Background Hope - IO February Product Focus

Hello! This month's IO Product Focus is Background Stamps.  

For my background project, I used the beautiful Flower Pattern Background stamp. The intricate details of the flowers and leaves added a touch of elegance to the card. To make my favorite word stand out, I used the new Ovals Stencil. The stencil added a subtle outline, making the word pop against the floral background. Finally, I made the word HOPE with the Capital Alphabet die-cut letters. The bold, uppercase letters provide a striking contrast to the delicate background.

For a look at all the new products stop by here.

 

Stop by the Impression Obsession Blog to see the different ways the team has used background stamps!  

 

Wish Big Watercolor and Words

Hello! It's time for a new Watercolor Wednesday Challenge! This week is my turn to host, and I decided on a super easy bubble tutorial!  

For my sentiment, I used Birthday Words from IO. IO has an incredible line of word dies and much more! Stop by the SHOP for a look!

Also, the 15th is our June Release. I had so much fun with this release, so I hope you will drop by and let me know what you think!  

 

More Picket Fence Studios Release Day Goodness

 Hello crafty friends!  Yesterday was the Picket Fence Studios January Release Day and today I am over at the Picket Fence Studios Blog sharing a couple of new Release cards so I thought I would share them here too!   This release is so huge that you are going to have to check it all out HERE at the store!  But before you go, I have a few samples to share with you!

 I have another slimline to share only this time I have switched the orientation.  For the background, I have stamped the 4x4 Falling hearts and then I added a top layer using circles from the Slim Line Die Cutting System. I made a faux shaker by simply adding a sprinkle of Green Fairy Sequins to each circle.  I die cut the new Always sentiment out three times and stamped LOVE from Wild Peonies.  Wild Peonies only a beautiful floral set but it also has wonderful sentiments too.   Lastly, I have my card resting on the new Slim Line Neutral envelopes!

There is so much more to see!  I haven't even touched on the new Gem Mixes, the 1 oz jars  or half the new stamps and dies so for a look at the entire January Release stop by HERE. 

Thanks so much for stopping by and taking a look today!

                  

                  

      

                                              

              

         

Hello with Watercolor

 It's Wednesday and that means it's Watercolor Wednesday at Splitcoaststampers.  Julie is our Guest Designer this week and she has chosen a beautiful technique.  Head on over to the challenge for the "how-tos" and join us!

The color combo and even the theme was inspired by this week's Art Nudge #29.

First, I mixed paint colors to match the Art Nudge as closely as I could.  Then I added a light green color wash.  Next, I added olive highlights. I painted the flowers with a soft blue color and then added the darker blue.  The colors may have gotten away from me just a bit. I used all of the colors in the palette including the acorn color by coloring pearls with Copic Marker!  Inspired by the Art Nudge photo, I chose a leafy embossing folder.

The gorgeous Hello is from Impression Obsession and I used Lydia's technique of adding packing tape to the cardstock before running it through the die-cutting machine.  The result is a beautiful shine without the embossing powder mess!

       

Before you go I just want to let you know that today is the last day to get your Halloween goodies for 25% off at Impression Obsession!  

Thanks so much for stopping by!  I hope to see you in the galleries!

Picket Fence Studios & WOW! Embossing Powder Blog Hop

(Affiliate links used when possible which means when you click a link and order from my link I receive a small commission without any additional cost added to you.  Thanks so much!)

Hi!  I am so excited to take part in the Picket Fence Studios and WOW! Embossing Powder Collaboration!  WOW! EP and Picket Fence Studios go together like sunshine and blue skies!  I hope you enjoy viewing my samples as much as I enjoyed creating them.  You can find all the blog hop details below.  :)

  I love dishware.  I just love it. I love patterns, shapes, weight, just all the things!  So I set out to create a cup that would take a hot beverage up a notch! First, I created a cup with the Picket Fence Studios Coffee Mug Die. Then I coated it with clear embossing powder and heat set it three times.  Once the cup was "glazed" to my satisfaction, I took the heat gun and softened the glaze in spots while sprinkling Queen of Hearts Embossing Powder on the cup.  After the entire cup was speckled to my heart's desire it was time to add a finishing touch. I tapped the top of the cup onto the embossing glue pad to make the top extra sticky.  Then I coated the top with the Queen of Hearts EP and heat set.  I did the same for the bottom of the cup.  Lastly,  I added a sentiment from Hey Girl. 

Next up is a bright and cheerful card featuring Picket Fence Studios Flowers Stencil and Fizz WOW! Embossing Powder.  The fizz is such a fun magenta powder with silver and white flecks.  It looks great on the background and on the Hello Word Die.  I just love to add a critter to my cards for a bit of playfulness so this time I added the cute squirrel from A Little Nuts.  I used a Coordinating Die to cut him out and pop him up.  Isn't he fun?  

With this card, I am also participating in this week's Inspiration Challenge at SCS.

Check out the puff and shine on the HELLO die cut!

For my last card, I used the WOW! Trio Cosmic *Seth Apter* set and the Stars Stencil by Picket Fence Studios.  The heated Trio Cosmic powders sparkle with a beautiful metallic-like finish.  For the finishing touch, I added a sentiment from Fireflies on a Warm Night.

