more color mondays – gorgeous grape, coastal cabana and blueberry bushel

more color mondays – gorgeous grape, coastal cabana and blueberry bushel

Well this week’s More Color Monday is airing on Tuesday! It is 10:30 pm on Monday and I realized that I did not write this blog. This weekend we moved my youngest son into his new apartment to start his Junior year in college and Friday night we received the sad news that my father who had been suffering with dementia for a few years collapsed and passed away while we were in South Carolina. Needless to say this week will be a blur celebrating my father’s life with my family. I had all of this week’s cards designed and photographed just not input so they may come on different days!

Today’s More Color (Tuesday) is a color combination I really like – Gorgeous Grape, Coastal Cabana and Blueberry Bushel! I had to search my past MCM (More Color Mondays) posts because I was SURE that I must have put this great color combination together before but it is a new combination!
I just received the Sketched Butterflies bundle as a recruiting incentive and I am LOVING this stamp and die bundle!

Measurements:
BASE: Basic White: 5 1/2″ x 8 1/2″
scored at 4 1/4″
(2) 4″ x 5 1/4″ layers
Gorgeous Grape scraps for butterfly dies
Coastal Cabana scraps for butterfly dies
Blueberry Bushel scraps for butterfly dies
Basic Black scraps for dies

Using Blending Brushes blend Gorgeous Grape ink onto the bottom third of one of the 4″ x 5 1/4″ Basic White layers.
Using Blending Brushes blend Coastal Cabana ink onto the middle third of the 4″ x 5 1/4″ Basic White layer right above the Gorgeous Grape blended area.
Using Blending Brushes blend Blueberry Bushel ink onto the top third of the 4″ x 5 1/4″ Basic White layer right above the Coastal Cabana blended area.
(Note in the photo I was rushing and dropped my ink pad onto the finished area OOPS – had to redo the whole blending process on the back-side!)
That is what happens when you rush creativity!!
Here is the finished second version!
Die cut two of the heart dies into the second 4″ x 5 1/4″ layer.
Adhere the heart layer over the blended layer and then mount both onto the card base.
Die cut the heart and the friend outline in black cardstock. Adhere the black heart outline around the lower heart cut out image.
Adhere the friend outline over the upper heart cut out and start to adhere the colored butterfly dies around the outside perimeter of the hearts.
I stamped love you sentiment onto the top of the card in Tuxedo Black Memento ink and add embellishments to the card to complete it!
Such a fun “flighty” card – try this peek through color technique with dies you have on hand. Now go and create some artwork of you very own one stamp at a time.

Happy Stampin’
Natalie

creating water splattered colored backgrounds

creating water splattered colored backgrounds

I love creating fun backgrounds and papers to die cut from and today’s post is all about creating interest with color and water!

Measurements:
BASE: Pool Party: 5 1/2″ x 8 1/2″
scored at 4 1/4″
Basic White layer: 4′ x 5 1/4″

Using blending brushes and Coastal Cabana ink color the Basic White layer in various random spots.

Using a new blending brush color new spots with Lost Lagoon ink.
Fill in the remaining white space with Old Olive ink with a blending brush.
Take a medium water painter and squeeze the barrell until water is dropping from the paint brush. Drop and flick water droplets onto the colored Basic White layer until the desired amount is covered in water droplets.
The water will lift the color from the paper creating lighter and white spots of visual interest.
Place in the hybrid Changing Leaves folder with the die and cut and emboss at the same time!
Run a Pool Party card front through the embossing folder only.
Take the die cuts from the hybrid folder and start to adhere them onto the card base.
I fussy cut some of the embossed images from the water splattered paper and popped up some of the embossed images around the card base edges for some depth and dimension.
I cut the larger sentiment strip from the die set and making sure the paper was completely dry – stamped a sentiment in Memento Tuxedo Black ink. I popped up the sentiment die piece with Stampin’ Dimensionals and placed in the lower quadrant of the card front.
I added a few more cut leaves to add balance to the card.
I finished the card with the Ombre Matte Decorative Dots and the card is complete.

