Impressions Abloom 

(With Watercolour Backgrounds)

Hello!  Today I am sharing a few note card projects I worked on this week combining die cuts made using the Stampin’ Up!® Online Exclusives Impressions Abloom dies (item 165610) with watercolour background panels made using Classic Stampin' inks and Classic Stampin' ink refills.  The Impressions Abloom dies are one of the products that were included in the May 6, 2025, Online Exclusives new product release, and is also available together with the two-step stamping Impressions Abloom photopolymer stamp set (item 165605) in the Impressions Abloom Bundle (item 165611).  Two-step stamping stamp sets allow you to layer multiple images to create a final image that has additional visual texture and dimension.  Of course you are also able to use the individual images on their own!  I have not played too much yet with the Impressions Abloom stamp set and layering the images but on one of my watercolour background panels I did use one of the single floral images to add just a little more visual interest.

For additional foliage die cuts I used these two die sets:  the Gallery Blooms dies (item 165212) are featured in the May 2025-April 2026 Annual Catalogue as part of the Beautiful Gallery Suite Collection (item 165217); and the retiring Delicate Forest dies (item 162679) are currently available as one of the discounted Last Chance Products.

All die cuts were cut from cardstock, and often shaded with Classic Stampin' inks applied with one of the Small Blending Brushes (item 160518 - package of three).  To add a little more visual texture (a mottled effect) to foliage die cuts I lightly misted the shaded cardstock with water using one of the Stampin' Spritzers (item 126185 - package of two), and blotted dry with paper towel.

For the watercolour background panels I had a lot of fun applying a combination of Classic Stampin' inks and Classic Stampin' ink refills mixed with water to watercolour paper in essentially two ways:  (1) first applying clean water to the watercolour paper using a large flat paint brush, and then using paint brushes to apply the ink mixed with a little water to the wet watercolour paper - as soon as the ink touches the wet surface of the watercolour paper the ink flows quite freely across the paper.  When applying a few colours of ink in this manner I used a heat gun (Heat Tool - item 129053) to dry the ink in between applications in order to prevent colours from overmixing and becoming muddy; and (2) using a variety of sizes of paint brushes to apply the ink mixed with water in stripes across dry watercolour paper.  After applying the inks in either of these two basic ways I did one or more of the following:  added additional ink splatters by flicking an inked paint brush across the paper; created almost white dots by lightly spritzing with water using one of the Stampin' Spritzers, drying slightly with the Heat Tool and then blotting any excess water droplets with a paper towel; and "over stamping" the text and/or splatter images from the Online Exclusives Elements Of Text stamp set (item 164774) using one of the background ink colours.

On a few of the background panels I created a white frame around the inked area by applying low-tack tape (strips trimmed from Stampin' Up! Masking Paper - item 155480 would work great too) around the edges of the watercolour paper panel before applying the inks.

When using ink from an ink pad for watercolouring purposes I transfer the ink from the surface of the ink pad to the inside of the ink pad lid by pushing down against the ink pad lid before sliding open the lid.  An alternative method is to transfer the ink to a clean stamp block or other clean plastic surface by pressing the ink pad against that surface.  The inside of the lid or other plastic surface becomes the palette where I can use the paint brush to mix water with the ink.

It is possible to achieve quite a range of shades (or colour saturations) from one colour of ink/ink refill - the more water that is mixed with the ink the more diluted or lighter the colour becomes.  Although it would certainly be great to be able to have every shade of ink and ink refill, budget constraints determine that definitely cannot be!  When working with Highland Heather ink refill (item 147167) I was able to achieve shades that co-ordinated with Fresh Freesia and Gorgeous Grape!

Just a brief note regarding the additional basic tools and supplies I used to complete my note cards:

• Paper Trimmer (item 152392) - for trimming cardstock and Designer Series Paper, and for scoring  card fold lines.  To ensure crisp folds I used my Bone Folder (item 102300) to burnish the scored card folds;

• Stampin' Cut & Emboss Machine (item 149653) - for all die cutting;

• Paper Snips Scissors (item 103579) - these sharp little scissors are great for doing any necessary trimming of die cuts - shortening stems, trimming off a few leaves etc.;

• Take Your Pick Tool (item 144107) - the tacky putty tip is definitely a great help for picking up and placing small die cuts; and

• for the main adhesive, Multipurpose Liquid Glue (item 110755). 

With one exception I used Basic White Thick cardstock (item 159229) for the card bases - which is now back in stock!!😺

On with the projects!

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

• Highland Heather ink refill (item 147167) and Granny Apple Green ink refill (item 147163) for the watercolour panel - text and splatter images stamped using Granny Apple Green ink (item 147095);
• Fresh Freesia cardstock (item 155613) for 5" square matting panel, and all die cut flowers;
• Granny Apple Green cardstock (item 146990), shaded with Granny Apple Green ink, for die cut foliage and stems;
• Pecan Pie cardstock (item 161717), shaded with Pecan Pie ink (item 161665), for the die cut flower center; and
• I used one of the Mini Stampin' Dimensionals (item 144108) to attach and pop up the flower center.

Additional supplies to complete this 4" x 3" top-fold card:

• Highland Heather ink refill (item 147167) for the watercolour panel (strips trimmed from the original panel were added over the DSP strip on the front panel and to the inside panel);
• Timid Tiger cardstock (item 165626) for the die cut flowers - shaded with Pumpkin Pie ink (item 147086);
• Gorgeous Grape cardstock (item 146987) for die cut stems and foliage (no shading); 
• 2 3/4" x 1/2" strip from Gorgeous Grape striped patterned paper from the retired - but currently still available as one of the discounted Last Chance Products - Regals 6" x 6" Designer Series Paper Stack (item 163774); and

• Stampin' Dimensionals (item 104430) to attach and pop up the DSP strip.

