MONDAY'S TIP OF THE DAY (late again!)

Today's tip is about Two-Step Stampin,' one of the techniques that I had a request for during my blog candy giveaway. In my opinion, Two-Step Stampin' is one of the most user-friendly and forgiving techniques you can learn. If you're a perfectionist, you may want to ease into Two-Step Stampin' but for everyone else, jump in with both feet and enjoy it!!!

Stamp Sets are considered Two-Step Stampin' if they contain a more solid, background image (for example, one of the flowers in Heartfelt Thanks) along with a more detailed, line image that is stamped over the solid image thus giving it additional details. In the picture, I have colored the solid flower image with markers I made in Riding Hood Red and Kiwi Kiss. Below that I have inked the detail stamp in Basic Brown and stamped over the flower I just stamped (the second step in Two-Step Stampin') I also used the little circle stamp to stamp the flower center in So Saffron. Two of my other favorite Two-Step Stampin' Sets are Pick a Petal and Serene Sunflowers (retired). Pick A Petal has lots of pieces that you can put together to create flowers, bugs, and lots of other creatures! Serene Sunflowers is just beautiful!! I have made tiles, gift bags, cards, and just about every other paper projects out there using this set. It's FABULOUS!!!

So with my Pick a Petal lady bug, I stamped two wings in Riding Hood Red with the polka-dot shape. Then I stamped in black one of the detail line stamps with three lines on each side and stamped OVER the red wing I'd already stamped. Trim out these wings and

add a few extra details and VOILA!! You've made a lady bug!!