Having A Beach Day!

"Because actually my job, it's just beach."

"Barbie, what if there's beach?  You'll need someone who's a professional in that."

Ken ("Barbie")

Hello!  Today I am sharing three projects I worked on this week using the new Stampin' Up! Beach Day Bundle (item 162800) featured in the January-April 2024 Mini Catalogue.  The Bundle includes the Beach Day photopolymer stamp set (item 162797) and the co-ordinating Beach Day dies (item 162799) Although the stamp set and dies can of course be purchased separately if you would like both the stamp set and dies be sure to use the Bundle item number when submitting your order to ensure that you receive the 10% Bundled Savings!

Beach Day dies - 162799

(Bundle - 162800)

The Stampin' Up! annual Sale-A-Bration Promotion is on now until February 29, 2024, and for the month of February Stampin' Up! has made several more products available as Sale-A-Bration items in addition to those in the Sale-A-Bration Brochure.  Any one of the following products (with Sale-A-Bration item number) is now available for free with an order of $60.00 or more CDN (before taxes and shipping):

• Beside Me stamp set (item 165709);
• Botanical Layers stamp set (item 165708);
• Delightfully Eclectic 12" x 12" Designer Series Paper (item 165706);
• Just Kiddin' 12" x 12" Designer Series Paper (item 165712);
• Love This Memory Notebook Kit (item 165701);
• Robot Buddies Kids Card Kit (item 165698);
• Stripes & Splatters 3D Embossing Folders (item 165707); and
• Sweet Thoughts Memories & More Cards & Envelopes (item 165711).

Either one of the two following products (with Sale-A-Bration item number) is now available for free with an order of $120.00 or more CDN (before taxes and shipping):

• 2023 New Core Colours Stampin' Write Markers - one marker in each of the new eleven Core Colours: Azure Afternoon, Berry Burst, Blueberry Bushel, Bubble Bath, Fresh Freesia, Lemon Lime Twist, Lemon Lolly, Lost Lagoon, Misty Moonlight, Pecan Pie, and Pretty Peacock (item 165704); and
• Dragonflies Punch (item 165705).

Just a brief note regarding the basic tools and supplies I used to complete my projects this week:

• Paper Trimmer (item 152392) - for trimming paper and cardstock - can also be used for scoring;
• stylus and scoreboard (Simply Scored Scoring Tool - item 122334) - for scoring card fold lines.  For crisp card folds I also burnish all folded scored lines using my Bone Folder (item 102300);
• Stampin' Cut & Emboss Machine (item 149653) - for all die cutting and embossing; 
• Paper Snips Scissors (item 103579) - these sharp scissors certainly made fussy cutting the truck image from the Trucking Along stamp set easier, and come in handy for trimming foliage die cuts ;
• Stampin' Brayer (item 162936) - although this silicone roller is intended for applying even ink coverage to embossing folders, stamps, and paper, it is also very effective for rolling over paper that has been glued to another surface - i.e. a wood panel.  Rolling the Brayer over the paper immediately after gluing the paper to another surface (whether a wood panel or another piece of paper) helps ensure even coverage of the liquid adhesive and helps prevent air bubbles and buckling of the paper - effective adhesion requires a proper adhesive and pressure, and rolling the Brayer over the paper provides good even pressure;
• Take Your Pick Tool (item 144107) - the paper piercer, mini spatula, and tacky putty tips are a great help for picking up and placing small embellishments and die cuts; and
• for the main adhesive, Multipurpose Liquid Glue (item 110755).

For all sand/water/sky background panels; stamped and die cut images; sentiments; and additional die cuts I used watercolour paper.  The images and sentiments were stamped using Stazon Jet Black Ink (item 101406), and the images watercoloured using Classic Stampin' inks.  For the sand/water/sky backgrounds I applied the Classic Stampin' inks either using Blending Brushes (item 153611) or as washes - if applying as a wash I first wet the paper and then with a wet paint brush brushed on the ink, drying each wash section before proceeding with the next section. For the sky I used either Starry Sky ink (item 159212) - for a slightly more purply sky - or Misty Moonlight ink (item 153118); for the water Pool Party ink (item 147107) - applied as a wash; and for the sand Crumb Cake ink (item 147116).  To create some texture in the sand on the wood panel project and the second card I covered the water and sky sections with scrap paper and lightly spritzed the sand section with water (Stampin' Spritzers - item 126185), blotted dry with paper towel, and then applied more Crumb Cake ink using one of the Blending Brushes.   

