A Really Old Stamp is Given New Life - from 1996 to 2020

In keeping with my desire to use some older stamps and update them, I decided to use a very old stamp for this week's color challenge at Splitcoaststampers. It's from 1996!  This is definitely a stamp that looks like it was born in the 80s or 90s.  I remember sewing an apron and Christmas tree skirt printed in this style back then.  But I love the image and it fit so well with this week's colors (Crushed Curry, Cajun Craze and Early Espresso) that I wanted to use her.

How to keep her from looking like 1996?  The current palette and limited colors helped enormously!  Because of the challenge rules, I could add green (Mary, the hostess said to use our favorite green and/or sunflowers).

In trying to update older stamps color is important.  Many older stamps may actually be a current "style" or one that really doesn't go out of style, but when we associate it with colors that HAVE gone out of trend, we think of the set as dated.  Hand-in-hand with color is method of coloring.  I used alcohol based markers and Prismacolor pencils.  The markers back in the day were water based and did not give the ease of blending like today's markers.

Some sets though are of a style that was popular years back.  This one is certainly that.  In order to avoid looking like a circa 2000 card, I made a conscious effort to avoid embellishments that would have been popular at that time and avoid layouts that were trending then.

Previously, I would have layered this card on at least two layers of cardstock.  Why?  As a wood mounted stamp, I probably would not have stamped it straight so I would have cut it out using my paper trimmer.  Then I would have added at least one border.

My Misti (and Stamparatus) have changed the way I stamp.  I can now stamp an image cleanly and straight.  I have remounted numerous stamps to be able to use them in one of these platforms (although not this particular stamp; it's old enough I'm afraid of damaging it in trying to remount it.)

I also used my other game changer - my Scan 'n Cut.  When I stamped this image I did not care about how straight it was because I knew I would use my Scan 'n Cut to cut her out.

You can see that although this is a rectangular image, she does not have a 1/4 to 1/2 inch straight border around her with another border beyond that.  The image itself is cut out and popped up, making it look more like 2020.  That isn't to say that a rectangle with a border looks dated (they certainly don't!), but when the image itself is this dated it is best to try and make everything else as current as possible - layout, embellishments, colors, fonts. Die cut images are what is trending now.

Embellishments and fonts are two things that can also date a card quickly.  Unfortunately, I have a rather large stash of 10 year old (or so) brads that I'm a bit afraid to put on cards.  I'll have to try some out to see if I can update their use!  Here, I used some linen twine and a side border that goes with the feel of the image but is more in keeping with what is seen on a lot of cards today.

Fonts are a pretty big topic and I'll have a post entirely devoted to those!  On this card it was easy to not get caught with a dated font - I didn't use one!

I hope you enjoyed today's card and will try updating an old stamp!  It can be a challenge but it is always fun to bring new life to an old favorite.

• Stamp: Penny Black Bee Sweet
• Dies: My Favorite Things Sunflowers
• Markers: Stampin' Blends Daffodil Delight Light & Dark; Cajun Craze Light & Dark; Old Olive Light & Dark; Copic markers Y26, E02, E55, E57, E59, YG00
• Prismacolor pencils: 948, 942, 1034

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