I really enjoy coloring with Stampin’ Blends. I’m not an expert by any stretch but that hasn’t stopped me from experimenting! These calendars sit on MY craft desk and I’ll color them any way I please. 😊
These calendars are such a delight to create. The format is small and they only sit out for a month, so they provide a perfect opportunity to try something new.
Visit Crystal and Cheryl for their July DIY calendars. If you’d like to purchase the pdf for either 2019 or 2020 please message me. It’s just $5 and it’s a great way to explore your own tiny desktop creativity.
Happy June First! Just a couple more days until the debut of the 2019-2020 Annual Catalog. My calendar for June features a new stamp set, but I’m not using the birds. Instead, I chose these sweet flowers and our new In Color, Rococo Rose:
Stamps: Free as a Bird (available June 4), Good Morning Magnolia (available June 4)
Color Palette: Whisper White, Pear Pizazz, Rococo Rose (available June 4), Daffodil Delight
I used a sticky note mask to layer the floral images, and added a touch of Daffodil Delight in the center to brighten them up. Other than that, this is a very simple and quick design that can be incorporated into a variety of designs. The sentiment is from Good Morning Magnolia.
I have both the 2019 and 2020 DIY Easel Calendars available for $5 as a PDF – they’re such fun to create! Message me and we’ll get you started today.
Be sure to visit Cheryl and Crystal to see what they’ve done for June.
If you don’t have a demonstrator and need a 2019-2020 catalog, message me and I’ll get one into your hands. This one’s a stunner.
These little critters have wiggled their collective way into my heart and I am really sad to see them retire on June 3. Even though this set is designed as a Valentine’s Day set, I’ve used it for many other purposes and been delighted with the results. Here’s one last look:
These Narrow Note cards are not big enough to mail through the USPS, but they’re perfect enclosures for a small gift or a quick message. I like to have a few on hand as they’re perfect for last minute notes.
Hey Love is retiring on June 3, but is guaranteed available only through May 24, 2019. Don’t miss out – shop HERE.
Someone sent me a card using this layout for my birthday (Thanks, Louella!), and even though I’d seen images of this Fun Fold, holding it in my hand was a completely different experience. When I figured out how easy it was to put together, I was SOLD!
This is a half sheet of card stock, like any card, but it’s cut on the diagonal. I have a couple of trimmers, and none of them are large enough to cut the entire length, but if I cut through the center I was able to use my Paper Snips to complete the cut.
Score your full 8 1/2″ X 11″ sheet of card stock both horizontally and vertically before you cut it. Cut your DSP to 5 1/4″ x 4″ and then cut it on the diagonal as well. NOTE: If your DSP is directional, pay attention to how you cut it – for example, if you want your stripes to be horizontal, align them correctly before you cut.
You can make heaps of these in no time at all, and they’re a great way to use up your DSP. Round up all of those die cuts you have floating around because you cut an extra and didn’t know what to do with it, and you’ll have a stack of cards in a flash. Then SEND THEM!! As always, if you’re ready to shop, click HERE.
We bought a new espresso machine this year. The previous one was a champ and cranked out multi-shot beverages every single day for 7 years. When the cost of repairs became unrealistic, we had to get a replacement. There was someone who walked us through the whole process, and I knew just how to say thanks:
The Share What You Love DSP is really beautiful, and I think I’ve caught a glimpse of the gorgeous shimmer that is on one side of each paper. It’s those little details that make a card pop!
All of these beautiful products – with the exception of the colors – are retiring on June 3rd. Stamps are only guaranteed availability through May 24, so if you’re thinking a latte about this set, maybe you should Shop HERE.
Rumor has it there’s a new Daisy set (with a coordinating mid-sized punch) in the 2019-2020 Annual Catalog. I don’t have it yet, but seeing some of the images from our April Demonstrator Event sent me to the craft room to play.
I’m starting to get a little neurotic about plant parts. I decided I didn’t like the stems that came with the Daisy stamp, so I cut my own out of Basic Black card stock with my Paper Snips and adhered them with the Fine Tip Glue Pen. I’m starting to feel kind of renegade about stems and leaves (do you remember my orchid leaves?)
I embossed the daisy images on the Vellum so the lines wouldn’t run when I colored them. In retrospect, I could have stamped them with Stazon ink and colored them on the REVERSE side and gotten a very similar look. I call that Delayed Intelligence. When you’re coloring with Stampin’ Blends, you need to use Memento Ink to avoid smearing, but Stazon will dry much faster on Vellum and since it’s translucent, you can color from behind.
The Fine Tip Glue Pen dries clear behind Vellum so it’s the perfect adhesive, but it also leaves a lovely clear lacquer effect if you’re patient and allow it to dry.
