Bron’s Birthday Blog Hop #6

 Theme #6: Tropical Holiday

Hello. Welcome to Valley Inspirations with Andrea and the sixth and final blog hop celebrating Bronwyn Eastly. We're a group of stamping friends that are recognising Bron's 60th Birthday in 2022 with six blog hops, over six months, with six fun themes! And today is Bron’s special day - HAPPY BIRTHDAY Bron. Hope you are having a fabulous day and wonderful tropical holiday.

Photo from australiantraveller.com

I had a concept in my mind, but as I started my project the card morphed into something different. I have used the Sunkissed stamp set that can be found on page 69 of the July - December Stampin’ Up! Mini Catalogue. These stamps spoke to me of a relaxed tropical holiday. I have used a number of colouring techniques, including Marker Direct to Stamp, Watercolour and Stampin’ Alcohol Blends.

The card size and fold were a couple of things that changed during the development process. Working around the size of the images I had stamped and coloured, there was a lot of cutting of card-stock and Designer Series Paper, discarding pieces and recutting, then trimming to fit. As I was finishing the card I mused that I actually had no concrete idea of the dimension of pieces of card-stock and DSP used. Not my usual practice.

The card is slimline has images on the 3 front panels so the place to write the personal message is on the back of the card. 

I started by stamping the images from the Sunkissed stamp set onto Shimmery White cardstock using the Marker Direct to Stamp method. I used my Stamparatus and coloured the images in sections using a range of Stampin’ Markers, including Calypso Coral, Petal Pink, Crumb Cake, Sahara Sand, Smoky Slate, Evening Evergreen, Parakeet Party, Soft Succulent, Pear Pizzazz, Pool Party, Tahitian Tide, Coastal Cabana, Soft Suede & Gray Granite.

The images were further coloured with a number of Stampin’ Blends, including Pool Party, Crumb Cake, Balmy Blue, Smoky Slate, Old Olive, Petal Pink, Calypso Coral combos plus my trusty Colour Lifter. Extra panels of Shimmery White card-stock were water-coloured to represent sky and sand. 

In thinking about what I would use to mat the focal pieces and the back of a couple of the panels, I thought of the now retired Waves of the Ocean Designer Series Paper. This gorgeous DSP was only available for a short time as a special promotion when the Waves of Inspiration bundle was released early. It seemed to be perfect for this tropical theme.

I am planning to give this card to a male family friend so I didn’t want to use my usual bow and sparkles. Instead I added a brilliant finish that I have seen Susan Wong, Artisan and member of #thecraftycarrotco use, ie securing a brad and tying twine to it; then wrapping the twine around the card multiple times to hold it closed. A sentiment from the Waves of Inspiration stamp set was stamped in Crumb Cake directly to the third panel so it could also be seen when the card is closed. A number of Classic Matte Dots added that final touch.  This slimline card fits into one of Stampin’ Up!s Slimline Envelopes.

Thank you so much for calling by.

Hop on over to the next blog by the very special Bronwyn Eastley (and birthday girl) and check out her delightful creation. Just click on Bronwyn’s name or the Next graphic below to be taken to her Blog, Addinktivedesigns.

If you come across a broken link or want to head to Bron's blog for a list of everyone in this blog hop, just click on this link. 

Apart from this Blog Hop there is also an Instagram Hop starting with Bron at @addinktivedesigns. Check it out too - there is more creativity to find.

#bronsbdaybloghops #stampinup #stampinupsouthpacific #stampinupdemo  #handmadecards #makeacardsendacard #stampinupdemonstrator #papercrafting #sunkissed #wavesofinspiration

AWHT Colour Creations #7 Basic Gray

#7 Basic Gray with Blessings of Home and Whale Done

Hello. Welcome to Valley Inspirations with Andrea and the Art with Heart Colour Creations Blog Hop. Each week we focus on a Stampin' Up! colour as we consecutively work though the Stampin' Up! colours in alphabetical order. Some weeks are more challenging than others but it is always interesting.

This week’s Blog Hop is featuring a neutral colour called Basic Gray. Basic Gray is part of the Neutrals Colour Family and is a mid grey. This colour works well with mid blues or pinks or yellows and many other colour combos. I have explored two of these colour combos with this blog's two cards.  

