Friday Five - For the Birds...

 

Love these three sweet and simple cards as they are such great examples of how you can create your own #SimpleStamping cards with just a few supplies and simple steps.

All three cards use just the one stamp set—the Garden Birdhouses Stamp Set—and yet each card uses a different technique to create a unique style.

Each card features only two ink pads and one or two colours of cardstock.  The Birthday Wishes card is the simplest with just one colour of cardstock and a couple of images, all stamped on a single layer.  The Hello card uses more images, layers, and the Everyday Label Punch. Spot that the punch shape is customised to fit the sentiment a little better—all it took was a couple of snips with our trusty Paper Snips.  And lastly, the third card has some additional colour added in, which is easy to do with a set of Watercolor Pencils.

Want to see more using this stamp set... which is one I absolutely adore!! Though I guess a lot of you knew that already.... as I have shared a thing or two on birdhouses over the years! Well here you go... so now there are 5 (in case you were wondering!)

7 ways to colour the Country Floral embossing Folder for Tuesday Tips & Tricks....

I have a round up of different looks and ways for colouring the Country Floral embossing folder for you today... There are other ways... but I had to stop myself...

Should really have shared these a few weeks ago... But I meant to  come back to them and make some pretty cards... and so they got forgotten about... but hey... better late than never... 

But before I start... know your Country Floral embossing folder! 

Available exclusively for free with a £45 order during the Sale A Bration promotion... which ends 31st March...

It is a Dynamic Textured Impression folder... so use only one plate to emboss through your Big Shot... 

And... for the purposes of the explanations here... the front of the folder is the side with the Stampin' Up! and the Sizzix logos on... so you are looking at the front face of the front side on the picture above... 

First up... white cardstock... with simple inking up of a face... using either an ink pad direct (as I did)... or a brayer if you prefer a lighter touch and more control... 

(1) inking up the back face of the front side... aka the debossed/valley/sunken face... apologies for the different colour (Balmy Blue) here...

(2) inking up the front face of the back side... aka the embossed/peak/raised face...

Then using coloured cardstock... with simple inking up of a face... using the same colour/darker ink... either an ink pad direct... or a brayer if you prefer a lighter touch and more control... I think I used Coastal Cabana ink on my samples... but it may have been Pool Party!!

(3) inking up the back face of the front side... aka the debossed/valley/sunken face... 

(4) inking up the front face of the back side... aka the embossed/peak/raised face... apologies for the smaller panel... I must have been rushing at the time!!

And finally... a bit of multi colouring... three ways... 

I used Balmy Blue, Highland Heather, Pineapple Punch & Granny Apple Green unless otherwise indicated...

(5) Using the Many Marvellous Marker pens to colour onto the back face of the front side of the embossing folder aka the debossed/valley/sunken face... and then embossing the white cardstock... Wouldn't suit the perfectionists out there... as a more vintage random look... 

(6) embossing white cardstock... and then colouring using the Light Stampin Blends... I also used the Soft Sea Foam one here for some of the leaves... nice and precise and bright... 

(7) And my favourite... using Watercolor Pencils... Embossed white card first... then scribble pencils onto embossed/raised side of cardstock... and then Blender Pen to move the colour "out"... 

Slight variation on colours here (Daffodil Delight, Gorgeous Grape, Granny Apple & Garden Green)

Now I could carry on for a while... but I need to move on with my Class schedule and projects... But my next one would be... combining (1) in Pool Party ink and watercolor pencils (7)... 

Hope you have found these a useful round up...  And now you know how to do these... you can search on Google & Pinterest etc and find lots of examples of cards with pretty colour Country Floral coloured flowers... to inspire you even further... 

But ... before I go... here is one prepared earlier for you... using the Stampin Blends method (6) described above..

Amanda's Quick Links

Just click on the relevant pictures below for catalogues and/or more information... 

If you are ordering today... do remember to add the Host Code shown below to earn yourself a gift and help support The Craft Spa at the same time... 

Please note that this host code is relevant to today's blog post date... it does expire and change over time... but the current code is always shown at the top right hand side of my blog...

Just click on the relevant pictures below for catalogues and/or more information...

JOIN: £170 product for just £99. OR £170 product plus Tote Bag for £125

Sale A Bration Co-ordination products - available March 2019 only

Earn free Sale A Bration products for every £45 spent (note that some require £90 orders to redeem). Promotion ends 31st March 2019. 

See them all in the Online Store here... or here are the 3 leaflets to flick through...

