Tuesday, March 3, 2020

Bloom and grow - The Spot #100 Getting to Know You Designer's Choice Challenge

Hello and welcome to my blog; I am super excited today to share with you one of the first post for the new Design Team and Challenge blogs that I am on.  This is our very first challenge for the new weekly challenge blog called The Spot!  The design team is composed of other Independent Stampin' Up! Demonstrators from around the world.  Our first theme challenge for the new Challenge blog is Getting to Know you - Designer's Choice!  We wanted to share a card that represents our styles and showcases what we like to do as well as you sharing a card that showcases your talents and what you like to do.  I picked the Bloom & Grow Bundle from the Annual Catalog and the So Very Vellum New Sale-A-Bration item that just came out today to create my card with.  Here's a look at my project.


And here's the challenge card that inspired my project today.  You can click on the challenge image to go to our website and check out what the other design team members came up with and play along.


I know that you will be extremely inspired by all the wonderful creations from this wonderful design team that has been assembled to be part of The Spot.  I also know that you will have so much fun playing along with us each week.

Tips & Tricks: 

As I mentioned above I picked the Bloom & Grow Bundle and the So Very Vellum Designer Series Vellum to showcase on my card today.  One thing that I love to do when I am designing a project and that makes me happy is to use a product in a different and unexpected way, along with using my coloring media to create something beautiful to share.  For this card I used my Stampin' Blends to color the flowers that I used on my project.  And, I am just going to go ahead and tell you that apparently I am in the mood for Spring because a majority of my projects that you will be seeing this week have flowers on them.  

For the coloring on my flowers I used Purple Posy, Flirty Flamingo, Pool Party, and Soft Sea Foam plus a little So Saffron.  I also did a little under painting of the shadows on the berries with my light Smoky Slate blend.  A underpainting is where you come in with a gray and add in your shadow colors before hand to give the image a little more detail and to create a darker shadow color and a this also lets you add a more dramatic effect and get more tone from a light color marker.  When doing a underpainting you want to pick a lighter color gray to start building your shadows up before coming on top with the other color.  If I had just colored the berries with the Soft Sea Foam light and dark you wouldn't see as much detail and tonal value as you do in the image above.  When doing the under painting you have to start with the gray to get the best result.  If you where to start with the sea foam and then come back in with the gray you would get a completely different color since alcohol markers are transparent.  Meaning that what ever color you lay on top of another color will show through.  

Once all my coloring was complete I then used the matching dies to cut out the two floral swags.  I also used the Let's Celebrate You sentiment from the stamp set and stamped it onto a piece of Whisper White Cardstock in Flirty Flamingo ink and used the largest stitched circle from the Stitched Shape Dies to cut it out.  I actually cut out one blank of the two floral swags and the stitched circle to add to the inside of the vellum card front.  This allowed me to hid any adhesive that may show from the inside of the card.  To make the vellum card front I cut my vellum to 6" x 4 1/4 and scored it at 1/2" from the top.  I adhered the vellum to a piece of Thick Whisper White cardstock (that was cut at 4 1/4 x 5 1/2) with a strip of Tear & Tape Adhesive on the back side.   I also added a sentiment to the inside of the card with Soft Seafoam Ink; I placed it where when the card was closed it would not see through the vellum.  


So Very Vellum Specialty Designer Series Paper

Dress up your handmade cards, scrapbook pages, and other paper crafts with a little extra texture and flair. Our So Very Vellum Specialty Designer Series Paper includes three different colors of vellum with a fun embossed design. Earn this fancy paper FREE with a qualifying purchase March 3–March 31, 2020, during part two of our Sale-A-Bration promotion!   You can download the 2nd Sale-A-Bration Brochure by clicking here.  This will allow you to check out the new offerings that you can start earning today.  
The So Very Vellum Specialty Designer Series Paper features: 
* 6 sheets of embossed vellum: 2 each of 3 colors
* 12" x 12" (30.5 x 30.5 cm)
* Acid free
* Lignin free

Product colors: Pool Party, Purple Posy, Soft Sea Foam

image by Stampin' Up! 
To finish off my card I used a few Basic Rhinestone Jewels and sprinkled them around the card for a little sparkle, and I added a two layer bow.  I made the bow with the Whisper White 5/8" Polka Dotted Tulle Ribbon.  I cut this to length first and tied it into a bow.  To add a little texture to the card and bow I took some of the 5/16" Braided Burlap Trim and pulled it apart and tied another bow which I layered on top of the Tulle Bow.  I love how this adds a different texture to the texture of the vellum and the tulle.  It's such a fun play on texture that makes the card just pop. 


Thank you for dropping by today, I hope that you will take time to visit us over at the Spot; which I know will become your spot for weekly inspirational card challenges.  You never know if you play along you may be chosen and put on the spot as one of our challenge winner.  If you need any of the supplies that you have seen today you can pick them up in my online store by clicking on the items in my Shopping List below.  I hope to see you and your creations over at the Spot.  
Happy Stampin' 
Rick Adkins 
Use the March Host Code on any order of $50 (before taxes & shipping) or more during the month and receive a free gift from me in April as a Thank You.  If your order is $150 or more please don't use the host code.  You will forfeit your Stampin' Rewards if you do; and I want you to get those rewards.  


If you place any size order with me during the month of March you will receive the March Creative Stampers Tutorial Bundle from me as a little thank you.  This month's tutorial bundle features fourteen floral themed tutorials.  The Creative Stampers Tutorial Bundle can either be earned for FREE with any size order or Can be purchased for $20 from me.  

Stampin' Up! Shopping List: 



Monday, March 2, 2020

Crafty Corner Monthly Card Club: March 2020


I would love for you to make cards with me!  In my Crafty Corner Monthly Card Club.  

