Light, Dark, Light! Loving your Blends!

Tips for using Stampin’ Blends

Material Basics

1. Use Momentum black ink.  If you use Stazon or Archival inks they will run with alcohol markers.
2. Make certain that your ink is completely dry before starting to color the image.
3. Use Basic white cardstock, Thick White cardstock, Shimmery White cardstock.  Vanilla and Thick Vanilla can be used but may take away some of the brightness of the ink color.
4. You can also use glossy cardstock (Stampin' Up! does not carry this at this point.)

Blends Care

1. Store your Blends so they are laying flat and the ink is evenly distributed.
2. Store pairs of same colors together to avoid searching for the dark and light shades.
3. Always make certain the tops are on securely.  When they are secure, you will hear a “click”.
4. Do not leave the lids off for a long period of time.
5. Avoid dropping your pens.

Stamping Tips

1. Have scrap paper under your work.   The ink may bleed through the cardstock.
2. Check blended area to make certain you can see the color through the backside.  
3. Color small areas at a time.
4. Do not touch the stamped line with the alcohol marker.  When coloring, the ink spreads some.  If you color onto the line, the ink will go outside the line.
5. You need to find your own comfort zone for coloring.  You can either apply the light layer first and then add the shading with the darker color and then go back to the lighter color and add ink until it is well blended.  Some find it easier to add the darker color first in the area you want darker, then add the lighter color from the center into the darker area.  My advice is Light, Dark, Light.
6. Work quickly and do not let the ink dry until you have completed the area you are working on.  If it dries it will not blend well.
7. Keep your shading consistent on the way the light is hitting on the image.  Keep in mind which area gets the least amount of light ~ it will be darker.
8. You can use the Color Lifter to add highlights.
9. Stamp an image several times and practice coloring the same image to find what you like best.

Color Lifters

1. Use your color lifters to pick up colors to add highlights.  This tool lifts color (as in 'Opps, I am outside the lines.')
2. When your ink goes outside the image, use the color lifter to push the color back behind the lines.
3. You can also use your color lifter to pull color away from the image.  

Other:   Color pearls, rhinestones, buttons, and other surfaces with blends.

 

Tuesday Project Sheet ~ another birthday!

Download With You In Mind March 25

You can find this photopolymer stamp set online, #164747, $20.

Happy Birthday Susan, Connie, Lynne H., Melissa and Jan!!!!

Wildflower Birthday Specialty DSP Joy Fold Card

Supplies:

• Stamp Set:  Day to Celebrate (164963) (Wildflower Birthday Suite, #164604 online)
• Cardstock:  Peach Pie Card Base (163799)
• Peach Pie small card (163799)
• Wildflower Birthday Specialty Designer Series paper (164591)
• Basic White (159276) for inside of card
• Blueberry Bushel (146968)
• Antique Pearls (164679)

Measurements

• Peach Pie Card Base (163799) 8 ½” x 5 ½” scored at 4 ¼”
• Peach Pie "small card" 8 1/2" x 3" scored at 4 1/4"
• Wildflower Birthday Specialty Designer Series paper 5 1/4" x 4"
• Basic White 5 1/4" x 4" (for inside of card)
• Wildflower Birthday tag 3 3/8" x 2 3/8"
• Blueberry Bushel 3 1/2" x 2 1/2"
• Basic White 4" x 2 3/4"
• Wildflower Birthday piece for inside of small card 2 3/4" X 5/8"

Instructions:

• Fold and burnish the Peach Pie Card Base.  Line up the front of the card base with the top left score line and the bottom right in the Paper Trimmer gully and cut on the triangle.
• Also line up the Wildflower Birthday Specialty Designer Series Paper 5 ¼” x 4” on the Paper Trimmer and cut from the top left to the bottom right.
• Add the Basic White 5 ¼” x 4” to the inside of the card
• Next add one Wildflower Birthday triangle piece to the front triangle of the card.  Then add the second piece to the inside covering up the Basic White on the right
• Stamp the sentiment “It’s a Good Day to Celebrate” in Blueberry Bushel on the bottom left corner of the flower tag
• Add the flower tag (I cut the top off) to the Blueberry Bushel piece
• Adhere the above to the Peach Pie “small card”
• Adhere the Wildflower Birthday DSP to the Basic White 4” x 2 ¾” for the inside of the small card
• Add the Basic White 4” x 2 ¾” to the inside of the Peach Pie Small Card
• Now line up the “small card” on the inside and adhere.  I lined up the card along the triangle of the Wildflower Birthday DSP.  Adhere and then the top will flap over to the front.

The Frozen River

I recently finished this book and thought I would recommend it if you like historic fiction.  It is well written about a remarkable real woman in Maine around the late seventeen hundreds.  Martha Ballard is 'an unsung heroine who refused to accept anything less than justice at a time when women were considered best seen and not heard.'  sem