PaperArtsy: January 2025 - With 3 Things: Mirror Image Stamping {by Nikki Acton}

Wednesday, 15 January 2025

January 2025 - With 3 Things: Mirror Image Stamping {by Nikki Acton}

Hi friends, Nikki (a2a.craft) with you today for another 'With 3 Things' challenge post.

This feature on the PaperArtsy Blog is where 3 bloggers are sent 3 items in the post. Typically we will receive a stamp, a stencil and a couple of Fresco Paints. This year everyone will receive identical products in the post.

We have no clue what PaperArtsy HQ is going to send, the whole idea of this challenge is to do something crafty in our personal style with these 3 items. We are allowed to bring other PA products into the mix if we feel it is necessary.

So let's take a look at what I received from PA HQ! This month I received PaperArtsy stamp set HP1007, stencil PS103 (by Darcy) and Fresco Acrylics in Niagara Falls and Gold Rush.

Today I have made 6x6 inch cards using the items above plus some archival ink. I enjoy working with limited supplies, I find it saves me being indecisive!

I did not have a plan when I started but reached for the images that appealed to me and started to experiment.

I was drawn to the mask and stencil of the flowers. Having both elements allowed me to sponge the flowers through the stencil, but then also use the mask to stencil the area around the flowers.

I used both Niagara Falls and Gold Rush.

I wasn't too happy with the result of the Niagara Falls on top of Gold Rush - but I'm glad I kept it - it came in handy later!

I grabbed my gel plate next and started making some backgrounds, which I didn't end up using! I also used the bird silhouette stamp on HP1007 to create a mirror image of the stamped image. There is a short video here of how to do this. It is very simple - brayer paint onto the gel plate, place the stamp on the paint, gently press before removing and stamping onto scrap paper. Then pull a print off the gel plate.

A plan was now emerging so I also stamped the bird stamp in the same paint colours directly onto PaperArtsy Smoothy Cardstock.

I now had mirror images of the bird. Time to put all these elements together.

First I cut my stencilled flowers into strips and fussy cut the birds.

I used Ranger Archival Ink in Watering Can to randomly stamp 2 of the other stamps from the set onto Smoothy card. I also cut a circle and frame from one of the gel prints - but didn't use this one in the end.

I combined the flower strips to make a background and used the Niagara Falls / Gold Rush combined stencilled paper to cut my frame and create a border.