I’m leaving this one without a sentiment for now. I like to have a few cards ready-to-personalize for last minute card needs. What would you choose for this one?
If you’d like to purchase any of these products, please shop HERE.
This one makes me a little dizzy and I’m not sure I like all the lines going different directions. Sometimes you just have to experiment! I think it’s the reflection technique of the Daffodil Delight and Memento Black inks on the sentiment that make me feel out of focus. But I’ll tell you, the Stamparatus makes that technique easy as can be!
The little clouds included in this stamp set really pop up the cute factor for me. I’ve only been in a hot air balloon once, and we never quite got up to the level of the clouds, so this is pure imagination.
Stop on by the Colour Inkspiration Facebook page for lots of Black and White and POP inspiration. Add a project of your own! And if you live in the US, please shop HERE.
I’m late to the Flowering Desert party, and I’m sorry that’s the case. It’s such a versatile set, the images are charming, and it’s really easy to use. There’s not a whole lot of desert here on Maui – that’s my story and I’m standing by it.
Color Palette: Shimmery White, Basic Black, Bermuda Bay, Calypso Coral, Mint Macaron, Granny Apple Green, Pool Party, Shaded Spruce, Lovely Lipstick, Gorgeous Grapefruit, Calypso Coral (did I forget one?)
Crystal and I had a crafty mini-retreat recently and we really dove into this. We used as many colors as we possibly could, but I got a little carried away with my paper snips.
We CASEd Tami Hewlett, beginning with her gorgeous background. Her technique is to drop little puddles of color onto a silicone craft sheet and smoosh Shimmery White or Watercolor paper onto the sheet. We LOVED the effect with Shimmery White! Please stop by her blog and give her the love she deserves for this great concept.
This is a really playful set! The fussy cutting isn’t all that fussy, and if you tend to make extras “just in case” as I do, you’ll have enough for another card.
But HURRY. This sweet set is guaranteed to be available only through May 24, 2019. Shop HERE.
Happy May Day! It’s the first of the month, and that means I’ve got a new calendar to share. This month, I’m featuring one of the charming birds from the Best Birds set – it retires in June and while I’m sad to see it go, I’ve seen enough to know that there are new birdies in my future!
I used Stampin’ Blends to color the bird, and I’m experimenting with some new coloring techniques. One of the things I thought I’d heard was to use circular motions to blend the colors, but as I’ve explored more it seems that short, flicked strokes layered on top of each other give a smoother result. It’s still a work in progress.
However you choose to color, it’s a lot of fun to play with different combinations. I have a couple more birds on my craft desk waiting for projects.
And yes, I know this guy isn’t exactly on the branch. Call it artistic license.
Please stop by and see what Crystal and Cheryl have done for May. We all enjoy putting these calendars together for you each month. I have both the 2019 and 2020 calendars available in PDF form for the great price of $5 each. Message me if you’d like to purchase one or both!
And if you’re ready to add this charming little avian to your next, shop HERE.
This is the first card I created for the Colour Inkspiration 54 challenge – Black and White with a POP of colour. I love how it turned out, but I didn’t feel it represented the POP very well.
What do you think? I love the softness of the composition, but that’s exactly why I don’t think it qualifies for a POP of colour. It’s more muted, especially with the grey tones added in.
There’s one little trick you might not have noticed. The smallest rectangle in the Rectangle Stitched Framelits isn’t that small. I stamped my greeting and aligned one end of the framelit with the beginning of the message. Once I’d run it through the Big Shot, I carefully repositioned the framelit on the other end and rolled it through the Big Shot just enough to cut off the opposite end right where I wanted it!
The Wink of Stella helps brighten these pretty white flowers. I wish there were dies of all three blooms in the set of framelits, because I think that would really enhance the composition and set off the floral aspect. I usually don’t mind fussy cutting, but I just wasn’t feeling it on this one. It is what it is!
I think this image could really work in a lot of other colour combinations. I currently have one in process on my craft desk, but it’s giving me a little bit of a fit trying to figure out how to finish it off. If I’m successful, I’ll share it with you next week. To share your own beautiful Black and White and POP project, visit the Colour Inkspiration Facebook page.
In the meantime, there are all kinds of gorgeous products at great discounts available on the Clearance Rack. The retiring stamps, bundles, and accessory products are selling quickly, and when those products are gone, they’re gone. (Hint: bundles are priced with a 10% discount – they may continue into 2019-2020, but they won’t be bundled and you won’t have the opportunity to save.) If there’s something you love, I highly recommend you take immediate action. Shop HERE if you’re feeling inspired!
The Maui Stamper 