It’s been quite a while and I need to apologize for not having been able to join the rest of the Design Team in featuring the great new WPlus9 product during the release days. As you know, my mad crafting days are on hold and I’m taking the time to enjoy my girls and concentrate on the daily life instead. Of course it doesn’t mean that I don’t itch to stamp, it just doesn’t happen as often as it used to. However, I’m back today with a couple of cards and I hope you’ll enjoy them as much as I did having them made

I was in the mood for some Copic colouring, especially that I was super excited about the image that Dawn drew, the moment I laid my eyes on it. I’m talking about the Miss You Lots stamp set, with the insanely gorgeous, vintage-looking girl that I just adore. I had a soft spot for this kind of imagery since childhood and I remember trying to recreate a few images during my young drawing spurs. Colouring this cutie was like a blast from the past.

The girl comes with a matching die but I stamped it directly on the panel and coloured entirely with Copic markers.
dress: BG78, 72, 11
shirt, socks: C5, 3, 1
skin: E00, 11, 21, R11
hair: E41, 43, 44
shoes, cat: E81, 84, 89
ground: YG91, 93, 95, G40, BG000

After stamping the sentiment and adding a few faux splats using the Ink Splats and Dream Believer stamp sets, I added a strip of washi tape to the panel and mounted it on the card front with dimensional tape. Finally I cut my favourite sprigs from Under The Mistletoe Designer Dies from vellum, and attached them to the panel using a mini clothespin. I added drops of glue to the back of the sprigs in a few places, to prevent them from moving and/or tearing.

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The other card I want to show you, features the cute new Winter Pals Clear Stamps. I used the matching dies to cut them out and coloured them with Copics. I added dots of white pen to the owl’s belly.

For the background, I white embossed some snowflakes from Snowflake Backdrops Clear Stamps, sponged Broken China Distress Ink over and added a few tiny, stamped stars from Little Bits set. I never got around to using the latter much (YET!) but it’s insanely handy. A sure staple in my stash!

The finishing touches are a strip of washi tape (again) and a sentiment stamped on a banner but with Banner Trio Designer Dies. These banners are quite possibly one of the most used dies in the history of my crafting. Understated & just the right size.

So here they are, my crafty friends! Thanks for popping in for a visit, I truly hope that I’ll be able to see you again this year! lol
The WPlus9 December Release is now available for purchase in the WPlus9 Online Store, as well as in Simon Says Stamp store. Enjoy the shopping!

Miss You card

Winter Wishes card

I haven’t checked in for another long week and while there’s been plenty of valid reasons, I’ve been itching to stamp. This time just as much a creative therapy as a source of relaxation, because a recent death in the family shook my world quite hard. Yet again crafting proved a soothing distraction.

I made a card in my favourite style as of late, an airy floral arrangement with textured bits packed in tightly. I reached for Pretty Peonies and Pretty Little Peonies stamp sets (WPlus9), both endlessly waiting for me to give them the love they fully deserve. I picked a few flowers and leaves from both sets, and stamped them on the corresponding die cut pieces (found here and here), with a variety of WPlus9 Pure Color inks.
I also die cut and stamped the banner from one of my older favourites, Written On Ribbon (stamps and corresponding die here), arranging everything later in a cluster.

The only non-WPlus9 element (apart from the sequins) is a vellum background piece, die cut with a Hero Arts Triangle Background die. I’ve been a tad obsessed with vellum which I’m sure you noticed

I had help in a form of inspiration here, the new Runway Inspired Challenge honoring Oscar de la Renta. I’m not a big fashion enthusiast but I wouldn’t mind taking any of the dresses picked by the DT home. The models look stunning as well, with understated make-up. But I digress. Here’s the inspiration for my card - the vellum is a bow toward of the sheer fabric, I only wish I had a large striped cover-up die so that I could follow the pattern more closely.

I also wanted to sneak in a card that I’m about to send for my parents’ impending anniversary. Good ole’ layers, as you know something I wouldn’t necessarily be doing any more but I enjoy it when I do Mum likes dainty cuts and feminine touches and I don’t mind as soon as it means that some of the lovelies I rarely pull out are put to a good use.

The patterned paper I used here is a gorgeous, shimmery bliss. I love it so much so that during the recent visit to a craft store I stumbled upon it by accident and had to have. I don’t even buy 12 x 12 sheets any more… but WHOA. The manufacturer is a local (?) low-key brand called Bella! (I know, how creative, hey?) so I’m sorry to anyone who may not have luck finding one one their own.

There is quite a few more locally sourced products here (flowers, doily, pearls, skeleton leaves) plus scraps of unnamed paper and cardstock utilized, so the product list is unfortunately limited. Nevertheless, I hope you enjoyed taking a peek at both cards. See you next time!

Birthday card

Congratulations card