🎨

Today it's all about blending the old and the new in a way that'll make your heart sing! So, if you're eager to learn fresh ideas, you've landed in the perfect spot. Let's explore the magic of using large word dies with your existing stamps, shall we? 🌟

Recipe

• Hooray Word Die
• Lemon Queen Sunflower Stamp
• Lemon Queen Sunflower Dies
• Sequin Mix Iridescent Moonshine
• Extra Wide Foam Tape Rectangles
• Paper Splatter White Snowflake
• The Stamps Scrubber
• Altenew Stampwheel
• Tim Holtz Precision Trimmer
• Copic Markers: In shades Y11. Y19, YR24, YR27, YR21, YR23, YR27, E17
• T Ruler

The Projects

To start our creative journey, let's breathe life into the Lemon Queen Sunflower Stamp. Use alcohol-friendly paper and ink for stamping the sunflower. 

I do a light-to-dark approach using Copic Markers. For the petals, the following shades are used: Y11, Y19, YR24, and YR27. You can repeat the process as many times as necessary to achieve the desired level of vibrancy and shading.

Now we focus on coloring the center of our sunflower. Take Copic Markers in shades YR21, YR23, YR27, and E17. To achieve a textured effect, consider stippling these colors onto the center. This technique adds depth and dimension to the sunflower's heart. For an extra touch of richness in the yellow hues, you can introduce Y19 into the mix.

I colored two sunflowers because I wanted to explore different creative possibilities. 

Begin by die-cutting hooraay directly into one of the sunflowers. Remember to keep all the pieces, as we'll be making two cards from this – one with the "hooray" word (the positive) and the other with the leftover pieces (the negative). 

Hooray - Card 1

Once I'd removed the sentiment from the die, I decided to color in the white parts with B000, B04, B04 and then splatter. This is really effective and makes that image pop. 

Stamp out and die cut. 'happiness looks good on you' sentiment from the Sunflower set and set aside. 

Die cut 4 black hoorays and stack them as a shadow for your colored hooray die cut. Adhere to an A2 card base and attach the sentiment. 

Hooray- Card Two 

This card features the negative space. Die-cut two additional "hooray" words, one in white and one in black. Place the negative portion onto an A2 card base, using the white "hooray" word to ensure precise positioning. Then, insert the white "hooray" word into the empty space, followed by the black "hooray" word just to the right of the white one. This creates a subtle shadow effect and adds visual interest to the card.

To complete this card, stamp and die-cut one of the sentiments from the Sunflower set and adhere it to the front. This card remains flat and is perfect for easy mailing to a friend or loved one.

So you now have two cards with one sunflower image! How cool is that?! I haven't made a card in quite awhile, but it was lovely to sit at my desk and go through my stash until something inspired me! I selected the sunflower because orange is my favourite colour and I love the red/orange/yellow transition. The cards turned out beautifully, and they are stunning in real life! 

Do you ever get bummed when you've lost your inspiration for cardmaking? What helps? Hopefully, I've found my spark, and I'll be back to crafting up a storm soon. 

See you soon! 

Jen