Colorado Craft Company April Release!

 
Hello Friends! I'm happy to share a few cards I made with one of the adorable new sets from Colorado Craft Company, Kris Lauren's Daffodil Mice

This set actually comes with two beautiful stems, a daffodil and a tulip! I used the tulip here to create a background for this card. To get the stems to bend different ways, and look like you have more than one tulip stamp, I just bent the stem in a different direction.

This mouse climbing the stem, and inadvertently weighing it down, is soooo adorable, don't you think?

Some gold paint spatters, gems and gold thread finish this one off.  

This little guy is barely hanging on to the daffodil stem swaying in the breeze. Wanna see?!

After making a little hole in the tulip stem, I threaded some wire thru and attached the mouse with a little hook. He's hanging on for his life with those large winds coming through.

For sake of design I wanted something on the lower right area. So I stamped one of the longer sentiments from another set in this series. 

Hot Tip: You don't have to use sentiment stamps as a sentiment. Sometimes they look great as a space-filler! I chose a longer sentiment from another set to stamp behind the mouse.

I was happy to see the daffodil fits perfectly on a mini slimline card! Always a fan of the sentiments and the close cuts around their edges!

Thanks so much for stopping by today!
-Kelly

Supplies Used: (affiliate links at no additional cost to you, thanks for using these!)

 

Kris Lauren Daffodil Mice

Pinkfresh Studio April 2022 Stamp, Die, Stencil, and Hot Foil Release

Hello Friends, and welcome to the Pinkfresh April new release hop! We've got some stunning floral sets, essential shape sets, and some must-have background coverplates that have just hit the shop!

This new Magnolia Stamp and coordinating Magnolia Stencils is a perfect mix of super-star focal point image, and smaller buds that allow you to build a nice bouquet and spread the color around your card.

I love that the stencils are pretty open, so you can really play around with color on the main bloom. I used a mix of the Sparkling Pink and the Coral Reef family of colors and I think it provides a nice variation.

Oooh-la-la ... if you consider one thing from this release, may I suggest the Stitched Ovals Coverplate? It's magical!! Look at all that luscious texture on the background! It gives the feel of a fabric. And if you blend ink over it, the ink gets sucked into all the cracks and really accentuates the design. I could see using this as the background for every single card I make this year : )

Keeping the leaves neutral also helps the flowers to pop. The foiled sentiment adds that touch of glam.

We have the stitched stars dies, but this is a set of 5 Nested Stars Dies that coordinate with the Nested Stars Hot Foil.

It's definitely not necessary to have a hot foiling machine, and usually I try to wait out the trends to avoid buying completely new machines or system. But I have to say, the hot foiling is one trend that I'm glad I went in on. It's impossible to get this kind of even coverage with gold embossing. 

Eeep! All that shine! I used the Happy Life 6x6 paper pack to add some spice to the star. I cut multiple stars out of the patterned paper and then sliced them all in horizontal sections. Mixing and matching the patterns and colors was the fun part.

This background is chock full of texture too! It comes from the Floral Diamond Tiles Coverplate and would be another good investment in a versatile piece. You can put it over colored paper to make all the holes pop, but even having it over a plain white card base is enough of a contrast.

The Fuchsias Washi and dies were left over on my desk so I was playing around with them and I LOVE how they organically curve around the points of the star. It's like a giant hug and really softens the lines.

GIVEAWAYS:

We will be giving away the full release on the Pinkfresh blog & YouTube channel!! We will also be giving away a total of TEN $25  gift cards, so comment along the hop for more chances to win. The winners will be posted on May 10, 2022 on the GIVEAWAY PAGE, so check back and claim any prize within 2 weeks. GOOD LUCK!!

I'd like to send you now to the blog of the talented Kelly Taylor, who has some delightful projects to share with you!

Here's the complete list if you need it:

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Thanks for stopping by!
-Kelly

 

Supplies Used (affiliate links at not cost to you, but appreciated by me!):

Nested Stars Hot Foil

Magnolia Stamp

Magnolia Die

Magnolia Stencils

Stitched Ovals Coverplate

Floral Diamond Tiles Coverplate

Nested Stars Die

Altenew 8th Anniversary Blog Hop Day 2 + Giveaway (over $2,000 in Total Prizes)

Hi Friends! Welcome to the 8th Anniversary Party Hop for Altenew!! Although by its nature an anniversary happens every year, it's still a special celebration of a small business not only surviving, but thriving. With that in mind, I made a card to help celebrate coming out the other end of 8 years of crazy business cycles (covid, supply chain disruptions, rising prices, China's intellectual property theft, and I'm sure a million other things I'm unaware of). All while providing the utmost in quality, design, and inspiration!

The Celebrate with Cake Die Set is perfect for birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, and companies passing the 8 year mark! You can decorate the layers with the frosting, bunting, vines, etc. that come in the set, but I chose to add filigree gold detailing from bits of the Delicate Mandala Die. So excited when I saw the curve of the mandala matched exactly the curve of the cake!

The bottom layer of the cake is resting on a bed of greens, made from the vine die included in this set (the darker layer of leaves is flipped over so the leaves are in different spots).

My favorite detail is the edge of the cake plate! I used a different colored cardstock, and embossed that with the Ornamental Feature 3D Embossing Folder. It's a tiny portion of the card, but I think that fine texture really adds a lot.

The background is from the Dotted Lines Debossing Plate. Such an easy way to add more texture!

Finishing out the background is the Fancy For You Die tucked behind the cake. I like layering things over and under the sentiments to keep the design more compact and interesting.

To echo the card, "Let's Celebrate" a successful and creatively-filled 8 years of business at Altenew! Here's to another 8!

