Tuesday, December 16, 2014

{Spotlight Project} Guest Designer Becca Creates Thank You Cards Using the Stamping with Sweetened Condensed Milk Technique!

Hello, STAMPlorations friends! Today and tomorrow, we're all in for a treat, as we've got two super-creative crafters guest designing and sharing their spotlight projects! 

First up is Becca Cruger of Damsel of Distressed Cards sharing a fun technique! We're so excited to have her on the blog today! Let us know what you think of Becca's project and then make sure to stop by her blog to leave her some love!


Although I've been crafting ever since I discovered how to attach glitter to paper, I just recently started blogging (in October). The amazing, supportive crafty community I've found on the web has been beyond inspiring! STAMPlorations was one of the first card making challenges I ever participated in, and I fell in love with the sketchy designs that lend themselves to all sorts of stamping aesthetics. My cards are very eclectic - I love all things vintage and distressed, but also find beauty in the simplicity of clean lines and smile when I come across a great pun. No matter what aesthetic I feel like working in, almost all of my designs will be saturated in color or filled with texture. 

And here's Becca's spotlight project! Enjoy and be inspired!



Ahhhh.... it's that time of year again. The Christmas cards have all been created, addressed in your finest print, and stuffed into matching envelopes. Now it's time to sit back, relax, and enjoy the holiday season. But what to do with all of that extra free crafty time now that you're not stamping furiously to make that one last card for Great Aunt Edna?

Thank you cards! I don't know about you, but my holiday season is filled with family get-togethers, present unwrapping, and cookie bakes. I have a lot to be thankful for, and I wanted to get a jump-start on the cards I know I'll be itching to give to thank all of the people involved in creating my Christmas spirit.



This weekend, I sat down to create a set of cards using the Sentiment Builders: Thank You set. I love the sentiment builders because there are so many different sayings you can create with one set! It's one of the (many) reasons I fell in love with STAMPlorations.

I decided to use an old technique my grandmother taught to me: stamping with sweetened condensed milk. It sounds messy (and it is!), but it creates this aged textural feel that will leave people wondering just what the heck is on your card - in a good way.


To start the process, pour a small amount of sweetened condensed milk onto a pad of paper towels in a dish.



Press the image into the sweetened condensed milk lightly. You don't want to fill up all the crevices. Wipe of any excess onto a paper towel. You can choose to heat dry the image without embossing powder, but I always put a coating of clear embossing powder over my stamped image to prevent any residual stickiness.


This is the Sketched: Tulips stamp, which I pressed onto a tag, coated with clear embossing powder, and heat dried. I colored a bit of the image and gave it more of an abstract design.


As a note, when using this technique, it's best to clean off your stamps immediately with soap and warm water. It will come right off.


For the second card, I used the daisy from Bloom Sketches and stamped the image in sweetened condensed milk, repeating the heat drying process.


I used this as a background paper for my second card.




For my last card, I painted the background with sweetened condensed milk and heat dried the entire thing. As the milk dries, it will become less shiny and begin to bubble and crack, creating an amazing (and delicious smelling!) texture.

  

The longer you hold your heat tool in one area, the browner that area will become, so you can really create any type of pattern you want.



When I was searching for new challenges, I stumbled on the STAMPlorations blog and fell in love! I am such a fan of vintage, sketchy stamps and the STAMPlorations designs work so well in that realm. And the girls in the design team are truly some of the nicest crafters around.

I hope you enjoyed my tutorial and I'll see you around the web!



Stamps Becca used in today's project:


        

Bloom Sketches is the August/September 2014 set in the STAMPlorations stamp club! Join the club and get this set shipped to you for free wherever you are in the world! Read more about our stamp club here. We've got lots of perks, including a free 4" by 6" stamp set like Trendy Butterflies sent every 3rd shipment (or immediately after signing up for the semi-annual subscription)


Prize alert! Leave a comment for an entry to our Spotlight Projects random drawing for December. We'll pick a commenter to win $10 worth of a new product we're introducing in January. (Hint: it's flat, light, and you can do all sorts of fun things with it!) We'll announce the winner on January 1!

43 comments:

  1. Really cool cards, Becca! I've actually tried this technique myself and it is really neat the effects you can get. :-)

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  2. woooohoo old technique from your Grandma I ever heard and I never tried yeah its cool technique Becca....must try it one day and your card is amazing with all the texture..you are a queen of Mixed media card Becca...hugs, Monika (I enjoy read your tutorial)

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  3. Well I never, certainly a different way to stamp that's new to me. Think my hubby would resent the use of the condensed milk, perhaps I could sneak a little when he's not looking!

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    1. I don't think he'd resent it! He might pop by and ask what's for dessert though, because it smells divine! :)

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  4. Awesome! I am speechless, got to try it :)

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  5. This is a technique I tried many years ago and wasn't really happy with the results. Your cards turned out to be very interesting and the textures look great. Thanks, Becca, for sharing your process with us1

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  6. Oh my word! Stamping and licking the bowl out in one project...just got to try it out. Love what Becca has created here. Carol x

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  7. Becca, your cards are great! I can just imagine the smell as you heat the SCM filling the kitchen! This is a project for me...a little SCM for the card and the rest of the can for ME!!

