Bokeh Falling for Leaves

The changing leaves have been so pretty this year here in the mountains of southern Colorado!

This card was inspired by this photo of  one of the wild Choke Cherries growing on our property.

It always is a show-stopper!

Choke Cherry fall color, Wetmore, CO

To create the bold colors of my card, I did the Bokeh Technique.

According to Wikipedia," the bokeh is the blur or aesthetic quality of the blur in out of focus areas of an image."

It is one of my favorite stamping techniques.

I first created a card stock  template of circles using my 1" and 3/4" circle punches.

Then, with sponge daubers, I added Mango Melody, Crushed Curry, Poppy Parade, and Old Olive inks, overlapping the colors to create the Bokeh effect.  Once the ink was dry, I added circles of Whisper White craft ink.

The leaves were cut out of Old Olive and Gold Foil paper using the Big Shot and Detailed Leaves Thinlits Dies.

The greeting is from Falling for Leaves and was stamped using Poppy Parade.

Happy Fall!

Falling for Leaves Bundle

Supplies Used:

Stamp Set: Falling for Leaves

Ink: Mango Melody, Crushed Curry, Poppy Parade, Old Olive, Whisper White craft ink

Paper: Whisper White, Poppy Parade, Old Olive, Goil Foil

Accessories: 1" and 3/4" circle punches, sponge daubers, Big Shot, Detailed Leaves Thinlits Dies, Tombow Multi-purpose glue, Mini Dimensionals, enamel shape

Fall is my favorite time of the year!

I love the cooler temps and the changing colors.

To celebrate the arrival of fall, I've been busy creating some fall-themed cards.

This card features the Clear-Block Background Technique paired with one of my new favorite stamp sets, Dandelion Wishes.

Here's how:

1. To create the clear-block water color background, tap ink pads onto a clear-block, spritz with water so the ink runs and pools, then stamp onto a piece of card stock.  Let the block set for a few seconds, then lift.  Set the piece aside to dry completely.  For this card, I used Pool Party, Crushed Curry, and Mango Melody inks on a "F" clear-block.  I stamped the block on a piece of Shimmery White card stock.  You could also use watercolor paper.
2.  Stamp the images from Dandelion Wishes using Early Espresso ink.  Sprinkle clear embossing powder over the images and heat emboss using a heat tool.
3.  Mat to a piece of Early Espresso card stock and attach to Mango Melody card base using Mini Dimensionals to pop it up.
4.  Add enamel shapes to complete.

I stamped the greeting from Dandelion Wishes on the inside:

Supplies Used:

Stamp Set: Dandelion Wishes

Ink: Pool Party, Crushed Curry, Mango Melody, Early Espresso

Paper: Mango Melody, Early Espresso, Shimmery White

Accessories: Clear-Block "F", spritzer bottle with water, clear embossing powder, heat tool, Mini Dimensionals, enamel shapes

Field of Fall Flowers

After a very warm summer, I think fall has finally arrived here in the mountains of southern Colorado!

Cooler temps and changing colors.

Fall is my favorite time of the year!

To celebrate, I have been busy creating fall-themed cards which I will be sharing over the next few days.

This one was quick and easy using the Clear-Block Background Technique mixed with the dainty flower images found in the stamp set Daisy Delight.

Here's how:

1. To create the watercolor background, tap ink pads onto a clear-block, spritz with water so the ink runs and pools, and stamp on a piece of card stock.  Let the block sit on the paper for a few seconds, then remove.  Set it aside to dry completely.  For this card, colors used were Pool Party, Pacific Point, Crushed Curry, and Pear Pizzazz on a "E" clear-block.  I stamped the block onto Shimmery White card stock which holds up well to the water.  You could also use water color paper.  
2.   Stamp stem image from Daisy Delight using Color Me Clover ink.  Stamp full strength, then again without reinking.  Stamp flower image using Mango Melody.  Stamp full strength, then again without reinking.
3.  Attach to Crushed Curry mat using Mini Dimensionals to pop it up.
4.  Stamp greeting using Pacific Point ink.  I used the retired stamp set Teeny Tiny Wishes (still my go-to greeting stamp), but choose a greeting that is appropriate for your occasion.  Attach to Pacific Point card base.
5. Color rhinestones using a blue Sharpie pen and attach to complete.

