My last post was focused on the Christmas Block Art Stamp Set, which is part of the 2024 STAMPtember release at Simon Says Stamp. (Catch the first live here if you missed it.) This card is another way to use that set - and no dies are needed!

Techniques:

• I started by stamping the three stamps on cardstock pieces bigger than the stamp, and then trimming them down to fit once I decided how I was going to arrange them.

• For each stamp, I chose a color that was a different variation or next step in my color palette from the cardstock color I chose so each color block is fairly monochromatic. Because the inks are dye inks, the cardstock does affect the way the stamped ink looks. If you haven’t done a lot of stamping on color I recommend you text by swiping the corner of your ink pad on a scrap of the color of cardstock you’re thinking of using, to see how the colors layer.

• To ensure that there was balance between the three color blocks, I made sure that the starting cardstock colors were similar in value. Value is how light or dark they are if you they were all grayscale. (If you want to see this, take a picture of some colors and convert it to black and white. Then you’ll see colors as values on that light to dark spectrum of grays.)

• A think white frame grounds the three color blocks and provides contrast. The sentiment embossed in white on black cardstock adds more, and adding it with foam squares adds dimension that helps elevate this otherwise flat card.

• A splatter of small silver paint drops to add a bit of winter sparkle, and a sprinkling of white enamel dots work together to create a flow through the layout.

• You’ll also notice that I added my white accents in a group of three, as I often do for accents. It can sometimes be three dots, but in this case it is three elements: the thin frame of the card base, the enamel dots, and the white greeting. The fact that these are on different layers of the card also helps to unify the design and tie it all together.

Colors:

• cardstock: Concord & 9th Sweet Pea, Lemongrass, Aqua Sky, Oceanside,

• ink: Concord & 9th Watermelon, Sprout, Blueberry

This is a really fun way to do something different with any stamp set. You can see another recent one I did in color block, but with less of a big bold feel in this post, here.

Thank you for visiting! Keep an eye out for more STAMPtember fun! The month isn’t over yet.

Links are below if you’re interested in any of the products I used.

Supply list*:

(Listed by company, with links to Simon Says Stamp and others. Simon Says Stamp links are affiliate links*.)

*Affiliate links do not cost you any more when you shop, but it is beneficial to creators when you use them, so thanks in advance!