Ink to Paper May Release Countdown Day 2

Welcome to day 2 of the Ink to Paper May release countdown! As mentioned yesterday, I have A LOT to share with you today using some of my very favorite products from the May release! I have three projects to share with you using the new Into the Blooms II dies! It's no secret how much I love the previously released Into the Blooms dies, so you can only imagine how giddy I am with these new beautiful dies!

My first card uses two of the different blooms with one of the leaf options. I paired it with the AMAZING new sentiment set called Perfect Pair: Commodities with its coordinating dies. Since this is a graduation card, I also added in the year that I die cut using the Numbers Die that was released a few months ago. I die cut the numbers from a textured gold cardstock that I picked up at Michael's last month.

I die cut the flowers and leaves from white cardstock and then used a variety of Distress Oxide inks to do all of the coloring on the flowers. I find that I can get the most realistic looking blooms with the oxide inks. I also added some colored pencil details to the flowers as well as some color spritzing and glitter!

I also rounded the petals upward for more realistic looking flowers as well. I've had so much fun creating all of the different flowers I've used on today's projects and even some later on in the release!

I die cut the "happy" portion of the sentiment and then heat embossed it in gold for a seamless look against the black background. I also heat embossed the coordinating "graduation day" sentiment in gold as well.

My second project for today is a series of tags that I put together to accent some Mother's Day gifts. Since Mother's Day is past, you could just switch out the sentiment for any occasion!

I made 5 tags in total using each of the three different flower options.

I created these flowers the same as I did for the previous card.

I really like die cutting everything from white cardstock and then just coloring them as I go along deciding which colors I want for my project!

My third card using these beautiful blooms also uses the new Feathered Friends 11 die. I think this owl is so cute and you could color it in any color you can imagine!

I went for a traditional owl look, but you could definitely let your imagination take hold and make it as colorful as you like!

I added some Nuvo Crystal Glaze over the top of the eyes and the beak for some realistic shine.

I used another one of the new Just Sentiments: Summer sentiments for this card. I mentioned yesterday that I needed to make some summer cards for my boys' teachers, so this will be one. I really wanted to try putting a graduation cap on this little owl, but that will have to wait until another day! ha ha!

My 4th and final card for today uses the Perfect Pair: Commodities stamp set again paired with the new Vase Collection. I love the built in texture on the vase die!

This beautiful flower bunch is from the previously released Sprigs and Sprays stamp set and it's just perfect for this new vase.

This vase is perfectly sized to coordinating with many of the previously released flower/branch sets that you may already own! I can't wait use more flowers to fill up this cute vase!

I'm really in love with these new sentiments and adore the fact that they have coordinating dies for the scripty words! They're so delicate that they look so nice stretched across any design! Well, that finishes up my projects for day 2! Join me again for even more summer inspiration tomorrow! Thanks for fluttering by!

 

Ink to Paper May Release Countdown Day 1

Hello and welcome to day 1 of the Ink to Paper May release countdown! I've been having so much fun creating with this amazing release and I know you're going to love it too! My first card for today uses the new Just Sentiments: Summer stamp set paired with the fabulous new seashell dies!

I didn't do as much as I normally do for my boys' teachers for Teacher Appreciation Week, so I plan on putting some "summer" inspired gifts together to give to them on the last day of school and this card will got with one of the gifts! I think EVERY teacher is searching for "endless summer vibes"! LOL! To begin this card, I die cut almost everything from Fresh Snow Linen Cardstock except the seashells. I cut those out of regular white cardstock and then applied the ink using finger daubers.

To begin, I die cut the focal panel using the Love to Layer: Notched Die and then added some ink around the bottom using the new Salvaged Patina Distress Ink. I also used the new Salvaged Patina spray stain to give the panel a watery vibe! I set that aside to dry and got to work on the shells. I love the detail on the shells...all you need to do is add some ink and you're done!

The shell set also comes with these two sprigs of aquatic plant life which I love! I stamped the sentiment at the top of the panel once it was dry using black ink and then arranged the plants and shells.

I used the Cover Plate: Ornate die for the background. I layered it over the top of an A2 panel with the same ink and spray as the focal panel. I added the Skinny Dotted Frame around the background panel using liquid glue. I really like this particular frame with this card because the dots look like the detailing on the star fish! I layered the focal panel on top of the background using foam squares. I added glitter to the shells and some dew drop embellishments here and there for some watery detail!

