New Stamps and Old Friends

                                                                                                                                           10/29/2015  

About every three months I design a batch of new stamps.  "NEW" is the lifeblood of the business, but there are some of Karen Lockhart's older stamps that continue to sell (and sell and sell)!  No. 4003, Tissue Box is always near the top of our sales list.  I thought about designing a new one...but why?  It's pretty darned perfect as it is.  I did however, get a request to design a new robe stamp, and I thought that made sense.  I'd always felt the earlier robe was too small and the request was for a stamp big enough to be "paper pieced", and so along came the "Fuzzy Bathrobe"!

An aspect of the business that I find fun, is matching up these new stamps with older "friends"...verses that already exist and that some of you may already have.  Here are two verses that fit perfectly with the new Fuzzy Bathrobe get well stamp ~

4101 Fuzzy Bathrobe, 3109 Bunny Slippers, 10035 Ickie Sickie & 10031 Get Comfy

Another brand new design is "Seed Packets" and while I love the new verse that I designed to go with it: "Scatter Joy, Gather Love", I found two older verses (and an itty bitty stamp!) that are also great matches ~ "weed...water...wait" & "Fresh from the Garden".  (Plus, those itty bitty plant stakes that make such a cute coordinating decoration)!

2254  Seed Packets and 10130  Scatter Joy

 

2254 Seed Packets, 10053 Weed...Water...Wait & 10013  Fresh from the Garden

The last example is our new "Doodle Butterfly" stamp, inspired by my Flora Bella coloring book art.  I didn't plan a verse for this stamp because "flitter...flutter...fly" already seemed so perfect.  I also thought that "enjoy the simple things" was a good fit and "Have a beautiful day" works well too.  (I also considered "caught a bug"...but nooooo, I don't think so).  

2256 Doodle Butterfly, 10058 Flitter..Flutter..Fly & 10109 Have a Beautiful Day

So, as you enjoy the thrill of inking up a brand new stamp, don't forget about those old friends.  You may find that they were just what you were looking for. 

Angel on High by Sharon Harnist

Hello Pink Ink Fans -- Sharon here today, with stepped out details on how to  watercolor Pink Ink’s beautiful new Angel on High #6108L.   So let’s get started! 1. Stamp angel and Peace on Earth #10126B sentiment with Versamark ink,  then gold heat emboss. The embossing helps to keep the watercolor contained  on finely detailed images! 2. Watercolor sky with Tumbled Glass Distress Ink, using broad waterbrush: 3. Watercolor angel dress with Spun Sugar Distress Ink, using detailer waterbrush. 4. Add depth to folds of dress with darker Worn Lipstick Distress Marker; blend with waterbrush if needed. 5. Color skin with Antique Linen Distress Marker; blend with waterbrush if needed:  6. Watercolor wings with Fossilized Amber Distress Ink. Concentrate more color under the rows of feathers, to help create depth and accent them: 7. Watercolor hair with Gathered Twigs Distress Ink.  Add Spun Sugar Distress Marker to cheek; blend with waterbrush if needed. To finish the card, I trimmed the watercolored panel between the angel and sentiment, and also trimmed a little less than 1/4” off the top of the panel.  The panels were separated and adhered with foam tape onto a white card base, with an accent strip of gold foil paper adhered to the card base below the panels. Do you prefer coloring with just markers?  Then use these same steps and I’m sure you’ll achieve wonderful results! Thanks so much for joining me today!  ~ Sharon Pink Ink products used, available retail online through Ellen Hutson LLC: Pink Ink Wood Mount Stamp, Angel On High Pink Ink Wood Mount Stamp, Peace On Earth Or check Pink Ink's website to find a local retailer near you, or to order wholesale.

Thinking of You In Your Fluffy Bathrobe!

10/27/2015

Hello Pink Ink Fans! Today I have a really cute card to share with you using a new image that was just released. I think this card is so perfect for that person in your life that maybe isn't feeling well because of an illness or other issue.   4101K Fuzzy Bathrobe and 3109A Bunny Slippers The fluffy bathrobe image is perfect to paper piece!  Sure you can color it with your markers or pencils but sometimes you just don't feel like it, ya know?  Paper piecing is another great technique that gives you dimension and even texture easily!  Here is how I put the robe together..... I stamped the image 3 times......white, peach and patterned cardstock is used for my sample! I cut out the peach bathrobe whole and then just the pocket/cuffs, sash and neckline from the patterned paper.  Then I glued the peach bathrobe to the white cardstock.  I added the other items to the peach bathrobe.  By glueing all of this onto the white cardstock it's easier to die cut when you are done! Here is a close-up of the card, too! Thanks for stopping by today!  I hope I have inspired you to use the paper piecing technique the next time you create with Pink Ink Postmarks! Debbie Seyer

