VIDEO: Stretch Your Stamps + Giveaway

Hi there! I’m a big fan of taking stamps and using them in creative ways. This video shows how I created three cards doing just that using some holiday Hero Arts stamps for a bit of repeated stamping.

[All supplies are linked to multiple sources in the thumbnails at the end of this post. To watch the video in HD on YouTube, click HERE.]

I will admit – I bought a lot of holiday stamps this year. Eek! And the idea of putting them away and not using them again until next year breaks my heart. So… I decided to look for ways to stretch my holiday images into non-holiday uses.

Today I took the awesome Hero Arts Christmas Crystals stamps and gave them a bold look with repeated stamping. I started by measuring where the center of the card was on watercolor paper. Next, I stamped a crystal with Versafine Black Ink repeatedly in a circle making sure the end of the crystal met up in the center. For a bit of shine, I clear heat embossed the images.

I used Tombow markers and a Wink of Stella Pen for quick watercoloring. I put down color where I wanted the darkest part to be and pulled the color out towards the rest of the image with my Wink of Stella Pen. This creates a fun ombre effect.

By the way… I found I can get a second life out of my Wink of Stella pen by adding water to it when it runs out. If you don’t have a Wink of Stella Pen, you could use a water brush or a paintbrush with water.

I added the sentiments from the new Hero Arts The Good Stuff stamp set. For the first card, I stamped the sentiment below the crystal image using the VersaFine Black ink and heat set it using clear embossing powder. For the second and third card, I punched a circle from the center of the image and white heat embossed it on the panel behind it.

I just love bold color. It is sure to cheer up a friend!

I’m a big fan of stretching stamps to get more use from them. Here I took a holiday ornament stamp set and transformed it into some fun stars and flower images. I hope this inspires you to look at your stamps in a different way!

HERO ARTS BLOG

By the way, these cards were featured over on the Hero Arts Blog. If you haven’t been there in awhile, I encourage you to do so! They have some new artists contributing and the ideas are outstanding. You can find it HERE.

GIVEAWAY

How would you like to win BOTH of the Hero Arts stamp sets I used today? For your chance, leave a comment here by 11:59pmEST on 11/13/14. (Winners will be posted on my “Winners page” after the giveaway closes.)

SUPPLIES

Below are the products featured above. Click on the letters below each picture to go to a favorite store: Simon Says Stamp (SSS), Ellen Hutson (EH), and Amazon (AZ).

 

 

 

CLICK A SHOP:
( SSS | EH )

 

CLICK A SHOP:
( SSS | EH )

 

 

CLICK A SHOP:
( SSS )

 

CLICK A SHOP:
( SSS )

 

 

 

CLICK A SHOP:
(SSS | EH | AZ)

 

CLICK A SHOP:
( SSS | EH )

 

CLICK A SHOP:
( SSS )

 

 

CLICK A SHOP:
( SSS | AZ )

 

CLICK A SHOP:
( SSS | AZ )

 

CLICK A SHOP:
( SSS | EH )

 

 

 

CLICK A SHOP:
(SSS | EH | AZ)

 

CLICK A SHOP:
( SSS | AMZ )

 

CLICK A SHOP:
( SSS | AMZ )

 

CLICK A SHOP:
( SSS | EH )

 


Leave a Comment

385 thoughts on “VIDEO: Stretch Your Stamps + Giveaway”

  1. Pam says:

    I always love your inspiration! Thanks for sharing how to do more with what we have.

  2. Bethany says:

    Beautiful cards. I love all the bright colors on the cards. Great technique.

  3. Eva says:

    I love your stretch your stamps cards. Thanks of this, I look on my stamps in a different way and I’m able to create different looking cards just with one stamp.

  4. Anso says:

    Love love love these cards and what you did with the stamps. Fantastic 🙂

  5. Ashley says:

    I love the idea of using stamps sets in a different way!

  6. Small T says:

    This is such a great idea! Thank you for sharing! xo

  7. Robin Higgins says:

    I do love your stretch your stamps blogs, great way to think outside the box and give us new ideas and ways to us stamps.
    Some of us can use all the help we can get to get started.

