Blended Ink Stamped Background Technique

Could I pick a longer title? Blended Ink Stamped Background Technique is an accurate, if a little wordy description of my latest video upload on YouTube.

blended ink stamped background technique card
Blended Ink Stamped Background Technique Card

If you come up with a better description, please let me know….in the meantime, I showed how I created this card in the video. I used my Blending Brushes (hence the “blended ink”), and then I stamped with one of the stamps from the Amazing Silhouettes stamp set (hence the “stamped”). The picture is a little more vibrant than the card is in real life, but I still love the subtle effect of the “ghostly” leafy plant on the inked background. Since I used some of the Rainbow Glimmer Paper, I tried to add the same tones into the background that I created – so I used Coastal Cabana and Granny Apple Green. I love that I could come up with thousands of variations for this technique by varying the colours used. Easy and impressive – always my motto for crafting!

Here’s the Blended Ink Stamped Background Technique video – if you can’t see it, click here to go to the video on the YamStamps YouTube Channel

You can click here for the “Easy Button” to see all the products I used from the YamStamps Online Stampin’ Up! Canada store.

Share this post on:

Retiring List Contest!

It’s that time of year again….

Stampin’ Up! will be releasing the Retiring List on Wednesday 23 March 2022. What do YOU think will be included on the list this year? Take your best guess and WIN!

Email me with your list of TEN stamp sets from the 2021-2022 Annual Catalogue that you believe will be on the retiring list (excluding Host stamp sets). Emails must be received by 10pm Eastern on Tuesday 22 March 2022 (that would be 22:00 because I liked the symmetry of it all!). Open to Canadian residents only.

The person with the most correct guesses will receive a $25 gift certificate for products or classes through YamStamps.com. In the case of a tie, the earlier submission will be declared the winning entry. (I’m pretty sure non-winning entries will receive some sort of compensation as well, though….just saying).

Good luck!

Share this post on:

Celebrating Circles

Happy Pi Day! We are celebrating circles around here….and here’s a card to share. Appropriately, it uses circles as the main image!
celebrating circles
Celebrating Circles – Card for Pi Day

I love this sentiment, from the Here Together stamp set. It’s available for a limited time – until 2 May 2022. You can see all the items in the All Together Collection here in the YamStamps Online Stampin’ Up! Canada store. I wanted to keep the card fairly clean and simple, so I just used the Bokeh effect background and a single circle die cut with the sentiment on it. I used Misty Moonlight cardstock and used Misty Moonlight ink for the sentiment, with Blushing Bride for the heart. Check out this link to see all the products that I used on this card. You can add all the products to your shopping cart with a single click – pretty neat, eh? That’s truly the “easy” button! You can adjust quantities and remove or add other items after you do the “add all to cart” click. I need to use this feature more often in these posts, I think!

I’m partial to blue tones, and Misty Moonlight is one of my current favourites. It is also one of the 2020-2022 In Colours, so it will be retiring at the end of April – and I am really going to miss it! If you like it too, you’ll want to be sure to stock up on your supplies of it sooner rather than later. As with all retiring product, it will be “while supplies last” or until 2 May 2022 (the end of the sales period for the current Annual Catalogue) – whichever comes FIRST. In Colours usually sell out before the end of the catalogue period, so please don’t hesitate!

I am working on getting more videos onto my various social media channels, so I did a video celebrating circles and Pi Day by showing the Bokeh Technique used on this card. I posted the full video on the YamStamps YouTube channel.

Celebrating Circles – Bokeh Effect Tutorial Video for Pi Day 2022

You may have seen that I also did an Instagram Reel on this card. I could get addicted to doing reels – short videos with music, what’s not to like? Take a look at my Celebrating Circles Reel and let me know what you think – do you prefer the full length video or a mini length sped up version – or both?

Happy Pi Day!

Share this post on:

Blended Ink Thank You Card

I’m calling this the blended ink thank you card – because I can’t think of another way to describe it! It’s a super easy technique that gave this wonderful look. I have always loved monochromatic projects – I think there’s something elegant about focusing on one tone. Plus it’s easy….haha! This card features Stampin’ Up!’s Amazing Silhouettes Bundle.

