Please tell me that's not a sad way to have fun. Please.
Anyway, I made these two cards over the weekend.
Note that I fiddled with the sizes of the banners. Also note that the proportions in the cool card work better than the proportions in the warm card. But that's an example of living and learning.
Dang, that yellow banner is just too long!
Sigh.
I really prefer the cool card, but the warm one is a close second. Note that the green on both is the same (Fresh Ink mojito), which wasn't my original intention. I'd stamped a banner in VersaColor brick to go with the yellow and orange, but there wasn't enough contrast between it and the orange (which is Memento Luxe Morocco). I had the extra green one lying on my desk and thought, "Huh. This might work." And it did.
Contrast is important when overlapping elements in a design. Don't you forget it.
And now it's time for a comment about ink.
I really like the way thick, pigmenty inks (Memento Luxe, VersaMagic, Impress Fresh Ink) look when stamped with clear stamps. They do, however, dry more slowly than thin, watery inks (Hero Arts, Memento, Ancient Page). Recently, a reader of mine had real problems with an ink drying, and since I'd recommended it to her, she emailed me to ask if I'd had any problems. In her case, the ink never dried even after a week, smeared dreadfully, and ruined her whole project.
I felt terrible because she'd bought the ink on my recommendation. The company is working with her to resolve the situation, so I'm not going to name names or anything. But she asked me if I'd noticed some colors of ink drying more slowly than others.
Honestly, I'd never paid that close attention. So when I made this card, I did, and the Fresh Ink Island dried more slowly than the other colors. By about an hour. Weird, but there you have it.
If you're new to the thicker inks like Memento Luxe, VersaMagic, VersaColor, Impress Fresh Inks, or others, please note that some colors DO dry more slowly. Test your inks, and know that they dry differently on different papers, too. (That wasn't my reader's problem...she was using PTI white, just like I do.)
Anytime you have a serious problem with an ink or any other product, email the manufacturer. And note that individual results WILL vary!
And that's all I have to say about that.
Supplies
stamps: Papertrey Note Niblets
ink: various
paper: Papertrey
accessories: rhinestone heart and gem, dimensionals
That's definitely not a sad way to have fun... I really like both cards, but the first is actually my favorite. The sentiment fits those colors.
ReplyDeleteI just bought some of the Memento Luxe inkpads, and I am loving them! I already have almost all of the VersaColor and several of the Versamagic, so I wanted to fill in some missing colors. The Teal Zeal takes my breath away! But it doesn't take much to excite me... please tell me that's not sad.
Nice cards both. I spend a lot of time making cards that are the same just varying the colours so maybe we all come from the same tribe. I bought all the hero art mini ink pads but I am struggling a bit with them mainly as I'm not use to stamping with colour ink so seem to mess up more than not. Still working on it.
ReplyDeleteWhile I really love both cards, I can't believe how the shorter banner balances out the card that much! GF You are AMAZING with these little hints! It's really a shame I never remember them! LOL
ReplyDeleteI absolutely love both cards, and I'm also surprised how much of the difference the shorter tag makes. Even though I like the warmer color combination better :-)
ReplyDeleteMy experience with pigment ink also varies. I found that the Memento line worked really well for me; they dry quite fast and they don't smudge later. Other brands such as Avery Elle or Mama Elephant are a different matter. It doesn't seem to matter how long I wait, the ink usually smears if I wipe across it. I have gotten into the habit of spraying my finished project with hairspray. It may sound weird, but it helps me to set the ink and to prevent at least the worst smudging. It's still not completely smudge proof, but it's much better and will stand up to the casual recipient that doesn't rub across it :-)
So fun! I love both, but the cooler colors are my "go to" color combo, and yes, the placement is better.
ReplyDeleteI don't have the patience for slow drying inks. When i stamp in white, I always heat emboss it to set it!