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  8. Never heard of this technique...a must try....I always use it in my desserts, so next time will be a card.....wonderful cards Becca, and congrats on the Spotlight!

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  9. Hi Becca, what an interesting technique. Love the results. Good enough to eat!! Hugz

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  10. Becca! Thanks for the new/old technique:) Sounds and looks even smells YUMMY!!

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  11. So this may be the coolest technique ever. And the house will smell like baking, when really you've been stamping! :D

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  12. That is Amazagobs!!! LOOVE the whole idea....looks fabulous with those stamps too:))

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  13. Gorgeous cards, Becca! Such a fun idea - I have not heard of this before! The outcome is fabulous!

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  14. Such a neat technique Becca!! Fabulous GD tutorial!! XOXO-Shari

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  15. Wow! I would have never guessed to stamp with condensed milk. Does your Grandma have any other crafting secrets? Love the cards.

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  16. The condensed milk-resist technique is so very different, all of these recipes sound yummy! I will try them all! Genius creations of old and new techniques! Thanks Becca to share your Grandma secret!

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  17. I'm amazed that this is an 'old' technique from Becca's grandmother... I've never even heard of it before! Makes me wonder what else in the kitchen is stamp worthy, lol. Thanks for sharing the tutorial :)

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  18. What a neat effect you achieved, Becca! Your cards are beautiful!

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  19. Wow, who would have thought one can stamp with condensed milk! Super cool Becca and great use of all the stamps! xxx

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  20. Thanks for sharing, Becca. NEVER heard of this. I love the idea of the sweet aroma. Perfect for a card stamped with sweet treats!

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  21. I love the effect that the sweetened condensed milk gives these. I had never heard of this before, but I love the look. I think the tulips is my favorite with the added coloring.

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  22. Wow, talk about a unique use for condensed milk, with results that are absolutely dazzling! Super cool!
    ~c

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  23. Stamping with condensed milk..I have never heard of..! The result look absolutely beautiful..and even may be smelling delicious :D !

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  24. that's amazing! I've never heard of stamping with sweetened condensed milk. Maybe a little playing while making fudge this year. :) TFS! And, beautiful cards!

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  25. Stunning cards Becca, and what a great technique. Congrats on your guest design spot, very well deserved. xxx

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  26. Amazing!! Both your technique and that I have never heard of STAMPlorations before! I love finding new stamp companies (I'm not big on digi stamps) and I think I need to make a wish list :) So glad we found each other Becca ~ keep up the fabulous creating :)

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  27. Your cards look amazing Becca!! Who would've thunk of this idea!! Great texture on your designs!!

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  28. seriously that technique is amazing!!! totally gorgeous projects and loved learning something new!!! stunning work!!!

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  29. This is SO cool! WOW--who'd have thought?! I am going to have to try this sometime because your projects look amazing! HUGS! :) Mynn xx

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  30. Wow, Becca, this is such a cool technique!!! Love the aged look it creates. Your cards are stunning!!! Great to see you guest designing a Spotlight Feature. Have a lovely day! Monika x

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  31. Interesting technique - I'd never have imagined that one could stamp with sweetened condensed milk!
    isoscia at aol dot com

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  32. Cool and interesting technique! I'll try it. Thank you for sharing!

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  33. Such a great technique! Never heard of it before but I love the results! Fantastic cards.

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  34. Congratulations on the Guest Design gig, Becca! You deserve the recognition and Stamplorations is lucky you agreed! Your unique tutorial is awe-mazing!! I'm just dying to know if your grandmother invented this and, if so, how it ever came about? Whoever thought of it (or discovered on accident how fun and cool it is) is a genius!! Thank you for sharing the technique and your stunning cards!! Hugs, Darnell

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  35. I have just added sweetened condensed milk to my shopping list! What a fun technique, and how awesome to be able to have learned it from your grandmother. LOVE!

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  36. Now that is a new use for sweetened condensed milk. Very cleaver. Your cards are beautiful. I love all the texture you added. TFS

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  37. I thought OH my God this looks like pudding... oh my God this is pudding. And this really works? You must be sort of like me - crafting on a kitchen table in the kitchen and cooking for the children in between :). Well, I love the result of your ( i am not saying what) experiment. It really is amazing. It is not just thinking outside of the box , but outside of this galaxy.

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  38. I like the effect on your finished cards, but I doubt I would ever want to try it. I can imagine the mess I would make. But thanks for your creativity and for sharing your grandmother's technique.

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Spammers have been in full force lately so I had to turn comment moderation on. We love hearing from fellow crafters (not spammers), so your comment will be approved as soon as possible. Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts with us :o)