gallery blooms su creative coloring challenge

gallery blooms su creative coloring challenge

One of my favorite LAST CHANCE LIST items is the Gallery Blooms Bundle! I am so sad this is leaving and I did not use it enough for sure!

This card actually qualifies for the April SU Creative Challenge as well as being a gorgeous card! This month the challenge is to use two different coloring tools on a single card design.
I used the Water Painters and blender pens to color in the Gallery Blooms flower image!

Measurements:
BASE: Granny Apple Green CS: 5 1/2″ x 8 1/2″
scored at 4 1/4″, scraps for dies
Basic White CS: 4″ x 5 1/4″, scraps for floral die

Emboss the Basic White CS layer with the Damask Designs embossing folder and using the Water Painter and the Poppy Parade ink refill make a very wet ink slurry and splatter the embossed layer for added texture and color.
Stamp the flower image from the Gallery Blooms stamp set on a scrap of Basic White with Tuxedo Black memento ink which is on the LAST CHANCE LIST as well as the ink refills for these stamp pads.

Die cut out the flower image. Using the glass matte use a drop of the Poppy Parade ink from the ink refill bottle and mix with water from the Water Painter and paint the bloom petals.

Mix a drop of Granny Apple Green ink refill with water and paint the leaves on the die.

Adhere the embossed layer to the card base and place the floral die on the center of the card to see where to place it.
Die cut two small leaf images from Granny Apple Green scraps. Adhere the two Granny Apple Green leaf dies behind where the flower will be eventually adhered.
Die cut a small circle from the Spotlight on Nature dies from Granny Apple Green scraps and stamp the Happy Birthday from The Right Words (which is on the LAST CHANCE LIST also)
to the middle of the die in Tuxedo Black memento ink.

Pop up the floral image from the Gallery Blooms bundle and slide the sentiment circle under the floral die and adhere down to the card.

I added three embellishments to the card.
I wanted to add a little more texture and shading to the petals and grabbed a blender pen and added some darker Poppy Parade lines with the blender pen to create shadows on the petals.
Coloring the petals with two different tools adds a lot of depth and dimension to the petals – these are gorgeous flowers to begin with but add some detailed coloring to them and they are STUNNING!!

Try a coloring technique to two to your next coloring project and see what a difference multiple tools can make!

Now it’s your turn to create some artwork of your very own – one stamp and a couple of coloring tools at a time!!!

Happy Stampin’
Natalie

more color mondays – petal pink, balmy blue and soft sea foam

more color mondays – petal pink, balmy blue and soft sea foam

Today’s More Color Mondays color challenge features Petal Pink, Balmy Blue and Soft Sea Foam.

Today’s card features a very fun and sparkly technique – dyed Wink of Stella.

Measurements:
BASE: Balmy Blue CS: 4 1/4″ x 11″
scored at 5 1/2″
Soft Sea Foam CS: 4″ x 5 1/4″
Petal Pink CS: scraps for dies
Basic White CS: scraps for dies

Always keep your Wink of Stella pens even when they dry out. If you unscrew the brush top and pry the black stopper out of the pen shaft you can fill the shaft with alcohol to re-wet the glitter left in the barrel. Put the black stopper back in and screw the pen top back in. Squeeze the tube to release the glitter inside onto a silicon mat. Squeeze one drop of ink refill onto the silicon mat. Mix the drop of ink refill with the glitter.

Cut the largest Spotlight of Nature dies in the Soft Sea Foam CS layer. Paint the edges of the die with the Soft Sea Foam tinted Wink of Stella glitter.

After painting the edges of the die place it back inside the layer.
Mix another squeeze of glitter with Petal Pink ink refill.

Splatter the Soft Sea Foam layer with the Petal Pink tinted glitter.

Adhere the Soft Sea Foam layer to the balmy Blue card base.
Stamp two flowers on Petal Pink CS in Petal Pink ink and paint the petals with the tinted Petal Pink glitter.

Die cut a smaller Spotlight on Nature die in Basic White CS. Stamp the “Sending HAPPY thoughts” from the upcoming Sending Salutations stamp set from the new catalog debuting on May 5th. Paint the word HAPPY in the Petal Pink tinted Wink of Stella.

Adhere the pink flowers to the Soft Sea Foam layer.

Mix more glitter from the Wink of Stella paint brush and a drop of Balmy Blue ink refill.

Paint the petals of the flower from the Gallery Bloom stamp bundle.

Paint the leaves with the Soft Sea Foam tinted Glitter.
Adhere the Pink flowers under the Balmy Blue flowers – pop up the blue flowers onto Stampin’ Dimensionals.

Adhere the sentiment under the blue flowers.

Adhere the Pearls of Beauty around the card.

Adding tint to the Wink of Stella adds beautiful sparkly glitter! Try this technique and create some sparkling artwork of your very own – one stamp at a time!

Happy Stampin’
Natalie

using the new stampin’ positioner tool

using the new stampin’ positioner tool

Stampin’ Up!’s new Stampin’ Positioner is the latest in a long line of practical and innovative Stampin’ tools! We are super excited to have a stamp positioning tool back in the Stampin’ Up! inventory and this one is exceptional.

With its spring loaded design, the stamp sits above the paper until you press on the plate and bring the stamp in touch with the cardstock, which makes this design ideal for this card technique!

When you are making a card with a repeating design – it is imperative to place the stamp in an exact position and be able to re-stamp if the image is not perfect. Placement is key for this type of project and this spring loaded board delivers!