Supplies Used:

Stamp Sets: Daisy Delight, Teeny Tiny Wishes

Ink: Pool Party, Pacific Point, Crushed Curry, Pear Pizzazz, Color Me Clover, Mango Melody

Paper: Pacific Point, Crushed Curry, Shimmery White

Accessories: Clear-block "E", spritzer bottle with water, rhinestones, Sharpie Pen, Mini Dimensionals

Fremont Brewing Sun and Moon Card

One of my favorite crafting techniques is to cut shapes out of aluminum cans using the Big Shot and framelits dies or punches.

Please check HERE to see some of my other aluminum can and Big Shot projects, along with video tutorials.

I'm always on the look out for cans with interesting designs and colors.

My husband is a craft beer drinker,  and whenever he purchases a new brand, I always take a look the cans.

Well, he recently brought home some Summer American Pale Ale brewed by Fremont Brewing in Seattle, WA.

I thought I had died and gone to heaven when I saw this bright sun and moon!

Oh my, I couldn't wait for him to pour the beer into a pint glass so I could wash out the can and get started!

This card was so simple to create, and it took about 5 minutes!

I let the design on the can do the heavy lifting.

Here's  how:

1.  After washing it out thoroughly, I removed the top and bottom of the can (see video for instructions), and flattened it out.  As always, be careful with the cutting step as the can will be sharp.  After it has been run through the Big Shot or punched with a punch, the edges are no longer sharp.
2. I trimmed the piece down a little so my 2 1/2" circle punch would fit around the sun and moon, and then punched.
3.  I added the punched circle to a Basic Black mat using Dimensionals to pop it up.
4. I stamped the greeting from Painted Glass onto the Mango Melody card base using Memento Black ink.  I added the matted sun and moon to the card front using Dimensionals to pop it up.  Enamel shapes were added to the four corners to complete.

Simple, that's it!

Supplies Used:

Stamp Set: Painted Glass

Ink: Memento Black

Paper: Mango Melody, Basic Black

Accessories: tin snips, heavy crafting scissors, Summer  American Pale Ale beer can, 2 1/2" circle punch, Dimensionals, enamel shapes

You Move Me Emboss Resist

You Move Me stamp set is retiring.

 I combined it with the Emboss Resist Technique to make this colorful, spring-themed card.

Here's how:

1. To do the Emboss Resist Technique, first, swipe a piece of Glossy White card stock (you can also use regular matte Whisper White card stock) with an Embossing Buddy.  Then, stamp the images from You Move Me using Versamark or Whisper White Craft ink.  For this card, I used Whisper White craft ink. 
2.  Heat emboss the images using a heat tool and white embossing powder.
3. With a sponge or brayer, add different colors of ink over the embossed images.  For this card, I sponged on Tempting Turquoise, Melon Mambo, Marina Mist, Elegant Eggplant, Tangerine Tango and Daffodil Delight inks.  Wipe excess ink off using a tissue or paper towel.  The embossed white images will pop!
4. Attach card front to Elegant Eggplant mat.  Attach to Tempting Turquoise card base.
5. Stamp greetings onto scrap pieces of Daffodil Delight card stock using Elegant Eggplant ink.  Attach to card front using Mini Dimensionals to pop them up.
6. Add enamel dots to complete.

You Move Me stamp set

 To view all of the Stampin' Up! retiring products, please click HERE

Items are available through May 31 or while supplies last.

Supplies Used:

Stamp Set: You Move Me

Ink: Tempting Turquoise, Marina Mist, Elegant Eggplant, Tangerine Tango (all retiring), Melon Mambo, Daffodil Delight

Paper: Tempting Turquoise, Elegant Eggplant (both retiring), Daffodil Delight, Glossy White

Accessories: Embossing Buddy, heat tool, white embossing powder, sponge, Mini Dimensionals, enamel dots

Definitely Dahlia is retiring!

This bold stamp is one of my favorite background stamps.

I will miss it.

I thought I'd revisit one my favorite ways to use this stamp, the Emboss Resist Technique.

Stamp the image onto Whisper White card stock using Versamark, then heat emboss using a heat tool and white embossing powder.

Sponge or brayer on color. 

Then wipe excess ink off using a tissue or paper towel. 

The white embossed image will really pop!

