I'm a huge fan of the Red Castle Gibson Girls stamp sheets, and I'm pleased to report that there are plenty of them left as of today. The images are feminine and beautiful and filled with fine lines, just like the original illustrations.
I thought it would be fun to show how to use two of the faces from Gibson Girls Plate 4 in a slightly different way: Instead of reaching for black detail ink (like VersaFine) I went for a soft blue dye ink - a very juicy pad. And I didn't use a stamp platform since I wanted an uneven and sketchy feel (intentionally imprecise!). The fact that the pad is very 'inky' means that some of the areas get filled in and look like watercolors. And the shadows on the face and neck become more subtle because I varied my hand pressure.
Since the projects are envelopes, not cards, they are meant to be opened and then tossed out. Imperfect stamping adds to the ephemeral quality and, to me, is part of the fun.
Design Strategy:
Note that I positioned the faces so they are looking toward each other and toward the area where the address will be lettered. The stamp sheet includes many other beautiful Gibson Girl images, lots and lots of other options!
I thought it would be fun to show how to use two of the faces from Gibson Girls Plate 4 in a slightly different way: Instead of reaching for black detail ink (like VersaFine) I went for a soft blue dye ink - a very juicy pad. And I didn't use a stamp platform since I wanted an uneven and sketchy feel (intentionally imprecise!). The fact that the pad is very 'inky' means that some of the areas get filled in and look like watercolors. And the shadows on the face and neck become more subtle because I varied my hand pressure.
Since the projects are envelopes, not cards, they are meant to be opened and then tossed out. Imperfect stamping adds to the ephemeral quality and, to me, is part of the fun.
Design Strategy:
Note that I positioned the faces so they are looking toward each other and toward the area where the address will be lettered. The stamp sheet includes many other beautiful Gibson Girl images, lots and lots of other options!
As to the backgrounds: Masking isn't necessary. Use an almost dry craft sponge to smudge ink around the faces and torn paper to create lines for the address block. For a painterly effect, drag the envelope along the ink pad to add an inky border and go for a second color ink along with the blue - yellow will create a nice green, for a bit of added color and interest. (Shown on the last envelope.)
Could this same loose approach work for card fronts, ATCs and other projects instead of envelopes? Of course! Just add a quote or poem between the two faces or cut and layer smaller rectangles with just one of the Gibson Girls.
Could this same loose approach work for card fronts, ATCs and other projects instead of envelopes? Of course! Just add a quote or poem between the two faces or cut and layer smaller rectangles with just one of the Gibson Girls.
Options:*If you like precision, use a detail ink in blue or a similar mid-value color and cut masks so the sponged-on color touches the contours of the faces.
*For larger envelopes stamp more than two faces, leaving an open area for the address.
SUPPLIES:
- Red Castle Gibson Girls Plate 4
- Blue ink pad
- Craft sponge
- Acrylic block for temporarily mounting stamps
- Low-tack tape for the acrylic block
- White envelopes (shown: A2)
- Optional: Yellow or teal ink pad
Fun idea. I may actually stamp envelopes some day - using animals or geometrics or flowers. ty
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