changing leaves color blocking card

changing leaves color blocking card

Just a simple background technique can elevate a card and todays’ blog post is all about a few fun background techniques that will take your cards from simple to WOW!

A watercolor wash and a simple splatter technique make a HUGE difference on this card – follow along today to learn how to accomplish these techniques!

Measurements:
BASE: Cherry Cobbler: 4 1/4″ x 11″
scored at 5 1/2″
Basic White layers: (2) 4″ x 5 1/4″
scraps for the die cuts

I chose three Fall Colors and stamped the maple leaf image in each: Cherry Cobbler, Pumpkin Pie and Crushed Curry.

I used a waterpainter to color in the leaves open spaces pulling the ink from stamping the leaves into the open spaces between the veins and die cut each leaf.

I then used the waterpainter in a zigzag motion to color a third of the Basic White layer.

I stamped the sentiment onto the center lower section of the layer in Cherry Cobbler.

I popped up each of the leaves and placed onto there corresponding color on the Basic White layer.

I brushed each leaf with the WInk of Stella for a little added sparkle.
I adhered the Basic White watercolor washed layer to the Cherry Cobbler base and added some Iridescent Adhesive-Backed Discs tot he card front.
For the final pop I took each of the three colors in the Dark Stampin’ Blends marker and opening up the brush tip side I used the edge of my bone folder and tapped on the plastic sleeve of the marker near the brush tip to splatter ink onto the same color section of watercolored wash.
Just a little extra effort makes this simple card POP and adds so much depth, dimension and interest! Try these little additions to your card making and elevate your game! Now go and create some art of your very own – one stamp at a time!

Happy Stampin’
Natalie

more color monday – cherry cobbler, old olive and mossy meadow

more color monday – cherry cobbler, old olive and mossy meadow

More Color Mondays today features a Christmas-y trio of Cherry Cobbler, Old Olive and Mossy Meadow. Seasons of Elegance suite is a new brilliant suite filled with a great Christmas sentiment suite, a gorgeous imagery set and beautiful gold foil paper and gold textured adhesive-backed dots.

Measurements:
BASE: Cherry Cobbler 4 1/4″ x 5 1/2″
Basic White card layer: 3″ x 8 1/2″
Basic White layer: 2 3/4″ x 5 1/2″
scrap for tree die
DSP: (2) 3/4″ x 5 1/2″ and scrap for the star die

Emboss the Painted Tree 3D embossing folder on the Basic white card layer. Mount the layer on the front of the Basic White card front.
Adhere the 3/4″ strips on either side of the Cherry Cobbler card base.
Adhere the Basic White card layer in the middle of the DSP strips on the card base.
Stamp the sentiment on the inside of the card base.
Ink the large tree stamp from the Peaceful Season stamp set in Old Olive ink and then dab the surface of the stamp with a blending brush full of Mossy Meadow ink.
Die cut a scrap of Seasons of Elegance DSP with the star die
Before adhering the tree to the card front drag the blending brush through the Mossy Meadow ink and color the tree edges with the ink.
Adhere to the middle of the card front.
Adhere Iridescent discs to the tree as ornaments.
Secure the Cherry Cobbler and Gold Satin ribbon from the Seasons of Elegance Suite collection to the top of the card layer and add the Gold Textured Adhesive Backed Dots to finish the card!
This suite and so much more is available now start planning your Christmas cards today and if you need help just let me know! The current hostess code is AAWHMXKA.

Now go and createsome art work of your very own – one stamp at a time!

Happy Stampin’
Natalie

nests of winter suite card – new mini catalog products

nests of winter suite card – new mini catalog products

Today’s blog features the Nests of Winter Suite of products – one of the coolest things in this suite in my opinion is the frame die of foliage. Today I am using the negative space of that frame die to create a background for the card!

Measurements:
BASE: Pecan Pie 5 1/2″ x 8 1/2″
scored at 4 1/4″
Mossy Meadow layer 4″ x 5 1/4″
Basic White layer. 3 3/4″ x 5″
scrap for sentiment piece
Basic Beige scrap for birds stamp

Stamp the double birds in Tuxedo Black Memento ink on Basic Beige cardstock.
Using the Cherry Cobbler watercolor pencils – color the berries.
Color the bird with Balmy Blue watercolor pencil.
Color the bird’s belly with the Crushed Curry watercolor pencil.
Color the branches with Pecan Pie watercolor pencil.
Using a water painter color each colored section starting with the lightest color and then brush the water painter until it paints clear and paint the next darkest color until all colors are watercolored.
Die cut the frame from the Nest of Winter and use the negative die space for the mask, place the mask in the center of the Basic White layer and with a blending brush color the outside edges of the Basic White layer over the mask with Mossy Meadow ink.
Turn the mask 180 degrees and without reinking the blending brush brush the remaining color over the edges of the mask which will result in a lighter color bledning over the mask.
Adhere the Mossy Meadow layer onto the Pecan Pie card base.
Adhere the Basic White layer onto the card base slightly tilted.
Die cut the largest circle from the Stylish Shapes die set and stamp the sentiment in Mossy Meadow ink and drag the blending brush across the edges to just give the edges a little color.
Adhere to the lower left hand corner of the card.
Pop the double bird image up onto Stampin’ Dimensionals and layer in the upper right hand corner of the card.
I added two cork embellishments around the sentiment and the card is complete.

