Stampin' Up! has posted their retiring stamp sets. These stamp sets will be available through August. You can access the list through my website. The link is on the left at the top of the page.
As always, when the retired list is posted, I go into mourning about some of my favorite stamp sets that are going away. Of course, I’m also getting excited about the new favorites that are coming with the new catalog. This year, I thought it would be fun to post some cards that are retiring on my blog. I’ll CASE (copy and share everything) the card for you. For the cards I received in swaps, I’ll give you my best guesses about how the card was put together. Please check out my blog regularly as I’ll be posting these cards until the end of the current catalog.
The first card I’d like to feature is one that uses the pastel chalk blending technique. Outline stamps work the best for this technique. For this card, I’ve used the Bud Basics coordinating wheel, Basics Outline.
The images are stamped with Basic Black on Whisper White cardstock. I used eye shadow applicators to apply the chalk. You dampen the applicator with the blending solution, rub it across the pastel color of your choice and apply it to the paper like you would put eye shadow on. To blend the two colors, apply the lightest color first and then add the darker color. Start at the center of the flower and pull the applicator away from the center. Use lighter pressure as you pull away from the center. Again, it’s similar to how you would blend a darker color eye shadow on your eyelid. This technique takes a little practice. However, it gives your projects a soft, blended look.
For the largest flower, I stamped one extra image, colored it, cut it out and curled the petals with my fingers. I then placed it on the card with a stampin’ dimensional. Notice how I placed the flower so that the petals alternate with the image below to make the flower look fuller.
