Thursday, May 31, 2018

{Technique Tuesday} June 2018 Release Countdown: Day 2


Welcome to Day 2 of Technique Tuesday's June 2018 Release Countdown! The design team is featuring a variety of release products and you're sure to love them so be sure to head over to the Technique Tuesday blog for the full reveal and links to all of the amazing projects. All of the product links will go live on June 1, 2018 for your shopping pleasure.


Today, I'm showcasing the Duck Swan Goose stamp set! It's the latest addition to the Animal House Collection so if you're a fan of the punny animal stamps, you're sure to love this one. My husband laughed quite a bit over the sentiments in this set so I have a feeling it's his favourite so far. ;)


Instead of mixing and matching this set with older ones, I decided to feature all of the images in this set on one card! By watercoloring the images and surrounding space, it looks like a nostalgic picture book. With the duck, goose and swan all giving accolades, this is the ultimate congratulatory card.


See you tomorrow for Release Day!

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Wednesday, May 30, 2018

{Two Many Cards Video Series} featuring We R Memory Keepers: Happy Jig


Hi, everyone! Kalyn and I are back with our new video series, Two Many Cards. If you missed our first three videos in this series, check out the original post HERE, which explains how and why we're sharing our own unique take on the same products. 


Today, we're featuring We R Memory Keepers' Happy Jig wire creation tool! Tools are an important part of the cardmaking process and I own many We'R tools, including the corner chomper (one of my very first tools), the envelope punch board and the gift box punch board. It's so nice to add yet another amazing and innovative We'R tool to my growing collection!


I knew I wanted the Happy Jig the moment I saw it. I'm certain my husband and son will love it, too. My husband will likely come up with some cool designs (probably a few at my request LOL) and I'll be sure to share them with you!


I chose patterned papers from Pinkfresh Studio for both cards. I used the 6x6 paper pad from Let Your Heart Decide and the 12x12 collection from Be You. You can find links to both of those collections below, in both sizes.


I made the coffee mug first using the mint wire (so pretty!) because it looked easy and had a lot of open space. The angles weren't too sharp either. Plus, I wanted to make a coffee card for the Spring/Summer Coffee Lovers Blog Hop! I die cut the coffee word from My Favorite Things' Coffee Cup and stamped the sentiment from Perk Up. The heart was die cut using a shape from Blueprints 27.


I adore this little French bulldog! Isn't he the cutest? I made a bow tie for him from denim ribbon by cutting the tails off a normal bow and securing the knot with glue dots. I used My Favourite Things' A2 Rectangle STAX Set 1 to cut the bottom panel and Blueprints 29 for the stitched rectangle. The sentiment is from Puppy Kisses. To finish, I cut out a piece of peach coloured paper from the same pattern paper on the base and placed it behind the tongue. Then I added googly eyes to give the dog personality.


Please head over to Kalyn’s blog and YouTube channel to see her take on We'R's Happy Jig!

We hope you're enjoying this series. Please do let us know if there’s something you’d love to see us do or feature and we’ll add it to our idea book. Thanks so much for watching!

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SaveSave

{Technique Tuesday} June 2018 Release Countdown: Day 1


Welcome to Day 1 of Technique Tuesday's June 2018 Release Countdown! The design team is featuring a variety of release products and you're sure to love them so be sure to head over to the Technique Tuesday blog for the full reveal and links to all of the amazing projects. All of the product links will go live on June 1, 2018 for your shopping pleasure.


Today, I'm showcasing the Strawberry Stamp Set and coordinating Strawberry Crafting Die, along with the Jam Jar Labels Crafting Dies. This 3x4 stamp set features a beautiful main image and two lovely sentiments with mixed fonts! The die set also includes a large scripted 'Thanks' word, which is extremely versatile for all Technique Tuesday cards.


As you know, I mostly watercolour but it was pure joy using my Copic markers for this beautiful strawberry plant. I actually didn't even know that strawberry plants had flowers so I had to do some research into the colour of the flowers. It turns out they can be white, yellow or pink! I chose white for this particular card but it would be fun to try the other two versions as well.


I used the medium and large dies in the Jam Jar Labels Crafting Dies set to create the two frames which anchor the strawberry image. Then I stamped the sentiment inside one of them before adhering the frames to the linen panel. Then I popped the die cut strawberry image with foam tape and added clear round drops. I love how they look like real dew drops!

See you tomorrow for Day 2 of the June Release Countdown!

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Tuesday, May 29, 2018

Ardyth's Video Hop Birthday Party

(click here)


Welcome, friends! Today, we're hopping to celebrate Ardyth Percy-Robb's milestone of 1000 YouTube subscribers and we're also celebrating Ardyth's birthday. Congratulations and Happy Birthday, Ardyth! After you've finished watching my video, please leave a comment for your chance to win and then click on the video description below for the next person on the hop.


