The Simply Beautiful Card with quick blending and colouring that I shared in this week’s Facebook and YouTube Live is a lovely example of how simple techniques can create beautiful results.
For this card I used Blending Brushes and ink pads to colour a stamped image quickly and effectively. Instead of spending a long time colouring with Stampin’ Blends, blending brushes allow you to add colour softly and build it up gradually. It is a technique that works especially well when you want something that looks impressive but doesn’t take a lot of time.
I originally designed this card for my Coffee & Cards class where we make two cards within an hour. Because of the limited time, I was looking for a colouring method that was quick, easy and still produced a beautiful result.
Here is the first card I made. I coloured the flower centre with Darling Duckling ink and the petals with Strawberry Slush ink. I kept the background plain white. The leaves were coloured very lightly with Old Olive and fussy cut out. There is a die to cut the leaves, but I don’t take my Stampin’ Cut & Emboss Machine to Coffee & Cards, so they just cut them out themselves.
Quick Card Colouring with Blending Brushes
Blending Brushes are a wonderful tool for adding colour to stamped images. By gently blending ink in circular motions, you can create soft shading that gives your stamped images depth and interest.
For this card I stamped the large flower from the Simply Beautiful stamp set and then used blending brushes to add colour the centre of the flower first and then the petals. Starting lightly and gradually building the colour helps create a natural blended look.
This technique works beautifully for:
- quick handmade cards
- colouring larger stamped images
- creating soft shaded effects
- making multiple cards for classes or events
It is amazing how quickly the flower comes to life with just a little ink and a blending brush.
Using the Stampin’ Positioner for Die-Cut Images
For my Coffee & Cards class, I prepared the die-cut flower shapes in advance. Normally you would stamp the image first and then cut it out with the coordinating die, but preparing them ahead of time saved valuable class time.
To stamp the image neatly onto the die-cut shape, I used the Stampin’ Positioner. This tool helped line up the stamp accurately so the image could be stamped directly onto the pre-cut shape.
The Stampin’ Positioner was offered as a free item during last month’s join promotion. That promotion has now finished, but Stampin’ Up! has confirmed that the tool will be available to purchase in the future. At this stage we just don’t know when it will be released.
It is a very useful tool, especially when you want precise stamping or are preparing materials for classes.
Trying Different Colour Combinations
One of the fun parts of this card design is experimenting with different colour combinations. Because the colouring is done with blending brushes, it is easy to try a variety of colours.
Some of the combinations we used included:
- Balmy Blue
- Fresh Freesia
- Strawberry Slush
- Timid Tiger
Each colour combination creates a slightly different look while keeping the same simple design.
Here some of the other cards I made:
Fresh Freesia flower with Darling Duckling sponged background:
Timid Tiger flower with slightly sponged background – very light Strawberry Slush, I think
Balmy Blue flower with Darling Duckling sponged background:
Which colour combination is your favourite?
Watch the Video
If you would like to see exactly how this card comes together, you can watch the replay of my live demonstration below.
In the video I share:
- how to use blending brushes for quick colouring
- how to stamp onto die-cut shapes using the Stampin’ Positioner
- tips for assembling the finished card
Give Blending Brushes a Try
Blending Brushes are such a versatile tool and are a wonderful way to colour stamped images quickly. If you already have blending brushes at home, I encourage you to give this technique a try with one of your stamp sets.
Sometimes a simple technique can create a really effective card, and this Simply Beautiful design is a great example of that.
If you would like to purchase any of the products used for this project, you can shop through my online store or contact me and I can order them for you. You can browse the products here.
I hope this card inspires you to take out your Blending Brushes and enjoy experimenting with colour in your own card making.