Friday, October 18, 2019

6 Projects From 1 Stamp Set: Featuring Christmas Countdown by Stampin' Up!


Hello and welcome to my blog; today I am sharing six different projects with you featuring just one stamp set.  Well, the sentiments came from another one but the main images all came from the Christmas Countdown stamp set that coordinates with the Christmas Countdown Advent Calendar.  I wanted to show you a few ways to use that stamp set besides just for the Countdown Advent calendar.  I pulled sentiments from the Very Versailles and Well Said Stamp sets, we always need all occasions cards all year long so when you pair a holiday set with a great sentiment set your have cards that you can send all season long.  Here's a look at my projects!

Tips & Tricks: 

For the first project I created a simple tag using some  of the leftover cardstock, and a little ribbon.  Don't throw away your scraps they are so usable for tags and other things on projects. For this Christmas Tag I used a scrap of Pretty Peacock cardstock that was cut down to 2 inches so that it would fit in the Delightful Tag Topper Punch.  I stamped a few of the images on the tag in matching Pretty Peacock ink and on a scrap of Whisper White that I added to the front of the tag.  I finished the tag off with a little of the Silver Metallic Edge Ribbon and a little White Baker's Twine.  Super easy project to dress up any packaging.  

For my next project I created a simple card using some stamps, ink, paper and a couple punches.  I stamped the large background image along the bottom of my Thick Whisper White card base that was cut at 5 1/2 x 8 1/2 in Pretty Peacock ink.  I rotated the stamp around to create this torn edge look.  So just with that stamp it looks like I have added a little decorative paper to the bottom and torn the edge.  Don't count out these little textural stamps in your sets; they can create some wonderful looks on your cards.  I then stamped the pine bouquet on some scrap cardstock and punched it out using the 2 1/4" circle punch and added a Pretty Peacock circle behind it.  The sentiment came from the Very Versailles Stamp Set.  
I couldn't leave winter birthdays out, so I wanted to create a fun little card only using the snowflake stamp from this set.  And, just so you know it's small.  I stamped the small snowflake repeatedly on a Thick Whisper White card base (4 1/4 x 11) in rainbow order.  I started out with Lovely Lipstick ink, and worked my way through the rainbow until I got to the end of the card.  I used the following inks for this card; Lovely Lipstick, Grapefruit Grove, Pineapple Punch, Call Me Clover, Blueberry Bushel, and Gorgeous Grape.  I added the sentiment on the card with the Well Written Dies on page 197 of the Annual Catalog.  These dies coordinate with the Well Said Stamp Set, but I didn't use the stamp set for this card, I thought the beautiful scrip was enough.  I added a large vellum stitched circle to the front to help draw your attention to the sentiment. 

For the fourth card I created I took the same concept as above and stamped a repeating pattern with the largest stamp in the set.  I stamped each color three times in a row until I filled up the card front.  I used the current In Colors for 2019-2021 (Rococo Rose, Terracotta Tile, Pretty Peacock, Seaside Spray, and Purple Posy).  By the way Purple Posy is now able to be ordered so if you haven't gotten it yet now's the time.  It's a great all season color, that can be used any time of the year.  I stamped the branch with the bird on it and cut it out.  I added a little more color to the image with my Terracotta Tile Stampin' Write marker, just on the berries and the bird.  This added a little more visual interest to my card.   

Now, I decided to step things up a little bit and added some masked ink blended strips to my card front.  And then stamped the next largest long stamp in a plaid pattern on the card front.  The ink blending was done with a little Old Olive and Mossy Meadow ink.  That way I had some variation of tones on the card front.  The stamping was done in Mossy Meadow so that it would stand out against the Old Olive and Whisper White.     I finished off the card by adding the card front to a real red card base (5 1/2 x 8 1/2) and stamped the pine bouquet in Mossy Meadow ink and colored it with my Stampin' Blends in the matching colors.  I then added a little real red to the berries and some Shimmery glossy Accents to the leaves and pine.  I then added some of the Ice Stampin' Glitter to them so I had a little winter feel to the card.  I finished it off by adding the Shimmery Glossy Accents to each berry so that they would also have a little shimmer.   

For my last card I pulled out all the stops and created a emboss resist card front.  I stamped all the Christmas images from the stamp set on a piece of Balmy Blue Cardstock in Versamark ink and added clear stampin' emboss powder to them.  Once I had everything stamped and embossed I took Old Olive, Pear Pizzazz, Garden Green and Mossy Meadow ink and ink blended on top of the embossed cardstock.  I then buffed the cardstock with a dry cloth and added it to a Balmy Blue mat and a Thick Whisper White Card Base.  I love the two different tones on this card.   
Well, there you go six different looking projects with just one stamp set.  I hope that you have enjoyed today's post, I will be back tomorrow with the next episode of Rick's Saturday Simple Stamping.  See you then.  
Happy Stampin' 
Rick Adkins 


If you live in the US.  I would love you to choose me as your demonstrator.  If you would like to purchase any of these products you can click on the Shop Now Button or by clicking on any of the images below.  Alternatively, you can also contact me by email to place your order.  Please be sure to use the monthly host code and I’ll send a little something out to you the following month to say Thank You!  


October HOST CODE:  SQ2WWJZN
1.     Spend any amount with me this month and receive the Creative Stampers Tutorial Bundle featuring Fall & Halloween Projects.  Plus get a gift from me in November.
Please remember that if you use the host code you cannot use that order towards my KCRP’s (Kinmon Crafty Reward Points) that would be double dipping and is not allowed.  For more information on KCRP’s click here.  


