August 2015 Release Week: Day 2

Welcome back to Day 2 of our August 2015 Release! If you are just joining us and missed Day 1, you can catch up here.

I have more to share with you all featuring our newest products that will be available starting this Friday, August 14, 2015. And today, I thought I'd focus on a classic for Autumn along with our newest PURE COLOR Collection - Autumn Splendor.

Autumn Leaves
4x6" Clear Stamp Set
$14 USD

Autumn Leaves Companion Die
Steel Rule Die
$15 USD

Grateful Greetings
3x4" Clear Stamp set
$6 USD

Gift Card Layers Die
Steel Rule Die
$28 USD

Autumn Splendor has got to be my favorite color collection to date. The colors are so rich and vibrant, yet sophisticated. I want to marry Falling For Blue. Seriously, it's that beautiful.

The upcoming Autumn Leaves stamps and dies are perfect for showing off these new inks. This first card is probably my favorite of the release. I am just in love with the gorgeous prints you can make with the Autumn Leaves stamp set. I chose a color combo of Falling For Blue, Last Leaf, Pumpkin Spice and Warm Wool.

This set also works beautifully with our previously released Botanical Bunch. I used the berry-like stems from this set to add a little pop of orange using Pumpkin Spice. I finished it off with a pure Black sentiment from the Many Thanks stamp set that we designed exclusively for Simon Says Stamp.

I love how this set can be graphic and modern as shown above or classic and elegant like my next card.

Here, I stamped the Wide Stripe Background (Simon Says Stamp) in Warm Wool onto a panel die cut using the Gift Card Layers Die. I stamped the large fern-like leaf in Hayride and Last Leaf using the rock and roll technique and die cut it. I used the same process for the maple leaf using Hayride, Last Leaf and Gala Red.

For the sentiment, I used the Grateful Greetings stamp set and the MISTI tool to stamp my sentiment onto my striped panel and my base panel. A few enamel dots and...done.

And finally, nature is always good for masculine cards. For my last project today, I've created a little tag that holds a gift card using our Love Shower Layers Die and the Gift Card Layers Die.

For the front of my tag, I did some "shadow stamping" along with a little masking on our Coal Mine card stock. I stamped the fern-like leaf first in our White pigment ink and masked it off before stamping the other leaf also in white. Once dry, I stamped over the leaves, slightly off-setting them using Last Leaf.

I then added some gold embossing using another foliage image from Botanical Bunch and another sentiment from Grateful Greetings.

For the inside, I used the Gift Card Layers Die to cut the little corners to hold my gift card in place.

I really liked how this design turned out and couldn't decide whether I liked it better with the gold or the white sentiment, so I did both!

That's all I have today. Hopefully I've given you some great ideas so far for these new products.

Design Team Inspiration

Don't forget to check out what the girls have in store for you as well:

• Joni Nina Andaya
• Kara Vrabel
• Kelly Latevola

Giveaway Alert

Would you like to win a $25 store credit to wplus9.com? Just leave a comment below by 10:00 a.m. EST on 08/12/15 to be entered and I will select one random winner from all comments. Winner will be posted on our Release Winners page by noon on 08/12/15.

Thanks for stopping by! We'll be back tomorrow with more from this awesome release!

August 2015 Release Week: Day 1

Welcome to our August 2015 Release week! Thank you all so much for your patience. I know we are a little behind this month, but it's finally time to unveil all of the new products hitting the stores on August 14, 2015.

Before they officially go on sale, we are going to spend the next couple of days previewing all of the new goodies and showing you some fun ways to use them. Remember, the entire August 2015 Release will be available for purchase beginning August 14th at wplus9.com as well as at many of your favorite retailers.

I thought I'd start out with a critter set that is a ton of fun and so versatile, Going Places.

Going Places
4x6" Clear Stamp Set
$14 USD

Going Places Companion Die
Steel Rule Die
$18 USD

Starry Background Die
Steel Rule Die
$15 USD

It's official, I have been converted to a "cute" junkie. And this set, jam packed with adorable interactive critters, is my perfect fix!

Each little guy has a coordinating die cut that not only cuts them out, but also cuts under their forward arm so that it can hang over and hold on to edges. The die also cuts a bit extra at the bottom so that there is plenty of room for adhesive so that they will really stay in place.

In this first card, I used the dog and cat along with the hot air balloon also included in the set. When designing the set, I intentionally left the hot air ballon minimally detailed, leaving it open for you to add extra design details if you'd like as I've done today.

