AWH Colour Creations Blog Hop #37 Orchid Oasis

Orchid Oasis with Hot Air Balloon & Stargazing

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

This week’s Blog Hop is focussing on a beautiful deep blue/purple called Orchid Oasis. Orchid Oasis is one of the 2022-2024 In Colours that will be retiring in May. I love both this colour and Starry Sky even though initially I thought they were too similar. This colour is lovely with mauves & purples or with blues or pinks.

Orchid Oasis is produced in Stampin' Up!'s card-stock, both A4 & 12"x12"; Classic Stampin' inks (ink pads & re-inkers); Stampin' Write Marker; Stampin’ Blends Combo; 2022-2024 In Colors Designer Series Paper as well as Stargazing, Meandering Meadows and Perennial Lavendar DSPs; In Colour Metallic Woven Ribbon, Bakers Twine Pack; and 2022-2024 In Colour Pearls. 

Orchid Oasis ink, card-stock, Stampin’ Blends, Stampin’ Write Marker, Stargazing DSP Bakers Twine and In Colour Pearls have been used in the creation of these projects plus a range of non-Orchid Oasis bits and pieces.

I need to create 3 birthday cards for fellas - so I took up the challenge to create two of the cards using Orchid Oasis. They say for males that an interactive card is a good idea - so they are both fun folds, though different folds.

I used the Hot Air Balloon bundle from the January - April Mini Catalogue for the first card. I have seen similar folds called “Inside Out” style folds as part of the card inner can be seen from the outside. Two Basic White card-stock panels were partially die cut with the cloud like die from the Basic Borders dies to give the card a sense of clouds enveloping Hot Air Balloons floating in the sky. I needed to partially cut down one side, then move the die to cut nearer the bottom of the panel. The white panel had been cut wide enough to go across the card front plus 1cm to score and fold and adhere to the back and the central Orchid Oasis card panel.

Another panel of Basic White cardstock was coloured to give an impression of clouds. A separate piece of card-stock had been cut with the clouds border die and repeatedly positioned and coloured over using a Blending Brush with Balmy Blue and Boho Blue Classic Stampin’ inks - gradually getting darker as I moved up the panel. Similar blending was lightly added to the side cloud panels.

Using the Hot Air Balloon stamp set, 2 different sized balloons were stamped in Orchid Oasis and Lemon Lolly Classic inks on Basic White card-stock. They were cut out with the coordinating dies. Extra decorative pieces were cut from Basic White card-stock. While die cutting some clouds were also cut out. The die cut clouds and the balloon baskets also had a touch of Balmy Blue blending added. It’s not picked up in the photos, but the little baskets were dry embossed with the Twisted Rope 3D Embossing Folder. While no one may notice this little addition - it made me smile to add the texture.

The background panel was sprinkled with a little water to add some extra texture.  Some Orchid Oasis was also splattered on each panel using a Stampin’ Write Marker. The hot air balloons and clouds were positioned on the various panels with either Multi-purpose Liquid Glue or Dimensionals, ensuring a cohesive scene from the front and when the card was opened. I wanted to add some birds in the sky, but realised I didn’t have any current stamp sets with tiny birds so I drew them in with a Smoky Slate Stampin’ Write Marker.

The final touches were the addition of a hidden sentiment from the same set of stamps that was white heat embossed onto Orchid Oasis card-stock and die cut with a curved label die from the coordinating dies. I couldn’t help myself - so I added some twisted and knotted Orchid Oasis Bakers Twine around the sentiment and a few Iridescent Basic Rhinestone Jewels - just a very subtle touch of bling. 

A Basic White panel for writing a personal message was adhered to the back of the centre panel. Before the writing panel was added, an Orchid Oasis Light Blend was used to colour the edges of the white card-stock that had been adhered to the back of the card to hold the cloud panels in place. The writing panel was coloured with some blended clouds and another sentiment (from the Softly Said stamp set) was stamped in Orchid Oasis ink.  A Basic White C6 envelope was also coloured with some blended clouds. 

CARD 2:

Here it is from a different angle.

This fancy fold has been around for a number of years but recently I saw Sue Campfield, a US Demonstrator, create cards using a similar fold. I converted her Imperial measurements to suit our A4 card-stock, ensuring this card would only take half an A4 sheet of Orchid Oasis card-stock. Also, I have folded it a different way - slightly.

The scored and cut sections were covered with one of the amazing designs of the Stargazing DSP. Both the front and back sections were able to be covered using only 1 piece of DSP with a couple of strips remaining. Two designs included various colours of planets. Planets were cut using the coordinating dies from one of the sheets. A planetary ring was cut from the darker Holographic Speciality Foil. The smaller eclipse shape needed to be extended to fit around the mid size planet. Some stars were also die cut from the same Holographic Foil.

The planets and stars were adhered in place with either Multipurpose Liquid Glue or Dimensionals. A sentiment from the Season of Chic stamp set was white heat embossed on Orchid Oasis card-stock and fussy cut out. Some gorgeous Orchid Oasis 2022-2024 In Color Pearls were the finishing touch for the card front.

As mentioned, the back of the card was also covered with this beautiful DSP. I needed to fiddle a little to keep the colour and design flowing.  Extra planets were positioned and trimmed so some planets flowed across folds. A Basic White panel was added to the centre section for writing a personal message. A sentiment from the Dainty Delight stamp set was stamped in Orchid Oasis. 

A C6 Basic White Envelope had a couple of part planets from the edge of the DSP adhered in place and part of a left over strip of DSP was adhered to the envelope flap. And yes, it does fold into a C6 Envelope.

Thank you so much for dropping by on your way around the Orchid Oasis Colour Creations Blog Hop. I am sure there will be so much Orchid Oasis inspiration as you hop around. Don’t miss it.

To continue with the Orchid Oasis blog hop just click the "next" graphic below to be taken to the blog of a special lady, Kate Morgan. I am looking forward to checking out Kate’s creation(s). I do love seeing everyone’s' projects - we always show a range of ways to use the focal colour.

I do hope to see you next week when we will be featuring Parakeet Party as we continue the weekly 2023-2024 Colour Creations Blog Hop series. 

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

Andrea 💕🐾

If you find a broken link or would like to view the full list of participants just go to Catherine Proctor’s blog @ What Cathy Made. Cathy is our brilliant 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 the Stampin' Up 2023-2024 Annual Catalogue and or the new January-April 2024 Mini Catalogue, then let me know and I will be delighted to send them to you.  Please don't hesitate to make contact with any other queries about these projects or Stampin' Up!. 

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