For the additional die cut foliage on the wood panel project I used the following dies:

• the Sale-A-Bration Jungle Pals (item 162973) - broad-leaved "grass", large tropical leaf, and leafy vine;

Jungle Pals dies - 162973 (Sale-A-Bration)

• Natural Prints (item 158800) - two tall (one trimmed) and two short leafy stems; and

Natural Prints dies - 158800

• retired Honeybee Blooms dies (item 157951) for the three tall grass die cuts.

Honeybee Blooms dies - 157951 (retired)

To colour all die cut foliage - including the palm tree leaves and Beach Day grass tufts - I used Granny Apple Green ink (item 147095) and Mossy Meadow ink (item 147111) applied with Blending Brushes - to colour the leaves on the vine these inks were applied using a small paint brush and some water.  To colour the vine I used Pecan Pie ink (item 161665) and Early Espresso ink (item 147114).  I used Pecan Pie ink to colour the trunks of the palm trees.

I used the Playing In The Rain dies (item 160550) to cut all the clouds - which were watercoloured using Basic Gray ink (item 149165).  Basic Gray ink was also used to colour the seagulls.

Playing In The Rain dies - 160550

On all three projects I used double-sided tape (Tear & Tape Adhesive - item 154031) to adhere the sand/water/sky watercolour paper background panels to their cardstock matting panels.  For the cards I also used the double-sided tape to adhere the matted panels to the card fronts.  I put the tape around - and very close to - all edges.

On with the projects!

There is definitely an uninvited guest creeping into this beach scene - I think the flag on the lifeguard hut should definitely be changed from green to red but obviously Lifeguard Ken has abandoned his post! For this project I began with a 6" x 12" x 1" deep wood panel purchased at a local art supply store.  The Boho Blue/Misty Moonlight woodgrain and fish patterned Designer Series Papers used to cover the front and sides of the panel are the flip sides of the same sheet from the Let's Go Fishing 12" x 12" Designer Series Paper (item 161534).  I used a very fine grit sandpaper to lightly sand all edges of all DSP panels and I sponged Crumb Cake ink around all edges.  The 1 1/4" wooden letters from Dollarama were sponged with Crumb Cake Ink Refill (item 121029), lightly sanded and glued to the panel using Multipurpose Liquid Glue.

I trimmed the watercolour paper panel to 8 3/4" x 5" and adhered it to an 8 5/8" x 5 1/4" Basic Black cardstock (item 121045) matting panel - the edges of which I scraped with the blade of my craft knife. The uninvited crocodile was stamped and die cut using the Sale-A-Bration Jungle Pals stamp set (item 162950) and co-ordinating Jungle Pals dies, and watercoloured using Granny Apple Green, Mossy Meadow, Crumb Cake, and Pecan Pie inks.

To colour the stamped and die cut Beach Day images I used the following inks:

• Sweet Sorbet (item 159216) - umbrella, beach chair, beach ball, life saver ring, and surfboard - the "dotty" decoration on the surfboard was also stamped in Sweet Sorbet ink using the small dotty stamp from the Online Exclusive Queen Bee stamp set (item 160476);

• Daffodil Delight (item 147094) - umbrellas, beach ball, and lifeguard hut;
• Pumpkin Pie (item 147086) - umbrella, and lifeguard hut;
• Shaded Spruce (item 147088) - beach chair, and beach ball;
• Pool Party - lifeguard hut;
• Granny Apple Green - lifeguard hut flag; and
• Crumb Cake - sand castles and lifeguard hut.

I used Stampin' Dimensionals (item 104430) - trimmed as necessary - behind the umbrellas; and Mini Stampin' Dimensionals (item 144108) - again trimmed as necessary (not for the faint of heart!) behind the sandcastle that is below the Daffodil Delight/Pumpkin Pie umbrella.