The water splattered background adds visual interest and color variation to the card!

Try this technique and see what art work you can come up with! Now go and create some art of your own – one stamp at a time!

Happy Stampin’
Natalie

full of life flip flop fun fold

full of life flip flop fun fold

This is such a fun and interactive card! It’s called the FLipFLop FUn Fold and I made mine with the Full of Life suite – which I love because of all the fun bright colors!

The most difficult part about this card is the cutting and scoring and it isn’t really that difficult it just looks complex!

Measurements:
BASE: Lost Lagoon 5 1/2″ x 6 1/4″
DSP: 3″ x 3 1/4″
4″ x 3 1/4″

Position your base card into the Stampin’ Trimmer with the 6 1/4″ side along the top edge. Make a cut 1″ from each edge starting at 1″ from the top and go to 1″ from the bottom – so on your clear ruler cut from 1″ to 4 1/2″. Flip the paper over and do the same cut on the other edge.
At 2 5/8″ from the edge make a score line from the top edge to 1″ down only and from the bottom edge up to 4 1/2″ on the clear ruler which will be 1″ from the bottom.
Turn the paper so that you are able to make those same score lines on the opposite edge.
Now put the 5 1/2″ side at the top of the paper cutter and cut from the top of the horizontal cut line to 2 5/8″ and the pick up the cutting blade and cut from 3 5/8″ to 5 1/4″.
Turn the paper 180 degrees and do the same cuts on the opposite side of the paper. See the card template photo below.

Cut your desired pieces of Designer Series paper at 3″ x 3 1/4″ for the front piece and 4″ x 3 1/4″ for the back piece.
I knew that I wanted to use the heart die from the Full of Life die set but not sure which pieces I wanted so I die cut both hearts from the Pool Party, Lost Lagoon and Coastal Cabana scraps as well as the word Friend.
I stamped the double heart image on the outside frame of the card in Lost Lagoon ink.
Score at the 2 5/8″ mark and the 3 5/8″ mark and bring the edges of the card base in so that the swing piece moves towrds the right side of the card – this will show the smaller piece of the swing mechanism in the front of the card.
Adhere the 3″ x 3 /14″ piece of DSP to that swing piece as shown.
Adhere the larger 4″ x 3 1/4″ piece of DSP to the back side of the swing piece.
I decided that the DSP was so bright and colorful that I wanted the DSP to show through as much as possible so I used the large heart outline on the backside DSP.
I adhered the die cut word Friend towards the bottom of the heart die and stamped miss you in Lost Lagoon ink on a scrap of 1/2″ Basic White strip and angle cut the edges.
I adhered the cut out heart die to the DSP on the card front and added Iridescent pearls to the card front frame so that they could be seen from both the flip and the flop side of the card!
So much fun I know just who I am going to send this too!
Now it’s your turn try this interactive fun fold and caret some art work of your very own and send it off to a special someone – one stamp at a time!

Happy Stampin’
Natalie

Here is a short video of the flip flop mechanism in action!
more color mondays – berry burst, coastal cabana and balmy blue

more color mondays – berry burst, coastal cabana and balmy blue

Have you noticed card sketches in the new Stampin’ Up! 2024-2025 Annual Catalog? I love the new catalog design and all the helpful hints and techniques – to me it seems that it is designed like a crafting magazine and I think this is our best design yet!

I picked out a card sketch for today’s More Color Mondays Color Challenge and the Full of Life Suite with the colors Berry Burst, Coastal Cabana and Balmy Blue.