My second card for today uses the super fun new "Message in a Bottle" stamp/die set! My mind is reeling with all of the fun possibilities for this cute bottle! Do you remember the sailboat from last month's release? Wouldn't it be super cute in the window of the bottle? I know it's a little bit big to be a "ship in the bottle", but you could definitely try to go for that same vibe!

I created a pink bottle and tucked the flower that is included in the die set down in the bottle along with the "I'd be lost without you" message! There are quite a few fun sentiments that you can add to the bottle!

I added a few more of the new shells around this bottle for some seaside charm!

The bottle also comes with a cork so you can add that if you'd like and it allows you to be able to pull the message out of the bottle if you choose to! Join me again tomorrow for day 2 of the countdown where I will be sharing quite a few projects using some AMAZING new products! I can't wait! Thanks for fluttering by!

 

Reverse Confetti May Release Blog Hop

Hello friends and welcome to the Reverse Confetti May release blog hop! I've got two projects to share with you today using some fabulous new products! All of the new products are available for purchase now in the shop {link above}! Up first is a fun birthday/celebration card using this cute new balloon set! I love the two sentiments that are included; I chose to use the "let's celebrate you" sentiment for today, which could be used for many different occasions!

To begin this card, I stamped the outline images using black ink. I actually set them aside to dry overnight so that I wouldn't have any black smudges. If you don't have problems with your black ink, then go ahead and get started coloring! There's nothing worse than having a black smudge after you've done the majority of the coloring!

I chose warm tones for this celebratory card with pops of red to keep it bright! 

The background is die cut using the Stitched Burst Cover Panel and then I layered the peach striped paper from the Sweet Stripes 6 by 6 paper pad. From there I was able to use the large oval from the new Cover panel (not sure of the name) to anchor the balloons. I added two of the floral clusters and the heat embossed sentiment to finish it off!

My second card for today uses the new cup of Friendship set and is so cute! I was going for a Mary Engelbreit feel, which I love! I stamped the images (letting them dry overnight) and then colored them using alcohol markers. The cup got a bit of Nuvo Crystal Glaze over the top. I actually outlined the cup with the glaze and then took a dry paint brush to drag the glaze downward from the top and upward from the bottom to give it a fun texture. It's hard to see in the photos, but I really like how it turned out.

Remember the oval from the first card? This is the Cover Panel that cuts it so you can get some different uses from the one die. It creates the perfect cut-out for this cute cup of flowers!

The sentiment is stamped on the cute polka dot paper, which is from the Cue the Confetti 6 by 6 paper pad, and then I layered the black piece over the top. I do need to mention, however, that I added the white paint splatter before I added it to the  card.

I added a few sequins to finish it off! There is another really cute image included in this set that I can't wait to use! Head to the other designers' blogs to see how they've used these cute new products! Thanks for fluttering by!

 

                                                                       Reverse Confetti Blog

                                                                               Amy Kolling

                                                                               Michelle Short

                                                                                   Tricia Barber

                                                                             Kelly Lunceford

                                                                                     Lisa Henke

                                                                                     Amy Rohl

                                                                               Deanne Kuntz

                                                                                  Leica Palma

                                                                                  Ali Farmer

                                                                                Julee Tilman

                                                                               Jeanne Jachna

                                                                                Norine Borys

                                                                               Becky Roberts

                                                                               Audrey Tokach

                                                                            Cheiron Brandon

                                                                               Emily Leiphart

                                                                               Candice Fisher

                                                                                Heather Ruwe

                                                                          Olga Matyushevskaya

                                                                              Jenny Colacicco

                                                                                 Amy Tsuruta

                                                                                       Olga Moss        

Hello Bluebird Release Day {You Make Me Smile}

Well friends, today is the third and final day of the Hello Bluebird countdown, but it is also RELEASE DAY! Yay! All of the fabulous products are available for purchase tonight including this new You Make Me Smile Word Die. I've paired it with the super adorable new Word Buddies Jungle stamp/die set! Aren't these critters just the cutest? I love that they can perch, hang, hug, and peek over letters and sentiments to create one-of-a-kind creations!

For me, it was helpful to plan out which critters were doing which thing and which direction they were facing so I could plan out my card. I stamped them using black ink and then colored them with an assortment of alcohol markers. I set those aside and got to work on the background.

I did a quick ink blended panel using Broken China, Tumbled Glass, Twisted Citron, and Mowed Lawn Distress Oxide inks and then die cut the panel using the new Gallery Frame #6 die that was showcased on day 1. I didn't get a chance to use it, so I was thrilled to use it for today's card.

