The Raven's Tale!

"But the Raven, sitting lonely on the placid bust, spoke only

That one word, as if his soul in that one word he did outpour.

    Nothing farther then he uttered—not a feather then he fluttered—

    Till I scarcely more than muttered “Other friends have flown before—

On the morrow he will leave me, as my Hopes have flown before.”

            Then the bird said “Nevermore.”

- Edgar Allan Poe -

("The Raven")

Hello!  Today I am sharing a few projects I worked on this week using the Stampin’ Up!® Raven's Tale photopolymer stamp set (item 168245), which was included in the July release of new Online Exclusives Products.

To complete my projects this week I used the following Stampin’ Up!® dies and additional stamp set:

• from the Online Exclusives Oh My Fright dies (item 168175) I used the large tag and tree dies;

• from the Online Exclusives Pretty Poinsettia dies (item 168146) I used the flower, flower center, and large leafy stem dies;

• from the Sweet Bugs dies (item 167001) I used the mushroom, mushroom caps, flower center, and two-leafed stem dies;

• I used two of the fern dies from the Fern & Flora dies (item 168991);

• from the Everyday Arches dies (item 164629) I used the largest die; and

• I used the splatter stamp from the Gears & Textures stamp set (item 166851) to stamp the "spots" on the mushroom caps.

For shading cardstock die cuts I used Small Blending Brushes (item 160518 - package of three) and finger Sponge Daubers (item 133773 - package of five) to apply the Classic Stampin' inks to the die cuts.

I used VersaFine Clair Nocturne ink to stamp the Raven's Tale images and sentiments on watercolour paper, and for stamping the Gears & Textures splatter image on the Cajun Craze cardstock (item 119684) mushroom cap die cuts.

On each project I used a Basic Black watercolour pencil (Watercolour Pencils Assortment 1 - item 161700) to sketch a base line for the raven, softening the line with a little water applied with a small paint brush.

Just a quick summary of the additional basic tools and supplies I used to complete my projects this week:

• Paper Trimmer (item 152392) for trimming cardstock and Designer Series Paper;
• Stampin' Cut & Emboss Machine (item 149653) for all die cutting;
• Take Your Pick Tool (item 144107) - the tacky putty tip is definitely a great help for picking up and placing small die cuts and embellishments; and
• for the main adhesive, Multipurpose Liquid Glue (item 110755).

On with the projects!

For the first project I began with a black wood thrift store frame, glass removed, inside back dimensions of 10" x 8".  For the background panel I covered a medium weight cardboard panel trimmed to fit the frame with a Cajun Craze patterned paper from the retired Magic In This Night 12" x 12" Designer Series Paper (item 153517 - featured in the August-December 2020 Mini Catalogue).

The image and sentiment were both stamped on watercolour paper that had been coloured with Gray Granite ink (item 147118) mixed with water.  Additional Gray Granite ink was sponged around the trimmed edges and torn ends of the sentiment strip.  

To complete the project I used the following additional supplies:

• Basic Black cardstock (item 121045) for the Pretty Poinsettia leafy stem and flower centers, the Oh My Fright tree, and the Sweet Bugs flower center, mushroom stems, and two-leafed stem die cuts;
• Crumb Cake cardstock (item 120953), shaded with Crumb Cake ink (item 147116), for the mushroom gills (trimmed from mushroom base die cuts);
• Cajun Craze cardstock (item 119684), shaded with Early Espresso ink (item 147114), for the mushroom cap die cuts; and
• Cloud Cover cardstock (item 165621), shaded with Lost Lagoon ink (item 161678), for the Pretty Poinsettia flower die cuts.

Behind the image die cut I glued several stacked pieces of medium weight cardboard to provide a little dimension.  To the bottom of the image die cut I glued a piece of reclaimed tree bark, and under the tree bark I tucked in some cheesecloth that had been coloured with a mixture of Gray Granite ink refill (item 147171) and water.

For the second project I began with a black frame from Dollarama, glass removed, and inside back dimensions of 7" square.  For the background panel I used a technique that I often use on book paper but had never used before on Designer Series Paper:  I painted one side of a panel trimmed from a neutral wood grain patterned paper from the retired Bloom Where You're Planted 12" x 12" Designer Series Paper (item 155696 - featured in the May 2021-April 2022 Annual Catalogue) with white acrylic paint, scrunching the paper up with my hands before the paint was dry.  After flattening out the paper I added a little more paint, and then sprayed the paper with a mixture of Crumb Cake ink refill (item 121029) mixed with water.  After ironing the paper I glued it to a medium weight cardboard panel that had been trimmed to fit the frame. 

