Friday, July 26, 2024

AN ICE CREAM SWIRL CHRISTMAS

Sometimes I wonder what it is I'm trying to do to myself when I create my own little challenges! If you have been following my posts this month, you know that I challenged myself to create at least one Christmas Card every week with the Stamp Set and/or Bundle that I'm showcasing for that week.

This week it was definitely a challenge.  Here is a photo of the Ice Cream Swirl Stamp Set and Dies.


This stamp set definitely does not scream MERRY CHRISTMAS!  

Here is what I ultimately came up with.

It definitely required thinking outside of the box.  The snow was made with the Ice Cream Stamp.  The trees were made with the Ice Cream Cone stamp.  The fence posts were made with the "straws" or whatever that little fancy stick is.  And lastly, the wreath was made with the donut die.


I sort of figured it out as I went along, and if I were to do it again, the order that I created the elements certainly would change.  For example, after stamping and coloring the snow, I created the fence.  That made it more difficult to color the sky as I had to now go between fence rails.  So, next time I'd definitely blend the color on the sky before stamping the fence.  That is how I wrote the tutorial.



In fact, I might even stamp the fence first and then mask it and stamp the snow over it.  Why?  Coloring the Posts and rails, which were drawn free hand, over the snow was a little challenging, because the lines of the "drifts" wanted to show through.  But all in all, I was happy with the result of my self-imposed challenge.

What do you think?  Does this Ice Cream Swirl card pass for a Christmas Card?

To see all the details use this link to download the tutorial.  Don't be afraid to change the order of my steps!  Now that you know the end goal, this is probably a better order of doing things.


I purposely kept the inside very simple!  Why?  I'd challenged myself enough for that day!

Merry Christmas in July stamping friends!  I would love to hear your thoughts about this card.





Wednesday, July 24, 2024

ICE CREAM OR SHERBET? WHICH WOULD YOU CHOOSE?

What is your favorite type of frozen treat?  Ice Cream? Gelato? Frozen Yogurt? Sherbet? Sorbet?    Do you know the difference between them?


I did a little research and this is what I learned...

According to US technical guidelines, ice cream must contain 10% milk fat.  It is typically made with milk, cream, flavorings and sometimes egg yolk.  Gelato is similar to ice cream but typically contains less cream and less air.  Frozen yogurt uses yogurt as its primary ingredient rather than milk and cream.  Sherbet uses fruit juice or fruit puree as its main ingredient and typically only has a small amount of dairy.  Sorbet also uses fruit juice or puree as its main ingredient, but it does not contain any dairy products or eggs.

Today's cone can be whatever you like best, but it's main flavor is peach pie.  Hmm... Warm Peach Pie fresh from the oven with some vanilla ice cream on it is sounding pretty good right now!


Today's card first premiered on the July 18, 2024 Learning with Friends.  Check out the video to see what is special about it.



The hint is that several embossing folders were involved in making this card!  Three different ones to be exact.


Can you see which ones were used?

Can't figure it out?  Sometimes it is difficult to see the details on the photos.  But if you want all the details, you can use this link to download a tutorial.


Well, after writing about all these frozen treats, my cravings are calling!  I'm going to need to make an ice cream run!  Or do I want Sherbet or Sorbet?  I really think they need to stop naming colors after food!


Product List

Monday, July 22, 2024

BUBBLE WRAP IT!

It's a new week so that means it is time to choose a new bundle to feature for the week.

It is summer and I am in the mood for ice cream, so let's use the Ice Cream Swirl Bundle this week.  July is the perfect time for Ice Cream, right?


Today we are enjoying a dish of Strawberry Swirl Ice Cream.  Does it look tasty?

The background was made by inking bubble wrap with Pretty in Pink ink and then using the bubble wrap as a stamp to create the background.

In my Learning with Friends Video a few weeks ago, I showed how to do this.  If you missed the video you can watch the replay below.


The video shows you how to make the background using bubble wrap as well as a couple of other fun backgrounds using other interesting items from around the house.


The swirl on our dish of ice cream was die cut from Pretty in Pink Glimmer Paper which provides lots of pretty sparkle.  A light amount of shading was added with the SU1000 Natural Tones Stampin' Blends below the stamped swirls on the ice cream.

To make our ice cream bowl two Deckled Circle dies were used to cut partial circles from Smokey Slate cardstock.  After die cutting, the circles were embossed with the Eyelet Trim embossing folder, and then the larger circle was adhered over the smaller one to create the bowl.


The strawberries were colored with Real Red Stampin' Blends and the Color Lifter was used to add highlights.

For all the details to make today's card you can use this link to download a free tutorial.


A strip of cardstock stamped with inked Bubble Wrap was added to the inside of the card to provide some color and design continuity with the card front.  An extra strawberry was also added for a pop of color.

Click on any of the Products in the List below to learn more about the supplies that were used.

Product List


There is only a week and a half left to earn a $5 coupon for every $50 of merchandise you purchase.  Coupon codes are sent immediately via email when you place your order so be sure to use a valid EMAIL!  And don't lose the EMAIL because you will need those codes so you can redeem them in August!