Oh my! What a YUMMY stamp set! I simply couldn't resist creating a couple birthday cards with the new Sweet Scoops images from the Summer Mini. And, of course, I had to make them in my favorite flavors highlighted on layers of Creamy Caramel, Close To Cocoa and Chocolate Chip card stock (what better color names to go with the ice cream theme)! I love how the different shades of brown accentuate the colorful scoops.
This will certainly be a fun set to play with…think of all the cool desserts you can create. Baskin Robbins tells me there are at least 31 flavors, plus awesome sundaes and banana splits. With two different kinds of cones, hard and soft ice creams, sprinkles, and even a cherry for on top, there are endless possibilities!
Sweet Kisses
So, you may be wondering what that square image is…well, it's specifically created to add texture to your scoops via the kissing technique. You ink the solid scoop with ink, then "kiss" the textured image to it before stamping.
There's a couple ways you can do this, and I've shown examples of them here. The first two examples above, I've inked the ice cream in dark colors (Brocade Blue and Rich Razzleberry), then touched the uninked texture image to the rubber to remove some of the ink. (Maybe it should be called the "Kiss Off" technique—haha!)
Or, you can start with a lighter color, then kiss a darker colored inked texture to it before stamping. I did this on the last two scoops (Pretty In Pink/Rich Razzleberry and Bashful Blue/Brocade Blue).
Creating My Sweet Scoops
I used the "Kiss Off" technique on my cards, but the lighter colors don't show the texture as much, so it's difficult to see. To represent banana and strawberry flavors, I chose the retiring Apricot Appeal and Pretty In Pink for the top scoops.
My absolute favorite flavor of ice cream is Mint Chocolate Chip, so I used the retiring Gable Green and Chocolate Chip for the chocolate chip sprinkles (well, it IS called that after all!). TIP: I used clear mount stamps, which is much easier for positioning two-step images, but I didn't use the actual block when applying the sprinkles. I wanted the sprinkles to cover the whole scoop, so I held the stamp in my hand so just the edge of the image stamped. That gave me good control and allowed me to stamp a sprinkle here and there right out to the edge of the ice cream. Hmmm. I had never thought of using these pliable stamps that way, but it worked great!
Background & Embellishment Details
To mimic the diamond-shaped design on the cone, I found the similar embossing pattern from the Perfect Details Texturz Plates. It works together beautifully!
To make the card a little more colorful and playful, I added 3/4" punched circles in Apricot Appeal, Pretty In Pink and Gable Green under the side of the textured panel for a scallop border. I also tried out the new Bitty Buttons to add some interest. These are SO cute and they adhere easily with just a dab of clear Crystal Effects. The Itty Bitty Punch Pack coordinates with the buttons, so I layered the corner one on a colorful background. These additions were just the right touch to make the cards feel whimsical and fun.
I finished off the card with Certainly Celery 1/4" Grosgrain Ribbon and the sentiment in Chocolate Chip. TIP: One thing to note about long and skinny clear-mount stamps…when you position them on your block, make sure that you have applied them straight. I mentioned above how their pliability was sometimes a bonus, but when you attach a sentiment, it's easy to unintentionally curve it a bit. (My "celebration" was on the upswing the first time I stamped it) I recommend stamping first on scrap paper to check your alignment.
Now, I think I need to take a trip to the Baskin Robbins…
Angie