Waffle Flower swatching tools

[Monica]

In scrolling through my Instagram feed this morning I found a repost from someone on the Waffle Flower design team who was using their brand-new swatching release to swatch her Distress Oxide inks. Now, I've tried various methods to swatch my stuff over the years, but I think this will actually work the best for me and I wanted to share it with you all. There are stamps and dies, and you can buy piecemeal or in sets. They also have swatching for watercolors and color wheels, again both stamps and dies. It's almost all pre-order at the moment, but check it out!
https://waffleflower.com/collections/pre-order
https://waffleflower.com/pages/color

[Monica]

Found a Youtube video to show you all: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_cont ... PJcB1tkr1s

[paddlegal]

I saw this some time ago too. Either Jennifer McGuire or another did a video review on this also. I’ll be interested in what you select if you do.



Added:

Wow, I just watched the ink swatch video and then a second one using ink pads also. So much information and detail! Using those stamps and dies is a project in itself and though a bit tedious looks fun. (Also I fell asleep on the second one. )

But I know personally, if I did this, I probably would never refer back to it.

[pamcook]

I just need someone to do it for me!

Monica - I cant wait to see what you do!

[paddlegal]

There are oodles of videos on these products. The more I watch the more intrigued I am. No...I’m not falling for this...

[Monica]

There are oodles of videos on these products. The more I watch the more intrigued I am. No...I’m not falling for this...

Come over to the dark side... we have coffee!

[paddlegal]

There are oodles of videos on these products. The more I watch the more intrigued I am. No...I’m not falling for this...

Come over to the dark side... we have coffee!

Well when you put it that way...

Cheers!

[mpizzazz]

That all looks like it would take too much time to do when it would be more fun to actually make something. And, of course, they have specific products to buy to do it when all you need are some paper scraps, a tag punch or die and a pen.

[pamcook]

That all looks like it would take too much time to do when it would be more fun to actually make something. And, of course, they have specific products to buy to do it when all you need are some paper scraps, a tag punch or die and a pen.

There you go being all practical again. I remember when you said washi tape wasn’t something I NEEDED. Now I own about 300,000 rolls and rarely use it and you were right. And I can’t give the stuff away!!

Okay, I might not NEED this products but it’s so cute and looks like fun. I probably will never buy it but I will envy anyone who has the time and patience to catalog their supplies this way!

[Monica]

That all looks like it would take too much time to do when it would be more fun to actually make something. And, of course, they have specific products to buy to do it when all you need are some paper scraps, a tag punch or die and a pen.

It's the concept I like more than anything. And I'm a tad OCD about swatching once I get started...

I'm also liking the card samples their design team has done using those dies as well. I've thought about doing blending combos before and just haven't done it, but this gives me a bit of a push to actually do some. I need to play more, remember why I love the products I own, and get out of the rut of using the same half dozen things over and over.

[paddlegal]

That all looks like it would take too much time to do when it would be more fun to actually make something. And, of course, they have specific products to buy to do it when all you need are some paper scraps, a tag punch or die and a pen.

It's the concept I like more than anything. And I'm a tad OCD about swatching once I get started...

I'm also liking the card samples their design team has done using those dies as well. I've thought about doing blending combos before and just haven't done it, but this gives me a bit of a push to actually do some. I need to play more, remember why I love the products I own, and get out of the rut of using the same half dozen things over and over.

Ah, thinking on this at the same time Monica...


Those were my very thoughts Marianne, the first time (and second time) I saw these stamps some time ago. But like my original opinion of bullet journals that take more time to make than to use, I got hooked. Still thinking on this one, right as you are about tags and chips, etc.

And Monica, it is often about the process and then a moment or two of inspiration hits. I like what you said about remembering why we love our products.

[Monica]

The stamp set designed for indexing watercolors, and the color wheel set, are both intriguing to me purely because I don't have to attempt drawing them a million times if/when I update the half-finished indexes of various media. More and more I'm remembering how nice it was to have an actual index of inks, embossing powders, punches, stamps, and colored pencils in the 90s. I got lazy when we moved in 2000 and all but gave up keeping it current after that, but I'm seriously at the point of wanting an easy reference without opening drawers and trying to remember which company made what color/medium/punch/etc. I've already been through a huge purge over the last 6 months in my craft space, and I'm wanting to organize it all in an updated version of how I used to have it. And yes, I realize it takes time I could spend crafting, but I know for me personally if I spend several days simply organizing that it makes the actual crafting so much more enjoyable simply because I can find things.

[mpizzazz]

I agree swatching your inks, pencils, whatever color agents you have, is a useful tool when you want to choose colors. And I only have a few from only a few companies compared to many of you. It's just the selling of special shapes, stamps, dies, etc that seems like rampant commercialism to me.

I made quick swatches on strips of paper using a small solid stamp and writing next to it what it is. I did it by color regardless of the company so I could see all greens, blues, reds, etc together in one place because I always think color first not technique or ink properties.

[pamcook]

Do it!! Seriously - if it gets you all excited about your supplies again - do it! I want to see how you decide the best way. When I see other people excited about artwork, it inspires me.

Jen McGuire’s layering tips this month has me excited about my layering stamps again. She posted a video this week about how to use white ink with one ink for your layering stamps. I have my misti on my kitchen island with 2 sets of stamps. I’m having a blast. How’s that for heading off the trail?

[Monica]

Marianne, I totally get where you're coming from. I even had a designated solid image stamp.... a little heart shaped one I think... that was my indexing stamp way back when.

Pam C, you crack me up! I will! It's just fun to read through our discussion about it, see what different viewpoints on it are and if there's something else I could potentially use instead. And I'm going to have to check out Jennifer McGuire's Youtube channel again.

I've been trying to think of anything I have that's a die I could use for this, as the punches I have left are either border or things like leaf, twig or Mickey Mouse. And things like the dies for tags I don't need, as I already have those. It's simply the different shapes I can see a use for, first for this and then cards like the samples on their blog, and I like the flexibility of being able to play and then cut exactly where I want for swatching.

I looked into things like using coin sleeves, but I'd have to buy the sleeves and I just don't like the thought of having to pull each out to touch it. The flaw of being a tactile person, I guess! My original system was letter size cardstock in page protectors, but I still had to pull them out each time to touch textures. The few I've done since then have been a mix of either cardstock or tags, but I find I prefer the tags or smaller cardstock sheets that can be stored with the items in question. I'm really thinking along the lines of opening a drawer, taking out the embossing powder tags inside, seeing if any of them will work, and either snagging what I want or opening another drawer. (Yes, I have MANY embossing powders... lol)

For me personally, doing a purge and reorganization of my craft space has already gotten me using papers I've been hoarding for years, and rediscovery of a few stamps I'd forgotten about, just in working on the WDW album in between. And I'm finally thinking hard about what really works for me in finding and USING my stash.

I love that we have so many diverse thoughts on this forum. Please feel free to keep discussing this! I might find another way of doing this that would work even better!