I stamped the dog and hot air balloon directly onto my card panel and then stamped and die cut another balloon along with the kitty and die cut them. I added an extra line down the center of the second ballon using a Copic Multi-Liner, and then horizontal lines each section. This opened up the design to add a lot of extra color with my Copic markers - which I did! This one is a bright and colorful card which I think plays off of the sentiment perfectly.

And just for a little extra fun, I added some sparkle to the clouds and the scalloped sashes on the hot air balloons using a Clear Wink of Stella pen.

There are so many ways to use these little guys - and they pair perfectly with many Wplus9 sets that you may already own. In this next card, I wanted use them without the balloons, and created another scene of rolling hills with critters "popping out" with birthday offerings.

I used the Landscape Borders Die to cut three levels of hills to tuck each critter behind. Using the gift and cupcake included in Going Places I stamped and die cut a few for the bear, rabbit and cat. For the raccoon and dog, I used the balloon and party hat from Unforgettable.

To finish it off, I again added a little Wink of Stella to the ribbons on the gifts, the cupcake icing and the balloon. And the sweet sentiment? That's from another set releasing on Friday - Wishing You - which I will have more on later this week.

My last card today, pairs the set with the new Starry Background Die and a few older items - Whole Lotta' Happy stamp set and the Happy Trio Die.

I just love the Starry Background Die. Because this die measures in at 4 3/4 x 3 1/8", it is perfect to use inside of your other layered dies. Here, I die cut the large scalloped panel from our Sunshine Layers Die and then cut the Starry Background from that. Just look at how well the work together!

I stamped and die cut the full bunny included in Going Places twice and colored them with Copics. This little guy has the cutest little "Oh" expression on his face (which is great for hanging off the side of the hot air balloon basket) - perfect for hanging off the end of the "Y" in "happy" as well. For the second bunny, I just used a Copic Multi-Liner to change his expression to a smile.

To add the color in the negative spaces of the stars, I just sponged a little of our PURE COLOR Dye Ink on the panel underneath in Bo Peep, Bloomsberry, Falling Star, and Little Piggy. For an all over shimmer, I spritzed the panel with our PURE COLOR Spray Mist in Shimmer. LOVE!

Design Team Inspiration

Are you ready to see what the design team has been up to? Check out what the girls have in store for you:

• Joni Nina Andaya
• Kara Vrabel
• Kelly Latevola
• Maureen Merritt

Giveaway Alert

Would you like to win a $25 store credit to wplus9.com? Just leave a comment below by 10:00 a.m. EST on 08/11/15 to enter letting me know what you are most excited about from this release and I will select one random winner from all comments. Winner will be posted on our Release Winners page by noon on 08/11/15.

Thanks for stopping by! Be sure to stop by again tomorrow. I've got more new stamps and dies as well as a new color collection to share with you!

UPDATES: Stock, August Release & a Winner

Hello everyone! Joni here with the winner of the Get Sketchy Challenge #2. Again, I wanted to say thank you so much to everyone who participated in our Get Sketchy Challenge. You guys did another amazing job with the sketch and there are truly some gorgeous creations!

Get Sketchy Challenge #2 Winner

Congratulations Kelly S.! Please email customer service@wplus9.com to claim your $20 Wplus9 store credit. ***Remember, if you don't already have one, please be sure to set up an account at wplus9.com to expedite processing of your prize.***

Thank you so much again everyone! Don't forget, our next Get Sketchy Challenge will be September 8th, 2015.

August 2015 Release

I know that a lot of you have been wondering where the August sneak peeks are? Well, we have a GREAT release planned for you, but we just need a little extra time to prepare for it. So the August 2015 Release will be a little later than usual.

We have tentatively scheduled the release for August 14th. We have 6 new PURE COLOR inks, 5 new stamp sets, 5 new dies and a new addition to the PURE COLOR product line coming your way!

We think you are going to love it and appreciate your patience. If you don't already, you can keep up with us in real time for sneak peeks and any updates on Instagram (@dawnwplus9), Facebook (@wplus9) and Twitter (@wplus9).

