suck it up, buttercup...

This saying has always cracked me up. I don't know quite why, it just does.
When I got my first glimpse at this stamp from Tammy Tutterow I immediately knew what I was going to make.

First thing I needed was a good background. These flat canvas boards make awesome bases. Paint is smeared on with fingers, dabbed at with baby wipes, splattered on... with a final wash of gesso covering all. I often think of gesso as the 'miracle worker' for collage- it softens and blends and mellows everything. Every time.

To create an all-over background I needed a stamp. This script stamp is great because not only is it the perfect size to make a card with just a single stamp, but it works well to create a larger size by simply stamping multiple times. I am completely in love with it's name- Dear Ruby.

I couldn't find my largest acrylic block (OK, in reality I was just too lazy to go look) BUT I had my Spellbinders die cut machine sitting right next to me so.... I used one of the clear plates from it to stamp with. It worked great!

With a combination of flowers fussy-cut from some paper, a few butterflies and a very pouty Little Miss I was on a roll.

This was probably one of the quickest collage pieces I've put together in a long time and the 'suck it up, buttercup' stamp was just the cherry on top! Stamped with archival ink onto a piece of tissue paper, matte medium brushed over the canvas perfectly blends the image with the background.

 Suck it up, Buttercup!

xo,