Pick a fave

Inspired by the SimonSaysStamp Monday challenge (one stamp, many ways) I made a spread in my art journal featuring a new Rubberdance stamp in alltogether 7 different images. I was actually thinking of only a few different images, but got carried away in the process, which suits the ongoing DLP art journal prompt "Ride the energy of your own unique spirit". I did my best to keep to the Rubberdance March challenge colours (green, yellow, orange), and this of course fits the SimonSaysStamp Wednesday challenge and the Country View challenge (anything goes on both of them).

Each of these gorgeous ladies of course deserves a portrait of their own! Sorry about the bad light on these, daylight dissapeared, and I can't wait until tomorrow, because the SSS Monday challenge will run out!

I actually did this as a test, and the image turned out as perfect as one might wish. Watercolour stamping is easiest done by starting with the lightest colours. To begin with I inked the face and hand with Tattered Rose and the robe and background with Mustard Seed. Next I added some Brushed Corduroy on the edges of the face (also the hair side) and whisps of Mowed Lawn on the robe and fan. Last I added Black Soot on the eyebrows and outside edges of the hair and Spiced Marmalade on the text background. After spritzing with water I stamped on Canson Imagine mixed media paper. The tree and fan are from VivaLasVegaStamps and have been done in the same way.

This girl has been paperpieced with oriental-style pattern papers (really cheap ones bought from Tiger). I stamped her on several papers (all in the pack that were green, orange or yellow) and combined them as best I could. I especially like the background paper, and made some little flowers to go with it.

This lady was stamped with Versafine Onyx Black and embossed with clear embossing powder on satin card from Crafty Individuals. The effect of the good quality card is extroardinary, and I wanted to enjoy the dramatic detailed black and white image as it is, so I added strong colours around it. I found this single button in my stash and sewed it on with my sewing machine.

To create a vintage photo kind of look I used an ink blender to spread brown inks on a pearlescent card from Chocolate Baroque. The image was stamped with Versafine Vintage Sepia, and bleached out a bit with water before some subtle green and orange were added. The feathers have been stamped with white ink onto vellum and fussy cut (really fussingly) which gives quite a realistic look.

I had planned to do some more paper piecing, this image was stamped just to get an orange shirt for the green girl, but the shirt part was a bit dull, so I stamped a green shirt for her in stead. I like the grungy look on her, there was a dragonfly on the underpaper I tore for her, so I had to dig a dragonfly brad from my stash.

This is the lady I planned to give an orange shirt. After stamping on green underpaper with archival ink I felt she didn't really need any other colours on her. After some consideration (and messing my fingers and smudging the red image) I added clear embossing powder, and was glad it still stuck.

Last but not least I made an image in the way I usually do cards: Black Versafine, watercolours and some sewing. looking at the other images makes me wonder why I always do this, when other cool and interesting options mostly worked well.

To emphasize the oriental feel of the page I wrote the DLP sentiment "Ride the energy of your own unique spirit" vertically over and over again on the page. As the text went on, it became easier to keep to straight lines! The DLP prompt included making a custom element on the page, so I used a monogram of my initials that I created ages ago when I was 15. I haven't used it much for the past 20 years (just to sign ATC:s), because after getting married my initials of course changed and I wasn't able to change the A to M.

I ori