Band Together Stamp Set

Retirement Time for Lovely Lipstick

Stampin’ Up! offers trendy In Color collections that are only available for two years. After two short years of use, the In Colors, like Lovely Lipstick, are retired to make way for new colors. This gives us a fresh palette of popular hues to work with.

In April, the retired list comes out. This list includes all the products that will not be available in the new Annual Catalog, which is released in June. “Get them before they’re gone” and “while supplies last” is often heard during April and May.

And every year, we have to say goodbye to five In Colors. Whether we are ready to, or not. Some of the colors are so fabulous, we hope to see them in Stampin’ Up!’s color line-up in the future, if we are so lucky, during an infrequent color refresh.

This year, we are bidding a fond farewell to the following 2018-2020 In Colors: Lovely Lipstick, Grapefruit Grove, Pineapple Punch, Call Me Clover and Blueberry Bushel.

A Lipstick So Lovely

Melon Mambo (left) Lovely Lipstick (center) Real Red (right)

When this particular shade of lipstick hit the ground, there was great debate over whether it was red or pink. The answer lies somewhere in between. And like a good lipstick, it can be slapped on and it will make any ensemble complete.

Lovely Lipstick is a bright and cheerful color. It does not have the sassy attitude that Melon Mambo has, nor is it sharp like Real Red. Lovely is more refined and regal, deeply intense and mature. And like a good lady, Lovely changes her mind from day to day, dithering between pink and red, per her mood.

Band Together

In the card above, I stamped the flower image twice, using Lovely Lipstick ink and cardstock. Then, I cut out the images with the coordinating dies, Detailed Bands.

I used an older version of the 2018-2020 In Color 6×6″ Designer Series Paper, which has two-toned stripes. The sentiment is stamped in Lovely Lipstick ink and die cut. Afterward, I placed it on a banner-punched piece of coordinating card stock.

The supporting colors for this card are Blushing Bride, seen in the floral accent pieces, and Granny Apple Green, used for the leaves. Lovely Lipstick works beautifully with these pinks and greens.

Under My Umbrella

I stamped the umbrella image using Memento Tuxedo Black Ink three times: once each on Lovely Lipstick, So Saffron and Calypso Coral cardstock. Next, I punched each umbrella out using the coordinating Umbrella Builder Punch.

Using my Paper Snips, I fussy cut a third of the umbrella out of the two supporting colors. Afterward, I glued together my multi-color umbrella, keeping the Lovely Lipstick umbrella as a base.

Again, a retired version of the 2018-2020 In Color Designer Series Paper was used, this time in polka-dots. The rain boots in So Saffron and the flowers in Calypso Coral reiterate support of the featured color, making this rainy day card anything but dreary.

Nothing Sweeter

Lest we think Lovely is only used in pink variations, here it is in Christmas red formatting. I die cut a stitched square in Lovely Lipstick cardstock as a layering piece in this seasonal changeable magnet to my home decor frame.

Greens in Garden and Granny Apple were used on the Christmas tree, from the retired stamp set Nothing Sweeter. The garland was stamped in Lovely Lipstick. I used the retired Sweetly Stitched Framelits Dies to cut out the tree.

The ribbon has Real Red and Garden Green in it, and the star is red glimmer paper. Lovely Lipstick looks holiday festive when combined with traditional Christmas colors.

Lovely Long Gone

I am sad to see this lovely color leaving the Stampin’ Up! family. This mix of not-a-girly-pink to faded-antique-red has been a hit in my craft room. Here’s hoping it returns some day in a color refresh down the road.

Stampin' Up! products in Lovely Lipstick

It is not too late to get some of the wonderful products still available in Lovely Lipstick, but time is running out fast. If you pick up an ink pad, please purchase the ink refill too. You will stamp far into the future without the ink pad going dry.

While you are in my online store, https://www.juliemakson.stampinup.net, make sure you consider the Stampin’ Blends in Lovely Lipstick, as well as cardstock and embellishments. You will find it so easy to put this amazing color to use on your next project!

Just Add Color

This year, February has an extra day in it (Happy Leap Year 2020!). That means one more day of winter. Days, in my state, that are typically gray and brown and drab. So then, what’s a crafty person to do with this time on their hands? Color your world a pretty place, with Stampin’ Up!’s Stampin’ Blends.

