Seasonal & Holidays Archives - PageThe Maine Stamper

Pretty Pumpkins In Evening Evergreen

September 24, 2021

Card featuring Evening Evergreen, Cajun Craze and Petal Pink.

In Color: Evening Evergreen Part II

When we think of pretty pumpkins, we usually don’t think of green. But, don’t let the title fool you. What we are doing is continuing our exploration of the In Color, Evening Evergreen. The featured stamp set for my card is called “Pretty Pumpkins“.

Now that we have that sorted out, let’s take into account the pumpkins on this card. For this color combination, I am pairing Evening Evergreen with Cajun Craze and Petal Pink. Again, these are not the typical orange pumpkins you may expect. Yet, I find that these colors work very well together to represent pretty pumpkins just the same.

Pretty Pumpkins Stamp Set

If you are looking for a fantastic stamp set to cover elegant pumpkins, look no further. The Pretty Pumpkin Stamp Set, and coordinating Detailed Pumpkins Dies, are classically beautiful. You can save 10% when you bundle and buy the stamp set and dies together, as the Pretty Pumpkins Bundle.

I started with the pumpkin trio stamp and Memento Black Ink on White Cardstock. After my outline was stamped, I colored in the image with an assortment of Stampin’ Blends.

I began coloring the pumpkins with a combination of my Dark Petal Pink Stampin’ Blend and my Dark Cajun Craze Stampin’ Blend. For the leaves, I used my Light Evening Evergreen Stampin’ Blend. My pumpkin stems are a combination of the Light and Dark Soft Suede Stampin’ Blends.

***TIP: Use a Stampin’ Write Marker to color in the vines. The vine images are very thin. The marker will give you detailed coverage without spilling ink over the intended coloring area.

Grapevine Dies

Did you notice the beautiful Petal Pink vine, with leaves in Petal Pink and Cajun Craze? They sure do look like they came out of a pretty pumpkin patch! And yet, they are from another bundle altogether. The Forever Grapevine Stamp Set and Grapevine Dies make up the Forever Grapevine Bundle, for a savings of 10%.

I took advantage of the vine (no need to stamp any grapes!) for my card. I used my Stampin’ Cut & Emboss Machine to die cut the large corner vine in Petal Pink. And to add in some contrasting leaves, I die cut additional leaves in Cajun Craze. One die yields 8 individual leaves!

Cajun Craze leaves die cut with the Grapevine Dies.

You’re So Sweet

Besides the grapevine dies, I took advantage of the sentiment die from the Grapevine Dies. After die-cutting this with White Cardstock, I stamped my sentiment in Evening Evergreen Ink, using “You’re so sweet” from the Forever Grapevine Stamp Set. Next, I sponged the edges in Petal Pink Ink, and dabbed some color on my Petal Pink grapevine too.

Pretty Bitty Pumpkin

Once I determined that my sentiment was going to cover up most of my small pumpkin, I decided I needed another one to layer on my card front. I stamped the pumpkin image again, and colored just the smallest pumpkin in with my Stampin’ Blends. Next, I fussy cut it out with my Paper Snips. This was an easy image to hand cut.

A fussy cut mini pumpkin from the Pretty Pumpkins Stamp Set using Paper Snips.

Pretty Pumpkin Layers

In order to keep my focus on Evening Evergreen, I used this color cardstock for my card base. I also used a piece of coordinating Evening Evergreen Designer Series Paper from the 2021-2023 In Color Collection. There are four designs to choose from, and I chose the vertical lines with dots.

My stamped and colorful pumpkins are not die cut, even though they could be. I chose to leave them on their white cardstock background to showcase them against the Petal Pink Designer Series Paper and Cajun Craze Cardstock mat.

Before I added my pretty pumpkins to the card front, I adhered the Petal Pink grapevine. In this way, I could layer my matted pumpkin assembly slightly over the grapevine design. Lastly, I added in the Cajun Craze leaves sporadically.

Finishing Touches

When I was ready to add on my sentiment piece, I reached for my Stampin’ Dimensionals. Two of the large ones provided perfect coverage for me. Next, I chose a Mini Stampin’ Dimensional for my little pumpkin, and placed that next to my raised sentiment piece, in the pumpkin patch.

