What a beautiful product bundle Friends are like Seashells is . . . and it's got a few clever tricks, too. But first . . . just take a moment to enjoy all of the colors, glimmer, dimension, and texture on this card.
Creating this card was the first time I have worked with some of the coordinating products in the Sand & Sea Suite and was amazed to discover so many creative options! Following are the products featured on my card:
Take a moment to appreciate the sentiments in the stamp set.
Aren't they great?
Notice that big image with shell shapes (try saying that a few times) in the above photo of the dies? It coordinates with images from the stamp set AND the embossing folder. How genius is that?!?! You can die-cut stamped AND embossed images. On my card, I embossed a piece of white cardstock, cut out the three shells, and then used Sponge Daubers to color them with Blushing Bride, Pool Party, Crumb Cake, and Soft Suede ink. I then brushed a couple of them with Wink of Stella. The sand dollar image was stamped with Sahara Sand ink, and I used a Sponge Dauber to lightly ink the edges of the die-cut shape. The leafy images were stamped with Soft Sea Foam ink onto Soft Sea Foam cardstock and Mossy Meadow ink onto Mossy Meadow cardstock. But let's talk about the layers with torn edges.
The embossed layer just beneath the die-cut shells was a piece of Crumb Cake cardstock, but I used Stampin' Up!'s new Blending Brushes to apply light strokes of Soft Suede and Pool Party ink to the embossed areas. Unlike sponges or daubers, when you need/want just a hint of color that won't overtake your project, you NEED the Blending Brushes! They are fantastic tools, and they absolutely work differently than sponges, daubers, and Sponge Brayers--but with just as much purpose. FYI . . . in case you're wondering if you'd have to own a Blending Brush for each and every color, the answer is no! Remember how easy it is to clean Blender Pens and Water Painters by swiping them on a scrap of paper until there's no trace of color? That's pretty much all you need to do with the Blending Brushes. I would, however, be mindful to designate the three Blending Brushes to light, medium, and dark colors because touching a wet ink pad could re-activate the ink that remains (stains) the bristles. I haven't had that issue yet--I'm only mentioning that it might could be possible. Personally, I have Blending Brushes designated for color groups (yellow, red, green, blue, etc.), and that's working perfectly for me.
The last thing that I want to mention are the Artistry Bloom Sequins on my card. Can you see how light reflects different colors on them? I just adore that! All five sequins on my card are actually the same color, and I am in love with the various colors that they present. I also love that they come with an adhesive back, so you just have to lift them from the liner and place them where you want them.
I don't think I clarified that the pink designer paper with the distressed edges is from the Sand & Sea collection, and the wooden pattern on the left edge of the card is from the In Good Taste collection.
What do you think? Are you in love with this fantastic product suite, too?
1 comment:
What a beautiful card!
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