Time for another color challenge – I’ve missed the last couple of Colour INKspiration challenges. CI#213 is BOLD, my friends: Strawberry Slush, Timid Tiger, and Secret Sea. I chose a beach theme using the Rolling Waves dies.
This reminds me of the color scheme of the local diner when I was in high school, and let’s just say that was the Flower Power Era. I struggled for a bit with those bold, bright colors, but decided a beach umbrella seemed like the perfect image.
There are Rolling Waves dies to make a solid umbrella as well as a set of concentric shapes that coordinate with it. I alternated the shapes as well as the base colors of the umbrella.
Our 12×12 Water and Dotted Line masks made perfect, subtle backgrounds for this bright card. I find myself reaching for them a LOT – expect to see them again!
Colour INKspirations is a Facebook based color challenge group. Take a minute to check out the CI#213 entries as well as previous color challenges – there are some very talented crafters participating in this group!
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Today I’m quite pleased to be a Guest Designer for Colour* INKspiration Challenge #210. This one is really fun, as it’s all about the 2026-2028 In Color Palette from Stampin’ Up!
It took me a while to decide where to start as I love all five 26-28 In Colours. I ultimately chose to begin with Crisp Cantaloupe, as it’s a returning colour from the 2013-2015 Palette. Anyone else who has been around that long??
The background paper isn’t DSP. It’s our new(ish) Water and Dotted Lines Decorative Masks, colored with a Blending Brush. They’re quite large – 12″ x 12″ – so you could cover an entire page for a scrapbook layout or a 3D project. I’m quite smitten 💕
Flowers Fair can be used so many ways. Here I’ve coloured it, then cut it with one of the arch dies. Stampin’ Blends are my favorite way to colour these images, but you could use Watercolour Pencils, Blending Brushes, Watercolour, or even daubers to fill in the colour.
I decided to emboss the greeting with White Embossing Powder on a Peaceful Pine panel. I’m happy with the way the embossing makes the greeting “pop” on the card front.
Take a look at what the Design Team has created for this great colour challenge. If you’ve never played along, I hope you’ll give it a try! You can’t go wrong with such a gorgeous set of colours.
*Although I’m in the US and the standard spelling is “COLOR”, I’ve chosen to use the alternative spelling of “COLOUR” in recognition of the group identity. I’m sure you can make the translation. 😆
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The Colour INKspiration crew has a fun challenge this time around. It’s time to say farewell to the Stampin’ Up! 2024-2026 In Color Collection: Shy Shamrock, Pretty in Pink, Peach Pie, Petunia Pop and Summer Splash. The challenge is to use at least one, or as many as all five retiring colors in a project. I chose Shy Shamrock and Petunia Pop.
Color Palette: Basic White, Shy Shamrock, Petunia Pop, Hybrid Black
Accessories: Stamp Cut & Emboss Machine, Lovely Arrangements dies, Nested Essentials dies,Stampin’ Blends, Pattern of Friendship die (retired), Petunia Pop Bordered Ribbon (retired), 24-26 In Color Designer Series paper, In Color Resin Dots (retired), Stampin’ Dimensionals
I stamped off the Lovely Arrangements leaves to keep them from competing with the other elements. I actually like the uneven result as it increases the textural feeling. The flowers are colored with Stampin’ Blends. I’m going to miss the 24-26 In Color Collection!
The Nested Essentials dies are new to my craft arsenal, and the biggest hexagon said “try me!” It was too wide for the card, but when I cut it in half it worked perfectly. And the stripes in the DSP played so well with the stripes in the (most sadly retired) Pattern of Friendship die – I hope you’re lucky enough to have that die in your arsenal!
Take a minute to check out the Colour INKspiration page on Facebook. The challenge is open until Monday, May 11th at 5pm (AEST). You’d best check your favorite time zone calculator on that, and don’t forget that Australia is on the other side of the International Date Line from the USA. 😉
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Time for another Colour Challenge – this is CI #206 at Colour INKspirations! It’s taken me some time to wrap my head around these colours. Shaded Spruce and Pumpkin Pie are strong and bold hues – thank goodness for Gray Granite! I let that be the dominant tone, and added Shaded Spruce and Pumpkin Pie as accents.
I chose to use Blender Pens to color this image with these saturated hues. The Blender Pen allows a lot more control over the depth of color, and it’s easy to layer the color for more saturation. These are small images, so it was quick coloring.