With this card, I am participating in this week's Inspiration Challenge!

Blog hops are definitely more fun when they include a prize so we have prizes to give away!  

WOW! Embossing Powders is giving away a $25 gift certificate to either their UK or USA store.

Picket Fence Studios is giving away a $50 gift certificate to their store.

The Winners will be chosen at random from the comments left on THE POSTS.

To join this GIVEAWAY you must leave a comment on each blog post to have a chance at getting your hands on the prize. This hop is open internationally.  

Winners will be announced the week of May 11th on both the WOW! Embossing Powder and Picket Fence Studio Blogs.

Don't forget to stop back by the WOW! Embossing Powder and Picket Fence Studios Blogs tomorrow for Day 2 of the Hop and a list of participants!

WOW! Embossing Powder Blog 
Ashlee McGregor 
Judy Rozema
Karen J Reategui
Ilina Crouse
Amber Rain Davis
Becky Roberts
Dunja Traumann
You are HERE: Angela Bode
Your Next Stop Is the talented: Lisa Henke
Ericka Strange
Ceal Pritchett 
Picket Fence Studios

Thanks so very much for stopping by! You make my day bright!

(Affiliate links used when possible which means when you click a link and order from my link I receive a small commission without any additional cost added to you.  Thanks so much!)

        

       

     

Miss You!

It's Saturday and that means it's time for this week's Inspiration Challenge. This week I am your hostess and I have chosen a lovely quilt site to inspire our designs.

The background cover die is the gorgeous Glass Window Rainbow Die.  Next, I added the sweet I Miss You Word Die.  Lastly, I fussy cut Piper from the Peach and Piper set and placed her on the word die.  

 Picket Fence Studios has lovely stand-alone dies that include backgrounds, sentiments and more.  There is also a darling second Peach and Piper set that has  Coordinating Dies.  

And right now Picket Fence Studios has a special deal for us!

Thanks so much for stopping by and I hope you have a peaceful weekend.

      
    

Wise Words on a Tee Shirt

It's Saturday and that means that not only is my girl home for a visit but it's time for a new Inspiration Challenge at SCS!  This week Amy is taking us to a Tee Shirt online store!  I found a lot to inspire me but I settled on THIS Tee.  

I kept a similar shade for my card as the Tee.  Then I grabbed my 2 1/2 Circle and randomly placed it on my cardstock layer.  Next, I took a Life Changing Blender Brush (also sold in a bundle with a free stencil)and brushed around the outer edges of the inner circle mask.  I kept moving the circle and brushing around the outer edges until I was happy with the background.  Next, I added the Hello word die.  I think the round-edged shadow layer with the scripty font word dies from Picket Fence Studios are so striking!  And Lastly, I added the charming little tweeter (with bundled coordinating die) and perched him on the word die.  

That's it for me!  I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

(Affiliate links used when possible which means when you click a link and order from my link I receive a small commission without any additional cost added to you.  Thanks so much!)

       

                                

                                                              

Designing with Watercolor Powders

It's Picket Fence Studios Release Day and all of my samples feature watercolor powders!

I went on the most amazing adventure a few weeks ago.  I flew to TX and went to Lydia's UNWIND stamping retreat.  After being at the retreat I totally understand phrases about being with your "TRIBE".  There just isn't anything quite so special as hanging out with people that "get you".   We had so much fun learning new things and laughing when they didn't quite work as they were meant to.  I will probably remember laughing at my technique failures long after I forget what the technique actually was!  But today I am not going to share with you the failures, funny as that might be.  Instead, here are a few watercolor powder projects that turned out beautifully. 

First up I used this gorgeous tile stencil and watercolor powders to create this amazing background.  The sentiment die is just right to celebrate someone and at the same time, it doesn't compete with the background.

      

This ART set is amazing which includes most of the art tools stampers use every day!  The Coordinating Die set allows for quick and easy cutting of all the intricate corners on the tools of the artist's trade, making it a must-have!

 Since I need to make quite a few "thank yous"  I added a sentiment from the neighborhood.  My need for thank you cards coincides perfectly with the Free 4 All challenge this week!

             

This next background was created with Lydia's "Hurricane" background technique.  I added the journal and thought the adorable squirrel would be a hoot hanging upside down from the pad.  This super cute set also has a coordinating die set!

           

You can click here for a look at the entire Picket Fence Studios Release!  

Thanks so much for stopping by and taking a look.  

  (Affiliate links used when possible which means when you click a link and order from my link I receive a small commission without any additional cost added to you.  Thanks so much!)

Joy

I have had so much fun creating with dies lately!  The Impression Obsession store is full of dies for all occasions.  I really love the interesting shapes of the new tags.  Isn't this one cool with the point at the bottom and it even comes with this fun shaped hole reinforcement!  I like to use tags on cards but it would look fabulous on a package! 

Lastly, I decorated the tag with the pretty candy cane and word, joy.  

Check out the Impression Obsession blog for a full list of designers featuring all or mostly all die-cut cards!

Thanks so much for stopping by and taking a look today!

 (Affiliate links used when possible which means when you click a link and order from my link I receive a small commission without any additional cost added to you.  Thanks so much!)