Adding a sentiment with dimensionals to the card front.

The very last thing I added to my Pretty Pumpkin Card was some sweet bling. The Elegant Faceted Gems are adhesive backed and come in three colors…one of them is Petal Pink. So perfect for this card! I love how easy it is to use the Take Your Pick Tool to transfer adhesive backed items onto the card front.

Adding Elegant Faceted Dots to the card front with the Take Your Pick Tool.

Evening Evergreen and Pumpkins

Completed Evening Evergreen card using the Pretty Pumpkins Stamp Set.

This trio of colors featuring Evening Evergreen was a fun combination to use. Petal Pink and Cajun Craze compliment each other very nicely, and contrast well against this deep, dark green. My card went together effortlessly and with much less thought than my first color combo with Evening Evergreen did. To see my struggle with Evening Evergreen, Part I, click here.

We have one more color combo to explore with Evening Evergreen before we turn to the next 2021-2023 In Color on this journey. Please take advantage of my online store at any time to purchase the supplies featured here for your upcoming inspired project! As for the inspiration…come back soon to see what color combos and designs I will create next!

Merriest Moments in Polished Pink

September 1, 2021 2 Comments

Finished card in Polished Pink using the Merriest Moments Bundle.

In Color: Polished Pink, Part III

Merriest Moments should come in bright and fun colors. And the new In Color, Polished Pink, provides just that! I have been exploring this sweet shade of pink, and created a card using the Merriest Moments Bundle. If you would like to see my last card featuring Polished Pink, click here.

The Merriest Moments card in Polished Pink also features Blushing Bride and Smoky Slate. This color combo isn’t just for Christmas cards! I also picture spring and summer flower cards, perfect for birthdays, Mother’s Day and thinking of you. Let you imagination run wild!

Merriest Moments Bundle

Merriest Moments Stamps Set, Merriest Frames Dies and Merriest Frames Hybrid Embossing Folder

There is so much to the Merriest Moments Bundle, it is more than the typical “stamp set and set of dies”. In fact, it is a trifecta of amazing products! Let’s break it down:

Merriest Moments Stamp Set

There are 16 photopolymer stamps in this set. Two of the images are poinsettia flowers of different sizes and style. You can layer them together or use them separately. You will also enjoy 3 sizes of holly style leaves, as well as 3 different sprig stamps. Besides Season’s Greetings and Joy, there are 3 additional sentiments for merry cards.

Merriest Frames Dies

The Merriest Frames Dies come as a set of 16. But there is more to die cut than just the flowers and leaves from the Merriest Moments Stamp Set. I love the stitched rectangle die, and I can see myself using it for a variety of projects to frame up a sentiment. There are also two large dies, designed to work with…

Merriest Frames Hybrid Embossing Folder

Yes, this is the third part of this amazing bundle. The Hybrid Embossing Folder is something very new to Stampin’ Up!. These special embossing folders are designed to hold a die and your paper at the same time. In this manner, you are die cutting and embossing in one pass thru your die cutting machine. So cool!

To Hybrid, Or Not To Hybrid

I have to admit, my first play with the dies and embossing folders was not quite as expected. It can be a little tricky to line up all three. The die needs to sit just right in the embossing folder’s nooks. And, after 1 pass thru my Stampin’ Cut & Emboss Machine, I took my sandwich apart in anticipation of perfection.

Perfect it was not. Some of the Polished Pink Cardstock did not cut all the way thru. I needed to reassemble it and run it thru my machine again. Then, once more for good measure. In the end, I still needed to use my Paper Snips to remove some of the stubborn paper.

But…it doesn’t have to be used this way either. Fortunately, the embossing folder and die can be used individually. For my second attempt, I embossed a piece of Polished Pink Cardstock (no die in the embossing folder). After that, I added the large outline die around my embossed image. When I ran it thru my die cutting machine, it was still embossed and perfect. Two steps, but worth the effort!

