What techniques or product intimidates you?

[Inkin One]

I am intimidated by sponging. ( I wont even say dp for this one..we all know my fear of that ) The sponging on some projects I see is just perfect..and I can never get mine to look like that. I know I need to just practice it..but I don't have a lot of DI. So that is what I want to improve on for this year.
Anyone else??

Water color...colored pencils..Copics ( ok those intimidate me..but just becasue I don't have any LOL)...

[PrincessBaach]

sponging used to be a nightmare for me too! I got that wooden handle tool from Tim Holtz and its gotten slightly better. Still not great.

I have copics but not enough to get into it so I jumped onto colored pencils. At first I had a hard time with them but now I love them. I tried copics last night and what a hot mess. I need to work on those again.

I can't seem to grasp using DP. I have seen so many people just grabs sheets from paper packs and make cards work. Whenever I try it, horrible nightmare!

[Cartermrc]

The price of Copics intimidates me. So I don't have any and use watercolor techniques instead.
And forget grunge. I end up laughing and joking to DH that I may as well put the card outside and drive over it. Just can't pull it off. I generally go for a more fun, cheerful look.

[LidaB]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Inkin One

I am intimidated by sponging. ( I wont even say dp for this one..we all know my fear of that ) The sponging on some projects I see is just perfect..and I can never get mine to look like that. I know I need to just practice it..but I don't have a lot of DI. So that is what I want to improve on for this year.
Anyone else??

Water color...colored pencils..Copics ( ok those intimidate me..but just becasue I don't have any LOL)...

I could have written this post! I have a friend who says, "You can't SPONGE?!" (It sounds more like "What the heck is wrong with you?!" Ha!) and then she grabs a sponge and goes to town, like it's no big deal. Oh, it's a big deal, and it will probably take all year for me to even TRY it!

Lisa

[buggainok]

I'm not exactly intimidated, but embossing with embossing powder and a heat gun is a process I haven't used much.

I've received cards that were lovely with that kind of embossed detail, and I love looking at those kind of cards on folks' blogs.

I have tried it several times, but it just seems like so much trouble and effort that I don't do it often.

[Kayz]

Colouring with Copics and patterned paper.

[hbrown]

You don't need DI's or the special foam tool to do your sponging. Any ol' dye ink and plain ol' yellow craft sponge (like SU's) will work. It does take some practice, and the more you do it, the better you get. Sponging is one of my favorite things to do now.

I'm trying to think of what really intimidates me, and there is just one thing. I don't sew. Not on clothes, not on cards, nada. What little sewing needs to be done in my house is done by my hubby. Hee hee hee!!!

[brasilmom]

I can say patterned paper makes me shrink, I am so terrified of them. I like simple, clean looks and to use patter papers does not seem to work for me. I do use polka dots.... I know that does not count much....
Coloring is another one I stay away from. Watercolor, copic, none of that for me...

[jackie1]

I can relate to some of these post. The thing that intimidates me the most is using the pearl or rhinestone swirls. I have tried using them a couple of times and they end up looking like a little kid put them on the card. I know that there has to be some kind of trick to using them but I still haven't found it.

[pixxiewacorgi]

I didn't get sponging until I tried a little trick. I bought a huge bag of sponges with color defects for dirt cheap, and I cut one up into a few oddly shaped squares. I love using those sponges, real sponges, because it's not like using a sponge dauber where the color is pretty flat. These leave the cute circle holes texture that the sponge has. Also, I can cut them in any shape and leave sharp edges so I can sponge even the smallest areas. I think the hardest part of sponging is making the mask and keeping it in place. For sponging with the nestabilities die still placed on top of the die cut I tape the die down to a scrap paper on several sides so it does not move around. I really have to practice that a bit more but I think at least with the cut up sponge technique I have mastered sponging that particular way.

I'm one of those intimidated by stitching. I love the look and wish I could do it on every single panel on a card. Maybe I will! I need to try my hand at it.

[melissa59]

Quote:

Originally Posted by buggainok

I'm not exactly intimidated, but embossing with embossing powder and a heat gun is a process I haven't used much . . . I have tried it several times, but it just seems like so much trouble and effort that I don't do it often.

I feel EXACTLY the same way! My embossing results tend to be ho-hum for the amount of effort and mess it takes. One of these days I'll invest in an Embossing Buddy to see if it makes things a little easier and the finished product a little cleaner. If not, I'll probably throw in the wet embossing towel.

[Inkin One]

I like to heat emboss. Try rubbing a used dryer sheet over your paper first...

I have trouble with backgrounds too. Like those huge bakground stamps..I must equate them to patterned paper in the back of my mind..and have a mental block with them LOL. I don't know what it is with dp that bothers me. well yes I do..I am afraid that what I make will look stupid and thrown together. Like my 7yo made it LOL..
I must agree with the poster that had issues using the swirled bling..forget it. I never know where to put bling. I have seen cards with bling added in the most perfect places..and if I did that..it would look like the bedazzler had gotten to it LOL..
Ribbon. Ribbon baffles me. I can't tie a bow to save my life..and never really know where to put the stupid ribbon so it usually just looks like an afterthoght..