This particular die cuts out the frame portion with the little Xs around the perimeter. It also cuts out the inner frame and then the three horizontal rectangles from the center. I chose to omit those rectangles, but set them aside for a future project.

For some added interest, I decided to flip the inner portion so that the colors are opposite from each other. As you can see, the blue outer portion is at the top, but I used the blue on the bottom to keep the visual movement I like.

I die cut the "You Make Me Smile" out of grey cardstock and then mounted it over the top using liquid glue AND mini foam squares. I used the negative portion of the die so I could carefully line up the letters exactly how they are supposed to be.

From there, I added all of the cute critters here and there using foam squares. The toucan/parrot/I'm not sure what he is, has some Nuvo Crystal Glaze over the top of his beak for some shine.

I added some chunky glitter to the top of the YOU letters for some playful detailing and shine! I'll be sharing a few more cards from this release over the next two weeks, so stay tuned for those! Thanks for fluttering by!

 

Pinkfresh Studio {Lots of Love}

 Hello friends! Today I'm sharing a fun floral card using some of the beautiful new products from the latest release! When I set out to create my card for today, it was headed in a completely different direction that where it ended up! To begin, I used my large memory MISTI to stamp the gorgeous new flowers from the Heartfelt Thanks slimline stamp set. Now, this is made for slimline cards, but that doesn't mean it can't be used for A2 cards as well, like I'm showing today.

Once it was stamped onto a smaller panel, I used the coordinating Heartfelt Thanks slimline layering stencils. I chose Sweet Mustard, Marigold, and Clementine ink for the blooms and Fresh Pear and Olive for the leaves. Now, I had originally planned on this being the main panel for my card so I cut it using the Essentials: Stitched Rectangles, but in the end it didn't show, so you could omit that step. I DID, however, end up by using it on the plaid background which I will talk about in a bit.

Once I had the flower panel finished, I got to work on the large "lots of love" sentiment. I love these new sentiments because they have the "shadow" portion included! I chose to die cut the letters from black cardstock and the shadow piece out of white using the Lot of Love die set. I used liquid glue to adhere the letters.

My original plan was to use this large sentiment directly on the floral panel. I fussed with it a bit but decided it needed "something more" to ground it, or in other words, anchor it to the busy floral background. I decided to create a plaid background using the Diamond Plaid stencil set to serve as a hint of detail around the edge of the floral panel AND I could cut the middle portion out to create the anchor I needed for the sentiment. 

As you can see, that ISN'T what I ended up by doing! ha ha! I decided to create a larger window by using the Essentials: Pretty frames die set and using the plaid as the top layer and the flower layer to peek-a-boo through the opening, hence the title of my post: Reverse Backgrounds! This window was the perfect place to add that large sentiment with the "You deserve it all" portion tucked underneath. I love how this turned out, which was completely opposite of what I was originally going to do! I hope you get a chance to play around with some "reverse backgrounds" as well! My rule of thumb is to make sure you use scale to your advantage when choosing the flowers and pattern! I finished off this card with a few leaves from the Leafy Branch die. Thanks for joining me today!

Once it was stamped onto a smaller panel, I used the coordinating Heartfelt Thanks slimline layering stencils. I chose Sweet Mustard, Marigold, and Clementine ink for the blooms and Fresh Pear and Olive for the leaves. Now, I had originally planned on this being the main panel for my card so I cut it using the Essentials: Stitched Rectangles, but in the end it didn't show, so you could omit that step. I DID, however, end up by using it on the plaid background which I will talk about in a bit.

Once I had the flower panel finished, I got to work on the large "lots of love" sentiment. I love these new sentiments because they have the "shadow" portion included! I chose to die cut the letters from black cardstock and the shadow piece out of white using the Lot of Love die set. I used liquid glue to adhere the letters.

My original plan was to use this large sentiment directly on the floral panel. I fussed with it a bit but decided it needed "something more" to ground it, or in other words, anchor it to the busy floral background. I decided to create a plaid background using the Diamond Plaid stencil set to serve as a hint of detail around the edge of the floral panel AND I could cut the middle portion out to create the anchor I needed for the sentiment. 

