It's Release Day!

We made it!  It's our 8th Release Day!  Whoopie! By now your brain should be overwhelmed with Sister Stamps Release #8 projects!  Didn't the Guest Designers come up with amazing projects?  Hope you checked them all out this this week as I had them working hard making all those cards and projects.  Their creativity just blows my mind.

So you should have come here from Cami's blog...right?  If not, you can hele on to the front of the line and go back to the Sister Stamps blog.  You won't want to miss out on everyone's.

I have one last project to share with you today using our new Mariko image.  I'm sure she will be one of my go to images for future birthday projects and other gift giving occasions.


I decided to stretch my creativity and make something that wasn't a card.  If you know me, you'll know I don't care for painting much.  I think I just couldn't make the paints do what I wanted to when I was younger, so I just dismissed the idea of ever painting again.

Well, I found a great alternative to regular painting!  Finally broke in my Distress Ink pens for my last class I taught and the more I use them, the more I love them!  Combine them with the Tim Holtz waterbrushes and I'm in heaven.  I decided to try working on a canvas this time and selected a 6x6 size.  Started by stamping Mariko using Archival Ink in black.  After it dried, I colored her in using the Distress markers.  If it came out streaky or splotchy, I just used my waterbrush and the lines just vanished!

After getting the hang of coloring with the pens and waterbrush, I tackled the background by just applying color for the grass and sky and then going over it with the larger waterbrush.  That wide brush made it oh so easy to spread out the color so quickly. I only used one color for the sky, but I'm sure I could've used more than one.  For the blades of grass, I just used a darker green and made patches all around Mariko.  Then I got some pastel Distress pens and made small dots over each grass.

I guess I got tired of stamping and coloring, so I cheated a bit and made a banner using my Stampin up Banner punch and Papertrey Ink's alphabet die set.  The letters fit perfectly into the banner.  Taped them to some bakers twine then taped it to the canvas.  For some fun, I added butterflies, a bird and a tree from the latest Doodlebug Designs cardstock sticker sets.

Here's a closer look at Mariko.  Since I only had Black Soot (no gradients like Copics), I just colored her hair all black.

I must admit it was quite fun making something other than a card. Hope you decide to challenge yourself too and just have fun with your crafting!

Just wanted to say THANK YOU to all of my Sister Stamp Guest Sisters that helped to make this release so special.  I hope you enjoyed all their hard work and projects inspired by our new releases! Now it's your turn.. Can't wait to see what all of you come up with!