Classic Summer Bash

The Stamp of the Month for May is a super cute set featuring a ball/mason jar and some lemonade images. At first I was challenged with how exactly to use it and which techniques would work the best. As I started to play with it I realized that several techniques will work and I haven't even stamped all the images yet. Take a look at some of the creations~

This first card is a festive way to greet the summer season. I used a patterned paper to represent the pink lemonade in the jar. The lemons and ice were separately stamped, cut out, then added. You could just stamp the banner pieces which is included in the set, but I chose to cut them out from colored cardstock to make them stand out.

How about a sign posted near your jar of refreshing lemonade at your next summer bash. That is the name of the stamp after all!

For this jar I did lots of masking and watercoloring. It gives a much more mellow effect than the first card.

Finally, I stamped the jar image on a piece of paper with an ombre blue color. All three the exact same, then cut them out. Then I created 3 totally different cards with them.

I think its awesome to find so many uses for one stamp set or even one image alone! You can get this stamp set this month at a discounted price. Go to my website to find out more!

New in May

Hello, welcome to a new month and a new quarter. Today is the start of a brand new Seasonal Expressions Idea Book. There are new collections of papers, fabulous stamps and a new Story!

I think that you will see from just the cover of the new idea book that it holds a summery surprise for your crafting needs these upcoming months. It has paper collections with flowers, balloons, outdoor scenery, tea cups, bicycles, homes and maps. I will show you more on each of the 4 new paper collections soon.

You will see a new way to preserve and document your memories called Story by Stacy. The talented Stacy Julian will share some simple, colorful, happy ways to document those stories that mean so much to you. Find starter kits with 4x4 albums, quote cards, story cards, photo trimmer and stamps that will make your documenting super easy.

A new month is not complete without a Stamp of the Month that you can get for only $5! This is called Classic Summer Bash and features a large mason jar, straw, citrus and all the sentiments you need for a summer-time BBQ or setting up a neighborhood lemonade stand! This is a cute one!

Last, but certainly not least, it's National Scrapbooking Month! You are going to love the variety of products offered this month with the Postcard Perfect papercrafting suite of products. Please check out my website for all the details and offerings for this collection. I gave you a sneak peek of this collection earlier. Just a small photo of a scrapbook layout I created with these beautiful papers. Want to see more?

I love these floral papers and the fun tropical images. My pictures don't really do it much justice.

The collection contains 4 sheets (2 patterns) of vellum papers. The dot pattern is laid on top of the floral on this layout giving it a more subtle appearance. It is so pretty!

Just think of scrapbooking your tropical or summery related photo's on these papers. Plus, if you order the bundles there is a discounted price. Come back soon and I'll show you some more projects using this collection.

Please check out all the new products and browse through the Idea Book online here.

Hello Little Lovely Flower Jar

I have been fascinated for quite some time with mason jar crafts. From food gifts to home lighting, even scrapbook projects, these jars have endless possibility! You can imagine how happy I was to see a mason jar with flowers on the new Artistry cartridge. It is just adorable and so easy to size and cut out.

For this card I was inspired by some colors I saw recently on a shopping excursion. I'm especially fascinated with the hints of gold with these coral and mint colors. Many of us have also found an interest in painting, particularly a spray or splat of paint on our projects. For this card though I practically cheated on the splats as I used the nifty Ink Blot {D1660} stamp set found in the new Annual Inspirations book. I am entering this card on Heart 2 Heart Challenges this week for their "Splat" theme!

Close up of the splats! 

There's that awesome "hello" sentiment again! Don't forget that you can get the amazing National Stamping Month sets at a discounted price when you buy all three. They will only be available this month, special ends September 30th.