Yesterday was an exciting day as my big order from the Stampin’ Up! 2019/2020 Annual Catalogue finally arrived. I love getting new stuff, but sometimes it can be a little overwhelming knowing what to play with first. In the end I went with the Lovely As The Day Stamp Set and my new Purple Posy Stampin’ Blends.

LOVELY IS THE DAY

The Lovely Is The Day Stamp Set is made from see-though photopolymer and is a ‘two-step’ stamp set. This means that you can create images in two steps, in this case by stamping an outline and then filling in colour with a second stamp. This set also has a set of coordinating dies available, although I chose not to use these today.

As is often the case, I decided to test out this stamp set on a bookmark. It’s a great way to play with layouts and colours, and get to know the images and sentiments in a set.

I began with a 2″ x 5-1/2″ strip of Thick Whisper White Card, and used Mint Macaron ink to stamp the sentiment. Then I stamped the single flower outline above and below the sentiment, also in Mint Macaron.

COLOUR AND DETAIL

To colour the leaves I used Mint Macaron Stampin’ Blends. I began with a line of the dark shade and then went over the whole leaf with the lighter shade. Once the leaves were done I turned to the flowers and my new Purple Posy Stampin’ Blends.

I began by adding a little of the dark shade to the centre of each flower, then I coloured all the petals with the lighter shade. I really liked the simple shading but felt the petals could have a little more detail.

Also in my parcel yesterday were the new 2019/2021 InColor Stampin’ Write Markers which includes Purple Posy. So I pulled out that marker and using the writing tip, drew fine lines up each petal coming from the centre of the flower. This really added the detail I was looking for, and being water-based these additional lines didn’t blend into the alcohol colour from the Stampin’ Blends.

With that done I found the Mint Macaron Stampin’ Write Marker from the Subtles collection and added a little colour to the stamens.

DELIGHTFUL TOP

To shape the top of the bookmark I used the Delightful Tag Topper Punch. This punch can take strips 1″, 1-1/2″ and 2″ wide and shapes the top and adds a hole all in one go.

So now all that was left was to thread some Mint Macaron thick twine from the Nature’s Twine pack through the hole. To add a little extra texture I decided to tie the twine in three knots. In no time at all my project was complete.

PURPLE POSY

Although Purple Posy is one of the new 2019/2021 InColors, it’s not currently possible to buy the ink pad or ink refill in this colour. This is because Stampin’ Up! identified some quality issues just before they were released and was not happy selling something that didn’t meet their standards. As soon as these items are back in stock and can be ordered I’ll be sure to let you know.

In the meantime, why not get the Stampin’ Blends and 2019/2021 In Color Stampin’ Write Markers? This will give you the option to colour in images.

What’s more, you can also use the ‘marker to stamp’ technique using the Stampin’ Write Marker if you want to stamp in that colour. Simply use the brush tip of the marker to color directly onto the stamp surface, breathe on the ink to ensure it’s still moist, and then stamp. Note that this technique only works with Stampin’ Write Markers and not Stampin’ Blends.

So that’s all for now. I have a lot more new products to explore so I hope you’ll come back tomorrow to see my latest project.

PRODUCT LIST

BUNDLE BONUS – I mentioned that the Lovely Is The Day Stamp Set also has coordinating dies. Although I didn’t use the dies on today’s project I have included a link to the bundle below. This is because if you want to buy the stamp set and Lovely Leaves Dies you’ll save 10% if you do so using the ‘bundle’ item number.