Hello crafty friends! This week was coloring week here at Make the Day Special and the Design Team has shared many awesome tips with you on how to get more out of your markers.

Today it’s my turn and my card features the super cute stamp set “Carnival Cupcakes” by Mama Elephant which is finally back in stock! I’ve combined a number of different techniques on this card and instead of explaining everything to you, here’s a video showing you how I did it:

As you can see, I used the emboss-with-dies technique to create some “fake” dimension on my card since it’s entirely one layer. You’ve seen me using this technique for the very first time – not live, but on camera 🙂 – and it fits great with the current challenge we have at the Make the Day Special challenge blog: try something new or resurrect a technique not used for ages. For the embossing, I used the “Basic Creative Cuts” by Mama Elephant and the “Label Layers 1” by Wplus9 (alternatively, reach for Label Layers 3 or even go for Paper Smooches’ Frame 1).

My Copic “trick”, to come back to the current topic, is to blend colors that usually don’t go together. Normally, you would only blend colors in the same families or those close to each other (oranges with yellows; yellow greens with greens etc). But with some patience you can blend colors that are not related at all, like I did.

I hope the photo catches the outer frame I embossed and the label inside of which the animals and the cupcake were stamped

You can either feather the two colors into each other or use one of these two techniques: tip-to-tip blending where you touch the tip of one marker to the other to pick up its color, or acetate palette blending, where you scribble one color onto a piece of acetate or plastic and the pick it up with the other marker.

On the cupcake topping, I combined RV02 and BG11 – who’d have thought that they go together? 🙂

For the “background” on this card I used the beautiful star background from DeNami Design, but if you’re shopping with Make The Day Special, you can alternatively reach for Lawn Fawn’s “Starry Backdrops” or Avery Elle’s “Written in the Stars”. I also used the Simon Says Stamp Fog ink, which is super light. As an alternative, if you don’t have it, I suggest Hero Arts Soft Granite or Wet Cement.

I hope you got inspired to try your makers in some different ways! Thanks for stopping by!

I’m submitting this card to the following challenges as well: MarkerPop #53 Anything Goes; Mama Elephant October Challenge Anything Goes; Creative Friday #112 One Layer.

Supply List

• Carnival Cupcakes by Mama Elephant
• Make a Wish by Mama Elephant
• Basic Set Creative Cuts by Mama Elephant
• Label Layers 1 by Wplus9 – alternatively reach for Label Layers 3 or Paper Smooches Frame 1
• Simon Says Stamp Fog ink – alternatively reach for Hero Arts Soft Granite or Wet Cement
• DeNami Design Teeny Star Background – alternatively reach for Lawn Fawn Starry Backdrops or Avery Elle Written in the Stars
• Copic Markers
• Pretty Pink Posh Marshmallow
• Pretty Pink Posh Orchid
• Pretty Pink Posh Pink Blush

I hope you had the chance to stop by the blog to read about our coloring tips (I learned LOTS!). If not, here are the links to this week’s coloring posts:

• Shading flesh tones
• Coloring Christmas cards
• Coloring Basics
• Coloring a unicorn Step-by-Step
• Coloring a Halloween themed card
• Coloring Bright Blooms