Measurements:
BASE: Coastal Cabana CS 5 1/2″ x 8 1/2″
scored at 4 1/4″
DSP: 3 1/2″ x 4 1/4″
Berry Burst: scraps for die cuts
Coastal Cabana: scraps for die cuts
Balmy Blue: scraps for die cuts

Sketches make putting a card together super easy! SO I picked out a sketch from page 22 in the new catalog – this page describes Basic Card Design! I picked the second to the last one in the bottom row. I cut my paper and a bunch of different die cuts and started to play with the sketch layout. You may notice that I started out with rectangular dies instead of the circles – just because the sketch has circle shapes in the design does NOT mean you have to use circles! This is the true nature of card sketches – they are the starting point, the springboard to get your own creative juices flowing!
In the end I did like the circle dies better for my card but I tried a bunch of combinations before I settled on what is to follow and sometimes that is the creative process!

I used the leaf stamp from the Full of Life stamp set and randomly stamped the leaves in Coastal Cabana ink on Coastal Cabana cardstock for a tone on tone look. (A tip I tell my customers in my classes – most times when I am stamping on an entire blank piece of cardstock I will stamp and look for a triangular pattern. This goes back to a design principle called the rule of thirds/threes this triangular shap is very pleasing to the eye and if you use it – it helps break that daunting empty page into a smaller section and you are only concentrating on where the next stamp is and not about the whole project!
I adhered the DSP to the card base at an angle and cut out the word friend in Balmy Blue and Coastal Cabana. I die cut the leaf die in Berry Burst and two circles from the Stylish Shapes die set in Balmy Blue and Berry Burst. I die cut the long sentiment piece in Coastal Cabana and stamped the sentiment on that piece.
I arranged and adhered the circle dies next over the Designer Series Paper layer.
I adhered the leaf die with glue to the upper circle die. I used the leaf as the embellishment – the sketch shows a ribbon and I substituted this die as the embellishment.
I popped up the sentiment piece and placed it in the middle of the two circles as in the sketch.
I layered the word dies together with glue and added them to the card over the Berry Burst lower circle.
I added 5 Iridescent Adhesive-Backed Discs 4 in the Berry Burst color and one in the blueish tint on the i in the friend word die!
The card is a simple and easy card sketch card!
Try one of our Annual Catalog card sketches today or one of the many you can find all over the internet! Now go and create a sketch project of your very own – one stamp at a time!

Happy Stampin’
Natalie

more color mondays – lost lagoon, summer splash and coastal cabana

more color mondays – lost lagoon, summer splash and coastal cabana

Today’s More Color Monday is all about cardstock colors no need for fancy Designer Series Paper, our colors are awesome and steal the show all by themselves! Lost Lagoon, Summer Splash and Coastal Cabana are a beautiful study in blues reminding me of Coastal waters and swaying palm trees!

Measurements:
BASE: Basic White 5 1/2″ x 8 1/2″
scored at 4 1/4″
scraps for wave die cuts
Lost Lagoon scraps for palms/shell die cuts
Summer Splash scraps for palms/shell die cuts
Coastal Cabana scraps for palms/shell die cuts
Pecan Pie scraps for palm trunk/grass die cuts

Score the Basic White cardstock base at 4 1/4″ and fold in half.
Die cut the Basic White scrap strips with the waves dies x 2.
Adhere the waves to the center of the card front.
Die cut both palm fronds and one shell in each of the “blues” – Lost Lagoon, Summer Splash and Coastal Cabana.
Die cut three palm trunks and 3 grass dies from Pecan Pie cardstock scraps – one for each palm tree.
Adhere the Palm fronds for each color together and add the trunk and grass. Adhere to the card over the waves dies and pop up the shell at the grassy base with a mini Stampin’ Dimensional.
Repeat the assembly of the palm trees with the other two colors and adhere to the card front.
Stamp the sentiment from Beach Day in Coastal Cabana ink at the top of the card base.
I added the Adhesive-Backed Iridescent Discs in the blue hues for the final step to add just the right touch of sparkle!
This is an easy card with a fun summer vibe. Now it’s your turn – go and create some artwork of your very own – one stamp at a time!

Happy Stampin’
Natalie