My Weekly Card Class From Maine 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.
This Zany Zoo Llama card may be the most zany. Imagine a knitting llama! And then add some pink eyeshadow and nail (or hoof?) polish to our talented crafting lady…er, Llama.
Llama Mambo and Llama Lolly
Aren’t these colors fantastic together? I am loving Lemon Lolly, a sweet new yellow tone from Stampin’ Up!’s color refresh. And even more than loving just one color, I also love finding great matches, like this one.
Both of these colors, Melon Mambo and Lemon Lolly, work really well with our Zoo Crew Designer Series Paper. The bold black and crisp white really pop with this pink and yellow! I added some interest to my Lemon Lolly Cardstock layer by scoring lines at the top and bottom.
Zany Zoo Llama Card Details
For the first card in this week’s class, Zany Zoo Alligator Card, I chose to do my coloring with the Stampin’ Blends. This time, I picked a different coloring method: Water Color Pencils.
I find that Water Color Pencils provide a really different way of adding color. While the coloring technique provides your image with a softer look, I prefer to finish my coloring by using the Blender Pen as the final step.
Blender Pens have a special, clear solution that softens harsh pencil lines and blends the coloring to make it smooth and seamless. A word of caution: too much Blender Pen will create pills on your paper. I chose Melon Mambo, Daffodil Delight and Old Olive to color in my image.
You’re Too Wonderful
As I continue with my Weekly Card Class From Maine, I am keeping the continuity of heat embossing my sentiment in White Embossing Powder on Black Cardstock. For the Zany Zoo Llama Card, the sentiment “You’re Too Wonderful” from the Zany Zoo Stamp Set is perfect.
And speaking of perfect, the coordinating banner die in the Zany Zoo Dies is fantastic for this sentiment too. In fact, this banner die works on 2 out of the 3 sentiments in the Zany Zoo Stamp Set.
Get Your Zany Zoo Card Class From ME
This Zany Zoo Llama 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.
As my 2021-2023 In Color tour comes to an end this month, we are turning to the last color, Pale Papaya and the stamp set, Shaded Summer. I have to admit, Pale Papaya is not my favorite color hue. In fact, I struggle with this yellow/orange color that seems to shift tendencies depending on its color partners.
Our first combo with Pale Papaya is Calypso Coral and Basic Gray. Of course, Basic Gray lends some neutral sensibility to this mix. And Calypso Coral actually coordinates well with Pale Papaya! When I put all three colors together, I was very pleasantly surprised.
Shaded Summer
I realize as I make this card and write this blog post that it is November. Summer is long over. But, the color combo of Pale Papaya and Calypso Coral reminds me a little of summer. And Basic Gray is definitely “shade”! So, I just had to pull out my Shaded Summer Stamp Set.
Something else that I used on this card is long over too: the retired, coordinating dies from January-February 2021 Sale-A-Bration, Shaded Summer Dies. If you don’t have these dies, you could fussy cut the flower image from the Shaded Summer Stamp Set using Paper Snips. Another option would be to swap it out for a similar image with a matching die.
Watercolor Flowers
I started first by stamping my floral image from the Shaded Summer Stamp Set, using third generation Crumb Cake Ink on Basic White Cardstock. Not sure what this means? After inking my stamp, I stamped off twice and used the third stamped image. I wanted a very light outline image to work with.
Next, I grabbed my Watercolor Pencils. I added Calypso Coral to the flowers and Old Olive to the leaves and stems. While coloring, I focused on the outlines and Crumb Cake shaded areas. Notice from my picture that there are plenty of white spaces left un-colored.
You may be wondering why I left so much white space! This is where my Water Painters come in handy. With just the wet brush tip, the watercolor pencil lines are blended and softened beautifully. This artistic wash is simply something that I could not accomplish on my own.
TIP #1: Squeeze some water from the barrel of the Water Painter onto a clear acrylic block and use that water to blend your pencil lines. It is so much easier than squeezing the Water Painter to moisten the brush as you go along.
TIP #2: After you use your Water Painter to blend your lines, you can go back over your image with the Watercolor Pencils again to add more color or sharpen the look of certain areas.
Cutting Edge Beauty
Remember those retired Shaded Summer Dies I spoke of earlier? I used mine to die cut my colorful flower image with my Stampin’ Cut & Emboss Machine. Paper Snips are a great alternative if you need to fussy cut instead.
