World Cardmaking Day 2022

Kathryn’s Blog Hop: Water-coloured Wisteria Wishes

Hello. Welcome to Valley Inspirations with Andrea and Kathryn’s Blog Hop for World Cardmaking Day. 

To celebrate World Card Making Day, I am participating in Kathryn's Blog Hop with a number of Stampin' Up! Demonstrators from all around the world to share a card that I created recently.  Kathryn also challenged us to post our cards within a week to someone special. She doesn't want us to forget to send the cards we make and just store them in a box. Mine will be heading to a friend who is visiting Aus from USA.

One of the Blog Hops I participate in is the Art with Heart Colour Creations Blog Hop. It goes live every Wednesday evening. We are focussing individually on all the Stampin' Up! colours. A couple of weeks ago we were showcasing Fresh Freesia. I ran out of time to finish a second card so I am using it for this Blog Hop. I love playing with water-colour and recently had watched Tami Hewlett, a current Stampin' Up! Artisan from the USA, demonstrate a different technique, ie lightly misting the stamps and then stamping on damp paper. I so love the effect and it is perfect for the Wisteria Wishes bundle to create an abundance of wisteria. A neighbour used to have wisteria growing across the front of her house. It had been there for years and each year there was an abundance of flowers. I thought of my neighbour as I created this card.

A panel of Shimmery White card-stock was spritzed with water using a Stampin' Mister. The wisteria flower stamps were inked with Fresh Freesia, initially stamping off then spritzed with water and stamped. The next layer was similarly stamped but this time in full strength. The next layer was stamped off Rich Razzelberry. As it dried there was some extra stamping to gain a little more definition. The lower section was lightly water-coloured with Balmy Blue. Using the Wisteria dies, a number of flower heads, leaves & a stem were die cut from Shimmery White card-stock. All these pieces were water-coloured - I LOVE this technique. The inks used were Crumb Cake, Soft Succulent, touches of Evening Evergreen, Fresh Freesia and Rich Razzelberry Classic inks.

A frame was die cut from Basic White card-stock using one of the Fabulous Frames dies. The front panel was mounted on a slightly larger piece of Splendid Day Speciality Designer Series Paper, that in turn was mounted on a Thick Basic White card base. The sentiment is from the same stamp set and was stamped in Gorgeous Grape ink before being fussy cut. A swoosh of Pool Party Sheer ribbon was layered under the sentiment and a few In Colour Opal Rounds added extra sparkle.

The card inner shows a Basic White panel mounted on the same SDSP as used on the front of the card. Some left over die cut and water-coloured wisteria also decorates the inner panel and a second sentiment was added with Gorgeous Grape ink. A Basic White C6 envelope was simply stamped with the wisteria flowers along the top edge. A bit of Highland Heather was used. The envelope was stamped well after the card was first created and I had forgotten that I hadn't used HH on the card. Oops!

Thank you for spending time on my blog. 

There is more inspiration to see this World Cardmaking Day. Do continue with the blog hop and click the  "onto the next" graphic below to be taken to the blog of the lovely and talented Rachel Palmieri. I do love seeing Rachel's creations as well as everyone elses' projects.

I hope you have a wonderful long weekend. 

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

Andrea 💕🐾

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 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  #valleyinspirations   #wisteriawishes #wisteria #worldcardmakingday

AWHT Colour Creations #21 Fresh Freesia

Fresh Freesia with Wisteria Wonder

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 across a 12 month period.

This week’s Blog Hop is focussing on a light purple called Fresh Freesia. Fresh Freesia is part of the 2021-2023 In Colour Family and is a beautiful soft mauve colour. I will miss it when it disappears next June. This colour is lovely when used for flowers; when mixed with pool party, Coastal Cabana, Highland Heather & Balmy Blue it is delightful for snowflakes and it can be used in so many other ways - just check out the range of Designer Series Papers referenced below. 

