Pretty Peonies

Tonight's the night! Our September Release products will officially be available starting at 12:00 a.m. EST tonight at wplus9.com, as well as at many of your favorite retailers. You can see all of the upcoming products at the bottom of this post. But we still have lot's more to share with you!

I have several projects to share with you today featuring Pretty Peonies. I absolutely LOVE this set! The images are nice and large and there are several orientations and sizes of a Peony-like flower. Now, this is my artistic interpretation of a Peony. They come in so many varieties - from bulbous round flower heads to ones that are more open with irregular petals. I've modeled mine after the more full open Peonies.

Each image has at least two images that you can stamp together and many have more. It is up to you how many layers you choose to use. And each has been designed so that you can use only one of the steps if you choose! So many possibilities!

For this first card I wanted to show how much detail can be achieved when you use all of the steps for each image. To create the flowers I stamped the base image, the detail image, and the outlined image all in Stampin' Up Regal Rose dye ink. The gradual build-up of intensity by using the same color creates a subtle depth that just adds so much interest.

There is also several leaves and foliage, and some fun little filler flowers included. I followed suit for the foliage by stamping the base and outline images in the same color. And, the best part? You don't have to worry about exactly lining everything up! As long as you stamp in the same orientation, each layer will compliment each other. There are gaps and incompletions in most of the images to help foster that loose artistic feeling.

All that this design really needed to finish it off was a bold sentiment. For that, I used the Walt Disney quote from Dream Believer, also available starting tonight.

Pretty Peonies also has a companion die available as well. This makes building gorgeous bouquets a piece of cake since you can move everything around until you get it just the way that you want it arranged before committing and glueing anything in place. With the addition of the stems included in the set, you can really pull of some amazing looks.

In this example you can see how well the images stand on their own without the addition of the outline image as well. I was able to get a little more contrast between the base and detail layer even though I used the same color ink by stamping off. I inked up the base in Sweet Nectar PURE COLOR Dye Ink and stamped it off onto scratch paper before stamping it onto the die cut without re-inking. Then I stamped the detail image full strength.

The die cuts are designed to hold the entire assembled image including the outlines, but they work just as well without them too!

I used the new Wplus9 EXCLUSIVE Lattice Frame Die as a backdrop for my bouquet and added a sentiment from Strictly Sentiments 5 to finish this card off.

You can also use just the base images along with the outlined images. In my next example I stamped out a little floral cluster and then stamped all of the outlines and a few details of the filler flowers in black.

To keep with the free flowing feel of the flowers I added some random dot clusters around the flowers using Dream Believer in black. And I used the same set to add my sentiment onto a tag die cut using the Timeless Tags 2 die.

A die cut butterfly from the upcoming Small Butterfly Frame die adds the perfect finishing touch of whimsy. I have fallen in love with this little gem and you will be seeing a lot more of it in the upcoming days! I die cut it from White cardstock and colored it using a sponge dauber and Sweet Nectar PURE COLOR Dye Ink. Yes, I have a slight obsession with this color!

And finally, I used a similar layout to the card above to create another 4 bar card from some scraps. I wanted to show you a softer painterly look. Our inks have that self-blending, almost smoothing quality. It makes it the perfect ink to achieve a great simulation of something hand painted.

This was actually one of my "practice" pieces I created while trying to figure out color combos. I stamped the base of the flowers in Sweet Nectar PURE COLOR Dye Ink and added the details in Flamingo PURE COLOR Dye Ink. For the leaves and stems I used Mojito PURE COLOR Dye Ink, and Appletini PURE COLOR Dye Ink.

The sentiment was again added using Dream Believer, and some "splats" were added to the background using Ink Splats.

I just love the range of styles the Pretty Peonies and Pretty Little Peonies sets can cover. I also specifically designed this set to help achieve some gorgeous watercolor results, and was so excited to see how well it translated into stamps. But, that deserves another post all on it's own. So be sure to come back tomorrow to see what I mean!

