Sunday, September 8, 2013

Wise Card

Quick note: Ironman Wisconsin is going on as I type this post. If you're reading it on Sunday and are interested, click over to my other blog for race day coverage!

Years ago, for our 20th wedding anniversary, George and I went to British Columbia and stayed at a resort on Pender Island. On one excursion, we took a water taxi to Salt Spring Island for a craft fair, where I bought two stamps from a company called Salt Spring Island Rubber Stamps.

This owl is one of those two stamps.



A bit different from the cutesy owls so popular right now, wouldn't you say?

This wise owl is gorgeous, but we CAS stampers can have a bit of trouble with such natural-style images. First of all, they generally look best colored in. Second, the level of detail wildly deviates from my usual clean and graphic style.

That doesn't mean I can't use these sorts of stamps, though. Some white-on-white layering adds interest (think of all those layers of feathers!!!), and the pine bough border punch gives Mr. Owl a lovely forest context without a complicated scene.

BTW, I used a glue pen to adhere all those little pine needles. Otherwise, the card might rip, which would be unsightly.

If you like CAS but have some natural images to work with, search your stash for punches or dies that relate to nature. See if they can work with your stamps.

I'll bet you can make something beautiful!

Supplies
stamps: Salt Spring Island Rubber Stamps
ink: Versacolor black
paper: Papertrey white
accessories: Martha Stewart pine bough border punch, glue pen

10 comments:

  1. This image is amazing Susan, so detailed and perfectly stamped. The white layers and branches look perfect too. Cathy x

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  2. Really beautiful. Love the serene setting you created.

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  3. It's a stunning way to show case that beautiful image. Thanks for the suggestion on looking on those more detailed stamps differently. All the best to George.

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  4. This is just so classy Susan! I love the owl...he really does have lots of detail!
    Lizy xx

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  5. holy smack down...for a minute I thought the pine bough was embossed..a cuttlebug for Susan...then I read..Whew Ok everything's OK no Cuttlebug a MS punch...the owl is lovely as is the card
    blessings
    patti moffett

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  6. Brilliant use of the punch to give a hint of forest!

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  7. Cool! The texture and layers in white are a pefect, subtle backdrop for the detailed image.

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  8. I really like this card. The image really works not being colored in, which normally I would object to. The punched edge is a nice touch as well. I get frustrated trying to glue down all the bits. My glue pens never want to go the distance to glue down something like that.

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  9. Susan, I thought the pine boughs were embossed. I had to read your post and look again. Such a great use of a punch. Your card is stunning!

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  10. Gorgeous card!! And isn't Salt Spring beautiful? I live in Vancouver (just a hop and skip from the island) and love to go over to the market for the day with friends in the summer.

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Thank you so much for taking time to comment!