WHIMSICAL TREES WITH ORNAMENTS FOR ALL; A TINSEL TIME TUESDAY POST

 Hi Stampers,

Before we get to today’s cards I want to let you know about the Stampin’ Up!®️ 24 Hour Stamp Sale! The sale includes select cling stamp sets from the Stampin’ Up! 2021-2022 Annual Catalog. It all starts tomorrow, 20 October 2021. For more information and a list of included stamp sets click HERE. 

Okay, let’s talk about card making! Today I want to talk about how to take one card design and change the look by simply changing the color scheme. I made a “retro” themed card, one in traditional Christmas colors, a classic in gold and white, one in neutral colors for a woodsy look, one using Victorian inspired colors, a monochromatic card, and a whimsical less traditional version. The image for the cards is from the WHIMSICAL TREES stamp set. (The greetings are from various stamp sets.) Let’s take a look at the cards:

As you can see, some of the cards require coloring of individual ornaments, while others do not, so this card idea offers options. If you’ve followed me for long, you know I love options, and believe in card making there are always options!

MEASUREMENTS FOR THE CARDS

* Card base - Basic White (thick) 8 1/2” x 5 1/2” scored and folded at 4 1/4”.

* Basic White for focal piece cut at 5 1/2” x 2 1/4”.

* Mat - various colors cut at 5 1/2” x 2 3/4”.

Here is a look at the stamp set:

WHIMSICAL TREES

(Stampin’ Up!®️ July - December 2021 Mini Catalog)

GOING RETRO 

Do you have someone in your life who has a passion for all things retro? This could be the card for that person! I just searched “retro ornaments” and “1950’s ornaments” to find my color palette. There are plenty of other color choices to reflect a fun retro look. Here is the list of colors I used (all are Stampin’ Blends):

* Poppy Parade (light & dark), Pool Party (light & dark), Smoky Slate (light & dark), Flirty Flamingo (light & dark), and Petal Pink (light & dark).

* Memento Tuxedo Black ink for image and greeting.

* The mat is Bermuda Bay.

TRADITIONAL HOLIDAY

The inspiration for this card comes from a 1960’s gift box that was passed around in our family from person to person from year to year for decades. I do not recall exactly the last year it was used, but it was in the late 90’s. Once again, I used Stampin’ Blends. Here are the colors and other items needed to complete the card:

* Real Red (light & dark), Poppy Parade (light & dark), Granny Apple Green (light & dark), Shaded Spruce (light), Daffodil Delight (light).

* Memento Tuxedo Black ink for image and greeting.

* Mat - Green Foil

* Adhesive

NOTE - to get the most from your specialty papers, such as the Green Foil, instead of cutting the mat at 5 1/2”  x 2 3/4”, cut two strips that are 5 1/2” x 1/2”. Adhere one strip along the top side of the focal panel, and the second along the bottom side of the focal panel.

CLASSIC ELEGANCE

You can never go wrong with gold and white.  The embossed gold images on a white background is festive, yet elegant, and requires no coloring. To make this card you will need:

* Versa Mark ink, gold embossing powder, and a heat tool. 

* Brushed Metsllic cardstock - Gold, for the mat.

* Adhesive

NOTE - As with the Green Foil for the previous card, to get the most from your specialty papers instead of cutting the mat 5 1/2” x 2 3/4” you can cut two strips that are 5 1/2” x 1/2” and adhere one strip along the top and one along the bottom side of the focal panel. 

A NATURAL TOUCH

This card is a bit non-traditional, but I really like the way it turned out. I wanted a woodsy, outdoorsy, back to nature kind of look. I think the cork specialty paper emphasizes the “natural” theme. Instead of using the Memento Tuxedo Black ink to stamp the image, I used Soft Suede ink. The images are colored with Stampin’  Blends.

* Colors used - Crumb Cake (dark & light), Soft Suede (dark & light), Cinnamon Cider (dark & light), Ivory; Soft Suede ink for image and greeting.

* Cork Specialty Paper. 

* Adhesive

VICTORIAN INSPIRED

My mom loved Christmas, and she loved all things Victorian. I always made her a Victorian inspired Christmas card. She passed away in 2017, but every year I still make a card inspired by her admiration for the Victorian era. To select colors for this card I searched “ Victorian Era Color Palette.”  The results were truly overwhelming, but eventually I chose some colors that matched some of the color swatches I viewed. Notice on this card I chose to leave two of the ornaments white. I did color the center portion and the top of the ornament.

* Stampin’ Blends - Rich Razzleberry (light & dark), Daffodil Delight (light & dark), So Saffron (light& dark), Cherry Cobbler (light & dark), Soft Succulent (light & dark), and Calypso Coral (light & dark). Memento Tuxedo Black to stamp image, Versa Mark, gold embossing powder, and heat tool for greeting. 

* Gold Glimmer Vellum to mat focal image.

* Adhesive

NOTE - Adhere focal panel to vellum, the put adhesive on the backside of the vellum only where it will be covered by the focal panel. The vellum will be adhered well to the card, but you will not see the adhesive through the vellum.

IN A MONOCHROMATIC MOOD

This version of the card is another that requires no coloring of the individual ornaments. I used a blending brush with two colors of ink (Soft Succulent and Mint Macaron) to add the background color to the Shimmery White cardstock focal panel, then stamped the images with a third color of ink (Evening Evergreen). Here are the items I used for this card.

* Inks - Soft Succulent, Mint Macaron, and Evening Evergreen

* For this focal panel I used Shimmery White cardstock. The photo does not pick up the shimmer, but in real life it is a visible festive touch.

* Evening Evergreen cardstock mat.

* Adhesive.

NON-TRADITIONAL WHIMSY

This version of the card was very quick and easy to create, and the result was a bit serendipitous! Doesn’t the background remind you of a peppermint stick! (Sort of, a little bit? 😁) The background color is a watercolor wash. I did use the Basic White cardstock for this panel. It is not recommended for water coloring, but being the rule breaker I am, I used it anyway! (You can use watercolor paper or Shimmery White cardstock if you like). To be honest, I did not use a lot of water, just enough to move the color across the page. I just lightly tapped an acrylic block on a Polished Pink ink pad, used the large flat brush tipped water painter (annual catalog) to add 2-3 drops of water to the ink, inked up the brush, then stroked it diagonally across the paper. The paper was not very wet at all, just a tiny bit damp. I used my heat tool to dry it (you can let it air dry), then stamped the image on top with Polished Pink ink. Supplies for the card:

* Inks - Polished Pink ink

* Water Painter - large flat brush tip

* Adhesive.

FOR MORE TIPS ON MAKING THIS CARD, VIEW THE VIDEO BELOW.

I hope you give this card design a try, and find color combinations or coloring techniques you love!

OCTOBER SURPRISE!

Tomorrow, 20 October 2021, Stampin’ Up! Is offering 15% off select cling (red rubber) stamp sets! The sale will last only 24 hours only. To view the list of included stamp sets click HERE

That is all for today! Thanks for stopping by. Until next time…

Stamp Happy!

Kim

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