Introducing the Newest Wplus9 Designer(s)

Yes you read that correctly, "designers", plural. I received so many applications from all of you extremely talented ladies, I had to pick two! So let's get right to it.

Please join me in welcoming our newest designers.

"I am a work-at-home mama, a graphic designer for CARDS
Magazine and an avid craft-lover. You can find me blogging at
sherbetblossom.com; sharing my love for all things pretty. I am passionate about family, design, cooking, and creating. When I'm not designing on my computer or playing with my 3 cute kids, you can
usually find me with a stamp nearby and paper in hand."

In addition to her main blog where you will find tons of information and inspiration, Hannah has also created a blog exclusively for her cards at Sherbet Blossom Cards.

"My name is Heather Pulvirenti, though most people in the blogosphere know me as Heather P. :) I live in Columbia, MD with my husband Jason, and our 5 year old daughter Lindsay.

I was born in England, and have spent most of my life in the US (in Maryland and Virginia), except for the four years we lived in Canberra, Australia (my mom was career Air Force). I am currently a SAHM, and though I had reservations about this transition, I really love the time I get to spend with my daughter and wouldn't do it any differently given the chance.

I started paper crafting about 5 years ago after being invited by my husband's aunt to a Stampin' Up! workshop, and I haven't looked back since. LOL, my style and go-to colors have definitely changed over time, but there's something so enjoyable about creating that never waivers."

You can find Heather blogging at Witty Title Here.

I am truly flattered and so excited to have both of these ladies joining us, as is the rest of the Design Team. Hannah and Heather will be making their official debuts on the Wplus9 Design Team during our June release, and will grace us with their talents through the summer. In the meantime, be sure to stop by their blogs and show them some love.

I also want to again thank everyone who applied. I have enough applications to easily fill the next couple of rotations. I won't need to do another open call for awhile. So, for those of you that were not selected for the summer, you just may get an email from me at the end of the summer for the fall rotation.

Thanks for stopping by, and have a great Friday!

So Random: The Swagger Wagon

Just a little comic relief for you. If you haven't seen it, it is hilarious!

Hope you enjoy and have a wonderful Cinco De Mayo.

I Inspire Him

You'll have to bear with me as I am completely enamored with bright colors at the moment, especially after creating so many baby cards. LOL But I wanted to share another card with you that just makes me smile.

What do you think? I used a mix of my favorite stamps, Papertrey Ink (Faux Ribbon), Stampin' Up! (Animal Stories) and Practicing Creativity Designs (You're Dandy). For me, the key to using many bright colors together is simplicity. If I am using bright bold colors I choose a CAS design. When I attempt a more ornate or fussy card, I use more subdued colors. Again, this is not a rule...just what works for me.

I've also opted to "guide the eye" vs. the "visual triangle". You'll notice you're eye naturally starts either at the stripes on the bottom and moves in a straight line to the top of the owl, or at the top of the owl and vertically down to the sentiment and then stripes. This is a good alternative to the visual triangle and works very well for CAS designs. When designing your card, think about the order you want the artwork to be observed and place your elements or embellishments in a way that guides the eye.

Quick story I wanted to share with you that absolutely made my night. My oldest told me he was supposed to read me a series of "Mother" poems and I was supposed to tell him which was my favorite. When he finished reading them, I asked him "Which one most captures how you feel about me?". The one he chose happened to have a verse in it about me inspiring him. So to see if he really understood it, I asked him "How do I inspired you?". His reply was, "Duh, your designs and art. How you've started your own business and kept your career. Seeing people buy your stuff and all of the cool things they make with it. Plus you're in magazines, and that's really cool!".

Ahh...no matter what happens with Wplus9, nothing can ever take that away. It makes it so worth it.

May 2010 Release Day Group Post

Our May 2010 Release is now available at www.wplus9.com. To help celebrate, the wonderfully talented Wplus9 Design Team has put together some gorgeous eye candy for us all.

This is sincerely my favorite part about designing stamps...seeing what people create. And this fabulous group of ladies never lets me down. I constantly have that, *slaps head* "why didn't I think of that?" moment, when they send me their samples.

I love all of the colors that Elise was able to pack into this card. And I spy some Woodgrain Silhouettes in the background there. There's also a clever little bonus to this card, you'll have to check out her blog to see her crafty genius.

Miss Kerrianne stole my heart with her darling mobile, coloring in the stars and moon by pulling the colors from that fab plaid background. Swoon...you know how I am a sucker for plaid. Check out the details on her blog.

Maile puts her signature clean and simple but graphic style to work in this super sophisticated baby girl number. Love how she shows her moxie and leaves the image un-colored. Be sure to visit her blog for details.

I instantly fell in love with Savitri's little peek-a-boo bunny. Doesn't that just make you feel all warm and cozy to see that little one nestled behind that gorgeous delicate ribbon? You just have to check out her blog for more details.

I hope you enjoy looking at the Design Team's work as much as I do. And we will soon have more fabulous talent on the Wplus9 Design Team! I want to thank everyone again who applied. I've tried to personally respond to you all and boy this is really going to be tough. I told you I am a horribly indecisive person and it is excruciating to pick just one when there is SO MUCH talent out there. But our newest DT member will hear from me no later than Monday, May 3rd. Wish me luck ladies!

May 2010 Release Day 3: Full Reveal

Welcome to Day 3 of the May Release, the moment you've been waiting for, the full reveal. Introducing the newest additions to the Wplus9 Design Studio. Both sets will be available for purchase on Saturday, May 1st at www.wplus9.com.

