2018-2020 Retiring In Color, Grapefruit Grove

Retirement Time For Grapefruit Grove

Stampin’ Up! offers trendy In Color collections that are only available for two years. After two short years of use, the In Colors, like Grapefruit Grove, 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.

2018-2020 In Colors
2018-2020 In Color Classic Stampin’ Pads, item #147153

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.

Grove of Grapefruits

Cslypso Coral, Grapefruit Grove, Pumpkin Pie
Calypso Coral (left), Grapefruit Grove(center), Pumpkin Pie (right)

Grapefruit Grove is the softest tone of the 2018-2020 retiring In Color collection. I find nothing sour about this grapefruit, only sweet. And, if I were to use other food type descriptions for this color, I would name it “Completely Cantaloupe” or “Circus Peanut Treat”.

There is a tendency for this color to be used as orange, and yet it does not blend well with orange itself. Grapefruit pairs nicely with peachy tone colors, even pinks and reds. It is wonderful with neutral browns and grays, lending light to those earthy hues.

Beauty Abounds

Beauty Abounds in Grapefruit Grove

My card is bursting with Grapefruit Grove. I used this color for the cardstock base, as well as the butterflies, which I die cut from the Butterfly Beauty Dies. Once I trimmed the butterfly ensemble apart, I used 3 of the 5 on my card front, leaving 2 for another project.

I love whimsical stripes and playful polka dots. The Designer Series Paper here is from a retired 2018-2020 In Color collection. All DSP is patterned differently on opposite sides, and in this case, I used the same paper, front and back, in creation.

I stamped the flourish in Memento Tuxedo Black Ink directly onto the DSP. Additionally, I stamped the opaque circles in Grapefruit Grove Ink onto the DSP in the same direct manner. I chose pearls to add a touch of elegance, as well as follow thru with the minimal colors of this endearing card.

Nature’s Beauty

Nature's Beauty Card in Grapefruit Grove

Basic Gray and Cajun Craze are both darker colors, and Grapefruit Grove is the perfect choice to perfectly compliment and soften this card.

I stamped the fox image with Memento Black Ink on Whisper White Cardstock. Next, I colored the fox with Cajun Craze Stampin’ Blends, using the Color Lifter to help provide shading. My foxy fox is matted on a piece of Grapefruit Grove Cardstock.

Texture on cards is nice, so I added it twice! First, I embossed in Hammered Metal on Basic Gray. Secondly, I embossed in Subtle 3D on Grapefruit Grove. The sentiment for this card is from the stamp set, Heartland. Happiness Blooms Enamel Dots in Calypso Coral and Grapefruit Grove Nature’s Twine complete the look.

Beautiful Promenade

Beautiful Promenade card in Grapefruit Grove

For my last card, I wanted to showcase a pleasing palette of colorful combinations that included Grapefruit Grove. Calypso Coral, Poppy Parade and Real Red round out the flowers on display.

I stamped each flower using the same ink color as my cardstock, for a tone on tone look. The Beautiful Promenade Stamp Set has an outline flower stamp as well as an inner striping stamp. I stamped each outline using direct ink to paper. The inner image was stamped off first, for lighter inking.

My choice of Basic Black and Whisper White as a stark background enabled the flowers to really pop. Soft Seafoam lends a gentle green tone to the leaves, helping to center the sentiment, which I die cut from the Stitched So Sweetly Dies.

Going, Gone, Grapefruit

I will admit that Grapefruit Grove was not one of my go-to colors over the past two years. But, now that it is retiring, I have come to the conclusion that I am not ready for it to leave, much like my adoration for another retiring In Color, Lovely Lipstick.

Stampin' Up! products in Grapefruit Grove

It is not too late to get some of the wonderful products still available in Grapefruit Grove, 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 2018-2020 In Color Stampin’ Write Markers, as well as cardstock and embellishments. You will find that Grapefruit Grove is an easy ingredient to mix into your next project.