September 2014 Release - available at midnight 09/05/14

Photopolymer Clear Stamps

Dream Believer
6x8" Clear Stamp Set
$21 USD

Pretty Peonies
6x8" Clear Stamp Set
$21 USD

Pretty Little Peonies
4x6" Clear Stamp Set
$14 USD

Little Bits
3x4" Clear Stamp Set
$6 USD

Punny Produce: Tomatoes
3x4" Clear Stamp Set
$6 USD

Steel Rule Dies

Dream Believer Companion Die
$14 USD

Pretty Peonies Companion Die
$16 USD

Pretty Little Peonies Companion Die
$8 USD

Dreamcatcher Die

$13 USD

Wplus9 EXCLUSIVE Lattice Frame Die
$18 USD

Small Butterfly Frame Die
$16 USD

More From the Design Team

• Iwona "Chupa" Palamountain - Chupa is sharing a fabulous creation using Dream Believer.
• Kara Vrabel - Kara has more gorgeous ideas for the Lattice Frame Die.
• Joni Andaya - And Joni is getting a little punny with Punny Produce: Tomatoes.

Giveaway Alert

Would you like to win the the Pretty Peonies Stamp Set, the Pretty Peonies Companion Die, and the Lattice Frame Die before you can buy it? Just leave a comment below by 10:00 p.m. EST on 09/04/14 to enter. I will select one random winner from all comments. Winner will be posted on our Releaser Winners page by 11:00 p.m. EST.

Good Luck!

As always, thanks for stopping by. And be sure to come back tomorrow, because I have even more to share with you featuring this fantastic release!

Build Your Own Dream Catcher

Welcome back on our Day 3 of Special September 2014 Release. It's Joni here, and today I wanted to share a special project with you using the Dream Believer stamp set along with the Dreacatcher Die.
Remember, all of the featured products will be available for purchase beginning Sept. 5, 2014 at wplus9.com, as well as at many of your favorite retailers.

I have been wanting to create my own Dream Catcher for a long time now. They fascinate me, especially the story behind it. Not really sure if they are true, they just look pretty to me. You can read all about Dreamcatchers HERE.
If you've been following my blog, then you know that I created a sort of Dreamcatcher way back using the Wplus9 past release Lacey Layers and Fanciful Feathers. You can see the original post HERE. Now that Dawn has created this wonderful Dream Believer Stamp Set and Companion Die, along with the Dreamcatcher Die, for sure lots of uses will come with these.

I wanted to show you the pieces of this dream catcher project. Using the Dreamcatcher Die set you can easily build your own dream catcher.

Wplus9 Supplies

Stamps: Dream Believer (available 9/5/14) // Dies: Dreamcatcher Die (available 9/5/14) // Cardstock: White

You will also need: Distress Ink (Wild Honey, Peacock Feathers, Vintage Photo), Vellum, Sequins and Twine (Pretty Pink Posh shown), Watercolor Paper

If you're looking for somewhere to start, you can find lots of inspiration on Pinterest. Or you can use mine as a guide and customize it to make it your own.

For the card base, I created a watercolor panel first. I allowed it to dry, then stamped the tiny cluster of circle images from the Dream Believer Stamp Set all over the panel. To create the dream catcher, I die cut the outer hoop five times from cardstock and adhered them all together, one on top of the other, for thickness. To create the webbing of the dreamcatcher, I die cut it twice - once from vellum and once from cardstock - and adhered them to the hoop.

Next, I adhered the string die cuts that hold the feathers to the feathers, die cut from vellum and cardstock. I added some Diamond Stickles to the feathers for shimmer. Some Pretty Pink Posh sequins work perfectly for "beads" in Aquamarine, Sand, and Sparkling Clear.
The sentiment is from the Dream Believer Stamp Set as well. I stamped it directly onto the watercolor panel using a Distress Marker in Vintage Photo.
I decided to make my dreamcatcher removable, so the recipient can remove it and keep it if they like. This is really simple to do. Just cut a little slit in the top fold of the card base and insert the twine and secure in place with a little tape as shown below.

