Pine Tree Punch

Perfectly Plaid In Evening Evergreen

Combination of products used to create a Perfectly Plaid card in Evening Evergreen.

In Color: Evening Evergreen, Part I

First, let me say that green is my favorite color. And I love dark green tones even more. As I continue my 2021-2023 In Color exploration, we are moving on to a beautiful shade. In fact, Evening Evergreen is so dark, I think it could be considered a neutral color.

For this card, I am pairing Shaded Spruce and Crushed Curry with Evening Evergreen. And what a challenge this color combo was for me! I didn’t know if I could pull off two strong green tones on the same card…but in the end it all worked out quite nicely.

Creating Something Perfectly Plaid

When I first thought about what type of card I would make with these colors, plaid instantly came to my mind. I could picture this color combo on a Scottish tartan! And, I also wanted to create something with Christmas trees to represent the great greens. I pulled out some supplies…and instead of a hit, I had a couple of misses.

Paper weaving wasn’t quite what I was looking for. But I did have fun playing with strips of Evening Evergreen, Shaded Spruce and Crushed Curry. Since I didn’t adhere my paper strips, I can save them for another day.

Evening Evergreen, Shaded Spruce and Crushed Curry Cardstock, woven together

I love the Designer Series Assortments that Stampin’ Up! offers in their color families. This paper makes it so simple for me to coordinate to my ink and cardstock. However, after I punched a few trees with the Pine Tree Punch, I knew I wasn’t headed in this direction either.

Family Color Designer Series Paper punched with the Pine Tree Punch.

Perfectly Plaid Stamp Set

The Perfectly Plaid Stamp Set features a variety of pine tree stamps that coordinate with the Pine Tree Punch. In fact, there are 3 different tree stamps. Since I wanted to create a tree for each color of my combo, this was perfect. I just needed to decide which tree and which color belonged together artistically.

Realistic Pine Tree

I wanted to use the stamp that looks most like a real pine with Shaded Spruce. This brighter dark green is even named for a type of pine! But when I went to stamp my image, the color was over-saturated and resulted in a blurry image. This comes from too much ink on the surface of the ink pad (also known as a juicy ink pad).

I have a quick fix for this exact situation! All it takes is a plastic spoon. I use the back of the spoon and “frost” the ink down into the foam pad, away from the surface. When I am done, I simply clean the spoon off with a baby wipe and set the spoon aside until I need it again for another juicy ink pad. After I re-stamped my image, the quality is so much better!

Pushing ink back into the ink pad with a plastic spoon for better stamped images on the tree stamp from the Perfectly Plaid Stamp Set.

Fill In Fir Tree

I just knew a pine tree made up of only Crushed Curry would look odd. But the fill in fir tree was a perfect solution for my green and yellow combination. I stamped the tree image in Evening Evergreen Ink first. Next, I stamped the “fill in” with Crushed Curry Ink. This is also known as Two-Step Stamping. I find the photpolymer stamps so useful when lining up images!

Two-step stamping with the Perfectly Plaid stamp set.

Plaid Pine Tree

And, I saved the best for last. Of course, I thought that the plaid pine tree stamp worked best with our star color, Evening Evergreen. With some simple punching of each image, I was ready to work my trees into my card.

Stamping with the Perfectly Plaid stamp set and punching image with the Pine Tree Punch.

Stitched Triangles Dies

We all know Christmas trees are triangular shapes. So, I pulled out my Stitched Triangles Dies and Stampin’ Cut & Emboss Machine to capitalize on the trees for my card. I chose the dies I thought would size up nicely and paired them with Evening Evergreen, Shaded Spruce and Crushed Curry Cardstock. In the end, I did not use the Soft Suede die cut.

Stitched Triangle Dies

So Very Merry

While I was arranging my card parts and pieces to determine the final design, I realized I didn’t have a lot of room for a sentiment. The images in the Perfectly Plaid Stamp Set were a little too big. Instead, I settled on a very simple word “merry” chosen from the Time Of Giving Stamp Set.

I stamped my sentiment in Versamark Ink on a strip of Evening Evergreen Cardstock. After adding White Embossing Powder, I heat set the word with my Heat Tool. I think you will agree that the white sentiment really pops, and coordinates with the white outlines of my tree images on this card.

Heat embossing a sentiment.

