Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! I hope you had a wonderful holiday season and that 2018 is off to a great start. Around here we've been in clean and declutter mode and it sure feels good! It's amazing how freeing it is to say good-bye to all that "stuff" that clogs up our lives.
I've also had more time to play with new products! The shiny new Occasions Catalogue goes live tomorrow and it is FULL of fabulous new items. Check out this project I made using the Petal Passion Suite:

Aren't those roses beautiful? I love the hand-drawn look of them...it makes them perfect for colouring! Here I used my watercolour pencils and a blender pen to add colour to the images. Now, because I was colouring on Crumb Cake card stock, I first coloured the entire image with the white pencil to lay down a lighter background on which to apply the colour. I then used the Bermuda Bay and Old Olive pencils to add colour to the flowers and leaves, blending with my blender pen as I went.

I used the Petals and More Thinlits to die-cut the roses and the gold accent pieces in the background. I think that lattice piece will be one of my go-to dies this spring! The circles are die-cut using the Stitched Shapes and Layering Circles framelits.

On the inside of the Thick Very Vanilla card base I stamped more roses and a sentiment from the Petal Palette stamp set in Basic Black ink, opting to leave the images uncoloured on the inside, as I knew it would be difficult to achieve the same soft colour on the vanilla card stock that I did on the Crumb Cake and I didn't want to alter to soft, vintage vibe of the design.

Don't forget that along with all of these fabulous new Occasions Catalogue products, comes Sale-a-bration...a chance to earn FREE products with every $60 you spend. Be sure to check back here tomorrow for all of the exciting details! Till then, happy stamping!

Product List

Petal Palette Clear-Mount Stamp Set [145788] $46.00	Basic Black Archival Stampin’ Pad [140931] $9.25	Crumb Cake 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [120953] $10.00	Very Vanilla 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [101650] $11.25
Very Vanilla 8-1/2" X 11" Thick Cardstock [144237] $9.25	Soft Sky 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [131203] $10.00	Gold Foil Sheets [132622] $5.25	Watercolor Pencils [141709] $21.00
Blender Pens [102845] $16.00	Big Shot [143263] $136.00	Petals & More Thinlits Dies [145655] $45.00	Stitched Shapes Framelits Dies [145372] $40.00
Layering Circle Framelits Dies [141705] $46.00

Hello Sunshine

Well, just when I thought I was over that nasty flu bug, it keeps lingering on. I still have sinus congestion and a cough and it's been two weeks! Ugh! Sure wish it would leave already! I haven't spent much time in my studio since getting sick...I just haven't had the energy. I did manage to get quite a bit of rest over the long weekend, so I'm hoping that does the trick! I have a whole box of brand new product waiting for me in there.
Today I thought I would share a project we made at my Watercolour 101 class last week...

It uses the Black Magic technique, which is one that I haven't used in ages. I used to use it quite often back when Stampin' Up carried chalks, but since those went away, I haven't even thought about this fabulous technique. Enter Watercolor Pencils, which work perfectly! I used images from the Flower Patch stamp set (which is going away for ever at the end of May *sigh*) and stamped them in Whisper White Craft ink on Basic Black card stock. Once the stamped images were completely dry, I used my Watercolor Pencils to add colour to the stamped images. The smaller flowers are coloured using the Pumpkin Pie pencil and the larger using the Melon Mambo, Daffodil Delight, and Rich Razzleberry pencils. I also used the white pencil to add highlights. I had forgotten how much I love this technique and the way the colour just pops against the black background.

The die-cut sentiment is cut from gold glimmer paper using the Sunshine Sayings Thinlits. I added the stamped sentiment from the coordinating Sunshine Wishes stamp set, stamped in Basic Black ink. The only embellishments, aside from the some Melon Mambo 1/8" stitched ribbon, are some rhinestones that I coloured gold using an alcohol marker.

On the inside I added a Whisper White panel on which I stamped the same floral images, this time using Melon Mambo and Pumpkin Pie inks. I added another sentiment fromt he Sunshine Wishes stamp set.

