STAMPIN' UP! TRUCKING ALONG BIRTHDAY CARD IN EARLY ESPRESSO

Today's card continues on with the Early Espresso theme on my blog this week.  I have teamed Trucking Along with my old faithful Biggest Wish stamp set, and Sketched Plaid, using this great masculine colour scheme:

I started off by stamping Sketched Plaid in Early Espresso ink, on a piece of Very Vanilla card.  I used a ruler, and the brush tips of my Stampin' Write Markers, to add Wild Wheat and Copper Clay lines.  I purposely made some of the lines a little thicker, to tie in with the somewhat irregular Early Espresso lines.  This piece was sponged around the edges, with Crumb Cake ink.

The sentiment was stamped in Copper Clay and Early Espresso inks, on Very Vanilla card.  I used a Deckled Rectangles Die to cut it out, and customised the size of the sentiment label by running it back through my Stampin' Cut & Emboss Machine, after moving the die.

The sentiment label was mounted on a piece of Early Espresso paper from the One Horse Open Sleigh pack.

I stamped the truck on another piece of Very Vanilla card, using Early Espresso ink.  The body of the truck was stamped in Wild Wheat, and I coloured the wheels and tyres using Gray Granite and Basic Black Stampin' Blends.  The "road" was stamped in Crumb Cake and Early Espresso ink.  I also stamped this pattern on the larger piece of One Horse Open Sleigh DSP, in Early Espresso ink, but it's not very obvious!  

I again used a Deckled Rectangles Die, cutting the truck panel down to the size I wanted by die-cutting it once, then moving the die and re-cutting.  After sponging the edges of this piece with Crumb Cake ink, I mounted it on a piece of Copper Clay card.

The ribbon dividing the plaid and Early Espresso parts of my card front is from the Real Red & Burlap Ribbon Combo pack.  I cut a small piece of the burlap ribbon, and coloured it using the Natural Tones Deep 100 Stampin' Blends marker.  After adhering it, folded over, with Tear & Tape, I added some copper Brushed Metallic Adhesive Backed Dots, to complement those on the truck's hubcaps.

Listed below are all the products I used to make this card.  If you live in Australia, and would like to shop with me for your Stampin' Up! supplies, you can get to my online store by clicking on any of the thumbnail images below.

Product List

Trucking Along Photopolymer Stamp Set (English) [162299] $42.00	Biggest Wish Photopolymer Stamp Set (English) [155052] $30.00	Sketched Plaid Cling Stamp Set [161424] $35.00	Crumb Cake A4 Card Stock [121685] $17.50	Early Espresso A4 Card Stock [121686] $17.50
Very Vanilla A4 Card Stock [106550] $18.50	Copper Clay A4 Cardstock [161730] $17.50	One Horse Open Sleigh 6" X 6" (15.2 X 15.2 Cm) Designer Series Paper [162118] $21.75	Early Espresso Classic Stampin' Pad [147114] $15.75	Copper Clay Classic Stampin' Pad [161647] $15.75
Wild Wheat Classic Stampin' Pad [161651] $15.75	Crumb Cake Classic Stampin' Pad [147116] $15.75	2023–2025 In Color Stampin' Write Markers [161695] $31.25	Gray Granite Stampin' Blends Combo Pack [154886] $17.50	Basic Black Stampin' Blends Combo Pack [154843] $17.50
Stampin’ Blends Deep Combo Pack [158152] $17.50	Stampin' Cut & Emboss Machine [149653] $223.00	Deckled Rectangles Dies [159173] $53.00	Brushed Metallic Adhesive Backed Dots [156506] $15.75	Real Red & Burlap Ribbon Combo Pack [160386] $15.75
Sponge Daubers [133773] $9.75	Tear & Tape Adhesive [138995] $12.25	Stampin' Seal [152813] $14.00

STAMPIN' UP! HEARTFELT HEXAGON BIRTHDAY CARD

 After I'd made my card for this week's Colour Creations blog hop, featuring Early Espresso, I had a flash of inspiration to use these colours together: 

Ever since I saw the new Heartfelt Hexagon punch (an online release, ahead of the next Stampin' Up! Mini Catalogue coming out in January), I've had the idea of creating a background with it.  I love the retro look of this simple, graphic, design:

Using the Sketched Plaid background stamp, I stamped a card-front sized panel each of Early Espresso, Lemon Lime Twist and Pumpkin Pie card, in the same coloured inks.  I punched out several of each colour, using the Heartfelt Hexagon Punch.  LOVING the shape of this punch!

On a piece of Basic White card, I arranged the punched pieces, allowing some to hang over the edge of the white card when they were glued down.  I trimmed the overhanging pieces, and mounted the panel on a slightly larger piece of Basic White card, then an Early Espresso card base.

I was able to use the leftover stamped pieces to die-cut stars, using a Beautiful Balloons Die.  I sponged the edges of the stars, with ink matching the card colours, before adding them to my card front.

The sentiment, from Artistically Inked, was stamped in Versamark ink on Early Espresso card.  White embossing powder was sprinkled over the stamped image, and melted with a heat tool.  I used a Labels Aglow Die to cut out the heat-embossed sentiment.

Inside the card, I added a Basic White card panel.  I rounded a couple of the corners with a (long-retired) corner rounder punch, and added a couple more die-cut stars.  I didn't sponge the edges of these stars, as they don't need to stand out against a stamped background.

Listed below are the current Stampin' Up! products I used to make my card.  If you live in Australia, and would like to shop with me for your Stampin' Up! supplies, you can get to my online store by clicking on any of the thumbnail images below.

Product List

Sketched Plaid Cling Stamp Set [161424] $35.00	Artistically Inked Cling Stamp Set [154542] $42.00	Early Espresso A4 Card Stock [121686] $17.50	Basic White A4 Cardstock [159228] $18.50	Lemon Lime Twist A4 Cardstock [144250] $17.50
Pumpkin Pie A4 Card Stock [108601] $17.50	Early Espresso Classic Stampin' Pad [147114] $15.75	Lemon Lime Twist Classic Stampin' Pad [147145] $15.75	Pumpkin Pie Classic Stampin' Pad [147086] $15.75	Versamark Pad [102283] $16.75
Basics Embossing Powders [155554] $32.00	Heat Tool [129056] $54.00	Heartfelt Hexagon Punch [162888] $39.00	Stampin' Cut & Emboss Machine [149653] $223.00	Labels Aglow Dies [159551] $58.00
Beautiful Balloons Dies [161456] $60.00	Sponge Daubers [133773] $9.75	Multipurpose Liquid Glue [110755] $9.75