Customize stamp images with selective stamping

If you've been around my blog awhile, you know that I love cute animal stamps. (And if you're new to my blog, then welcome! I hope you find some inspiration here.) So when I saw the We'll Walrus Be Friends set in the Stampin' Up! catalog, I knew I'd have to get it. (I don't think I have any other walrus stamps, so it was totally justified, right?) I finally ordered it earlier this spring, and when I sat down to play with the set a few weeks ago, I created these two adorable cards:

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Stamps: We'll Walrus Be Friends, In My Thoughts
Paper: Whisper White, Pool Party card stock
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Pool Party; alcohol markers - Pool Party, Pumpkin Pie, Mango Melody (Stampin' Blends); W1, W3, E53 (Copic Sketch)
Accessories: Seaside embossing folder, Wonky Stitched Circles dies (My Favorite Things), Small Stitched Rectangle Stackables dies (Lawn Fawn), clear droplets (Pretty Pink Posh), clear Wink of Stella glitter brush pen, foam tape (3M), Art Glitter Glue (Art Institute)

Aren't they the cutest? And they were fun to make, too, because I used the selective stamping technique to modify the images from what you see in the set.

For the first card, I planned to use the sentiment "Ready or not ..." on the outside of the card and "It's your birthday!" on the inside (see photo below for the insides of the cards). The image of the walrus hiding his eyes was perfect, but I wanted him to be sitting on the little chunk of ice, which was part of a different image. So I carefully inked just the ice and water parts of the stamp with black ink and stamped it on white card stock. Then I inked up the shy walrus and added him to the scene. I could have used a marker to extend the lines of the ice chunk so they were closer to the walrus, but with the style of these images, I think it works just fine as is.

To finish the scene, I repeatedly stamped the two fish images in an arc over the walrus, turning the stamps so they are in different positions and just look like they're having fun. I colored everything with alcohol markers, added a bit of clear Wink of Stella glitter to the water and ice, and stamped the sentiment at the bottom of the panel. I die cut the panel with a stitched rectangle die and mounted it on a Pool Party card base using foam tape. I so loved how this card turned out that I even decided not to add any embellishments. Crazy!

For the second card I started by stamping the image of the walrus in the waves on white card stock. I cleaned off the stamp and then inked up just the two separate waves -- more selective stamping! -- and stamped them two more times below the walrus. I added a few stamped fish in the waves, and then colored everything with alcohol markers. I die cut the panel with a stitched circle die and used foam tape to attach it to a Pool Party card base that I had embossed with the Seaside embossing folder.

For the sentiment I used selective stamping one last time. I took the sentiment "Just floating by / to say hi", inked just the first line, stamped it on white card stock and trimmed it into a strip. Then I repeated the process with just the words "to say." Finally I stamped the separate sentiment "It's your birthday!" and trimmed that one into a strip as well. I put small strips of foam tape on the back of the strips and placed them on the card base below the focal image to make my custom sentiment. I finished this card with three clear droplets.

What do you think? I'm excited to see what other cards I can create with the We'll Walrus Be Friends stamp set. This set is retiring this year, so if you want it, get it quick! It is guaranteed available through May 22, 2020 -- just a few more days! -- and then while supplies last until June 2.

Thanks for stopping by!