Blending Brush - The Maine Stamper

Feels Like Home, In Evening Evergreen

September 30, 2021

In Color: Evening Evergreen Part III

Our time to explore Evening Evergreen has come to an end, and what better way to bring it home than to use the Feels Like Home Stamp Set. Evening Evergreen is such a rich, deep green color. It fits well with the comfortable home theme of this card.

With our last color tour of Evening Evergreen, we are pairing in Blackberry Bliss and Sahara Sand. These three colors work seamlessly together. As you can see, by adding a pop of white to the mix, each color used on this Feels Like Home Card becomes more beautifully vibrant.

Feels Like Home Stamp Set

The Feels Like Home Stamp Set, available for a limited time, is a Sale-A-Bration freebie during the August-September Sale-A-Bration promotion. With a qualifying purchase of $50, you may choose this stamp set for free. If you already have the Feels Like Home Stamp Set in your collection, here is a great way to use it!

Sahara Sand Beginnings

I started by stamping the door frame and yard stamp from the Feels Like Home Stamp Set using Memento Black Ink on Sahara Sand Cardstock. This great neutral color is easy to work into your project instead of the traditional white or vanilla.

Using the front door stamp from the Feels Like Home Stamp Set.

Of course, this image is wide open for lots of coloring. I typically choose my Stampin’ Blends for a job like this. I chose my color palette to reflect the tones in Evening Evergreen, Blackberry Bliss and Sahara Sand. When I added color to the tree to the left of the door, I pounced or “dotted” the color on using the fine tip of my Light Blackberry Bliss Stampin’ Blend.

Coloring the stamped image with Stampin' Blends.

Just Add Color

Next, I started to color with more purples and greens to fill in all the flowers and plants. I used browns for the basket and door, and colored in my terracotta pots. Because I wanted to keep the coloring light and fresh, I chose to use my Stampin’ Chalk Marker on the bricks of the home. The effect is quite subtle.

Adding color with the Stampin' Chalk Marker. — I love the look of shading or sponging. So, I turned to my Blender Brush and some Sahara Sand Ink to deepen the edges of my cardstock. I think it helps to draw the eye in toward the colored imagery.

Using the Blending Brush to sponge on ink color.

Ever Elegant Evening Evergreen

Since Evening Evergreen is our starring color, I wanted much of my card front dedicated to it. I began by stamping the hanging fronds stamp in Evening Evergreen Ink on my Evening Evergreen Cardstock layer along the top edge. I varied the length of each stamping by starting higher or lower on my cardstock.

Creating a stamped top border using the frond stamp from the Feels Like Home Stamp Set.

Next, I ran my stamped cardstock thru my Stampin’ Cut & Emboss Machine using the Timeworn Type 3D Embossing Folder. This is a 3D style embossing folder and needs the Specialty Plate to create the perfect sandwich in your die-cutting machine.

PRO TIP: There is a solid black line built into the embossing folder near the bottom, to help you line up your cardstock straight before you run it thru your die-cutting machine.

Embossing cardstock with the Timeworn Type Embossing Folder.

And lastly, I added some sponging to the edges of my Evening Evergreen Cardstock using another Blender Brush and Evening Evergreen Ink.

Accent Your Home

What home would be gorgeous without some cute tchotchkes? To start my home decor project, I stamped the flower pot image from the Feels Like Home Stamp Set with Memento Black Ink on a scrap of Sahara Sand Cardstock. Then, I colored it with Stampin’ Blends before fussy cutting with my Paper Snips.

Preparing to fussy cut the potted plant stamped and colored image from the Feels Like Home Stamp Set.

I stamped the sentiment “Your friendship feels like home to me” from the Feels Like Home Stamp Set in Blackberry Bliss Ink on Sahara Sand Cardstock. Using my Paper Snips, I flagged one end. Next, I applied some Sahara Sand Ink with my Blender Brush to soften the outer edges.

Flagging the stamped sentiment from the Feels Like Home Stamp Set.

Just Add Punch

I took advantage of my assorted collection of retired circle punches. I chose the 1-1/4″ circle punch for the Blackberry Bliss Cardstock and the 1″ circle punch for White Cardstock. These two circles layered together were perfect for a backdrop for my flower pot.

The Sprig Punch is my go-to punch when I need some decorative leaves poking from behind a card layer in an artistic fashion. Punching paper can be such a time saver from die cutting, and I love the quick results. For this card, I used the 2021-2023 In Color Shimmer Vellum in Evening Evergreen. Check out the lovely sheen of this vellum!

The Sprig Punch and Evening Evergreen Shimmer Velum along with a die from the Sunflowers Dies.

To mix things up, I also chose to die cut some White Cardstock using a floral die from the Sunflowers Dies. By combing punched and die cut pieces, my card has a great variety of fresh garden goodness.

Putting Your Home In Order

My Feels Like Home Card has lots of layers. I started by adding a layer of Blackberry Bliss Cardstock to my Sahara Sand Cardbase. Next, I adhered my Evening Evergreen embossed layer. I chose the Blackberry Bliss Designer Series Paper from the Regals Collection, using the plaid design. But before I attached it to my cardbase, I backed it with a piece of White Cardstock.