SAB 1

SAB 2

SAB 3

Current Catalogues & Products

Watercolour Wednesday - No Line Watercolouring & Blended Seasons

Love this No Line Watercolouring technique... which is simply stamping your Blended Seasons flower trio image using the palest colour you can find... in this case stamped off Sahara Sand (ie ink up stamp using Sahara Sand, stamp onto scrap paper, do not re-ink and then stamp onto your Watercolor Paper mat)

Though this one didn't quite work out as well as usual!! As you can see some of my stamped lines ... Again I think my brand new very inky Sahara Sand ink pad being to blame! Need to remember to scrape (or push) off some of the ink to the sides before I use it again!!!

And then simple watercoloring using an Aqua Painter brush and ink off ink pad lids... In this case, the NEW Granny Apple Green and Highland Heather along with Bermuda Bay... and a light wash of Pool Party around the whole image to add some depth ( TIP - I just add a drop of water onto the ink splodge on the ink pad lid to get more of a watery wash)

Though if I was to repeat this week I would get my new selection of Watercolor Pencils out... as I didn't have them at the time... ONLY available this month... please don't miss them!!

Finished off with my favourite NEW embellishments, gold Metallic Pearls

Click here for more details and shop links for the Blended Seasons bundle...

Wednesday WOW! Color your Season Diorama Card

Quick share today of a fabulous team training Diorama card created using the lovely Blended Seasons stamp and die set... ONLY available to order during the month of August... so please don't delay... 

Spot that fantastic stitching around the aperture... 

Coloured in using my new Granny Apple Green and Light Bermuda Bay & Dark Pool Party Stampin Blends markers... with a light touch of Daffodil Delight... 

But thought I should also quickly mention the new pack of Watercolor Pencils... again only available to order during August... 

I love all the extra blues and greens you get in this pack...  plus a purple... and the deep Cherry Cobbler red for Christmas too... a real must buy if you like your Watercolor Pencils... and who doesn't when you get so many colours for such a low price!!

And do remember that you also get £4.50 to spend for free in September for every £45 you order this month! See Bonus Days details here

Product details for you here as they are an exclusive special this month... so not in a catalogue... but scroll to the end of the post for more details on the card... and another version!

Watercolor Pencils in 10 new colours!  

10 pencils in Stampin' Up! colours: Balmy Blue, Cajun Craze, Cherry Cobbler, Coastal Cabana, Crushed Curry, Flirty Flamingo, Garden Green, Gorgeous Grape, Granny Apple Green, Night of Navy

Oh and click here for the original assortment if you want to order or wish to check colours you have etc...

Blended Seasons Stamp Set, an exclusive 10-piece wood- or clear-mount stamp set with images for every season! Available in Wood Mount and Clear Mount...

Stitched Season Framelits Dies, a coordinating stitched die that includes stitching on both the positive and negative images!

Blended Seasons Bundle – with 10% off…. Available in Wood Mount and Clear Mount
Please note: The bundle includes the stamp set and dies only. It does not include the Watercolor Pencils.

Click here (or on the pictures below) for the full leaflet... a truly lovely and versatile set...

And so back to the card as promised... 

It does lay flat to go in a large square envelope... 

And here is another version...using Flirty Flamingo... 

August Promotions...

So the excitement of July and those wonderful promotions is now over… and I am very happy to welcome so many new members to my team... but hold onto your hats... as there are more promotions coming to excite you in August!

(1)    Colour Your Season Products available exclusively in August… Only while Supplies Last

Get in the mood to create something full of colours and seasons! Introducing the all-new, limited-time Colour Your Season products for all year round use…

Watercolor Pencils in 10 new colours! 10 pencils in Stampin' Up! colours: Balmy Blue, Cajun Craze, Cherry Cobbler, Coastal Cabana, Crushed Curry, Flirty Flamingo, Garden Green, Gorgeous Grape, Granny Apple Green, Night of Navy
Note: These Watercolor Pencils may be available in a future publication (Fingers crossed says I!!!)

Blended Seasons Stamp Set, an exclusive 10-piece wood- or clear-mount stamp set with images for every season! Available in Wood Mount and Clear Mount...

Stitched Season Framelits Dies, a coordinating stitched die that includes stitching on both the positive and negative images!

Blended Seasons Bundle – with 10% off…. Available in Wood Mount and Clear Mount
Please note: The bundle includes the stamp set and dies only. It does not include the Watercolor Pencils.

Click here (or on the pictures below) for the full leaflet... a truly lovely and versatile set...

(2)    Bonus Days are back…

Every £45 you spend before 31 August (before shipping and handling) earns a £4.50 Bonus Days coupon code that can be used on 1-30 September. Click here for FAQs and here for how to redeem your codes with on-line orders in September