[flash&rusty]

I am very intimidated by brayered skies and landscapes. I have tried and failed miserably several times. Part of it is because I don't have enough ink pads in the right shades, and part of it is the fact that I really need to practice more I guess. There is one card in my gallery that has a brayered sky, but that was created in a class, and the instructor was there the whole time, practically holding my hand making it!

I am also intimidated colouring very detailed images. I guess in kindergarten I got a "needs improvement" mark in colouring (because of course they wouldn't actually outright fail you!) and it hasn't gotten any better over the years! Again, I think it is a combination of not having the right supplies and really needing to practice. But it's a catch-22 situation - I don't have the money to purchase the right supplies, so I can't really practice, because I don't have the right supplies......

[stampinovice]

Ooopps. Didn't mean to post- "operator error"

[Cook22]

Sponging was a problem for me for at least a couple of years. Two things that make a big difference are using a non-stick mat, and using a paper with a very smooth finish.
Ribbon intimidates me, and embossing with white EP. I just love how it looks for other people, but I shy away from it. I particularly like the split-negative effect, but I need to find a paper that is the same not-white colour as all my so-called white embossing powders. It bugs me when half my negative is crisp black and white and the other half is less crisp and off-white.
I know I don't have the right type of brayer to practice that, and as I've improved my sponging somewhat I'm as happy with the look I can get that way.

[jendeere]

I am intimidated by sewing on layouts and cards. I think it looks so cute but it looks so time consuming. If it takes a long time I don't want any part of it

I am also a terrible bow maker. I bought a bow maker a while back but haven't tried it yet.

[Barbara Jay]

Quote:

Originally Posted by flash&rusty

I am very intimidated by brayered skies and landscapes. I have tried and failed miserably several times. Part of it is because I don't have enough ink pads in the right shades, and part of it is the fact that I really need to practice more I guess. There is one card in my gallery that has a brayered sky, but that was created in a class, and the instructor was there the whole time, practically holding my hand making it!

......

Me too!! but I don't have access to a teacher I would love to take a class from Michelle Zindorf , but she has not come near my area.

[SanJoseLady]

ok, so....I am not intimidated by any technique, I just keep doing it until there are reasonable results lol Of course, reasonable is an opinion. Whatever the technique I have found that if you practice, and also search for technique videos/tutorials you will "get" the technique. Sponging: definitely using the craft mat helps, and making sure you blend out your color and use the right shaped sponge, a "square" sponge may leave harsh lines, a rounded sponge may not. Foam make up sponges work, but if you use the ones that are large wedges you need to hold the sponge so that the bottom is rounded (you "pinch" the sponge" at the bottom) and thus doesn't tend to leave the harsh line. also, I have found that if you ink up your sponge and then stamp off a bit of ink first you will get better blending results.

Whatever the technique I have found that if you just sit down with the intention of learning the technique rather then using the technique on a specific project, you will be more relaxed and the technique will be easier to learn (hope that makes sense).

[Louisa May]

Quote:

Originally Posted by pixxiewacorgi

I didn't get sponging until I tried a little trick. I bought a huge bag of sponges with color defects for dirt cheap, and I cut one up into a few oddly shaped squares. I love using those sponges, real sponges, because it's not like using a sponge dauber where the color is pretty flat. These leave the cute circle holes texture that the sponge has. Also, I can cut them in any shape and leave sharp edges so I can sponge even the smallest areas. I think the hardest part of sponging is making the mask and keeping it in place. For sponging with the nestabilities die still placed on top of the die cut I tape the die down to a scrap paper on several sides so it does not move around. I really have to practice that a bit more but I think at least with the cut up sponge technique I have mastered sponging that particular way.

I'm one of those intimidated by stitching. I love the look and wish I could do it on every single panel on a card. Maybe I will! I need to try my hand at it.

That is so creative with the cut up real sponges!

[pixxiewacorgi]

Yes, it works wonders for when you want to sponge between tiny areas on the outside of an image!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Louisa May

That is so creative with the cut up real sponges!

[dini]

I'm allergic to brayering and heat embossing.

[vdoyle8]

I'm intimidated by copics. I have none and, of course, want them. But they are so costly! And what if I spend all that money only to find I stink at using them?

Sponging --- perhaps I need to be more critical of my sponging so I can be intimidated also... What role does the craft mat play?

[Hunterri]

Sewing....why do something I hate when I'm doing something I love.

[Allistamps123]

I'm scoring challenged! I always seem to mess it up.

I don't like "techniques" in general....like cracked glass. I never remember how to do them. I'm also not a big fancy fold person.

[Inkin One]

LOL..no fancy folds here either.. Also I love the cracked glass look..so soft and pretty but I can never get it to look the same. And let us not even speak of a brayer please. Forbidden word here

[pixxiewacorgi]

I'll be honest- I just got a ton of Copic sketch recently and it's hard to suck at using them. I saw a few vids on youtube and read a few picture tutorials on the internet and that's pretty much all you need! They seem to be very easy to use once you understand the basics. It's the more complicated coloring techniques which require more work and practice, but I just wanted them for coloring. The color choices available are great.