I took advantage of other dies in the retired set, and die cut leaves in both Basic Gray Cardstock and Smoky Slate Cardstock. Any leaf dies or punches would work here as well.
It was easy to add elegant die cuts to my card front with the Encircled In Beauty Dies. These dies may remind you of a spiro-graph image or doilies when you see them. The lacy circles come in a variety of sizes and designs, and work together so nicely.
After that, I die cut some 2021-2023 In Color Shimmer Vellum in Pale Papaya with the same Layering Circle Die. This Pale Papaya circle now fits inside my white die cut rim perfectly, and will add a bit of sheen to my finished card.
Perfect Punches and Elegant Embossing
I love the look of an embossed image on my card front. The raised texture adds a richness and lots of interest for so little effort. For this card, I decided a floral embossing folder would be too busy, competing with all the images and die cuts I already have.
The final elements of this card came together quickly. I love my punches for that very reason. Starting with the Treasured Tags Pick A Punch, I punched both ends of my Pale Papaya Cardstock using the largest width allowance. All of the Pick A Punch’s are channeled to give you 3 different width options and 2 designs.
After my paper was punched, I stamped my sentiment from the Shaded Summer Stamp Set, using Basic Gray Ink. This ink color is a good option when you want something a little lighter in color from a harsh black ink. I sponged the edges of my sentiment piece using Pale Papaya Ink to help it stand out.
And last but not least, I used my Sprig Punch. This one is my go-to for some extra layering behind a focal piece or sentiment. The 2021-2023 In Color Shimmer Vellum allowed me to use some sparkly Pale Papaya to get a couple of sprigs in no time flat. The sprigs and previously die cut circle in the same medium bring continuity to my card.
Beauty Of Assembly
Once I had all the parts and pieces finalized for my card, it was time to assemble. Instead of automatically adding layers to my Basic Gray Card Base, I began with the embossed piece of Pale Papaya. First, I adhered a piece of Simply Elegant Specialty Designer Series Paper. Next, I added my white rim die cut.
Following in order, I adhered the circular shimmer vellum, adding tape only where it would be next covered by the Calypso Coral die cut piece.
Before I went any further, I added a strip of Gray Granite 1/4″ Shimmer Ribbon on the bottom third of my circular pieces. I wrapped the ends of the ribbon around the back of the Pale Papaya embossed cardstock and secured them with Tear & Tape Adhesive.
From there, it was just a matter of layering on the rest of my pieces. I tucked in the gray die cuts leaves and the shimmer vellum sprigs. Then, I centered my watercolor flowers over the Calypso Coral die cut. Next, I adhered my sentiment and added a bow from another length of the same ribbon. I placed my artistic ensemble on my card base.
For a final bit of bling, I added some Pearl Basic Jewels. The elegance of pearls fits this card perfectly. I love the ease of adding small embellishments with my Take Your Pick Tool. Whether you use the spatula end or the putty end, the application is effortless.
Meant To Be
Much like the sentiment says, some friendships are meant to be. And the color combo I used here is also meant to be. I was so happy mixing Calypso Coral and Basic Gray to Pale Papaya. This card made with the Shaded Summer Stamp Set is perfectly beautiful.
If you haven’t seen any of the other In Color cards from this series, be sure to check them out. Click here to see another card that showcases a different way to use the Water Painters.
All of the current supplies used to make this card can be found in my online store, so shop anytime at your convenience to add these items to your crafty stash. And please come back and visit, to see where the next adventures in Pale Papaya take us!
In Part III of this series, I am continuing my review of the Ornate Garden Suite, turning my focus to the Ornate Style Bundle. This bundle is made up of the Ornate Style Stamp Set and Ornate Layers Dies.
Previously, in Part I, I covered the embellishments (Ornate Garden Specialty Designer Series Paper, Ornate Garden Ribbon Combo Pack and Gilded Gems) and Ornate Floral 3D Embossing Folder. And in Part II, I covered the Ornate Thanks Bundle (Ornate Thanks Stamp Set and Ornate Border Dies).
All of these fabulous new products are part of Stampin’ Up!’s exclusive early release from the upcoming 2020-2021 annual catalog. To add to the excitement, you can purchase these now, whether individually, as bundles, or as the entire suite.