Basic Gray is produced in Stampin' Up!'s card-stock, both A4 & 12"x12"; Classic Stampin' inks (ink pads, spots & re-inkers); Stampin' Write Markers; Watercolour Pencils, Neutrals Designer Series Paper, Happy Forest Friends DSP, Kindness Card Kit, Classic Matte Dots, Christmas Whimsy Card Kit and Heart and Home DSP, Doilies, Memories and More Card Pack and Cards & Envelopes. The cards below have used Basic Gray Classic Stampin' ink, Card-stock, Stampin' Write Marker and Color Pencil plus a range of other non-BG bits and pieces.

I have created 2 cards to showcase Basic Gray:

While I love using Basic Gray I did find it stretched me to use it as the hero of the projects.

CARD 1:

I love combining pink with grey and couldn't go past this combo for my first card.

I decided to have a floral arrangement part hanging off the edge of the card and thought I would achieve this by using an off-centre gatefold - well the join is way over to the right side as you look at the card. The large floral image from the Blessings of Home stamp set was stamped a couple of times onto Basic White card-stock in Versamark ink and heat embossed with Silver Emboss Powder and a Heat Gun.

The flowers were coloured with Flirty Flamingo Stampin' Blends combo with some Pale Papaya Blends for the flower centres. The leaves were coloured with the Smoky Slate Stampin' Blends combo. The Dark Smoky Slate Blend colours in a Basic Gray shade, but to ensure some Basic Gray was used on the leaves I added a little Basic Grey Watercolor Pencil to give extra depth. A Colour Lifter Blend was also used to add highlights. Some of the flowers and tiny leaves were coloured on the second embossed image. Extra flowers were fussy cut and layered over the arrangement to provide extra dimension and interest.

A woodgrain piece of the retiring Blessings of Home DSP was layered on the right little flap and a piece of Basic White card-stock that had been embossed with a Timber 3D embossing folder was adhered to the larger card-front. A light blending of Blushing Bride ink was added with a Blending Brush over the embossed woodgrain panel and some Basic Gray ink splatters were added with a Stampin' Write Marker. The coloured and layered floral arrangement was centred over the edge of the larger card front so that the flowers would hang off the edge and over the woodgrain DSP when the card was closed. Some of the delightful Glittered White Organdy ribbon was cut in half and tied in a bow together with some Silver Elegant Trim. The bow was tucked under the layered large flower with a couple of Glue Dots - they are so handy.

The card front was finished with a Silver heat embossed "Thank You" sentiment from the same stamp set with the lower smaller words cut away. Tiny coloured leaves and a tiny collection of flowers were added to look as if they were floating over the background. Some beautiful Iridescent Basic Rhinestones added a touch of sparkle.

Some of the woodgrain DSP also was added inside the larger front flap and a strip on the centre panel. Coloured and fussy cut flowers and leaves were added to the card inner as well.

A C6 Basic White envelope was stamped and Silver heat embossed using the smaller flower arrangement from the Blessings of Home stamp set.

CARD 2:

As I was working on Card 1 I started thinking of a shaker card with a Basic Gray Whale. I just had to give it a go with the whale also moving when the card is shaken.

A background panel of Basic White card-stock was stamped with the large wave from the Waves of Inspiration stamp set using Balmy Blue, Coastal Cabana and Pacific Point inks and a Sponge Dauber. Clouds from the After the Storm stamp set were added with third generation Basic Gray ink. The clouds were more somber than I wanted so I over stamped with White Craft ink. A few birds from this last set were added in Basic Gray ink.

A whale from the Whale Done stamp set was stamped in Basic Gray ink on Basic White card-stock. This was punched out using the Whale punch, which also cut out "a spirt of water". A piece of sewing thread was laid down the back of the whale and a white punched out whale was adhered on the back gluing the thread in place. 

