When I first started with Stampin' Up! going on five years ago, Poppin' Pastels was a technique I demonstrated fairly consistently. It's amazingly simple and makes a gorgeous finished product, but with so many new tools and toys, I haven't done this quick easy technique in over a year and maybe more! But take a look at the effect!
Stampin' Pastels are chalks by any other name, and they come in a set of our 48 colours. That makes it so easy to coordinate with all the papers and inks. For this card I started with a square base (4 1/4"x4 1/4") in Pumpkin Pie, and added layers of More Mustard and Ruby Red, and finally Confetti Cream. I was going for a fall theme, and Confetti Cream is a nice heavy rustic paper with tiny fibers in it that add character. Although Looks Like Spring might seem like the strangest choice given the title, I particularly like the flower image, as it is not block solid in design. Take a look at the close up to see what I mean, both the stamp and the paper. 
I stamped the flower stamp in Versamark four times. It's hard to see at this point, since Versamark is clear, but if you get in the right light, at the right angle, it's pretty clear. Then I take my sponge daubers and rub them very gently in the Stampin' Pastels (too much pressure will cause them to crumble). I actually put three of them on my fingers, each rubbed in a different colours, so I can easily switch colours. Then I gently rub the daubers over the flower image, alternating to create that multi-coloured look. Versamark, being a clear pigment ink has a slow drying time, and when it is "wet" it's quite tacky, so the chalk sticks to it. Also, when you work with Stampin' Pastels, you want to remember to blow any excess chalk away, rather than trying to wipe it away, as it will smear and leave a trail on your paper. So with the flowers all coloured in soft variating colour, I added the sentiment stamped in Ruby Red, and framed it with a Hodge Podge Hardware square frame in Antique Brass. Pretty simple huh?
NOT! Well, yesterday I shared that was really a slow stamper in this post. So let me demonstrate this as I share with you how this card really came together. When I decided on the technique, I knew that I wanted to work with fall colours( Pumpkin Pie, More Mustard and Really Rust), and I knew I wanted to use Looks Like Spring. From there it is all a blur. I was beginning to colour my flowers with my pastels, when I accidentally rubbed Ruby Red instead of Really Rust. I stopped for a second, and took a look, and decided that I quite liked Ruby Red, so then I decided I needed to have a layer of Ruby Red cardstock to balance it, since it wasn't quite as orangy as Really Rust was to fit with the colours I had already chosen. I do cut a layer, but had to put it in between the layers so there is barely a 1/16th in margin all round. Then I go back to colouring my flowers, and when I am done, I attach all the layers, and look at it. There is no sentiment, and I think to myself, actually I usually do talk to myself....but that's between me and I. I hadn't thought of a sentiment...what do you use with a fall card? So I debate whether I should leave it sentiment-less, for a time where I just want to drop you a note...in which case, then maybe I should put a "just a note" sentiment on it? What about embellishments? Should I add ribbon, brads, should I tear it apart and add my favorite ticket corner punch? As I look at the card, I clearly did not really leave a space for a sentiment, or embellishments, so I decide that the sentiment must to both. I pull out a retired set, Happy Harmony, which I kept for all it's wonderful quotes, and then I needed to decide whether to stamp directly on the card, or on another piece and cut it out, and of course what colour or perhaps black? After much discussion with self, I decide it must go directly on the paper in Ruby Red, since the pastels do leave a "halo" and a fresh clean piece of paper wouldn't work well. At that point I decide to use the Hodge Podge Hardware kit. But wait, my whole card it already glued together. I could just poke the brads holding the hardware all the way through the card, but then it shows when you open it, and isn't very....finished looking. So I pry the top layers from the Pumpkin Pie base trying desperately not to rip or wrinkle the cardstock as I do this, because Murphy's law says if I do, it will show up in the photograph. Finally I separate it and set the holes for the frame...one I can reach with my hand held punch, the other I have to pull out my Crafters Tool Kit for the hole pokey thing, all while I am holding the hardware piece in place with my other hand. When I finally attach it I stare lovingly at my work of art, and wonder where the morning went.
Thanks for sharing some of your day with me! I have uploaded some of my recent efforts with Looks Like Spring to it's own album, so have a look at some of the other designs and you'll see why I love it!
I hope you get to stamp today!
Laura
