Stampin’ Blends

Little Monkey Bananas For You Card

Finished card, Little Monkey Bananas For You

Little Monkeys Card Class

Little Monkeys Bananas For You Card

The Little Monkeys Bananas For You Card is first up for your Weekly Card Class From ME. This class is a more fun than a barrel of monkeys, featuring the Little Monkey Bundle by Stampin’ Up!.

Want to know more about this adorable bundle, which includes the Little Monkey Stamp Set and the Little Monkey Builder Punch? I shared some great details, and you will find them by clicking here.

Little Monkey Coloring

Coloring the Little Monkey with Stampin' Blends

I shared my favorite way to add color to stamped images while I made this Little Monkey Bananas For You Card…Stampin’ Blends! First, I started off inking up my images from the Little Monkey Stamp Set with Memento Black Ink. This ink is water based, and works perfectly with the oil based blends. Remember…opposites attract.

For my sweet little monkey’s face, I used SU800. Stampin’ Up! has a great collection of skin tone colors that range from pale pink to deep brown. I love using these blends on so many stamped images!

Coloring the banana images with Stampin' Blends

The monkey was not the only thing that I needed to color on this card. I filled it full of bananas too!

I chose Daffodil Delight for my yellow tones. If you would like to see my coloring process, watch the video replay here.

Monkey Crumb Cake

I love the simple act of adding texture to a card. For my Little Monkey Bananas For You Card, I chose a mini embossing folder. The Geometric Patterns measure just over 3″ wide, by 6-1/4″ long.

When I use the mini folders, I cut my cardstock to 3″ wide. This gives me a nice selection to work with, and it doesn’t take up the whole card front. I added Crumb Cake Ink to my embossed piece to give the cardstock some depth. It really helps draw the eye to the design!

Monkeying Around With Linen Thread

For this Little Monkey Bananas For You Card, I chose to wrap Linen Thread around the embossed and sponged Crumb Cake layer 3 times. I completed the look with a simple tied knot. Lastly, I added this piece to a mat of White Cardstock before adding it to my card front with dimensionals.

Get Your Little Monkey Card Class From ME

Little Monkey Bananas For You card kit

This Little Monkey Bananas For You Card is just one card in my featured class this week. If you would like to see the video from my online class, click this link. For more details on what is in this week’s class from Maine and how to get yours, click here.

I will be sharing more cards from the Little Monkey Card Class, as well as my bonus cards, as this week goes on. Be sure to check back here or follow me, The Maine Stamper, on FaceBook, for more cardmaking inspiration and ideas.

Zany Zoo Alligator Card

Zany Zoo Card Class, Card 1

Zany Zoo Alligator Card

Your Weekly Card Class From ME happens to showcase some pretty zany critters! Our focus this week is the Zany Zoo Bundle by Stampin’ Up!. Need more info on this class? Click here.

Funny cards are a lot of…fun… to make. If you smile during the creating process, it is a sure bet that the recipient of your card will smile too. Let’s take a closer look at our first card of the week.

Alligator Green…And Blue

While this Zany Zoo Alligator Card has a good dose of black and white, thanks to the Zoo Crew Designer Series Paper, more color is needed. And since this card is all about an adorable alligator, I needed a green, to be specific.

Green is my favorite color! However, I can also confidently say that Parakeet Party Green is not my favorite at all. This over the top bright green tone came onto the Stampin’ Up! scene in 2022 as an In Color. Suffice it to say, I have barely touched it.

But….it seemed perfect for my Zany Zoo Alligator Card. Maybe what this color needed all along was something zany to pair it with! I also chose another 2022 In Color, Orchid Oasis, as a cool blue to tone this card down.

Zany Zoo Alligator Card Details

I managed to pack a lot of zany fun into this alligator card! Ready to break down some details with me?

Alligator Coloring

The animal images in the Zany Zoo Stamp Set are meant for coloring in. In fact, there are 6 critters in want of coloring. I covered 3 different ways to do so during my live cardmaking class. Check out the video here.

My very favorite way to color is by using the Stampin’ Blends. You will want to start with Memento Black Ink for the stamping. And when you color with the blends, make sure you have a scrap paper behind your coloring image, as this rich alcohol based ink may bleed thru your cardstock.