I love this new Variegated Trim from the March 2026 Online Exclusive release. It’s like a wide Linen Thread – and we know how I feel about that.
Stop by the Colour INKspirations page to see the gorgeous entries to this challenge. You have time to create one yourself!
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My friends at Colour INKspirations know how to set up a proper challenge! This combination was a tough one, as Melon Mambo generally doesn’t get much my attention. But by toning it down using daubers, I came up with a project that met the challenge!
Stamps: Impressions Abloom, Elements of Text, Perfectly Pears, Inspiring Imperfections
Accessories: Stamp Cut & Emboss Machine, Impressions Abloom dies, Perennial Postage dies, Gallery Blooms dies, Exposed Brick 3D Embossing Folder, Kintsugi Inspirations DSP, Dauber, White Bakers Twine, Wink of Stella, Fine Tip Glue pen, Stampin’ Dimensionals
Here’s the inspiration photo. I knew right away I was going to have to be “INKspired” to work in that Melon Mambo! And while I adore Secret Sea, it’s a very bold color, so I used it sparingly as an accent.
Looking for elements for this card, I pulled out some treasures that are still available but have been sidelined in favor of newer releases. That 3D Exposed Brick EF is one of my absolute GO-TO elements. White Bakers twine is too, although it will never replace my beloved Linen Twine.
I used our Fine Tip Glue pen to add shine to the centers of those flowers. They have a little Cloud Cover daubed in the center to soften the white-white-white and tie in with the background DSP. My FTGP has lost its Fine Tip, so I unscrew the cap and use my trusty bamboo skewer to paint the glue over the circle. The skewer lets me control the amount I apply but doesn’t leave brush strokes or messy cleanup.
Cloud Cover ink has been a bit of a heartbreak, as it turns out the formula reacts with the foam in our ink pads, causing instability. The solution is to use one of our un-inked spots and Cloud Cover Ink Refill. It takes a bit longer to ink larger stamps, but I think it’s worth the effort!
There’s still a little time to join the challenge. It closes at 7pm Monday AEST (remember, for the US they are a day ahead). I’d love to see what you do with Melon Mambo!
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Oh, it has been a long time since I’ve done a challenge! We have enjoyed a LOT of travel in the first half of 2025. It’s been WONDERFUL, but it’s meant a lot of time away from crafting. It’s great to be home, to sit with all my crafty things and to be inspired!
This is ColourInkspiration #188. The challenge colours are Strawberry Slush, Timid Tiger, Coastal Cabana, and Gray Granite. This is a lively bunch of colours if I do say so myself!
This image has lots going on but it’s filled with things I love: the sea, beautiful landscape, flowers, and lots of books! I wouldn’t mind spending a little time in that cove.
I confess: the splatters are from an ancient Stampin’ Up! tool. I *think* it was called the Color Spritzer, and it works by funneling a blast of air past the tip of a Stampin’ Write marker. I love how fine a splatter it creates – more a spritz, if in fact that was the name.
I’m not usually a super-bright color-combo crafter, so this was a bit of a stretch for me. I cut a variety of pieces with the Beautiful Motif dies and played with them until I liked them. I chopped quite a few of them into smaller pieces, allowing me to blend the colours more. And I used our daubers to add a little extra ink to the die cuts for dimension.
Pattern of Friendship is an Online Exclusive bundle. I bought it for the die – oh, just you wait, there are projects coming – but the stamps are all sentiments. I’ve decided I liked them better once they were in my hands. Does that ever happen to you, or is it just me?
Colour Inkspirations is a really fun challenge group. There’s plenty of time to create for each one, assuming you’re not galavanting around the globe. Plus it’s the nicest group of crafters you’ll find anywhere. Check them out, and give it a try!
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I haven’t joined the Colour Inkspirations challenges for ages, but this month I made a point of writing down the colours and creating with them. I wouldn’t have chosen the combination of Peach Pie, Garden Green and Pebble Path on my own, so it was a proper challenge.
(Please note that Colour Inkspirations is based in the South Pacific and uses an extra vowel, and I have done the same in today’s post.)
