Bamboo Beauty for As You See It Challenge #275

 

As You See It Challenges' Recipe Challenges are among my favourites, I think. We are given 5 elements that we have to include in our card design, but how we do that is up to us. It's fun to see how creative you can be within those parameters!

This one is called Recipe for Subtle Beauty. Take a look at the Challenge Banner:

The five elements I need are a die cut or punched item, use of an embossing folder, something starting with B, subtle colours and something shiny!

Here's what I came up with:

• On a base of Pale Papaya, which is one of the Subtles, but is definitely a pastel colour, I added a piece of the Symbols of Fortune Specialty DSP from the Jan/June Mini Catalogue as one of the ways that I added some gold shine to the project.
• I embossed a piece of Soft Succulent cardstock using the Timeworn Type 3D Embossing Folder then lightly rubbed the Versamark Ink pad over it to catch the raised bits. I added gold embossing powder and heat set it. More shine!
• I die cut the gingko leaves from the Good Fortune Dies and edged them with Versamark ink and dipped them in the Gold embossing powder, and again, heat set them. After adding some Gold Shimmer Ribbon to the piece of Soft Succulent cardstock, I mounted the gingko leaves over top using Mini Stampin' Dimensionals.
• On a piece of Basic White cardstock, I stamped the bamboo stems from the Bamboo Beauty stamp set in Pear Pizzazz ink. I first stamped the thicker stem, then masked it and stamped the thinner one which makes it look like it's behind the thicker one. I left the mask on to stamp the leaves in Soft Succulent ink.
• The sentiment, also from the Bamboo Beauty stamp set, is stamped in Pale Papaya ink and die cut using a die from the Stylish Shapes die set.

There's a new kit out now called A Million Thanks! Take a look at this useful little bundle:

Here are the  

DETAILS

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Kit Includes:

• A Million Thanks Photopolymer Stamp Set
• Acrylic Stamp Block
• Classic Stampin’ Spot: Evening Evergreen 
• Pre-designed projects 
• Step-by-step instructions
• Pre-cut pieces (No prep work! Get right to crafting)
• Makes 9 cards: 3 each of 3 designs 
• UV coating on card bases (looks like clear embossing)
• Folded card size: 5-1/2" x 4-1/4" (14 x 10.8 cm) 
• 9 pre-printed envelopes 
• Enough adhesive to complete projects 
• Printed die-cut sheets
• 1 sheet of adhesive-backed black dot embellishments
• A 9-7/8" x 6-1/2" x 2-3/4" (25.1 x 16.5 x 7 cm) printed designer box for storage or crafting on the go

Coordinating colors: Basic Black, Blushing Bride, Crumb Cake, Evening Evergreen, Mossy Meadow, Pale Papaya, Pear Pizzazz 

There are many other kits you might enjoy as well!

You can find the Kits Collection HERE.

If you live in Canada, and don't have a Stampin' Up! demonstrator,  I'd love to be yours. I can help you with ideas, get you catalogues and provide you with Stampin' Up products. You can leave a message in the comments or contact me using any of the methods listed in the right side bar at the top of the page. You can shop with me from anywhere in Canada by clicking on the SHOP NOW button in the top menu or clicking on any of products below from my Online Store.

Product List

Bamboo Beauty Cling Stamp Set [155478] $29.00	Symbols Of Fortune 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 Cm) Specialty Designer Series Paper [157652] $20.00	Pale Papaya 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock [155668] $12.75	Soft Succulent 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock [155776] $12.75	Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock [159276] $14.00
Versamark Pad [102283] $13.00	Metallics Embossing Powders [155555] $25.00	Pale Papaya Classic Stampin' Pad [155670] $11.00	Pear Pizzazz Classic Stampin' Pad [147104] $11.00	Soft Succulent Classic Stampin' Pad [155778] $11.00
Gold 3/8" (1 Cm) Shimmer Ribbon [156470] $11.00	Heat Tool (Us And Canada) [129053] $41.00	Good Fortune Dies [157662] $39.00	Stylish Shapes Dies [159183] $41.00	Timeworn Type 3 D Embossing Folder [156505] $13.75
Stampin' Cut & Emboss Machine [149653] $170.00	Multipurpose Liquid Glue [110755] $5.50	Stampin' Seal [152813] $11.00	Mini Stampin' Dimensionals [144108] $6.00

