Art With Heart Creative Showcase - July 2020

Colouring Techniques with Bloom & Grow and Rooted in Nature

Hello. Welcome to Valley Inspirations with Andrea and the Art with Heart Creative Showcase for July 2020.

The Art with Heart Team are back with another Creative Showcase, this time featuring different colouring techniques. The Stampin' Up! range contains a bevy of functional and effective colouring tools that include: Stampin' Blends, Stampin' Write Markers, Classic Ink Pads, Classic Ink Refills and Classic Ink Spots, Watercolour Pencils, Water Painters, Blender Pens, Sponges, Sponge Daubers, Sponge Rollers, Stamp Blocks, Stampin' Spritzers - hmm have I missed something - probably as there are so many Stampin' Up! tools available.

I hope you enjoy the amazing projects our team members have to share with you as they demonstrate the results of these tools.

To create my projects (pictured below) I have used Stampin' (Alcohol) Blends with Heat Embossing for Project 1 and Stampin' Write Markers, a Stamp Block and Stampin' Spritzer for Project 2.

I love using colouring techniques on my projects and have fun exploring a range of techniques, especially learning new ones. Colouring often requires a good eye, skill and creative enthusiasm to try it out. I am still learning and practicing so I can improve - and I am loving the journey. It is good to know that if one technique doesn't gel with you, there are many others with a range of variations that may tickle your fancy. If something doesn't work, just keep trying.

Card 1: My first card uses Stampin' Blends to colour the gorgeous Bloom & Grow stamp set which had been stamped in Versamark ink and heat embossed with Gold Stampin' Powder. As the Stampin' Blends are alcohol markers, the ink used to stamp the design needs to be either a water based ink or heat embossed. One of the larger stamps and some of the smaller sprays were stamped on Whisper White card-stock and then coloured with a range of Blends, ie Light and Dark in Petal Pink, Soft Sea Foam, Seaside spray and Purple Posy Combo Packs, plus Light Rococo Rose. Folk colour with Stampin' Blends in various ways. What works for me is to colour in small areas, starting with the darker colour and then using the lighter colour to blend the colours in small circular motions. I also like to use the Colour Lifter to blend out the lightest colour and to add highlights. Once coloured, I then started to fussy cut the intricate images until I realised that this stamp set came in a bundle with the matching  Budding Blooms dies. Oh, so much easier. I don't mind fussy cutting but with intricate buds, etc it was fiddly and I didn't want to accidentally cut off any of the arrangement. 

With the coloured design feature ready, the card pieces were prepared. A standard card base in Petal Pink card-stock was cut. The card front in Whisper White card-stock was embossed with the Dainty Diamonds 3D embossing folder. The coloured flowers were positioned to gauge how much of the card front should be trimmed off to enable the Petal Pink card base to show. A piece of Gold Metallic Edged ribbon was coloured with the Dark Petal Pink Blends. This is another colouring technique to ensure embellishments colour match the design features. Similarly, I also used the same Blends to colour Pearl Basic Jewels. The coloured ribbon was wrapped around the card front and adhered on the back. I also tied a seperate knot with the ribbon to adhere with a glue dot once the flowers were positioned and I could work out where the knot would look best.

The flowers were positioned and popped up on Mini Dimensionals. Two extra flowers were fussy cut and popped up over a couple of flowers to add extra dimension. The card front was adhered to the card base with Dimensionals. A sentiment from the same stamp set was stamped on an extra piece of Whisper White card-stock with Versamark ink and heat embossed with Gold Emboss powder to match the flowers. The sentiment was die cut with one of the Stitched Rectangle dies and added with Dimensionals. The card was finished with the scattering of a number of coloured Pearl Basic Jewels.

A Whisper White card inner was adhered inside the card and the remaining thin strip of the Dainty Diamonds embossed card front was added with a metallic edged of the ribbon showing on the outside (the photo doesn't pick it up well - you need to squint really hard 😉). A little spray of coloured leaves and buds was also added. The envelope flap was stamped in Petal Pink ink with the large floral spray, while the envelope front was partially stamped on the edge.

Card 2:  My second card could have appeared either in this blog or my previous blog (from last night). My last blog was part of the Art with Heart Team's Colour Creations Showcase where we heroed Cajun Craze, one of Stampin' Up!s Regal colours. My first idea to use this rich rusty orange was to design a card with Autumn leaves, but I wanted to think more broadly for the Colour Creations Showcase. However, I love Autumn leaves and creating the blend of Autumn colours can use a different colouring technique than the one applied on my first card.

I started with Whisper White card-stock (for the card front), a C Block, a Stampin' Spritzer and Cajun Craze, Pumpkin Pie, Crushed Curry and Old Olive Stampin' Write Markers. Then each of the Markers were scribbled onto the block in a number of places. When covered with ink, the block was spritzed with water. Carefully, and quickly the wet coloured block was turned over and placed on the card-stock and held in place until the ink was absorbed into the paper. This was set aside to dry or I could have dried it with a heat gun. Isn't the soft blending of colours beautiful?