Additional supplies used to complete this 4 3/4" square top-fold card:

• Garden Green ink refill (item 102059) and Balmy Blue ink refill (item 147168) for the watercolour panel - the Impressions Abloom floral image was stamped using Granny Apple Green ink (item 147095).  A strip from the original panel, and a strip from an additional Garden Green/Balmy Blue striped panel were stacked and glued across the main panel;
• Balmy Blue cardstock (item 146982) for the die cut flowers (no shading);
• Garden Green cardstock (item 102584), shaded with Mossy Meadow ink (item 147111) for all die cut stems and foliage (I added individual die cut leaves to "fill out" the leafy sprigs);
• Early Espresso cardstock (item 119686) for the large flower center; and
• Pecan Pie cardstock (item 161717), shaded with Pecan Pie ink (item 161665) for the small flower center that was attached using one of the Mini Stampin' Dimensionals (item 144108).

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

• Pecan Pie ink refill (item 161669) and Shaded Spruce ink (item 147088) for the watercolour panel - text and splatter images stamped using Shaded Spruce ink;
• Early Espresso cardstock (item 119686) for the 5 1/8" square matting panel, and the large flower center;
• Pecan Pie cardstock (item 161717), shaded with Pecan Pie ink (item 161665) for all die cut foliage, and the two small flower centers (these attached using Mini Stampin' Dimensionals - item 144108); and
• Summer Splash cardstock (item 163797) for the die cut flowers (no shading).

I added one of the Mini Stampin' Dimensionals behind the petals of each of the two tall flowers.

I used Pecan Pie ink refill (item 161669) and Balmy Blue ink refill (147168) for the original watercolour panel, using Pecan Pie ink (item 161665) to stamp the text and splatter images.  I cut the original panel into 1" squares, reassembling nine of the squares on a 3" square piece of cardstock after sponging the edges of all the individual squares with Pecan Pie ink.  To complete this 4 1/2" square card I used the following additional supplies:

• Early Espresso cardstock (item 119686) for the card base, 3 3/16" square matting panel, large flower center, and two pieces of die cut foliage;
• Pecan Pie cardstock (item 161717) for the front panel's 3 3/8" square matting panel (edges scraped with the blade of my craft knife), the inside panel's 4 3/8" square matting panel, small flower centers, and additional foliage (foliage and flower centers shaded with Pecan Pie ink);
• Balmy Blue cardstock (item 146982) for die cut flowers and one piece of foliage (which was "watercoloured" with Balmy Blue ink refill);
• one of the Mini Stampin' Dimensionals (item 144108) to attach and pop up the small Pecan Pie cardstock flower center; and
• Very Vanilla cardstock (item 166784) for the 4 1/8" square inside panel.

Additional supplies used to complete this 4 1/4" x 7 5/8" top-fold card:

• Shaded Spruce ink (item 147088) for the watercolour panel - the text and splatter images stamped using Shaded Spruce ink;
• Shaded Spruce cardstock (item 146981) for the 3 1/8" x 6 1/2" matting panel, and die cut stems and foliage.  The stems and foliage shaded with Shaded Spruce ink; and
• Timid Tiger cardstock (item 165626), shaded with Pumpkin Pie ink (item 147086) for the die cut flowers.

Additional supplies used to complete this 5" x 3 1/2" top-fold card:

• Old Olive ink refill (item 100531), Mossy Meadow ink (item 147111), and Pool Party ink refill (item 122933) for the watercolour panel;
• Old Olive cardstock (item 100702) and Garden Green cardstock (item 102584), shaded with Mossy Meadow ink (item 147111) for the die cut stems and foliage; and
• Poppy Parade cardstock (item 119793), shaded with Real Red ink (item 147084) for the die cut flowers.

And finally . . .

Additional supplies used to complete this 5" x 3 1/2" top-fold card:

• Real Red ink (item 147084) for the watercolour panel;
• Real Red cardstock (item 102482), shaded with Real Red ink (item 147084) for the die cut flowers; 
• Garden Green cardstock (item 102584), shaded with Mossy Meadow ink (item 147111) for the die cut stems and foliage; and
• I used one of the Mini Stampin' Dimensionals (item 144108) behind each of the two smaller flowers.

Thank you for visiting my blog!  I had a lot of fun working on these cards - the Impressions Abloom dies and the Gallery Blooms dies are certainly becoming two of my new favourite die sets!

I am sure I am not alone in being very happy about two new cardstock products in the May 2025-April 2026 Annual Catalogue:  12" x 12" Basic Black cardstock (item 166786), and 12" x 12" Basic White Thick cardstock (item 166782)! Although the Basic White Thick cardstock in the 8 1/2" x 11" format (item 159229) is not referenced in the Annual Catalogue it does remain available as an Online Exclusives product.

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 would be very pleased to be your demonstrator! If you need any assistance please do not hesitate to contact me (lmccoyarchie@gmail.com) and I will try my best to help!  The digital version of the May 2025-April 2026 Annual Catalogue is now available for you to access at your convenience on my website.  If visiting the online store don't forget to check out the full line of Online Exclusives products, including the new products released on May 6, 2025!  Just a reminder that all Last Chance Products remain available only while supplies last! 

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!! 

It's 5:30 a.m. and where pray tell is my breakfast?