How Club Works:  

Each month you will make 8 cards (2 each of 4 designs) each month with a kit sent to your door!
Each month you will receive a goody bag filled with over $20.00 in Stampin' Up! Products!  Tutorial with pictures and instructions emailed to you each month.  After 6 months you get $15.00 in FREE products of your choice!  Join at anytime/Cancel at anytime!   Only $39.00 each month which INCLUDES Priority Shipping!   The option to add on the featured stamp set/bundle each month at a 19% discount.

March Featured Stamp Set: 

Music From The Heart:

You’ve heard about music to the ears. The Music from the Heart Stamp Set is music to the eyes! Pair these musical images with any phrase to make a greeting card that sings with sincerity. This stamp set can be used all year long. This stamp set was inspired by Million Sales Achiever Dawn Olchefske

Music From the Heart Stamp Set is a photopolymer stamp set featuring 19 photopolymer stamps that range from music filled line art and singing sentiments that’s perfect for any occasion.  You can add on this stamp set to your club order for $17.00.  


What's Included: 

This month I am including a in your club packages:
  • 1/2 pack of Designer Series Paper 
  • a Embellishment 
  • A bolt of Ribbon 
  • Card kit with all the precut supplies to make 8 cards (2 each of 4 designs) 
  • PDF Printable Tutorial Instructions and a Video Tutorial Emailed to you  

Deadline to sign Up:  

Each month the deadline to sign up is the 20th of each month.  Once all the money is collected on the 20th I will order all the supplies and order them and cut and prep everything once I get everything back.  I will then repackage everything and ship it out to you by the 28th of the month.  I will then email you the tutorial video and printable pdf instructions along with a tracking number.  

Club is open to anyone in the United States.  

Join Card Club by emailing Rick here!  

Lily Impressions DSP Card - Video Tutorial

Hello and welcome to my blog; today I am going to share a fun way to make a card using Designer Series Paper as the card base.  I picked the Lily Impressions Designer Series Paper that's one of the Sale-A-Bration offering this year.  I also used the Lovely Lily Stamp Set and the matching Lily Pad Dies both of which are also Sale-A-Bration items and can all be earned for free with qualifying orders.  During the video I also share how to get a four color blend using two sets of Stampin' Blends.  Doing a four color blend is a little more advance coloring technique and it gives a more realistic coloring look.  Here's a look at my card.

Tips & Tricks: 

I started out my card design by cutting my designer series paper down to the correct size.  It's cut to 4 1/4 x 12, and scored at 1" & 5 1/2".  Once it was scored I then used my bone folder and burnished each score line.  The 1" score line gets folded back to the front so that you can see both sides of the paper on the front of the card.  This is one of the reasons I love Designer Series Paper cards, because you don't have to decided which side of the paper you want to see, you actually get to see them both.  


One thing depending on the designer series paper that you pick make sure that you have the paper turned in the right direction.  For this one it really isn't noticeable that I had it flipped upside down.  It still worked out just fine.  To decorate the front of the card a little I used both a 1/2" x 4 1/4 piece of Gorgeous Grape Cardstock for the this card as you will see in the video to add a little stability and to add just a little more color.  But, one the first card I used a piece of the Lovely Lipstick 1/8" Grosgrain Ribbon instead.  I also used the detailed die from the set and cut out a piece of Green foil from the Noble Peacock Foil pack.  I added this to the center of the card front with a little liquid glue behind.  


Once I had the foil die cut a large stitched whisper white circle and scalloped circle to layer behind.  I stamped the lily and lily pad from the stamp set twice in Memento Tuxedo Black Ink.  Once the ink dried a little bit I started the coloring process.  I started out with Dark Lovely Lipstick in the deepest shadow areas of each petal.  I worked one petal at a time so that I could get a good blend.  Next I moved the Light Lovely Lipstick and blended the dark out; next I moved to Dark Flirty Flamingo and then to Light Flirty Flamingo.  When blending flowers I do a very light handed flicking motion.  I also go in the direction of the flowers petals.  For the Lily pad since they are rounded I color in a circular motion.  This coloring method makes a round object appear rounded.  Once all the coloring was completed I used the matching die and cut everything out.  I added the colored images to the stitched circles with liquid glue and stampin' dimensionals.  


Once everything was added to the front of the card I stamped the inside and colored the lily on the inside and added a sentiment.  For the card in the video I choose not to add anything to the inside yet because I wasn't sure what occasion I may want to use the card.  I also added some of the designer series paper to the flap of the envelope.  This way I have a perfectly coordinated card and envelope that's ready to go.  

Video Tutorial: 

If you are viewing this post by email you may not be able to see the video.  If that is the case you can click here or click the image below to view.  Not all mail servers will show embedded videos.  

Thanks for dropping by today, I hope that you have found my little tips helpful.  If you need any of the supplies I used today you can pick them up in my online store.  Remember that during Sale-A-Bration you are rewarded with free goodies based on your qualifying orders.  
Happy Stampin' 
Rick Adkins 

Use the March Host Code on any order of $50 (before taxes & shipping) or more during the month and receive a free gift from me in April as a Thank You.  If your order is $150 or more please don't use the host code.  You will forfeit your Stampin' Rewards if you do; and I want you to get those rewards.  


If you place any size order with me during the month of March you will receive the March Creative Stampers Tutorial Bundle from me as a little thank you.  This month's tutorial bundle features fourteen floral themed tutorials.  The Creative Stampers Tutorial Bundle can either be earned for FREE with any size order or Can be purchased for $20 from me.  


Stampin' Up! Shopping List:  


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