Finally...some stamped stuff!!

Ok, so I told Abby (comment on yesterday's post) that these cards would be my first upload. At the time I thought that would be on SplitCoastStampers.com. However, now that I'm a blogger I should probably include pics of stuff I've stamped...since this IS a stamping blog. So, *tada* here is something stamped...

Abby and I created these cards a couple of weeks ago when we were pretending to teach ourselves how to do soot stamping. The main images were one piece, which we cut after it was decorated. We were also just getting to know her new brayer, so once we'd practiced doing straight soot stamping, we added the brayer as well as some embossing and paper towels.

Ok, I'm getting ahead of myself.
Soot Stamping, in it's simplest form, involves glossy card stock, a candle that smokes a lot, stamp(s) of your choice and versamark. You hold the card stock, glossy side down, over the candle so it can collect soot. We held the candle on it's side to enhance the smokiness (is that a word??). Then you stamp the card stock with versamark, cleaning the rubber between stampings, to remove the soot and create the image. Then you're supposed to seal it with a spray.

Well, we didn't have the spray to seal it, so once it was all decorated, we just wiped it off with paper towels. The soot stayed where the versamark was. So, we decided to try embossing first. Liked that even better and it snowballed from there. If I remember correctly...this is how you can recreate (all stamps are from the Baroque Motifs stamp set all on glossy card stock):

Stamp the flower/medallion stamp randomly
Emboss the vine stamp in white (emboss resist)
Brayer unevenly several times with brocade blue ink and wipe well with a paper towel (versamark resist)
Stamp flower/medallion again with versamark
Soot the card stock over the candle flame (be sure to not get too close to the flame and cover the whole piece with a lot of soot)
Wipe paper towel over card stock until all the soot is removed
The areas where you stamped with versamark just before sooting will gather the soot and show dark. The brocade blue ink, after all of this, matches bordering blue almost perfectly.

And there you have it...my first cards shared online.

Recipe - Stamps: Brocade Motifs; card stock: Basic Black, Bordering Blue, Glossy White; ink: Brocade Blue, versamark; other: White embossing powder, brayer with rubber attachment, 1/4" black grosgrain ribbon.

P.S. We created the focal point together and cut it up...the card on the left is mine and the right, Abby's.