Fresh Freesia is produced in Stampin' Up!'s card-stock, both A4 & 12"x12"; Classic Stampin' inks (ink pads & re-inkers); Stampin' Write Markers; Stampin' Blends; In Colours Designer Series Paper as well as Butterfly Kisses, Tea Boutique & Hues of Happiness DSPs plus the Splendid Day Speciality Designer Series Paper; In Colour Open Weave Ribbon, In Colour Opal Rounds, Adhesive-backed Sequins, Loose Flower Flourishes, Fun Flowers Resin Shapes; and Tea Boutique Cards & Envelopes. 

My card uses Fresh Freesia Classic ink, card-stock, Splendid Day SDSP and 2021-2023 In Colour Opal Rounds. Here it is:

But there is more … as the card front panel looks through a circular hole to a seperate middle panel underneath. You just need to open the front flap to see the second panel in full. The scene was created on Basic White card-stock and then mounted on Fresh Freesia card-stock.

The middle panel opens to the right to reveal the inner panel for writing a personal message. The inner panel of Basic White card-stock had 2 con-joined snowy trees adhered and a little Fresh Freesia shading at the base of the trees.

So lets briefly talk about the process. The front panel of Basic White card-stock was adhered to a slightly larger piece of Fresh Freesia Splendid Day Speciality Designer Series Paper. The largest stitched circle from the Stylish Shapes die cut a hole in the centre of the card front and then also in the front flap of the card base.

Some Masking Paper was die cut with the second largest Deckled Rectangles dies and added to a Basic White panel. When using Masking Paper, it is important to reduce the stickiness a little either with an Embossing Buddy or by laying it on your clothes. Fresh Freesia and Rich Razzleberry inks were blended across the masked rectangular hole with one of Stampin’ Up!s delightful Blending Brushes. Before lifting the Masking Paper 2 trees were stamped to the left. The trees were stamped in second generation Soft Succulent and a third generation of Evening Evergreen. Other trees were stamped on a seperate sheet of Basic White card-stock with first generation Soft Succulent and Evening Evergreen inks. All the trees were heat embossed with Versamark ink, White Emboss Powder and a Heat Tool to give a sense of snow. The extra trees were die cut with the coordinating Wisteria dies.

A sentiment from the Brightest Glow stamp set was stamped in Rich Razzleberry ink. As I was adding the sentiment to a panel that had a fair bit of work on it,  I used a Stamparatus to first ensure that the sentiment was straight and then to ink and stamp a couple of times to ensure a clear & well inked sentiment. In stamping the above trees I accidentally smudged the white panel near the sentiment - hence the addition of the little tree.

To finish off the card, the trees were positioned and adhered on the middle panel and the card front. They were initially positioned by looking from the front and then checking the arrangement from the inside. A touch of Fresh Freesia ink was added with a Blender Pen to give the trees some shadowing to ground them. Wink of Stella was flicked over the front and middle panels - although the camera doesn’t pick up the subtle sparkle. I tried a number of ribbons & twine but decided they didn’t add to the overall design. It felt strange, as I do like adding either ribbon or twine. Some In Colour Opal Rounds (in Fresh Freesia) were added for some extra glimmer.

A Basic White C6 Envelope was stamped with the 3 joined “Wisteria” trees in Soft Succulent ink and topped with Evening Evergreen ink. I must add a little shadowing to them as well.

Thank you for spending time with me on my blog. I am off to finish the other Fresh Freesia card that I started to create. It was the project that first came to mind in my planning for this Blog Hop. I then decided to also make a Christmas card so I could add to my card stash. Somehow it was finished first. The other card is finished but rather than adding a photo of it here, after the event, check back on my blog on 1 October for Kathryn’s World Card-making Day’s Blog Hop.

There is more Fresh Freesia creativity. To continue with the blog hop, click the  "onto 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 do love seeing all blog hoppers' projects - there is always so much inspiration.

I hope to see you next week when we will be featuring Garden Green as we continue the weekly 2022-2023 Colour Creations Blog Hops.  Also, don't forget that many of us are joining the Heart of Christmas Blog Hop on Monday evenings to share delightful Christmas projects to provide some ideas to help with your Christmas preparations. 

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  Art With Heart Team Colour Creations Coordinator.  She is an special 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 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  #valleyinspirations   #wisteriawonder, #brightestglow, #hopeandpeace