Sunflowers

I love making my own background papers. Yes it is time consuming and prone to failure but there is so much satifaction when it comes out right. For this card I pulled out my old Stamp-O-Graph from Mostly Animals. It was billed as a Stamp Positioner and Image Enhancer and was real handy for stamping the same images on multiple cards. The stamp positioner is attached to a gridded base with hinges so you can attach your card to the base, stamp it with the positioner, flip the positioner out of the way, work on your card then flip the positioner back into place and re-stamp your card. Clear as mud huh? So...
I stamped the background stamp onto the gridded base with the stamp positioner in place to see exactly where my design would land then, using a repositional gluestick I attached my Handsome Hunter card front into position then stamped the background onto it. I then flipped the positioner out of the way and colored the background with Prismacolor pencils. When you color a detailed design with colored pencils you tend to lose the detail so this is where my Stamp-o-Graph earns its keep. I flipped the positioner back into place and re-stamped the image OVER the pencil coloring which adds the detail back in. I may not use it every day since the Stamp-a-ma-jig is quicker but no way would I ever give up my Stamp-O-Graph.
I used Splitcoast Stampers Sketch Challenge 244 for the basis of this card. I stamped the More Mustard panel with a text background from Papertrey Inks Background Basics Text Style in Close to Cocoa. After sponging Walnut Stain Distress Ink around the edges I matted it with Close to Cocoa cardstock also sponged with Walnut Stain. I attached a round clip tied with natural twill ribbon to the top corner then mounted it to the card front. I stamped the pitcher full of sunflowers from Papertrey Inks Autumn Abundance onto Neenah Natural White with Memento Black ink then colored them with Prismacolor Markers. I clipped the 4 corners of this piece as well as the corners of the Close to Cocoa mat with the ticket punch from SU, sponged all with Walnut Stain ink then mounted to the card. Attached an antique turn button to balance it all out.
Til next time...