ThePowerOfACard: July 2022

Tuesday, July 26, 2022

Ombré Strips Featuring Amazing Phrasing

Even before blending brushes became available, I’ve loved making custom colored paper using shades of a color or blending several colors together. So ombré strips has been on my list of video ideas for a while now. As I was preparing to shoot the video, I kept coming up with more variations to show! It was hard to pick which one to demonstrate, but I decided to show turning black and white Designer Series Paper (DSP) into a beautiful vibrant strip of color to decorate both the front and inside of a card, along with the Amazing Phrasing stamp set, which is one of the products you can get for FREE during Sale-A-Bration (SAB).

Gather your supplies:

Cardstock: Basic Black 5-1/2" x 8-1/2"; Basic White 2-1/8" x 3-1/4" and 4" x 5-1/4"; Perfectly Penciled DSP 2-1/4" x 5-1/2"
Stamp Sets: Amazing Phrasing and Watercolor Shapes
Ink: Tuxedo Memento Black, Melon Mambo, Polished Pink, Fresh Freesia and Highland Heather
Other: Blending Brushes
Adhesive and Tools

For my demonstration, I choose to blend Melon Mambo, Polished Pink, Fresh Freesia and Highland Heather on a 2-1/4” piece of Perfectly Pencilled DSP. (In case you wanted to know, the card I showed during the intro used Starry Sky, Orchid Oasis, Tahitian Tide and Parakeet Party.) Blending brushes make this coloring task easy. I start with Polished Pink, the second color in the list because I didn’t want this to get overshadowed by the adjoining colors. Because I colored this one first, it is easier to gauge how dark to color the Melon Mambo at the top of the strip. Once all the blending is done, trim 3/8” off the side to use on the interior white panel. Add the large ombré strip to the front on the card base with Multipurpose Glue.

Time for stamping! Using the smaller rectangle from Watercolor Shapes, stamp it in each of the four colors, flipping the stamp 180º so that the the design variations within the rectangle are not in the same position each time. Depending on how close you stamp the rectangles, you may want to trim a little off at the bottom to give you an even border. Next stamp the words in black ink, starting with the "you did it!" at the bottom and the "Hey" scattered as shown. There are plenty of fun combinations you can make with this stamp set!

To finish the card, simply pop up the sentiment panel with Dimensionals, add the small ombré stipe to the inside white panel and stamp your sentiment. I chose to stamp "amazing" in the two purple shades (half and half) and the "you are" in Polished Pink - this just carries the ombré theme throughout the card. You can even blend the flap of the envelope in the same colors, or stamp another sentiment with split colors on the front of the envelope.

As I mentioned, I had lots of fun making samples to show this technique. This first one is super adorable and also features three other products you can get for free during SAB; the Hippest Hippos, Hippo Dies and Silver & Gold 6" x 6" DSP are all items you can select for free with a $50 purchase. (Hurry - SAB only goes through August and items are while supplies last!) But look at that trickery - my hippo looks like a cow! By adding a few black spots, I have an adorable cow winking at me! I used Parakeet Party and Tahitian Tide and love how they blend together, don't you?

For the next card, I started with a 3-1/2" x 4-1/2" piece of Basic White. I blended Cherry Cobbler along the center diagonal. Then I added Cajun Craze on each side of that and Pumpkin Pie in the corners. I also stamped leaves from the Hello Harvest bundle in the same colors in each section, stamping off before adding them to the panel. I cut the panel into 1-1/2" strips and added them to a Crumb Cake card base. Some Linen Thread, a banner from the bundle and a few Champagne Rhinestones finish this lovely fall card.

For my gnomes card, I cut out a the mushroom and gnome from the Storybook Gnomes DSP using the dies in the Kindest Gnomes bundle. I chose Pale Papaya, Calypso Coral and Poppy Parade to blend my ombré panel on a 2" strip of Basic White. But when I was done, the red portion didn't look dark enough to compliment the mushroom, so I added a little Real Red. Before cutting it into 1/2" pieces, I embossed it with the Splatters embossing folder. I added three strips to the card base of Soft Suede, alternating the direction of the colors and used the fourth strip for the inside of my card. A simple sentiment finishes this one nicely.

