Doing Some STR-ETCH-ING

Wow, this is my 3rd post today!  Sorry to bombard you with posts.  Here's the reason why I'm a bit behind on posting:

This is Cali, my attention demanding kitty.  She's been extremely moody lately because she got to take an emergency trip to the vet.  She also is grouchy because she now gets to take some medicine every morning.  When Cali gets mad, she tries her best to get in the way of my crafts.  I had to start the Christmas card in this post over 3 times because somebody kept getting cat fur in my adhesive.  Yeah, I may be acting mad, but really, I'm just glad she's feeling well enough to try to compete with my cards.

So, who's heard of stamp-stretching?  Hopefully most of you, it's been the major thing on crafting blogs and magazines lately.  Stretching your stamps is using stamps in new and unique ways making them more versatile to use on projects.  The most common way to do this is to use your images in the background on one card and in the foreground of another.  I tried stretching my stamps this week.  I used the Stampin' Up Sketch It stamp set.

The first thing I did was look at my stamps and tried to think outside the box.  For example, the heart stamp could be a bird beak or butterfly wings.  The flower seeds could make a nice snowflake flurry background.  I decided to focus on the main flower stamp in the set.  Here's what I made with it:

First, I used the stamp as it was intended, as a sunflower:

Stamp-Stampin' Up, Paper-Provo Craft

This card is very different than the cards I usually make.  I usually make bright, whimsical, cutesy cards.  This card is very simple and classy.  I tried out a new technique called "ink rolling" (okay, not really new, but new to me).  Ink rolling is done by inking your stamp normally and then, with the original ink still on the stamp, roll the outer edge of the stamp in another color of ink.  That's how I got the darker brown edges on my flower.  I really like how this technique gives the colors a gradient, blended look.  Do you like the button center of the flower?  Gotta give my husband credit on that, he picked out the funky splotchy button.

My next card is a bit more like my typical cards:

Stamp-Stampin' Up, Paper and Tag-DCWV, Ribbon-American Crafts, Embellishments-Bits and Pieces

Yes, that's the same stamp.  When I first saw this stamp set, I thought the sunflower was a wreath until I saw the flower center stamps that it came with.  Something that's fun about stamp stretching is that it causes you to stretch all of your supplies.  First, I used a button as a flower center, and now, buttons are the berries on the wreath.

My last card is a bit of a cop-out.  I've used this stamp on a Muppet card before.  You can see that card HERE.  But it's a great example of stamp stretching, so I made another one.  I'm out of cookie paper, and I refuse to make an Elmo card on principle (don't ask), so I went with Oscar the Grouch this time.

Stamps-Stampin' Up, Metallic paper-Provo Craft, Paper-American Crafts

I made Oscar's face, but something didn't look right.  I couldn't figure it out, so I looked him up on Google Images.  I'd forgotten that he has eyebrows. Ha ha!  So then I used the squiggle stamp in the same set (I've never been sure what it's supposed to be used for-maybe a flower stem?) to make eyebrows.  I like how the stamp gives the brows natural curves and I really like how they've got a fun scribbled look to them.

I made the embossed lines on the trash can with a stylus and the case  that I store my cardstock in.  How's that for supply stretching?!  It made perfect trash can lines.

Oscar and his can are attached using pop-dots because the embossed paper couldn't be glued down.  It gives the card some fun dimension.  There you go-three completely different cards made with the exact same stamp.  Let me know how you stretch your supplies.  I'd love some more ideas.

Linking up to:

A Blog Called Hero-Stretch your stamps challenge

Mema's Crafts-Anything Goes

Crafts And Me-1 image, 2 papers, 3 embellishments (wreath card, 1-flower/wreath stamp, 2 patterned papers used, 3 embellishments-buttons, brads, ribbon on wreath)

Make It Monday Linky Party