Now the Dream Catcher can easily be removed from the card. Of course you can hang this anywhere you like, or you can simply use it as a focal point on your card or any projects you might have in mind.
Thank you so much for visiting! I hope I have inspired you to create your own dream catcher.

MORE DESIGN TEAM INSPIRATION

• Joni Andaya - You can see more Dream Believer Stamp Set on my blog.
• Kara Vrabel - Be sure to stop by and see more from Kara Vrabel.
• Maureen Merritt - Stop by to see what Maureen is sharing as well.

And be sure to stop by tomorrow to see what Dawn has cooked up with the Pretty Peonies collection!

Chase Your Dreams

Welcome back for day 2 of the Special September 2014 Release.  This is Kara and I am so excited to share a few new sets and dies with you today, particularly Pretty Peonies.

Yesterday, on my blog, I shared a few projects featuring Pretty Little Peonies.  If you loved Pretty Little Peonies you're going to love Pretty Peonies.  Mix the sizes together or use them alone.  Both have coordinating die sets as well. They are stunning!  These flowers are meant to create a painterly look, so if you don't line them up perfectly you've done it right!  I love that look! They are perfect for all sorts of techniques, such as watercolor.

WPlus9 Supplies

Stamps: Pretty Peonies {available 9/5/14}, Dream Believer{available 9/5/14} //Dies: Small Butterfly Frame Die {available 9/5/14} // Dye Ink: Cranberry Crush, Sweet Gelato, Mojito // Cardstock: White, Black

 

I love the feeling from these larger blooms on their long stems.  Paired with this great sentiment from Dream Believer and the die cut butterfly from the Small Butterfly Frame Die; I feel like I'm chasing a butterfly through a beautiful garden!  I love the beautiful, deep color you can get from stamping Cranberry Crush on top of Sweet Gelato Dye Ink.

As you will see with this next project, it is not necessary to stamp all steps of the image.  Stamp one, two, or all three for a variety of looks.

For this card I decided to stamp only one step of the Pretty Peonies.  I chose just the outline images and stamped them in black ink.  Then I stamped Ink Splats over the flower images in pinks and oranges.  Love that color combo! Again, I used one of the beautiful sentiments from Dream Believer to finish off the card.

WPlus9 Supplies

Stamps: Pretty Peonies {available 9/5/14}, Dream Believer{available 9/5/14}, Ink Splats // Dye Ink: Wild Mango, Sweet Nectar // Cardstock: White, Black

Beautiful sets with so many stamping options!

More Design Team Inspiration

• Joni Andaya - You absolutely won't want to miss what Joni's cooked up with Pretty Peonies today!
• Kara Vrabel - I have one more card featuring Pretty Peonies on my blog today.
• Maureen Merritt - Be sure to stop by and visit Maureen for more projects that I know you're going to love.

Featured September 2014 Release Products - available 09/05/14

Photopolymer Clear Stamps

Dream Believer
6x8" Clear Stamp Set
$21 USD

Pretty Peonies
6x8" Clear Stamp Set
$21 USD

Steel Rule Dies

Pretty Peonies Companion Die
$16 USD

Small Butterfly Frame Die
$16 USD

Giveaway Alert

We've got some blog candy!

Would you like to win Pretty Little Peonies, and the Pretty Little Peonies Companion Die before you can buy it? Just leave a comment below by 10:00 a.m. EST on 09/03/14 to enter. We will select one random winner from all comments. Winner will be posted on our Releaser Winners page by noon.

Thanks so much for stopping by today! Good luck, and be sure to visit again tomorrow to see more!

Special September 2014 Release

It's Monday, boo. But, it's a holiday, yay! And...it's time for a special Wplus9 Release!