Dimensional Strips were added to the edge of the background panel and the thread was centred at the top and bottom, ensuring there was some leeway with the thread to allow the whale to move when the card is shaken. Tear 'n Tape was applied to the top and bottom lengths of the Dimensional Strips. Two frames were layered on top of the Dimensional Strips. A piece of Window Sheet was layered over the framed area after some Sparkle and Shine Sequins (plus a few extra sequins from the retired sequins that had been part of the Whale suite when it was first been introduced) were sprinkled over the whale and scene. A little Balmy Blue ink was blended over the final frame and it was adhered in place. 

The wooden poles & Pelican from the Waves of Inspiration set was Silver heat embossed, trimmed down and added to the corner of the frame. A sentiment from the same stamp set was also Silver heat embossed on Basic White card-stock and fussy cut before being adhered directly to the acetate. Some White Bakers Twine was coloured with a Basic Gray Stampin' Write Marker before tying it in knots and then curling the twine around the pelican and sentiment.

The Basic White card inner was stamped with the wave from the Waves of Inspiration stamp set that was coloured with Coastal Cabana and Pacific Point inks and a Basic Gray whale from the Whale Done set was added. Some Balmy Blue ink was very lightly blended over the sky area. Some wooden poles with a pelican were stamped on the front of a C6 Basic White envelope.

That is it from me for this week. Thank you so much for dropping by. I do value the time you spent with me.

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 - June 2022 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!. 

There is more Basic Gray creativity. To continue with the blog hop, click on the "next" graphic below to be taken to the blog of the talented, Rachel Woolard. I always look forward to checking out Rachel's creation (I wonder what she has in store this week). I do love seeing everyones' projects - always so much inspiration.

Hope to see you next week when we will be featuring a lovely colour, Bermuda Bay, as we continue the weekly 2022-2023 Colour Creations blog hops.

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

Andrea 💕🐾

If you find a broken link or have come to this blog hop from a different entry point, you can view the full list of participants on Catherine Proctor’s blog @ What Cathy Made. Cathy is our wonderful Art With Heart Team Colour Creations Coordinator.  I so appreciate all she does in coordinating this blog hop each week. She is such an amazing lady. Check out her wonderful 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 coming July - December 2022 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 this project or Stampin' Up!. 

#colourcreationsbloghop  #stampinup #stampinupaustralia #stampinupsouthpacific #stampinupdemo  #handmadecards #makeacardsendacard #stampinupdemonstrator #papercrafting #artwithheartteam  #papercrafter  #stamper #whaledone 

#blessingsofhome #wavesofinspiration #valleyinspirations

AWHT Colour Creations #41 Sahara Sand

Sahara Sand with Waves of Inspiration and Artfully Layered

Hello. Welcome to Valley Inspirations with Andrea and the Art with Heart Colour Creations Blog Hop. We are continuing to work though all the Stampin' Up! colours in alphabetical order. 

This week’s Blog Hop is focussing on a soft faun called Sahara Sand. Sahara Sand is part of the Neutrals Colour Family and is a lovely sandy colour. It is another versatile Stampin' Up! colour. As with most neutrals, this colour is delightful when used with so many colours. I have combined it with sea colours, White and Early Expresso and it also works well with Petal Pink, Calypso Coral and White.  

Sahara Sand is produced in Stampin' Up!'s card-stock, both A4 & 12"x12"; Classic Stampin' inks (ink pads & re-inkers); Stampin' Write Markers; Neutrals Designer Series Papers as well as the Tidings of Christmas DSP. The cards below have used Sahara Sand Classic Stampin' ink, Card-stock, a Stampin' Write Marker and Linen Twine (which is the same colour), plus a range of other non-PP bits and pieces.

I have created 2 cards to showcase Sahara Sand in different ways. Here they are:

As you can see, Sahara Sand is a great colour to use. 

CARD 1:

This card features part of the Waves of Inspiration bundle which is an exciting early release from the coming 2022-2023 Annual Catalogue. 

A half piece of Fluid 100 Watercolor Paper was water-coloured with a range of colours indicative of sand, sea and sky. The colours used included Sahara Sand, Crumb Cake, Pool Party, Coastal Cabana and Balmy Blue Classic Stampin' inks, as well as a touch of White Craft ink to represent sea foam. This was die cut with a mid-sized Stitched Rectangle die and mounted on a slightly larger piece of Sahara Sand card-stock.