To see details  for A Note of Thanks Definitely Dahlia Emboss Resist Card, please click HERE

To see details for Thank You Definitely Dahlia Emboss Resist Card, please click HERE

The Definitely Dahlia stamp set will be available through May 31 or while supplies last.

Don't miss out.  Get yours today before it is gone!

Definitely Dahlia Eclipse Card

Eclipse Cards are all the rage! 

Cut out a shape using punches or dies, then layer the pieces back into the negative space creating dimension. 

It's like working a puzzle!

I decided to create this card using the Eclipse Technique paired with the retiring stamp set Definitely Dahlia.

Here's How:

1. Ink up the Definitely Dahlia stamp first using Peekaboo Peach ink.  Tap the edges of the stamp using Flirty Flamingo ink.  Stamp on Whisper White card front.  Repeat to fill in the spaces.
2. Place card front onto the Big Shot using the Magnetic Platform as part of your cutting sandwich.  Place the letters from Large Letters Framelits Die onto the card front.  Run through the Big Shot to cut out the letters.  Remove card stock from the dies, making sure to save all the pieces.
3. Attach the stamped card front to Soft Suede card base using SNAIL Adhesive. 

4. Replace the letters into the negative space using Mini Dimensionals to pop them up. 

5. Use Tombow Multi-purpose glue to add the inserts in the “B”, D”, and A”.  They lay flat while the rest of the letters pop up.  Use a paper piercing tool to move the inserts into place as needed.

6. Stamp greeting from Floral &Fauna onto a scrap piece of Peekaboo Peach card stock using Soft Suede ink.  Banner cut one edge.  Attach to Soft Suede mat, banner cutting one edge to match.  Attach to card front using Mini Dimensionals to pop it up.

7. Attach enamel dots to card front to complete.

Definitely Dahlia stamp set is retiring!

Click here to view the retiring Stampin' Up! product

Product is available through May 31 or while supplies last.

Supplies Used:

Stamp Set: Floral & Fauna (Paper Pumpkin)

Ink: Peekaboo Peach, Flirty Flamingo (both retiring), Soft Suede

Paper: Soft Suede, Whisper White

Accessories: Big Shot, Magnetic Platform, Large Letters Framelits Dies, Mini Dimensionals, Tombow Multi-purpose Glue, paper-piercing tool, enamel dots

I recently needed a quick birthday card.

  It was a bright and beautiful day here in the mountains of southern Colorado. 

This was the inspiration needed to create this quick and simple clear block watercolor background paired with the sun image found in the stamp set Pocketful of Sunshine!

Here's how:

1. To create the watercolor background, tap ink onto a clear-mount block, spritz the ink with water, and stamp onto a piece of watercolor paper.  Let it sit for a few seconds, then lift.  Set the paper aside to dry completely.  For this card, I tapped on Crushed Curry ink in the middle of the block, Calypso Coral on the bottom right of the block, and Dapper Denim on the bottom left and upper part of the block.
2.  Once the paper is dry, swipe an Embossing Buddy over the card front.  Stamp the sun and ray images from Pocketful of Sunshine using Versamark ink.  Heat emboss using a heat tool and copper embossing powder.
3. Stamp greeting from Teeny Tiny Wishes using Versamark and heat emboss using a heat tool and copper embossing powder.
4. Attach card front to a copper foil mat, then attach to a Crushed Curry card base.

Done!

I like how the mixing of the Calypso Coral, Crushed Curry, and Dapper Denim inks created a slight lavender and green tint to the watercolor paper.

Pocketful of Sunshine

Supplies Used:

Stamp Sets: Pocketful of Sunshine, Teeny Tiny Wishes

Ink: Crushed Curry, Calypso Coral, Dapper Denim, Versamark

Paper: Crushed Curry, copper foil, watercolor paper

Accessories:  Clear Block "E", spritzer bottle with water, Embossing Buddy, heat tool, copper embossing powder

I wish you and your family a very Happy Thanksgiving!

This card was created from a scrap piece of baby wipe left over from my tie dye leaf background card found HERE.

I often use baby wipes that I have used to clean my stamp sets in my crafting.

They provide interesting backgrounds. 

The card above was inspired by one of our sunrises!

The colors were only on a small portion of the baby wipe, so the card itself turned out to be smaller in size.

That's ok though!

I placed a piece of multi-purpose adhesive sheet onto the back of the baby wipe.

