Fresh Freesia - The Maine Stamper

Honeybee Home

January 14, 2022

Honeybee Home Bundle

It may be mid-January, but perhaps you have honeybees and springtime on your mind. I was so excited to use the Honeybee Home Bundle in my Make It Monday demonstration. If you would like to watch the step-by-step making-of video for this sweet-as-honey card, here is the link.

The Honeybee Home Bundle is new to the January-June 2022 Mini Catalog by Stampin’ Up!. When you purchase the bundle, you automatically save 10%. But if you prefer, you can order the stamp set or dies as separate items. Let’s take a look at them!

Honeybee Home Stamp Set

The Honeybee Home Stamp Set is a red rubber cling variety. There are 12 stamps, with 3 of the images as uniquely styled honeybees. This set also has 3 different styles of flowers for our lucky bees to visit. And the 6 sentiments have sweet scripty font and lovely things to say. Can you imagine the variety of colors you would use to make beautiful flowers using this stamp set?

Honeybee Blooms Dies

Decorative Masks As Embossing Folders

When I CASE’d (copy and share everything) this Honeybee Home card from the January-June 2022 Mini Catalog, I discovered that decorative masks can be used just like an embossing folder. Here is the exact sandwich order I used in my Stampin’ Cut & Emboss Machine:

Base Plate
Clear acrylic plate
Thick impression mat
Cardstock
Decorative mask
Clear acrylic plate

Basic Patten Decorative Mask and embossed cardstock

The embossed effect is subtle. If you add some ink with a sponge or Blending Brush, you will highlight the raised portions of paper. For the cards I completed using this technique, I used the Basic Patterns Decorative Masks, but any mask will work. To see additional ways to use decorative masks, click here.

Coloring With Blender Pens

Coloring the stamped flowers with a blender pen and ink pad

Another technique used on this card was the one I colored my stamped flowers and honeybee with: Blender Pens. After stamping my images using Memento Black Ink, I added color to the images using my ink pads with blender pens. Now, I didn’t just grab ink from the foam pad itself…that would be a very dark ink application of color.

Re-inking an ink pad to help with blender pen coloring

Instead, I squeezed my ink pad while it was in the closed position to get some ink to transfer from the foam side to the plastic cover opposite it. This is harder than it seems, but very necessary to get a good ink coloring application.

If you are having trouble getting the ink to transfer from one side to the next, try re-inking your ink pad. A juicy pad will share ink more readily. After successfully transferring ink, use the back of a plastic spoon to push the excess refill into the foam pad.

Bumblebee or Fresh Freesia?

Honeybee Home card made in Bumblebee and Fresh Freesia

One thing that I love to do is make an exact copy of my card in another color scheme. The original design called for Bumblebee Cardstock. But to mix it up, I pulled out some Fresh Freesia Cardstock and started over once filming was complete. Did you miss the cardmaking video how-to link? Click here to watch.

Notice that I used different masks on each card! A new color always brings fresh perspective…and in this case it brought Fresh Freesia as well. Which color scheme do you prefer? For more card ideas using Fresh Freesia, click here.

Honeybee Home card in Fresh Freesia, with stamp set and ink colors used to create it.

Your Honeybee Home Bundle

If you love these cards and need the supplies to create them, now is a great time to check out my online store. Sale-A-Bration is happening! With a qualifying order of the Honeybee Home Bundle (and an add-on item like the Playing With Patterns Resin Dots used on these cards), your order will qualify you for a FREE Sale-A-Bration selection. That’s right… a stamp set, some paper…you decide what your freebie will be.

But hurry, Sale-A-Bration ends on February 28, 2022. Don’t miss out on this honey of a sweet offer. You will soon be creating bee-utiful cards of your own!

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!

Friends Are Like Seashells, In Fresh Freesia

July 30, 2021

In Color: Fresh Freesia, Part II

The Friends Are Like Seashells Bundle is a must have for beach lovers. You can create seashells in a variety of colors. I focused on Fresh Freesia for this card.

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 Coastal Cabana and Calypso Coral.

Fresh Freesia, Coastal Cabana and Calypsol Coral Seashells die cut with the Seaside Seashells Dies and embossed with the Seashells 3D folder.

Friends Are Like Seashells

My card design process usually takes me on a journey. At the beginning of this one, I die cut one of each of my selected colors, using the large die from the Seaside Seashells Dies. After the die cut was complete, I lined up the paper in the coordinating Seashells 3D Embossing Folder and ran each thru my Stampin’ Cut & Emboss Machine.

*TIP: When lining up the die cut paper in the embossing folder, focus on the leaves, not the seashells. By getting the leafy parts in their prospective indentations, the shells will be perfect.

Stamp Some Seashells

And then I changed my mind! I decided to stamp my focal seashells from the Friends Are Like Seashells Stamp Set instead of using the embossed die cuts. I stamped the nautilus shell with Calypso Coral second generation ink (stamped off once) on white cardstock. Then, I stamped the horn shell with Fresh Freesia ink on white cardstock.

Snip Some Seashells

I die cut both of my shells, then trimmed them using my Paper Snips. It is perfectly okay to send this large die thru the die cutting machine with individual seashells. You do not need to fill the entire area for cutting.

Sponge Some Seashells

Once they were trimmed, I added some sponged ink in like colors to deepen the edges and lightly fill in the centers. Sometimes, I still prefer the old fashioned sponges!

Card Base Basics

Just because my focal color is Fresh Freesia, doesn’t mean everything about my card needs to be that color. I chose Crumb Cake instead, a neutral brown that invokes beachy sand thoughts. To this, I started to add a full sized, one color layer: Fresh Freesia.

But, I felt it needed texture. There are some great retired embossing folders that carry beautifully along with this beachy theme. My struggle here was to find and use something current. I settled on the Tasteful Textiles 3D Embossing Folder.

From the original 4 x 5 1/4″ piece of embossed Fresh Freesia, I tore @ 1 3/4″ off the bottom. Next, I carefully tore up a piece of white and Coastal Cabana cardstock, each 1 1/2 x 4″ to start. When I began to assemble the colorful cardstock to the front of my card, I adhered the Coastal Cabana first. Over that, I layered the white and finished with the Fresh Freesia.

Seashells Sentiment

There are some wonderful sentiments in the Friends Are Like Seashells Stamp Set. I stamped my chosen sentiment in Early Espresso Ink on a piece of 2 1/8 x 1 1/2″ white cardstock.

Seashell Assembly

To finish up my card, I first taped down the Coastal Cabana seaweed, cut from the large die, trimmed and sponged. I added dimensionals to both of my seashells, starting with the Calypso Coral shell and ending with the Fresh Freesia shell. Lastly, I added on some embellishments from the Artistry Blooms Adhesive Backed Sequins (which contain both Calypso Coral and Coastal Cabana colors!).

Are you loving Fresh Freesia? To see another card that features this amazing color, click here. This beautiful shade of purple is so versatile, you will want to add it to your collection of supplies today, by visiting my online stamping store.

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.

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.