Pinkfresh Studio February 2020 Background Stamp Release Blog Hop

Hello! There's some fun things going on today and I'm so glad you've stopped by! Today is the Pinkfresh Studio February 2020 Background Stamp Release Blog Hop! There are some absolutely gorgeous background stamps that you're sure to fall in love with! I'm sharing 3 cards with you today using 4 of the new backgrounds! I'm sure I'll be creating with some of the others soon as well because they're so beautiful! There is an amazing line up of designers, so make sure to head to each of their blogs! 

Designers' Blogs

There will be a giveaway of the ENTIRE release both on the Pinkfresh Studio Blog as well as their Instagram #pinkfreshstudio. 

Also, leave a comment here for a chance to win a $25 dollar gift card to the Pinkfresh Studio shop!

My first card for today uses the beautiful new Floral Shadow Background Stamp paired with the newly released Leafy Decor stamp set to create this bright and vibrant design! To begin, I stamped the background using Sparkling Rose ink on a slightly lighter panel of cardstock. I used my MISTI to get a nice, crisp impression. I cut my panel a little bit larger than a card front so that I could use the Essentials: Diagonal Stitched Rectangles dies to give it the detailed edge!

I also die cut the Ornate Oval Frame using the same cardstock as I did for the background panel. I adhered it using foam squares around the scallops. This set the stage for me to add the rest of the design elements!

I stamped the Leafy Decor image in black ink onto white cardstock. I colored it using an assortment of alcohol markers and then used the coordinating Leafy Decor die to cut it out. I layered it over the frame with additional foam squares.  I die cut the "hugs" word using the Phrase Builder Sending die collection and added it to the leafy image.

The "you can always count on me" sentiment is heat embossed in silver onto a strip of vellum. I wrapped it around the entire panel and secured it on the back using clear tape.

I love all of the beautiful colors that the Essentials: Jewels come in and they are always the perfect accent for my cards! For this design, I chose to use both the emerald green and hte light pink jewels to accent my card!

I layered the entire focal panel onto a white A2 card base using foam squares for added dimension! 

My second card for today uses the same color palette because I like to keep things cohesive if I have the freedom, and today I do! ha ha! I used the AMAZING new Do What You Love Background stamp paired with the newly released Just because stamp set. I have been itching to use this one since it was released and today was the perfect excuse!

I stamped the background in black onto white cardstock and then used the same die as the first card for the border detail. I added some ink blending around the edges using the same pink as well. I also die cut a black label using the versatile Fancy Label Frames. I added it to the background using foam squares.

I heat embossed the different sentiments which are included in the Just because stamp set in white onto black cardstock.

I stamped the image and colored it with assorted Copic markers. I used the coordinating Just because die to cut it out. Once that was done, I added it over the black die cut using foam squares.

I was also able to add the sentiment as well. My SU! demonstrator introduced me to black Stampin' dimensionals and I LOVE them!

For this card, I chose to use a combination of Jewels AND sequins for a combination of shine!

My third and final card of the release uses both the Diamond Tiles background stamp and the Enchanted Blooms background. I decided this would be a fun combination since I am using the Enchanted Blooms image as more of a focal point and then the Diamond Tiles serve as the background. My cute sister gave me black watercolor paper and metallic watercolors for Christmas and while I've been having a lot of fun with the watercolors, I haven't had a chance to pull out the black paper. I decided I'd give it a try using this new background.

I heat embossed the background using gold powder and then got to work painting the images. I also added some gold paint splatter for added detail. Once it was dry, I die cut it using the largest die in the  Ornate Banner die set. It cut off just enough to be able to see the diamond tiles peeking out from underneath, but didn't cut too much of my hard work off! LOL!

 I used the fun Sentiment Suite Hello die for the word using specialty gold paper and vellum. The "I wish I was there with you" sentiment is heat embossed in gold and adhered using foam squares. A trio of sparkling clear sequins finish off this bold design. That wraps up my projects for today's hop! Don't forget to leave a comment to be eligible to win the gift certificate! Thanks for fluttering by!

Ink to Paper February Release Countdown Day 4

Hello and welcome to the 4th and final day of the Ink to Paper February release countdown! Happy Valentine's Day as well! Nothing quite says Happy Valentine's Day like a bunch of spring and Easter cards! LOL! I've decided to showcase this one first, that says "You are loved", since it has a message of love! LOL! I have A LOT to share with you today; four projects in total so I hope you'll get comfy and enjoy!

Each of the four cards I'm sharing today use the new Bouquet Backdrop die and the new Border Bling: Chain Die. I pulled in sentiments from previous days of the countdown to show you additional ways in which they can be used! Also, the last card uses the new Inside Greetings: Get Well stamp set, which is perfect for this time of year!

