I was a GIU participant last year and was so excited when a week opened up and I was able to snag a spot for this year.  I love these rubber stamps and the company has turned me into a devoted stamper.  Be sure to comment as I will randomly pick two people from the comments to win a Unity grab bag of 25 stamps graciously donated by Unity Stamp Company.  I will pick a separate winner and send them three Distress Oxide inks from me since I ended up with duplicate colors and would like to pay them forward.

I decided to try the SMAK membership for a little while to stretch my creative style.  I am no longer a member and still had some kits that I had never inked up.  I knew this week would be a great way to use at least one of those kits.  The February 2017 SMAK is called Be You for You and can be found here.  My goal was to use most of the stamps in the kit.

This first card was done utilizing shadow stamping with alcohol inks.  I saw this technique by Jennifer McGuire (found here) I cut out a top panel using a die from Gina Marie to mount over the stamped panel using foam tape.  The sentiment was from the February 2017 KOM.

For this card I first embossed the sentiment using Versamark and White Pearl embossing powder.  I then used a couple of colors of Distress ink and used a blending tool to go over the panel building up the colors.  I wiped the ink of the embossing which resists the ink.  I then took the same two colors in Distress Oxide inks and stamped the floral pattern various placed on the panel.  Since the Oxide ink is more opaque, it shows up nicely on top of the regular Distress ink.  I did have to wipe it off the sentiment, but the embossing resisted it too.  I blended the Distress Oxide on the base before mounting the top panel with foam tape.

These kinds of backgrounds are what I struggle to use.  I covered the background with Distress Inks and splattered with water.  I then used Distress Oxide ink to use the pattern for the background.  I embossed another “splat” pattern using Versafine with clear embossing powder.  It is hard to see in the pictures but here is a closeup.    I also embossed the sentiment before distressing it.  As I used the blending tool, I wrinkled the paper.  I decided to just go with it since it was to be a messy card anyway.

This card was done by stamping on kraft paper using Deco Paste, letting that dry and then foiling it using Deco Foil and my Minc machine.  It is not as neat an image as when using a printer, but since this is a SMAK kit, that messier look worked.  The background paper is from a DCWV called Kraft & Gold.

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These are just simple stamping and then masking off a section with painter’s tape, coloring with watercolors and taking the tape.  I cut the panel with an oval die and added a sheer ribbon on one and braided ribbon on the other.  One of my goals is to use the mass of ribbon I have collected.

My final card means I used all of the images and all but one of the sentiments from the kit.  This was a simple stamping on a slightly patterned paper, tearing and distressing the edges.  Taking a couple of patterned papers from my stash and tearing and distressing those too.  I wrapped some twine around the image to give some more interst and added some clock die cuts from my stash.

I hope to see you tomorrow when I use stamps from one of my KOM kits. Don’t forget to comment to be in the drawing. – Denise