Stock Updates

We have received lots of new stock over the last couple of days. We are in the process of sending notifications, but if you were waiting on something to become available again, here is the full list of items we've recently received:

Stamps

• A New Day
• Botanical Bunch
• Bubble Talk
• Flora & Fauna 2
• Lucky Star
• Pick of the Litter
• Punny Produce: Pears
• Sending Sunshine

Dies

• Folk Art Alphabet
• Hand Lettered Hello
• Happy Trio
• Holiday Apertures
• Landscape Borders
• Love Notes
• Pretty Little Peonies
• Pretty Peonies
• Quilt Cuts 2
• Timeless Tags 2
• Unforgettable
• Woodland Wreaths

As always, thanks for stopping by and I hope you are having a wonderful day!

Throwback Thursday #6 - So 80's

Do you remember the first WPlus9 stamp set that you purchased? I do! Mine was So 80's. It's the perfect stamp set for guys and we all struggle with cards for them. So, grab your throw back So 80's set and let's make some guy cards!

My cards this month use a fun color combo. It's not one that I usually reach for, but I find that it's perfect for masculine cards. I used Flamingo, Mojito, Silver Lining and Black. If you are looking for a new masculine color combo, I suggest that you try this one.

Wplus9 Supplies:

Stamps: So 80's // Ink:  Mojito, Flamingo, Silver Lining, Black // Cardstock:  White 

My first card was inspired by Get Sketchy with Joni - Challenge #2. Joni designed a fabulous sketch that I thought was perfect for kicking off my Throwback post! I trimmed a 4 1/4 x 4 1/4 inch piece of white card stock on a diagonal and then placed it on a white card base. I made light pencil marks for where the pieces would be placed, then removed them and stamped the background.  Once the area was covered, I erased the lines and added the diagonals with dimensionals.

Wplus9 Supplies:

Stamps: So 80's, Whole Lotta' Happy, Sweets & Treats // Ink:  Mojito, Flamingo, Silver Lining, Black // Cardstock:  White //Dies: Whole Lotta' Happy Dies

On this next card, I continued with the idea of stamping the card base, something I carried through all three designs. I stamped and die cut balloons and made a birthday card perfect for boys and tweens.  The black strips of paper help ground the design and add cohesion to the top and bottom portions of the card.

Wplus9 Supplies:

Stamps: So 80's, Ink Splats // Ink:  Mojito, Flamingo, Silver Lining, Black // Cardstock:  White 

I had a blast with this card.  I stamped the entire border of the card base, then stamped the top panel. I pulled in the Ink Splats stamp set on this one to add to the overall grunge feel. This card is perfect for boys, teens and adults!

Play Along

Now it's your turn! We'd love to have you participate in our Throwback Thursday posts. We know you've got some older product in your stash dying to see some ink! So let's pull em out.

Use any card above as inspiration, or even the stamp set if you've got it, and let's see those "oldies but goodies" get some love! Use at least one Wplus9 product and upload your project to your blog or online photo gallery such as Flickr. Then link it up using the InLinkz widget below to share it and keep the inspiration flowing! You'll have 3 weeks to play along.

If you'd like us to repost and share your creations on Instagram and Facebook, be sure post using the hashtag #wplus9tbt!

Prize

We will select one random random participant to receive a $20 store credit to wplus9.com. Winners will be announced on Thursdays when the new Throwback Thursday is posted.

TBT #5 Winner

• #4 Rose J

Contact us at customerservice@wplus9.com with your full name and email and we will set up your store credit! (If you don't already have an account set up with us, be sure to set one up to expedite collecting your prize)

Throwback Thursday #6 Entries

An InLinkz Link-up

My Favorite Thought

Happy Monday!

I hope everyone is having a wonderful summer so far. I thought I would pop in to share a card featuring my favorite set from our June 2015 Release - Happy Mail.

Joni did such a wonderful job on this set. I just adore the sweet little critters and they just begged to be watercolored.

I also tried the Winsor & Newton Watercolor Marker Pad for this card. I really liked the bright white color of this paper. And at 140 lb, it holds up great to lots of water and is a great weight for a card base as well. The price is only marginally cheaper than the Tim Holtz Distress Watercolor paper though. Tim Holtz comes out to about $.30 a sheet. And if you get the 9x12" pad from Winsor & Newton, you can cut (4) 4.25x5.5" panels from each sheet giving you a total of 60 panels at $.28 a panel. So if you like the Tim Holtz paper, but want a larger size, this is a good option.