 

Special Offer

Enjoy FREE U.S. shipping with code HAPPY8TH or $8 OFF international shipping with code ANNIV22 at checkout. Offer valid from 04/04/2022 at 12:01 am EDT through 04/06/2022 at 11:59 pm EDT. Not valid on prior purchases. Cannot be combined with other promo codes. Shop here: https://altenew.com/collections/all-altenew-products (Sale up to 45% off HERE and NEW releases HERE) 

 

 

Giveaway Prizes

Over $2,000 in total prizes! Altenew is giving away a $80 Gift Certificate to 5 lucky winners and one Altenew Academy Online Class($8.95 value) to 15 lucky winners. There are also 26 awesome companies/crafty friends who are celebrating with us, and they are offering the following prizes:

 

• Altenew: 5 x $80 Altenew Gift Certificate

• Altenew Academy: 15 x Online Monthly Class Spot

• Jennifer McGuire Ink: Share Handmade Kindness Goodie Bag 

• A Cherry on Top: $50 Gift Certificate

• Auzz Trinklets N Krafts: $50 Gift Certificate 

• Avery Elle: $50 Gift Certificate

• Bumbleberry Papercrafts:  £25 Gift Certificate

• Butterfly Reflections Ink: $25 Gift Certificate

• CiLi in Papers: €75 Gift Certificate

• Concord & 9th: 1 $50 Gift Certificate & 1 Eclectic Garden Bundle ($38 Value)

• Craft Stash: $100 Gift Certificate

• Dare 2B Artzy: $30 Gift Certificate

• Ellen Hutson LLC: $25 Gift Certificate

• Gina K. Designs: $50 Gift Certificate

• Hero Arts: $50 Gift Certificate

• Lawn Fawn: $25 Gift Certificate

• MarkerPop: 4 x $40 Gift Certificate

• Michelle's Cards & Stamps: AUD$100 Gift Certificate

• My Little Attic: $50 Gift Certificate 

• My Sweet Petunia: $50 Gift Certificate

• Online Card Classes: 3 Online Class Spots to 1 Winner

• Pink and Main: $50 Gift Certificate

• Pinkfresh Studio: $50 Gift Certificate

• Scrapbook & Cards Today: $50 Gift Certificate

• Scrapbook.com: $50 certificate

• Simon Says Stamp: $50 Gift Certificate

• Studio Katia: $50 Gift Certificate

• Waffle Flower: $25 Gift Certificate

 

Be sure to leave comments by 4/15/2022 for a chance to win one of 50 prizes! To make the hop more exciting, start your comment with "Hi from (city or country where you're from)!" 50 winners will be chosen at random from the comments left on any of the blogs in this hop and will be announced on the Altenew Card Blog on 4/21/2022.

You may have come from the delightful and talented Seeka, but if not you can start at the beginning with Altenew. I'm now pleased to send you to the blog of another talented creator Laurie Patterson who has more celebratory projects to share.

Thanks so much for stopping by!
-Kelly

Supplies Used (affiliate links at no cost to you, thanks so much for your support!)

Celebrate with Cake Die Set

Sentiment Strips 2

Delicate Mandala Die

Dotted Lines Debossing Cover Die

Fancy For You Die

Ornamental Feature 3D Embossing Folder

Pinkfresh Studio March 2022 Washi, Stamp, Die, Stencil, and Hot Foil Release

Hello Friends! Welcome to the Pinkfresh March Release Hop!! We've got an amazing release this month packed with those awesomely giant stamp sets that have the corresponding dies, stencils AND washi tape. You know, those sets where one pass of the die gives you enough goodies for multiple cards! Also included are three staples ... nested hexagons, circles and diamonds, WITH corresponding hot foil plates!

This card uses the Nested Hexagon Dies in a slightly different way. After cutting the big and smaller hexagon, I cut them down the middle and put them on each end of the card to make an interactive element. 

It doesn't really matter if your recipient opens the flaps, as the card looks pretty as it is ...

... but if they do open it they'll see the beautiful Dahlia Washi Tape die cuts underneath, as well as a stamping of the corresponding Dahlia Stamp Set.

I ended up embossing the Dahlia stamp on the pink hex flap "jacket" as well.

An easy way to spice things up a bit, and this idea can work for any style of card.

I think this set in particular has the most beautifully watercolored washi tape. It looks exactly like how I'd wish to be able to color those flowers and leaves! 

Since I still had quite a bit of dahlia's left over, and I try not to add to my scraps pile (it gets so out of hand if I don't watch it!!), I made another quick card with only items in my scraps pile (except the sentiment).

All this texture is one of the reasons I love creating with Pinkfresh products so much. The stitching, the blanket stitching, the dots, the lines, the holes, the scallops, .... it's all just so delicious! By the time you slip the washi tape dies in the frame your card is finished already.

I'd been holding off cutting into my hot foiled Geo Blocks panel for a month now, and decided this was a worthy project. It's so beautiful when the light hits it and the finely debossed lines shine! They really draw you in!

 Thanks so much for checking them out today!

GIVEAWAYS:

We will be giving away the full release on the Pinkfresh blog & YouTube channel!! We will also be giving away a total of TEN $25  gift cards, so comment along the hop for more chances to win. The winners will be posted on April 5, 2022 on the GIVEAWAY PAGE, so check back and claim any prize within 2 weeks. GOOD LUCK!!

 

I'd like to send you now to the blog of the talented Kelly Taylor, who has some delightful projects to share with you!

Here's the complete list if you need it:

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Thanks for stopping by!
-Kelly

Supplies Used (affiliate links at no cost to you, thanks!)

Dahlia Stamp Set

Dahlia Die Set

Dahlia Stencil Set

Dahlia Washi Tape

Nested Hexagon Dies

Nested Hot Foil Plates