Cupcakes, Pop Art & Free Projects to Make!

On our last trip to Washington, D. C. my husband and I decided to step into the Hirshhorn Art museum, as it was one of a handful of Smithsonian buildings we hadn’t yet visited. It was a short tour, as most of the modern art didn’t appeal to either of us AT ALL. My personal philosophy on art is that it should do one- if not both- of the following:

  1. Uplift and Inspire
  2. Make the viewer happy

Big talk coming from a person whose biggest art influence was the game “Masterpiece” (do you remember that??) however, that’s my opinion and I stand by it.

One exception to my ambivalence toward modern art is Pop Art. I am attracted by color (no surprise) and bold images of pretty (or in this case, yummy) everyday objects!

Since I have a special offer (see below) for customers who purchase the Circle Sayings bundle from my Stampin’ Store, I wanted to show a card using the stamp set WITHOUT a circle. The cupcake image is my “food spirit animal” so I channeled my inner-Andy-Warhol to give you an eyeful of BRIGHT sweets!

Each section alternates between being raised by black dimensionals or having just the cupcake raised on a color adhered flat to the card:

Good thing card stock isn’t as dangerous as the food coloring it would take to make frosting in that color! These are the Stampin’ Up! colors I used: Calypso Coral, Tahitian Tide, Daffodil Delight, Melon Mambo, Parakeet Party, Gorgeous Grape

Here’s a special just for you:

Purchase the bundle from my Stampin’ Store and you’ll receive 3 never-seen project tutorials PLUS the consumable supplies to create all three projects! You’ll get the tutorials via email and the supplies in the mail by June 30th. Offer valid for U.S. customers only.

The Circle Sayings bundle includes a photopolymer stamp set and a NEW coordinating 2-3/8″ circle punch.

While I’ll send you all the card stock, paper, ribbon, etc. to create the projects from my tutorials, you may also need these items (found in my store, as well):

  • Memento Tuxedo Black ink pad
  • Tahitian Tide OR Azure Afternoon ink pad
  • Lost Lagoon ink pad
  • Colored Pencils (I used Stampin’ Up! Watercolor Pencils)
  • Suggested Stampin’ Blends combos (could use colored pencils or Stampin’ Write Markers): Lemon Lolly, Tahitian Tide, Berry Burst, Medium combo
  • OPTIONAL: Wink of Stella pen
  • Scissors and adhesive, clear blocks B, C & D for the stamps

Circling Round to Monochromatic Colors (Plus 3 for FREE)

It’s been fun to teach color theory in May and I really hope you’ve learned some skills to help you choose palettes for your paper crafting and rubber stamping projects! Today, I “circled around” to MONOCHROMATIC schemes, which isn’t limited to only one color, but can include 2 or 3 variations of the same HUE. Here are a few examples:

Stampin’ Up! yellows are a exquisite example of how 3 different tints, tones or shades can harmonize well: Crushed Curry (card base), Daffodil Delight (sentiment and banner) and NEW Lemon Lolly (focal point) are different depths of the same sunny color and coordinate together!

We have a variety of purples, and not all of them start in the same corner of the color wheel, so this is where you need to learn to “see” harmonizing colors. The three I used for this card were Gorgeous Grape (card base), Highland Heather (larger banner and cupcake frosting) and Fresh Freesia (background and cupcake liner).

The tutorial for this card style includes further explanation:

I chose to use the Circle Sayings Bundle for our lesson on monochromatic color ideas because I have an exclusive opportunity through June 15th for you: Purchase the bundle from my Stampin’ Store and you’ll receive 3 never-seen project tutorials PLUS the consumable supplies to create all three projects! You’ll get the tutorials via email and the supplies in the mail by June 30th.

Let me share a few additional Stampin’ Up! color trios that work well as monochromatic combinations. These are NOT all the possible pairings, only a few I came up with to get your juices flowing:

Now it’s your turn to give a “monochromatic” card a try!

Product List

Inside the cards:

Analogous Colors- What? And How to Use them

Another lesson in COLOR CONFIDENCE!

Analogous colors are three to five colors NEXT TO EACH OTHER on the color wheel. When used together, they create a peaceful, harmonious project that flows.

I store my ink pads by Stampin’ Up! color family, but I store my card stock in rainbow order (see below), which makes choosing analogous colors a piece of cake! To create today’s card, I started with Calypso Coral card stock (reminds me of my favorite roses beginning to bloom in my yard!) and chose the two colors right before it: Petal Pink and Flirty Flamingo.

Then I made the same card design and tried a different analogous color scheme, pulling Berry Burst and the colors on either side of it: Blackberry Bliss and Moody Mauve (new)!

Here are the 2023-2024 Stampin’ Up! Colors in Rainbow order:

  • Cherry Cobbler
  • Real Red
  • Poppy Parade
  • Sweet Sorbet
  • Melon Mambo
  • Flirty Flamingo
  • Petal Pink
  • Calypso Coral
  • Copper Clay
  • Cajun Craze
  • Wild Wheat
  • Pumpkin Pie
  • Crushed Curry
  • Daffodil Delight
  • Lemon Lolly
  • Soft Sea Foam
  • Lemon Lime Twist
  • Parakeet Party
  • Granny Apple Green
  • Old Olive
  • Mossy Meadow
  • Garden Green
  • Shaded Spruce
  • Pretty Peacock
  • Lost Lagoon
  • Coastal Cabana
  • Pool Party
  • Balmy Blue
  • Tahitian Tide
  • Azure Afternoon
  • Misty Moonlight
  • Boho Blue
  • Blueberry Bushel
  • Night of Navy
  • Starry Sky
  • Orchid Oasis
  • Highland Heather
  • Gorgeous Grape
  • Blackberry Bliss
  • Berry Burst
  • Moody Mauve
  • Fresh Freesia
  • Bubble Bath
  • Early Espresso
  • Pecan Pie
  • Crumb Cake
  • Pebbled Path
  • Gray Granite
  • Smoky Slate
  • Basic Gray

Here’s my HIGHLY HUMAN explanation of Analagous colors and a simple fun-fold card (that I only mess up a few times…thank goodness for the ability to skip ahead on YouTube!):

There are a few days left to join the 2023-2025 In Color Club, where you’ll collect all the color collection products in the 5 new In Colors over the next 5 months. YOU CAN BE PART OF THE CLUB from anywhere in the U.S.A. ~ sign up by May 31, 2023 and learn more here: