Showing posts with label gel press. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gel press. Show all posts

Friday, February 27, 2026

Creative Fun With Background Stamps, Featuring Simon Says Stamp: Beautiful Moments Release

Every so often I love to have some slightly-messy fun on my card making. Even if messy isn't your jam, background stamps are a solid choice for quick card making, whether you want to add a lot of POP, or just a subtle pattern. Today's just slightly-messy cards are part of Simon Says Stamp's latest collection, called Beautiful Moments, and we're celebrating with a two-day blog hop! Today is day one . . .so let's get to it!

This blog post contains affiliate links. When you shop through my links, I receive compensation at no cost to you. Thank you from the bottom of my crafty heart!
Have you ever used a gel printing plate? The beautiful mystery of paints and inks on a gel plate is that you never know what you'll end up with. 
You can start simply by rolling out some paint onto the plate with a brayer, and then press your background stamp into it. (I used the adorable new Pinwheel Party stamp.)  My biggest two-part tip for working with the gel press is: Don't panic and don't clean your plate too soon! The first impression may not look great but stick with it. As you build up layers on the gel plate and cardstock you'll get some interesting textures and colors blending. 

For the second card (with pink sentiment) I used Distress Oxide inks, tapping them directly onto the plate, and then stamping into it. I pressed a piece of watercolor paper down to pick up all that color and texture. It created a more subtle pattern but I love it!
Another tip: After you've made that interesting background, stamp larger sentiments onto vellum so all that awesome color and pattern will still remain the focal point. 
Next, I set aside the gel press and pulled out my heat embossing supplies. I stamped and embossed the Pinwheel Party stamp onto watercolor paper, and then added puddles of watercolor paints on top. The white embossing resists the watercolor and really makes the pattern pop. Again - this is play. You never know exactly how it will come together until you mess around and try it. My biggest tip for this idea, is to use colors that will blend nicely into each other - otherwise you'll have a muddy mess. 
Thanks so much for stopping by today for day one of Simon Says Stamp's two-day blog hop! One lucky commenter from each stop will win a $25 coupon to SSS, so be sure to leave comments along the way! (Winners will be announced on the Simon blog, on March 4.)

Don't miss out on all the fun:

Don't Miss a Stop on the Hop!

Shop the Supplies on Today's Cards

Spellbinders Mirrored Arch Labels die set 
Spellbinders Essentials Modern Ovals dies 

Gel Press 8x10
This is the gel plate I have, 
but there are many other shapes, sizes and brands to choose from!


Looking for more bright cheery card ideas using Simon Says Stamp?
You might love this post too:
5 Ways to Use Paper Strips on Card Making 



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Tuesday, September 7, 2021

Warm and Cozy Fall Cards You'll Love (New from Impression Obsession)

Yesterday I promised you warm and wonderful fall goodness, and here I am to serve it up. Today's handmade cards will have you ready for the glow of autumn sunflowers, wheat fields, and a thankful cluster of fall pumpkins. It's part of Impression Obsession's September release, and I'm grateful to share it with you! Let's take a look...

This blog post contains affiliate links. When you shop through my links, I receive compensation at no cost to you. Thank you from the bottom of my crafty heart!
A handmade card featuring a sweet girl holding a giant sunflower, and standing on a colorful rainbow, nestled in a sea of clouds. The image was colored with alcohol markers, in warm tones of pinks, and yellows. The sky is aqua cardstock, to add contrast to the warmth of the girl, flower, and rainbow. The card base is dark pink.
Today's first card would actually be perfect for any time of year, but that giant sunflower definitely makes it perfect for fall card making. This sweet girl is just darling for birthdays, encouragement cards, and more. I colored her with alcohol markers, and nestled her in a bed of clouds. I actually used a cream cardstock, which I don't do very often, but I liked the warmth and cozy glow it added to this card. 

a sweet girl holding a giant sunflower, and standing on a colorful rainbow, nestled in a sea of clouds. The image was colored with alcohol markers, in warm tones of pinks, and yellows. The sky is aqua cardstock, to add contrast to the warmth of the girl, flower, and rainbow. The card base is dark pink. In this image, the card is resting on a yellow envelope, on a dark woodgrain background.
Next up, a more traditional fall scene, which was so much fun to color, using my favorite colored pencils. If you know me and my cards, you know I have to add some aqua into fall cards - I love the contrast of it against the warm and cozy yellows, pinks, and oranges. The embossed background, with just a little tone-on-tone inking added a not-too-busy background for this gorgeous splash of flowers and pumpkins. 
This is a handmade fall card with an aqua background. The focal point is a spray of sunflowers and pumpkins, with greenery. It was colored in warm colors with colored pencils. There is a notched tag that says Give Thanks, tucked into the plants. The sunflowers and pumpkins are resting on a strip of Kraft colored corrugated stock, and dark brown cardstock, wrapped with yellow twine. The stamps are from Impression Obsession. The card is resting on a yellow envelope, on a dark brown woodgrain surface.
A few layers of cardstock, corrugated stock, and twine, along with a sentiment finished off this card. It would make a great fall thank you card, or a Thanksgiving card. If you aren't a fan of detailed coloring, a quick splash of watercolor paints would be fabulous with this stamp too. It doesn't have to be detailed and fussy. 
is is a handmade autumn card with an aqua background. The focal point is a spray of sunflowers and pumpkins, with greenery. It was colored in warm colors with colored pencils. There is a notched tag that says Give Thanks, tucked into the plants, making it a perfect fall thank you card or Thanksgiving card. The sunflowers and pumpkins are resting on a strip of Kraft colored corrugated stock, and dark brown cardstock, wrapped with yellow twine. The stamps are from Impression Obsession.
Last up for today, a slimline card, perfect for fall. The Wheat stamp is part of Impression Obsession's Slimline Scenes and it's so pretty! I began with a sheet of white cardstock, and inked up shades of pink, orange, and yellow on my Gel Press. I pulled a print to reveal this glowing sunrise sky. Then, I simply stamped the Wheat stamp on top and added a simple sentiment. Remember you'll want to use a stamping platform, like the MISTI, when using these large 8.5-inch long stamps.
This is a slimline size handmade card (8.5x3.5") It features a wheat field stamped onto a blending pink, orange, and yellow sky that looks like sunrise or sunset. The sentiment says So Very Grateful. This would be a perfect handmade card for autumn thank you cards, or Thanskgiving cards. All of the stamps are from Impression Obsession.
Well, my friends - are you feeling warm, cozy, and ready for fall? Today is the second day of our two-day blog hop celebrating the September release at Impression Obsession. Did you miss yesterday's post? Find it HERE. And then, subscribe here so you never miss a blog post! 

Here are the important details on this week's blog hop:
  • We're giving away THREE Impression Obsession $25 gift certificates for our two-day blog hop - the more you comment, the more chances to win, so be sure to visit all the designers!
  • All comments for both days will be open until September 13th at midnight CT. All winners will be announced on September 14th on the Impression Obsession Blog.
  • Most importantly, find all the new release stamps HERE
And here's the lineup of today's hop!

Shop the Supplies for Today's Cards:

Cloud Border Dies



This is a slimline size handmade card (8.5x3.5") It features a wheat field stamped onto a blending pink, orange, and yellow sky that looks like sunrise or sunset. The sentiment says So Very Grateful. This would be a perfect handmade card for autumn thank you cards, or Thanskgiving cards. All of the stamps are from Impression Obsession.


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Monday, September 6, 2021

Spooky and Sweet - Have You Seen the New Halloween Stamps from Impression Obsession?

This is how I like my Halloween crafts: A little spooky, and a lot SWEET. Bright colors. Funky and funny characters. Maybe a little weird, but a lot whimsical. And that my friends, is what you can count on today. It's time once again to welcome a new variety of stamps and dies from Impression Obsession's September release, and today's post is all about Halloween! (Not a Halloween fan? That's okay - tomorrow I've got you covered with warm and wonderful fall projects too!)