To begin this colorful design, I die cut the Bouquet Backdrop using watercolor paper and then painted it using a beautiful palette of metallic watercolors that my sister bought me for Christmas. They are the "Master's Touch" brand from Hobby Lobby and they are really nice! It is a double pan set, so it has a lot of beautiful color options. I spritzed the entire die cut with water and got to work painting it with these beautiful springy colors!

I set it aside to dry and got to work on the chain border. I hadn't anticipated painting it at all, but once the idea popped into my head, I ran with it! Unfortunately I didn't die cut it out of watercolor paper, but rather Stamper's Select White Cardstock. Thank Heavens it didn't end up by mattering one bit! It dried nicely without any warping!

I have a tip to share with you when using this chain die; the die cut piece is very fragile and delicate, which I love, but it can be tricky to get it lined up straight when gluing it down. So....I actually dry embossed the Border Bling: Chain Die onto the panel of white cardstock which created a perfect "channel" to lay the chain into. I added glue to each of the corners and then the straight portions in between each link, so to speak, which allowed me to glue it down securely but without a lot of fuss or mess!

I layered the painted bouquet in the middle using foam squares wherever they would fit on the delicate flowers and leaves. I also added some metallic gold and black paint splatter to the white panel for added detail and dimension. The sentiment, which is from the new Bold Blooms stamp set that was showcased on Day 2, is stamped in Jet Black StazOn ink onto a strip of vellum and then wrapped around the white and black panels. The entire focal panel is layered onto a Hibiscus Burst topfolding A2 card base using foam squares.

I added a trio of sparkling clear sequins for added sparkle and shine!

My second card uses all of the same supplies as the first, with the addition of the Banner Builder Basics, which has been fun to use during this release even though it's a little bit older! 

For this card I die cut the Bouquet Backdrop out of white cardstock and then added some ink blending to each of the different leaves and flowers. Once that was done, I spritzed it with water to give it that beautiful oxidized look that I love. 

I die cut the banner twice and layered them together using foam squares after I stamped the sentiment, which is from the Risen stamp set. The tails are also added with foam squares. I added some Raspberry Fizz ink around the edges to give it added detail. The other sentiment, which is also from Risen, is heat embossed in silver onto a strip of vellum. I've done a lot of "tweaked" sentiments on the banners during this release, but discovered a fun tip I'd like to share with you to get them aligned perfectly. For this particular sentiment, I laid my clear acrylic block on top of the actual die. This allowed me to see through the block so that I could get the sentiment perfectly arced like the die. This sentiment just barely fit, so this technique was fabulous!

I die cut the chain out of Smokey Shadow cardstock to pull in the cool tones from the silver embossing. I layered this bouquet on the panel in the same way as the previous card, but found that the bouquet needed some extra "balance" so to speak. I decided to use one of the die cut flowers from the Bold Blooms set and add the same ink blending as the purple flower. I tucked it up in the upper left corner to give the card the balance it needed.

The base of this card is Pale Peony, with layers of Limeade Ice to give it some contrast. I love playing with colors to find the perfect visual balance. You can see that I added some Nuvo drops to the berry branch and here and there around the bouquet; I used the clear ones to mimic the look of dew!

The colors that I used for this bouquet are Simply Chartreuse for the leaves, Sweet Blush, Pale Peony and Raspberry Fizz for the pink flower and berries, Harvest Gold and Summer Sunrise for the large flower, and Lavender Moon and Winter Wisteria for the purple flowers.

You can really see the dimension of the banner in this photo, and the way that I assembled it to really give it a realistic look.

My third card uses the Bouquet Backdrop in a different way; I chose to dry emboss it to give the background a texture and then I added the bouquet from the recently released Birthday Bouquet stamp set to play off of the embossed detail.

When I first saw this chain die, I knew I wanted to try it in gold. If you read my post from Day 2 then you might have read my story about this gold paper. It is incredibly delicate, and paired with the chain die, I almost gave up, but I pressed forward and finally got one die cut! Unfortunately I didn't do the dry embossing technique to lay this chain down, and it was a little tricky! LOL! This gold paper is SUPER fragile, but I think it turned out ok!

The bow is also die cut from the same paper; I glued the ends to the card to keep them from whisping away!

I find myself reaching for this fun little tag that is included in the Tag Creations: Modern Gift Die. It is the perfect fit for many of the sentiments that are included in the Just Sentiments series, this one being from the new Just Sentiments: Easter.

A sprinkling of sequins finish off this Easter design!

This is my fourth and final project for today and for the countdown! I have been using so many pastels, I decided to go for a warmer palette that is sure to brighten someone who is under the weather!