Sometimes using the negative space that might easily just get tossed in the trash produces a beautiful unexpected background! Try using those negative die spaces and see what you can create – one die, one stamp at a time!

Happy Stampin’
Natalie

peaceful seasons card – new mini catalog goes live

peaceful seasons card – new mini catalog goes live

Happy New Mini Catalog day! Hope you all got your personal copy in the mail – I will have extra copies with me at my upcoming library classes coming this Monday 9/9 at the Margaret M Schontz Memorial Library in Conneaut Lake from 1-3pm or at the Greenville Area library on 9/17 NOTE the new time I moved the class earlier to accomodate people that do not want to drive home in the dark when we have the time change this Fall so the class will be 3 hours in length and you can come early or whenever you can get there if you work 4:30 – 7:30pm that way everyone will be able to come when they can! I will also be hostessing a September to December Mini Catalog Open House on Friday, September 13th from 12:30pm to 3:30 pm with lots of new samples and mini catalog products available to see. There will be FREE make-n-takes and prizes for all those that RSVP and extra prize drawing entries for those that attend and bring a friend that is new to me!

Today’s card truely shows that the creative process is not always straightforward and linear – LOL – I had an idea in mind for this card and it developed into something more as the card progressed!

Measurements:
BASE: Cherry Cobbler 5 1/2″ x 8 1/2″
scored at 4 1/4″
scrap for the tag medallion die and word die
Basic Beige: 4″ x 5 1/4″
scrap for word matte die
DSP: 3″ x 5/14″

I originally started with the tag medallion die being cut from the Basic Beige cardstock but changed my mind.

I embossed the Basic Beige layer with the Distressed Tile 3D embossing folder and mounted it to the Cherry Cobbler base.
I stamped e merry wor dimage from the Peaceful season stamp set in Cherry Cobbler on the Basic Beige tag medallion die.
Then I decided there was not enough contrast and the tag would be lost on the embossed layer so I will save that for another project!
I die cut another tag medallion in the Cherry Cobbler cardstock and stamped the Merry in Versamark ink and sprinkled the gold embossing powder from our metallics embossing powder collection over the wet, sticky ink.
I heat set the powder with my Heat Tool and the heat melts the embossing powder to a shiny brilliant gold embossing!
The slits on the side of the tag lend itself well to looping ribbon through and I cut about an 8 inch piece of the new Cherry Cobbler and Gold satin ribbon and folded it in half and pushed it through the lower slit and behind the tag and through the top slit. I added Stampin’ Dimensionals to the back of the tag and added it to the card front center.
I added three Gold Textured Adhesive-Backed Dots to the card front and this made a sweet simple card but I decided I wanted to add more texture and color.
First I added Ink with a small blending brush and the Cherry Cobbler ink below where the tag medallion was resting on the card front and but the tag back on the card.
I still wanted a little more so I cut a 3″ x 5 1/4″ piece of the Cherry Cobbler Seasons of Elegance Specialty DSP and lifted the tag medallion one more time and added this to the card base.
LOL I pulled up everything one more time and using my Cherry Cobbler Stampin’ Blend marker I opened the brush tip marker side and taped the side of the marker on the edge of my bone folder while holding the tip about 2-3 inches above the card. Tap the bone folder on the side of the marker this will cause the marker tip to spray a fine mist of ink over the card surface. Now I am done LOL! Not always a straight line but I am happy with the outcome!
Sometimes adding just a little bit more is the answer if you are not satisfied with the original design. Do not be afraid to experiment and add a little something to your next project! Now go and create some artwork of your very own – one stamp at a time!

Happy Stampin’
Natalie

more color mondays – pretty peacock, old olive and basic beige

more color mondays – pretty peacock, old olive and basic beige

Today’s More Color Monday is a sneak peak of one of the prettiest suites in the upcoming September – December 2024 Mini Catalog debuting on September 4th in two days time in my opinion. This suite called the Season Of Elegance features stunning gold foiled Specialty Designer Series Paper which is only one star of the show in hues of Cherry Cobbler, Old Olive, Mossy Meadow, Pretty Peacock, Basic Beige and Gold foil as well as two stamp and die bundles.
Today’s card is made with the Peaceful Evergreens Bundle and the gorgeous new Painted Trees 3D embossing folder.