This blog post contains affiliate links. When you shop through my links I receive compensation at no cost to you. Thank you from the bottom of my crafty heart! 
A sweet and spooky handmade Halloween card with two rubber stamped skeletons, embossed in black, trimmed and attached to a blue and purple blended background, created on the Gel Press. The card is on a lime green card base and has the sentiment "Have a spooky good Halloween". In this photo, the card is resting with a purple envelope, on a black and white gingham tray. All of the stamps are from Impression Obsession.
Today's first card begins with some of the sweetest skeletons you'll ever meet! There are five new skeleton stamps that all coordinate together - and they're all sold individually, so you can pick which ones you like best, or grab them all! I used Skeleton 1 and Skeleton 3 on this card.  I started with a piece of white cardstock that I inked up using re-inkers on my Gel Press. Then, I embossed the skeletons in black on white cardstock and fussy cut them to pop them up on my card base. They are funny and funky and they make me smile! 

I finished off this sweet and spooky skeleton card with a sentiment from the new Spider Trio clear stamp set. (You'll see more from this cute stamp set later this month!)
Handmade Halloween card with a blue and purple background, printed on the Gel Press, with two rubber stamped and fussy cut skeletons. Sentiment says "Have a Spooky Good Halloween".
I had some more of the Gel Press printed blue and purple "sky" background so I decided to create a second card with it - this one features the ADORABLE Cute to Spook stamp. This is one of those stamps that fills almost the whole card base, so you can just stamp and go, creating a card that's as simple as you want. 
A handmade Halloween card with an orange background. The focal point is a large stamped image of four smiling pumpkins in a row, with the sentiment Too Cute To Spook. The image is stamped on a blue and purple blended background, and the pumpkins are popped up on foam squares, stamped on orange cardstock. Their mouths are colored white with a gel pen. The card also features a strip of black & white diagonal striped patterned paper, a length of silver glitter scalloped washi tape and three purple enamel dots. The stamp is from Impression Obsession. All other supplies are from Spellbinders.
I stamped this image twice, first onto the blue & purple inked cardstock, and then again on orange cardstock. I trimmed the pumpkins, colored the details with a white gel pen, and then adhered them with foam squares. I finished off the card with a strip of patterned paper and some embellishments. 
A handmade Halloween card with an orange background. The focal point is a large stamped image of four smiling pumpkins in a row, with the sentiment Too Cute To Spook. The image is stamped on a blue and purple blended background, and the pumpkins are popped up on foam squares, stamped on orange cardstock. Their mouths are colored white with a gel pen. The card also features a strip of black & white diagonal striped patterned paper, a length of silver glitter scalloped washi tape and three purple enamel dots. The stamp is from Impression Obsession. All other supplies are from Spellbinders Paper Arts.
BUT. . .I couldn't stop with just one pumpkin card, so here's another take on it. For the second card, I stamped them image on watercolor paper. (Here's a TIP: When stamping on textured paper, use the MISTI so you can re-ink and re-stamp a few times to get a really good impression.) After stamping, I colored the image with watercolors, and added a few cute die-cut clouds. I love how simple and sweet this card turned out. 
a Happy Halloween card, handmade with rubber stamps and paper. The rectangular stamp has four pumpkins sitting in a row, and the sentiment says Too Cute To Spook.
Alright, my sweet and spooky friends! Today begins a two-day blog hop celebrating the September release at Impression Obsession. There's so much more fall goodness to share tomorrow, so don't be a stranger! In fact, subscribe here so you never miss a blog post! 

Here are the important details on this week's blog hop:

  • We're giving away THREE Impression Obsession $25 gift certificates for our two-day blog hop - the more you comment, the more chances to win, so be sure to visit all the designers!
  • All comments for both days will be open until September 13th at midnight CT. All winners will be announced on September 14th on the Impression Obsession Blog.
  • Most importantly, find all the new release stamps HERE
And here's the lineup of today's hop!
Laura Williams <<you are here!>>
Giovana Smitha cute handmade Halloween card with a stamped row of pumpkins and the sentiment "Too Cute to Spook". The image is colored with bright watercolor paints and on a yellow background.Shop the Supplies for Today's Card:
Skeleton 1 Stamp from Impression Obsession
Skeleton 1 stamp