There are 20 video artists participating in this hop and there are many prizes to be won! If you get lost along the way, please head over to Ardyth's blog for a complete list of video artists participating in this hop!


I created two cards in the same colour theme using Catherine Pooler inks. Catherine Pooler Designs is one of the generous sponsors of today's hop and I will be choosing one lucky commenter from my YouTube video to win his or her choice of two Catherine Pooler inks! What colours are your favourite?


I die cut multiple flowers from the Wild Garden die set using watercolour cardstock. I smooshed five Catherine Pooler inks - Tutti FruttiTiki TorchTiaraAquatini and Fiesta Blue - on to my craft sheet and used a wet brush to drag a rainbow of stripes down from the top of the first panel and horizontally across the second panel.


After determining the floral arrangements on both cards, I painted the die cut flowers in the same colours as the panel behind each flower. I left parts of the flowers white so they wouldn't completely disappear into the background.


I left more white on the second card because I felt that whiter flowers were more suited to that particular layout. I used my heat tool to dry the panels and flowers completely before adhering the flowers to their respective panels with glue dots. I chose two sentiments from the Mirror Mirror stamp set and stamped them with Midnight ink.


To finish, I embellished all of the florals with sparkling clear sequins and added pearls in their centres.


PRIZES
One comment from each video on the hop will be chosen to win TWO Catherine Pooler inks of your choice.

One comment from the entire hop will be chosen to win a $25 Gift Certificate to Ellen Hutson LLC.

One comment from the entire hop will be chosen to win a prize pack valued at over $100 from A Jillian Vance Design.

And because today is also Ardyth's birthday, she's contributing three $25 Gift Certificates (one to Catherine Pooler Designs, one to Ellen Hutson LLC and one to A Jillian Vance Design) to three randomly-chosen comments on her YouTube video for this hop.

All winners will be announced on Monday, June 11, 2018, so you have until then to comment.

Thanks so much for hopping with us!

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Saturday, May 26, 2018

{Altenew} May 2018 Stamp/Die Release Blog Hop Winner!



Thank you so much to everyone who stopped by for the Altenew May 2018 Stamp/Die Release Blog Hop and left some love! I enjoyed reading every single one of your comments and appreciate all of your kind words!

I used Random.org to select a winner for the $30 gift certificate to shop at the Altenew online store and the lucky lady is Lindsey!




Congratulations, Lindsey! Please email winner@altenew.com by June 10, 2018 with the subject line Altenew May 2018 Stamp/Die Release Blog Hop Winner from Emily's blog to be set up with your gift certificate. Happy shopping!

In addition, Altenew will be announcing the SIX winners of a $50 gift certificate to their store on the Altenew Card Blog, so be sure to check there tomorrow. ;)

Don't forget to shop Altenew's Memorial Day Sale! You can save 15% on over 170 items in the shop. Click on the banner to shop!



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Friday, May 25, 2018

{Studio Katia} 2nd Anniversary Blog Hop: Day 1 + Giveaway!


Hi, friends! I'm delighted to be part of Studio Katia's 2nd Anniversary celebrations! Studio Katia has just released 6 new Clear Stamp Sets and 4 sets of Coordinating Dies, 4 new stand alone Creative Dies, 2 new Stencils and new Embellishments. There has been so much inspiration from the Studio Katia design team on their blog and social media. You're about to see so much more in this two-day Anniversary Blog Hop!



I made two cards using five of the new products. Both share the same colours but look entirely different. It's easier and convenient for me to keep creating once I have my colours picked!



This first one features Lovely Blooms, Stitch Borders and Birthday Greetings. I stamped the blooms on watercolour cardstock with black pigment ink and heat embossed the image with clear embossing powder.



Then I watercoloured with distress inks, all of which are listed below. These blooms are absolutely stunning and therapeutic to colour! I'm pretty sure these will end up on loads of cards.


To create the background, I used all four of the greens I used for the foliage and smooshed them on to a large acrylic block, misted the ink and smooshed the block on to a panel of watercolour cardstock. 



After the panel dried, I used the largest of the Stitch Borders dies and die cut two rows at both ends of the panel. To finish, I heat embossed a sentiment from Birthday Greetings, one which fit nicely into the little nook created by the blooms.


My second card features the Kobi Bearing Gifts stamp set and coordinating dies. As I mentioned earlier, I heat embossed the images and watercoloured them with distress inks.


Then I used the same colours and sponge daubers with the Bubbles Stencil to create the background, which was die cut with the Dotted Patterns - Set 1 die set.


I sponged around the top left- and bottom-right corners of the card base using the same six colours before adhering the popped up frame and inside panel.


I also added adorable and super shiny Crystal Stars Sequins to the ground to anchor Kobi.


