Everyday Memories I NEED For My Lifetime! by Cathie Allan

I LOVE INK …..  I LOVE INK .. .I “simply” LOVE INK! And, YES pigment ink is one of my favorite types of ink. “Why?” you ask. Beyond the fact that it is the most lightfast, most archival ink on the market … it is just so darn versatile. I can use it in so many applications that the variety of techniques that I am able to accomplish using pigment ink seems virtually endless. Do I use it for “simple” stamping … yes. Do I use if for embossing …. Yes. Do I use it when I want colors to blend seamlessly … oh, yes! Do I use it for stenciling … uh, huh. Do I use it for resist … abso stamping lutely. Can I turn it’s ability for staying wet longer into a “smear your art away” technique , you got it yes & yes & yes. You can stamp from dark to light and light to dark = Cathie’s way happy & it does not heave the page ….  Since there is less H2O in ink … no heaving … YES …. PIGMENT INK ROCKS!

The pigment ink colors of the Clearsnap,Taos, Paintbox,  stamp pad was my “stampunition” for this wonderful triple panel card that I will be teaching at “Be Creative Rubber Stamps” in Pitt Meadows, B. C. in July and then again at Scrapbook Central’s annual retreat in Comox on Vancouver Island in November. I have jam packed this project AND the  4 more, very inky projects with all manner of inky wonderful ideas. The projects are “a wonderful byproduct of solid inkful techniques. I just love it when the folks in my classes leave with a “bevy of new and wonderful inky ideas”, that they can use over and over that all comes together in the shape of a cool project. FOCUS is technique …. because when you have new techniques you can take them to any paper craft project you have up your creative sleeve, from cards, to scrapbook pages, to stationary, to art journal projects ….. well to any project that will hold still long enough for you to add ink to it.

I love cards that interact, fold multiple times and have surprises in them. I love dimension and I love that usually EVERYTHING IN MY PROJECTS start with “just white Canadian Scrapbooker Super Stock”.  Yup, all embellishments, background paper, frames … the works! Venture forth with me into my “wonderful world of ink” … I can show you stuff.

The real superstars of this project are of course the photos of “Eli & Nikki”, my youngest “grand gorgeous redheaded son” and my eldest beautiful daughter. Then as supporting cast I used the Taos, Paintbox stamp pad (love all 8 colors contained within) available from Clearsnap, my Art Screens & gold embossing powder from Clearsnap and of course my trusty Clearsnap ColorBox stylus and foam tips that are my paintbrushes for my colors of ink. Then “not to be forgotten are the amazing stamps that I used from two great companies, Impression Obsession & Technique Tuesday. My Heartfelt Creations and Spellbinders dies also are a “great supporting cast” especially when altered with my ink and clear embossing powder that of course come from Clearsnap.  So if you love ink and would love to use it to it’s “endth degree” come and join us at one of these great events coming up. I promise you a smile or two and over the top yummy, very inky techniques!

To see more of Cathie’s work visit her blog – Creative Whispers