Ready for Barely Blush?

Hey there stamping friends!  Here we go with another one of the 2026-2028 In Color cards.  This card will focus on the Barely Blush color which is the last one of the five colors.   It's so soft and pretty, just right for those girlie cards you love making.  If you want to see the other four In Colors featured in cards, check out the previous four posts to see them all.  If you're ready for Barely Blush, then let's get going.

Oh, I almost forgot that yesterday I promised you another easy card layout too.  This card handles both the featured color and a new layout plus there's extra samples of this layout at the end of the post too.  Hope these will really get your creative juices bubbling and get you creating!

Today's card starts with a card base of the Barely Blush.  It's a pretty soft pink color that's very light.  To give the card base a little more interest, the small flower in the Simply Beautiful stamp set was used with Barely Blush ink to stamp an overall design on the front of the card.  It's barely there but just adds a little color and interest to the background.

Here's where the new layout comes in.  I used the 2nd largest rectangle die from the Textured Notes dies to cut a Basic White piece of cardstock.  The inside measurements of this piece are approximately 4 3/8" x 2 7/8".

 

You need two pieces to fill the space in.  The left side measures 1" x 4 3/8".  The right side measures 1 7/8" x 4 3/8".  You can use two different DSP prints, or one print and one piece of cardstock.  It's up to you.

For my card, the left side is Crisp Cantaloupe that picks up some of the color of the flowers. It measures 1" x 4 3/8".  It is embossed with the Eyelet 3D Embossing Folder.  This is attached to the white layer with "green glue" lining it up to the left side.

The right side is a pretty print from the Bloom Boutique DSP.  Yes, it's my new favorite DSP that I've been using all over the place!  This print has gold foil flowers all through the print.  So pretty!  It measures 1 7/8" x 4 3/8" and is attached with "green glue".  

After attaching the two pieces to the white die-cut, the layer is attached to the pink card front using Dimensionals.

Next, the 2nd smallest circle die in the Stylish Shapes Die set was used to cut a Basic White label.  The 3rd smallest die was used to cut a Barely Blush circle to layer behind the white.

The sentiment is from the Cutest Crew stamp set.  The little happy birthday fits inside that circle perfectly.  It's stamped with Peaceful Pine ink.  Then they are attached together with adhesive.

A 6" length of Gold Striped Mesh Ribbon was folded in half and attached to the back of the circles.  Then this was all added to the card front by attaching with Dimensionals.

Lastly a few Flat Pearls were tucked in around the design.

Now that you've seen this layout with some pretty new products, let's take a look at the same layout using retired DSP to get a different look.

The same die-cut from Textured Notes was used here.  The dimensions for the DSP pieces are the same as the previous card.  The DSP used for these two pieces is the Floral Impressions DSP from a year or so ago.  

Instead of stamping on the card base for interest, I added a piece or embossed vellum that is probably 5+ years old at least.  But it still added a nice touch.

The punch is retired and I don't remember the name of it.  The sentiment which is from the Textured Notes set was stamped with Misty Moonlight ink.  Then it was attached to the card front with Dimensionals.

A retired Rainbow Dots in Fresh Freesia was added to the label.

The ribbon is the recently retired Petunia Pop.  I thought it was a better addition than a Fresh Freesia ribbon.

This card is very similar to the one above.  The DSP is also from Floral Impressions pack.

There is no stamping or vellum added to the card base.  I thought there was enough contrast to leave it as is.

The label and sentiment are the same.  The ink is Garden Green.

The ribbon is Pretty in Pink.

Rainbow Dots in the darker pink color were added.

There are a few changes on this card.  First of all, the largest rectangle die in the Textured Notes set was used to cut the Basic White label.  That changed the dimensions of the DSP to:

left side - 1" x 4 7/8"

right side - 2 1/2" x 4 7/8"

The DSP used for this card is from the Lovely Garden pack.

After attaching the two DSP strips to the white layer, a length of Fresh Freesia Seam Binding was wrapped around and tied into a bow.

The 3rd smallest circle in the Stylish Shapes dies was used to cut a piece of Basic White cardstock.  The same sentiment was used with Basic Gray ink.  

This sentiment label is attached flat and tucked in under the ribbon a little.  One of the Fresh Freesia dots from the Rainbow Dots was added for an accent.

As you can see, there are so many wonderful DSP prints that can be used for this layout.  I'm sure you've got a whole pile of possibilities just waiting for you to give it a try.  Let me know if you tried this layout and love it too!

Thanks for stopping by today.  Since all of the new 2026-2028 In Colors have been addressed in the previous posts, it's time to start focusing on some other new goodies in the May - August 2026 Catalog.  Believe me, there's plenty of fabulous goodies to create with next.  Hmmm, what will it be next time?  I can't wait until you can stamp along with all the new goodies too!  If you don't have a demonstrator to order from yet, I'd be happy to fill the spot.  Let me know if I can be of help at sharoncarr50@gmail.com.