The next one uses only one color to make the ombré strip, Shaded Spruce. It is also blended on Vellum Layering Designs which is super easy to blend on! One word of caution - because this is vellum, the ink does not absorb the same way it does on cardstock, so be careful handling it while blending (or touching it with damp fingers like my son-in-law did right after I took the photo of it for this blog!). I used the Fond of Autumn Bundle to cut out the leaves and berries and colored them with Blends. The sentiment is from the Sweet Candy Canes stamp set.

For my last example, I didn't have to create the ombré effect - I just used the 2022 - 2024 In Color Glimmer 6" x 6" DSP. The three colors are Starry Sky, Parakeet Party and Sweet Sorbet, each cut into 1/2" strips. The flowers are from Hand Penned Petals and colored with Blends. I added a little sentiment strip and some Matte Black Dots to complete this striking thank you card.

Which one of these did you like the most? I really liked turning black and white paper into colorful DSP for the card I demonstrated in the video, but loved the elegance of the vellum card. Then again, the cow was so stinking cute and so was the Gnome... and the fall card was lovely and the glimmer on the black card looked fabulous too. Well, you see my dilemma! But it's a good one to have and I hope it inspired you to make some ombré strips of your own.

Karen

ThePowerOfACard@gmail.com

Etsy Shop: The Power of a Card

https://karensliwinski.stampinup.net

https://ThePowerOfACard.blogspot.com

Images Copyright Stampin’ Up!®

Join my Facebook Group (The Power of a Cardmaker): https://www.facebook.com/groups/1042676296088278/?ref=share

My current host code for July is: Z24FNYHV

Please use this for orders less than $150 and you’ll get a special treat from me.

For orders over $150, you qualify for host rewards from Stampin’ Up! (plus a treat from me!).

Product List

Amazing Phrasing Photopolymer Stamp Set (English)

[159930]

$0.00

Watercolor Shapes Photopolymer Stamp Set

[156968]

$21.00

Basic Black 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

[121045]

$9.25

Perfectly Penciled 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 Cm) Designer Series Paper

[159244]

$12.00

Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock

[159276]

$10.25

Melon Mambo Classic Stampin' Pad

[147051]

$8.00

Polished Pink Classic Stampin' Pad

[155712]

$8.00

Fresh Freesia Classic Stampin' Pad

[155611]

$8.00

Highland Heather Classic Stampin' Pad

[147103]

$8.00

Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad

[132708]

$6.00

Blending Brushes

[153611]

$12.50

Multipurpose Liquid Glue

[110755]

$4.00

Stampin' Dimensionals

[104430]

$4.25

Paper Trimmer

[152392]

$25.00

Tuesday, July 12, 2022

Fond of Autumn and So Much More!

When I was first looking through the new July - December Mini Catalog, I skipped right over this bundle and you may have too! But after looking through the catalog several more times, I realized that this is a hidden gem and in my video, I show you just why I think that.

The dies are the key - they do so much more than what you think at first glance. Let's look at what they can do. Firstly, they cut out the big leaf/flower stamp as a whole. Then there is a piece that will cut out inside parts and when you combine this with the outside die, you get an entirely different piece as you can see in this photo.

Now let's look at the other pieces. When you stamp the large image, you can cut it into four sections! They don't have to be used together as they are created with the stamp - genius! Of course, there are individual dies for the three smaller stamps and the banner, but that first one is a game changer!!

Since we are barely into summer, I wanted to show you a card that is not autumn at all and I think you'll agree that Positively Pink and Fresh Freesia are not fall colors!