The Ornate Style Bundle, item # 154119. When you purchase the stamps and dies together, you automatically save 10%.
Ornate Layers Dies
I adore this very ornate collection of layers, totaling 8 dies. The largest die is 5 1/2 x 4″, which almost covers the entire front of an A4 card base.
As I use these dies, six out of eight have nesting capabilities with like size counterparts. The same six have solid inner surfaces. I find this is perfect for adding focal points to, or stamping directly on.
The remaining two dies in this collection provide stencil style cut-aways. I discovered that the paper used with these dies will continue to have a solid border after the die cutting process is completed.
After working so hard to die cut the Ornate Border Dies from the Ornate Thanks Bundle, I was pleased that die cutting the Ornate Layers Dies from the Ornate Style Bundle was a breeze! With one pass thru the die cutting machine, minimal effort was required on my part to remove excess cut-away paper.
TIP: When running dies thru your die cutting machine, I recommend placing the die at an angle whenever possible. This will prevent wear and damage to both the die and your machine. You will notice less effort is needed for cutting, and less noise is emitted from the process as well.
You’re Amazing Card
For this sweet card in soft pastel colors of Soft Seafoam, Whisper White and Highland Heather, I continue my use of the Ornate Floral 3D Embossing Folder. The focal point is a group of watercolored flowers, from a stamp in the Ornate Styles Stamp Set.
Here are some of the details of the making of this card:
Water Color Process
Adding water to your paper makes it wet and soggy…obviously! It is best to use watercolor paper or Stampin’ Up!’s Shimmery White Cardstock for this application.
However, I would like to disclose that I did not follow this sound advice. I used regular Whisper White Cardstock, and I am pleased with my results. My take-away is that you can and should always experiment. Have fun!
First, I “stamped off” the flower image using Sahara Sand ink. The term “stamp off” means that you ink your stamp, stamp “off” onto a scrap paper, using up some of the ink, then immediately stamp on to your desired paper. This results in a lighter stamped image.
Second, I began to color with the Stampin’ Up! Watercolor Pencils. These high quality, smooth pencils come in Stampin’ Up! colors, perfect to match the proper tone to Stampin’ Up! ink and paper.
I did not carefully apply the pencil color, as can be seen in my photo. In fact, I quickly scribbled the pencil colors over my stamped image. The third step in my process will correct what appears to be a mess. Plus, time saver!
Third and last step, I used the Aqua Painter to blend all the watercolor pencil scribbles into a consistent washed coverage. I started with the lightest colors and worked to darkest, applying water to each image separately. I wiped transferred color from the paintbrush end as needed.
The paper will need to dry well and be flattened before use. This process doesn’t take too long, fortunately.
This image shows watercoloring partially completed. Notice the difference between the scribbles and the blended areas.
Finishing Touches
The use of Ornate Layers Dies creates the perfect frame for my watercolor masterpiece. The Highland Heather Cardstock layered behind the white ornate frame adds a pleasing backdrop.
The sentiment “you’re amazing” comes from the stamp set, Ornate Thanks. I stamped this image in Gorgeous Grape, a darker complimentary purple. I love to put those tiny scraps of paper to good use.
The two side-tabs were created from single die cuts. After adhering the Soft Sea Foam to Whisper White, I cut the assembly in half and added both pieces to my card front.
From The Bottom Of My Heart Card
Have I mentioned that I love the Ornate Floral 3D Embossing Folder yet? In this card, I embossed the entire front of the base. This required me to fold the back of the card around the edge of the closed embossing folder in order to run it thru my embossing machine.
Additionally, here are some more details regarding this card:
Stampin’ Blend Daisy
The focal point of this cheerful card is the single, zesty daisy. I quickly created it by stamping the image in Memento Tuxedo Black Ink onto Whisper White Cardstock. It fits perfectly into a Ornate Layers Die.
From there, I used Stampin’ Blends in Light Cajun Craze, Light Mango Melody and Dark Old Olive for a quick dash of color. These choices compliment the Terracotta Tile card base, Calypso Coral accent layer and Ornate Garden Specialty Designer Series Paper selection.
Stampin’ Blends come in light and dark tones, and can create gorgeous highlights when used together. Here, I used single colors for quick results.
