Inking It Up with Mindy: Gradient Play on Die Cuts

There’s something so comforting about stitching-inspired designs, and the Craft Your Life Project Kit: Stitched with Love is full of beautiful details that celebrate that cozy, handmade feel. Since I also love cross stitch, I was immediately drawn to the layering die set, especially the skeins—they’re such a fun nod to embroidery floss and fiber arts.

You can watch the video tutorial below (or here) to see this project in action, including the ink blending process and final assembly.

For today’s project, I wanted to focus on gradient ink blending and use color to bring those skeins to life.

I began by die cutting both layers of the skeins from white cardstock. Keeping the cardstock white allows the Fresh Dye Inks to stay vibrant and makes it easier to control the color transitions.

To create a rainbow of gradients, I used the following Fresh Dye Ink color collections:

• Rose Petal

• Warm & Cozy

• Golden Sunset

• Green Valley

• Aqua Island

• Enchanted Garden

Using a mix of small and mini blending brushes, I ink blended each skein individually. For a soft but noticeable gradient, I applied:

• The lightest color from each collection to the top layer

• A slightly darker coordinating shade to the bottom layer

This subtle shift in color adds depth and gives each skein a more realistic, dimensional look. Once blended, I layered the pieces together using liquid glue to keep everything smooth and secure.

To finish off the skeins, I die cut the small bands from brushed gold cardstock, which adds just the right amount of shine and ties in beautifully with the stitching theme.

For the background, I stamped the fabric texture image horizontally using Shattered Shell Ink from the From the Earth Tones Fresh Dye Ink Collection. Using the Stampwheel 2.0 made it easy to keep everything straight and evenly spaced.

Next, I arranged the skeins vertically across the panel, staggering them slightly for visual interest and movement. The mix of soft ink blending and metallic gold really makes them stand out against the subtle background texture.

The sentiment comes from the Stitched with Love Stamp Set and was stamped in Obsidian Ink, then die cut with the coordinating die for a clean, polished finish.

To embellish, I added Antique Gold Stellar Sequins, which tie in perfectly with the gold bands on the skeins and add a bit of elegant sparkle without overpowering the design.

This project was such a joy to create—combining my love of stitching-inspired designs with gradient ink blending made it especially fun. The Stitched with Love Craft Your Life Kit is incredibly versatile, and the layering dies are perfect for experimenting with color.

Thank you so much for stopping by today! I hope this inspires you to try gradient ink blending on die cuts and explore new ways to use color in your projects. I’ll see you next time on Inking It Up with Mindy over on the Altenew YouTube channel.