Here's the full hop list for today:


Studio Katia is giving away TWO $100 CAD Gift Certificates on both days of the Blog Hop! That's FOUR chances to win. The winners will be chosen randomly from comments left on ALL blogs of the Blog Hop. To enter, simply leave a comment on all blogs on both days, follow Studio Katia on Instagram, and Like Studio Katia on Facebook. The more you comment, the higher your chances of winning! Comments must be left by 11:59pm EST on Saturday, June 2, 2018. All winners will be announced on the Studio Katia blog on Sunday, June 3, 2018.

Thanks so much for hopping with us!

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Wednesday, May 23, 2018

{Two Many Cards Video Series} Neat & Tangled Winner!


Hey there! Thanks so much for tuning into my latest video for Two Many Cards along with Kalyn Kepner! We enjoyed showcasing Neat & Tangled's Ride With Me stamp set and dies for you all and loved reading every single one of your comments on our blogs and YouTube channels. In case you missed them, we would love it if you stopped by and joined in on the fun!
 



We used Random.org to choose the winner of a $25 gift certificate to the Neat & Tangled store and that lucky lady is Mary-Anne Venginickal! The first box shows that the comment came from Kalyn's YouTube video and the second shows the comment that won. Congratulations, Mary-Anne! Please check your inbox for an email from us to be set up with your gift certificate.

 
We will be back with the next installment in our video series on May 30th. Get excited for what's featured next - Hint: it's not a stamp set! ;)

Monday, May 21, 2018

{Altenew Video} May 2018 Stamp/Die Release Blog Hop + Giveaway

I'm thrilled to be joining Altenew for the May 2018 Release Blog Hop! I made six cards using five new products and I also have a video which highlights one of the stamp sets, Botanical You. Botanical You is a layering wreath set that is so unique since the wreaths form the word YOU. I'll let the video do most of the talking since this post is long enough without me writing a novel. ;)



I used the same colour scheme for this set of four cards in case I wanted to give this set away as a gift. Visually, it also looks nice and the consistency helps you focus on the techniques, as well as the versatility of this set. The blues are the two lightest shades in the Cool Summer Night ink collection and the corals are the two lightest shades in the Tea Party ink collection.


The first card is the simplest but the partial die-cutting adds that wow factor. The pearls add that extra special something. However, if you're a true clean and simple, one-layer stamper, this card is still stunning without the added die-cutting and embellishments.


My second card places the wreath word on an angle, stamped three times. Again, I used the partial die-cutting technique but only on the centre wreath. I sponged the upper left- and lower right-hand corners with Pink Pearl ink, which is the lightest of the Tea Party ink collection used to stamp the berries and flowers on the wreaths. I also added pearls to the O in the middle of the card.


The next two cards uses the wreath letters separately, rather than as a unit. I die cut them completely to use the letters in different arrangements.


This third card uses the letters on black die cuts, which resemble shadows. This makes the letters appear larger and also closer together on the card. I sponged around the entire panel using Sea Glass and scattered pearls across the entire word; they are not so concentrated on the O as on the two previous cards.


My last card has the shortest sentiment but the most unique way to use the wreath. Using only the letter U, I was able to create a fun phrase by stamping the secondary sentiment four times in all of the colours used on the wreath.


I also dry embossed the panel using the Floral Drape Stencil, which gives this clean and simple design its wow factor.


I kept the pearls to a minimum this time, only adding a few to the left side of the letter U. Quick, add Botanical You to your cart now!


To create the colour wash at the top of the card, I smooshed all four of the colours from the Cool Summer Night ink collection on my craft sheet and used a large brush to drag the colours down, one at a time, from dark to light. I love how it turned out and I think I need to do this again!


I used those same watercolours, plus two greys from the Warm Gray ink collection to colour the heat embossed Starry Flowers, then added enamel dots in coordinating colours.



This last card looks more complicated than it is. It was probably my favourite to make. While I was stamping the Starry Flowers for the previous card, I stamped two extras and clear embossed them. After die cutting, I simply adhered them to the grey base.


Then I cut a slightly smaller panel of vellum cardstock, on which I adhered the die cut letters from the Fine Alphabet Die Set. The gold glitter cardstock cut like butter and the flat base made the letters super easy to line up with my design ruler.



PRIZES:
To celebrate this release, Altenew is giving away a $50 gift certificate to SIX lucky winners! Please leave a comment on the Altenew Card blog and/or Altenew Scrapbook Blog by Friday, May 25, 2018 for a chance to win. The SIX winners will be announced on both blogs on May 27, 2018.

I am also giving away a $30 gift certificate to one lucky winner drawn from comments left on my blog. Comments will close at 11:59pm EST on May 25, 2018 and I will announce the winner on May 26, 2018.

Thanks so much for hopping along with us!

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