Yep, we have a few designs that we just didn't want to hold until next Spring/Summer. So, if you are not quite ready to transition to Christmas crafting just yet, then you are in the right place!

You can find all of the new products that will be available beginning September 5, 2014 at the end of this post. But for now, I thought I would give you a closer look at Dream Believer.

I love this set! There are actually three new products that can all be used together centered around Dreamcatchers - the Dream Believer Stamp Set, the Dream Believer Companion Die, and the stand alone Dreamcatcher Die. For this first card, I used the Dreamcatcher Die with a sentiment from the Dream Believer Stamp Set.

To create the background, I used the bokeh technique featured in this post and turned it into bubbles. I simply added a little blue color to the top and bottom of the white sponged circles. To add a little dimension, I covered some of the bubbles with glossy accents as well.

I loved the light and airy feeling of the background, so I decided to keep the Dreamcatcher Die very minimal. I die cut it from our White Card Stock, assembled it and then used a Versamark pen to heat emboss the "beads" at the top of the feathers in gold.

This die turned out exactly as I had imagined. The detail in this die really allows it to stand on it's own without much fuss.

But of course, you can fancy it up as well.

Again, I opted to use the Dreamcatcher Die with a sentiment from the Dream Believer Stamp Set. This time I die cut it from our Dove Grey Card Stock and added some bright color to the design by heat embossing the tips of the feathers with some colored Wow! embossing powder.

To reinforce the color, I used similar colors of Pretty Pink Posh sequins as "beads" on both the strings holding the feathers and on the strings of the hoop.

I heat embossed the the sentiment using Wow! Bright White embossing powder on vellum die cut with the Clear Cut Stackers: Circles die.

You might want to get out your sunglasses for this next one. I'm not usually one to reach for the bright colors...but I couldn't resist on this one featuring the Dream Believer Stamp Set and Dream Believer Companion Die.

The Dream Believer Stamp Set is a stamper's dream. You can customize your dreamcatcher to your hearts content. There are several sized beads, several feather shapes and designs and two different string options for inside the hoop. Since all of the pieces are separate, added multiple colors is a breeze.

I added a little bit of glossy accents to the "beads" for some realistic shine and a little Wink Of Stella Clear Glitter pen to the center of my dreamcatcher and just a little bit on the feathers as well for a bit of twinkle.

What did I tell you? I still have several more projects to share featuring these products, but for now, here's a look at all of the new products that we will be releasing this month:

September 2014 Release - available 09/05/14

Photopolymer Clear Stamps

Dream Believer
6x8" Clear Stamp Set
$21 USD

Pretty Peonies
6x8" Clear Stamp Set
$21 USD

Pretty Little Peonies
4x6" Clear Stamp Set
$14 USD

Little Bits
3x4" Clear Stamp Set
$6 USD

Punny Produce: Tomatoes
3x4" Clear Stamp Set
$6 USD

Steel Rule Dies

Dream Believer Companion Die
$14 USD

Pretty Peonies Companion Die
$16 USD

Pretty Little Peonies Companion Die
$8 USD

Dreamcatcher Die

$13 USD

Wplus9 EXCLUSIVE Lattice Frame Die
$18 USD

Small Butterfly Frame Die
$16 USD

More From the Design Team

• Be sure to stop by and see Kara Vrabel, she is featuring Pretty Little Peonies, the Small Butterfly Frame Die, and more!
• And Maureen Merritt is showing us more of the Small Butterfly Frame Die as well!

Giveaway Alert

Would you like to win the the Dream Believer Stamp Set, the Dream Believer Companion Die, and the Dreamcatcher Die before you can buy it? Just leave a comment below by 10:00 a.m. EST on 09/02/14 to enter. I will select one random winner from all comments. Winner will be posted on our Releaser Winners page by noon.

Good Luck! And thanks for stopping by. Be sure to come back tomorrow for more previews of our September 2014 Release!