As you can see, that ISN'T what I ended up by doing! ha ha! I decided to create a larger window by using the Essentials: Pretty frames die set and using the plaid as the top layer and the flower layer to peek-a-boo through the opening, hence the title of my post: Reverse Backgrounds! This window was the perfect place to add that large sentiment with the "You deserve it all" portion tucked underneath. I love how this turned out, which was completely opposite of what I was originally going to do! I hope you get a chance to play around with some "reverse backgrounds" as well! My rule of thumb is to make sure you use scale to your advantage when choosing the flowers and pattern! I finished off this card with a few leaves from the Leafy Branch die. Thanks for fluttering by!

Hello Bluebird {Together We Can Soar}

Welcome to day 2 of the previews of the upcoming release from Hello Bluebird! This is probably one of my favorite sets from the new release and it's called Flying High paired with the new Partly Cloudy die and the new Jane Small Alpha! I'm smitten with all of the little critter combinations that you can add to the hot air balloon! I couldn't resist using this sweet elephant and bunny combo, but it was really hard to choose!

To begin, I stenciled the clouds in the background and then added some ink splatter for some added detail. I die cut the cloud background using the new Partly Cloudy die from white cardstock and layered it over the top using liquid glue. I stamped the "together we can soar" sentiment using my mini MISTI inside one of the clouds using black ink.

One tip I'd like to give you today is to die cut the balloon first and then stamp. I did all of my stamping and coloring first, which is what I usually do when I'm coloring with Copics, and then die cut it. This particular die was a little bit tricky to get lined up after the fact, so I would recommend cutting first!

I love that this balloons comes with a few accessories to gussy up the design if you wish. I chose to add the scallop portion above the basket for some added color and detail. 

I also added the bunting at the top of the balloon and secured it with liquid glue. I made certain to use alternating colors so that they wouldn't match the panel of  balloon that they were on top of, if that makes sense!

I die cut the HELLO letters and then added some color using a blender brush. I wanted the colors to be slightly more muted than the balloon so they would stand out. I actually just used the residual ink that was on my blender brushes! ha ha!

I added some Nuvo Crystal Glaze over the top of the letters and then sprinkled some glitter over just the tops to give them a sugared look. I added additional glitter here and there to give the entire card a fun, sparkly look! Join me again tomorrow for the 3rd and final day, which just happens to be shopping day as well! Thanks for fluttering by!

 

Hello Bluebird New Release {You Make Me Smile}

Hello friends! I'm beyond thrilled to be a guest designer for Hello Bluebird this month celebrating their fabulous new release! I'll be sharing projects for the next three days and then a few more over the next month! I ABSOLUTELY love Hello Bluebird and was so happy when my Mom gave me the Fairy Garden Stamp set a few years ago for my birthday. You can see my Hello Bluebird creations HERE that I've made over the years. As you can see, I don't have that many so I am THRILLED to be guest designing this month so I can use the entire new release! Yay!

My card for today uses the Summer Woods Scene Die and the new Pig Out stamp set! What I love in particular about this new set is that it has more than just pig images. I love the sweet bunnies and duck! To begin this card, I die cut the entire Summer Woods Scene out of white cardstock and then used Distress Oxide inks to color the trees, bushes, and grass. I inked up an 8 1/2 by 3 1/2 inch panel of white cardstock using Tumbled Glass Distress Oxide ink to create the sky. Once that was done, I added the trees, bushes, etc. back onto the panel using liquid glue and foam squares.  I spritzed the entire panel with water to get the ink to oxidize and give the card added detail.

I colored all of the critters and accessories using an assortment of alcohol markers and added a bit of white gel pen details to the pigs to make them appear shiny. I used the coordinating Pig Out die set to cut out all of the critters and accessories that I used in this scene.

I added them to the panel using foam squares and liquid glue. Now, I didn't plan ahead of time where I would be putting my sentiment, but rather left it until the end. I decided I wanted to do a direct to paper sentiment in the hollow of the trees. I used one of my MISTIs with broken hinges, which was a MAJOR mistake because I ended up double stamping the sentiment slightly off-set. I wanted to CRY. After my initial shock of thinking I ruined the entire card and trying to add a circle sentiment, I got my wits about me and decided it would be easy enough just to re-cut that one panel, re-do the inking, stamp the sentiment and lay it back in using liquid glue! Crisis averted! I thought I had ruined the entire thing, but you can't tell AT ALL!

It was so fun to dust off my alcohol markers and do some coloring for this sweet summer/spring scene! I'm head-over-heels in love with this release! I can't wait to share what I have made, so make sure to join me again tomorrow for day 2 of the countdown! Thanks for fluttering by!