ADD A TOUCH OF FALL TO YOUR CARDS WITH THE TIME OF GIVING BUNDLE & A BLENDER PEN

 Hi Stampers!

Have you seen the Time of Giving Bundle in the Stampin’ Up!®️ July-December 2021 Mini catalog? (Page 61) I missed it the first couple of times I looked through the catalog. Once I took notice, I had to have it! The stamp set has nice sentiments and four image stamps. I think the snowflakes and swirls image is really pretty, but I love the leaves. All three leaves are one stamp, but the coordinating die cuts them out separately.

Here is a look at the stamp set:

Here are the dies:

These dies cut out images from the stamp set (wheat and leaves). The also cut out snowflake, ribbon, and vine shapes. There are four outline dies (detail dies) that cut out images attached to a rectangular border. The die cut images work well with the Tailored Made Tags Dies (Annual Catalog) for creating gift tags or tags for cards.

I used the TIME OF GIVING BUNDLE to create a fall themed card. Here is the card:

The leaf images are basically outline images with a bit of shading. I used a blender pen on the stamped image to move the ink around and add a hint of color to the leaves. Page down a bit for the video where I demonstrate how to use a blender pen to add a touch of color to stamped images.

SUPPLIES FOR THE CARD

* Time of Giving Bundle and the Biggest Wish stamp set

* Soft Suede Card base cut at 6 3/8” x 5 1/2” scored and folded at 2 1/8” (or 4 1/4” - it will be the same) along the 6 3/8” side.

* Very Vanilla cardstock cut at 5 1/4” x 4” and a large scrap for stamping

* Soft Suede cardstock cut at 3 1/4” x 2 1/4”

* 6” x 6” DSP x Neutrals - Soft Suede, one piece cut at 5 1/4” x 1 7/8” and one cut at 3” x 2”.

* Inks - Soft Suede and Cinnamon Cider and a blender pen

* Wonderful Gems - 3 clear with gold flakes

* 4-5 inches of linen thread tied in a bow

* Stitched Rectangles Dies - die that measures about 2” x 1 3/4”

* Adhesive and glue dots

ASSEMBLY

* Stamp the leaf images with the. Cinnamon Cider ink along the right side of the Very Vanilla (5 1/4” x 4”) cardstock. Use the blender pen to move some of the ink around the leaf adding a touch of color to the entire image. 

* On the scrap of Very Vanilla stamp the leaf images with Cinnamon Cider ink,  and use the blender pen as before yo add a dab of color to the leaves. Stamp the greeting (hello) with Soft Suede ink. Die cut the leaf images and use the Stitched Rectangles Die to cut out the greeting.

* Adhere the DSP to the front of the card base and to the piece of Soft Suede cardstock (focal panel base)

* Apply adhesive to only one side of the focal panel base and adhere it to the card front.

* Adhere the greeting and the leaves (see card for placement).

* Use a glue dot to adhere the linen thread bow to the single leaf.

* Place the Wonderful Gems on the card.

NOTE:

The Stampin’ Up 2021-2022 Annual Catalog suggests using  Basic White or Shimmery White cardstock with the blender pens. For my card I used the blender pen on Very Vanilla cardstock with no issues. I used a circular motion and a light touch. I avoided going back over areas I had covered. The circular motion, light touch, and going over the stamped area only once helps prevent pilling.The photos above show results using the blending pen on (from top to bottom) Basic White cardstock, Shimmery White cardstock, and Very Vanilla cardstock. 

VIDEO - USING BLENDING PENS TO ADD COLOR TO STAMPED IMAGES

In the video I mentioned using the die cut leaf images in a shaker card. Here is the shaker card I made using the die cut leaves and a few sequins for shaker elements.

SUPPLIES FOR THE SHAKER CARD

* Stamp sets - Time of Giving Bundle, Nuts About Squirrels, Banner Year (greeting)

* Soft Suede card base

* Soft Suede and Very Vanilla cardstock, Cork Specialty Paper, and window sheet all cut at 4” x 3 1/2”

* Scraps of Soft Suede, Crumb Cake, Very Vanilla, and scraps of colors for leaves (I used Crushed Curry, Pumpkin Pie, and Cherry Cobbler).

* DSP 5 1/4” x 4” I used the Pattern Party DSP - Black and White tattersall pattern.

* Inks - Cinnamon Cider, Soft Suede, and Memento Tuxedo Black; blending brush

* Layering Circles Die 2 1/2” diameter

* Adhesive, foam adhesive strips

* A few sequins

ASSEMBLY

* Use the blending brush to add ink to the DSP. First add a layer of Cinnamon Cider followed by Soft Suede. The goal is to have areas of lighter and darker coloring.

* Adhere the Cork paper to the piece of Very Vanilla cardstock (this step will give the cork more stability), use the texture stamp from the Time of Giving stamp set and Cinnamon Cider ink and stamp randomly on the cork to add more dimension to the texture of the cork. Allow this to dry or use a heat tool to set the ink (it takes just a few seconds).

* Stamp the squirrel (Nuts About Squirrels) on Very Vanilla with Memento Tuxedo Black ink. Add color with the “filler” stamp and Cinnamon Cider ink. Stamp the greeting (from Banner Year) with Soft Suede on the scrap of Crumb Cake. 

* Fussy cut the squirrel. Use scissors or a paper trimmer to cut out the greeting.

* Die cut the cork panel using the Layering Circles Die.

* Die cut the leaves using the leaves die (not the outline die)

* Adhere the window sheet to the back of the cork panel and place the foam adhesive strip on the window sheet along the outside rim of the circle.

* Place the die cut leaves and a few sequins in the center of the 4” x 3 1/2” piece of Soft Suede cardstock. Peel the backing off the foam strip and attack the cork panel to the cardstock.