Radiating Stitches Dies

While the Zany Zoo Dies give us the ability to cut out each zany animal from the coordinating Zany Zoo Stamp Set, I like to use some basic shapes for backdrops and sentiments. The Radiating Stitches Dies are one of my go-to sets.

I love the rectangle shaped dies in various sizes. The stitching along the side is a great bonus. But, when a die set also works around a sentiment, it is a perfect match to bring continuity to my card!

Metal Plate Embossing Folder

Along with the color, Parakeet Party, the Metal Plate 3D Embossing Folder is not amongst my favorites. But when it comes to the design of my cards, I like to find different stamping supplies that work together well.

And this embossing folder is perfect! Our Zany Zoo Alligator is riding a bike! So the tire tread theme is a no-brainer. I also thought the little white embossed details reminded me of our good looking gator’s sharp teeth!

Get Your Zany Zoo Card Class From ME

This Zany Zoo Alligator Card is just one card in my featured class this week. If you would like to see the video from my online class, click this link. For more details on what is in this week’s class from Maine and how to get yours, click here.

I will be sharing more cards from the Zany Zoo Card Class, as well as my bonus cards, as this week goes on. Be sure to check back here or follow me, The Maine Stamper, on FaceBook, for more cardmaking inspiration and ideas.

Nested Friends Best Friends Card

Nested Friends Card Class, Card 2

Nested Friends Best Friends Card

We are on to the next card from my Weekly Card Class From ME. And this week features the Nested Friends Bundle by Stampin’ Up!. When you are showcasing friends, you need plural…so we have not one but two birds on this card!

This second card in the series is my “Summer” card. Want to see our first card in Spring fashion using the Nested Friends Bundle? Click here.

Best Friends Are True Blue

While my card is White and Balmy Blue, the designer series paper packs that I used are full of color! The Country Floral Lane DSP and Country Gingham DSP have the coordinating colors in them, making it simple to mix and match.

That is why card making with Stampin’ Up! products is so easy…great color coordination! I picked out the truest blue tones (all in Balmy Blue!) and cut different designs into small strips to place on my card front for the background. Try this on your cards using any colors and any designer papers for a fun look.

Colorful Blue Birds

For my adorable little best friend blue birds, I stamped the bird image twice from the Nested Friends Stamp Set using Memento Black Ink on White Cardstock. Next, I colored each bird using an assortment of Stampin’ Blends. The tones I chose were Balmy Blue, Crumb Cake and Pumpkin Pie (for the bird beaks).

While I am no real artist, I did my best to try to create both a male and female bird for contrast. My male bird has a bit more Balmy Blue color to show off for his lady friend. After my birds were colored, I die cut them with the coordinating die from the Nested Friends Die Set.

Lastly, I layered my colored and die cut branches and birds on a circle mat, courtesy of the Layering Circles Dies. I chose Balmy Blue Cardstock for the largest scallop die. And my White circle die cut has a bonus feature: I embossed it using the Merry Melody 3D Embossing Folder. Just imagine the sweet notes these friendly birds are singing together!

Get Your Nested Friends Card Class From ME

This Nested Friends Card is just one in my featured class this week. If you would like to see the video from my online class, click this link. For more details on what is in this week’s class from Maine and how to get yours, click here.

I will be sharing more cards from this class, as well as my bonus cards, as this week goes on. Be sure to check back here or follow me, The Maine Stamper, on FaceBook, for more cardmaking inspiration and ideas.

Easter Bunny Little Moments Card

Easter Bunny Card Class, Card 3

Easter Bunny Little Moments Card

We are on to the last card from my Weekly Card Class From ME, featuring the Easter Bunny Bundle by Stampin’ Up!. I have had so much fun creating sweet bunny cards this week and sharing them with you!

And perhaps this is the best card for last, it was certainly very popular with my crafty friends. Want to see another bunny card that features the color purple? Click here. I would love to know which card is your favorite!

Gorgeous Grape, Highland Heather & Sahara Sand

Once again, I have paired purple and brown to great success. This time, I chose softer versions of each, to make my Easter Bunny Little Moments Card more serene. While the Gorgeous Grape pops with brightness, the complimentary colors of Highland Heather and Sahara Sand blend in so well.

The Tools of the Trade

You will notice that this card has a lot of very easy to cut rectangles and squares. And layers…my favorite!

