Prepare your stamp
Take the Let the Adventure Begin rubber stamp from the Nostalgia range off the acetate backing.
Mount it onto an acrylic block, making sure it’s straight and secure.
Position the sentiment just below the main image and press down gently.
Ink and stamp the image
Use a Jet Black Archival Ink pad.
Gently tap the ink all over the surface of the stamp.
Avoid pressing too hard – light taps give an even coverage.
Position the stamp squarely onto your cardstock, press gently, and release to reveal a clean, detailed image.
Set up your paints
For this project, use Cosmic Shimmer Water-Based Inks.
Dispense a very small amount of each colour onto a palette: Mushroom Grey, Cold Steel, Cobalt Blue Hue, and French Mustard. A little goes a long way!
Create the background wash
With a soft brush, mix Cobalt Blue Hue with a touch of Mushroom Grey and plenty of water.
Apply loosely to the sky area, allowing the paint to flow. Avoid painting directly over the stamped image.
Fade the wash down towards the path.
For the ground, mix Cold Steel, French Mustard, and Mushroom Grey, then wash the colour across the base of the image.
Let the background dry fully before moving on.
Clean up edges with bleach
Using thin household bleach and a cotton bud, remove any stray ink inside the stamped image.
You can also dab gently into the blue sky to create soft, fluffy clouds. Use circular motions for a natural look.
Optional techniques: spatter bleach with a fan brush for texture or let it run down the card for unique effects.
Add base colours to the stamped image.
Shorts & Hair: Start with Mushroom Grey, applying more colour to the left (shadow) side and lightening towards the right (where the light hits).
Hair highlights: Mix French Mustard with Mushroom Grey for a warm, sunlit effect. Add to his hair, boots, and teddy bear.
Shirt: Use a watery wash of Cobalt Blue Hue. Darken the left side and under the sleeves for natural shadows.
Skin: Use Buff for his arms, legs, and neck.
Shadows: Deepen the teddy bear and boots with Dark Walnut, again shading to the left. Add subtle shadows to the boy’s legs with a Mushroom Grey and Buff mix.
Remember: the colour in the bottle may look different when painted – check the swatch on the label.
Add highlights
With a fine brush and a little bleach, lift colour from the right-hand side of the boy’s hair, teddy, shorts, and legs. This creates natural highlights where the light hits.
Finishing touches
Place parchment paper under your work to protect your surface.
Dilute a little Cold Steel and, using a liner brush, spatter gently around the boy’s legs for added texture.
For a professional finish, pop the artwork behind a mount or into a frame.
Your nostalgic stamped scene is now complete – full of depth, light, and a touch of vintage charm!