Birthdays Are For Everyone

Happy Birthday To You

Today, I am highlighting the Happy Birthday to You Stamp Set, FREE during Sale-A-Bration with a $50 order, and the Coordination Product Release, Birthday Dies. The coordinating dies are only available while supplies last.

This particular stamp set features a tiered cake decorated with flowers, complete with fancy cake pedestal. The sentiments cover solid reasons to eat cake: “Happy Birthday” and “celebrate”. Additionally, the phrase “To You” is included, and a stamp that could be used as sprinkles, confetti, or a shading accent.

Happy Birthday To You, #152308, 5 cling stamps

Birthday Fun Fact #1: The most celebrated date of birth in the world is Christmas Day!

Birthday Dies

The Coordination Product Release of the Birthday Dies makes cutting cake super easy! With the assist of your die cutting machine, you will have nice images of the cake on its stand, and separately, the trio of decorative flowers. An additional, larger cake stand as well as delicate leaves and sprigs complete the set.

Birthday Dies, #153590, 5 dies

Birthday Fun Fact #2: When your age and date of birth are the same, this is known as your “Golden Birthday.

Cards Created

I combined the stamp set and dies to make 3 uniquely different cards. Here are pictures of each with a little detail in the design process.

More Cake, Please

I love chocolate cake. And the more chocolate cake, the better. In this card, I expanded the cake to make it taller by stamping and die cutting 2 cakes and attaching an extra layer to the bottom. Each cake is made with Soft Suede paper and ink, and sponged to deepen the rich brown color.

Bring out the special cake stand for this beautiful baked goodness! I die cut the stand using Gold Foil Sheets. Stampin’ Up! sells foil sheets in black, champagne, copper and silver also. By removing the stamped cake stand with scissors, the die cut stand fits perfectly.

We eat with our eyes. This cake is made more appetizing with gorgeous floral decorations. I stamped the flowers on watercolor paper and heat embossed with white powder before aqua-painting in blue, green and yellow. In addition, the die cut leaves in Pear Pizzazz and sprigs in Daffodil Delight create volume.

Birthday Fun Fact #3: “Birthday Paradox” is the likelihood that out of 23 people, there is a 50/50 chance that two of them will have the same birthday.

Sepia Birthday Card

This elegant tonal card says “happy birthday”. But you could easily use the “celebrate” sentiment for a wedding or bridal shower card. Furthermore, by using only 2 colors (Very Vanilla and Soft Suede) the palette remains neutral and refined.

I stamped the cake on watercolor paper and heat embossed with white powder. After I die cut the image, the entire piece was aqua-painted in Soft Suede. A higher ink concentration for the cake deepened the color.

Sometimes, cards need a little lift. Stampin’ Up has numerous embossing folders to choose from to create texture. Here, I chose the Subtle 3D Embossing Folder and the Heirloom Frames Embossing Folder. Lastly, I attached the die cut cake and fussy cut sentiment with dimensionals for added stature.

Birthday Fun Fact #4: The month with the most birthday celebrations all over the world is…August. Runners up include calendar neighbors, July and September.

3 x 3 Mini

This little note card is dairy free, gluten free, calorie free and cake free. It is simply the die cut flowers! I stamped the image in memento ink and colored with a variety of Stampin’ Blends. The dies make it so easy to take the cake off the menu.

My mini card has spring color accents from Pear Pizzazz and So Saffron cardstock. I added elegance with a few adhesive pearls. The stamped sentiment “for you” comes from the set ‘Itty Bitty Greetings’, a perfect compliment to this teeny tiny card.

Birthday Fun Fact #5: More than 2 billion birthday cards are sent every year.

Get Your Cake Now

Say it with cake! With so many birthdays and celebrations taking place, this stamp set and the coordinating dies are a must have in your collection. You will be able to easily create wow projects in no time with this dynamic duo.

Contact me to discuss how you can earn these featured products for free. Or visit my online store, https://www.juliemakson.stampinup.net, to view additional cake making card supplies today. Someone you know is probably having a birthday soon, wouldn’t they love a homemade card?