When using a sponge dauber, you ink up the dauber and start sponging from the outside, onto the craft mat, and then go in to the paper. You sponge in a sort of circular motion, rubbing off excess ink onto the mat. There's videos on that on youtube, I think. Or at least at Tim Holtz's blog.

Quote:

Originally Posted by vdoyle8

I'm intimidated by copics. I have none and, of course, want them. But they are so costly! And what if I spend all that money only to find I stink at using them?

Sponging --- perhaps I need to be more critical of my sponging so I can be intimidated also... What role does the craft mat play?

[pixxiewacorgi]

I found a vid!
See how she starts inking from the outside in?
Thinking Inking Distress Inks Part 1 - YouTube

[Inkin One]

HMMPPP...All I can say tonight is who needs ribbon and bows on a card anyway???

[carolc1027]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dini

I'm allergic to brayering and heat embossing.

LOL....I read this 15 minutes ago...and had to come back to tell you I'm still smiling from reading this....I guess that is my problem with brayering...I'll have to talk to my allergist!!

[dini]

LOL! I am also allergic to fancy folds and royal blue.

[Inkin One]

I apparently am allergic to purple LOL..and ribbon of any color

[misschameleon]

Have you tried using the little talc bags to get rid of static before you stamp? I don't think they are talc but thats what I call them. Most stamp shops have them. They really do keep the card from collecting loose powder. Another technique is once you added the embossing powder and tap off the excess turn the card over and heat from the back a little. This will set the powder and after a short while you can turn it back over and finish it to your desired texture.The back heating fuses it in place. Watch it carefully and move the gun back and forth.Good Luck

[misschameleon]

Quote:

Originally Posted by buggainok

I'm not exactly intimidated, but embossing with embossing powder and a heat gun is a process I haven't used much.

I've received cards that were lovely with that kind of embossed detail, and I love looking at those kind of cards on folks' blogs.

I have tried it several times, but it just seems like so much trouble and effort that I don't do it often.

Im not good at using this forum yet. I replied to you under post 32. Sorry about that.

[misschameleon]

I have yet to have a good experience with any white stamping ink on a variety of papers.There must be something in the pigment that it never comes out without some sort of divet.I have tried to get it very gooey and then it looks exactly like that. Gooey.I want winter scenes, snowflakes, cute animals but alas I cant get them.

[snowcountry311]

w/o question-copics. i collect them. they sit & look real pretty. but i'm afraid-very afraid of them!

[wifelady]

Quote:

Originally Posted by PrincessBaach

I can't seem to grasp using DP. I have seen so many people just grabs sheets from paper packs and make cards work. Whenever I try it, horrible nightmare!

PrincessBaach check this out -- Kristina Werner did a video with tips for using pattern paper:
Friday Focus – Patterned Paper #1

It helps me some but I still would like to use more in my creations.

I'm intimidated by ribbon too - I stink at bows and am unsure of where to place ribbon on my card.

[sc magnolia]

Quote:

Originally Posted by pixxiewacorgi

I found a vid!
See how she starts inking from the outside in?
Thinking Inking Distress Inks Part 1 - YouTube

That was a great video!

I didn't think I was intimidated by a technique until I started reading these posts. I bought some distress inks, used them a bit and thought, "eh, what's the big deal?" I've every color of Cat's Eyes they make and I can just use them." So I guess Distress Inks do intimidate me.

Ribbon doesn't intimidate me, I just don't like those big bows on cards at all. To me, it takes away from the stamp art or focal point and looks kind of gaudy. But that's just my opinion.

[carolc1027]

Quote:

Originally Posted by misschameleon

I have yet to have a good experience with any white stamping ink on a variety of papers.There must be something in the pigment that it never comes out without some sort of divet.I have tried to get it very gooey and then it looks exactly like that. Gooey.I want winter scenes, snowflakes, cute animals but alas I cant get them.

I've tried so many different whites...they all wind up in the trash! I have used VersaMark and white embossing powder for sentiments.....but that's the best I can do...

[sc magnolia]

Quote:

Originally Posted by carolc1027

I've tried so many different whites...they all wind up in the trash! I have used VersaMark and white embossing powder for sentiments.....but that's the best I can do...

I use Color Box white pigment ink and embossing powder. White on white looks awesome, but also on darker colors. I have Frost White, and some tinted white colors too that work very well for me, like Chiffon White, Oyster White, and Cream. I've had them for years and they are still good.

[jor]

I want to try coloring using Prismas and Gamsol but I am intimidated. I don't think I color very well. I'ved tried checking video tutorials and the like. I really just need to take the time to practice, I'm sure. But when I have time to sit and create, that is what I want to do. I don't want to practice something and then have nothing to show for it!

Copics intrigue me, but I spend enough on so many other things, I just can't bring myself to do this now!