International Blog Hop May 2016 | Highlighting Retired Products
Welcome to our International Blog Hop highlighting some of our favourite Stampin’ Up! products that are retiring at the end of May. I am very excited to be participating in this (my first) Blog Hop, especially being in such talented company from around the world. We are sure that you will find some incredible inspiration from the projects that you are about to see as you visit each blog on the list below.
You may just be starting the blog hop here at my blog – Cheryll Miller (Sense of Whimsy) or may have come from the person previous to me in the list. If you get off track at any time, the full lineup below will help you move along from blog to blog so you see all the projects.
If you have just “hopped” into my blog, you are visiting Cheryll Miller and I live in Australia. If you live in Australia and were wanting to purchase some Stampin’ Up!® Products I am happy to help you. Remember that all of the projects in this Blog Hop feature retiring products which are available only while stocks last, so don’t delay if something really catches your eye.
One of my favourite retiring stamps is Blended Bloom. It has been my “go to” flower image since it landed in my craft room … it is large, a feature on it’s own, easy to colour and easy to fussy cut. I also love the retiring Greetings Thinlits dies. These are fabulous … the set includes three words … thanks, hello and cheers. They are a perfect size for cards and the filled in areas on the letters make them so easy to adhere with little dots of multipurpose glue.
I stamped the Blended Bloom image onto Watercolour Paper with Basic Black Archival ink, watercoloured with an Aqua Painter and then used a Blender Pen for the more finely detailed centre. The flower colour is Real Red, with Crushed Curry, Tangelo Twist and Basic Gray in the centre. I added a little bit of dimension in the centre of the flower with some glue from the Fine Tip Glue Pen.
The background is created by sponging over a rectangular frame mask (I used the Square Framelits dies, also retiring, to create the frame first cutting one square and then moving the die down a little and running through the Big Shot again to create a rectangle cut out piece), applying ink colour in bands of Bermuda Bay, Old Olive and Tangelo Twist. To create additional interest behind the flower, I used another retiring set “I Think You’re Great” (Wood Mount or Clear Mount). This set has two fabulous background images, and I just love the swirly background. I selectively coloured a portion of the stamp with Basic Gray marker and stamped over the sponged area, keeping the frame mask in place.
It is always very exciting to reveal the background when you remove the frame mask … or maybe that is just my weird sense of excitement!?
While I was in sponging mode, I also decorated the inside of the card and the envelope.
Thank you for taking part in our international blog hop, there are so many amazing ideas and inspiration you don’t want to miss. It certainly makes me quite sad that some of these wonderful products are retiring. Remember that currently you are at my blog – Cheryll Miller, so check the blog hop line up list to see who is next in the list.
Blended Bloom Wood Mount Stamp Set available at 20% discount
I Think You’re Great Wood Mount Stamp Set available at 20% discount
I Think You’re Great Clear Mount Stamp Set available at 25% discount
Greetings Thinlits Dies
Squares Collection Framelits available at 40% discount
Tangelo Twist Ink Pad available at 30% discount
xx
Thanks for sharing. Love your work, so creative. Oh the watercolour blending is absolutely gorgeous.
Thank you Dianne, appreciate your lovely comments! Great talking today, as always! xxx
Cheryll you rocked this card and your colours are just so vivid and stunning! Well done I love it !
Thank you so much Michelle. High praise indeed! 😉 I still can’t comment on your blog for some reason, but I was wowed by your project for the hop!! xx
Beautiful card! Can’t wait to try it. Thank You for sharing?
Thank you so much Marilyn, appreciate you stopping by and commenting! xx
Beautiful!! I love the sponging. 🙂
Thank you Sandra, this was fun, great to hop with you! xx
Wow this is stunning – so colourful and bright – I love it x
Thank you Caroline … such fun hopping with you! xx
Beautiful, bright and cheery card Cheryll. xoxo
Thanks Gail, appreciate you dropping by and leaving a comment. xxx
Cheryll I am absolutely blown away by your card! Love everything about it! So pleased to be hopping with you! xxx
Thank you Sandra … I am blown away with hopping with you girls and guys, such amazing talent. xxx
So so beautiful Cheryll! Love the colours the sponging and the watercolouring. Amazing. Thanks for your support of my international blog highlight and for being part of this hop!
Thank YOU Kylie for organising the hop and giving us all this great opportunity to be a part of it. xxx
Absolutely beautiful card Cheryll. Love the watercolours – great technique! I haven’t got the sets you’ve used yet and tempted to get them as you have made them look stunning together. 🙂
Hi Juan, I know exactly what you mean. I was being so good this year and not buying up the retiring sets because I like them … then after looking at all the lovely projects in this hop, I was like “why oh why didn’t I get this set!”. 🙂 Thanks for commenting and great hopping with you. xx
Your card is absolutely exquisite, Cheryll! Wow! I’m so happy to be hopping along with you.
Thank you Mel … I had such fun this morning looking at all the blog hop links that I was very nearly late for work! 😉 Very happy to be a part of such a talented bunch of hoppers! Love your project. 🙂
Gorgeous card Cheryll. Love the colours.
Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment Narelle, great hopping with you and all the other talented demonstrators. xx
Cheryl, you have created a lovely card with one my favorite flower stamps! Your blending on the flower and the background is delightful. So happy to be hopping with you as this is also my first blog hop!
Thanks Linda, yes I was excited to see you were a part of the blog hop! Blended Bloom is one of my good old standby favourites, so I will miss it. xx
I love your card Cheryll! Lots of colour which makes instantly smile 🙂
Thank you Carolina, Yes, it is bright, isn’t it! Just the thing for the gloomy, cold days in South Australia at the moment. Great hopping with you. xxx
wow! just gorgeous xox
Thank you so much Adele! Appreciate you stopping by and making a comment. Hope you enjoyed all the blog hop posts. xxx
Awesome colors on your card and your flower is pretty. Going to miss this one! Great hopping with you!
Thank you Debbie, yes great being involved in this hop with you and the other talented demonstrators. 🙂 xx
Such a stunning card Cheryll! Your coloring is beautiful!
Thank you Cindee … colouring this image is like therapy! Very relaxing and always a good result. xx
Cheryll what a beautiful card. So many techniques for me to incorporate into my cards. So happy I could participate in your fantastic first blog hop.
Thank you Lou! So pleased to be hopping with you too! xx