I discovered the on-line stamping community at SCS in November 2006 and suddenly my creative world became so much larger. I was no longer stamping alone, but instead had an entire world of fabulous creative people stamping right along with me … challenging me to grow as an artist. I love looking back through my gallery and seeing how my style has changed and developed.
When I was searching for something last week, I discovered several of my very first cards that I had saved. I remember how proud I was of these at the time, but today some of them almost make me laugh. Thought you might enjoy a little Friday Stamping Flashback with me.
This is my very first stamping that I did in a class at our local stamping and scrapbooking store. I colored the image with markers and stamped it on top of an embossing stencil. Then we applied embossing paste to produce the tiled effect. I was hooked. I loved how I could use stamps and simple products to make a tiny piece of art.
I made this card at a Friday night crop at our LSS. At that point, I didn’t really own any stamps of my own, so I would use the stamps from the store’s workshop stash on Friday nights. I was so thrilled with my idea to attach vellum flowers over the flowers in the stamp with eyelets for some dimension. This was my Easter card that year.
I made a gift set of these cards for my brother’s Christmas gift later that year. My stamping skills had expanded to include watercoloring, decorative scissors and stickles.
This was one of the first stamps I bought and first gift sets I made. My mother-in-law loves Tweety and she loved the little note cards. I’m not sure where on earth I came up with my color combination, but it was certainly bright.
This was one of my first Christmas cards. I used the embossing paste I had learned about at the LSS and tinted it with dark green acrylic paint. I added gold stickles to all of the dots in the design.
I hope you enjoyed this little meandering down memory lane with me. It’s always fun to see where we’ve been, so we can remember how far we’ve come.
oh WOW! what a fabulous idea to flashback! and it is so amazing to see how you have developed as a stamper and an artist! tho frankly, even your “early work” is pretty darned fab! the vellum flowers card is AMAZING…sheesh…i’d be happy to make that RIGHT NOW!!! 🙂
Thanks for showing your beginner cards…although, I think they look pretty good to NOT be considered beginning! As a new stamper, I’m so overwhelmed by what people create, that I usually feel silly sending off my little cards. Hopefully, I’ll get better.
I would still consider my self a beginner , but I am glad to know when I become a Pro my creation will look more creative 🙂
Stef, these are certainly not that bad (compared to mine!). I always think it funny that as we can get more stash and start including layers and embellies, that the true sign of an expert is one who can do it without making it look overdone! Our earliest cards always look so simple in comparison!
The embossing paste one I kinda like. I have never tried dying my own paste. I buy the expensive stuff already done. I have some paste ones I used oils on top or under the translucent stuff on my blog. Need to pull that out and make some more. or maybe slop some in hubby’s open snoring mouth 🙂
I remember when I first started stamping 12 yr ago and my teacher told me to save these first cards for comparison….It is amazing how proud I was of these first cards…..It is also amazing how many new things have come across the board for us to use….
Thank you very much for sharing! I love your cards.