The list of products being retired by Stampin’ Up! was only revealed yesterday afternoon and some things are already sold out. As predicted, the 2019-2021 InColors have been very popular and several items are now gone for good. Pretty Peacock Card is one such casualty, although there is still a slight chance you might be lucky if you are looking for this.

As I write, the 8-1/2″ x 11″ Pretty Peacock Card is sold out, along with the 12″ x 12″ mixed pack of 2019-2021 InColor Card. However, the mixed pack of 8-1/2″ x 11″ card is currently “not orderable”, this is because Stampin’ Up! is waiting for their final delivery of Rococo Rose Card which is also part of that pack. Once the card has been received the mixed pack will be available again, but only while stocks last. This means you’ll have to keep an eye out for the announcement and be ready to place your online order immediately. Meanwhile I have one final project using this very pretty peacock colour.

BLOCKFILL TECHNIQUE

I’ve had this particular project in mind ever since I first saw the chicken and the birthday cupcake. It uses a technique I haven’t used in a while called the blockfill technique. Essentially you create an image and draw a frame with part of the image is inside and part outside. Then you colour inside the frame with a dark colour to create an optical illusion.

I began my project with a 3-5/8″ x 4-7/8″ piece of Very Vanilla Card. Then I took the chicken image from the Hey Birthday Chick Stamp Set and inked it up using Tuxedo Black ink. To add to the illusion that the chicken was leaning out of a ‘hole’ I turned the inked stamp over and placed a little piece of sellotape across his feet and the end of his tail feathers. Then I stamped the image onto the centre of the Very Vanilla layer. The sellotape meant that the stamped image was missing the feet and feather ends exactly as planned.

Next I needed to create the ‘hole’ and thought it would be easiest to simply trace around a die. In the end I decided to use the #2 oval die from the retiring Stitched Shapes Dies (counting from the smallest up). First I placed the die over the stamped chicken. Then using the writing tip of a Basic Black Stampin’ Write Marker I traced around the inside and outside of the die on either side of the chicken image.

Now I was ready to colour the chicken and the frame.

I began with the ‘blockfill’ part, using a dark Basic Black Stampin’ Blends alcohol marker to colour inside the whole of the smaller oval but avoiding the chicken. Then I used the retiring dark Pretty Peacock Stampin’ Blends to colour the oval frame.

HEY BIRTHDAY CHICK

Next I needed to colour the actual chicken and cupcake. For the chicken’s body I used light and dark Crumb Cake, with dark Mango Melody for his beak and legs. Then I used light and dark Poppy Parade for the feathers on his head. Turning to the cupcake I used light and dark Melon Mambo for the candle, before adding dark Mango Melody for the flame. Finally I coloured in the cupcake base with light and dark Cinnamon Cider.

With the colouring complete my next job was to choose the coordinating colours for the rest of the project.

I began by cutting a 3-3/4″ x 5″ layer of Poppy Parade Card. Then using Multipurpose Liquid Glue (Tombow) I mounted the completed chicken layer onto it.

Next I used my Paper Trimmer to cut and score a piece of the retiring Pretty Peacock Card. Then I folded it along the scored line and sharpened the crease with a Bone Folder to create a card base. Finally I added the assembled layers to the front of the card using Stampin’ Dimensionals.

To complete the front I used Tuxedo Black ink to stamp “happy birthday” onto a 3/4″ x 2-1/8 piece of Very Vanilla Card. Then I used liquid glue to mount it onto a 7/8″ x 2-1/4″ piece of Poppy Parade Card and fixed it onto the card base with Stampin’ Dimensionals.

FINISHING TOUCHES

It’s no secret that I love the chickens in the Hey Birthday Chick Stamp Set (and the complementary Hey Chick! Stamp Set). So I couldn’t help but go back to the chicken and cupcake image for my coordinating elements.

First I cut a 4″ x 5-1/4″ piece of Very Vanilla Card and using Tuxedo Black ink stamped the chicken peeking in from the left-hand side. Then I repeated this on the front of a Very Vanilla Medium Envelope.

Going back to my Stampin’ Blends I coloured the chickens and cupcakes in exactly the same way as the original. Then I fixed the Very Vanilla layer inside the card base using liquid glue.

Finally I added a few Rhinestone Basic Jewels to the front of the card and my project was complete.

I’m sad to see the 2019-2021 InColors retire, but it’s time for a change. I’m glad that I was able to celebrate Pretty Peacock one last time with the simple but striking blockfill technique.

PRODUCT LIST

RETIRING PRODUCTS – The following products used today are retiring and only available while stocks last:

• Pretty Peacock Card
• Pretty Peacock Stampin’ Blends
• Stitched Shapes Dies

BUNDLE BONUS – I bought the Hey Birthday Chick Stamp Set in a bundle with the coordinating Birthday Chick Dies (not used today). Using the single ‘bundle’ item number meant I saved 10% off the cost of buying the two items separately. I’ve included a link to the bundle in case you want to explore that option.