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

Today's Color is Golden Glow

Hey there!  Staying with my one color at a time theme, today's color focus will be on Golden Glow.  I know it's a long way from fall, but this will be absolutely perfect for pairing with Pumpkin Pie and other fall colors.  But who can wait that long?  I need to play with it now.  So, I've made two distinctly different cards featuring Golden Glow that can be used right now.  Come along while I share what was used to make these cards.

Here's the first card that has Fragrant Layers bundle as the main images.  Don't the flowers look summery?  To make this card, I started with a Basic White cardstock base that is cut at 8 1/2" x 5 1/2".  It's scored at 4 1/4" and folded in half.

There is a layer of Golden Glow cardstock that measures 5 1/4" x 4".  This has the flower spray from Fragrant Layers die-cut from the center of the rectangle to use later.

Then a layer of my favorite DSP - Bloom Boutique was added.  I can't wait until this is available to everyone on May 5th.  I think my pack of this DSP will be gone very shortly and I'll need more.  These delicate prints just seem to go with everything!  The piece was cut to measure 5 1/4" x 3 3/4".  It's attached to the Golden Glow cardstock piece with adhesive.  Then these were layered onto the card base with adhesive also.

Going back to the flower spray die-cut piece, it needed some added color to define the petals, so they didn't look so flat.  First, I added some detail lines using the Stampin' Blends Golden Glow Light.  I was surprised that they totally blended into the cardstock color, and you really couldn't see them.  I switched to the Dark version and added a layer of strokes to add color.  And then even a 2nd layer to get more definition.  One of the flowers was trimmed from the spray and used in the top corner for an accent.

The leaves from the Fragrant Layers set were die-cut from Peaceful Pine.  There are three different leaf dies and I cut three of each.  You never know what you need until you're in the middle of putting the design together.  They weren't all needed so there are a few extras for the next time.

Next came the sentiment for the card.  I wanted to use one from the You Are Remarkable set which is retired.  This fits on the smallest Branching Out die that was used to cut a Basic White label.  This is one of my favorite shapes and I thought it would work out well here.  They are on the Last Chance List and well worth the investment if you don't have them already.  

The sentiment was stamped with Peaceful Pine ink a little higher than the center of the label.  The tiny bee in the set was also stamped on the label using the new Basic Black Hybrid ink pad.  The body was colored with the Golden Glow Light Stampin' Blends.  The wings have a wash of Wink of Stella added for sparkle.  

One of the flowers from the die-cut spray was trimmed from it.  Then the spray of flowers was attached to the side of the label.  The extra flower was added at the top corner of the label.  An assortment of leaves were tucked in around the flowers in the design.  Then the label was attached to the center of the card front using Dimensionals.  I made sure each of the large flowers had a Dimensional under the center opening.

At this point I decided to spatter the entire card front with Wink of Stella for a bit of added sparkle and glitz.  Then three of the 2026-2028 In Color Dots were added as the centers for the large flowers.  And why not add a couple of bees from the Tiny Bee Trinkets to expand on the idea.

The sentiments inside the card are from the Peaceful Moments set.  They are stamped with Peaceful Pine ink.  A 1/2" x 5 1/4" strip of Golden Glow is added down the right edge of the card.  And one of the extra leaves was tucked in on the bottom corner for an accent.

Are you ready to see the 2nd card?  It's a very simple monochromatic idea that I think turned out just right.

Again, I started with a Basic White cardstock base.  It measures 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" and is folded in half.

The Golden Glow layer measures 5 1/4" x 4".  The Basic White layer measures 5" x 3 3/4".  This has one of the Elements of Text stamped in the center.  This is a retired set, but it's so versatile I decided to hang on to it.  Golden Glow ink was used for the stamping.  To soften up the stamping a little, a Blending Brush and Daffodil Delight ink was very lightly blended over and around the image.  This very softly and subtly makes the design area larger and covers more of the layer.

The white stamped layer was attached to the Golden Glow layer with adhesive.  Then a length of Gold/White 3/8" Ribbon was wrapped around the center and attached in the back.  Then these layers were attached to the card base with Dimensionals.

Two of the circle dies from the Stylish Shapes die set were used for the labels.  The 3rd largest circle was used to die-cut the Golden Glow cardstock and the 4th largest cut the Basic White circle.

On the white circle, happy birthday was stamped with Pecan Pie ink.  I wanted it to be just a smidgeon darker than the Golden Glow ink.  The sentiment is from Cutest Crew and so is the little flower cluster.  This was stamped with Golden Glow ink.  Daffodil Delight Light Blends colored the small flowers, Pecan Pie Dark dotted the centers, and Granny Apple Green colored in the leaves.

The white circle is attached to the Golden Glow circle with adhesive.  Before attaching this in the center of the card, a 5 1/2" length of the same ribbon was folded in half and attached in the correct area.  Then the focal piece was attached with Dimensionals.