The glue left from the adhesive sheet allowed me to place the baby wipe on a scrap piece of Whisper White card stock.

The baby wipe was trimmed down, and the edges were folded over and secured onto the back of the card stock. 

I stamped the trees, leaves, and ground from Wonderful Branches using Early Espresso ink.

I used this retired stamp set from my stash because the image was small enough to fit onto the small card front piece.

The greeting is from Teeny Tiny Wishes.

The Tie Dye Background Tutorial hit e mail inboxes on November 14.

If you'd like to learn how to create the tie dye background, please sign up for my mailing list by December 1st, 2018 using the signup box in the upper right-hand corner of this site.

I'll e mail the tutorial to you.

Thanks!

Supplies Used:

Stamp Sets: Wonderful Branches, Teeny Tiny Wishes

Ink: Cajun Craze, Old Olive Curry, Early Espresso

Paper: Whisper White, Early Espresso

Accessories: baby wipe, multi-purpose adhesive sheet

Lovely as a Tree is one of my all-time favorite stamp sets.  It is one of the first stamp sets I purchased when I started stamping many moons ago. 

I think it is the oldest set found in the SU! Annual Catalog. 

I hold my breath every year when the retiring list is published, and I breathe a sigh of relief when I see that it is not on that list!

For this card, I combined Lovely as a Tree with the Faux Metal Technique. 

Perfect for a fall-themed card!

Also perfect for those sometimes hard to create masculine-themed cards too!

The Faux Metal Technique is very easy to do.

You will need a Versamark pad, embossing powder, heat tool and a stamp.

That's it!

Here's how:

1.  Ink up your stamp with Versamark and set it aside.  This is an important step.  The Versamark protects the rubber from the melted embossing powder in the last step.

2. Dab Versamark ink onto a piece of Whisper White card stock.  Pour embossing powder over the Versamark, and heat emboss using a heat tool.  For this card, I used copper embossing powder.

3. Repeat that step 2 more times.  On the third time, make sure the embossing powder is melting and flowing, like melted wax.

4. Quickly remove the heat from the card stock, and stamp your preconditioned stamp into the melted embossing powder.  Lift the stamp, and your image should be burnished into the embossing powder.  It's  the same principle as wax sealing an envelope. 

5. If you don't like the image, simply add more heat to the embossing powder, so it is melted and flowing and try again.  Remember to condition your stamp with Versamark before stamping.

6. Swipe Embossing Buddy over piece of Perfect Plum card stock.  Stamp leaves and pine cones from Lovely as a Tree using Versamark ink.  Heat emboss using copper embossing powder. 

7. Dab edges of Perfect Plum into Versamark and heat emboss using copper embossing powder.

8.  Attach to front of Whisper White card base.  Attach Faux Metal piece to front of card base , popping it up using Dimensionals.

9. Stamp greeting from Teeny Tiny Wishes using Elegant Eggplant to complete.

I  hope you'll give it a try and will share your creations with me.

Lovely as a Tree, timeless tree images!

Supplies Used:

Stamp Sets: Lovely as a Tree, Teeny Tiny Wishes

Ink: Versamark, Elegant Eggplant

Paper: Whisper White, Perfect Plum

Accessories: Embossing Buddy, heat tool, copper embossing powder, Mini Dimensionals

My plan for this week was to create cards for birthdays coming up in July. 

I try to tailor-make each card for the person I am going to give it to.

I created this one for a special neighbor who will be turning 84 this year.

She loves the wildflowers that grow around our properties here in the mountains of southern Colorado, so I decided to create her a watercolor landscape that might look familiar to her.

I used the Clear Block Watercolor Technique paired with the 2-step stamp Wild About Flowers.

To create the landscape, I tapped Marina Mist, Dapper Denim, Fresh Fig and Tranquil Tide onto my clear block "E." 

I spritzed the ink with water until it started to pool and run. 

Then, I stamped the block onto my Whisper White card front, letting it sit on the paper for a few seconds.   I lifted the block and set the paper aside to dry completely.

Once it was dry, I stamped the leaf image from Wild About Flowers using Tranquil Tide ink.  Then, I stamped the coordinating flower stamp using Fresh Fig ink.  The grass image is from In the Meadow (retired) using full strength Tranquil Tide and stamped again without reinking.

The greeting is from Dragonfly Dreams and seems to be my latest go-to for birthday cards.  I think it is the perfect sentiment for the occasion!

I really like the bold colors on this one. 

I think our neighbor will like it too!

Supplies Used:

Stamp Sets: Wild About Flowers, In the Meadow, Dragonfly Dreams

Ink: Marina Mist, Dapper Denim, Fresh Fig, Tranquil Tide (3 of the 2016-2019 In Colors)

Paper: Dapper Denim, Whisper White

Accessories: clear block "E", spritzer bottle with water

Create the look of stained glass by using Vellum cardstock and Stampin' Up! Write Markers. 

For this card, I paired the Stained Glass Technique with the retiring stamp set That's the Tag and coordinating Timeless Tags Thinlits Dies.

The technique is easy.  Here's how:

To begin, first cut the flower oval out of Early Espresso ink using the Big Shot and Timeless Tags Thinlit Die. 

Then, cut out the solid oval out of vellum cardstock . 

You will now have 2 pieces that will need to be glued together.  For this piece, I used my Fine Tip Glue Pen along the narrow edges of the Early Espresso frame.

Turn the piece over, and you are ready to color in the back side of the vellum, using the Early Espresso flower as your guide.

For this card, I used Watermelon Wonder, Old Olive, Pool Party and Crushed Curry markers.

When you turn it over, you will now have a pretty piece with the look of stained glass!

To complete the card, I applied glue from the Fine Tip Glue pen carefully along the inside of each of the segments of the flower.  This gives a lacquer finish look of glass.

I hope you'll give the Stained Glass Technique a try!

If you like this project, please be sure to sign up to be on my mailing list.  The sign up box is located on the upper right hand side of this blog site. 

Sign up today to receive my June newsletter which will feature new products from the upcoming 2017-2018 Stampin' Up! Catalog which goes live on June 1!

Supplies Used:

Stamp Set: That's the Tag

Ink: Early Espresso, Watermelon Wonder, Old Olive, Pool Party, and Crushed Curry Stampin' Write Markers

Paper: Early Espresso, Watermelon Wonder, Vellum, Tasty Treats Designer Series Paper

Accessories: Big Shot, Timeless Tags Thinlits Dies, Fine Tip Glue, Pool Party ribbon

Stamping on ceramic tiles is one of my all-time favorite techniques!

These make great gifts and are good for an "anything but a card" theme. 

Every year, my Stamp Clubs would choose this theme for one of our monthly swaps. 

Invariably, there would be at least 1 or 2 ceramic tiles traded in the swap!

I still have them, and we use them daily as drink coasters.

I stamped and colored these coasters to give to attendees at a recent class.

The technique is easy to do!

You will first need to purchase the tiles.  These can be found at any home improvement store for very little cost.

There are many varieties in many sizes, but I find that unglazed tiles work the best.  

Great tiles to use for this technique are tumbled marble which can be found at your local hardware store.  These tiles are often pitted which provides interest.

I purchased a shrink wrapped bundle of 9 tumbled marble tiles at our local Ho** De*** for about 10.00.

After removing the shrink wrap, I wiped all sides of the tiles with a damp paper towel to remove any dust.

Once the tiles dried completely, I was ready to start.

I simply stamped the "dancing girl" image and greeting from the stamp set Beautiful You using Stazon ink.

Stazon works well because it is permanent and will not smear. 

If you don't have Stazon, you could use an archival ink.  This should work ok because you will be sealing the tiles at the end anyway.

I then colored in the dress and hat using regular dye based Stampin' Up! markers and set them aside to dry completely.

This was the fun part.  Mixing and matching colors to create a colorful outfit. 

I found that my favorites were the images colored in bright pinks (Melon Mambo, Watermelon Wonder) and blues (Tempting Turquoise, Bermuda Bay). 

But, I also like the one colored with Cucumber Crush and Mint Macaron.

But, experimenting is half the fun!

Once the marker ink was dry, I sprayed them with a clear acrylic matte sealant to seal in the inks. 

When using the sealant, be sure to follow the directions for use, especially spraying in a well-ventilated area.

The sealant will dry fairly quickly.  And now your tiles should be water resistant!