Putting It All Together

Do you remember earlier when I tried my hand at weaving cardstock strips in Evening Evergreen, Shaded Spruce and Crushed Curry? And how I played with the family assortment of Designer Series Paper? When I combined those concepts with my Christmas tree theme, I had a winner.

I selected different designer styles of paper using my color combo, and adhered them to a piece of Soft Suede Cardstock. Next, I layered on my ink-sponged cardstock strips. By adding like color ink to the edges of my cardstock, I was able to sharpen the contrast of colors.

Sponging the edges of cardstock.

With my focus on Evening Evergreen, Shaded Spruce and Crushed Curry, I was able to keep my card true to the chosen colors. I kept the Crushed Curry designer paper and cardstock together, but swapped the same color placement on the Evening Evergreen and Shaded Spruce designer paper and cardstock.

Triangles, Trees And Trinkets

From here, it was easy to add on the last elements in a layering fashion. First, I added the stitched triangle die cuts, alternating the orientation. After that, I place the stamped and punched trees over the triangles. To finish off my card, I added three gold Brushed Metallic Adhesive-Backed Dots, using my Take Your Pick Tool. These embellishments are comprised of bronze, copper and gold, and the gold best paired with the yellow tone of Crushed Curry.

Brushed Metallic Adhesive-Backed Dots and Take Your Pick Tool

Perfectly Plaid In Evening Evergreen

The color combo of Evening Evergreen, Shaded Spruce and Crushed Curry is not one I would have ever thought of pairing together! In the end, I am so happy with my final result. I must admit, I don’t know that I will ever put these thee colors together on another project…but knowing I accomplished what I set out to do is enough for me.

Perfectly Plaid finished card

If you are enjoying my In Color journey, be sure to see previous posts on Fresh Freesia and Polished Pink. And check back soon, there is still more to come with Evening Evergreen as I cover three different color combinations with each of the five new In Colors.

Stop by my online store at any time to add any of the featured Stampin’ Up! supplies to your cart. There are so many great options available, so explore and remember… all colors are always in style!

Beautiful Moments In Balmy Blue

Monday’s Are Hard, Stamping Shouldn’t Be

Card made with Beautiful Moments Stamp Set

Monday’s are hard, but in this card making series, I will show you that stamping shouldn’t be. In fact, it’s quite easy. And with minimal supplies and minimal efforts, you can get fabulous results! To see last Monday’s card, click here.

Beautiful Moments Stamp Set

Today’s Monday Card features the stamp set, Beautiful Moments. This is a fantastic stamp set if you enjoy coloring, with its large open images. If you are not a fan of coloring, I am going to show you a way to make colorful clothing without actually coloring.

Beautiful Moments Stamp Set, item #151677

Our fabulous Monday Card uses minimal supplies: one stamp set, Beautiful Moments, two ink pads, Early Espresso and Balmy Blue, and two colors of cardstock, Balmy Blue and Crumb Cake. Please follow along!

A Monday Card

The Card Recipe

Balmy Blue CS: 5-1/2 x 8-1/2″, score at 4-1/4″ for card base.

Balmy Blue CS: 4 x 5-1/4″, 3-1/4 x 3-1/4″, scrap @ 2-1/2 x 2-1/2″

Crumb Cake CS: 3-1/2 x 3-1/2″, 3 x 3″, 1 x 4″, 3/4 x 2-1/2″

Stamp And Assemble

This Monday’s Are Hard, Stamping Shouldn’t Be Card starts out with the typical “fold in half” and score with your bone folder to get a great crisp card base. Let’s not break tradition.

However, my TIP to you is to score once, invert the fold and score again. Your inner crease is now as crisp as the outer one. This makes for a professional looking card base!

Balmy Blue card base and bone folder

Create Your Own Designer Series Paper

With the minimal supplies used in this card, we are not adding designer series paper to it. We are making our own! I use this great background pattern effect with any stamp sets I own.

I suggest stamping on scrap paper, as this technique has you stamping off the edge of your cardstock. Starting at the bottom, stamp the line stamp from the Beautiful Moments Stamp Set in Balmy Blue Ink on the 4 x 5-1/4″ Balmy Blue CS.

Next, continue to fill in the wavy lines up each side of the paper and along the top. I varied the position of the stamp to get a random pattern. Also, I criss-crossed some of the lines, like choppy waves. I focused on the outer edges, knowing the middle would eventually be covered in layers.

