Stamp Review Crew: Rooted in Nature

Hello August! How the heck are you?! Hot, you say? Well, that is as it should be. We will welcome September that much more after languishing (or basking) in your warmth. And what is the perfect addition to a hot and steamy day? Well, trees, of course! And we, at the Stamp Review Crew, have loads of trees and leaves to play with in the Rooted in Nature set and bundle. Yes, it is a bit higher priced. But, oh is it worth it!! Look at that bounty!

What is the Stamp Review Crew, you ask? We are an international group of Stampin' Up! demonstrators that gets together to do a blog hop on the first and third (and sometimes on a fifth) Monday of each month. For each hop we chose a single stamp set for us all to use, and then we let our creativity loose! We have a blog with all of the hops archived, so you can hop through any of the hops any time. Click here to go to the blog to see all of the hops! To go to the specific post for this hop, click here, or on the banner above.

If you are following along in order, then you have just arrived from Lauren Alarid's blog. She can really work the watercolors!

I only have one project for you today, but it is loaded with details and texture!

I have discovered that sponging on Thick Whisper white creates a fantastic colored cardstock with dimension and texture. Or maybe that i just like to get all inky 😉

The secret to lining up the die-cut leaves with the embossing die was to lay the die impression side up on the Big Shot sandwich, set the pre-cut leaf on the die, then tape it to the cutting plate with washi tape. Slick as snot, I tell you!

I used the Stamparatus to get the gradient in greens on the tree. Sponging the ink a bit where the colors overlap helps create a gradient rather than a sharp line.

These leaves are Granny Apple Green stamped off once. I actually stamped the sentiment first, then added the leaves.

Sometimes I forget how much better rubber stamps are at giving amazing detail. Then I play with a set like this and am reminded why we love rubber so much!

That is it for me, but please leave me a comment below to tell me what you like best about this project!

Next up is Lou Kitzelman, and that woman can stamp!