To watercolor my images, I used the same technique as I did here. I stamped my images in Frayed Burlap Distress ink, stamping off onto scratch paper once before stamping onto my project. I used Frayed Burlap to watercolor the bear with a little Tattered Rose on his cheeks and inside of his ear. The butterfly was watercolored using Spiced Marmalade for the winds and a little Vintage Photo for the body. I used Shabby Shutters and Crushed Olive for the grass and Tumbled Glass with Stormy Skies for the sky. I wanted to keep all of the colors a little on the muted side to play up the vintage vibe.

The sentiment and butterfly trial were both stamped full strength in Vintage Photo. And I just mounted the panel to a white card base with foam tape. Super simple.

Hope you liked today's card and thanks for stopping by!

CHALLENGE: Get Sketchy with Joni #2

Hello everyone! Joni here with the Get Sketchy Challenge for the month of July 2015. If this is your first time here, you can find all of the deets at the end of this post.

And to get you started, here is my take on the sketch.

To create this card, I started with two A2 watercolored panels. One in peachy red from the watercolor palette and and the second, in gold. I cut away a diagonal portion of the second panel across the middle.
For the pretty butterflies, I used my all time favorite Flora & Fauna 2 stamp set. I stamped the butterfly images onto watercolor paper using Versamark ink and heat embossed the images using the Ranger white embossing powder. Next, I watercolored each butterfly using my watercolor palette, I let the images dry and fussy cut - you could also use the Flora & Fauna companion die to save time. For variety, I also stamped some of the smaller butterflies onto vellum, heat embossing and fussy cutting them as well.

Wplus9 Supplies:

Stamps: Flora & Fauna 2, Love Mom // Dies: Flower Doodles // Cardstock: White

I assembled the two panels on top of one another using a little foam tape for dimension. Next, I adhered the butterflies one by one using clear foam tape. This helps conceal the tape since I used vellum for some of the butterflies.

For the sentiment, I die-cut the word "smile" using the Flower Doodles die several times and adhered each one on top of the other to give a nice dimension. To complete the sentiment, I used the "from all of us" sentiment from the Love Mom stamp set.
Finally, I added some Pretty Pink Posh sparkling clear sequins to finish off the card.

Just another look how pretty the gold watercolor paint when it hits the light :).

I hope you guys enjoyed :)

Play Along

Now it's your turn!
Use the sketch at the top of this post along with at least one Wplus9 product (more is always welcome!) and upload your project to your blog or online photo gallery such as Flickr. Then link it up using the InLinkz widget below by July 29th to participate and keep the inspiration flowing!
If you'd like us to repost and share your creations on Instagram, be sure to use the hashtag #wplus9GetSketchy!

Prize

We will select one random participant to receive a $20 store credit to wplus9.com. The winner will be posted here on the blog on July 30th.
Happy Crafting and Good Luck!

Get Sketchy #2 Entries

An InLinkz Link-up

PURE COLOR WITH KARA: Summer Anemones

Hey guys, It's Kara. I'm back with another PURE COLOR Combination. Summer is almost here and it's making me so happy! Today's card has a very summery color palette, bright sun and deep green grass.

This warm color palette features Wild Mango, Falling Star, Flamingo, Mojito, and Appletini PURE COLOR dye inks.

I started by stamping my design using Watercolored Anemones in Fairy Dust ink. This pale grey serves as a guide for stamping the flowers and leaves in my color palette. It is soft enough to fade into the background while also providing a slight shadow for my images. I stamped the flowers in Falling Star, Wild Mango, and Flamingo ink. The leaves and stems are stamped in Mojito and Appletini ink. I used the new Black ink to stamp my sentiment from Doodle Buds.

Wplus9 Supplies:

Stamps: Watercolored Anemones, Doodle Buds  // Inks: Wild Mango Dye Ink, Falling Star Dye Ink, Flamingo Dye Ink, Mojito Dye Ink, Appletini Dye Ink, Fairy Dust Dye Ink, Black Dye Ink  // Dies: Sunshine Layers, Love Mom Layers, Small Butterfly Frame// Cardstock: White, Coal Mine

I die cut the butterfly from white cardstock. Using sponge daubers, I added color starting on one side with a little Appletini ink. As I moved across the butterfly to the left wing, I switched to Mojito ink and then let it fade to almost white. I mounted the stamped panel on a piece of Coal Mine cardstock to add some contrast and pick up the color from the sentiment. Coal Mine is perfect for this card because it is not as stark a contrast as black.

Play Along

What do you think, want to give it a go? We'd love to see your take on this color combination! If you'd like to play along link up your collections below to keep the inspiration going.

An InLinkz Link-up

Thanks so much for stopping by!