from my ink pad to yours: Enjoy Life

March 03, 2019

Enjoy Life Blended Ink Backgrounds

I hope you have had a good weekend. Snow? Cold? At least it is March.

I've been working on my blending techniques and am excited to share a sample of what I've been working on. This card is uses colors from the current Sunday Stamps color challenge.

I used the colors as much as I could approximate them and even used the idea of a water scene.

I started by blending the colors on a piece of Crumb Cake cardstock. All of the colors I list were mixed with Whisper White craft ink, from the refill. Starting from the bottom I used Crumb Cake with So Saffron for the straw like color, Coastal Cabana, Pacific Point, Berry Burst and Flirty Flamingo. I started with a couple of drops of color refill in a small puddle of Whisper White craft
All of the colors were mixed and applied with sponge daubers. By mixing with craft ink, the dye ink kind of floats above the cardstock instead of soaking into it, making it very easy to blend. I did a Facebook Live earlier today showing how I do this. It will take a few minutes to dry or you could dry it faster with a heat tool.
I pounced the sponge dauber to get the white of the breaking waves so it wouldn't blend in too much.
I initially thought I wanted to use Stazon ink for my silhouette image and greeting, from the stamp set, Enjoy Life. Unfortunately the first greeting smeared and I thought the whole piece was history. I cut away the smeared greeting and tried it again on what was left but this time used Memento Tuxedo Black. I decided that I really prefer the softer look of the Tuxedo Black on the chalk-like surface of the blended inks.
Still using the Tuxedo Black, I stamped the plant silhouette on the corner of the blended piece and again in the corner of the card.
I drew a little shadow at the silhouette's feet with a Crumb Cake marker.
A black mat cut about 1/8" inch wider than the trimmed panel finished off the card.

I really appreciate that you have taken time out of your day to visit my blog. Let me know what you think and come back again soon!If you have questions, leave a comment and I'll try my best to get back to you as soon as possible.

Stampin' Up! catalogs can be viewed with the Current Stampin' Up! catalogs link at the top of my blog. If you don't have regular Stampin' Up Demonstrator and would like hard copies of any of our current catalogs please feel free to email me at [email protected]

Chris

***If you need a Stampin' Up! demonstrator I would love to help you with your stamping journey and have you shop with me! You can click on "Shop with Chris Smith" at the top of my blog.

If you place a minimum $50 (US) order using the March host code, YDZJFZWA, I will send you the free gift . March orders are also eligible for a free Sale-A-Bration item . US customers only. Customers placing an order smaller than $50 will still receive my March thank you card.

If you place a $150 or greater order please don't use the hostess code. You will still receive the gifts but you will also get your own hostess benefits.m

Product List

Flowering Desert Photopolymer Stamp Set

[148700]

Versamark Pad

[102283]

Clear Stampin' Emboss Powder

[109130]

Crumb Cake 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock

[120953]

Whisper White 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock

[100730]

Basic Black 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock

[121045]

Sponge Daubers

[133773]

Neutrals Stampin' Write Markers

[147158]

Whisper White Craft Stampin' Ink Refill

[101780]

Crumb Cake Classic Stampin' Ink Refill

[121029]

So Saffron Classic Stampin' Ink Refill

[105225]

Coastal Cabana Classic In Color Stampin' Ink Refill

[131164]

Pacific Point Classic Stampin' Ink Refill

[111840]

Berry Burst Classic Stampin' Ink Refill

[144089]

Flirty Flamingo Classic Stampin' Ink Refill

[141402]

Jet Black Stazon Ink Pad

[101406]

Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad

[132708]

Posted at 09:16 PM in Enjoy Life | Permalink | Comments (4)

December 20, 2018

Let's Try A Blends Technique

I have a technique with Blends markers to show you today. I made a couple of these cards as part of a technique challenge last summer.

There are only a few more weeks that Bring on the Presents will be available. If you like bows you better check out this bundle of stamps and dies. You can look at it more closely by clicking on the bundle in the product list at the end of this post.

Do this technique in a well ventilated area since you will be spraying some alcohol. I use a little bit of alcohol in a spray bottle or Stampin' Spritzer. You may also want to use a mask.
I started by scribbling Blends on a large acrylic block or plastic bag: Dark Mango Melody, Dark Flirty Flamingo, Light Lovely Lipstick. Spray lightly with alcohol and smear the block onto a quarter sheet of glossy cardstock. Repeat if you want to add more color. I had enough color on my first try to pick up what was left over with a regular piece of Whisper White. It just kind of depends how much color and the intensity of the colors that you choose. You will want to do a couple of these sheets. It is definitely fun to play around with this! You will find lots of ways to use these sheets.
Stamp the bow, 2 ribbon and tag onto one of the sheets and cut out with the coordinating dies.
Cut the remaining sheet down to 3 5/8" x 4 3/8".
Adhere the ribbon as shown. Use Stampin' Dimensionals to add the bow and add the tag so that comes out from under the bow. Layer it onto a piece of 3 3/4" x 4 1/2" Basic Black cardstock.
Adhere this piece to a folded Whisper White card.

I used that regular piece of Whisper White that I used to pick up extra ink for this card. The challenge was include a sunrise in some fashion so I thought the colors were perfect and pulled out the Enjoy Life set to stamp on it.

Aren't these words perfect for a sunrise/gratefulness card:

This Enjoy Life set was inspired by million dollar sales achiever, Connie Fitzgerald. I saw her introduce the set last spring in Milwaukee and she told a very touching story about the inspiration of her children. Isn't it a wonderful sentiment?

I used Tuxedo Black Memento ink to stamp the sentiment onto the multicolored piece mentioned above.
Then I inked the human figure in the same ink and stamped it off on scratch paper a few times so that I could be sure it would be pale enough to not interfere with the words. Only when I knew how dark it would look did I stamp over the sentiment.
This stamped piece was cut out with an oval from Layering Ovals framelits.
The based of the card was assembled by first adding a 5 1/2" x 1 1/4" piece of Flirty Flamingo from the Brights designer series paper (I'm on my second pack - I LOVE this paper!)
Emboss a piece of 6" x 4 1/4" Whisper White cardstock with the leaves folder and trimmed to 5 1/2" x 3 1/8". Attach a strip of 5 1/2" Basic Black cardstock behind this so it just barely shows and layer it over the Flirty Flamingo stripe as show.
Adhere the oval onto the card with Stampin' Dimensionals.

I tried this technique again today while playing around with the Bloom by Bloom set that comes out January 3rd in the 2019 Occasions catalog. It's the same set I posted yesterday with the bold Lovely Lipstick Blooms but with these colors it's a completely different look. Come back tomorrow to check it out. - I didn't like the way the glossy paper photographed in my artificial lighting so I promise I'll try it tomorrow in the daylight...

I sincerely thank you for stopping by my little place in the stamping world. Let me know what you think and come back again soon!

Chris

***If you need a Stampin' Up! demonstrator I would love to have you shop with me! You can click on "Shop with Chris Smith" at the top of my blog.

If you place a minimum $50 (US) order using the December hostess code, 2APHPF9M, I will send your choice of any annual catalog item up to $10 in value. US customers only. Customers placing an order smaller than $50 will still receive my special Christmas thank you surprise.

If you place a $150 or greater order please don't use the hostess code. You will still receive the gifts but you will also get your own hostess benefits.

Product List