Stamping With Multi-Step stamps!

 Hello and here's the post that I promised yesterday!! So Multi-step stamps are the next big thing in Stamping world, along with the watercoloring trend. So I decided to jump on the bandwagon and ordered myself the Altenew Vintage flowers. (There are two sets, The Vintage Roses has only roses, whilst, the Vintage flowers has a mix of roses, cherry blossoms and some more tiny flowers.  11 sets of flowers)

And so I took out all my inkpads, sat with my ink swatch book (if you haven't checked out my swatch book post, do check it out) to try to figure out combinations and then start to stamp!! And of course my MISTI. Little did I know how frustrated I was going to be. Lining up the stamps was not easy...could have been for others, but I needed it to be perfect as the pictures on the stamp set showed. So I started testing papers, inks and what not!! Here are my imperfect results.

 This is on Brustro Sketch paper, the one I normally use for stamping. I couldn't get the stamps to line up..if they lined up, the combination of inks was wrong.

 This is the only one on Day 1 that seemed to look okay..and then I saw..it hadn't stamped perfectly!! So I just walked away from the set. Started checking if there were any tips to line them up.

 Day 2. I changed my papers, and tried some other inks.  Paper was Neenah Solar White.
 I tried pearlescent inks, pigment inks, ranger dye inks (these are the worst  for layered stamping. They overshadow every other ink above or below them!!)

 

 

 Then after some more random stamping on scratch paper, I finally got some decent color combinations and better lining up! Sadly this paper has a linen texture to it, and solid stamps don't like texture paper. I love this for coloring with distress and prismacolors, but you can see on the purple flower below, the white shows through the purple.

Since I was using my MISTI, I was able to overstamp and cover the white in other two stamps. 

Just in case you want the colors I used, 

Pink - bottom to top layer - Angel Pink Memento Dye, Rose Bud Memento Dye, Rhubarb Stalk Memento Dye

Orange - (bottom to top order)  Dandelion memento dye, Tangelo memento dye (double stamped) , Cheese puff Ranger Dye

Purple - Lulu Lavender Memento dye, Grape soda Ranger dye, Grape jelly memento dye (double stamped)

 Then I took out my Papertrey ink's The Sweet Life stamp!! And oh my gosh!! This is how a 3-step stamp should be. Effortless. The lining up was super super easy on this compared to the above stamp set.
If you like roses, I would suggest, spend 3$ more and get this set. Its so worth it!!
Again, the linen texture shows through in the bottom left rose. On right I have used a smooth Campap paper which is really smooth and absorbs dye ink superbly!! This is my favorite stamping paper, for my silhouette and I can't find a decent seller. And I won't buy from snapdeal ( I hate their services)

 So the end of all this drama is this.

Here are my tips and tricks. If you are a beginner, avoid this set for now...it will only make you frustrated with stamping. If you already have this set, or are going to buy..

1. Print this chart from their website and glue it on to your stamp set. That way you always have your lining guide.

2. Take a permanent marker and line your sets so you know what flower belongs to what set. Zoom on the picture below and mark your sets. I've have also numbered them. Because apparently, there are 7 stamping guides and 11 flower sets.. Which is when I realized, 4 sets of flowers are in two sizes. Go figure. They should print all this info or let you know!! Could have saved me hours of frustration. Anyhow. number them, so you know which guide to look for when stamping!

 3. Make an ink swatch book...so you know what colors you have and can form a better idea of what colors in the same family will go together. Its like using a trio of copics. One lightest color, one medium and one dark.  Altenew has released color family sets, but that's again a big investment.
Also do save this link...a lot of amazing color combinations if you have all the inks. HERE

4. Lastly my version of the rose chart. The points marked with arrows is what I use to line them up and it works pretty well. The top most flower is slightly hard to layer and especially if your clear stamps are stained with inks. But not impossible!!

So here were my small tips and tricks. Do try if you have the stamp and share with me what you make!! Will love to have a peek and if there are any more tips and tricks that you know, please do share! 

A card making Tip, and a Yay for me!

What a nutcase title..but then that's me. .Here's the best part of my day today..my butterfly card got a mention as one of the CAS favorites of the week. Thank you Karen. I'm soo happy..best way to begin my week..

Okay that was the YAY! and now for the tip. I don't know if its so much of a tip as much as what I do.

Once I've finished coloring an image or finished a card, there is always a finishing touch that changes the whole look of the card or the image. By finishing touches, I mean either faux stitching, dots with a white gel pen, black gel pen, some distressing with dark inks...or glitter. Unless you are going for a clean look. this always pushes your cards up by a notch. Its not necessary, but it works. And being the perfectionist that I am..I love adding that finishing touches.

Here's an example..

I've finished coloring my image. It looks good, but for me something's missing. It just needs a little bit something to make it pop. So I added dots with white gel pen. and This is what you get. ( those scribble on the left side are my way of seeing what colors to use)

 

And again, with this card, a line of faux stitching around the edges. 

 

And a row of white gel pen dots and some faux stitching along the PP completes this card for me. 

 

Hope this helps you in some way. Try it. And see the results.

Before I go, just a sneak peak of what I have been working on. This is a PP made with stamps, I've colored this out and used bits and pieces to complete a card. Something that derives inspiration from Nichole Heady. What an amazing woman, I would buy everything PTI if I could..the emphasis is on "If I could".