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Hi everyone. I am back. After being away from the forum for a few months I am back and wanting to start stamping. I have done only one or two cards, but have saved up and now have a bunch of stamps and supplies.
I am lookiing through the galleries for ideas and am very frustrated. I feel so in over my head. Without many listing techniques, I am just not sure how to start and feel overwhelmed. (Which was why I sort of walked away...although there were other reasons too), but I really need to find a way to make this work.
My "tools" so to speak are, SU chalks that my cousin so nicely gave me because she got a new set, water color pencils and then the color spots.
If I could get some guidance on where to look without feeling so overwhelmed I would really appreciate it. I do understand there are no right and wrongs. I just need some suggestions and something to look at to get started.
Thanks everyone.
Hugs,
Paula
__________________ Paula Anne www.candywrapsandmore.com
Send me a PM with your e-mail address and I'll send you some of my 'card recipes' that are pretty easy and have step-by-step instructions. You can always change the image and colors to fit what you already have, but the recipes will give the sizes and layouts to get you started.
__________________ Pegg Thomas Socialism is trickle up poverty.
Looking at your supplies, I would suggest getting either a blender pen or a Versamarker. You can use it to pick up colors from your chalks, watercolor pencils and inks to color in images. Add a good black waterproof ink to stamp your images, and you're good to go! That will certainly get you started making great cards!
Let's see, I'm trying to recall where I started when I was just starting out.
The first thing I did was go to the Gallery home page HERE. Then, in the SEARCH box (upper right hand corner of the page) and typed in the names of the stamp sets that I own. That would bring up all the cards that people have made using those stamps. I would save into my FAVORITES the cards that I liked (whether it was the layout, the colors, or the unique way someone used the images) with the idea that I would CASE (copy and share everything) later on.
The second thing I started doing was some of the weekly challenges. My two favorites are the color challenges and the sketch challenges. Both of these challenges inspired me to use my own brain and ideas utilizing the supplies that I have. You can find the color challenges HERE and the Sketch Challenges HERE.
If those two things don't work to get your mojo going, I would suggest spending some time looking at the newest uploads and saving to your favorites the cards that you like that others have made. I find that if I save a card that I like to my favorites, I start seeing a pattern to a particular style, color combination, sketch layout - all of which can be applied to the supplies that I have.
You have some wonderful supplies for coloring images. Most of my favorite images are images that can be colored. I loved to color. If you have a Versamark pad, you can combine that with your chalks for some great chalk techniques.
. . . just to name a few. Each of the above techniques has a link at the bottom for the gallery of cards that people have made using each of those techniques. I find these help narrow down what I'm looking at so I don't feel so overwhelmed by card after card after card with no direction. KWIM?
Those are just some ideas that popped into my head. I hope you'll stay around and have some fun with what you have and share it with all of us. I'd love to see what you come up with!
Yep- if you have chalks I too would suggest either a Versamark pen or pad. Then you can use the popping pastels technique - stamp your image with Versamark and brush chalk over. It's very effective.
And for the watercolour pencils, although most people use aqua-brushes, really all you need is a fine paintbrush and a jar of water. Personally I colour the image with pencil and then brush over it lightly with water. Not one of the fancy techniques, but it has always worked for me.
The important thing is to enjoy yourself, though - it should be fun, so try not to stress over it.
Hi Paula,
Welcome back to SCS. You may want to try the Wednesday technique tutorials. I have a distressing kit that I have not used yet because I wasn't sure where to start. This week, the Wednesday tutorial is about collage stamping and distressing inks are demoed in this tutorial. I will try this in the next few days. IHTHs
Happy stamping!
Kisa
Quote:
Originally Posted by Paula Anne
If I could get some guidance on where to look without feeling so overwhelmed I would really appreciate it. I do understand there are no right and wrongs. I just need some suggestions and something to look at to get started.
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Oh Gosh! Please don't feel overwhelmed!!! Everyone I know started off with chalks...(mostly because they're easy to use, and you get the most colors for your money I agree with the other ladies...follow those links! One little tip: The cheaper cotton swabs work way better than the actual Q-tips brand...I have no idea why...Good luck and welcome back!
You mention that techniques are not listed. Maybe you could take a look at the Resource page that contains tutorials for Techniques featured in the weekly newsletter. Here is the link for the Techniques page:
I also suggest viewing the daily challenges. Even if you don't participate at first, you can see how different people attempt creating a project with the same basic instructions, sketch, or color combo. That has helped me.
Everyone else gave you some great ideas too.
Try not to get frustrated and just have fun.
Play around with what you have and see what you can come up with.
I'll third the motion to get a versamark pad and a blender pen. These never leave my stamp table.
Aside from searching the gallery for the specific stamp sets you own, I would suggest you do a gallery search using CAS (it stands for clean and simple). These cards are lovely, but usually very doable.
__________________ "You may not have lost all your marbles, but there's definitely a hole in the bag." Grumpy Cat
Well, I neglected to give a bit more info. I do have a versamark pad, and an aqua pen. So, that is good.
I did go through the gallery looking for my stamps and that is where my spiral started. Without the techniques listed, I found that I had no idea where to start. But, I have calmed down a bit and am in the middle of water coloring-penciling my hydrangea. So, I am going to try and get the one or two cards I did at Mother's day and this card up when it is done.
My husband is a sweety and agreed to take me to B&N to look for the magazine. Thanks for that great tip.