Additional supplies used to complete this 5" square top-fold card:

• Shaded Spruce cardstock (item 146981) for the card base, 4" square embossed panel with circle window - I embossed the cardstock using the Fern 3D Embossing Folder (item 1588804), and then cut the window using the largest circle die from Stylish Shapes dies (item 159183) - and 4" x 3/4" embossed strip on inside panel (edges scraped with the blade of my craft knife);

Stylish Shapes dies - 159183

• Basic White Thick cardstock (item 159229) for the 4 1/8" square front matting panel (edges scraped with the blade of my craft knife), and 4 1/2" square inside panel;
• Basic Black cardstock (item 121045) for the 4 1/4" square front matting panel, and 4 3/4" square inside matting panel;
• Shaded Spruce ink (item 147088), Crumb Cake ink, and Basic Gray ink to colour the Beach Day images;
• Crumb Cake ink to colour the trimmed and torn sentiment strip - lightly spritzed with water (Stampin' Spritzers - item 126185) and blotted dry with paper towel; and
• Craft Stampin' Ink White Refill (item 101780) dabbed directly from bottle onto watercolour paper panel to create whitecaps.  I used my heat gun (Heat Tool - item 129053) to dry this ink as it was applied fairly thickly.

Using a leftover piece of black & white striped paper from the retired Black & White Designs 12" x 12" Designer Series Paper (item 159861) and an envelope punch board I made a co-ordinating envelope - around which I tied a bow using some Dollar Tree 3/4" black & white gingham ribbon.

And finally . . . 

Additional supplies used to complete this 5 1/2" x 4 1/4" top-fold card:

• Very Vanilla Thick cardstock (item 144237) for the card base;
• Basic Black cardstock (item 121045) for the 5" x 3 3/4" front matting panel, and 4 1/8" x 1/2" inside strip;
• Basic White Thick cardstock (item 159229) for the "waves" - these two pieces are actually the negative pieces left over after using the long wave die (which I didn't actually use on any of my projects this week);
• Sweet Sorbet ink (item 159216), Pumpkin Pie ink (item 147086), Pool Party ink, Crumb Cake ink, and Basic Gray ink to colour the Beach Day images; 
• Daffodil Delight ink (item 147094), Granny Apple Green ink, Mossy Meadow ink, Pumpkin Pie ink, Pool Party ink, Sweet Sorbet ink, and Basic Gray ink to colour the truck image from the Trucking Along stamp set (item 162299) used on the inside panel; and

• Stampin' Dimensionals (item 104430) - trimmed as required applied behind umbrella, beach chair and beach ball.  I trimmed one of the Mini Stampin' Dimensionals (item 144108) to use behind the standing seagull.

Thank you for visiting my blog!  I certainly had a lot of fun starting to play with the Beach Day Bundle - despite not being a great beach aficionado myself!

If you are interested in purchasing any of the available Stampin' Up! products I have used in my projects, and you live in Canada and do not have a Stampin' Up! demonstrator, please do not hesitate to visit my online store found on my website https://archiesatelier.stampinup.net/ at your convenience, or simply click under the "Shop With Me" tab on the right sidebar of my blog, which will take you directly to my website and online store.  I very much appreciate your business, and if you need any assistance please do not hesitate to contact me (lmccoyarchie@gmail.com) - I would be very pleased to be your demonstrator!  The digital versions of the May 2023-April 2024 Annual Catalogue, as well as the January-April 2024 Mini Catalogue, and the Sale-A-Bration Brochure are available for you to access at your convenience on my website (https://archiesatelier.stampinup.net/).  When visiting my online store don't forget to check out the great deals on the Clearance Rack, as well as the great selection of products available as Online Exclusives!

Have fun creating!

Laurel

*It has come to my attention that quite often email correspondence from me is delivered to the recipient's spam or junk mail folder - if you have corresponded with me I have replied so be sure to check your spam or junk mail folder!  Thank you!! 

Supervisor not too sure whether he's happy with the work . . .