Today’s color challenge features Pretty Peacock, Old Olive and Basic Beige for our More Color Monday card.

Measurements:
BASE: Pretty Peacock 5 1/2″ x 8 1/2″
scored at 4 1/4″
scrap for tree dies and suede strip
Basic Beige layer (2) 4″ x 5 1/4″
Old Olive scraps for tree dies

Place one of the Basic Beige layers in the new Painted Trees 3D embossing folder and run through the Stampin’ Cut and Emboss machine.
Cut the large and small tree dies out of Old Olive and Pretty Peacock scraps.
Using the White Pearlized Enamel Effects apply the liquid onto the branch edges and allow to dry on the Old Olive trees.
I used to 1/4″ strip of Pretty Peacock like I detailed in a previous post on how to make Faux Suede paper and ran the paper between my thumb and a bone folder from one end of the strip to the other and turned it over and rubbed the other side doing this again and again until the paper begins to separate. The inside of the split paper is soft and resembles suede.
I adhered one side of this strip soft side up to the second plain Basic Beige layer and adhered a smaller Old Olive tree die on top of this strip.
Adhere the entire Basic Beige layer to the inside of the card.
I stamped the outside Wishing you and yours sentiment to the top left corner of the Basic Beige embossed layer.
Adhere to the card front and glue on the Pearlized Old Olive tree dies to the lower right hand side of the card.
I added three Adhesive-Backed Sequin Trio embellishments to the card front around the sentiment.
I decided that the card front needed a little more color so I added two Pretty Peacock tree dies to the card front to finish off the More Color Monday card!
Try this color combination and see what you can create – one stamp at a time!

By now you should have received the upcoming mini catalog and if you have not and would like one please let me know so I can get one to you!

Happy Stampin’
Natalie

PS Remember this is a sneak peek so there will not be links below to the new products until they are released on September 4th!

july fall into christmas swap cards

july fall into christmas swap cards

My first swap card was a late arrival for the June swap – Jennie T featured the Spotlight on Nature Bundle – stamp set and dies with the Full of Life 6″ x 6″ DSP for the background with a Pretty in Pink base card and a Granny Apple Green sentiment die.
This July swap card comes from our faithful swap leader Denise W. and the technique is cracked glass with paper. I have highlighted the technique before – it’s also called stack and shuffle. (my sample for the cut, stack and shuffle cards were detailed on February 14th, 2022 – check it out if you missed it or need a refresher!)
She used the Seasons of Green and Gold DSP and the Gold Mercury Vellum!
This Die cut Rustic crate in Silver Foil and Lost Lagoon compliments the Winter Meadow DSP perfectly along with the poinsettas colored to match for Lori V’s swap card
Ginger S’s swap card features the Sophisticated Sled Bundle using Country Woods, Unbounded Love and Glimmer paper and DSP to lots of color and contrast.
Lyn L’s swap card uses the Sparkling Snowflakes stamp set embossed in white embossing powder over stamps in Misty Moonlight set above the Sketched Plaid Background in Balmy Blue.
The next swap card is clean and simple in Basic White embossed background of Snowflakes Sky 3D embossing folder and Shaded Spruce popped up circle with the Sophisticated Sled dies adhered to it from CarrollAnn A.
Marie W’s swap card in elegant Very Vanilla embossed Basics 3D embossing folder background and Mosst Meadow cardstock with images die cut from the Seasons of Green and Gold DSP.
Robyn M’s swap card uses epth and dimension with the detailed sled die cut from the Sophisticated Sled Bundle and red berries from the Enamel Effects Basics Pack.
This is my swap card for July that I featured in my 07/24/24 blog post detailing the Bokeh technique using the Golden Greenery bundle!
Susan W’s swap card features the Iconic Imagery bundle with the Seasons of Green and Gold DSP and two of the three Basics 3D embossing folders for a great Christmas card!
This card from Carol S uses the Changing Leaves Online Exclusive bundle with a sneak peak of the Birch Wood 3D embossing folder which will be available on September 4th from the upcoming Mini Catalog!
Veronica S’s swap card features lovely coloring with Stampin’ Blends to compliment the Seasons of Green and Gold DSP with the images from the Filled with Cheer stamp set!
Robin C’s swap card is a study in lovely Fall colors of Real Red, Pumpkin Pie, Crushed Curry and Pecan Pie using the Autumn Leaves stamp set and dies!
And the final featured swap card from Kathi D uses an elegant blend of Cherry Cobbler, Gold and Very Vanilla to create a classic Christmas card with the Golden Greenery bundle!
Hope you enjoyed the ideas from all of my swap cards and that you go and create some art of your very own – one stamp at a time!

Happy Stampin’
Natalie

Product List
Paper Snips
[103579]
$12.00