Gather your supplies:

Cardstock: Polished Pink 5-1/2" x 8-1/2" and 4" x 5-1/4"; Basic White 4" x 5-1/4", 3" x 3" and 2" x 3"
Stamp Bundle: Fond of Autumn
Ink: Tuxedo Memento Black, Polished Pink and Parakeet Party
Dies: Stylish Shapes (and the Autumn Bouquet dies from the Bundle)
Blends: Polished Pink, Fresh Freesia, Daffodil Delight and Parakeet Party
Ribbon: Black & White Gingham Ribbon 21"
Adhesive and Tools

Start by folding your card base in half and creasing it well. On the Polished Pink rectangle, randomly stamp the single flower with Polished Pink ink all over the front, rotating the image as you move around the layer. I like to start at the center and work my way to the outer edges. Since you have the stamp inked, go ahead and stamp the envelope flap and lower right corner of the inside white layer.

Clean the flower stamp and switch to black - stamp two flowers on the white scrap. Color these with the Blends as I show in the video. I didn't do much blending as these flowers and leaves are pretty small. When done coloring, use the flower die to cut them out. While at the Stampin' Cut & Emboss machine, cut out the Stylish Shapes circle. On that piece, stamp your sentiment with Parakeet Party ink, leaving space to add your flowers to the lower left portion of the circle.

Ready for final assembly! Add the Fresh Freesia flower to the circle with Multipurpose Glue, then add the Polished Pink flower with a Dimensional, overlapping just a little bit. Before adding this to the Pink layer, add the ribbon and tie a bow. I like to do my bows without cutting it from the spool to save ribbon, but if you prefer, you can cut about 21" to make your bow. Pop up the circle on the left side and you're all done!

You know me well by now and know I always make more examples to show you. My first one uses the large intricate die. I used DSP shown in the catalog with another stamp set called Rustic Harvest. This print was just perfect because it has acorns and oak leaves! Pair this with a simple matted sentiment, a few pearls and you have a beautiful card in just minutes.

My next one features the Cottage Gingham DSP pack - a fabulous large pack of paper with sketchy gingham patterns in small and large scale sizes. There are four sheets of each one - perfect for making cards in bulk. In fact, I am featuring them in my Christmas in July card classes - want to join us? (Contact me for dates.) For this card, I used a strip of the DSP and added a small border of Garden Green. The leaves and acorns were stamped in Early Espresso ink and are arranged as a simple spray of nature. I used the Faux Suede ribbon to add some interest behind the sentiment. It's a fall card, but uses less stereotypical autumn colors.

Another non-typical color palette is used for this beauty. I paired Pale Papaya with Soft Seafoam and was very happy with the look! The acorns are colored with Crumb Cake to keep with the muted look of the leaves and berries. The Split Card Textures Dies make an interesting backdrop for the cluster of leaves. I added a few of the new Fine Sparkle Adhesive-Backed Dots (which are great for adding bling with a low profile) and a double bow in Pale Papaya to add the finishing touches.

Ok, I had to do a sample with traditional colors. Since it is watercolor month (who knew?), I used Saddle Brown Stazon ink on Fluid 100 Watercolor paper to stamp the large designs. Many people don't know about Stazon in any color but black - but the warm brown tone fit better with my colors. I then used my Water Painters to color my leaves, flowers and berries. After cutting them apart, I arranged them around my banner which is popped up with Dimensionals. The subtle pattern in the DSP adds texture without distracting from the beautiful pieces.

I hope you are like me and find this bundle way more versatile than the first glance indicated. Which one of my cards was your favorite today? What are you going to create first - something traditionally autumn in theme, or something else? Happy creating!

Karen

ThePowerOfACard@gmail.com

Etsy Shop: The Power of a Card

https://karensliwinski.stampinup.net

https://ThePowerOfACard.blogspot.com

Images Copyright Stampin’ Up!®

Join my Facebook Group (The Power of a Cardmaker): https://www.facebook.com/groups/1042676296088278/?ref=share

My current host code for July is: Z24FNYHV

Please use this for orders less than $150 and you’ll get a special treat from me.

For orders over $150, you qualify for host rewards from Stampin’ Up! (plus a treat from me!).

Product List