Holiday Star on Two Layers
Another card with the Christmas Block Art Stamp Set, which is part of the 2024 STAMPtember release at Simon Says Stamp.
Because the stamp set includes both positive and negative (shape and outside of the shape) coordinating versions, I wanted to create a card that could take advantage of that.
Techniques:
I first stamped the star border stamp with Cadette ink in the center* of and A2 panel. To create depth, I added some Royal ink around the edges, especially at the top and bottom. This really adds to the printmaking feel that these stamps create. (*I usually center things just a bit above true center. A technique you often find in frames and crating mats in the art world. You can see that in almost all of my cards - and other design work - where a focal point is centered.)
There are dies for this set, but I didn’t have them. Thankfully, this is an easy shape to cut with a knife and straight edge, so I cut out the center of the star leaving just a thin border of cardstock around the stamp. This thin border looks nice, but also meant that the stamped cover would overlap the edges of the star slightly so you wouldn’t see a gap if it was slightly off in terms of alignment.
Tracing that star shape lightly on both the inside and outside of a card base gave me my lines for cutting it out of the front panel, and stamping on the inside panel. The fact that the stamp was on an A2 panel meant that it would line up well no matter where I put it.
I stamped the star on the inside panel with Honeycomb ink, and then added Distress Embossing Glaze in Squeezed Lemonade over it to give it shine and some texture. I love how the shine contrasts with the more rough block print style of the stamps.
The script sentiments that come with the stamp set were a perfect detail to stamp around the frame of the focal point stamp. I recommend testing your spacing on scrap paper, by measuring, or just eyeballing it at least before doing it to figure out the spacing. I realized I was going to have a couple of gaps, so pulled out another stamp set (Around the World - see below) that has dashed lines for the airplane trails, and filled in some gaps with that, which I think was an excellent solution. The line weight and style coordinate perfectly!
Colors:
cardstock: Concord & 9th Sea Glass.
ink: Simon Says Stamp Cadette and Royal. Concord & 9th Honeycomb and Harbor.
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It began on September 1 with a huge new product release, and is an online celebration all month long. There are over 30 limited-edition collaborations with some of the wonderful companies who are part of this industry that will be coming too. You can find all the details on the Simon Says Stamp blog here.