I am so loving the Watercolor Pencils and discovering new ways to use them. It is such fun to rediscover old techniques and add a new spin on them. Have a super week!


Product List

Flower Patch Photopolymer Stamp Set [134207] $32.00	Basic Black 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [121045] $10.00	Melon Mambo 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [115320] $10.00	Whisper White 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [100730] $11.25
Gold Glimmer Paper [133719] $6.75	Whisper White Craft Stampin' Pad [101731] $10.75	Melon Mambo Classic Stampin' Pad [126948] $8.50	Pumpkin Pie Classic Stampin' Pad [126945] $8.50
Basic Black Archival Stampin’ Pad [140931] $9.25	Watercolor Pencils [141709] $21.00	Melon Mambo 1/8" (3.2 Mm) Stitched Ribbon [141650] $8.00	Rhinestone Basic Jewels Embellishments [119246] $6.75
Classic Label Punch [141491] $23.50

Almost Back to Normal

Wow...talk about the lost week! I haven't been that sick in a very long time. This flu totally knocked the stuffing out of me. I am feeling much better, though still not 100%. Hopefully the weekend will bring renewed energy and time to get into my studio again. My poor stamps must think I've abandoned them!
 Before I show you today's project I must remind you that the Retiring Products List has been posted in preparation for the launch of the new 2017/18 Annual Catalogue in June. Some of my most-beloved products are going away *sigh* but I know there will be lots to love in the new catty. Because the list has posted, all items on that list are now available on a while-supplies-last basis, with the exception of stamp sets which are guaranteed until May 22nd. If there are items you would still like to get, order ASAP, as some items will sell out very quickly.

Click the image to view retiring products.

Now for a project. This is one we'll be making at my Watercolour 101 class this week...

The background was created using Watercolor Pencils and Irresistably Floral specialty DSP. I just love the way the watercolour wash makes the floral images pop. I layered the DSP on a piece of Rich Razzleberry card stock before mounting it on a thick Whisper White card stock base.

The sentiment is from the Suite Sentiments stamp set and is heat embossed in silver and then die-cut using the Stitched Shapes framelits. I layered the label on a scalloped Rich Razzleberry oval die-cut using the Layering Labels framelits, and mounted that on a silver metallic doily. The flowers were die-cut using the Stylish Stems framelits. I cut the top layer from Whisper White card stock and the bottom from Watercolour paper on which I had done a wash using the Watercolor Pencils and an aquapainter. The only embellishment is a tiny vellum butterfly, punched using the Bitty Butterfly punch and  accented with a few little rhinestones.

On the inside I stamped a sentiment from the Picture Perfect stamp set in Rich Razzleberry ink and added another little vellum butterfly.

Thanks for stopping by and for your patience while I was ill. Have a great week!


Product List

Suite Sentiments Clear-Mount Stamp Set [142971] $25.00	Picture Perfect Photopolymer Stamp Set [140520] $33.00	Irresistibly Floral Designer Series Specialty Paper [141644] $17.00	Rich Razzleberry 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [115316] $10.00
Whisper White 8-1/2" X 11" Thick Cardstock [140272] $9.25	Vellum 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [101856] $10.00	Watercolor Paper [122959] $6.75	Watercolor Pencils [141709] $21.00
Aqua Painters [103954] $22.50	Rich Razzlebberry Classic Stampin' Pad [126950] $8.50	Embossing Buddy [103083] $8.00	Versamark Pad [102283] $11.25
Silver Stampin' Emboss Powder [109131] $6.75	Heat Tool [129053] $40.00	Big Shot [143263] $136.00	Stitched Shapes Framelits Dies [145372] $40.00
Stylish Stems Framelits Dies [142750] $41.00	Layering Ovals Framelits Dies [141706] $46.00	Bitty Butterfly Punch [129406] $21.50	Metallic Foil Doilies [138392] $5.25
Rhinestone Basic Jewels Embellishments [119246] $6.75