Stamping the line stamp from Beautiful Moments Stamp Set

Simple Stamping

This Easy Monday Card couldn’t get any easier! I used Early Espresso Ink to stamp the grassy plants from the Beautiful Moments Stamp Set onto the 1 x 4″ piece of Crumb Cake CS. I varied the height of each stamping, filling my paper as I went across it.

Moving on to my sentiment, I chose the stamp “collect beautiful moments” from the Beautiful Moments Stamp Set. The remaining sentiments in this set would have worked just as well.

I inked the stamp in Early Espresso and applied it to the 3/4 x 2-1/2″ Crumb Cake CS. Purposefully, I made sure to stamp the sentiment as far left as I could. This enabled me to tear off a small section on the right, leaving a jagged edge.

Stamps from Beautiful Moments Stamo Set and Early Espresso Ink

Beach Combers

The two young ladies with their sand buckets make an adorable pair. I stamped this image from the Beautiful Moments Stamp Set twice in Early Espresso Ink, once on the 3 x 3 Crumb Cake CS, and once on the Balmy Blue scrap.

I kept the image on the Crumb Cake CS closer to the top, to allow room for the sentiment piece. The Balmy Blue scrap has an entirely different purpose.

Girls with buckets stamp from Beautiful Moments Stamp Set

To make colorful dresses for my girls, I brought in my Paper Snips and cutting skills. First, I cut the pair apart, so I could tackle each dress one at a time. Next, I fussy cut each dress, leaving the dark outline visible.

Fussy Cutting stamped dresses

Lastly, I placed the beautiful blue dresses on my beachy friends. This is a great way to add color without coloring. But, you could also add pattern paper here and play paper dolls all day long. Just remember that you need to be able to see the stamped image on the pattern paper to cut it out.

Easy Monday Card Layering

The stamping on the outside of the card is complete. Now it is assembly time. The beach combers have two additional square layers to complete their matting.

Layer 1 of card front

The rest of the card also goes together just as easy. First, I layered the 4 x 5=1/4″ Balmy Blue CS onto the card base. I added my beach combers layer combo toward the top, centered in the middle. I placed the sentiment under the girls feet, toward the left of the square, with the jagged edge flowing to the right. The grassy fronds were placed closer to the bottom of the card.

Finished Layering of the card

The Insider Job

Your card is beautiful on the outside, now lets make it pretty inside too! I like to mimic some of the outer stamping into a corner of the inside card. This way the card has continuity and there is still lots of room to add your own sentiment or written thoughts.

For this card, I stamped the girl on the left into the bottom corner, making sure my stamp flowed well off the paper where needed. I also stamped a grassy frond next to her. This was done using Early Espresso Ink.

To make her fancy, I stamped the dress on a Crumb Cake scrap and fussy cut it. I adhered it with my favorite adhesive, Tombow Liquid Glue. Now, this image is the opposite of what is shown on the front of the card, yet similar in nature.

Inside Stamping using the Beautiful Moments Stamp Set

Change It Up!

This is when I usually show a card made with this same layout that incorporates some ribbon or bling, something to step it up beyond simple. Today, I am sharing a card without additional embellishment, instead changing the colors and content.

It is my hope to inspire you to use the card recipes I include in my Monday Card Series, using whatever colors and stamps you have on hand. My Christmas In July card does just that! It is made with the same recipe as the Beautiful Moments Beach Card.

Christmas In July Card
This card is made using the stamp set Perfectly Plaid, item #149418

This nature lover’s card is not over-the-top red and green and jolly. I kept the tones quite neutral, with Pear Pizzazz and Crumb Cake. I sponged the Crumb CS with like colored ink to deepen the tone. The trees were punched from DSP using the Pine Tree Punch (item #149521), then added to the card front with dimensionals for lift.

Here is the side by side comparison so you can see how alike these two cards really are!

What will you create with this recipe? The possibilities are endless when you are crafty…or have a great recipe to work with!

I hope you enjoyed making this easy card on a hard Monday with me. My video tutorial can be found on my FaceBook page, as well as my YouTube channel. If you need any supplies for this card, please feel free to visit my online store, https://www.juliemakson.stampinup.net, at any time. See you next Monday for another installment of:

Monday’s Are Hard, Stamping Shouldn’t Be!