Discovering New Techniques
 

Good morning and happy Ag Day, Splitcoasters!

I've seen some REALLY cool technique tutorials here recently (case in point: see the Tutorials section here or this week's Technique Lover's Challenge here), which has me thinking on a number of items, but in the interests of simplicity, I'll narrow it down to this:

What kinds of techniques do you gravitate toward (and actually try out), and where are you learning about them from?

Spill! :heartsmiley:

I enjoy folds but usually find it takes two or three goes to be happy with them as the first time round I'm usually more focused on the actual construction rather than the best way to decorate it.
I really like interactive cards and have several pop-up and paper engineering books on my shelf (this was all my own design based in basic construction techniques: https://www.splitcoaststampers.com/g...photo/2168590? )

But I also enjoy techniques using different media, the layered gesso background tutorial is a firm favourite. If time were unlimited, I'd say they are probably my favourite.

As for where I find them, I rely heavily on SCS but as a team member on the TLC team I do sometimes have to go scouting YouTube for ideas. Personally I'm not a video person but if I'm stuck for challenge ideas Jennifer Maguire is usually my first port of call after taking a look through tutorials here that may never have featured in the TLC.

Sabrina - that design is INCREDIBLE! Are you an engineer?!

Renata - I appreciate that you have your sphere of creative influencers and more or less stick to it. In fact, if I did something similar, I'd probably struggle a lot less with decision fatigue!

Thanks for chiming in and sharing, ladies!

I have long loved fun folds, and a small variety of techniques. However, time & vision seem to have made changes in my success rate, and a lot of my efforts end up in the literal trash bin beneath this stampy table. Hissing & fussing doesn't seem to make a lot of difference. :wink: I've tried at least 3 tempting TLC challenges in recent weeks, regularly feeding the t-bin. pppffffftttt! Today, I'm working on a box card for a coming birthday ... and so far, so good! Yay! It's still so fun & easy to be inspired here at SCS!

Bev, isn't it though?! I love SCS! And I love how we combine the best of everything right HERE, all in ONE spot, no constant marketing emails received as a result of our signing up for the SCS weekly newsletter! (Unlike some of those blogs out there - their "weekly" emails turn into every other day minimum. :laughcry:)

Long ago I subscribed to "Technique Junkie Newsletter" and still haven't used all the ideas and she has quit publishing for a decade now. I like them as they are not videos---they are pictoral and written. I also go to SCS and sometimes Pinterest.

I really like fun folds. I bought the fun fold book from Jackie at Klompen Stampers and really enjoyed her video series with her husband Dave helping demonstrate the folds.

Hear, hear! Splitcoast used to give great written/pictorial instructions for technique tutorials, but now that part's incredibly skimpy and it jsays to watch the video for more info. I really loathe most crafting videos because they are too darn long.

Right? Even the complete supply list is not written out. Are you hearing us SCS?

The kinds of techniques I gravitate towards are background techniques anything from ink blending, ink smooshing, stencilling (with ink, texture paste, Gesso), splattering, Gelli Plate Printing or using my stamps. I have even used Shaving Cream with food dye, scraping layers of paint with a card, used bubble wrap for printing, brayered inks & paints.

I find I can die cut the backgrounds (contained funk as Vicki Boutin calls it) or use like pattern paper or build upon the created base background with layers of pattern paper or pop on a main stamped image or a bold die cut sentiment - depending on if I am making cards, scrapbooking or doing some art /junk journalling.

There soo many different ways to create a background - I will always tend to gravitate towards these techniques when I see them & try them out with whatever products I have on hand.

I loved reading that.
When I'm feeling blocked--I want to create but am not sure what to do--I like to make backgrounds. I took some online Distress inks classes from Jenn Shurkus, and she had us making lots of backgrounds doing various techniques.

I don't usually attend online classes when they are "live," I find that I prefer to stop & start, & to replay parts of the videos, when I follow along.

My local stamp shop closed up (the owners retired), so I have to rely on online classes now.

I too prefer things in writing versus videos. I’m not a fan of YouTube. That said, YouTube is making it possible for the one person who has to run split coast all by herself to still offer us tutorials. Previously, others used to help and submit tutorials once in a while, but it appears those hardly ever happen anymore. Perhaps you know of someone who might be good at writing a tutorial for a split coast? See if they’re interested and then see if you can hook them up with Lydia. I’m sure she’d love to get a break! She has to run this whole show now, and this is not her full-time job. Please give her grace! She is doing an amazing job… Far better than I could ever accomplish under the circumstances! Thank you, Lydia!

I thought this was her full time job. I know Lydia works very hard, is a designer for other companies, and has her YouTube channel, but I thought as the only person on salary that this was her job. I agree that she needs help with the tutorials. She was thrown into it and had to learn on the job. I am thankful for her.