Stampin’ Blends were introduced in 2018. When they first became available, there were 12 different colors, each with a light and dark shade. Ivory, Bronze and the Color Lifter round out the collection. Fast forward to the 2019-2020 Annual Catalog, and you can purchase blends in 36 exclusive Stampin’ Up! colors.

Stampin' Blends Collection — Pink Pirrouhette is a retired color, so the blends in that tone are no longer available.

Using Stampin’ Blends

Everyone can get professional looking results when coloring your world with Stampin’ Blends. These alcohol markers feature dual tips that don’t fray. The brush end is for larger images and the fine tip is for details. With minimal effort, you will glide ink on with ease, creating effortless shading and great coverage. Instant Artist!

Step 1

Stamp your image in Tuxedo Black Memento Ink onto Whisper White Cardstock. To get the darkest image possible, use the Stamparatus to apply multiple layers of black ink without fear of lining up the stamp properly each time. Choose an image that has plenty of coloring opportunity for the most fun.

Band Together Stamp Set and Stamparatus — The Stamparatus is a great tool with tons of features.

Tuxedo Black Memento Ink (water based) must be used when coloring with Stampin’ Blends (alcohol based). Just keep in mind the old adage, “opposites attract”. If you were to use StazOn Ink (alcohol based) in error, the blends color would bleed into the black ink outline and create…mud. Yuck.

Step 2

Next, place your image to be colored on a protective surface or use scrap paper underneath. The blends are designed to saturate the paper with intense color. As a result, the ink will bleed thru the back in some areas.

Start coloring, using both the light and dark shades of a Stampin’ Blend color. It doesn’t matter which tone is chosen first, the outcome is the same. No matter how much color you apply, the alcohol ink will not pill up and ruin your paper. And, you can color right over the inner black ink image lines with no ill effect.

Coloring with Stampin' Blends — This oversized flower image from the stamp set, Band Together, was colored with Stampin’ Blends in So Saffron, Daffodil Delight, Pumpkin Pie and Granny Apple Green.

I prefer to begin with the lighter blend and apply generous coverage, then add some shadowing with the dark blend, followed by another application of light to soften the lines. A circular or scribble motion will help blend your color edges together.

Step 3

Use the Color Lifter as desired to change the look of your Stampin’ Blends coloring. This step is optional but will give your design another color dimension.

The Color Lifter appears to be a white marker, due to the cap color. Actually, it’s more like an invisible ink. It can be used to soften colors, as the ink “lifts” some of the shading off the paper. The Color Lifter will clean up edges as well as create highlights on your image.

Additional Tips and Uses of Stampin’ Blends

The artistic results you receive when using the Stampin’ Blends are phenomenal, but they do more than color stamped images. You can also color ribbon, changing white or ivory into your chosen tone. Do the same with embellishments like rhinestones, pearls and buttons.

Whisper White Crinkled Seam Binding Ribbon — I colored the Whipser White Crinkled Seam Binding Ribbon on the Silicone Craft Sheet. I cleaned the excess ink off the craft sheet with a baby wipe.

Stampin’ Blends have a rectangular barrel, so they won’t roll off the table like traditional markers. You should store the blends horizontally, so ink is readily available at either end of the marker. Stampin’ Up! offers stackable storage units for your blends to make organization easy.

Stampin' Blends Storage Trays — One set of trays will hold 30 Stampin’ Blends.

The Stampin’ Blends end caps let you know at a glance what color ink lies inside. Replace the tight fitting caps immediately after using your blend to prevent the alcohol ink from drying out too quickly. The blends are not refillable, but since they are sold individually, it is easy to replace one if you need to.

Stampin’ Blends make coloring quick, easy and fun with spectacular results. For a quick reference guide to Stampin’ Blends, print or pin a copy of my Do’s and Don’t’s Cheat Sheet.

Take your projects from drab to fab by adding some of these rainbow making tools to your crafty stash today. Visit my online store, https://juliemakson.stampinup.net and start with your favorite colors. Let your collection of Stampin’ Blends grow, and color your world.

The Maine Stamper

Julie Makson Stampin' Up! Independent Demonstrator

2018-2020 Retiring In-Color, Lovely Lipstick