Stampin’ Up! In a Watercolor Meadow for the Happy Stampers Blog Hop

Good morning, y’all – it’s Thursday and that means it’s Happy Stamper Blog Hop Day!  Whether you came from Shelagh’s blog or direct – I hope that you’ll make your way thru all the Blog Hoppin’ Ladies today!

We’re all working off a fun sketch this week – built for us by our wonderful Stampin’ Up! Uplines – Sandi MacIver and Amy Koenders.  Sandi’s not joining us on the Blog Hop for a few weeks – she’s working thru some medical issues and needs to take some time to heal.  Please be sending good positive thoughts her way, okay?

Here’s where we all started – I know that we’re all going to end up in very different places! 🙂
I had a background in my head – Michelle English, one of the talented ladies in our group, showed us a card she’d done using this technique and I wanted to try it.  So that’s where I started.  Once I had the background (read: I knew I could do it and not have it look like a muddy mess!), I started to think how to incorporate it into my card.  I thought the In the Meadow stamp set images would look beautiful on the background, so that’s where I headed.  Take a look-see:

As I said, I started by making the background.  I used a piece of my Canson 90lb Cold Pressed watercolor paper and started building my color.  Instead of using the Aqua Painter like I’d seen, I thought it would be fun to do this using my Clear Wink of Stella.  Yes – I’ll come up with almost any reason to use it!  Here’s how to make this yourself.

I pressed the lid of my ink pads down onto the pad to transfer ink into the lid – that becomes the palette.  Pick up some ink with the Wink brush – and use short, random strokes to lay the ink on the paper.  You can see a distinct “sky” area, “sunset” area and “grassy” area.  I started by just using Pink Pirouette, Pumpkin Pie and Crushed Curry in the center of my panel.  I let that grouping extend up in to the sky as well as into the grass.  To make the sky, I started adding Night Of Navy, increasing the amount as I went up the paper.  The grass has Pear Pizzazz and Wild Wasabi.

There’s no hard and fast rule – keep adding color – short, random strokes! – until it looks about right!

Once my background was dry, I started stamping the In the Meadow images over the top of it.  I did all the images in Smoky Slate Ink.  First I stamped the mountains, then the deer, and the grasses.  Finally, I added the trees “behind” the deer – stamping them twice without re-inking.

I used my Blender Pen and Basic Black Archival Ink to color the deer in – I was looking for a silhouette – like you were looking at them in front of a bright sunset.  Once the paper was dry, I brushed them with the Clear Wink of Stella, just for a little glimmer.

In order to make the sketch elements, I used my Stampin’ Trimmer to cut the rectangle out of the full panel.  Would have been a lot quicker with Rectangle Framelits, but…the Trimmer is so accurate that it got the job done for me.  I just had to go slow – I didn’t want to screw it up and have to start over! 😉

After that, it was all downhill!

I used some more Basic Black Archival Ink to stamp the Birthday Blooms sentiment (Occasions catalog) over the deer.

I used SNAIL to mat both pieces onto Pink Pirouette card stock.  The center horizontal piece is simply another piece of Pink Pirouette, with two pieces of Venetian Crochet Trim adhered with a little bit of Multi-Purpose Liquid Glue on the front, and some scotch tape on the back.  Then I wrapped Blushing Bride Baker’s Twine three times around and secured it in the back.  Yep – with scotch tape!

The final piece was to add a Botanical Garden Jewel with a Glue Dot as well as a QUADruple bow!!  Yes, you read that right! FOUR lengths – two of the Blushing Bride Baker’s Twine and two of Silver Metallic Thread.  It took me a few tries to make it work.  I uttered some bad words.  I threw it down a few times.  It was pretty persnickety, indeed – but once I’d decided I was going to do it….I had to do it.  I finally got it, and stuck it on with another Glue Dot.

I popped the completed panel over the base panel with Stampin’ Dimensionals.  And set the card front aside.

For the inside, I stamped several of the In The Meadow flower images across the bottom of a piece of Whisper White card stock in Smoky Slate.  For fun, I added some of the little insect images, too!  Then I used my Stampin’ Write Markers to messily (kind of watercolor-y) color the flowers in Pink Pirouette and the insect wings in Soft Sky.  And I shimmered up their little wings with more…say it with me!…Clear Wink of Stella!

I laid a piece of Pink Pirouette card stock across the bottom and adhered a single length of Venetian Crochet Trim over the top.

I SNAILd that completed liner onto a piece of Pink Pirouette card stock and then into my Smoky Slate card base.  Then I SNAILd the card front on – and the card was done!

For the envelope, I gave the front of a Whisper White Medium Envelope some more In the Meadow flowers and insects….

…and a liner of Pink Pirouette Backgrounds DSP, using my Envelope Liner Framelit!