To protect any furniture that these tiles may be placed on from scratching, I added some fun foam "feet" to the bottom of each.  I simply cut the fun foam down to size (the tiles are approx 4"x4", so the fun foam was cut to 3 1/2" x 3 1/2") and then attached it to the bottom of the tile using a spray adhesive.

  Watermelon Wonder dress and Tempting Turquoise hat

This one is interesting.  I started out using my Wisteria Wonder marker.  I didn't quite like it, so I added some Marina Mist, then a touch of Crushed Curry. 

Cucumber Crush dress with Mint Macaron hat

Easy, easy and a perfect gift. 

These were a big hit with the ladies in the class!

If you like this project, please be sure to share on Pinterest using the Pinterest button in the footer of this post.

Supplies Used:

Stamp Set: Beautiful You

Ink: Black Stazon, various markers

Accessories: tumbled marble tiles, matte sealant, fun foam, spray adhesive

Using the Baby Wipe Technique is one of my all-time favorite stamping techniques!

This is the card we created at a recent refresher course for my Wetmore Ladies Stamping Group.

I had shown them the Baby Wipe Technique as one of my first classes for them 8 years ago.

I thought everyone could use a little reminder on how to do this fun technique!

This card was CASE'D (copy and share with everyone) from Stampin' Up!  I liked it so much that the only thing I decided to change was the stamp sets.

So, we used Flowering Flourishes and Picture Perfect, both retiring on May 31.

Here's how you do this technique.

All you need is a baby wipe and ink refills.

You will ink up the baby wipe and use it as your ink palette to stamp on.

To do this, simply fold a baby wipe to fit inside a Powder Pal or on an acrylic block.  Since the flower image from Flowering Flourishes is so large and it needs to be mounted on an "F" block, the largest that SU! sells, it then became too big to fit into my small Powder Pal.   So, instead, I folded the baby wipe onto another "F" Block.

Now, apply strips of color onto the baby wipe using Melon Mambo, Peek a Boo Peach, Crushed Curry and Pool Party ink refills.

Lay your stamp onto the palette, inking it up.  You can move it around a little bit to pick up different colors on the stamp.  But, be careful your colors don't become muddy.

Then, stamp onto your card front and remove.

Done!

I love how the flower looks batik.

You can also create your palette by adding drops of ink refills onto the baby wipe.

To learn more, Click HERE to see my Lovely as a Tree Baby Wipe Card

To finish the card, I stamped the greeting from Picture Perfect using Archival Black ink.

I wrapped a piece of black Baker's Twine around the left side of the card front, tying a bow on the front. 

The card front was matted to a Crushed Curry card base.

Give the Baby Wipe Technique a try! 

The possibilities are endless!

If you like this project and would like to order the supplies to make some for yourself, please email me at:

annehayward@stampingwithbluemooncreations. com

OR

order online 24/7:

Stamp Sets: Flowering Flourishes, Picture Perfect, both retiring on May 31

Ink: Melon Mambo, Peek a Boo Peach, Crushed Curry, Pool Party ink refills, black ink (Memento or Archival)

Paper: Crushed Curry, Basic Black, Whisper White

Accessories: Baby Wipes, black Baker’s Twine, Acrylic Block "F"

The Shaving Cream Technique (also known as the Marbling Technique) is great for creating pretty landscape backgrounds!

I had some left-over pieces from my Shaving Cream Happy Birthday Card I shared HERE.

Since I'm usually in my don't throw anything away mood, I decided that I'd create a sunrise backdrop for a pretty mountain scene.

The inspiration for this card came from my surroundings here in the mountains of Southern Colorado.  I am surrounded by beautiful snow-capped mountains, a forest of green and sometimes a bear or two. 

This card pretty well sums up spring in my little piece of the world!

To create my landscape, I used the stamp set Always an Adventure and coordinating Outdoor Adventure Framelits. 

Purchase them as a bundle, and you'll save 10%

Both of these items are retiring, and will no longer be available after May 31. 

The Shaving Cream Technique is super easy to do.  All you need is some shaving cream and ink refills.

For full instruction on how to do this fun technique, please visit my posting HERE.

I love the soft colors on this one!

I hope you enjoyed looking at a small snapshot of my world!

Be sure to try out the Shaving Cream Technique.

What will be your inspiration?

