CTMH Anniversary

Its a bit hard to believe, but today is my one year anniversary for being a Close To My Heart consultant.  I got into this for the great incentive package, the learning opportunity, and they truly are top quality products.  I've been kinda hostage to a little baby, 15 weeks and counting.  Big bro is 15 years old now.  Shudder.  Oh, and a car crazy husband...  Being overrun with male influence means I need to keep my own interests going to keep the winter crazies away.  I will try to get back to blogging once a month minimum, I figure that's a reasonable goal.

I've accumulated a modest (cough, giggle, snort, I hear you laughing at my understatement out there in internet land, go ahead, it's good for ya!) stash of CTMH products.  During precious baby nap time I played.  Here are my results, click on any picture to enlarge details.  The font stamp set used is Urban Alphabet, # D1507 and the white paper is white daisy cardstock item #1385.  Read on for Stamping technique links at the bottom of this post.

Left to right shows my results using "Gypsy" colour water dye ink #Z2190.  Top row is called generational stamping & shows how the dye ink lightens with subsequent stamping.  The next row shows stamped twice in the same spot, a drop shadow, and then dripped with distilled water droplets.  Third row shows swiped stamping, where I dragged the stamp across the ink pad to make streaks horizontal, vertical, then angled.  The last row shows my result stamping without the foam pad (that comes with each CTMH stamp set) on bare table, and a plastic table. 

Left to right shows my results using "Holiday red" colour water based dye ink which is no longer available to purchase.  All were stamped with the cushion insert under the paper.  Top row is generational stamping again.  Second row is drop shadow x 3 layers generational style, double stamped, triple stamped, then quadruple.  Third row down is drop shadow x2 layers generational style, "kissed" with "Diverse Backgrounds" #D1508 floral clear acrylx stamp and it's mirror kiss from the texture stamp. The last one bottom left was done with the stamp freshly cleaned with My Acrlyx Spritz cleaner # 1778My Acrlyx Spritz cleaner item # 1778

These were all stamped using the cushion insert under the paper, first generation stamping.  First line is direct stamp to paper.  Second line & third line is Kiss texture technique, 2nd line with a woven food bag, 3rd line with a mesh onion bag shown in picture below.  Fifth line down is swiped left to right.  Bottom line is double stamped and spotted with water drops.

Ink residue from stamping through the woven food bag & mesh onion bag.

This is unknown source black paper from my stash.  White Daisy pigment dye ink #z2163 was used.  The stamp is from the now unavailable Stamp of the month May 2012 "FriendshipBouquet" S1205.  I just needed to try a detail stamp & was tired of letters. Top row is generational stamping.  Second row is single, double, then triple stamped.  Third row was single stamped; left was rubbed with coloured chalk (unknown brand kids chalk) and the right was ovestamped with the same Holiday red ink.  I wrote on the black paper by dipping my Blender pen #3174  into the white ink.

Here is the mess from stamping off the extra ink on scrap paper & wiping away ink from the blender pen to clean it off. 

I think there is great value to playing with our supplies.  That is how cool effects are found, and making our stash new & fun again.  As promised, here are the Youtube links I've learned from.  I hope they inspire you to go play with your stash or try something new too.

CTMH Clearly the best, Pigment or Dye ink

CTMH Stamping techniques 

CTMH Swipe Hype

CTMH how to Stamp Kiss technique 

I will be posting more experiments as I play around with my supplies.  It's better than grumbling about stupid winter thumbing its nose at us with big dumps of sn*w so close to the first day of spring.

Happy Crafting everyone!

Edit note:  I've been reading CTMH  product information, turns out the water based blender pen is essentially the same as a water brush.  A water brush is refillable.  A blender pen is always ready to use & finer control for blending.  I still think distilled water needs to be used for crafting, as tap water is full of minerals that gunk up our supplies if stored for any period of time...