Stamping Sunday Blog Hop — Tropical Oasis Suite

Hello and welcome to the March Stamping Sunday Blog Hop hosted by Sara Levin. This month’s hop is SO EXCITING, because it features my absolute FAVORITE suite of products — the Tropical Oasis Suite. When I first saw the January to June Mini Catalog, that entire suite was the first item on my order!

I love everything about this suite, because I’m a So Cal girl at heart who loves palm trees, surf and sand. I especially love the bright, beautiful colors, the unique Coastal Weave 3D Embossing Folder, and fun, lighthearted Memories and More Card Pack. Here’s a photo of the entire Tropical Oasis Suite:

For this blog hop, the designers have the option to create cards for Beginner, Casual, and Avid Crafters. That way, there’s a little inspiration for everyone:)

Beginner Crafter:

For my beginner card, I simply adhered a 4″ x 3″ Tropical Oasis Memories & More Card to a Sahara Sand cardbase measuring 4-1/2″ x 7″ (and folded in half.) These cards are so pretty that you hardly need to add anything else!

I did end up adding a simple embellishment to the lower right corner. I used the Timeless Tropical stamps to stamp the small flower with Real Red ink on Whisper White Cardstock, and then I used Watercolor Pencils to color the flower similar to the ones on the card. I used Real Red, Daffodil Delight, Basic Black, and even a little Pacific Point. I simply used dry pencils with no blending.

Afterwards, I adhered the flower with a dimensional over a little strip of Braided Burlap Trim and a couple Tropical Oasis Trinkets. Easy, peasy.

Casual Crafter:

For my casual card, I stepped up the difficulty by adding some embossing and simple watercoloring.

I added soft, vellum elements to both my casual and avid cards by embossing stamps in white on Vellum Paper and then cutting out the stamped images with the coordinating In The Tropics Dies. I love the contrast of the stark white against the bright, bold colors of this suite.

For the main layer, I cut a Stitched Shape circle from Watercolor Paper and then painted a watercolor wash with Bermuda Bay ink. (Simply squeeze your ink pad to pool ink in the lid, add water, and then use an Aqua Painter to paint a quick wash.) I also used the In The Tropics Dies to cut out the flowers and sentiment from Watercolor Paper and watercolored them with Mango Melody, Grapefruit Grove, Terracotta Tile, and Real Red ink.

After adhering the elements, I decorated the card with some Iridescent Sequins and layered the main panel over a folded strip of Old Olive/Pretty Peacock 3/8″ Reversible Ribbon and Old Olive and Pear Pizzazz leaf die cuts (cut using both the In The Tropics and Tropical Dies.)

Lastly, I added one more vellum element. I used the Coastal Weave 3D Embossing Folder to emboss a Stitched Rectangle Die Cut. I particularly love how the embossing folder causes the vellum to crack and turn white.

Avid Crafter

For my avid card, I added a few more advanced techniques and fancy-fold ribbon.

The first technique I used was “watercolor stamping,” where I stamped on wet paper. I started with a layer of Watercolor Paper that I had cut out with a Stitched Rectangle Die. Then, I applied a little dry Bermuda Bay Pigment Sprinkles and spritzed with clear water. I quickly mopped up the excess water with a paper towel to lighten the color. Then, while the paper was still fairly wet, I stamped the palm trees with second generation Pear Pizzazz and let the ink run for a fun effect.

When the paper dried, I stamped the palm trees again with Pretty Peacock ink. And as a final touch, I used an Aqua Painter to add a little more color to the center of the palms and slightly blend the palm fronds.

My second technique was to distress the background with a sanding block. I used the Coastal Weave 3D Embossing Folder to emboss a layer of Tropical Oasis Designer Series Paper, and then I lightly sanded the top of the embossing to remove the color and reveal the white inner core. I absolutely ADORE how this turned out!!!

I layered the main panel over two pineapple top dies cut from Old Olive Cardstock. Then, I laid down a strip of Tear & Tape Adhesive and folded the Old Olive/Pretty Peacock 3/8″ Reversible Ribbon into place.

Hope you liked my projects! Be sure to continue on through the rest of the Sunday Stamping Blog Hop for even more inspiration with the awesome Tropical Oasis Suite using the links below.

Click on the links below to continue through the Stamping Sunday Blog Hop!

Use Host Code SRDEMAZD for purchases at my online store this month to qualify to receive free exclusive tutorials and a special thank you card from me. This month’s tutorials are so creative and inspiring!!!

This March is Paper Pumpkin’s seventh anniversary! To celebrate another year of delivering fun, easy, creative projects and give thanks, Stampin’ Up! is including an additional FREE stamp set with every March kit. This means that every subscriber will receive two stamp sets! Subscribe now!

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