Watercolour Pencil Hues of Happiness for As You See It Challenge #274

I've had both assortments of watercolour pencils for years now and I rarely use them. I think it's because I've had low expectations of what my colouring will end up looking like when I do. I've never admired the sketchy look they seem to create. But looking at the beautiful open blooms of the Happiness Abounds stamp set that is part of the Hues of Happiness Suite, I thought it would be a good opportunity to explore that medium a bit more and see if I could get some results I would be "Happier" with.

I used it for a Mother's Day card for my Design Team sample for As You See It Challenge #274 which is a Fill in the Blank Challenge:

I would fill in the blank with: The best thing about mothers is Unconditional Love!

Here's a closer look at my card using watercolour pencils:

• I used So Saffron cardstock as my card base and on that I layered a piece of the Hues of Happiness Designer Series Paper.
• Using the Blossoming Happiness Dies (part of the Happiness Abounds bundle) I die cut the perforated edge of a piece of Basic White cardstock and ripped the other edge. The sentiment from the Happiness Abounds set was stamped on the bottom edge using Memento ink.
• On a piece of Shimmery White cardstock I stamped various roses and the single flower and 6 sprigs of foliage (3 of each design) in Memento Ink. Since I would be using water to blend the watercolour pencil, I had to be careful of the Memento ink bleeding, but since this stamp set is a photopolymer one, I didn't want to use the waterproof StazOn ink because I wouldn't be able to clean it off with StazOn Cleaner, since it can damage photopolymer stamps.
• I added the colour I wanted in a few scribbles to each of the flowers, then used a water painter to blend the colour throughout the image. I was as careful as I could to avoid the lines so I could avoid bleeding the ink.
• I let the images dry for a few hours. Then I added more water colour pencil to the areas that would be shadowed. This time I coloured in darkly and radiated from the core outwards. I blended again with a water painter and was really pleased with the results. This second step made all the difference!
• I arranged the flowers on the piece of Basic White as shown and adhered them with a mixture of glue dots and Stampin' Dimensionals to create vertical dimension, tucking in the leaves and some vellum sprigs here and there.
• The vellum sprigs were die cut using the Ranunculus Dies and the Layering Designs vellum sheets.
• The second sentiment is from the Flowering Tulips stamp set and is stamped in Melon Mambo. I fussy cut around it so you could still see the flowers underneath and mounted it with a combination of a glue dot and a dimensional. 
• Finally I added some Glossy Dots in Daffodil Delight, Melon Mambo and Pool Party.

I hope you'll give the watercolour pencils another try!

If you live in Canada, and don't have a Stampin' Up! demonstrator,  I'd love to be yours. I can help you with ideas, get you catalogues and provide you with Stampin' Up products. You can leave a message in the comments or contact me using any of the methods listed in the right side bar at the top of the page. You can shop with me from anywhere in Canada by clicking on the SHOP NOW button in the top menu or clicking on any of products below from my Online Store.

Product List

Happiness Abounds Photopolymer Stamp Set (English) [159238] $32.00	Happiness Abounds Bundle (English) [158824] $68.25	Flowering Tulips Photopolymer Stamp Set (English) [157672] $32.00	Hues Of Happiness 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 Cm) Designer Series Paper [158822] $16.50	Vellum 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 Cm) Layering Designs [157764] $13.50
Shimmery White 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [101910] $13.75	So Saffron 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [105118] $12.75	Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock [159276] $14.00	Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad [132708] $8.25	Melon Mambo Classic Stampin' Pad [147051] $11.00
Watercolor Pencils [141709] $22.00	Watercolor Pencils Assortment 2 [149014] $17.00	Glossy Dots Assortment [158827] $11.00	Water Painters [151298] $18.00	Blossoming Happiness Dies [158823] $44.00
Ranunculus Dies [157976] $44.00	Stampin' Cut & Emboss Machine [149653] $170.00	Multipurpose Liquid Glue [110755] $5.50	Mini Glue Dots [103683] $7.25	Stampin' Dimensionals [104430] $6.00