How to Resist New Releases!

You know I love to get the look with what I have, but in the last few weeks there have been a lot of fabulous new releases paired with some great sales and I've had a really hard time RESISTING!

Today, I'm sharing 4 examples of how I recently resisted specific products, as well as two simple questions that you can ask yourself before you add any amazing new product to your cart. And when you're finished with my video, Justine and Laurel are also sharing their thoughts on this tough craft room issue.

Happy Triangle Birthday

 Here's another grouping of 3 companies, working together to make an awesome (if I do say so myself! lol!) card. 

Yesterday, I combined the coverplate with this sentiment die and some circle dies. Today, I used an embossing folder to add texture before I inlaid the triangles back into the white frame.

I doubled up the white sentiment with a black layer to improve legibility and added some sparkle with some of the new Crafty Meraki gems!

Stained Glass Happy Birthday

Congratulations to this week's Featured Stamper, berlycece.

I chose this card as my inspiration:

LIST: Colours (rainbow, black, white), Techniques (watercolor, stamping), Elements (rainbow panel, black sentiment, encouragement theme)

INCLUDE: rainbow colours spread on panel, 

MODIFY: inlaid die cut technique with ink blending, die cut sentiment

EXCLUDE: black/stamping, white frame

SPIN: added circles

I cut the coverplate die from chrome mirror cardstock and also from white, and blended rainbow colours onto all the triangles. I inlaid the triangles into the chrome frame, and then used circle dies with frames to cut circles from the panel, and from the chrome cardstock and again from white. I inlaid ink-blended circles inside their chrome frames to get this fun look. 

I stacked up my sentiment with 2 layers of white cardstock behind the chrome cardstock.

FREE Card Maker Success Demo Day!

 

Registration is now officially open for the FREE Card Maker Success Summit Demo Day on June 4!

This is a brand new, one-day event, and we’ve got 6 incredible demonstrators from 6 different card making brands  with topics ranging from ink blending to stenciling, and everything in between.

Catherine Pooler Designs

Colorado Craft Company

LDRS Creative

Maker Forte

Prickly Pear Stamps

The Stamps of Life

Demo Day is one day, June 4th,  and it’s going to be 6 hours of action-packed live demonstrations that you won’t want to miss!

 

Click here to get your FREE ticket!

Geo Color Block

 Have you ever found a product you love so much, you think you could use just it for the rest of your cardmaking life? 

This one may be it for me. These little geometric colour block dies from Spellbinders are versatile. You can make so many patterns, and you can create a card for any occasion just by changing the colours and textures, colouring techniques and sentiments (or by not using all the pieces every time). 

They come in lots of shapes, and they are a BARGAIN! (and if you like cutting a lot of them to create patterns, I suggest buying more than one to make it go faster! lol!)

I think by inkblending these petals with two shades on each 'ring', they almost look like embroidery and these ones are definitely going into my 'black label' pile. That's the pile of my favourites, that I keep for me to send myself, rather than selling or donating to others.

Monochrome Birthday Wishes

Congratulations to this week's Featured Stamper, Karen!

I chose this card as my inspiration:

LIST: Colours (aqua, yellow, pink & white), Techniques (die cutting, stamping, colouring), Elements (die cut daffodil bouquet, butterflies, tilted square panel, patterned paper backgrounds, stamped sentiment strip, ribbon)

INCLUDE: colours, die cut botanical, tilted square panel

MODIFY: olive branch vs daffodils, square tilted in opposite direction, background is die cut not patterned paper, sentiment 'strip' is part of the frame, reduced yellow and pink for a more monochrome look

EXCLUDE: butterflies, ribbon

SPIN: square card, negative frame

I coloured some cardstock with my Hot Tub ink and then die cut a background panel with a coverplate, and a branch. I scored and folded each leaf for some dimension.

I cut a square from a square from white cardstock, using EBE Essential Square dies, which cut a narrow frame, which makes it very easy to create a negative frame like this. I stamped my sentiment on the frame, and then placed the branch on top.

I finished the card with some pink and yellow gems.

Meraki-versary

I'm excited to be part of a video hop AND an instagram hop (both with BIG givesaways!) to celebrate Crafty Meraki's 2nd Anniversay - #merakiversary !

My video is all about faking it! I'm sharing 4.5 faux techniques for cardmakers using some of the newly released dies to help you stretch your supplies and get more from them!