To complete the project I used the following additional supplies:

• watercolour paper that had first been coloured with Gray Granite ink (item 147118) mixed with water for the image panel and sentiment strip - additional Gray Granite ink was sponged around the trimmed edges of image panel, and the trimmed edges and torn ends of the trimmed sentiment strip.  For a "spotty" effect I lightly misted the coloured watercolour paper panel and strip with water using one of the Stampin' Spritzers (item 126185 - package of two), blotting dry with paper towel;
• Basic Black cardstock (item 121045) for the image panel's 4 5/8" x 4 1/8" matting panel (the image panel was trimmed to 4 1/2" x 4"), the Pretty Poinsettia leafy stem die cuts, and the Sweet Bugs flower center die cut;
• Pecan Pie cardstock (item 161717), shaded with Pecan Pie ink (item 161665), for the Pretty Poinsettia flower die cut; and
• Crumb Cake cardstock (item 120953), shaded with Crumb Cake ink (item 147116), for the Fern & Flora fern die cuts.

Over the background panel I added a piece of torn corrugated cardboard that I had coloured using Crumb Cake ink refill mixed with water and white acrylic paint.  Before colouring the cardboard I had added a little crackle paste that I had in my stash.  I used strips trimmed from Foam Adhesive Sheets (item 152815) to attach the matted image panel to the background panel (after securing the background panel into the frame).  I glued the sentiment strip directly to the edge of the frame.

For the third project I began with a black plastic arch frame from Dollar Tree, glass removed, and sized to accommodate a 6" x 4" photograph (I used the glass I removed from the frame as the template for trimming the image/sentiment panel).  To complete the project I used the following additional supplies:

• for the splatters on the image/sentiment watercolour paper panel I flicked over the panel a small paint brush used to mix Gray Granite ink (item 147118) and water;
• Basic Black cardstock (item 121045) for the Pretty Poinsettia leafy stem die cuts, and the Sweet Bugs flower center die cuts;
• Gray Granite cardstock (item 146983), shaded with Gray Granite ink (item 147118), for the Oh My Fright tree die cuts.  I used my retired Basic Black Stampin' Write Marker to add splatters by flicking the brush tip against the marker lid; and
• Pecan Pie cardstock (item 161717), shaded with Pecan Pie ink (item 161665), for the Pretty Poinsettia flower die cuts.

To complete the tag project I used the following additional supplies:

• Pecan Pie ink (item 161665) to shade around the edges and torn bottom of the image tag die cut, and the edges and torn ends of the trimmed sentiment strip;
• Basic Black cardstock (item 121045) for a full base tag die cut, the Pretty Poinsettia leafy stem and flower center die cuts, and the Sweet Bugs flower center die cut;
• Timid Tiger cardstock (item 165626), shaded with Pumpkin Pie ink (item 147086), for the Pretty Poinsettia flower die cuts; and
• to the center of each of the two small Pretty Poinsettia flower die cuts I added a small Cajun Craze dot from the retiring - and currently available as one of the discounted Last Chance Products - Earthy Matte Dots (item 167213).

For the tag's bow I used some black waxed cord from my stash.

And finally . . . 

For my Archie card project this week, shared at the bottom of this blog post, I used VersaFine Clair Nocturne ink to stamp the image from the retired A Kind Word stamp set (item 113194 - featured in the Spring-Sumer 2009 Idea Book & Catalogue) on watercolour paper, and coloured the image panel using:

• Pumpkin Pie ink (item 147086);
• Pecan Pie ink (item 161665);
• Mossy Meadow ink (item 147111);
• Crumb Cake ink refill (item 121029);
• Misty Moonlight ink (item 153118);
• Calypso Coral ink (item 147101);
• Highland Heather ink refill (item 147167); and
• Gray Granite ink (item 147118).

The image arch panel was cut using the Everyday Arches dies (item 164629).

I used Very Vanilla cardstock (item 166784) for the base of the 5" x 4" top-fold card.  To the card front I added a 4 3/4" x 3 3/4" panel of one of the patterned papers from the retired Season Of Green & Gold 12" x 12" Specialty Designer Series Paper (item 164324) over which I glued a 2 1/2" x 3 3/4" strip of one of the patterned papers from the retired Woven Textures 12" x 12" Designer Series Paper (item 165560).  Around the card front, at the bottom edge of the Woven Textures DSP strip, I wrapped some Linen Thread (item 104199), securing the center knot of the bow with a tiny dab of Multipurpose Liquid Glue.  I used strips trimmed from Foam Adhesive Sheets (item 152815) to attach the image panel arch die cut to the card front.  To the inside of the card I added strips of each of the Designer Series Papers used on the card front.

Thank you for visiting my blog!  I had a lot of fun working on my Raven's Tale projects this week!

Unfortunately the following products that I have used this week are not currently available but I have indicated below when Stampin' Up! does expect them to again be available for ordering:

• Very Vanilla cardstock (item 166784) - week of August 17, 2026;
• Cajun Craze cardstock (item 119684) - week of August 24, 2026; and
• Basic Black cardstock (item 121045) - week of August 24, 2026.

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-August 2026 Catalogue is available for you to access at your convenience on my website.  If visiting the online store don't forget to check out the full range of Online Exclusives Products - including all the new products released last month - as well as the updated Last Chance Products Listing!  A reminder that all Last Chance Products are available only while supplies last!  

A reminder that until August 31st Stampin’ Up! is offering 15% off select Designer Series Papers and cardstock!

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!! 

"A happy arrangement:  many people prefer cats to other people, and many cats prefer people to other cats."

- Mason Cooley -