A sketch challenge and a six-pack: Sounds like a weekend

As much as I enjoy designing my own cards, pop-ups and layouts, and I truly do love it, some of the most fun I have is when I can work within creative parameters. I first learned this when I discovered the poetic form sestina. I'm a poet of the post-post-beat generation, so form's not really my bag, but there is something incredibly freeing in having to use repetition. That's how I feel, now, about cardmaking challenges.

This felt especially true this morning, when I found the Midnight Madness Sketch Challenge #71 over at the PriscillaStyles blog. I had seen some of the entries on CDAC and was blown away, as usual. But I wanted to make something, so I decided to enter the challenge, and give myself the extra challenge of using only recycled materials that I had on hand. So I dug through the recycling and chose the packaging for a case of 7-up and a six-pack of Beach Bum Ale.



Supplies: emery board, Tim Holtz scissors, ZipDry glue, HP printer, Dimensions Mini Stamp, StazOn Ink, rose SCAL cut file from Too Many Ideas

Sketch Challenge

Well, it isn't very simple, and only sorta clean, but here's my try at a fun challenge I found over at the clean&simple blog.



Sketch by clean&simple
Supplies: Cricut personal cutter, SCAL software, Recollections cardstock, HP printer & ink, Tim Holtz scissors, ZipDry glue, Sakura Gelly Roll metallic pens,
Birdie digi stamp by paperfacesdesigns

Stamping digital images with acetate

When I started my love affair with piano-hinge books, my biggest challenge was how to neatly double-side on pages that were between one and three inches. Ol' Bessi, my 10-year-old HP 3-in-one InkJet printer, actually does a fairly good job at double-siding, but it's always a crapshoot whether it will work. Honestly, that's the truth across the board in printing. Printing truly proves chaos theory, if you ask me. Also, I needed to cut the pages on my Cricut personal cutter, and there was no way I would be able to do that many times in a row with less than 1/16 inch margin of error. It would be easier to hand-cut the pages in that case, but I didn't want my books to be that handmade. Anyhoo, during the same time I was trying to make a magic picture card with a digi stamp, but the image just wouldn't dry on the acetate. So, in a classic "You got chocolate on my peanut butter!" moment, I realized that I had in fact created a way to stamp the image. I know, I know, what's the point of stamping an image that is printable? Gee, where's your imagination? It adds a completely different effect, plus it totally solves my book printing problem.

The above image, from my poemoir "The Door Won't Stop It", shows my first attempt at stamping the text onto the pre-cut pages. It's basically digital letter-pressing.

This method works perfectly for my needs, so I decided to try it with a full-color image. The results are mixed, but it's so much fun that I thought I'd throw together a quick how-to:

You don't have to do this, but I pre-printed the sentiments and backing papers onto cardstock first. It just worked out that I was able to use just one piece of white.

Reverse/flip/mirror the image you want to stamp (including the positioning), and print at highest quality/output onto your acetate. This only works with inkjet printers . . . I think laser pinters will probably actually print on the acetate.

Carefully place the acetate, ink-side down, onto your cardstock. The blurred effect in this photo shows what happens when you try to do this with one hand while taking a picture . . . it's best to use two hands. In this case, I printed everything on letter-size paper with a half-inch margin, to help with the alignment.

Transfer the image onto the cardstock by rubbing it. Depending on the effect you want and the detail of the image, you can use anything from a bone folder to your finger. My favorite: the top of my extra-large glue stick. However, only use one method. This is what happens when you get nervous and rub it a little more with your fingernail:
As you can see, how you rub on the image really makes a difference in the color coverage. Here's a better, more even version:
Here's the card I made with the images, for the September Sketch Challenge at Crafter's Digital Art Center (CDAC).

Sketch by Lauretta's Digital Stamps
Technique: Spotlighting (there's a great tutorial for true spotlighting at splitcoaststampers)
Birdie digi stamp by paperfacesdesigns
Supplies: Core'dinations cardstock, Stickles, ribbon from Target, HP printer, Recollections cardstock, Grafix clear craft plastic, ZipDry glue, pop-up dots

A lotus in my palm

This little piano-hinge book was inspired by my cousin Lisa, who shared a lovely quote from the Buddha with me when I was looking for another book idea . . .

seven truths
from
the Buddha

“Chaos is inherent in all compounded things. Strive on with diligence.”

“Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth.”
“Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.”

“Hatred does not cease by hatred, but only by love; this is the eternal rule.”

“In a controversy, the instant we feel anger we have already ceased striving for the truth, and have begun striving for ourselves.”

“The foot feels the foot when it feels the ground.”

“It is better to travel well than to arrive.”

If I didn't understand that last one when I began making this book, I certainly did by the end.

"American Mouth"

Full text of this poem is available here.

This picture slideshow customized with Smilebox