  8. Melitta Ball says:

    I would love to make your beautiful cards with the fantastic stamps you used! Thank you so much for the opportunity to win them!
    Blessings,
    Melitta

  9. toffy says:

    All the cards look so colourful! That’s really nice.
    And having another stamp set is always good and brings lots of new ideas! Thanks for chance to win it 🙂

    Toffy

  10. Betsy Megna says:

    Great idea! I need to think outside the box and experiment using existing stamps in new ways! As always, I truly enjoy your videos. Glad to hear you had a “Magical” trip to Disney.

  11. Sonja says:

    Love all of the beautiful color combinations

  12. Ronda says:

    Always love your cards and your helpful tips and hints

  13. Patt H. says:

    Love those gorgeous cards! Thanks for the great inspiration. I’m looking at my stamps in a whole new way now!

  14. tape says:

    Love your colourful ombre cards!

  15. RandellynB says:

    I love the cards and designs! They’re so happy and playful.

  16. Nancy M. says:

    Such great tutorials you do. I am glad to learn how to “stretch my stamps” in different ways. I think these stamps are versatile.

  17. Victoria in OHio says:

    LOVE the watercolor images and both stamp sets…

  18. Christine Mills says:

    I am inspired to try this technique. Even though it’s not my typical style, I’m anxious to try something new. Beautiful artistry. Thank you for sharing.

  19. Nisha says:

    Ur works are awesomee…:) Can someone please explain the difference between a normal ink and pigment ink?

  20. Debbie Bassett says:

    More beautiful cards! I certainly don’t mean to covet your imagination, but oh how I wish I had the wonderful creative vision of things that you possess! I once heard you say that you would never buy a stamp set if you couldn’t think of either 3 or 5 different ways to use them! (Couldn’t remember) I on the other hand struggle trying to just design 1 (ONE) nice card! You are using your God given talent and that’s what HE would have us do!! Keep up the great work!!!

  21. Amy#8546(TheTigersHaven) says:

    Oh my gosh.. these are Beautiful. What a great idea for stamps

  22. Monnah says:

    What lovely, different and happy cards! I love the shapes and the colors.

  23. Nancy Carroll says:

    Yes, this did inspire me, love the coloring, thanks for the inspiration.

  24. Sheila White says:

    Love,Love, Love the bright colors also. Your so right does make one feel more cheerful.Reminds me of a calidiscope we had as a kid you tune it for all the changing colors.Thanks so much for taking me back to way back when.

  25. Sylvia says:

    The Christmas Crystals set caught my eye but I wasn’t sure how to use them or color them in – now I know. Thanks!

  26. Heather B says:

    I love your use of these stamps. I would like to try a repeating pattern in linear fashion in two or three colors.

  27. Chris E says:

    Hero Arts giveaway? Yes please! I LOOOOVE these cards – the colors are wonderful, but the hot pink one is my favorite 🙂 LOVE it!

  28. Micah's Crafts says:

    Thank for the videos and the giveaways. I am one of your biggest fans. To me u are the best crafter. Thanks for this video on how to make more images out of some stamps. Thanks

  29. RedGem says:

    Great idea for using these stamps! They are so colorful…tks for sharing!

  30. I absolutely love how creative these cards are…you are so0o0 clever!!!

  31. Nancy Carroll says:

    Hi, I didn’t see this listed on the winners page…Just wondering..

  32. Deb Cavallaro says:

    I enjoy your videos and consider them a “go to” when I want to learn a new stamp technique!
    My favorite stamp set is a lawn fawn alphabet. I reach for it often when I don’t have ‘just the right’ sentiment!

  33. Doris says:

    Thank you for all you do! You are a gift and i really appreciate your contribution to crafting. My favorite stam is Altenew Vintage Roses. Have a blessed day.

  34. Maureen Loeswick says:

    My favorite stamp set from the new release is the set with the fading effect on the letters. I’m still building a stamp collection and I love the large sentiment stamps.as a beginner I really appreciate stamps at that create dimensional fax without needing a lot of special tools and products. Absolutely love the new collection that you showed on your YouTube video.

  35. Lynda says:

    love your tips…and these cards are awesome!

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