Three main reasons to Join!  
1.     You Get at least a 20% discount on all your orders while you are a demo.   
2.     You get to join my fun Kinsmon Crafters Team and Private Facebook Group.
3.     Access to directions to all my online classes 

Stampin' Up! Shopping List: 


Price: $49.00

Thursday, October 17, 2019

How to Use Pigment Sprinkles & A Frosted Foliage Fall Card - Stampin' Up! Frosted Foliage Bundle (Video Tutorial)

Hello and welcome to my blog; today I am going to share with you the card I made during last nights Facebook Live.  Where I shared some tips and tricks about using the new Pigment Sprinkles by Stampin' Up!.  Pigment Sprinkles come in Stampin' Up! colors and coordinates with all out products. .You get them in a set of six and they come in the following colors; Daffodil Delight, Mango Melody, Gorgeous Grape, Granny Apple Green, Melon Mambo, and Bermuda Bay.  If you notice those colors are your primary and secondary colors, and just with those you can make any color you need.  Here's a look at the card I made last night with the Pigment Sprinkles and the Frosted Foliage Bundle.

Basics of Pigment Sprinkles:  

Pigment Sprinkles can be a fun media to play with as well as one of the most intimidating!  Why you may ask; well, it's because it's such a freeing carefree media and very hard to control.  One of the reasons it's hard to control is the fact that it's a powder.  Unlike traditional watercolors or watercolor pencils; Pigment Sprinkles has very little control.  Well, that's what most people think anyway.  But, if you know how to use them you can find it very freeing and controllable.   It all depends on how you use them.  You can if you take your time control where the sprinkles will go, it's a matter of the control you have with your hand and the heaviness or lightness of your application.  More sprinkles means more pigment on the paper, less sprinkles mean less pigment.  You can also use a aqua painter to apply the pigment to the paper, you will see this in the video tutorial below.

Pigment Sprinkles are a dry media that you have to add water too.  You do this by spritzing the watercolor paper with a little water in a Stampin' Spritzer.  This way it helps to keep most of the pigment on the paper rater than your work area.  Don't get me wrong it does still get off the paper, as you can see in the picture above and below.  Once you have the pigment put down; you then can spritz it with more water to really activate the pigment.  This is when you really start to see the magic happen.

As far as what surface you can use with the Pigment Sprinkles, as long as it's a heavy paper meant for watercoloring you are fine and ready to go.  We offer both watercolor paper and shimmery white cardstock as the paper of choice for watermedia.  Both are able to take a lot of pigment and water, so they are the go to for this or any type of watermedia.  So just a few things to keep in mind when you start using the Pigment Sprinkles.
You can use your heat tool to speed the drying time, but to me if you just let it dry naturally you achieve much better results.  The air from the heat tool can move the wet pigment around a little more and if you let it dry naturally the wet pigment stays in place and can create some beautiful light and dark areas on it's own.

Frosted Foliage Card: 

Once you have the watercolor or shimmery white cardstock all Sprinkled up and dried then you can really start playing with them.  You can use it as just a background for a card or you can do like I like to, and cut them up with my dies.  This creates some fun colorful shapes to play with on your cards.  I used the new Frosted Foliage Bundle to create the card that I shared last night during my Facebook Live.  I had predone some watercolor paper using the Pigment Sprinkles so that they would be dry enough for me to die cut.  
I used the largest die from the Frosted Frame dies to create the focal image on my card.  At first I decided to just stamp a sentiment in the middle of this piece.  After doing so, I decided I didn't like it and cut out the next size down and stamped my sentiment on that with some 2nd generation stamping for added fun.  I then layered those two pieces together and liked it so much better.  
For my card base I used some Very Vanilla Thick Cardstock cut at 4 1/4 x 11 and stamped the berries from the stamp set around the outside edge.  I then layered my foliage frame in the center.  I also had die cut some of the other foliage pieces in the set in two other pieces of watercolor paper that I had used the Pigment Sprinkles on.  I then added these die cuts at the top and bottom sticking them under the frame.  This added more interest and color to the card.  
To finish off my card design I added some Rhinestone Basic Jewels around the card.  This helped to add a little sprinkle and shine to the card; as well as help draw the eye to the sentiment.  As if the foliage frame needed any help at all.  

Video Tutorial: 


If you are viewing this post by email you may have to click here or on the photo below to view the video.  Sometimes certain mail servers do not show the embedded video.  
Thanks for dropping by today, I hope that you have a wonderful day, and I will see you again tomorrow with another card design.  

Happy Stampin' 
Rick Adkins 


If you live in the US.  I would love you to choose me as your demonstrator.  If you would like to purchase any of these products you can click on the Shop Now Button or by clicking on any of the images below.  Alternatively, you can also contact me by email to place your order.  Please be sure to use the monthly host code and I’ll send a little something out to you the following month to say Thank You!  


October HOST CODE:  SQ2WWJZN
1.     Spend any amount with me this month and receive the Creative Stampers Tutorial Bundle featuring Fall & Halloween Projects.  Plus get a gift from me in November.
Please remember that if you use the host code you cannot use that order towards my KCRP’s (Kinmon Crafty Reward Points) that would be double dipping and is not allowed.  For more information on KCRP’s click here.  


Three main reasons to Join!  
1.     You Get at least a 20% discount on all your orders while you are a demo.   
2.     You get to join my fun Kinsmon Crafters Team and Private Facebook Group.
3.     Access to directions to all my online classes 

Stampin' Up! Shopping List: 

Template Designed by creativeworkerbee