Skeleton 3 Stamp from Impression Obsession
Skeleton 3

Spider Trio Clear Stamp Set from Impression Obsession
Spider Trio Clear Stamp Set

Cute to Spook Rubber Stamp from Impression Obsession
Cute to Spook stamp
Stitched Cloud dies


8x10 Gel Press from Simon Says Stamp
Gel Press (from Simon Says Stamp)

MISTI stamping platform from scrapbook.com
MISTI

Gelly Roll 10 white gel pen from Simon Says Stamp
Gel Roll 10 white pen  (from Simon Says Stamp)

This image is a sweet handmade Halloween card with a row of four friendly, smiling pumpkins. The sentiment says Too Cute to Spook. The stamp is from Impression Obsession.

 Looking for more Halloween inspiration? You might love this post too: Trick or Treat Ghosts Card

A handmade Halloween card with three die-cut ghosts, wearing "hair bows" or bow ties, made from orange gingham ribbon. The stamped sentiment says "Trick or treat, smell my feet, give me something good to eat." The stamps and dies are from Impression Obsession.


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Wednesday, July 21, 2021

Sail to the Shore With a Summer Slimline {An Impression Obsession Favorite}

Today's card is a summer slimline card that comes together simply with Impression Obsession's slimline scene stamps. This beautiful lighthouse silhouette is a starting point for so many beautiful backgrounds - plus, it isn't just for slimline cards! This stamp looks equally gorgeous on cards of all shapes and sizes.

This blog post contains affiliate links. When you shop through my links I receive compensation at no cost to you. Thank you from the bottom of my crafty heart! 
Today's card is a summer slimline card that comes together simply with Impression Obsession's slimline scene stamps. This beautiful lighthouse silhouette is a starting point for so many beautiful backgrounds - plus, it isn't just for slimline cards! This stamp looks equally gorgeous on cards of all shapes and sizes. Stop by my blog to see all the details on this card and the stamps I used.

What's a Slimline Card? 

If you haven't taken the plunge on slimline cards, now might be the time to give it a shot. Slimline cards can be in a variety of dimensions - the main goal is to create a long, skinny card.  My favorite slimline dimensions are 8.5x3.5 - just trim a sheet of cardstock at the 7-inch mark and then fold in half. Easy peasy, and it fits in a regular business sized envelope. 

Today's card is a summer slimline card that comes together simply with Impression Obsession's slimline scene stamps. This beautiful lighthouse silhouette is a starting point for so many beautiful backgrounds - plus, it isn't just for slimline cards! This stamp looks equally gorgeous on cards of all shapes and sizes. Stop by my blog to see all the details on this card and the stamps I used. Slimline cards are so trendy and fun to make!

Stamps for Slimline Cards

IO's slimline stamps are the perfect dimension for this size card, because they measure 3.5x8.5. But remember, you can always trim your stamped image to be all kinds of sizes. (Check out the IO website for so many cute cards in different sizes with this stamp!) You'll probably want to use a MISTI or similar stamping platform, because it's hard to find an acrylic block large enough for these stamps. 

For today's card, I began by creating a blue background using liquid ink, a brayer, and my Gel Press. After rolling out the color and pulling a print, I stamped the lighthouse scene right on top. Then I added a strip of torn cardstock. A simple and stunning sentiment finished off the card.
IO's slimline stamps are the perfect dimension for this size card, because they measure 3.5x8.5. But remember, you can always trim your stamped image to be all kinds of sizes. (Check out the IO website for so many cute cards in different sizes with this stamp!) You'll probably want to use a MISTI or similar stamping platform, because it's hard to find an acrylic block large enough for these stamps.

Today the designers at Impression Obsession are taking one more day to celebrate the new stamps and dies released this month and we don't want you to miss a thing!

Here are the important details on this week's blog hop:
  • We're giving away THREE Impression Obsession Grab Bags - the more you comment, the more chances to win!
  • Comments will be open until July 27th at midnight CT. All winners will be announced on July 28th on the Impression Obsession Blog.
  • Find all the new release stamps HERE

Supplies on Today's Card:


 I'm so glad you stopped by today! Let's connect again - subscribe so you don't miss a blog post! 




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