Saturday, May 14, 2011

Moxie Fab World - The Chevron Chic Challenge!

Cath is awesome at spotting trends and Chevron is one of the hottest things going - so hot that she has devoted a challenge to it on her Moxie Fab Blog - The Chevron Chic Challenge!!
I unfortunately do not have any chevron stamps but I remembered back in the recesses of my mind when Julie Fei-Fan Balzer carved her own so I decided to give it a whirl with my Speedball Stamp Making kit.  Back when I snagged this beauty in Chicago at The Paper Source I thought I was "all that" but it turns out they carry these same kits at Hobby Lobby and Blick Art Supply too.
Used my ruler and "monkey pencil" (never underestimate the importance of the right/write tools to have a successful outcome - har har) to outline where the carving needed to happen - I decided to make two stamps - one is 1" wide and the other is 1 1/2" wide.  The lines are 1/2" apart.  That way once they are both carved they can be used together -
I actually have two carving tools now so I used one with a deep v groove for the initial detail lines and the big rounded blade to quickly carve out the centers.
The wide stamp was finished and WHOO HOO!!  - successful chevron happened on the first try!!  Handcarved stamps are easily mounted onto acrylic blocks with a couple small strips of double sided sticky tape.
 Finished carving the second stamp and did a test run with both stamps together - kinda cool!
Stamped the card cover - first with Ocean then with Sky pigment inks from A Muse|Studio.  I like stamping kinda "off" so that some of the white of the base cardstock shows through.  That adds a thin white chevron stripe to the mix with no work at all!
The challenge this week at Less is More is a one-layer card with Embossing.  Heat embossing the botanical image (A Muse|Studio Beautiful Botanicals 2) with black powder adds a fun sheen against the matte blue background.  A snazzy sentiment (A Muse|Studio Monogram Frames) and a bit of Divine Twine (charcoal)  and this card is done!  It is amazing how quick it is to stamp the chevrons - so fast that I made two other cards and I'm itching to play with them again!!

35 comments:

Chrissie said...

Crikey Michelle this was such a lot of work, but I guess you have the chevron stamps for evermore now,
It reminds me of doing lino-cuts when I was at school!
Thanks so much
Chrissie
Lady LIM
"Less is More"

Marlena M. said...

I am so impressed! You did a great job! I love the color combo.
I am in the process of something "chevrony" now...we shall see. :)

Zoechaos said...

WOW wonderful making your own stamps but oh dear if you make a slip with the chisel. Great card XOXO Zoe

Deborah Frings said...

You're so creative!!! It great to be able to make your own stamps - and your card is vibrant, bright and lovely!

Sarah said...

Loved that post from Julie--it's been in my inspiration folder for a while now. But your take on it is absolutely fabulous. I love that they nested so well with themselves. Great colors too!

Suze Bain said...

Wow, you are so clever. A great tutorial and a fabulous end result. x

smdluxe said...

wow!! What a great idea. Your card looks great

Sue VanDeVusse said...

I am totally amazed! Your chevron stamp turned out perfectly and your card is gorgeous! You definitely rocked this challenge.

jen said...

oh, you're definitely 'all that'! :D
(AND a bag of chips!)
love this combo too- nicely played! ;)

Mandi said...

Gosh you are uber talented michelle!
i sit open mouthed at what you create!
FAB card
Thank you
Diva LIM mandi
"Less is More"

Kathyk said...

WOwser - don't have the right stamp? I'll MAKE one!!! GREAT JOB

Kathyk

Linby said...

wow-what a lot of work you put into this card. You've achieved a great effect.
Linbyx

Ruth M said...

Oh my goodness, you carved your own stamps - I'm having palpitations just thinking about doing that! Well done you for not being faint hearted and it was so worth it - the card is stunning - fabulous job!

Ang C said...

What a great card - great job on carving out the chevrons

StampingStace said...

Wow - very impressive!
Stacex

G Peplow said...

Fabulous creation, love it:0) xxx

Laurie Chilton said...

Oh my goodness. This is my first time to your blog and what stunning work you have. I will definitely be coming back often to see your beautiful creations. :)

Rita said...

Wow Michelle, I am impressed and what a fabulous card its made too. Hugs Rita xxx

veronica said...

how cool is that?!! to make your own chevron, who needs to wait for shipping?!!!
love your embossed botanical too.

Lynne said...

Wow! How clever are you? Fabulous.
Lynne xxx

Jen W. said...

You are a stamp making superstar! This rocks!

Susan said...

WOW! What a lot of work! I love the end result!! Fabulous card, Michelle!

Jenny said...

Wow, not only is it cool to make your own stamps but the chevron design looks very 3 dimensional, like folds on the card. Love it :)
Jenny x

Rachael said...

You're a rock star girlfriend! Simply amazing!!

choupynette said...

what can I say, except OMG!!!! At first I thought this was a printed paper... you went to a lot of trouble but the result is amazing! well done!

Novell said...

Seriously, Michelle? You made your own stamp?! You are so awesome!!!

Lisa said...

Your homemade chevron stamps are fabulous! Wowza!

Laura Pryor said...

Brilliant!! How cool that you made your own chevron stamps! I mean...this has to be a winner for sure!

Dolly LaBelle said...

Michelle, what a great tutorial. Since we got one kit in to try, it will make it easier on us. So come get your next one from us and maybe consider teaching a class?????? wink, wink..
As always, your card is lovely!

Sarah said...

fabulous job - real craftsmanship! The blue and black look so good together...!
Thanks for sharing,
Sarah at 183

Unknown said...

wow!!! it turned out perfect!

Paper Crafts & Scrapbooking Editor said...

Hey Michelle! Thanks for linking this up to the Chevron Chic Challenge in the Moxie Fab World! I'm so glad you joined in on all the fun! :)

Jocelyn Olson said...

I just saw your comment on Jaclyn's blog. Your card is AMAZING!! I cannot believe you carved the stamp yourself. Wow!

Jaclyn Miller said...

The fact that you carved your own stamp is just amazing!!! I had no idea that you could do that. I LOVE your card and that black silhouette just pops on that chevron background. Fantastic work!

Patty said...

I love your project!! I just featured it on my blog! I'm a new follower!
xoxo,Patty.
wwww.mycraftspotlight.com