Wplus9 December 2013 Release Day 1

It's Release Week! For those of you that are new to Wplus9, we will spend the next couple of days getting up close and personal with the products that we will be releasing this month. All previewed items will be available for purchase on December 5th at www.wplus9.com as well as at many of your favorite retailers.

We have a gorgeous release for you filled with images and sentiments perfect for all things love! Valentines Day, weddings, engagement, or just because...we've got you covered. There are four new stamps and three new dies to share with you, so let's get started!

Let's start with Fresh Cut Wreaths!

Fresh Cut Wreaths

• is a 6x8 clear photopolymer stamp set
• 28 individual stamps: 15 wreath building images and 13 sentiments
• will be available for purchase December 5th for $21

Fresh Cut Wreaths contains two wreath images that you build - a traditional round wreath, and a heart shaped wreath. Like most of our building stamp sets, these beauties are a breeze to use. Each of the layers is grouped together on one stamp, so the placement is already figured out. And though you can use just the base layers and have a gorgeous image, you *know* there are detail and filler images so that you can get as creative as you want!

I just love how detailed and full of color these wreaths can become with surprisingly little effort. The fact that it is actually fun to create is just a bonus! Let's take a look at the step-by-step building process.

Instructions:

1. Step 1: Stamp the base leaves. (they are all properly spaced with "blank" spots for the flowers to fit into)
2. Step 2: Add the trumpet shaped flowers (again, they are all on one stamp and properly spaced and angled)
3. Step 3: Add the four-petal flower cluster
4. Step 4 (optional): Add flower details and fill in with smaller flowers

The "celebrate" sentiment included in this set fits perfectly inside of the wreath. To finish the sentiment off, I added "true love" - also included in the set, on the banner from Heartfelt Holiday. The shading of the banner was added using a Copic (thanks Amber for the idea!). While I had the Copics out, I decided to add a little "shadow" to the wreath. I am so happy with the dimension it added!

The background and matching tag were both stamped with Borders & Backgrounds 2. Again, I added a shadow using Copic markers. I think it really adds a lot to the design with very little effort!

Wplus9 Supplies:
Stamps: Fresh Cut Wreaths (available 12/5/13), More Fresh Cuts (available 12/5/13), Heartfelt Holiday, Borders & Backgrounds 2 // Dies: More Fresh Cuts Companion Die (available 12/5/13), Heartfelt Holiday Companion Die, Timeless Tags 2 Die // Cardstock: Oatmeal

Next, I want to show you the heart shaped wreath along with more of the sentiments in this set. They are just gorgeous! And really need very little work or fuss to whip up a polished card fast.

I built the heart wreath in the same way as the round one. I opted to leave this one much more simple...just adding in the "centers" of the flowers with a strong contrasting color. A complimentary envelope liner stamped with the wood pattern from Dockside Backgrounds, and I call this one done.

Wplus9 Supplies:
Stamps: Fresh Cut Wreaths (available 12/5/13), Dockside Backgrounds // Dies: A2 Envelope Liner Die | Cardstock: Oatmeal // Other: A2 Oatmeal Envelopes

Ready for the next set?

More Fresh Cuts

• is a 4x6" clear photopolymer stamp set
• 32 individual stamps: 31 image builders and 1 sentiment
• will be available for purchase December 5th for $14

More Fresh Cuts Companion Die

• contains 11 individual dies wired together that can be easy separated if desired
• coordinates with the More Fresh Cuts stamp set
• will be available for purchase December 5th for $9

More Fresh Cuts is a sister set to the wildly popular Fresh Cut Florals! We've expanded on flower shapes and foliage to bring you a whole new batch of blooms. Use this set alone or in combination with the original for truly unlimited possibilities!

While I had the Copic markers out, I discovered a really cool faux watercolor technique that uses NO water! And it's like magic, I'm telling you.

All you need is Memories or Hero Arts Shadow inks and a Copic Blender. I tried it with several different inks and these two were the only ones that gave optimal results. I tried this technique with every image in More Fresh Cuts and the results are stunning! For this card, I focused on the peony-like image in the set.

Click below to see exactly how it's done!

Watch above or in HD at YouTube

Wplus9 Supplies:
Stamps: More Fresh Cuts (available 12/5/13), Fresh Cut Wreaths (available 12/5/13), Quilt Prints, Silver Bells // Dies: Silver Bells Companion Die // Cardstock: White

And here is another one, using the same technique. It's so addictive, especially with these images because of the way the set is designed with the base and details separated into separate stamps. And I love how the results are unique and different each time.

It really is hard for me to add much else to distract from the imagery, when it is so pretty. So a simple "Happy Birthday" sentiment included in More Fresh Cuts fits the bill nicely. I am just in love with how it totally looks like I hand painted it! Shh...we'll let the recipient think what they want. ;)

Wplus9 Supplies:
Stamps: More Fresh Cuts (available 12/5/13), Dockside Backgrounds // Cardstock: Oatmeal, White

For the last card I kept it simple. No fancy techniques, just good ol' stamping!

I practiced on scratch paper first to get an arrangement I liked. Once I had it all figured out, I just repeated it on my card base. The "Sending Lots of Love" sentiment is from Valentine Wishes, which I will introduce tomorrow, and was heat embossed in white. And I decided to make it an engagement card by adding a sub-sentiment from Fresh Cut Wreaths.

Wplus9 Supplies:
Stamps: More Fresh Cuts (available 12/5/13), Valentine Wishes (available 12/5/13), Fresh Cut Wreaths (available 12/5/13) // Ink: White Pigment Ink

And that's it from me for today. But some of the girls have more to share with you! Be sure to head over to their blogs to check out what they have for you:

Hannah Craner
Jinny Newlin
Lea Lawson
Sarah Martina Parker
Savitri Wilder

So there you have Day 1, I really hope you enjoyed today's previews. Are you ready for a chance to win today's featured products: Fresh Cut Wreaths, More Fresh Cuts and the More Fresh Cuts Companion Die? Just leave a comment by 9:00 AM EST December 2nd to enter. I will select one random winner from all comments. Winners will be posted here.

Thanks for stopping by, I'll be back tomorrow!