Karolyn, your links were great and I will be looking at these this week. I really appreciate the time you took to post such an informative message.
And, I am hoping to do a color challenge starting in two weeks.
Thank you all.
I really appreicate you!!!!
Hugs,
Paula
__________________ Paula Anne www.candywrapsandmore.com
Paula, for what it is worth, I have been doing this for a little while now and every day I check SCS, most days 2-3 times and I'm still overwelmed. I'm a great CASER with the ideas, and go with that idea with what I have available. I still don't have the courage to post on here, but I have decided that I have so many 'sisters' that I have never met in person. When I do see something and not sure about it, I have sent a PM and everyone has been great helping me out. I also have quite a few blogs that I have signed up on and you soon learn the ones that have your tastes and the ideas just keep stacking up.
A good place to see card layouts is the Sketch Challenge forum. There is a listing of all the sketches. It'll give you a "blank slate" in which to develop your card. If you are just starting out, try using some of the layouts and omit the special techniques. I've been stamping for a while now and don't use special techniques all that much.
I remember that overwhelmed feeling from about 6 months into my SCS gallery gazing, where oh where to start! I did two things that have been mentioned here: Looked over the cards I had been favoriting and figured out what about them appealed to me, and used that as a jumping off point, and looked through the sketch challenges and used them for inspiration. Sometimes the other challenges required something I did not have, but I would look at them to get an more ideas for future reference. You do just have to narrow it down, because there is just so much available here!
Good luck and enjoy the journey!
Eileen
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I remember feeling very overwhelmed too - but remember Rome was not built in one day and be patient with yourself. Try doing a few challenges... and you do not need a whole lot of stamps or supplies to make some pretty wonderful gifts/cards...
When I started out I stuck with a bone folder, black ink pad, watercolor pencils, blender pens, ribbon, a good pair of scissors and hodgepodge hardware and a few stamp sets.
With the supplies listed above, you can make a boatload of things.
Another idea: Use Microsoft Word for making phrases that you not have rubber stamps for. You can use a printer to print on the cardstock and then stamp around the phrases... I have a tutorial on this at my blog... Also check out the RGB (Red-Green-Blue) thread at split coast stampers on changing the text colors to the colors of Stampin' Up! Card stock. Just search on RGB codes...
Another idea: Use cereal boxes to cut out templates if you do not have punches - since the cardboard is heavy you can reuse/trace over and over again.
As you can see there are a wonderful assortment of things you can do with your supplies - you just need to be creative a bit...
I know how you feel. Please keep this in mind--you'll see some really dazzling cards, really fancy stuff, but a one layer card that is simple is just as useful and lovely.
I get frustrated financially. It seems that there are so many people that can afford all the latest toys and all these great SU stamps, but I can't. I have learned to enjoy what I have and create gems with my items.
I definitely recommend trying out some of the sketches. Another thing I try when I'm 'stuck' is to find a card in the gallery I like, make a basic sketch of it, then work off that. That way I'm not focused on the exact card and trying to copy it, I'm just working from the basic idea of it.
HTH!
Thank you all for your information. I am actually home today. And alhtough I have to clean the house for a bit, I am going to be able to go through alot of this.
I also have a few cards I would like to post. Can you make a recommendation on where I should post them? Do they go in the SU gallery or my own gallery? The other thing is...how do I add the person who I cased it from? When I started it in my gallery I did not see how to add a link in the description area.
I can't wait to show you my hydrangea card. My mom is still having a tough time beleiveing I did this.
Paula
__________________ Paula Anne www.candywrapsandmore.com
You might always try using the gallery search feature, with keywords CAS or OLC
CAS = Clean And Simple
OLC = One Layer Cards
These designs typically feature simple techniques or limited supplies but, with lovely results.
Julie ~ my turn to say thank you!! You see, Paula, all of us are always learning. I've only been here for 1-1/2 years, since I started stamping (I think I came home from my first workshop and came here!), and I never even knew the keywords CAS and OLC. I'm going to get to my gallery and put those keywords in!! I just recently did simple, one-layer cards and they were loads of fun to do.
Hang in there and you'll find a technique you love with the tools you have. Keep having fun!! I personally LOVE the resources page with all of the techniques. Whenever I feel like trying something new, that's where I go.
I find lots of cardmaking magazines at my local grocery store, too.
As far as the galleries to upload to, I think this is how you decide. If you feature a particular stamp use that gallery, if you use non-SU then put the name of the company in your key words and your cards will go in their gallery, and if you use a particular technique then put it there.
When you go to the description area you can put your own link. All I do is open another window and copy & paste the address info. I know there's a way to put a word like HERE and have it link - but I can't picture how to do that in the gallery... I'd have to go there and do it so I'll leave it to the pros here to do that for you right out of their heads!!
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Paula, thank you so much for asking your question? I want to thank all of you who have responded to this post, your information has been so helpful.
Julie ~ my turn to say thank you!! You see, Paula, all of us are always learning. I've only been here for 1-1/2 years, since I started stamping (I think I came home from my first workshop and came here!), and I never even knew the keywords CAS and OLC. I'm going to get to my gallery and put those keywords in!! I just recently did simple, one-layer cards and they were loads of fun to do.
You are most welcome!
And, I couldn't agree with you more re: all of us are always learning!
__________________ Julie Ebersole (JulieHRR once upon a time . . . )julieebersole.com"So shines a good deed in a weary world." -Willy Wonka
Frustrated newbie