Finishing Touches
Lots of ornate layers, Terracotta Tile ribbon from the Ornate Garden Ribbon Combo Pack, a sentiment from the Ornate Thanks Stamp Set and Gilded Gems complete this card.
Card Corrections!
Did you notice the errors I made when stamping in, of all colors, black ink? Maybe not, since I covered them up to the best of my crafty ability. Here I disclose the mistakes made and corrective measures taken:
Problem: The daisy image on my card had a smudge of black to the left of the stem near the bottom.
Solution: Gilded Gems to the rescue! The center gem covers my inky smudge. Not just for decorative purpose only.
Problem: More black ink smudging above the word “of” along the top of my sentiment strip.
Solution: Careful placement of the lacey overlay from the Ornate Layers Die above. By lowering this piece slightly over my sentiment strip, the ink smudge is less noticeable.
Conclusion: There are no mistakes in papercrafting, just creativity in process.
Thanks For All You Do Card
This last card in my review of the Ornate Style Bundle is inspired by the daisies in the DSP I used. Therefore, the color palette Whisper White, So Saffron and Crumb Cake are obvious choices.
Following is the assembly process:
Ornate Suite Options
One of my background layers on this card is So Saffron, embossed with the Ornate Floral 3D folder. I love the look of antiquing or grunging with brown inks, and I did so on some of the embossed image with Crumb Cake Ink. While my sponge was out, I added some ink to the Ornate Layer Die piece, cut in Crumb Cake Cardstock as well.
The white daisy border die cut, form the Ornate Border Dies, was a left-over piece from another crafting session. All that was needed was a trim, top and bottom to better fit my card front.
Finishing Touches
Layered in action are three of the dies from the Ornate Layers Dies, using the above mentioned colors. Adding these three pieces to any card in any hue is a no-brainer! I chose this selection as a decorative fill element, drawing the eye across the card front as layers merge into each other.
Again, the sentiments are from the stamp set, Ornate Thanks, and I inked them up with Early Espresso onto thin Whisper White Cardstock scraps. I flagged each end by hand, using my Paper Snips. Gilded Gems over the center of each flower add a touch of golden sparkle.
Ornate Garden Suite Conclusion
The Ornate Garden Suite has a lot to offer! I love that the components work so well together, yet can stand alone. It is budget friendly, whether you bundle and save, or as you pick and choose which individual items are must have’s for your crafting experience.
I spent quite some time getting to know this suite and creating samples with these brand new products. In my three part blog series, I highlighted different items. Now, I will share the best of the best, as I see it!
Best Embellishment
The Ornate Floral 3D Embossing Folder. This item may not be considered an embellishment, but it creates embellishments and was highlighted in Part I with similar items from this suite. This folder created raised flowers in all but one of the cards I featured with this suite. I really like it!
The embossing folder is easy to use. It is smaller in size (not the 6×6) so less stress of lining it up just right in your die cutting machine. There is no orientation or straight lines to try to emboss. And the pattern is small, blending into the background without being overbearing. All sweet things!
Best Stamp Set
The Ornate Thanks Stamp Set. I am always a fan of stamp sets that have great sentiments or sayings. This one in nothing but! This huge offering of things to say has incredible value. I showcased sayings from this stamp set in each of the cards from my three part series.
This is a photopolymer stamp set, which makes it really easy to see thru to line up for precise stamping. And no stickers required for assembly, like the red rubber style. The scripty font is, perhaps, my favorite part of this set. As well, the sayings can be masked to create additional options, per Part II of my review. I only hope we see more of this great font in upcoming stamp sets…
Best Dies
The Ornate Layers Dies. I love layers. If you have been looking at any of my card creations, by now you must realize this. I love layers. If layers are like accessories, my cards are well dressed!
This die set has “layers” in its name. We were meant to be together. I appreciate the ease of die cutting with this set, no fussy-ness involved. And layering is super easy, as well as fancy and fun. In fact, if I had to pick only 1 item form this suite, it would definitely be the Ornate Layers Dies.
Be As Ornate As You Can
I hope you have enjoyed following my three part exploration of the Ornate Garden Suite. If you need any of the supplies that I used to create my Ornate Garden cards, please stop by my online store, https://www.juliemakson.stampinup.net.
I would love to know your thoughts on the products I have featured, so be sure to drop your comments below! May your continued creativity be ornate!
