AWHT Colour Creations #46 Smoky Slate

Smoky Slate with Heron Habitat Fancy Fold

Hello. Welcome to Valley Inspirations with Andrea and the Art with Heart Colour Creations Blog Hop. We are working though the amazing Stampin' Up! colours in alphabetical order, focussing on one colour each week.

This week’s Blog Hop is focussing on a light grey called Smoky Slate. Smoky Slate is part of the Neutrals Colour Family and is a very versatile colour. This colour is lovely when used for so many things, including herons and it works with so many colours. 

Smoky Slate is produced in Stampin' Up!'s card-stock, both A4 & 12"x12"; Classic Stampin' inks (ink pads & re-inkers); Stampin' Write Markers; Stampin' Blends Combo; Neutrals Designer Series Paper as well as Happy Forest Friends and Abigail Rose DSPs; plus Slimline Envelopes, Celebrate Today Magnet Board Kit and a couple of Clearance items. 

Smoky Slate card-stock, ink and Stampin’ Blends Combo have been used in this project plus a range of non-Smoky Slate bits and pieces. Here is my card:

I have often seen a heron when walking my dog along the Sturt River, so as I was planning my project to showcase Smoky Slate my mind immediately went to Stampin’ Up!s Heron Habitat bundle. I also thought of a fancy fold demonstrated recently by USA Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator, Sue Campfield. She designed two folds, ie the Flying Seagull and the Flying Finch fancy folds. This card is based on the Flying Finch design but I amended the dimensions to work with A4 cardstock.

By the Bay Speciality DSP was used for the card’s background panels and they were mounted on slightly larger Smoky Slate card-stock. A little blending with Balmy Blue ink had been added to the upper edge of the SDSP. One of the dies from the coordinating Heron dies was used to cut near the base. The cut off section was added back with a some overlap using Dimensionals. The 2 Basic White side panels were embossed with the Painted Texture 3D embossing folder.

Two of the larger herons from the Heron Habitat stamp set were stamped on Basic White card-stock. Extra depth was added to the stamped images with the Smoky Slate Stampin’ Blends and the Color Lifter. A little Pool Party was also added to the white areas using the Pool Party Blends Combo. The images were die cut with coordinating dies from the Heron dies. The same set of dies were used to cut a number of reeds. The reeds were coloured with retired Pretty Peacock Stampin’ Blends together with the Color Lifter. Demonstrators have had a little early insight that Pretty Peacock will be returning with the coming colour refresh so I used this colour to give a hint of what is to come. It won’t be long before we know more about the colour refresh.

A sentiment from the Heron Habitat stamps was stamped in Smoky Slate Classic Stampin’ ink and cut out with the small label die from the coordinating set. The label seemed a little large so the top and bottom sections were fussy cut off. It was then tied around the centre section with White Bakers twine that had been coloured with Light Smoky Slate and Light Pretty Peacock Blends. The herons and reeds were arranged and adhered in place with a mix of Multipurpose Liquid Glue, Dimensionals and Glue Dots. The panel needed something else.  So a circle of Vellum card-stock was punched out with the recently returned 1 3/4” punch and coloured with a little So Saffron ink and a Blending Brush. This was tucked behind the flying heron to symbolise the sun. A couple of tiny birds were also stamped in Smoky Slate ink.

The ends of the coloured Bakers Twine was unravelled a bit and a mix of Faux Sea Glass Shapes were sprinkled around as the finishing touch. These Sea Glass Shapes are amazing - I love them. 

A thin panel of Basic White card-stock was stamped (and stamped off) with the tiny birds and added to a section of the back folds that sits behind the main front panel. A “Happy Birthday” sentiment was also stamped in Smoky Slate. A C6 Basic White Envelope was stamped with the flying heron to provide some coordination with the card that it will hold.

While the card spreads out when standing, it does fold up to fit into a normal envelope, as shown below. I have just realised that I forgot to photograph the card from an angle that shows the open wings. I’ll add it tomorrow.

Thank you so much for dropping in. I so appreciate that you spent time with me.

There is more Smoky Slate creativity. To continue with the blog hop, click the  "onto the next" graphic below and be taken to the blog of the lovely Kate Morgan. I am looking forward to checking out Kate’s creations. I do love seeing everyones' projects - there is always inspiration.

I hope to see you next week when we will be featuring So Saffron, one of the Subtles Colour family as we continue the weekly 2022-2023 Colour Creations Blog Hops.  Only 4 more hops for this round of Colour Creations Blog Hops.

Stay well, stay safe and be kind to yourself and others.

Andrea 💕🐾

If you find a broken link or you would like to view the full list of participants then go to Catherine Proctor’s blog @ What Cathy Made. Cathy is our  Art With Heart Team Colour Creations Coordinator.  She is a wonderful lady. Check out her delightful creation while you are there.

If you live in Australia, don't already have a Stampin' Up! demonstrator and would like your own copy of Stampin' Up's 2022-2023 Annual Catalogue and or the January - April 2023 Mini Catalogue then let me know and I will be delighted to send them to you. The new annual catalogue that will be coming soon. Please don't hesitate to make contact with any other queries about this project or Stampin' Up!. 

#colourcreationsbloghop  #stampinup #stampinupaustralia #stampinupsouthpacific #stampinupdemo  #handmadecards #makeacardsendacard #stampinupdemonstrator #papercrafting #artwithheartteam  #papercrafter  #stamper  #valleyinspirations   #heronhabitat #bythebay