Kisses & Cuddles

Details
Set of 26 high-quality photo-polymer stamps;
13 sentiments, 12 images, and 1 circular label stamp.
Full Set Dimensions: 6 x 8
Price: $19

Design Basics: Backgrounds I

Details
Set of 3 high-quality photo-polymer background building stamps
Full Set Dimensions: 4 x 6
Price: $10

Thanks so much for joining me for this release, and don't forget to check the winners page here to see if you were one of the lucky winners. All winners will be posted by 12 the following day. And join us tomorrow to see what the Wplus9 Design Team has done with these adorable stamps!

May 2010 Release Day 2: Design Basics: Backgrounds I

Welcome to Day 2 of the Wplus9 Design Studio May 2010 release! Today I've got a couple of cards to show you that focus on my first background set release. I created it to coordinate with "Kisses & Cuddles", but as you'll see in my samples today, this set can also hold it's own.

• Design Basics: Backgrounds I contains 3 background building stamps
• It will be available for purchase Saturday, May 1st.
• Coordinates with "Kisses & Cuddles"

For my fist card, I decided to pull out my Cricut (for the 2nd time ever) to cut out the letter B and a couple of stars. I decided to really let the backgrounds shine here and went a bit more on the rustic side.

I absolutely love how this turned out. I took a couple of pieces of card stock in Papertrey Ink's Rustic Cream, Ripe Avocado and Spring Moss, and went to town stamping with the circle and star background builder in today's set, and added some complimentary polka dots from Papertrey Ink's Polka Dot Basics II. I also created a cute pattern using one of the single stars from the "Kisses & Cuddles" set. After I had all of them stamped I cut them into 1.5" squares and adhered them to my card front. Instead of stitching, I decided to paper pierce each square. This created a perfect base to embellish with the letter B and the stars I had cut from the Cricut. To finish it off, I added the circular label and the "Baby" sentiment from "Kisses & Cuddles".

Now this next card just makes me smile! It is fantastically fun and incredibly simple. But it sure does pack a punch.

Wow! Doesn't that just make you happy?! I used the same background image and stamped it in Stampin' Up!'s Melon Mambo, Summer Sun, and Tempting Turquoise onto Papertrey Ink's Stampers Select card stock. I added some buttons and floss and adhered to the card front using foam tape. I thought the sentiment from Practicing Creativity's "Your Dandy" was perfect for this bright cheerful card.

And finally, I wanted to share one more card with you featuring the flowered background stamp and an image and sentiment from "Kisses & Cuddles". I tried to go a little more vintage-y here, not sure I hit the mark. But hey, practice makes perfect, right?!

I used the mobile image, which is actually two separate stamps. One for the top piece and another for the dangling objects. I've included 3 for you to choose from in the set.

Are you ready to see the full sets already? Well, be sure to stop by again tomorrow and I will reveal both full sets. Thanks for making time for me today and as always, thanks for your comments!

Want to win a set? Leave me a comment by 11:59 pm EST Thursday, April 29th and I will select 1 random winner to receive Design Basics: Backgrounds I. Winners will be posted here, and will have 1 week to claim their prize.

May 2010 Release Day 1: Kisses & Cuddles

Welcome to Day 1 of the Wplus9 Design Studio May 2010 release! I will be releasing two new sets this month and they are "precious".

I have always associated the month of May with new life, maybe because it is my birth month. ;o) So this month I am bringing you the ultimate baby set and a coordinating background set! Get ready to feel fertile, because these images are adorable. Today, it's all about Kisses & Cuddles.

• Kisses & Cuddles contains 26 stamps; 12 sentiments, 13 images, and 1 circular label stamp.
• It will be available for purchase Saturday, May 1st.
• Coordinates with Design Basics: Backgrounds I

For my fist card I used the bunny image and paired it with the "Kisses, Cuddles, Giggles and Hugs..." sentiment. When I was a little girl, I used to help my mother make these gorgeous Victorian bunnies out of burlap. I remember picking out the materials for the ornate dresses she would sew and pinning down the patterns. For little girls and boys we would pick out soft patterned flannel and cotton materials instead of burlap. It is one of my favorite childhood memories.

Since I am still a bit Copic challenged, I decided to paper-piece the image. It reminds me more of the one I had as a little girl this way anyway. (OK, so I didn't give it up until I was 15...seriously, it was quite sad). I stamped the bunny in brown onto some old Stampin' Up! patterned paper and fussy cut it out. Then for the insides of her hands and feet I used Papertrey Ink's Aqua Mist cardstock.

For the background panel I pulled out my much neglected Big Shot and used one of Stampin' Up! texture plates. I inked the edges of the focal panel a bit, matted it on Aqua Mist, and added a huge bow. I think this is one of the most elegant baby cards I've ever seen. And then the sentiment adds the perfect touch of "baby-ness".

In this next card, you get a glimpse of one of the background patterns from tomorrow's set. Keeping with the Victorian feel, I studied pictures of old Pram's, looking at the shape, the handles, and the wheels to make sure I captured the correct styling.

I couldn't be happier with the results. I decided not to take the "easy" way out here and colored the pram using Copics. Go easy on me...I'm learning. ;o) But none-the-less, when the images are this cute, it's hard to mess it up! Oh, and if I can just say, I think I've found a new favorite color combo. Here I've used Papertrey Ink's Stampers Select, and Spring Rain paired with Stampin' Up!'s Regal Rose. Love it. And that yummy flower:

I have to thank Rosemarie for her fabulous tutorial! Mine is no where near as gorgeous as hers, you really have to see it. And her tutorial is very easy to follow.

So what do you think so far? Hopefully you feel a little inspired. I will be showing you the second set tomorrow, and revealing both sets in their entirety on Friday before they are available at midnight.

Want to win a set? Leave me a comment by 11:59 pm EST Wednesday April 28th and I will select 1 random winner to receive Kisses & Cuddles. Winners will be posted here, and will have 1 week to claim their prize.