Et Voila!  I kind of love this technique!  Thanks, Michelle, for the idea and the how-to! 🙂

I hope that you’ve enjoyed this card – and that you’ll try making your own watercolor background!

Now that you’ve seen my card, please take a little time to visit all the Happy Stampers Team blog today.

If you click on the Next Blog button, you’ll go right to Jari Francis’ page.  And you can just click on the names below to go direct to all the blogs!

Amy Koenders

Shelagh Freemantle

Mary Deatherage – YOU ARE HERE!

Jari Francis

Kristi Gray

Heather Wright-Porto

Heather Van Looy

Enjoy the Hop!

TTFN

Mary

WEEKLY DEALS FOR 2 Feb – 8 Feb 15!! Click here to see the Weekly Deals from Stampin’ Up! in my online store. The Weekly Deals are only while supplies last and only available at these great prices through 8 Feb!

Crazy About You Clear-Mount Stamp Set – 138859

Sale: $29.25

Price: $39.00

Decorative Label Punch – 120907

Sale: $13.50

Price: $18.00

Gold 1/8″ Ribbon – 134583

Sale: $3.75

Price: $5.00

Mini Treat Bag Thinlits Dies – 137547

Sale: $30.00

Price: $40.00

Snow Friends Framelits Dies – 139664

Sale: $20.25

Price: $27.00

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog

HOST CODE FOR 1 Feb – 15 Feb 16: DH9S6776

  STAMPIN’ UP PRODUCTS USED IN TODAY’S PROJECT:

In The Meadow Clear-Mount Stamp Set – 140754

Price: $20.00

In The Meadow Wood-Mount Stamp Set – 140751

Price: $28.00

Birthday Blooms Clear-Mount Stamp Set – 140658

Price: $19.00

Birthday Blooms Wood-Mount Stamp Set – 140655

Price: $27.00

Pink Pirouette 8-1/2″ X 11″ Cardstock – 111351

Price: $7.00

Smoky Slate 8-1/2″ X 11″ Cardstock – 131202

Price: $7.00

Pink Pirouette Classic Stampin’ Pad – 126956

Price: $6.50

Pumpkin Pie Classic Stampin’ Pad – 126945

Price: $6.50

Crushed Curry Classic Stampin’ Pad – 131173

Price: $6.50

Pear Pizzazz Classic Stampin’ Pad – 131180

Price: $6.50

Wild Wasabi Classic Stampin’ Pad – 126959

Price: $6.50

Night Of Navy Classic Stampin’ Pad – 126970

Price: $6.50

Smoky Slate Classic Stampin’ Pad – 131179

Price: $6.50

Basic Black Archival Stampin’ Pad – 140931

Price: $7.00

Clear Wink Of Stella Glitter Brush – 141897

Price: $8.00

Venetian Crochet Trim – 134581

Price: $7.00

Blushing Bride Baker’s Twine – 134577

Price: $2.95

Silver Metallic Thread – 138402

Price: $3.00

Botanical Garden Jewels – 140585

Price: $7.00

Subtles Backgrounds Designer Series Paper Stack – 130135

Price: $21.95

Envelope Liners Framelits Dies – 132172

Price: $27.00

Whisper White Medium Envelopes – 107301

Price: $6.50

Snail Permanent Adhesive – 104332

Price: $7.00

Glue Dots – 103683

Price: $5.25

Multipurpose Liquid Glue – 110755

Price: $4.00

Stampin’ Dimensionals – 104430

Price: $4.00

Blender Pens – 102845

Price: $10.00

Stampin’ Trimmer – 126889

Price: $30.00

Supply List

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog

Card Cuts Used in Today’s Project

Smoky Slate Card Stock: 4 1/4″ x 11″ (card base; scored and folded at 5 1/2″)

Pink Pirouette Card Stock: 4 1/8″ x 5 3/8″ (card front and inner liner mats); 2 5/8″ x 4 5/8″ (focal art rectangle mat); 3/4″ x 2 5/8″ (strip on front); 1/2″ x 4″ (inner liner strip)

Whisper White Card Stock: 4″ x 5 1/4″ (inner liner)

Canson 90lb Cold Press Watercolor Paper:  4″ x 5 1/4″ (card front) – cut 2 1/2″ x 4 1/2″ for the focal cart piece

If you need any stamping supplies, I’d be very happy to be your Demonstrator. Just click on the Order Stampin’ Up! Online Now button on the right side of the screen to go directly to my online store or drop me an email if you have any questions. Happy Stamping!

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BACKORDER REPORTING

Stampin’ Up! has started a new way to let you all know when items are Backordered or in Limited Supply. When you place an order thru my Online Store, you’ll get a message telling you a status of the item.

If you want more information on a particular product – like when it’s expected back in stock – please give me a call or shoot me an e-mail and I’ll be glad to help! 🙂