I hope there’s room for more Darling Donkeys in your heart. I’ve been working on Valentines, and what says I love you any better than a donkey with a rose in his teeth?
Accessories: Ombré Designer Series paper (Sale-a-bration 2021.1), Big Boss, Messages die, Heart dies (retired, but there are current ones), Stampin’ Blends, Paper Snips, Mini Stampin’ Dimensionals, Clear Epoxy Droplets, Well Suited Twine Combo pack
The technique is really simple. I used a heart shaped die placed overlapping the edge of the top panel on the card. The DSP just needs to be big enough to cover the opening, and once they’re secured I added a mat and adhered it to the card front. My donkey is fussy cut with snips and set up on mini-dimensionals, and I unraveled the grey twine to make it softer and less bulky.
I stamped off “happy” for a tonal effect to coordinate with that fabulous Ombré paper. Let’s not talk about how many orders I’ve placed to be sure I have enough of that paper now, can we agree on that?
If you really need that Ombré paper like I need that Ombré paper, pop over to the Online Store and make an order of at least $50 and then choose that paper as your free gift! Ombré?? and Free?? in the same sentence? Must be my lucky day.
I haven’t joined in for a challenge in ages. Mojo Monday popped up in my social media and I liked the layout and thought “why not?” Why not indeed? This was a great chance to celebrate the Snailed It snails!
Stamps: Snailed It, Itty Bitty Greetings, The Right Triangle, Stacked Stone
Color Palette: Basic White, Bermuda Bay, Granny Apple Green, Coastal Cabana, Pool Party
Accessories: Big Boss, Snailed dies, Stitched Shapes dies, Textured Textiles Embossing Folder, Greenery Embossing Folder, Ombré DSP (Sale-a-bration 2021.1), Blending Brushes, Stampin Blends, Wink of Stella, Fine Tip Glue Pen, Stampin’ Dimensionals, tiny clear dots from a long-past Paper Pumpkin
This card was all about texture. With all those layers, it required something too distinguish them! I used embossing folders, background stamps, sparkle and shine, dimensionals, and Designer Series Papers to create dimension on this project. The sentiment tab and the narrowest patterned paper were gently brushed with Blending Brushes and Pool Party ink to give them very soft color.
If you’ve missed The Right Triangle, check out all of the textures you can find in that stamp set!
I repeated my sparkly eyes trick, using Wink of Stella and the Fine Tip Glue pen to bring her eyes to life. I also did a little spattering with Stella on the Oh So Ombre DSP, and added some “dits” with a textural stamp from Right Triangle.
The sketch challenge really inspired me. I’d felt like I was in a rut, that everything I created had an element of sameness to me. Maybe it did, and maybe it didn’t, but working with a sketch helped me see paper and layers with fresh eyes, and I feel like my creative energy stores have been replenished.
Stampin’ Up! has set me up! What is with snails and donkeys? I didn’t anticipate falling for such off-my-radar critters, but here I am. After I finished the January DIY calendar, I was on a Donkey Bender – but I didn’t really want to cut him out. I mean, I’ll fussy cut with the best of them, but enough is enough.
Stamps: Darling Donkeys
Color Palette: Whisper White, Bermuda Bay, Gray Granite, Daffodil Delight, Petal Pink
Accessories: Stampin Cut and Emboss (BIG BOSS), Layering Ovals dies, Ornate Frames dies, Stampin Blends, Blending Brushes, Stampin Dimensionals, Oh So Ombré Designer Series Paper (SAB 2021.1)
I’ve based this card on a design by Mary Knabe of Stampin’ Peace. I loved her concept and color palette, and reinterpreted them for this card. One of the delights of this design is that by using an opening on the front of the card, the image can be expanded when you open it:
The Blending Brushes are VERY easy to use, and in this case I didn’t even bother to mask off the donkey before I created that Daffodil Delight aura. (You know donkeys have auras, right??) I also added an additional message in the corner that isn’t visible from the front of the card. (I am quite proud of myself, as I normally struggle to use images AND sentiments from the same set, and on this one I have used 3 of the 4 sentiments!)
But wait, there’s more!
You could call this technique a card within a card. The card base is 11″ x 8 1/2″, scored at 5 1/2″. The white card inside is 10″ x 3 3/4″, scored at 5″, so it fits well within the first card. The bottom panel is completed adhered to the card base, much as a layer would be. That leaves a front for artwork to peep through the window, and an interior page for your message – or more artwork!
As you can see, I accidentally inked up this kick-up-your-heels donkey in Bermuda Bay instead of Memento Black, and had to be extra careful to avoid pulling in the Bermuda Bay ink when I colored with my Blends.
I prepared quite a few of these for a virtual stamping event, and I wanted to be sure I had the ovals in the center every time. To simplify that task, I made templates to use with the BIG BOSS:
There’s a little math involved, so bear with me. I began by measuring the height and width of each die, then subtracting that number from the height and width of the card panel. For example, the plain oval is 2 1/4″ wide, and the card front is 4 1/4″ wide, so the difference is 2 inches. I divided that number by 2 and measured in that amount from each edge, drawing a line at 1 inch. That gives me the left-to-right guideline for placing my die.
I went through the same process with the height of each die, creating two panels that had a rectangle in the center of each one. I centered the appropriate die in each panel (note that I wrote which panel was which on the template, I am famous for mixing up things like this!) When I ran the centered die through my BIG BOSS I created a template that I could use repeatedly without having to mark each piece of paper.
Just place the template squarely on top of your card or panel, drop the die into the pre-cut opening, and crank ‘er through! When you have a bunch of cutting to do, this is a real time saver.
Have some fun with your own Darling Donkeys, or any other spotlight image for that matter! Darling Donkeys and the Oh So Ombré are only available in January and February 2021 as Sale-a-bration selections. Don’t miss out! Shop HERE.
The Maui Stamper 