The background was created with a piece of Basic White card-stock that was mounted on a slightly larger piece of Sahara Sand card-stock. A number of die cut waves cut out of Basic White card-stock with the coordinating Waves dies were adhered directly to the Basic White layer. Linen Twine was wrapped around this background layer and tied in a bow to the side.

The pelican sitting on a wooden pole was stamped twice on Basic White card-stock with Sahara Sand ink and fussy cut. Seagulls were stamped directly on the water-colour panel. The clouds and shading pieces were cut from Basic White card-stock.

The card front was finished with a sentiment from the same stamp set that was White heat embossed on Sahara Sand card-stock. Clear Polished Dots added a little shimmer, together with a little Wink of Stella. It is disappointing that the Wink of Stella shimmer isn't picked up by the camera.

The Basic White card inner also was mounted on a piece of Sahara Sand card-stock. The white panel had been stamped with the pelican sitting on a pole. Similarly, a Basic White C6 Envelope was stamped with the pelican on a pole image in Sahara Sand ink. 

CARD 2:

This second card features Sahara Sand with White and a touch of Early Expresso. I started with the aim of a clean and simple card but couldn't resist the addition of vellum and ribbon and twine. 

I had a Thick Basic White card base sitting on my desk - it's different dimensions than I normally use, but couldn't remember why I first prepared it so thought I would use it for this card. It will fit within a standard C6 envelope.

The focal panel was cut from a piece of Sahara Sand card-stock with a mid-sized Stitched Rectangle die (though a smaller one than used in the card above). It was embossed with the splatters design from the Stripes and Splatters 3D Embossing Folder. I love this set of EFs. Some White Craft ink splatters were added using a Water Painter.

One of the leaf dies from the Tropical Layers dies cut 3 images of the same design from Basic White card-stock. The 3 pieces were adhered together to give the leaves some dimension. After it was adhered across the centre of the panel a piece of Linen Twine was wrapped around twice and tied in a bow to the side.

A sentiment from the Artfully Layered stamp set was White heat embossed on Early Expresso  card-stock, fussy cut and "Hey" was added with Mini Dimensionals. The sentiment was stamped again in Early Expresso ink on Sahara Sand card-stock and "there" was fussy cut and added with Mini Dimensionals. A few Clear Round Dots were added for that touch of bling. 

Some Layering Designs Vellum was added to the card base (I felt it just needed something). A piece of White Frayed Ribbon was cut in half and frayed a little more before being added over the Vellum. The centre panel was popped in the centre with Dimensionals.

The Basic White card inner had some stamping in Sahara Sand and a thin strip of Layering Designs Vellum was added near the bottom.  Similarly, a Basic White C6 Envelope also had some Sahara Sand stamping added across the back flap.

Thank you so much for dropping by. I do value the time you spent with me.

If you live in Australia, don't already have a Stampin' Up! demonstrator and would like your own copy of Stampin' Up's 2021-2022 Annual Catalogue or the coming 2022-2023 Annual Catalogue; and or the January - June 2022 Mini Catalogue 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!. 

There is more Sahara Sand creativity. To continue with the blog hop, click on the "next" graphic below to be taken to the blog of the lovely, Kate Morgan. I always look forward to checking out Kate’s creations (I wonder what she has in store this week). I do love seeing everyones' projects - so many ideas and such great inspiration.

Hope to see you next week when we will be featuring another colour starting with "S" - Shaded Spruce, as we continue the weekly 2021-2022 Colour Creations blog hops.

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

Andrea 💕🐾

  

If you find a broken link or have come to this blog hop from a different entry point, you can view the full list of participants on Catherine Proctor’s blog, our wonderful Art With Heart Team Colour Creations Coordinator.  Cathy is amazing and does a wonderful job in coordinating this blog hop each week. She is a special lady. Check out her wonderful creation while you are there.

#colourcreationsbloghop  #colourcreationsbloghop2022  #stampinup #stampinupdemo  #stampinupdemonstrator  #artwithheartteam  #handmadecards  #makeacardsendacard #papercrafting #wavesofinspiration #artfullylayered