Measurements:
BASE: Granny Apple Green CS: 5 1/2″ x 8 1/2″
scored at 4 1/4″
Basic White CS: 4″ x 5 1/4″, scraps for masking

Place the Basic White CS layer on the bed of the Stampin’ Positioner and place the two magnets down on the paper to hold the paper in place.
Attach the floral stamp onto the Stamp Positioner plate – make sure that it is hovering over the cardstock layer exactly where you would like to have the stamped image.
Ink up the stamp and press down on the sring loaded plate to stamp the image.
Remove the plate and if the image did not stamp properly you can ink again and stamp in the same spot.

If the stamp if complete rotate the paper and place the plate with the stamp over the paper – adjust the paper if the stamp will not stamp in the place that you would like it to be.

Take the masks that you pre-stamped and pre-cut and place one over the stamped image to protect it from the stamp and ink.

Once the second stamp is placed and stamped rotate the paper and mask the image closest to where the new stamp will be.

Place the plate back on the positioner and make sure that when it is stamped it will be in the right place.

Ink up the stamp and press down to stamp, remove the mask and rotate the paper for the last stamp to complete the wreath shape.

For this last stamp placement you will m=need two masks one for the left and right stamped images – cover with the masks, make sure that the stamp is hovering over the place you would like to stamp it. Ink up the stamp and press down on the spring loaded platform plate.
Remove the layer from the Stampin’ Positioner and using blending brushes color the flowers in Poppy Parade ink.
Color the leaves and the outer edges of the layer in Granny Apple Green ink with a blending brush.
Adhere the Basic White CS layer to the Granny Apple Green CS base.
Adhere three embellishments – I used some retired embellishments from the holiday mini but there are many current ones that would look excellent with this card like the Sparkle Dot Essentials!

This Stampin’ Positioner is a great tool to add to your Stampin’ Supplies. Now it’s your turn to create some artwork of your very own – one stamp at a time!

Happy Stampin’
Natalie

fold over card –  card sketch #112

fold over card – card sketch #112

This simple card features a fold down technique that is made extra easy and special with our two-tone cardstock! This cardstock is now available in all of the Stampin’ Up! Exclusive colors and is printed with a true color on one side and a lighter version on the other – because it is printed and not dyed the entire way through like our signature cardstock – it has a white core that can be used in many unique ways.

I am using the two tones and white core to my advantage with this card design today!

Measurements:
BASE” Basic White CS: 4 1/4″ x 11″
scored at 5 1/2″, scrap for sentiment die
Real Red Two-tone cardstock: 4″ x 5 1/4″

Cut the two-tone cardstock to 4″ x 5 1/4″ and then score from the top left corner to about 2″ down on the opposite side of the layer.

I embossed the Real Red Two-tone cardstock in the Dotted Circles 3D embossing folder and because it is 3D it breaks the paper fibers and reveals the white core of the cardstock in the process.

Fold at the score line.
Adhere the flap down onto the layer revealing the lighter side of the two-tone cardstock.
Stamp the flowers from the Gallery Blooms stamp set in the right-hand corner of the card base in real Red ink.

Adhere the embossed two-tone cardstock layer to the card base.

Without re-inking stamp the flower stamp from the Gallery Blooms stamp set on the smaller Stylish Shapes circle die. This is called second generation stamping or stamping off which creates a lighter version of the ink color.

Stamp the You’re so kind sentiment from The Right Words stamp set in full Real Red ink over the faded floral image on the sentiment die.

Pop the sentiment circle on Stampin’ Dimensionals and place over the folded turned down point of the embossed layer.

I colored one of the Iridescent Pearls with Real Red Stampin’ Blends Dark marker and placed it on the sentiment circle die. I added two more Iridescent Pearls not colored on the folded down section of the card to finish this easy card off with a little elegance!

Try this easy card design and go create some artwork of your very own – one stamp at a time!

Happy Stampin’
Natalie

beautiful gallery louvered card

beautiful gallery louvered card

I am always looking for ways to use my Basic White strip scraps.

Today’s card is a great way to use up some of the scraps! I saw a version of this card on Pinterest and decided to try it with the Beautiful Gallery Suite of products.

Measurements:
BASE: Highland Heather CS: 5 1/2″ x 8 1/2″
scored at 4 1/4″
Lemon Lime Twist CS: 4″ x 5 1/4″
Basic White CS: (8) 1/2″ strips

Take the 8 strips and press them together and using 3M Post-It Tape to tack down both sides so that the strips stay tightly together.

Make sure that the strips are together without leaving any space in between them. Stamp with Tuxedo Black Memento ink the triple flower image from the Gallery Blooms stamp set from the Beautiful Gallery Suite of products.
Color the blossoms of the flowers with Highland Heather and Fresh Freesia Stampin’ Blends.
Color the leaves with Lemon Lime Twist Stampin’ Blends.
Cut and score the Highland Heather base card.
Cut the Lemon Lime Twist layer.
Stamp the hello sentiment in Highland Heather ink onto the second to the last strip.
Pull the top strip off the 3M Post-It Tape and adhere three Stampin’ Dimensionals to the back of the strip and adhere to the card.
Pull the next strip off the tape and adhere directly below the first strip – do not pop this one up but adhere directly to the Lemon Lime CS layer.
Continue layering the strips and alternating popped up and adhered directly, creating a louver effect, like you see on shutters!
Finish adhering all the strips in an alternating pattern.
I adhered 5 Purple Fine Shimmer Gems to the card tucking two slightly under the popped up strips to accentuate the louver effect!

Try this technique with your scraps and see what you can create – one stamp at a time!

Happy Stampin’
Natalie