A Kraft Paper Christmas Class

Kraft paper is humble, yet beautiful.  While it is the source for paper grocery bags and cardboard boxes, it also is used for "decorator quality" hand blocked wrapping papers, totes and gift boxes.  In other words, it's country, but it's cool!  I love this look ~ so different from stamping on white!  Here are some close up examples from the "Kraft Paper Christmas" pencil coloring class that I recently taught.   6104  Wintertime Woody   6109  Must Be Santa!   6107  Wintry Window   6108  Angel On High 2253  Hawthorne & Roses And to share with you...my notes from the class! MID TONE  Tan kraft paper is a mid toned color, consequently, it provides a nice middle range value that lessens your coloring time.  In class, we will focus on deepening it with shading and lightening it with highlights of pastel and white.  PAPER TOOTH  Kraft paper does not need to have an initial layer to smooth out fibrous paper tooth with pencil wax. The rougher surface of the paper and grainy look of the coloring adds to its homespun charm.   WHITE   Color whites in first...you can color over white pencil, but white pencil doesn't fully cover over colors.  A good way to shade on top of the white is with pale grey.  Try using a pencil stroke that follows the direction of your object, for example: the flow of Santa's beard, the furry trim on his suit, the slope of the snow drifts. EXPERIMENT  It's always a good idea to use your sample swatch to test colors.  They will look a bit different than what you are used to seeing on white stock. COLORS  I suggest adding lighter colors first, then darker colors on top.  You can always go back and add a second layer of light color again to brighten it up.  SHADING  Make the paper tone work for you!  I have let the paper be part of the shading on Santa's beard, the window shutters and the Christmas tree boughs as it provides a nice undertone that is perfect for these objects - no initial layer is needed.  FILLER  After counting, I found myself adding about 50 "snow" dots to each Woody card.  Dots are made by wiggling the point of the white pencil in a teeny circle.  Don't make them too big, or they will morph from falling snow into a polka dot look.  METALLIC  Silver, gold (and copper - if you can find it!) look great on kraft paper stock!  Their shimmer is a perfect foil against that "paper bag" brown.  I think a black, white and metallic color theme on kraft would be a very elegant look. FUN  Have fun with this different paper surface...that's what it's all about!

Back In The Game

10/15/2015

I've been designing stamps for Pink Ink for over two years now and loving the freedom of coming up with my own images, being able to respond to customer suggestions and learning to plan releases that are cute, coordinated and sale-able. But I recently discovered that I've been missing a little of the "thrill" of cross merchandising that I experienced in the licensing world.  That is, where a good idea "takes off" to jump from one category into another.  I've been feeling this again lately, as my newly hatched coloring book, Flora Bella, has crossed into the world of Pink Ink Stamps.  Here are two brand new card samples that I've created using stamp images that came from the pages of Flora Bella, ~ No. 2258 Earth Laughed and No. 7102 Curlicue Heart. These are the two page spreads from the coloring book that inspired the stamps ~ You can see how the book is fertile ground for stamp ideas!  Even more fun, is this brand new stamp image, Seed Packets, that I plan to put in to Flora Bella's sequel (not yet titled) which will be all about lovely gardens and the joy of gardening. I'm jazzed! But back to the thrill of creating new products...exciting news came yesterday as the book publisher, Sellers Publishing, has decided to expand the Flora Bella illustrations into two coloring calendars, one for the wall, and another in a large "desk blotter" style!   And so, the Pink Ink Empire grows, and I feel happy and honored to be creating new products that can bring hours of fun and relaxation to my friends and fans.  Now, I just have to think up that catchy new title.

Wintery Window

09/10/2015

Hello friends! I have a new card to share with you created with a beautiful stamp from Pink Ink Stamp Company! Their Fall and Winter release is available now, and there are some really pretty images! Isn't that the sweetest image? Pink Ink stamps are so detailed and have such fine lines. They are really fun to color! I did all the coloring with Copic Markers, then cut the image out with a stitched rectangle die, and mounted this onto a card covered with some pretty patterned paper. Of course I had to add a few Pretty Pink Posh sequins to finish it off! :) The stamps I used for this card are linked below! Wintery Window Favorite Time You can find the whole line of Pink Ink Stamps at Ellen Hutson! Thanks so much for stopping by! Happy Friday and weekend! Kay :)