* Adhere the greeting to a scrap of Soft Suede cardstock and trim the cardstock to make a mat for the greeting. Adhere this to the card above the die cut circle.

* Adhere the squirrel image to the lower left corner of the cork panel.

* Adhere the DSP to the card base.

* Adhere the cork shaker panel to the card.

That’s all for now. Thank you for taking a peek. Until next time…

Stamp Happy!

Kim

All stamps and stamped images ©️1990-2021 Stampin’ Up!®️

ADD A LITTLE COLOR WITH BLENDER PENS

Hi, Stampers!

In just over a month and a half the Stampin’ Up!®️ 2021-22 Annual Catalog will make its debut! (4 May 2021). I am looking forward to seeing all the new catalog has to offer, but the past week or so I have been rediscovering some stamp sets from the current catalog. I enjoyed these stamps set a few months back, but soon moved on to other sets. Well, time to dust them off and enjoy them again! 

In the same spirit - using items I’ve not used in a bit - I thought it high time I used my blending pens! It has been a long (very long) time since I used them last! Why? I really don’t know. 

The images on the two cards below are from the FLORAL ESSENCE stamp set (annual catalog). I stamped the outline images, and used the blender pen to move a bit of color around.

FLORAL ESSENCE

The “Happy Birthday” sentiment and the sentiments on the inside of the cards were stamped using the HAPPY THOUGHTS stamp set (mini catalog).

HAPPY THOUGHTS

Here is another look at the “blissful future” card. 

The inside of the card.

SUPPLIES NEEDED TO MAKE THIS CARD

Card base: Gorgeous Grape 8 1/2” x 5 1/2” scored and folded at 4 1/4”. 

Two pieces of Basic White cardstock 5 1/4” x 4” - one for the front of the card and one for inside.

Scraps of Basic White and Gorgeous Grape for the sentiment.

Inks - Gorgeous Grape, Granny Apple Green, and Mango Melody; Blender Pen

Stamp & Seal, Dimensionals, and Stitched Rectangles Dies (measures about 1 1/8” x 2 3/8”. )

TO ASSEMBLE THE CARD:

*Using Mango Melody stamp “ Congratulations” centered and near the top of one of the 5 1/4” x 4” pieces of Basic White cardstock. This piece will be the inside insert. Now stamp the “Wishing you a blissful future on the scrap of Basic White. 

*Use the Gorgeous Grape ink and stamp the flower in the lower right corner of the insert. Use the blender pen to move the stamped ink out from the stamped lines of the flower. Use a light touch and a circular motion as you work from the middle of the flower toward the outside. (Clean the blender pen by moving them around on a piece of scratch paper. )

* Now stamp the leaf image next to the flower twice using the Granny Apple Green ink. Use the blender pen just as you did for the flowers.

* Now stamp the center of the flower with he Mango Melody ink.

* For the front panel randomly stamp the flower image - use the blender pen to add a bit of color to the flowers. Then stamp the leaves and fill in color with the blender pen. Now stamp the flower centers. Use this stamp to put a few flower centers in blank spaces. Now use the small leaf image to fill in areas near flowers. Use the blender pens to add color to these leaves.

* Die cut the greeting using the Stitched Rectangles Dies; mat it on the scrap piece of Gorgeous Grape cut at 1 1/4” x 2 1/2”. 

* Adhere the insert to the inside of the card using Stamp & Seal and then adhere the front panel of the card. Put dimensionals on the back of greeting and attach it to the front of the card. The card is finished.

 

I also used the Floral Essence stamp set to make this card. For each flower I stamped two of the petal images, punch them out, used the blender pen to add color to the petals, and attached them together with glue dots or Stamp & Seal. The flower centers were stamped on a scrap of Basic White with Mango Melody, and fussy cut.

The Gorgeous Grape card base is 5 1/2” x 4 1/4” (5 1/2” x 8 1/2”  - scored at 4 1/4.) The background panel is DSP from Hydrangea Hill and is cut at 3 3/4” x 5” then embossed with the Ornate Floral 3-D embossing  folder.The Granny Apple Green leaves were cut using the small leaf image from the Magnolia Memory Dies. For the sentiment: the Gorgeous Grape piece is 4 1/2 x 1” and the Highland Heather piece is 2 3/4” x 3/4” and stamped with Gorgeous Grape ink. The Gorgeous Grape Sheer Ribbon is cut about 5-5 1/2” long and each end is taped to the back of the Gorgeous Grape cardstock. Another piece of the ribbon(3-4” long) is tied around the longer piece to form a faux bow. 

I used the same card layouts as above and a blender pen to create cards using the CAMPOLOGY and the NOTHING’S BETTER THAN stamp sets. (Both are found in the annual catalog.)

CAMPOLOGY 

NOTHING’S BETTER THAN

 I used the blender pen on the coffee pot and the cups. Cardstock used is Misty Moonlight and Basic White. The the greeting of the landscape version is stamped on Seaside Spray. The ink used is Misty Moonlight.

The Basic White background on this card is 4” x 5 1/4”.  The twine used is from the Flowers for Every Season Ribbon Combo Pack. I cut a strand of the twine, pulled the silver strand out and used a size G crochet hook to crochet the chain. It is attached to the back of the cardstock piece with tape. If you do not crochet alternatives are - braid together three strands of the twine or wrap twine around the cardstock 2 or 3 times.

USING BLENDER PENS WITH STAMPED IMAGES - THE VIDEO

Thank you for stopping by! Until next time...

Stamp Happy!

Kim

All stamps and stamped images ©️1990 - 2021 Stampin’ Up!®️