Hi everyone! Today we are highlighting the fourth of our five winners in the Win-a-Day on the Blog Contest. I’m so pleased to have Lin Brandyberry (quilterlin) joining me today. When I first saw Lin’s cards I was so impressed! Her use of color and design work together to add a special touch to all her projects. What Lin can do with a few supplies is truly amazing, and she makes it look so easy.
Lin and I both answered a series of five stamping related questions — a little “stamp chat” of sorts! Here is our interview:
Q1: Where do you stamp?
Lin: I used to stamp at one of my kid’s desks, but it was too narrow and small; something was always falling off! Just recently my husband built a nice craft area in a spare bedroom, right under a window for natural light. Right now it’s cool enough outside to have the window open to listen to the birds, but when it gets too hot, I’ll listen to Pandora or some favorite CDs. I love working here! I now have a 6 foot counter which is about 23 inches deep. Underneath are plastic bins of varying sizes where I keep my supplies. And adjacent to it is an old closet which we’ve adapted for the computer; there’s room there to store my papers.
Nancy: I share a room with my husband. He is very organized…I am not. His desk is filled with stacks of paper, (neatly stacked); pencils and pens and lots of computer paraphernalia. Mine, on the other hand, has stacks of ink pads, embossing powders, a heat gun, lots of paper, and of course stamps galore. You see I really do love stamping and although I work with Hero Arts I can’t resist collecting other stamps too. Somehow for over 20 years we have made this arrangement work, although keeping my embossing powder and paper scraps away from his computer is a challenge at times.
Q2: How did you first find out about stamping?
Lin: I had friends who stamped and made cards. But I didn’t really “get”it until I met my friend Mary Anne, who paired stamping with using patterned scrapbooking paper to make her beautiful cards. One of her favorite stamp companies was Hero Arts, and after I discovered the website, a whole new world opened for me. When the blog was born a little over a year ago, I was hooked!
Nancy: Over 22 years ago I was invited to a Posh Presents party and I haven’t stopped stamping since. I absolutely fell in love with stamping. We had very limited inks, papers and embellishments at that time and watching the industry grow has been a wonderful experience.
Q3: What is your favorite technique?
Lin: I LOVE color, so anything that allows me to play with color is my favorite. I like to stamp an open image and then color it in with watercolor pencils. I also love the emboss/resist technique that allows me to use Distress Inks to color in the background. And I still like to use patterned papers in my designs, mixed in with my stamping.
Nancy: I thought about that question for a long time because I have such fun combining so many different techniques. I think I love layering the best. Layering papers, flowers, and buttons can easily give a card depth and interest with very little work. I am all about keeping things as simple as possible and enjoying every minute of every day.
Q4: What is your most challenging technique (hardest) and how have you solved it?
Lin: I guess I will choose Shari’s technique challenge back in November. I had never tried the emboss/resist technique, or distressing or even applying ink directly to paper (without the aid of a stamp). It was all new to me. But she gave us such great examples and instructions, that I immediately started to play. At first my results were disastrous, but as the week went on, I gained confidence and really started to enjoy the process. I really felt like an artist! Now I think one of my favorite techniques is using emboss/resist. I love the results you can get, and that they won’t ever be exactly the same each time. I love using both matte and shiny white paper as my base. I try to use superfine embossing powders, either clear or white, and I always give my paper a good thunk on the table to shake off any excess powder before heating it. And preheating your heating tool first assures you that you won’t burn the paper waiting for the embossing powder to melt. Try it on a printed paper - it gives magical results when you have the right combination!
Nancy: I would have to say my most challenging technique is probably aging and distressing papers. I will never give up trying and maybe it is just a case of not a lot of room to experiment…I figure I still have time to perfect that skill.
Q5: What supplies do you love to have, but hate to use?
Lin: I’d say my pearls and gems…I have trouble using more than 2 or 3 at one time; I just can’t seem to part with them!!
Nancy: Oh that is easy…hands down paper and accessories. I love papers in all weights and patterns. Some of it is yellowed from age and I still can’t bear to use it. Every once in awhile I reorganize it and still I can’t bear to use my favorite pieces. Accessories are everywhere in my house, but I just love seeing them sparkle in jars on my desk, lined up in clear boxes in my linen closet and tucked away in clear containers under every bed in the house.
Creating beautiful cards does not mean you have to have unlimited stamps and supplies, just a creative spirit and the courage to experiment and try new things. Lin and I wanted to show you how each of us worked independently to come up with four cards that you can lift and add your own touches to create cards and projects that are truly your own. Don’t forget to sign and date each card you make. Although we didn’t follow each other’s supply lists exactly, our cards use different color palettes to create two different looks using a limited amount of supplies.
Lin’s first card is just breathtaking and is a perfect example of creating a dimensional card by layering stamped images over a colorful background. The DesignBlock Silhouette is embossed in white and really pops against the background.
Card by Lin Brandyberry
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I chose autumnal tones for my card that’s heavily inspired by Lin’s layered floral design.
Card by Nancy Taylor
Supplies:
Next is a card of Lin’s with an elegant flair, thanks to lovely layered flowers, flourishes, a simple message, and beautifully cut details.
Do you suppose Lin has a Ph.D. in cutting? Her cards are always so beautifully presented, and her use of scissors is fabulous…ask any stamper, cutting around curves is harder than she makes it look. I wish you could view this card in person — the precision around the small tulip sprigs incredible!
Card by Lin Brandyberry
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And here is my version…
Card by Nancy Taylor
Supplies:
A limited color palette lends a soft, subtle effect to this next card by Lin.
Card by Lin Brandyberry
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I used the same soft, soothing color palette on this long thank you note. (Click image for a larger view.)
Card by Nancy Taylor
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Lin’s final card for today is a flawless example of embossing. I love how she created a pretty scalloped frame with the image from the Artistic Borders set…and again trimmed with such precision!
Card by Lin Brandyberry
Supplies:
I white embossed and watercolored a notecard that’s ready for my “card stash”…I can simply stamp a message for any occasion at a later date and the card will be ready to go.
Card by Nancy Taylor
Supplies:
I have had so much fun working with Lin on our “card making day” — we laughed, talked and compared notes on what are our favorite stamps. I hope this can be the beginning of a great friendship.
A note from Lin:
“Being chosen for this honor has brought me such joy! Thank you, Nancy, for picking me as your guest this week. It was lovely to talk to you and I’ve really enjoyed getting to know you better; you have such a way of getting the most out of our stamps, helping us to see all the varied possibilities. I hope I’ve absorbed some of your creativity; you are a wonderful inspiration!
Thank you, Hero Arts, for creating this blog and for continually working to better it, week after week. When I look back at my first cards, I see huge personal growth, all thanks to the daily tutorials that we get. You are surely a class act!
And finally, thank you to all the Hero Flickr family for your kind words and generous deeds. We have made some wonderful friendships; may we all continue to share our love for this craft.
Hero Arts, the company, the artists, the family, all live up to the definition of the name: ‘any person admired for qualities or achievements, and regarded as an ideal or model‘. “
You can see more of Lin’s beautiful work HERE in her Flickr photostream.
Thanks for joining us today. We enjoyed our stamping day and we hope you had fun too. Shari will be on the blog tomorrow with her chosen winner so be sure to stop by!
