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!

 

Pinkfresh Studio {No One Compares to You}

It's just me popping in with another card using products from the new Pinkfresh Studio April release! There's an Instagram hop happening today, but I wanted to share the details of this card as well! You can start the hop on Instagram @pinkfreshstudio! There's a chance to win the ENTIRE release and then another opportunity to win one of 10 $25 gift certificates as you like, follow, and leave comments on the hop!

My card today uses the beautiful new Garden Wreath die set which is so much fun to use! You can die cut it from white paper and color the pieces in using ink, or you can die cut them from colored or specialty cardstock to create unique looks! These leaves and flowers can be used for other things as well, not just the wreath! For instance, you can see the new Leafy Branch die that I've used at the top of this card. Wouldn't the tiny flowers look so cute accenting the branch? I can't wait to give it a try!

I used liquid glue to assemble the wreath tucking things here and there until I got the look I was hoping for. I set the wreath aside and got to work on the background. I used the Diamond Plaid stencils to create the soft pink background. I normally use two colors of ink for the two different stencils in the set, but for today I only used Coral Reef to keep the background soft and sweet!

The rest of the background elements were created using the Essentials: Ornate Banner die set to highlight the colorful wreath. I used foam squares to add the banner pieces and then carefully used liquid glue to add the Leafy Branch to the top of the card.

I'm loving these new sentiments and this one is from the Celebrating You stamp set. Please note: this is a single sheet of sentiments that you stamp all at one time and then you can use the coordinating Celebrating You die to die cut them all at once. Then, you can save any of the unused sentiments for those last-minute cards we always seem to need! ha ha!

Since I wanted to keep things soft, I opted to stamp the sentiment in Metropolis ink, rather than black. I love how it turned out. The finishing touches are a few gems and a metallic silver bow! The entire stenciled panel is attached to a top folding A2 card base using liquid glue. Thanks for fluttering by!

 

Pinkfresh Studio April 2021 Stamp, Stencil, Die, and Hot Foil Release

Happy day, friends! Welcome to the Pinkfresh Studio April 2021 Stamp, Stencil, Die, and Hot Foil Release! I know I say it EVERYTIME, but this is such a FABULOUS release! I'm sharing two cards with you today and then I'll provide the links for the other participating designers' blogs at the bottom of today's post! Pinkfresh Studio will be giving the ENTIRE release away to two lucky winners; one from the You Tube Channel and one on the Facebook page! Winners will be announced HERE on May 6th and you will have 2 weeks to claim your prize! Also, make sure to leave a comment here, and on every stop on the hop, for a chance to win one of TEN $25 dollar gift certificates!

My first card for today's hop uses the enchanting new Rare and Beautiful stamp set. This is such  fun an easy new set to use that allows you to switch up the colors to create unique looks! I especially love the Rare and Beautiful Die because it cuts both the outline image as well as the portion for the sentiment for some fun options. You could die cut the sentiment portion directly on the main die to create a shaker card with the sentiment stamped on the main panel, if that makes sense. For my card today, I just die cut it and then mounted it over the top using foam squares for maximum dimension!

To begin, I die cut both the main piece and the sentiment piece. I used the negative portion of the cardstock to line up the image. It really is such a lifesaver with these intricate type images with lots of points and edges. I stamped the leafy portion of the image using Tidal Pond ink and then stamped the flowers using Passion Fruit ink. You could carefully ink up each of the different flowers for a more colorful look, too! Please note, with this particular image, it is a MUST that you completely press the image flat on your stamping block OR inside your MISTI. I had a bubble in mine which I got ink on and then it transferred to my cardstock. I had to re-do it and I don't want you to make the same unfortunate mistake! ha ha!

I used the same technique for the sentiment by using the negative portion of the cardstock to carefully line up the sentiment and then picked it up with the lid of my mini MISTI and then added the cardstock die back into the negative space and stamped it in black.

I added it to the leafy portion using mini foam squares. I love this simple and easy result, but of course, you know me, I love to step things up just a notch! For the background, I stenciled a white panel using the Layered Sunburst Stencils and then die cut the panel using the Essentials: Stitched Rectangles  die set.

I also added glittery oval that was die cut using the Essentials: Ornate Oval die. I just love that added depth and dimension that it gives the card, as well as a shock of sparkle! The entire panel is layered onto a top folding A2 card base using foam squares.

My second card for today uses one of my favorite suite of products from the new release; Reason to Smile stamp set, Reason to Smile die, and Reason to Smile layering stencils. This particular stencil set comes with an entire stencil dedicated just to the different sentiments that will fit inside this gorgeous wreath. I chose to use the "HELLO" stencil. PLEASE NOTE: Because all of the words are on one stencil, you will need to use a strip of washi tape or a post-it note to cover up the sentiments above and below as to not accidentally get them on your project. I thought was being careful, but I wasn't careful enough! eek!

For this card, I die cut the wreath portion using the Reason To Smile die and then stamped the outline image Olive ink with the Reason to Smile stamp set. Now, you could do the outline in any color you want; black is usually popular, but I really love how the tone on tone wreath turned out! I went ahead and used the stencils to finish up the wreath.

I die cut the beautiful background piece using the Modern Blooms die and added both Fresh Pear and Grassy Knoll ink using a blender brush around the edges. I layered it onto a white panel that has been die cut using the Essentials: Stitches Die using liquid glue.

I layered the wreath over the top using foam squares and added some gems as well. The sentiment is heat embossed using black detail powder onto a strip of vellum for a sheer look. I wrapped it around the focal panel and secured it in the back with a bit of tape. The entire panel is layered onto a top folding A2 cardbase using additional foam squares. Well friends, that's all for me today, but make sure to head to the other designers' blogs to see their gorgeous creations! Thanks for fluttering by!

 

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