Blending a Year of Cheer from the Inky Friends

Welcome to a new hop from the Inky Friends! This time we are doing something a bit different by showcasing how the awesome new Stampin' Blends Markers can be used throughout the year. I start by stamping the image with Memento Tuxedo Black ink (never use Archival ink with Stampin' Blends!), and then laying down the lightest color first, working in small sections. While the ink is still wet, I add in the darker colors for depth and shading. Then I go back over it with the light marker to blend the shades together. I love that we can customize embellishments with these markers, too!

You probably just landed here from Kris' blog, Paper Fairy Kris. She had October, and her theme was Halloween. Follow the links at the end of each stop to see the whole year.

My theme is friendship for November. Yeah, I know - not Thanksgiving, but thankful for friends! I had so much fun choosing and coloring the images for these cards, plus I mixed a little "something old, something new" as you will see.

My first card uses the Cheery Chirps stamp set that is retiring on January 2nd, but I paired it with a new embossing folder (called Scattered Sequins) that's coming in the Occasions catalog on January 3rd! The greeting is from Dragonfly Dreams.

The bird was colored with Daffodil Delight light and dark combo markers, along with the light Pumpkin Pie maker, and the leaves with Old Olive combo markers. Clear Wink of Stella was added to the wings for a little shimmer, and the rhinestones were colored with the dark Daffodil Delight, too. See? Custom embellishments!

Up next is a fabulous, fun image to color - the beautiful rose in Rose Wonder, from the annual catalog. I used the Pink Pirouette combo markers and light Rich Razzleberry for the rose, and Old Olive combo on the leaves. And again, a few swipes of Wink of Stella on the rose petals for some subtle shimmer.

This time I paired the image with the gorgeous Painted With Love Specialty DSP in the Occasions catalog. You really have to see this paper in person....the pictures do NOT do it justice! The greeting was heat embossed in white on the DSP.

My last card uses the flower image from You've Got This and greeting from Hello Friend, both in the annual catalog. This time the Pool Party combo markers and Bermuda Bay light marker were used, with Daffodil Delight dark on the stamens.

Did you notice the die cut? That is from the new Petals & More Thinlits Dies, and the Petal Passion DSP is from the same suite. Oh, there is so much to love in the new catalog!!!

That's all I have for you today. Up next is Betty, over at Kitty Stamp. She has December, and her theme is Christmas. Can't wait to see what she colored!

Stampin' Blends Used

Daffodil Delight Stampin' Blends Markers Combo Pack

Pumpkin Pie Light Stampin' Blends Marker

Pink Pirouette Stampin' Blends Markers Combo Pack

Old Olive Stampin' Blends Markers Combo Pack

Pool Party Stampin' Blends Markers Combo Pack

Watercolor Thoughts

This is numero four-o of the cards from the last class. Now that all my stamping stuff is packed away, it may be a while before I have anything new to show you. And trust me, it's killing me to not be able to create anything besides piles of stuff to pack, donate, or throw away! I will be soooo glad when this move is over.

For this card, we used the watercolor bleed technique using Aqua Painters. Holding the heat-embossed image upside down, we wet a few petals at a time and then picked up a drop of ink and touched it to the "top" of each petal (which was actually the base of the petal). The ink bled down and gave the appearance of depth and shadow. It's a technique I still need to master, but it I have fun doing it!

Recipe:
5-1/2 x 8-1/2" Whisper White Thick Cardstock for card base, scored at 4-1/4"
4" x 5-1/4" Farmer's Market DSP for background
3" x 4-1/8" Perfect Plum cardstock for mat behind image
2-3/4" x 3-7/8" Watercolor Paper
5/8" x 3-3/8" Champagne Glimmer for mat behind greeting (it's retired, but you can sub Gold Glimmer)
1/2" x 3" Very Vanilla for greeting

1. Rub watercolor paper with embossing buddy to remove static, then stamp flower with VersaMark ink. Cover with embossing powder, tap off excess and heat with heat tool until melted and shiny.
2. Place a drop of ink from the refill bottle in the lid of the matching ink pad, or use a plastic lid to hold ink.
3. Turn flower upside down, wet a few petals at a time with aqua painter, and add a tiny drop of ink from lid to base of petal, letting ink run down toward tip of petal. Go lightly - you can always add more! Do the same for the leaves. Color stem (no need for bleed technique here).
4. Make a light wash with So Saffron around flower to give it a glow.
5. While image is drying, cut doily in half and adhere to back of Perfect Plum panel.
6. Stamp greeting in Perfect Plum on Very Vanilla strip, cutting banner ends by hand or with a punch. Adhere to Glimmer strip with Tear & Tape adhesive.
7. Fasten DSP to front of card base. Fasten image to Perfect Plum mat, and adhere both to DSP on card base.
8. Place dimensionals under greeting and adhere over image.


STAMPS: You've Got This, A Dozen Thoughts
INK: Perfect Plum, Perfect Plum Ink Refill, Pear Pizzazz Ink Refill, So Saffron Ink Refill, VersaMark
CARDSTOCK: Whisper White Thick Cardstock, Perfect Plum, Very Vanilla, Watercolor Paper, Farmer's Market DSP, Champagne Glimmer - retired
ACCESSORIES: Tea Lace Doilies, Embossing Buddy, Heat Tool, White Stampin' Emboss Powder, Aqua Painter, Tear & Tape adhesive, Stampin' Dimensionals

You've Got This Birthday

In between my list of "have to do" things (laundry, doctor app't., sorting/packing, searching for necessary documents), I've managed to squeeze in some creative time. This is the swap card I made for my stamping team meeting on Wednesday. It uses the You've Got This stamp set, and the Happy Birthday, Everyone hostess set from the new catalog.

I love how easy it is to make a WOW card with these new stamps! The only semi-diffucult thing was fussy-cutting the blossom, which wasn't even hard unless you hate fussy-cutting, which I don't. unless I have to do a gazillion of them for a convention swap, in which case I'd re-think the design. (Been there, done that, have the callouses to prove it!)

We also made a couple of cute projects at our get-together, which I will share in the next few days.

STAMPS: You've Got This, Happy Birthday, Everyone (hostess)
INK: Early Espresso, Mint Macaron (stamped off once), Watermelon Wonder, Smoky Slate, Cucumber Crush
CARDSTOCK: Whisper White, Watermelon Wonder, Tip Top Taupe
ACCESSORIES: Tip Top Taupe Dotted Lace Trim, Aqua Painter, Stampin' Dimensionals