This may also save with wear and tear on your embossing folder. With multiple use as a duo, the die may damage your folder over time.

Merriest Stamping and Die Cutting

All of my stamping on this card also included die cutting. When they go hand in hand, cardmaking is easier! I started by stamping both sizes of flowers from the Merriest Moments Stamp Set, using Blushing Bride Ink on White Cardstock. I wanted 3 finished flowers, so I repeated this process three times.

I also stamped a combination of sprigs and leaves. For the evergreen style, I stamped Smoky Slate Ink on Smoky Slate Cardstock. For the decidious looking leaves, I stamped Smoky Slate Ink on White Cardstock. There are dies for each of these stamps, so I was able to quickly cut them out.

The sweet berries on this card add the perfect pop of Polished Pink! I stamped them in Polished Pink Ink on Polished Pink Cardstock before die cutting them. This is another process that I did 3 times in a row.

And a merry card can not be merry without a wonderful sentiment. There are 3 choices to pick from in the Merriest Moments Stamp Set, but I chose mine based on size. I wanted to be able to add my beautiful pink poinsettias in a sweeping style around the stitched rectangle frame. By choosing a shorter sentiment, there was more room for my floral arrangement.

Merriest Details

For a layer of depth and frosted interest, I enhanced my die cuts with some sponged ink. With the large Polished Pink die cut, I sponged on Craft White Ink. This gives an opaque look and dulls the sharpness to a more muted tone. This ink takes some time to dry, and I applied more than one layer.

My pretty pink flowers also got some additional sponged ink. For these, I edged the outer petals in Polished Pink Ink, a very dark contrast to the Blushing Bride Ink. This really helped them to pop.

Did you notice the fantastic Designer Series Paper on this card? I chose a selection from the Peaceful Place Specialty pack. The tiny snowflakes and silver sparkle on this Basic Gray piece created a gorgeous backdrop for all my pink and white. I layered it behind a piece of Smoky Slate Cardstock to help transition the pink to gray color scheme.

Bringing Home the Merriest

In order to complete my card, I began by dry-fitting all my leaves, berries and flowers. That way, I was able to move pieces around until I was happy with the overall design. Once I was finished with this, it was simply a matter of gluing everything down, a little at a time.

You may notice that my finished poinsettias have a third layer to them. I die cut the top flower from Blushing Bride Cardstock, using the Merriest Frames Dies. And don’t you agree that flowers as pretty as these should be finalized with a Pearl Basic Jewel center? The Take Your Pick Tool is my favorite for working with tiny adhesive backed items like this.

Add Some Merriest Moments

This amazing card using the Merriest Moments Bundle completes my exploration of the 2021-2023 In Color, Polished Pink with my online club. When I think of merry, I associate Christmas. But that doesn’t have to mean only red and green. This pink card is proof of that.

If you enjoyed my picture tutorial and cardmaking directions, check out my other blog posts regarding the new In Colors. All of the supplies used to make this card are found in my online stamping store. Be sure to stop by and find just what you need today!

Words of Cheer In Fresh Freesia

August 3, 2021

In Color: Fresh Freesia, Part III

Do you love Words of Cheer? I know I do. And when you combine them with a beautiful color like Fresh Freesia, you can’t go wrong.

Fresh Freesia is one of the new 2021-2023 In Colors. And a lovelier soft purple could not have come along! During July, my In Color Club explored Fresh Freesia. For this card, we are pairing it with Soft SeaFoam and Gray Granite.

Words of Cheer in a Slimline Card

For this cheery card, I mimicked the Words of Cheer Stamp Set sample on page 20 of the August-December 2021 Mini Catalog by Stampin’ Up!. If you see the catalog image, you will note that their card is done in blue. My focus was to use purple…more notably, Fresh Freesia.

The standard recipe for a slimline card is 7 x 8 1/2″, with the 7″ side scored in half at 3 1/2″. The great thing about a slimline card is that it fits into a standard size business envelope.

Christmas Cheer Dies

The coordinating Christmas Cheer Dies give us our cheer. I die cut the cheer background using Fresh Freesia Cardstock. Next, I stamped the large floral image from the Words of Cheer Stamp Set in Fresh Freesia Ink over the die cut, to add lined interest.