Supplies Used:

Stamp Sets: Always an Adventure, Bunny Buddies (Paper Pumpkin)

Ink: Watermelon Wonder, Soft Sky, So Saffron ink refills, Flirty Flamingo, Early Espresso

Paper: Soft Sky, Flirty Flamingo, Early Espresso, Whisper White, Crumb Cake, Garden Green

Accessories: shaving cream, Big Shot, Outdoor Adventure Framelits Dies, Dimensionals

Did you like my Shaving Cream/Marbling Technique Easter Eggs from my April 12th posting?

That posting has step-by-step instructions, so be sure to take a look.

Here's another Shaving Cream Background idea.  In this card, the shaving cream background provides an interesting background for a clean and simple birthday card. 

This might even be used as a masculine card.  What do you think?

  Maybe change up the color of the baker's twine, or leave it off completely.

Ink refills used were Watermelon Wonder, Crushed Curry, and Pool Party.

Check out my step-by-step instructions and then give the Shaving Cream/Marbling Background technique a try.

If you like this project and would like to order the supplies, please let me know:

annehayward@stampingwithbluemooncreations.com

Or, order online 24/7:

Supplies Used:

Stamp Set: Celebrate Today

Ink: Watermelon Wonder, Soft Sky, So Saffron ink refills, Basic Gray

Paper: Basic Gray, Whisper White

Accessories: shaving cream, paper plate, something to stir the shaving cream, paper towels, Bermuda Bay Baker’s Twine, Dimensionals

The Shaving Cream Technique (also known as the Marbling Technique) is one of my all-time favorites!

It's super easy and is perfect for creating colorful Easter Egg cards!

Here's how:

All you need is some shaving cream (not the gel type), a few ink refills, a paper plate, paper towels (this is a messy technique, so be sure to have plenty of paper towels on hand for the cleanup), and something for swirling/mixing.

First, spray shaving cream, making a pile on a paper plate.

Drop a few drops of ink refills into the pile of shaving cream. 

Using a spoon or similar, mix the colors into the shaving cream.  Be careful not to mix it too much, so the colors don't become muddy.

For this sample, I used a plastic fork to create lines in the shaving cream.

Place a piece of white card stock into the shaving cream mixture, letting it set for a couple of seconds.

Remove the card stock from the mix,

and then scrape off the shaving cream.  I used a credit card as my scraper, but a paper towel will work just as well. 

You will now have an awesome background that you can use in your crafting!

For the Easter eggs, I first cut out several ovals out of Whisper White card stock using my Big Shot and Oval Thinlits die.  I then placed them in my shaving cream/reinker mix.

Reinker colors used for the Easter Eggs were Melon Mambo, Pink Pirouette, Mint Macaron, Daffodil Delight and Wisteria Wonder.

To create a card base, I cut another oval out of Whisper White card stock.  I placed the oval in my scoring tool and scored along the top at 1/2".  I secured the shaving cream egg to the scored oval, folding the base along the score line.

So colorful and bright!

The Shaving Cream Background Technique is so versatile. 

The possibilities are endless!

If you like this project and would like to see more of my work, please be sure to follow me on Pinterest.

Supplies Used:

Stamp Set: Teeny Tiny Wishes

Ink: Melon Mambo, Pink Pirouette, Mint Macaron, Daffodil Delight and Wisteria Wonder.

Paper: Whisper White, Pink Pirouette, Wisteria Wonder, Melon Mambo, Daffodil Delight and Mint Macaron

Accessories: shaving cream, Big Shot, Ovals and Bitty Banners Framelits, Itty Bitty Accents and Owl Builder punches, Candy Dots, Dimensionals, Simply Scored Scoring Tool,

One of my all-time favorite stamping techniques is to use paint chip samples found in the paint department at our local home improvement store. 

For more ideas, please visit my Paint Chip page HERE!

I recently found a vast treasure trove of paint chips with pretty images and color combinations printed by Behr.  I picked up a handful and have enjoyed crafting with them. 

Here are some of the paint chips I've collected.

I thought this paint chip would make the perfect card that I needed for an upcoming birthday.  I just love the image of the little birthday cakes.

The colors match Stampin' Up!'s Peek a Boo Peach, Sahara Sand and Elegant Eggplant.

After cutting the chip down slightly to remove the little bear symbol for Behr paints, I simply matted it to a piece of Whisper White card stock.  Then, I attached it to a Peek a Boo Peach card front. 

