Tips for Stamping with By The Bay

Hello Craftin' Friends.

I have someone special I'd like you to meet today!

I've mentioned previously that I am a caregiver for a number of family members. Recently while visiting my Mom, I was sharing with her about my blog and she graciously consented to having her picture taken to share with you. Isn't she great! Can you tell from the photo that she has a wonderful sense of humour? Mom's health hasn't been the greatest lately, but when we go to the doctor's office, or for an appointment, people always say to her, "You haven't lost your sense of humour!" Her vision may be going, and her memory is "iffy", but her sense of humour is intact. We all know that laughter is good medicine. I'm discovering that it's also good for caregivers. When I can laugh with Mom it helps both of us to deal with the challenges that come with aging (both hers and mine!).

Today I have a card to share with you using a stamp set I love - By The Bay (Item #149739). You can earn this stamp set for free until March 31st, 2019, with a $60 purchase (in Canada). Most people I know find being near the water relaxing or refreshing. Personally, I have enjoyed listening to the sound of a creek, walking by the ocean, or sitting on a dock watching the sun sparkle on a lake. As soon as I saw the images in this stamp set, I was drawn to them, but although I love the set, initially I found it difficult to use. So I have some tips for you to make using the set much easier.

By the Bay is a very detailed stamp set. It's important to get a rich, clear image, but the first time I tried to stamp the main image I wasn't happy with the intensity of the colour. I used Memento ink, and the image was faint, and didn't do justice to all of the detail in the stamp. So I re-inked the stamp pad and tried again. No joy. Still not a clear image. Sigh... Next I tried Stazon ink. Still not as clear as I wanted.

To get a good clear image, I found using the Stamparatus made all of the difference in the world. For the image below, I used Stazon ink (Item # 101406) on watercolour paper (Item # 122959) and stamped the image a couple times. The Stamparatus (Item # 146276) allows you to stamp multiple times on the exact same spot to get a stronger, clearer image. Woo hoo! Love it! If you use Stazon ink, please remember that you need the Stazon cleaner (Item # 109196) to get your stamp clean when finished. I used the cleaner, then blotted the stamp with a baby wipe, followed by paper towel to clean the stamp when I was finished.

You could certainly use the Stamparatus with Memento ink for the same result, but today, I wanted to colour with aqua painters (Item # 103954). When using water based ink for colouring, you need an alcohol based ink like Stazon for stamping. When using alchohol based ink for colouring (i.e. Stampin' Blends, or rubbing alcohol in your aqua painters) you need a water based ink like Memento for stamping.

I used Pool Party ink for the sky and water, Mossy Meadow ink for the greenery, Soft Suede ink for the roofs of the buildings and some of the rocks on the beach, Crumb Cake ink for the walls of the buildings and the walls beside the pathways, Sahara Sand ink for the pathways themselves, and Gray Granite ink for the stone wall just above the pathway I even put a little Wink of Stella (Item # 141897)on the windows to look like glass.

After the image had dried, I die cut a square using the Stitched Shapes Framelits (Item # 145372) and layered it on Soft Suede Cardstock. I also used the Seaside Embossing Folder (Item # 141481) to create a wavy design in some Pool Party Cardstock for an added layer on my Soft Suede card base. The twine wrapped around the card is Linen Thread (Item # 104199), which I wrapped 4 or 5 times, then tied a knot at the front beside my focal image.

For my sentiment, I stamped the Thinking of You sentiment on a leftover strip of Pool Party Cardstock. The photo below shows my tip for creating layered flags. Cut the flag into your first layer by snipping from the end into the center as far as you want the flag to be deep, then cut from each corner toward the end of your first cut. Glue your strip onto the second layer, then use the first flag as a guide to cut the second flag. This avoids struggling to line up the two cut ends when gluing.

To finish the card, I stamped the seagulls in the lower right corner of some Whisper White Cardstock with Soft Suede ink. Lastly, I stamped "May all your paths lead to happiness" inside using Memento Tuxedo Black ink and glued this inside the card. For more card ideas with By the Bay, check out my Pinterest Board. While you're there, you may wish to follow a number of my boards with Stampin' Up! project ideas.

Thanks for spending some time with me today. I would love it if you'd leave me a comment below if you liked the card, or if you've an experience as a caregiver to share.

Happy crafting!

Craftin' Granny