Seaside Notions with deckchair stripes

August to me means beach-themed projects - even though I don't have any seaside plans at the moment.

I've revamped an earlier project to make it more suitable for my class of WI ladies and added lots of zingy colours, inspired by this strip of Bird Ballad Designer Series Paper - I think the stripes are reminiscent of a traditional deckchair.

This Seaside Notions stamp set should definitely be on your wishlist if you love seaside projects as much as I do!

I stamped the seahorse using the Stamparatus but this tip works just as well for traditional stamping, too. I inked up the seahorse using Calypso Coral then used a sponge dauber to add some shading in Soft Suede. It gives the image depth and interest. Just remember to start with the paler colour, so you can add a darker colour on top. 
 

Seaside Notions - and even simpler stamping

I do love this Seaside Notions stamp set, but then I’ve always been a sucker for a seaside theme. It’s perfect for creating a simple one-layer card like this. Just one pack of Notecards & Envelopes, one stamp set and four ink pads – done!

Use the “sand” stamp in this stamp set to create a lovely soft border around the bottom of the card. Just keep stamping without re-inking to get several shades of the same colour, then re-ink the stamp and repeat until you’re satisfied with the results. This is called “stamping off” and I’ve done the same with the weed stamp in Pool Party to get some paler weeds which don’t dominate the project. 

The addition of some Terracotta Tile sand in the bottom right corner provides balance to the seahorse, which is stamped in the same colour.

Seaside Notions and simple stamping

It’s Cuppa & Card today in Borrowash and this is one of the projects we’ll be making. It’s a very simple Seaside Notions project with some extra simple colouring. I love the colour combo of Pretty Peacock, Terracotta Tile, Pool Party and So Saffron – what do you think?

You can add depth to your colouring simply by doing what we always strive NOT to do: go over the edges! I’ve coloured these shells with blender pens combined with Terracotta Tile and Pool Party ink pads, deliberately adding a shadow all around the edge of each image in the same colour. I think it really adds depth to the images. 

Offset mirrored seahorses using the Stamparatus

I have always loved seaside images, so the new Seaside Notions stamp set was always going to be high on my wish list. The fact that it comes with lovely and practical greetings is a bonus.

I demoed this card at my Launch Party and will be making this or something very similar at some of my events this month, too. It's a twist on the mirrored image idea and you can find all the instructions if you download the tutorial from here:

Click for the tutorial

Get the offset look by moving the Stamparatus plate down one notch before stamping the second seahorse. And you can achieve two-tone seahorses by inking in Terracotta Tile then adding some Soft Suede with a sponge dauber. 
 

Masked Seaside Notions seashells on clear block background

Stamping, masking, clear block stamping... this is a fun technique card which is easy to create and looks pretty effective (in my opinion).

Clear block stamping is a really fun technique; just ink up your block (you can use ink pads or water-based markers), then spritz with water before pressing onto your paper. Bizarrely, despite this being a faux watercolour technique, it works best with Whisper White cardstock rather than watercolour paper.

The shells are masked using sticky notes so that the images don't overlap. The secret here is to work from the front to the back, so you stamp the large shell first, mask it, then stamp the images 'behind' it. Another top tip is to retain your masks - keep them in the stamp box for future use, as this will save you time when you revisit the technique. 

Birds of a feather... earn team rewards together

Sometimes I struggle with Designer Series Paper because it’s too pretty to hide. This batch of cards solved that problem - and resolved the issue of needing several cards in a hurry, too.

They were made for those members of my Stampin' Up!® who have gone above and beyond this month; Petal Pink for the ladies, and Pool Party for the gentleman stamper in my team. Yes, men can be demonstrators, too!

Don't be afraid to mix things up. You wouldn’t expect to use a stamp set called Seaside Notions with the Bird Ballad Designer Series Paper... but the greeting and speckled stamp are ideal to finish off these cards. 

Seaside Notions shell collection

I’ve always had a bit of a thing for seaside stamps. Way back before I was a Stampin’ Up!® demonstrator, I organised my various stamps into shoeboxes and had one whole box dedicated to seaside themes.

Naturally, I couldn't resist the new Seaside Notions stamp set – it was the first item on my order on 4th June! I love how it goes so well with the new In Colors (I’ve used Terracotta Tile and Seaside Spray) and the weeds die from Smooth Sailing dies set.

Can you spot the dotted background? To create this, I wrapped a piece of bubble wrap around a clear block and used it as a stamp. Household items such as this can give you some really cool and unique background effects to supplement your stamp collection.