The small leaf from the Rooted In Nature (double) stamp set was coloured with Cajun Craze, Pumpkin Pie and Crushed Curry Stampin Write Markers directly to the stamp and then stamped on the card front. A sentiment from the same stamp set was stamped in Cajun Craze onto a small piece of Whisper White card-stock. This was trimmed down and added to the card front with Dimensionals. A piece of Linen Braided Trim was tied around the card front in a knot with the ends frayed a little. The card front was adhered to a Crushed Curry card-stock mount and then popped up with Dimensionals on the Cajun Craze card base. It was at this point that I realised that I had intended to emboss the card front with the Subtle 3D embossing folder - oops! Disappointing, but not disastrous  - so why did I kick myself???

Looking at the card design, the leaves were a similar strength of colour to the water-coloured rectangle and so the leaves didn't stand out as much as they deserved. To give a little distinction to the darker leaf edge, Versamark ink (from a Refill bottle) was added with a Blender Pen and then heat embossed with Gold Stampin' Emboss powder. The camera hasn't picked up the life added with the gold edge that glitters in the light. I will need to experiment with this technique to refine it's application.

A Whisper White card inner with two fussy cut coloured extra leaves was added inside the card. The envelope had some Marker coloured leaves stamped directly to the front.

I dearly wanted to share a third card with you featuring further colouring techniques, but ran out of time to finish the card. Hopefully, it will link with a coming blog hop so I can share it with you then.

The two cards have used either colouring with Stampin' Blends on the stamped floral arrangement and the ribbon and pearl embellishments; or water colouring using Stampin' Write Markers, a block and a Stampin' Spritzer as well as using the Markers directly on the stamp. I hope you have enjoyed these techniques.

Thank you for visiting Valley Inspirations. I really appreciate you spending time with me.

 

The next Art With Heart Team member to share her colour technique project is Amie McIlroy at Eager to Stamp. Click on Aimie's name or the Graphic below to see her project featuring gorgeous a lovely colouring technique.

  

I am so blessed to be apart of such a talented team. Knowing each of my colleagues in this Creative Showcase, I am sure that they have some amazing projects to share with you. Don't miss checking out each of their blogs. If you have a broken link or have come to this blog hop midway, you can view all the participants' blogs listed below. Click on their names to be taken to their respective blogs:

Vicki Boucher

Rebecca Jacovou

Kate Morgan

Andrea Sargent   << You are here>>

Amie McIlroy

Rachel Woollard

Tina Gillespie

Sharon Davern

Kimberly Hern

Caroline Manwaring

Catherine Proctor

Thank you for viewing our Showcase. Do come back next month for August's Art With Heart Team Creative Showcase. I'm not sure what we will be showcasing but I know it will be fun and inspiring given my colleagues and the Stampin' Up products we love. 

Please don't hesitate to contact me if you are in Australia and would like a copy of the  Stampin' Up! 2020-2021 Annual Catalogue or the newly released August - December Mini Catalogue; or if you have any queries that I could help with. If you are interested in buying Stampin' Up! products I would delighted to serve you.

Take care of yourself and your loved ones,

Andrea 😘

List of Products used to create these projects: 

Stamps, Dies & Punches

• Rooted In Nature stamp set - #148217
• Nature's Roots dies - #151786
• Bloom & Grow Stamp set - #149229
• Budding Blooms dies - #149548

Inks & Applicators

• Cajun Craze Classic Stampin' ink pad - #153116
• Petal Pink Classic Stampin' ink pad - #147108
• Blender Pen - #102845
• Cajun Craze, Pumpkin Pie, Crushed Curry, Old Olive Stampin' Write Markers as part of the Regals Stampin' Write Markers -  #147155
• Petal Pink Stampin' Blends Combo Park - #154893
• Soft Sea Foam Stampin' Blends Combo Pack- #154902
• Seaside Spray Stampin' Blends Combo Pack- #154901
• Purple Posy Stampin' Blends Combo Pack- #154896
• Rococo Rose Stampin' Blends Combo Pack- #154900
• Colour Lifter Stampin' Blends - #144608
• Versamark ink pad - #102283
• Gold Stampin' Emboss Powder - #109129

Paper

• Whisper White card-stock - #106549
• Thick Whisper White card-stock - #140490
• Cajun Craze card-stock - #121681
• Crushed Curry card-stock - #131288
• Petal Pink card-stock - #147009
• C6 Whisper White envelopes - #106589

Embellishments

• Gold Metallic Edged Ribbon - #144146
• Braided Linen Trim - #147808
• Pearl Basic Jewels - #144219

Adhesives

• Multipurpose Liquid Glue - #110755
• Mini Glue Dots - #103683
• Tear & Tape Adhesive - #138995
• Mini Stampin' Dimensionals - #144108
• Stampin' Dimensionals - #104430

Tools

• Dainty Diamonds 3D Embossing Folder - #152702
• Take Your Pick Tool - #144107
• Bone Folder - #102300
• Paper Snips - #103579
• Paper Trimmer - #152392
• Stamparatus - #148187
• Block C - #118486
• Block D - #118485
• Block E - #118484
• Block H - #118490
• Grid Paper - #130148
• Silicone Craft Mat - #127857
• Stamping Sponge - #141337
• Simple Shammy - #147042
• Heat Tool - #129056
• Stampin Cut & Emboss Machine - #149653
• Magnetic Cutting Plate - #149656