color blending continues to be a mainstay in card making, and like everything else in the hobby, there's no such thing as too many inks and tools to get the perfect blend. scrapbook.com is introducing a new line of premium hybrid ink pads and asked me to take them for a spin along with their new clear stackable daubers, jumbo sponge daubers, and stencil blending brushes. one of the coolest things about these inks is that they are organized in color families with four shades of a color to create the perfect ombre - and in addition to being able to purchase them individually, you can purchase them in color family kits.
i was on a roll with christmas cards, so i decided to continue with my candy-colored christmas theme from my previous post using the same stamp sets and color pairings. first up, i created a few modern christmas trees by masking off three different sized triangles, blending pink lemonade, succulent, and caribbean inks into one triangle each using the clear stackable daubers. instant trees!
the little daubers are the perfect size for small spaces like these and blended the ink on perfectly. and how great is the stacking storage feature? i topped the triangles with tiny star sequins and added clear wink of stella over them for added sparkle. to finish it off and give the look of snow, i splattered a shimmer watercolor paint over the entire card after stamping the sentiment. clean and graphic and so me!
next, i created a simple merry christmas card starting with a masked off square, inking it in glass slippers ink. a little bit of detail is all you need here! this time, since my space was a little bigger, i opted to use the jumbo sponge dauber. the rounded edges are great for getting consistent blending and the size makes for quick work.
after blending, i stamped a simple but cute merry christmas sentiment into the lower right corner and added a small sprig of holly for interest and additional color. i wanted something a little more than a one-layer card, so i cut it out and popped it up on a smaller 4-bar sized card base. not only clean and graphic, but clean and simple too - gotta love that!
and last, but not least, i tried out the stencil blending brush on a similar shadow frame card, this time specifically creating a one layer design. i just love these brushes. they're so big and pretty for starters, but they are perfect for soft gradual blending. after masking off my detail square, i brushed ink in from the edges, leaving the center open for a star to coordinate with the sentiment.
to highlight the star further, i used a small sponge dauber to get just the hint of a glow using the same color, kind of twisting it in place right over the star. then i colored the star with a wink of stella pen for added sparkle and shine. it's the litte details like this that make one layer cards work well. once again, the finished card is clean and graphic - my standard! and i learned that i need a few more stencil brushes so i can have one for every basic color family.
so there's my look at the ink and blending tools being offered by scrapbook.com - so much to love! the coolest being the color organization of the ink pad collection. and the stackable daubers. it's always so hard to pick one favorite. just give me all the inks and toys and i'm a happy stamper! let me know what you think in the comments. until next time...
happy stamping!
:) lexi