The greeting is from Dragonfly Dreams stamped using Elegant Eggplant ink on a piece of banner cut Sahara Sand card stock.

Easy, Easy. 

I just let the paint chip do most of the work!

Next time you are at your local hardware store, stop in the paint department and take a look at the variety of paint chips. 

Crafting with paint chips; the possibilities are endless!

Be sure to share your creations.  I'd love to see them!

Supplies Used:

Stamp Set: Dragonfly Dreams

Ink: Elegant Eggplant

Paper: Peek a Boo Peach, Whisper White, Sahara Sand

Accessories: paint chip, Dimensionals

The Clear Block Stamping Background Technique is one of my all-time favorites! 
This technique allows you to create beautiful landscape backgrounds for any occasion!

I recently needed a retirement card for a friend, so I decided to combine this great technique with the stamp sets Happy Home and Fun with Flowers.

To create the background, I simply patted Island Indigo, Marina Mist, Crushed Curry, Mint Macaron and Crushed Cucumber ink pads directly onto my clear block "D",

spritzed it with water,

then stamped it onto my Whisper White (you could also use watercolor paper) card front, letting it set for a few minutes.

  I lifted the block off and let the paper ink dry before stamping the image from Happy Home over the background. 

I used Island Indigo, Early Espresso and Cucumber Crush markers to add color directly to the different parts of the stamp.

Remember, when you color a stamp with markers, "huff" on the stamp before stamping.  This will add moisture to the ink for a better image.

The greeting from Fun with Flowers is perfect for the occasion for this card!

Create pretty backgrounds by giving the Clear Block Background Stamping Technique a try.  Be sure to share your creations with me. I'd love to see them!

Be sure to share your creations with me. I'd love to see them!

Supplies Used:

Stamp Sets: Happy Home (retired, but any stamp would work), Fun with Flowers (greeting)

Ink: Island Indigo, Marina Mist, Crushed Curry, Mint Macaron, Cucumber Crush ink pads, Island Indigo, Early Espresso, Cucumber Crush  markers

Paper: Mint Macaron, Island Indigo, Whisper White

Accessories: clear block "D", spritzer bottle with water

Combine the soft swirls of the Shaving Cream Background Technique with the stamp set Playful Pals and coordinating Pyramid Pals Framelits Dies, and you have everything you need to create a sweet "hello baby" card!

The Shaving Cream Background Technique is one of my all-time favorites.

All you need is some shaving cream and ink refills! 

For full instructions on how to do this fun technique, please visit HERE

I am headed out of town in a few days to attend my niece's baby shower.  She is due in August, but because both she and her husband are in the Air Force and have several classes coming up, it was decided that the baby shower needed to be now to accommodate their busy schedules.  She recently learned the sex of the baby but is not going to share it with us until the shower.  So, I needed to make a baby card in neutral colors. 

Perfect for the Shaving Cream Background Technique!

The color of ink refills for this card used were Marina Mist, Flirty Flamingo, Wild Wasabi and Smoky Slate.  I used 3-4 drops of the first 3 colors but only drop of the Smoky Slate.  I didn't want it to be a dominate color.  I just wanted to add a little contrast and bring in the colors of the bear and card base.  As always with the Shaving Cream Background Technique, you don't want to use too many colors or mix them together too much or they might become muddy.

To complete the bear, I used various parts of the Playful Pals stamp set stamped on Smoky Slate card stock using Basic Gray ink.  I  cut the pieces out using the coordinating Pyramid Pals Framelits Dies.  Then, it was just a matter of assembling the pieces.  I used Dimensionals to pop up the ears, nose and bow tie.  The bow tie was cut out of a scrap piece of shaving cream background paper.

So, whenever you want a soft, swirly background for one of your projects, please consider the Shaving Cream Background Technique. 

The possibilities are endless!

If you like this project, please be sure to follow me on Pinterest for more ideas!

Supplies Used:

Stamp Set: Playful Pals, Teeny Tiny Wishes

Ink: Smoky Slate, Marina Mist, Flirty Flamingo, Wild Wasabi, Smoky Slate ink refills

Paper: Smoky Slate, Wild Wasabi, Whisper White

Accessories: shaving cream, paper plate, wooden spoon for mixing, Big Shot, Pyramid Pals Framelits Dies, Dimensionals