I keep a daily art journal, and I try to post my pages fairly regularly on my personal art blog (notesfromthewoodshed.blogspot.com). I usually complete a journal each month. Right now I am working in a spiral-bound 7X10 book with black pages. When the newest Garden Journal stamps arrived, I couldn't wait to experiment with them and paste my ideas into my journal.
I gathered up scraps of the Memory Box 6X6 papers from a couple of different collections, as well as Jet Black and Olive Archival inks, and Ancient Page Sage and Pine inks, cleared some space on my table, and dove in.
I started by stamping some images multiple times--the Dill Print (F1356); Tendril Print (B1362); Spring Branch (D1363).
Then I started using two stamps to create an image--Spring Branch plus multiple stampings of the small soaring bird from the Very Best stamp (B1359); Spring Branch plus Birds in the Trees (D1365); Fern Print (C1357) plus Tendril Print; Spring Branch plus Very Best; Leafy Branch (C1361) plus Budding Branch (D1360); Leafy Branch plus Tendril Print.
Next came one of my favorite exercises. Using Olive ink, I made three different impressions on three smaller pieces of paper of the Budding Branch. Then I reinked the Budding Branch with Pine ink and overstamped the first images--close, closer, and closest.
For my final piece, and my favorite of the images I made, I used the three shades of green inks and three stamps--Fern Print, Tendril Print, and Poppy Collage (G1364). I added the sentiment from the Very Best stamp and two green Memory Box Jewels on the poppies to "finish" the image.
Rather than make sample cards for my workshop at Your Maine Stamper last Monday afternoon, I decided to show the seven participants what I had done in my journal. I asked them to try these same ideas using the same ink colors and the Garden Journal stamps--using one stamp multiple times, using two or more stamps to create one image, and stamping on a variety of printed Memory Box papers. What they created was amazing!
Think about trying this yourself. Gather up some papers you love, a collection of stamps with a related theme, and inks that will coordinate. Then PLAY! I think you will be pleasantly surprised with what you create.
Happy Stamping!
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