So to break all of that up (and to give my bunny a spotlight feature), I chose a handful of items to give this card some depth and decor.

The bunny featured in this card is just 1 of 3 bunny images in the Easter Bunny Stamp Set. I stamped my bunny in Memento Black Ink and colored him in with an assortment of Stampin’ Blends. I shared my coloring tips in my cardmaking demo. See the video here.

Color Swap Easter Bunny Card

Every Wednesday, on my FaceBook Group Page, Positive PaperCrafters, I have a feature called ‘Who Wore It Better Wednesday’. And I take a card that I recently made and create the same recipe, but in different colors. Then, everyone gets to vote for their favorite, or who they think “wore it better”.

My Easter Bunny Little Moments Card is my Color Swap Card. And this time, my color choices were So Saffron, Smoky Slate and Basic Gray. I also changed my bunny’s color from brown to gray. If you look closely, you will see the other changes I made too!

Get Your Easter Bunny Card Class From ME

This Easter Bunny Little Moments Card is the last one in my featured class this week. If you would like to see the video from my online class, click this link. For more details on what is in this week’s class from Maine and how to get yours, click here.

I have enjoyed sharing cards from the Easter Bunny Card Class, as well as my bonus cards, during this week. Be sure to check back here or follow me, The Maine Stamper, on FaceBook, for more cardmaking inspiration and ideas. Another great card class is right around the corner!

Chocolate Easter Bunny Card

Easter Bunny Card Class, Card 1

Chocolate Easter Bunny Card

Spring is in the air and it is time to get ready for Easter. My Weekly Card Class From ME will help with that, by sharing ways to use the Easter Bunny Bundle, by Stampin’ Up!. Need more info on this class? Click here.

And with Easter on my mind, chocolate is not far behind.

I love chocolate. A lot. And so, I decided to take a fun spin on my first card and create a Chocolate Easter Bunny Card.

Chocolate Wrapped Rabbit

Easter Bunny Punch in use.

Since I am no stranger to chocolate, it made sense that I would need a foil wrapper for my bunny. I grabbed some aluminum foil for this job. The Easter Bunny Punch actually benefits from punching foil, I recommend punching this common kitchen product whenever your punch gets dull.

I also wanted a cute purple wrapper along with the foil liner for my chocolate bunny. Fresh Freesia is one of the sweetest purple tones! I had some retired Sale-A-Bration Designer Series Paper, Dainty Delight, that had the cutest polka dot pattern. So, I incorporated it into my Chocolate Easter Bunny Card!

When you use the Easter Bunny Punch without the coordinating stamp, you have the option to have your bunny face right or left. Sometimes you have to punch the “back” of your designer paper. Want to see how I put all these layers of bunny together? Check out my card class video here.

Elegant Borders Dies

Elegant Borders Dies.

With Stampin’ Up!’s new Online Exclusives products, there are a lot of great products to check out. Not to be missed are the Elegant Borders Dies. There are 4 amazing dies that will help you make gorgeous borders.

Of course I used one of them for my Chocolate Easter Bunny Card! I die cut White Cardstock to overlay against my purple print DSP. This way, the lacy details really show off their beauty!

Easter Bunny Stamp Set

While I relied on the Easter Bunny Punch for my Chocolate Easter Bunny focal point, I also got to do a little stamping using the Easter Bunny Stamp Set. I chose one of the sentiments from the stamp set and used it for some background stamping. To help me line up my words and keep them in the framework, I also used Masking Paper.

When I stamped the flower stamp, I linked 3 of the same image together in Memento Black Ink. Next, I used an assortment of Stampin’ Blends to do some quick coloring. The flowers add a nice touch to the top of this Chocolate Easter Bunny Card, don’t you think?

An Easter Treat For You

Just like the sentiment background says on the front of this card, there are treats here! While the Chocolate Easter Bunny on the outside implies a sweet treat, the inside of this card has a special gift card (or money) pocket within.

Get Your Easter Bunny Card Class From ME

This Chocolate Easter Bunny Card is just one card in my featured class this week. If you would like to see the video from my online class, click this link. For more details on what is in this week’s class from Maine and how to get yours, click here.

I will be sharing more cards from the Easter Bunny Card Class, as well as my bonus cards, as this week goes on. Be sure to check back here or follow me, The Maine Stamper, on FaceBook, for more cardmaking inspiration and ideas.