Stamps: Spotlight on Nature, Country Flowers
Color Palette: Basic White, Peach Pie, Garden Green, Pebble Path
Accessories: Stamp Cut and Emboss Machine, Spotlight on Nature dies, Changing Leaves dies, Birch Wood 3D Embossing Folder, Pebble Path Jute Trim, Stamp and Write markers, Blender Pen, 24-26 In Color Shimmer Gems, dauber, Stampin’ Dimensionals
I fussy cut the floral image since the dies in the Spotlight on Nature bundle are circular. I inked the stamp with Stampin’ Write markers and used a Blender Pen to add color to the stamped image. The Blender Pen allows a much softer touch than Stampin’ Blends, and I didn’t want to cover the detail on the stamped image.
I used a dauber to add a little extra Pebble Path to the new Birch Wood 3D embossing folder. It’s not perfect, it’s hand-made!
Have you played along with a challenge lately? I’d love to know which challenges you enjoy.
Are you a scrapbooker? Stampin’ Up! has just released a scrapbooking companion to the September – December mini catalog. This is a digital-only resource – see it HERE.
Be sure to check out the Online Exclusives available ONLY in the Online Store! Many of my favorite bundles are there.
The September Paper Pumpkin Kit is Autumn Abundance. It includes everything you need for 9 cards and envelopes, and features copper foil details and a watercolored ephemera pack. Every Celebration, an exclusive set of dies coordinates with all 3 third quarter Paper Pumpkin offerings. Subscribe HERE by September 10th.
Paper Pumpkin subscriptions deliver ready-to-go projects to your doorstep every month, but you have ultimate control to skip or cancel 😱 if you decide it’s not for you. Stampin’ Up! also features an exclusive collection of kits that don’t require a subscription. Visit the Online Store to see what’s available.
The 24-25 Annual Catalog is filled with inspiration. New stamps, dies, tools, and gorgeous new In Colors are waiting for you!! Shop HERE.
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I guess you’re either a cat person or you’re not – and I am a cat person. When I saw Clever Cats in the mini catalog (available TODAY!) I put it at the top of my list. The set has a Halloween theme, but I had other plans:
Stamps: Clever Cats, Free as a Bird
Color Palette: Basic Black, Basic White, Cherry Cobbler, Crumb Cake
This captures cats so well – in the box, no matter what. The shreddies were a bit of a wild inspiration as I looked at the image of the cat and the box, and as luck would have it, I had the right color on hand. Some things are meant to be.
The Stamparatus is an enormous help in getting a clear, even impression from this bold image. I used a number of colors, but Memento Black was clearly the winner in my mind. It took a 3 impressions for me to be satisfied with Memento Black, but only 2 with Stampin’ Up! Classic Ink. But regardless of the number, the Stamparatus creates a perfect image – and re-image – every time!
I put a 1/4″ strip of DSP across the bottom of the panel on the inside of the card, and I added a sentiment from the now-retired Ridiculously Awesome stamp set. I created this card with the colours of Colour INKspiration #104 in mind.
The Mini Catalog is now live in the Online Store, and Clever Cats can be yours with a couple of clicks. We’re celebrating Sale-a-bration V.2 in August and September, so you’ll choose free gifts with your $50 or $100 purchase. Shop HERE.
When I saw the colour palette for CI58 I thought OH YEAH. I love Crumb Cake with anything, and Blushing Bride and Metallic Gold seemed like the perfect match.
Tell my brain that!
I don’t know why I struggled, except for the sad reality that I’ve been away from my craft desk a lot recently and my mojo is rusty. (I think that would be a great title for a Country and Western song. Just sayin’).
The gold Faceted Gem would have been better, but I didn’t have one in my stash (gasp). The dot on the i in friend is a metallic pearl because I lost both the white and the gold die cut dots. Like I said, I think my mojo is rusty. And I’ll quote from Alexander and the Terrible Horrible No Good Very Bad Day : “Some days are like that. Even in Australia.”
(OH EM GEE. I just read the Wikipedia entry for this book and apparently Judith Viorst altered the text for Australia and New Zealand. In all of the other editions, Alexander wants to move to Australia because it just has to be better there. But in the Aussie and Kiwi versions he wants to move to Timbuktu. My sense of the world has been turned upside down. We have always said “Some days are like that. Even in Australia.” and I have always wondered if that didn’t have something to do with my eldest actually moving there! This is going to take some adjustment.)
Fortunately, there’s some news in the Stampin’ Up! world that will straighten out the globe and shine your mojo. For every $50 US you spend in July, you’ll get a $5 voucher towards any purchase in August. If you’re a US shopper, visit my Online Store to get started.
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.
The Maui Stamper 