Blended Ink Thank You Card
Blended Ink Thank You Card

I chose the colour for the ink on the background from the tones in the Rainbow Glimmer Paper. Remember this card? I used the same technique here. Added a Foam Adhesive Sheet to the back of a scrap of Rainbow Glimmer Paper and then ran it through my Stampin’ Cut & Emboss Machine. I think I may have actually used the Mini Stampin’ Cut & Emboss Machine (on sale this month!) for this one because this Amazing Thanks die is compatible (aka it fits!). For the background, I simply used a Blending Brush to add Coastal Cabana ink around the edges, leaving a space that was more white, but then I also lightly stamped with an image from the Amazing Silhouettes stamp set in the same ink tone – so it gives a faint image and texture to the blending. Some Iridescent Rhinestone Basic Jewels added a finishing touch to my blended ink thank you card, and I thought they matched the sparkle from the Glimmer Paper.

I might make more of these – since I need to send thank you cards to those who have supported my Celebrating Sunflowers Fundraiser for the Canadian Red Cross Ukraine Humanitarian Crisis Appeal so far! Just a reminder that if you purchase the Celebrate Sunflowers Stamp Set, Sunflowers Dies or Discounted Bundle (which is only available this month), I’ll donate my income to the Red Cross fund noted. I chose the stamp set and dies because the sunflower is the national flower for Ukraine, and I chose the Canadian Red Cross’s Appeal because the Canadian government pledged to match all donations before 18 March up to $10 million (already met!). My personal fundraiser is going until 2 May 2022, which is the end of the sales period for the 2021-2022 Annual Catalogue.

Who do you want to thank? This blended ink thank you card is a quick and easy way to send a note of appreciation to someone. If you need supplies, you can go to the shortcut yamstamps.com/shop to shop in the YamStamps Online Stampin’ Up! Canada store, or message me for assistance placing an order.

Share this post on:

Happy International Women’s Day

Happy International Women’s Day! I love this sentiment from the In the Moment Stamp Set…

I have been so fortunate to have met so many wonderful women as part of my Stampin’ Up! journey! From customers, to team members (current and past), fellow demonstrators from all over the world, to the Event Council members, and Stampin’ Up! staff – seriously some pretty awesome ladies. Stampin’ Up! was founded by sisters, and continues to have females in key roles within the company itself.

I’m happy that we’ve been able to continue to meet up virtually, and look forward to when we can comfortably and safely meet up in person again!!

Happy International Women’s Day!

Share this post on:

A Little Goes a Long Way

I didn’t use this card design in my Paper Strips Online Class – but it definitely fits the class outline! A little goes a long way – just a few small pieces of Designer Series Paper to create this pattern. It’s a take on the card that I shared here on the YamStamps blog back in January.

a little goes a long way
Paper Strips Card – a little goes a long way!

I “stepped up” this card design by embossing the backing cardstock. I like how the Ornate Floral 3D Embossing Folder ties in with the flowery theme of the Hand Penned Designer Series Paper. I used Highland Heather cardstock for the background (I chose that colour because it’s used in the patterned paper), but I kind of cheated and used Fresh Freesia Ribbon…in part because that’s what I had on hand! I figured it was fairly close…

In this “a little goes a long way” card, the strips are 3/4″ wide. I used 3 consecutive strips so that my pattern on the rectangles would carry across. With the wonderful two sided designs, I just flipped the squares over so that the coordinating pattern shows! Love easy crafting!

Give this easy design a try with whatever patterned paper you have on hand. It’s a great way to make a bunch of impressive cards quickly and easily! Change up the patterned paper for a totally different look.

If you like getting card design ideas like this, be sure to be signed up for the YamStamps Newsletter. Each week brings some new paper crafting ideas, full card tutorials, information and inspiration to your inbox!

Share this post on:
FREE TUTORIAL
FUN FOLD CARD
Fill out the form to let us know where to send your free tutorial video!
SEND MY TUTORIAL!
Learn At Your Own Pace.
close-link