This is a stamp set that takes time to use. Each background probably took me about 30 minutes. The turnabout stamp is set up in a way where you use two different colors per stamping (one color for the pots, one color for the cacti) each time you turn. Turning the stamp 4 times total means I used 8 different ink colors for each background! The result is definitely worth it, and it's also a fun way to play around with different ink combinations to achieve a unique look every time.
The "To the Point Dies" are worth getting even without the stamp set. The cactus and the "howdy" sentiment can stand out completely on their own. In the card above, I paired the cactus die with just a strip of the background stamp.
I mixed and matched some sentiments from older stamp sets, too. Here I use a "thanks so much" stamp from Simon Says Stamp "Beautiful Flowers" set. I always get requests for thank you cards, so changing the sentiment worked better for me.
Adding dimension to the die cut is easy and adds a big impact! I just inked the edges of each piece with a similar Distress Ink color. For example, I inked the teal pot die cut with Distress Ink "Peacock Feathers" and inked the cactus with Distress Ink "Peeled Paint".
I think the most important tool when using this stamp set is the type of inks you use. All of these cards use a combination of Hero Arts Shadow Inks and Simon Says Stamp Hybrid Inks, which both have very similar properties and inking results. I had to stamp each image 2-3 times to achieve the coverage I wanted, but I always ended up with a crisp looking image with defined edges. Also important! When using these inks you MUST thoroughly clean the stamp in between every single color! Each time I changed colors I cleaned the entire stamp with Ranger Ink Cleaner and a damp Stamp Shammy. This is partially why each background took me about 30 minutes... if you don't clean the stamp between colors then your inks will contaminate and give you a less than desirable outcome in your stamped image.
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| Stamping result with Hero Arts Shadow Ink and SSS Hybrid Ink |
It may be tempting to use all those gorgeous Distress Inks for your stamping here, but the end result is blurry and sloppy. I highly recommend using your shadow inks or hybrid inks. Below is the result using Distress Inks...
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| Stamping result with Distress Inks... I threw this card in the garbage |
Don't get me wrong... I LOVE my Distress Inks and have two full drawers of them, but this is just not the time for those babies :)
You'll also notice I used a lot of vellum on these cards. Vellum is the perfect bridge between your sentiment or center piece without completely covering that gorgeous background.
I think that's enough tips for now! So here are some more card ideas (and close ups) I created using this "To the Point" stamp set...
Thanks for joining me! I hope some of these tips were useful for you. Have fun with this gorgeous cactus themed stamp! And of course I want you to know that some links posted are affiliate links, which help keep my blog and youtube channel running. Nothing in this post was sponsored and I paid for every one of these products with my own money.
If you know one thing about me... it's that I love me a good cactus!
Main Materials Used:
Hero Arts Shadow Ink (variety of colors)
Simon Says Stamp Hybrid Ink (variety of colors)