My next step was to dry-fit my punched sprigs and die cut flowers to make sure they would peek nicely from the additional layers for my card. Once I had them where I wanted them, I secured them with some Tear & Tape Adhesive. The tape will be covered up with the last bit of layering on my card front.

The beginning layer assembly of the card front.

From here it was time to add my stamped focal piece, the front door and more. I placed the sentiment below that, and lastly added my layered punched circles with the potted plant, using Stampin’ Dimensionals. My Feels Like Home Card is complete!

There’s No Place Like Home

Home evokes so many good thoughts and memories. It is where we are most happy. I hope you agree that this Feels Like Home Card has captured some happiness, using Evening Evergreen along with Blackberry Bliss and Sahara Sand. If you need any of the products that were used to create this card, shop my online store at your convenience.

Just because our Evening Evergreen color tour is at its end, doesn’t mean there isn’t more colorful fun to come! If you missed any of this great green color, click here to see another post with Evening Evergreen. And just ahead is our next In Color, Soft Succulent, so be sure to come back soon.

Card made with the Feels Like Home Stamp Set and Stampin' Blends.

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!

Quiet Meadow in Fresh Freesia

July 16, 2021

Card made with Quiet Meadow Bundle in Fresh Freesia color.

In Color: Fresh Freesia, Part I

The Quiet Meadow Bundle speaks of beautiful flowers, and I paired it effortlessly with Fresh Freesia.

Fresh Freesia is one of the new 2021-2023 In Colors. And a lovelier soft purple could not have come along! This month, my In Color Club is exploring Fresh Freesia. For this card, we are pairing it with Gorgeous Grape and Granny Apple Green.

Quiet Meadow Focal Flower and Sentiment

First, I stamped my focal flower from the Quiet Meadow Stamp Set in Memento Black Ink on White Cardstock. Then, I used Stampin’ Blends in both Light and Dark Fresh Freesia, as well as Light Daffodil Delight to color it in. I punched the stamped flower out with a 1 3/4″ circle punch. For a backing circle, I punched a 2″ circle out of Gorgeous Grape Cardstock. If you don’t have circle punches, you can substitute circle dies.

Stampin' Blends to color the focal flower from Quiet Meadow Stamp Set

I stamped the sentiment “You’re too kind” from the Quiet Meadow Stamp Set in Gorgeous Grape on White Cardstock. After that, I die cut it with the border die from the Meadow Dies. This die has the cutest outline of stitching on it, with open scallops on each end.

Circle punches make easy work on this Fresh Freesia card.

Backgrounds: Stamped and Embossed

I enjoy making cards with lots of layers. For this Quiet Meadow Card in Fresh Freesia, I embossed a piece of light purple cardstock using the Brick & Mortar 3D Embossing Folder. For the next step, I brushed on some Fresh Freesia Ink with a Blending Brush. Lastly, I stamped some “splotches” from the Quiet Meadow Stamp Set in Gorgeous Grape Ink as an accent.

Using a Blending Brush with Fresh Freesia Ink

My stamped background piece brought a balance of Granny Apple Green to my card. I used the text words from the Quiet Meadow Stamp Set. For this stamping, I alternated a fully inked stamp with second and third generation stamping. This method uses all the ink up in three continuous “stampings” before inking the stamp again.

Background stamping in Granny Apple Green with the Quiet Meadow Stamp Set

Quiet Meadow Greenery

When you think about meadows, you may picture flowers and greenery! For this card, Granny Apple Green is our complimentary color. I die cut 2 of the fern-like dies from the Meadow Dies. To fill out my greenery, I did a little trimming of the die cut branches and fanned them out behind my focal flower circle assembly. I sponged just the tips in Granny Apple Green Ink using a Sponge Dauber.

Granny Apple Greenery from the Meadow Dies

Quiet Meadow Accent

To finish my card, I searched for some bling in Gorgeous Grape. The Pastel Pearls were perfect for this, both in size and soft sheen. I added 3 of them around the assembled card in a sweeping pattern. These pearls added just the right touch to complete this Quiet Meadow card in Fresh Freesia!

Pastel Pearls in Gorgeous Grape are perfect accents.

Quiet Meadow Additional Cards

I C.A.S.E.’d (copy and share everything) the Quiet Meadow card in Rich Razzleberry found on page 110 in the Stampin’ Up! 2021-2022 Annual Catalog. This card features Water Color Paper for the die cuts, and some Ink Refill coloring with Water Painters.

*My TIP is to place a drop of Ink Refill onto a Clear Acrylic Stamp Block. Add a squeeze of water from your Water Painter to dilute the ink and water-paint away! The clear blocks are super easy to clean up when you are done. I use a paper towel or baby wipe for this.

And for more fun with color, I decided to try my hand at one in Balmy Blue too!

As you can see, the Quiet Meadow Bundle is perfect for making beautiful floral cards. Make sure you add this to your collection today! And be sure to add some Fresh Freesia supplies to your cart as well. You can never have too much purple.