This is actually the first card that I made using these supplies, but I did ink blending on this bouquet as well. I spritzed it with water as well and set it aside to dry.

This particular sentiment, which is from the new Inside Greetings: Get Well, fits perfectly onto this banner. I just couldn't resist using them again and again, as you can see! ha ha!

I used a post it note to cover up the main portion of the sentiment and then added some black ink splatter over the card to strike a color balance as well as add extra detail.

I added some Nuvo drops to this design as well; I played around with sequins, but in the end opted for the drops, which I love!

Well, this brings us to the end of the countdown! Everything will be available for purchase on February 15th at 10 PM EST. Thanks for fluttering by!

The Greetery Lily and Palm Release

Welcome friends! It is always a good day when The Greetery is involved, am I right? I know you will all fall in love with this mini release called "Lily and Palm"! It is perfect for all of your Spring/Easter needs, but the florals and select sentiments will transcend beyond! I can't wait to use these new Lily BotaniCuts for some tropical designs! Before I dive into the details of the 3 projects I'm sharing, let's get down to business! There will be a giveaway of TWO $25 dollar gift certificates to The Greetery store; simply leave a comment here and on each of the designers' blogs for a chance to win one of them! Also, the release will be available for purchase on Friday, February 14th at 10 am EST and the winners will be revealed that same morning at 7 am EST.

The Greetery

Kay Miller

Laurie Willison

Dawn McVey

Heather Nichols

Keeway Tsao

Angelica Conrad

Lizzie Jones

Norine Borys

Wanda Guess

My first card for today uses the AMAZING new BotaniCuts Lily die and the companion BotaniCuts Palm die. While these can both be uses separately, they look so beautiful paired together, don't you think? I kept all of my dies intact; meaning I didn't clip any of them apart. I plan on die cutting them out of white cardstock only, so this way they are easy to run through in one easy pass!

I die cut quite a few so I would have lots of options during the design process; I ended up using each an every one! They are so much fun and SO easy to use! Betsy always includes a guide, and this set is exceptionally easy! 

I used ink and my blender brushes to add ink to all of the pieces, including the leaves, buds, and the palm fronds. I googled images of lilies so that I could create something relatively realistic! ha ha! Once the pieces were blended to my liking, I used a Color Spritzing tool and my old SU! markers to give them the added color flecks like lilies have. 

I also paired them with the letters that are included in the new Easter Jubilee Creative Kit, which I will be showcasing a little further down! I had some extra letters die cut from that project, so I added some ink blending to those to give them a soft contrast.

Everything is layered up onto the beautiful panels that are die cut using the Nordic Frames dies. I also added some Nuvo drops to the flowers to give them a dewy look!

My second card uses some of the lilies that I made up in yellow! I love how soft and buttery they look! I used them to highlight the beautiful new Caring Cross stamp and stencil set, paired with the Caring Cross die! I chose to only use the die rather than the stencil, but you'll probably see some other samples from the other designers using the stencil.

The two sentiments are stamped directly onto the panel using black ink. The sentiments that are included in this set are both Easter related, but offer some of sympathy and prayer as well!

I used my mini MISTI to do the stamping on the cross since I wanted it lined up properly and knew it would need extra impressions because I stamped on Kraft cardstock.

I added some soft ink blending around the white panel to match the lilies. I added a few sparkling clear sequins here and there for some shine.

This is such an easy set to use and I can't wait to try using it with the stencil!

My third and final card of the day uses more lilies, of course! LOL! I honestly didn't plan on using them on EVERY card, it just turned out that way! I actually made this card before I created the lilies; had it photographed and everything and then decided to add the lilies. I'll share a photo at the bottom showing it without the lilies if you're more inclined to that.

The Easter Jubilee Creative Kit is an stamp/stencil combo that makes for a really fun design process! I really like the effect that it gives with the two techniques used together!

The letters are die cut twice; once from gold specialty paper that looks almost like gold leaf and once from white cardstock and are glued together with liquid glue. They nest perfectly into the stenciled portion that I did in purple ink.

The detail that is in these letters is incredible. The gold paper doesn't allow it to fully show, but I really like the result. My first card shows all of the beautiful detail, though! I also heat embossed one of the accent sentiments that is included in the stamp set. The die collection also comes with this sweet banner that fits each sentiment perfectly.

I used the Nordic Frames again, but this time to create more of an actual frame. I popped it up with foam squares for dimension.

Once it was all done, I decided to see if I liked the lilies in the opposite corners. I kept going either way, but in the end, the lilies won! LOL!

Here is a picture of the lily-less card. It looks like I had better light for photographing, too! LOL! Thanks so much fun joining me today and don't forget to leave a comment for your chance to win! Thanks for fluttering by!