You can cut out dies using different colors of cardstock or pattern papers for color but you can also die cut from white cardstock and add your own color too. This is especially helpful when you’re trying to color match or need a specific color that maybe you don’t have in cardstock. Any coloring medium you use for stamping like markers, watercolor, colored pencils, etc can be used to add color but one fun and easy way is with ink pads and ink blending.

For this beautiful card Amy die cut her flowers (which are layering dies) from white and placed them on a grip mat to help hold them while applying the ink, then used small blending brushes to apply the color. She used trios of ink pads from Simon Says that have three shades of the same color, this makes it easy to add gradation of color, blending and shading. She went from lightest to darkest inks and got a wonderful dimensional look to her blooms! I love the touch of gold she added for the sentiments inside and out with a touch of sparkly gold for the arched mat.

Visit the Prairie Paper and Ink blog to watch her video tutorial.

-Heather