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I am a huge fan mix and matching stamps from different mfgs. That is getting full use of one's stash to me. I love seeing that in the gallery.
My question is this:
It is one thing to mix houses or trees etc.
How do you feel about mixing characters? Some are pretty stylized. Like what I call the storybook look of Yacula or Jeram....I would think about mixing those.
But do I want to mix them in with say....MFT, Lawn Fawn, etc?
I think some of Mama Elephant is close enough to Lawn Fawn that I might mix them. Esp the agenda series. (bunch of one tiny character in different poses)
Or are you a purist and will only use one brand of character (or in total) on a card? (I am not saying that in a bad way.)
__________________ Margot
I am a proud fan club member
The following 3 users liked this post by wavejumper:
If they went together I wouldn't have any problem mixing and matching, but I know most of mine wouldn't match enough in style. In general I could instantly say Penny Black, especially the Margaret Sherry range, TCP bunnies, penguins or cats, Stacey Yacula, Tierra Jackson, etc. The more distinctive the company/designer style is, the less I would mix the stamps unless I was going for a very eclectic look. Which I might be in other areas, but probably not when it comes to characters.
I've mixed sentiments with sets, but hadn't thought to do it with characters. What a neat idea! I think if they were a little similar, it would look really neat!
The following 2 users liked this post by hoptownracer1:
I mix and match stamp. There are times I buy stamps because I think it is great match for another stamp from a different company. I mix & match characters all the time too.
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The following 5 users liked this post by lylacfey:
I have no qualms with mixing anything, but I don't recall ever doing it either. I have my stash grouped by manufacturer so I typically am just sorting through that brand's stuff when getting a project together. Maybe I am a purist and didn't know it. I challenge myself to mix characters on an upcoming project. Wish me luck!
The following 5 users liked this post by crafty--mama:
Remember there are no rules. It’s your art so do what makes you happy. If you don’t want to mix sets, then don’t. If you think something will look good with another set, then go for it.
Follow Carolyn Dube’s advice:
Do I like it?
If yes, keep it.
If no, then ask what you don’t like about it and change it.
Your art should bring you joy, so do what makes you happy! 😊
The following 5 users liked this post by stampinspy:
I like to mix and match too and have done it with many types of stamps but I don't remember doing it with characters. I would have the same issue as you for that -- stamps have a certain "look and feel" to them style wise and I would want them to compliment each other with that same "feel". I can see where your assessment of some stamps like Lawn Fawn, MFT, Mama Elephant could work but I don't think it's a slam dunk either. It would depend entirely on the "scene" you were creating. Good luck. I look forward to seeing what you come up with.
__________________ Debbie
The following 3 users liked this post by DebbieinOC:
I think the big issue with combining characters from multiple companies is scale. Those Lawn Fawn critters are TINY. So they might look out of place next to a Penny Black hedgie or something from MFT.
The following 3 users liked this post by cycworker:
I mix brands and even styles in every other spect of my life (clothing, furnishings, housewares, foods, cooking tools, etc.). Why would I limit myself in my crafts in such an artificial way?
Much depends on the project itself, right? You can get away with serious stylistic infidelity in a whimsical piece. However, sometimes I have found that designs are more flexible than I first realized. So you have to play around to see, if you can make something work.
I agree with Stampinspy! There are NO rules! This creation stuff is Your Personal World! Have fun with it.....don't let opinions of others clamp down your talent. Not everyone has the same likes and preferences. I believe when you are making cards for someone for a special occasion or reason you should pick a subject matter that would appeal to that person. BUT......your personal spin that you put on it will make it special to that person because it shows them you've put your mind and talent together to create a special item Just For Them. It wasn't thrown together mindlessly like a thing you have to cross off on your to-do list. You Care! People need a lot more of that in their lives! So, I guess what I want to say is "Spread the Love!" and don't let the angst squash your talent. I firmly believe that when God gives us a certain talent we should run with it and do our very best to glorify Him using it.
Thanks for listening all the way through MY opinion. Enjoy your life and talent, stay healthy...and spread the joy!
The following 4 users liked this post by Eager Beaver:
I mix whatever feels comfortable to me. I even break up sets and store them by category or theme if I feel I'll use them more that way. I keep most of my word stamps sorted by theme also.
The following 2 users liked this post by Mittens20:
unless I am doing dt work every single thing in my studio is there to be played with so, in my mind its just a matter of scale.
if the scale will work in the scene then there ya go.
it does not really matter if its cartoons of distinctive style or not actually. I bought things to play with them.
I have always grouped my stamps by theme or type, so when creating, if I looks good together, I don't care (or often know) who made the stamp or what company it came from and put together what looks good to me. Creating should have no restraints.
I mostly use Stampin' Up! stuff right now, but back in the day, I made several cards mixing Tim Holtz' Crazy Cats with Lawn Fawn's mice. Totally different styles, but I just love combining the cute little Lawn Fawn mice with the very confused-looking cats. :-)
I have to agree, though, that the scale would bug me, if it's too far off. Fortunately, mice are supposed to be small, so I can add them to quite a few other critters from different sets, and they don't look too odd.
__________________ ~ Kitty ~ "If you can dream it, you can do it." - Walt Disney
I hadn't actually thought about this before, but I suppose I usually select characters from the same company, bot the reasons already stated by others (scale, style, etc). However, I'm sure I've combined different styles in one card more than once. It really depends on the mood I want to create, and the theme. Sometimes it's fun to combine two or three very different styles, for effect. For instance, I made a card for my son once that had a retro couple looking up in the sky, and used a submarine stamp from a completely different company. The purpose was to make it look incongruous...and the difference in style certainly did that!
Karen
Mixing brands w characters
