Hello Fellow Stampers ~
Fall Is Calling my friends . . . Can you hear it?? . . .
Today we're going to break out a brand new stamp set that I fell in love with the minute I saw it - from the brand new 2018 Holiday Occasions Catalog, I introduce to you the beautiful Pleasant Pheasant stamp set. See page 44 of the 2018 Holiday Occasions Catalog ~~
This beautiful stamp set is a "coloring" stamp set - but that doesn't mean every time you ink it up you've got to pull out the markers or colored pencils. There are a lot of wonderful ways to stamp this set and add color - so don't panic!!
North Dakota is considered the "pheasant capitol of the nation." (You probably didn't know that -- LOL). Having grown up visiting grandparents and relatives there I am very familiar with this bird - it is seen frequently in the fields and along the sides of the country roads. It was always a fun game to see how many pheasants we could spot driving to grandma's house as kids. I still love watching for the pheasants when I head up to the "peace garden state."
The male of the species is absolutely gorgeous; it would be hard to do him justice in any medium of coloring. But we'll give it the old college try today!
Let's open the suitcase up today, and see what we find inside . . .
Design Colorology . . .
Stamps, and Ink, and Paper . . . Oh, My!
Stamps: Pleasant Pheasants [147687 - wood mount; 147684 - clear mount]
Paper: Mossy Meadow (8-1/2" x 5-1/2"); Cajun Craze (5-1/4" x 3-3/4"); Very Vanilla (5" x 3-3/4")
Inks: Staz-On [Item #101406]; Watercolor Pencils [Item #141709]; Watercolor Pencil Ass't #2 [Item #149014 - discont.]
Other: Linen Thread [Item #104199]; Gold Metallic Buttons [Item # - discont.]; Metallic Pearls [Item #146282]
"CASE-Out" Design Guide
I've changed things up slightly from the sample in the catalog - I'll note those changes at the end.
1. Score the 8-1/2" x 5-1/2" Mossy Meadow cardstock at 4-1/4" and gently burnish with your bone folder. [Reminder: Fold "inward" on your bump - bump goes to the inside - to get that nice clean professional look]. Use your bone folder gently so as not to "crack" your cardstock. Note: This is a top-fold card.
2. "Distress" your Cajun Craze cardstock using your favorite technique (e.g, edge of a scissors blade will work nicely). Attach to the front of your Mossy Meadow card base at a slight angle.
3. Stamp the image of the pheasant pair using Staz-On ink in the enter of your Very Vanilla cardstock.
4. Color your image with a variety of watercolor pencils using the "dry color" technique. This means you are using straight color from your pencils - no blender pens, or aquapainters. We are not "watercoloring" this image today. I have layered color on to get the effect you see. What is really cool is that as you layer color over color, you eventually end up with a really beautiful "shimmer" to your coloring. You will really love it. I have used the following colors from my two watercolor pencil sets: Early Espresso, Cajun Craze, Daffodil Delight, Crushed Curry, Old Olive, Real Red, Calypso Coral, Pacific Point, Garden Green, Basic Gray, Melon Mambo, Coastal Cabana, Pumpkin Pie, and a tad bit of Granny Apple Green. Your greens are mostly on the grasses; with just a touch of Old Olive on the female birds wings/feathers. Start by laying a light "base" coloring of Early Espresso (use the side of your pencil with a light touch to just barely lay down some initial color); and then begin layering on colors, blending them across and over each other to achieve the effect and tones. The Early Espresso can be brought in intermittently to mute color tones and bring things together. Remember to use the sides of your pencils and use a light touch where needed so as not to lay down too much of any one color.
A couple of hints/tips: The Calypso Coral with the "side" of the Early Espresso creates a nice lighter look for the upper neck area of the female pheasant.
The Real Red mixed with Pumpkin Pie, Cajun Craze and Early Espresso creates a glorious color for the feathers of the male pheasant.
5. Optional: Lightly sponge the edges of your finished work with Soft Suede ink to soften/distress the edges of the Very Vanilla cardstock.
6. Wrap the Very Vanilla piece with Linen Thread and tie. Here is where you can add a sentiment like the sample in the catalog; or as I did - a simple embellishment like a button.
7. Attach the finished piece to the card front over the Cajun Craze piece at the opposite "angle" so that it shows through behind the Very Vanilla piece.
8. Optional: Add Gold Metallic Pearls and you are finished.
I hope you have loved today's CASE-Out project. I changed up the matting color from the catalog sample (which uses Mossy Meadow on Mossy Meadow); left the sentiment off because I wasn't sure I wanted it right now (although the Happy Thanksgiving in this set is fabulous!), and added some embellishment. That's the way we CASE -- LOL
I think that's it for today's fun project. Hope you enjoyed! I love to read your comments, so please leave me your thoughts and inspiration as well!!
Until Next Time . . . Puppy Hugs,