As a pretty accent, three of the 2026-2028 In Color Butterflies were added.  I thought they were the perfect finish.

And that's it for the new Golden Glow 2026-2028 In Color focus.  Hope you like both of these ideas.  Both are very pretty in person, but different.  The first one is much more colorful and almost dramatic.  The second one is so very subtle and understated.  I'm sure you know someone that would just love getting one of these cards in the mail.  I love sending out happy mail to brighten someone's day.  And I especially love getting happy mail too!  Don't you?

Just a quick heads up.  Stampin' Up! is giving out double rewards for 3 days only - April 15 - 17!  With the Last Chance List filled with so many items retiring now to get ready for the new catalog going live, it's the perfect time to stock up on items you use all the time or a stamp set you've been meaning to order.  Any order over $20 qualifies for the double rewards!   So have fun shopping!  And then have even more fun stamping and creating when your new goodies come in the mail.  Contact me if you have any questions at sharoncarr50@gmail.com.  Thanks.

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

New Cutest Crew Birds

Hello again!  Glad you're back for the latest installment.  Have I got a cute little card for you today.  I'm usually not into cutesy all that much.  But when I saw the Cutest Crew stamp and die bundle that is coming March 3rd to the Online Exclusives lineup, I was totally hooked!  I don't know what it is about the darling dogs and cats and those adorable little birds especially, but I just had to have them.  They finally arrived yesterday and I couldn't wait to put some of my ideas together.  Today I'm sharing the first of what I hope will be many cards using the Cutest Crew bundle.

Here's a cute and simple card that's sure to bring a smile.  There's texture, color, and lots of fun going on here.  Don't you just love these little feathered friends?  Yeah, I know.  They're not at all realistic, but definitely fun.  Wouldn't they be perfect for a child's birthday card?  But why save all the fun for the kids?  I want to send this to a friend just to make her smile!

To make this card, I started with the birds.  They are stamped on a 1" x 2 1/2" scrap of Basic White cardstock using Memento Tuxedo Black ink.  Then they're colored with Stampin' Blends in primary colors.

Left bird - Real Red Light & Dark

Middle bird - Azure Afternoon Light & Dark

Right bird - Daffodil Delight Light & Dark

Beaks - Darling Duckling - Light

Grass - Granny Apple Green Light

After coloring they were die-cut with the matching die from the set.

Then two Stylish Shapes circles were die-cut.  The 2nd largest from Basic White and the largest circle cut from Azure Afternoon to frame it.

The white circle looked too plain to just add the birds.  So, color was added with Blending Brushes and Balmy Blue and Granny Apple Green inks keeping it quite light.  This added the grass and sky to the circle.  

This circle was attached to the Azure Afternoon circle using adhesive.  The birds were attached across the center of the circles using some Mini Dimensionals.

The sentiment is from the same set.  It's stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black ink.  Then it's die-cut with the smaller label die in the Stylish Shapes die set.  I love all the stitching dots this set adds to the die cut pieces.  The sentiment was attached to the circles with Dimensionals.

Since I used Azure Afternoon for the circular frame, it was also used for the card base.  It measures 8 1/2" x 5 1/2".  It's scored at 4 1/4" and folded in half.

There are two pieces of Basic White cut for the card that measure 5 1/4" x 4".  One was embossed with the Dashing Designs 3D Embossing Folder.  This is a retired embossing folder that came and went so quickly I didn't realize it wasn't current anymore.  So, if you don't own this one, pick one you like to match the design.

The embossed layer was attached to the card base using Tombow MultiPurpose Liquid Glue to ensure a good seal.  Attach the circular focal images to the card front using Dimensionals.

With that 2nd piece of Basic White you cut, a series of bird "foot" prints were stamped randomly across the bottom edge.  Smoky Slate ink was used for this so it wouldn't be too dark.

Since there are also three small dies in the set for single birds, I die-cut one each from Azure Afternoon, Daffodil Delight, and Real Red.  These are attached along the bottom edge to bring the design inside the card.

Now I have a question for you.  I did not add any bling to this design.  Do you think it needs it?  And if so, what would you recommend?  I kind of like letting the design stand on its own.  But I've also thought of primary color dots to coordinate.  Maybe even adding speckles or spattering on the white layer before embossing it next time.  Hmmm.. What do you think?  Any way I go, I know I love these cutesy birds and I'm going to be creating with them again real soon!

Just two very quick reminders for you.  Don't forget to redeem your Bonus Days coupons.  Final day to do this is February 28th.     Keep your eyes peeled for the many new Online Exclusive items and new Kits that will be available starting March 3rd.  There's everything from richly elegant to just plain fun.  You won't want to miss any of these.

Thanks for stopping by for a look at what's new.  This is a clean and simple card that is also very quick to put together.  I found myself smiling while creating it, so I hope it will bring a smile to my friend also.

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon