New at SU! From Simple to Stepped Up

Hey there crafters, welcome to the August blog hop with the team from New at SU!.  

Our theme this month is all about starting simple and then stepping it up.  

I decided to use the Greenery Lane stamps for my first card.  It was a combination of Shaded Spruce, Pretty Peacock and Night of Navy.  Such a pretty combination.  The Greenery Lane stamps are created to use 2 step stamping to fill in the outlined images.  There is also a small flower stamp, great for beginners to create a background without the use of Designer Series Paper.  

Using a few layers of cardstock really creates a focal point, the main idea for todays blog hop is to make sure you add a little bit more, use a few tricks and techniques to step up the second card.  Below is what I added to change the card to make it a little more complex, a little 'prettier' with the additional of multi-tones and additional embellishements.  

If you have never used a Blender pen, it is a great way to add subtle colouring.  Use the pen to pick up some ink from the outline.  It can really be even lighter than generational stamping!

I love texture on a card and although the first card had some with the additional of some simple stamping on the card base, this made it even more dimensional using an embossing folder and some edge blending for tone on tone inking.  

The Greenery Lane stamps also have a matching set of die.  Usually a bundle will not only help die cut and add dimension to stamped images (use dimensional dots to the die cut images) but it often has smaller images that can be beautifully die cut to use as colour matched embellishments.  These tiny flowers make it easy to heat emboss on the Night of Navy cardstock and add it to add more feminine touches!

Finally, instead of searching through your stash of self adhesive embellishments, be sure you always have a selection of pale of white embellishments that your can customise to your project.  Just add a few layers of alcohol based colour in our Stampin Blends!  If you haven't done this before, give it a try because it really matches well.  

I hope you have enjoyed todays projects, I think both are fabulous cards!  If you want to add a little more to your projects, I hope you can try some of these ideas.  Be sure to hop along to the rest of the team members.... their ideas for elevating will also be handy.  

Happy Stamping, 

Rach x