Creating a Scenic Feel with Two-Toned Backgrounds | TaeEun Yoo

Hello Pinkfresh friends! It’s TaeEun here today with a couple of adorable cards featuring two brand new product suites from the Delights & Doodles release. The illustrations of this month’s collection are just too cute!!! It’s pure joy to watch the images come to life as the stenciling process unfolds 😊!

To color all the sweet elements, I used a pastel rainbow palette, inspired by the June Pinkfresh Studio Challenge - Rainbow Reverie. I followed the colors from the challenge palette to tie everything together with a soft, whimsical feel.

For both cards, I created a two-toned-ink-blended background. I like to choose color combinations that evoke natural scenery elements — like the sky, lake, trees, or ground — to add depth and context to the scene. It’s a simple yet effective way to help your focal images really pop!

*Disclaimer: All products used are linked below as clickable images. If a product isn’t listed, it’s been discontinued.

Card1 - Ice Cream Truck

1. Stencil the images from Ice Cream Truck.
   - Truck: Sunshine, Apricot, Lavender
   - Ice Cream: Sweet Mustard, Sparkling Rose, Sky Blue, Warm Buff
   - Bear: Warm Buff, Sky Blue
2. Stamp the Ice Cream Truck images in Detail Black and die cut.
3. From the Patisserie Pals suite, die cut the bunny, duck, and plant pot from white cardstock. To get the mirror images, stencil them by flipping the coordinating stencils and inking the back side of each die cut:
   - Bunny: Sky Blue, Lavender, Sunshine, Sweet Mustard, Mango Sorbet, Warm Buff
   - Duck: Sunshine, Mango Sorbet, Warm Buff
   - Plant: Key Lime, Mango Sorbet
4. Ink blend a white A2 panel in Key Lime (top) and Sky Blue (bottom). Then press the panel with the Petal Grid press plate in the same ink colors.
5. Die cut the background panel using the Starry Scallops die, and die cut a rectangle from the center using a die from the Single Stitch Rectangles set.
6. Adhere the central rectangle of the background flat onto a white cardbase and foam mount the frame around it.
7. Stamp the sentiment directly onto the truck in Detail Black.
8. Arrange all the die cut elements as shown.
9. Add three Ice clear drops for some sparkly accents.

Card2 - Patisserie Pals

1. Stencil the images from Patisserie Pals.
   - Patisserie: Cherry Blossom, Peony, Soft Lilac
   - Bunny: Peach Fuzz, Bubble Gum, Sweet Mustard, Apricot, Blue Jay
   - Duck: Sweet Mustard, Doe, Apricot,
   - Plant pot: Key Lime, Doe, Bubble Gum, Berrylicious
   - Cakes : Peach Fuzz, Bubble Gum, Sky Blue, Blue Jay, Berrylicious
2. Stamp the patisserie in Lavender and the ribbon in Bubble Gum
3. Die cut all the stenciled elements.
4. Ink blend a white panel: the top half in Cherry Blossom and Peony, and the bottom half in Warm Buff and Doe.
5. Press the Petal Grid onto the background panel using Calico White ink.
6. Cut the top and bottom part of the panel and foam mount them to a light pink cardbase.
7. Arrange the stenciled elements as shown.
8. Stamp the sentiment from the same stamp set in Detail Black and die cut.
9. Finish off with a few Ice Clear Drops

Tip 1: You can create mirror images using stencils by simply stenciling through the backside. It’s a fun and easy way to stretch the use of your stencils and add a playful twist to your designs.

Tip 2: Creating two-toned ink-blended backgrounds is one of my favorite ways to bring depth and context to a card scene. Think about the setting you're building: sky above, grass or ground below, or perhaps a soft lake meeting a sunset. The gentle blending already adds enough atmosphere to support the images. It’s a small detail that makes a big difference in storytelling through your cards!

These new suites are also perfect to enjoy with kids! I crafted these cards together with my daughter and her friends, and they absolutely loved the process.

Don’t forget to visit our Monthly Challenge Blog for full details and check out the stunning inspiration from my talented team mates!

Thank you for stopping by!
Happy crafting,
TaeEun