Before I die cut the individual cheer letters, I sponged Gray Granite Ink over my Gray Granite Cardstock using a Blending Brush. By doing this before I die cut them, I didn’t have to worry about getting each letter inked up individually to deepen its color. I love that the die is one large image, but cuts out each letter separately. I used Multipurpose Liquid Glue to attach the cheer letters to the cheer background die cut. My Silicone Craft Sheet is perfect for this type of sticky situation!

Another die that was fun to use from the Christmas Cheer Dies was the holly sprigs! Just a small scrap of Soft Seafoam Cardstock yielded me 3 individual sprigs with one pass thru the machine. Each sprig has two connecting leaves, which I chose to keep together. But, I could have easily used them individually by snipping them apart.

Specialty Papers

Did you notice the white flowers that were die-cut above? One die creates 3 large flowers and the other makes 3 small flowers. They all come out of the die cutting machine individually and can be layered, small over large. I used the Snowy White Velvet Sheets for my flowers, and Multipurpose Liquid Glue to attach the small flower to the large. The texture is velvety soft!

Another specialty paper that went into the making of my Words of Cheer card is the 2021-2023 In Color Shimmer Vellum. Of course, I used the Fresh Freesia color. The shimmer is soft, without the harsh glare of glitter, and it made the perfect backdrop for my words of cheer.

I used some Tear & Tape Adhesive on the backside of the shimmer vellum, with a piece approximately the size of my cheer diecut. It is easy to tell the front of the shimmer vellum from the back, only one side is shimmery. My die cut word of cheer will help to hide the “see-thru tape” once my card is assembled.

Words of Cheer Background Stamping

From the remaining Fresh Freesia Cardstock leftover from creating my slimline card base, I cut an additional front layer. This measures 3 1/4 x 8 1/4″. You will only have 2 small strips of paper leftover from your 8 1/2 x 11″ sheet of cardstock if you try this method.

Just like the sample card I am copying, there is some background stamping to do. I used the sentiment stamp ‘Sending you Christmas Cheer’ and Fresh Freesia Ink. Starting at the top of the cut layer, I began to stamp a lazy “S” design, winding the words down my cardstock from top to bottom.

When I was done with my sentiment stamping, I added Fresh Freesia Ink to the sides of my front layer using a Blending Brush. I try to start off my cardstock and move in circular motions onto the outer edges. This method deepens the color of the cardstock and helps it stand out as a tone on tone color on my card.

More Than One Way to Silver It Up

The card sample in the catalog appears to use Brushed Metallic Adhesive Backed Dots on each of the holly berries. In fact, a whopping 24 in total! That is a lot of bling, and I like to be a bit more frugal. So I came up with my own work-around.

With a little VersaMark Ink and some Silver Embossing Powder, I created my own silver toned berries. I have a VersaMark Marker, but an ink pad and Blender Pen would work just the same. I split the embossing work into two sections, to make it easier to heat emboss accurate berries with my Heat Tool.

Words of Cheer Card Assembly

First, I adhered my sentiment background stamped layer to the front of my card base. Next, I added the shimmer vellum. Following this, I put some Multipurpose Liquid Glue on the back of my cheer die cut, and placed this on the vellum.

The next step is to add the Soft Seafoam holly sprigs. I started by placing a mini glue dot in the location I wanted each sprig to go. For the flowers, I added a mini glue dot to the back of each and placed them over the holly sprigs. Last, I made a simple bow out of Linen Thread and placed it on my card front.

Simple Slimline Cards

If you love this card and would like to watch my live assembly on FaceBook, click here. Looking for another slimline card idea? Check out my slimline card post on Zany Zebras here. And of course, if you need more Fresh Freesia inspiration, click here.

As always, I hope to inspire you in your creativity. When you purchase the Words of Cheer Bundle (both the stamp set and dies together), you will save 10% automatically. If you need new, refills, or clearance deals on Stampin’ Up! supplies, please visit my online store at any time. I look forward to helping you become a better paper crafter!