Technique Tuesday: Sunset Skies & Sweet Scenes

Welcome back to another Technique Tuesday, where we dive into our favorite card-making tricks and styles for backgrounds! This week, I’m spotlighting one of my all-time favorite techniques: blending skies. Whether it's dawn, dusk, or anything in between, a good sky background always adds magic to a handmade scene.

Today’s card is all about family fun at sunset. Picture this: kids playing outside at the end of the day, full of laughter and motion, with a beautiful pink-orange sky setting the perfect backdrop. I just love adding personality to my scenes like this—especially when there’s a cute pup involved!

Basic Instructions:

Stamp the Trees
Using Memento Ink, stamp the tree images from Peaceful Pier on the right side of your white cardstock panel.
Mask the Trees
Stamp the same tree image again onto masking paper. Fussy cut the mask as close to the image as possible. To reduce stickiness, press it onto your shirt or hand a few times before placing it over your stamped trees. This protects the trees while you blend the background, helping them stay crisp and clean.
Blend the Sky Background
With the tree area covered, use your blending brushes to create a smooth sunset gradient. Start with yellow at the bottom, blend into orange, and finish with pink at the top. Remove the tree mask once you're happy with the blend.
Stamp & Color the Characters
Stamp your playful characters from the Just Me & You set onto separate white cardstock. Color them using alcohol markers and then fussy cut them out and colour your trees.
Assemble the Scene
Mount your blended panel onto a black mat. Adhere your colored images with foam dimensionals for depth. Place the sentiment at the top left to balance the scene.

💭 Why I Love Sky Blending

Blending skies gives your card mood and movement. It helps tie together different stamped elements into one cohesive story—and it never gets boring! Whether you're going for whimsical or realistic, the sky’s the limit (pun intended 😄).