Yes, October is just chock full of newness for me.
I am honored to be a member of the Waltzingmouse Design Team. (I'm also freaking out...)
Claire asked me to explain a bit of my background to those of you new to the blog. I've been stamping for over 5 years. My style is fairly simple, what I call "clean and simple, with a twist." I use a lot of kraft cardstock and not a lot of embellishments.
I've been a huge fan of Claire's since before she started her company. I am so glad she did. WMS make up the bulk of my stamp inventory! When I'm not stamping, I'm a Mom to a teenage son, a wife to a darling husband and a lawyer for the US Department of Education in Washington DC. Oh, and my Mom lives with us. Now, on to stamping!
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Today is the first day of previews for the October release by Waltzingmouse Stamps. The previews will be through Wednesday, followed by a Design Team Blog Waltz on Thursday.
The first card uses two new sets -- Big Bloom Poinsettias and Compliments of the Season. Big Bloom Poinsettia is chock full of poinsettias (duh) in a variety of sizes and styles. Compliments of the Season is sentiments, sentiments, sentiments -- with a few bits and pieces squeezed in as well. I love bits and pieces!
I wanted a card that was inexpensive to make and mail but made a statement when removed from the envelope.
Card Construction Details:
1. Stamped a portion of a poinsettia in Memento Tuxedo ink onto Kraft Cardstock.
2. Colored with Copic markers. Using Copics on Kraft lets you get away with murder!
3. Rubbed the entire panel with an embossing buddy.
4. Stamped sentiment in Versamark and embossed in white. Missed a spot and threw more embossing powder over it. Breathed a sigh of relief when the entire image came up embossed.
5. Trimmed panel and adhered to A2 white card. Colored in center of flower with white gel pen.
HINT: I have a very hard time trimming cardstock panels to fit an A2 card evenly. Leaving a larger border around the panel hides small imperfections and gives a more contemporary touch.
Mood When Done: Pleased
This second card also uses Big Bloom Poinsettia, but not for Christmas. Rather, since I needed a sympathy card, I opted for soft colors and a simple flower. It also uses Frame It, a set for which I have been wanting for a long time! Thank you Claire.
Card Construction Details
1. Stamped rectangular frame on Ocean Tides card with Memento Tuxedo ink.
2. Masked frame.
3. Using two of the small solid flowers from Big Bloom Poinsettias, stamped a background with Vintage Cream and Tuxedo inks. Set aside to dry.
4. Watched part of the Little House on the Prairie marathon.
5. Added sentiment (from Frame It set) in Tuxedo ink.
6. Stamped flower onto Sweet Blush cardstock and cut out. Colored back petals with a Copic marker.
7. Stamped leave three times onto Ocean Tides cardstock and cut out (finished up Little House while cutting).
8. Added pink Liquid Pearls to center of each cream flower.
9. Decided that flower needed something in the center to pull more of the Ocean Tides color. Thought about adding a pearl colored with a Copic, but stamped flower on Ocean Tides cardstock and cut out inside and added more pink Liquid Pearl. So easy to mail.
10. Adhered leaves.
11. Didn't like where leaves were. Unadhered leaves. Carefully.
12. Adhered leaves again.
13. Added flower with dimensionals.
Mood When Done = Satisfied and Amazed by Huge Mess Everywhere
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I've added the members of the Waltzingmouse Design Team to my sidebar. Please check out their previews as well. I am about to do so myself!