December 2010 Release: Group Post

The wait is over! I hope ya'll have had as much fun as I have this week. Our December release is now available for purchase at www.wplus9.com.

Today is also my favorite day of the release...Group Post Day! I get to show off some of the creations that the TALENTED Wplus9 Design Team has created. They are like soooo Kick Ass! So let's get to it. Be sure to click on each of their names or pictures to visit their blogs to get the full details on their projects.

Elise Durenberger

Hannah Craner

Jinny Newlin

Kerrianne Gwin

Maile Belles

Savitri Wilder

Thanks again for joining us this month, and for spreading the word about Wplus9! We will be taking a break for the holidays, so there will not be a January release. I will still be posting, and maybe adding another video or two, but we will resume with a new release in February. Our 1 year anniversary!

I also wanted to add a huge thank you to those that have been adding your Wplus9 creations to our Flickr Gallery and Facebook page! I can't always get around to everyone's blogs, but I really want to see what ya'll are making. Adding them to the gallery or our Facebook page makes sure that I get to see them, so THANKS!

December 2010 Release: Full Reveal

Tonight is the night! Wow, I am loving all of the enthusiasm over this release, thank you all so much for your comments and emails. I enjoy reading every one of them, and am still in awe over seeing my illustrations being used around the globe...around the globe! Wow. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

On with the full reveal, it is my pleasure to introduce the newest additions to the Wplus9 Design Studio. All sets will be available for purchase on Wednesday, December 1st at www.wplus9.com.

So 80's

Details

Set of 14 high-quality photopolymer stamps;
8 sentiment builders, 5 background accents, and 1 image
Full Set Dimensions: 6x8
Price: $19

Sweet Nothings

Details

Set of 11 high-quality photopolymer stamps;
8 sentiments and 3 accent images
Full Set Dimensions: 4x6
Price: $10

Would you like to win both sets? Leave a comment, letting us know what your favorite Christmas/Holiday tradition is by 11:59 pm EST November 30th, and I will pick one random winner! Winners will be posted here, be sure to check to see if you've won.

Thanks so much for joining us for another release, we will be back tomorrow for Group Post Day.

December 2010 Release Day 2: Sweet Nothings

Welcome to Day 2 of the Wplus9 December 2010 Release! For those of you joining us for the first time, we will spend the next couple of days giving you some peeks at projects using the stamps from this month's release. All sets will be available for purchase at www.wplus9.com on December 1st.

You've been requesting more sentiment sets, and I've been listening. Today I am pleased to introduce to you "Sweet Nothings".

Sweet Nothings

• is a 4x6 clear photopolymer stamp set
• contains 11 stamps; 8 sentiments and 3 accent images
• will be available for purchase December 1st for just $10

This set is just that...sweet. Each of the eight sentiments are centered around the words "love", "joy", "believe", or "hope", each in my own handwriting. A great set for those everyday and just because cards, you'll be sure to get a lot of use out of it.

For my fist card, I paired it with Ever After.

To start, I stamped the large Gardenia and leaf outline onto vellum and embossed with white detail embossing powder (Stampendous). I then used some Tim Holtz distress inks in Marmalade and Peeled Paint and added ink using a blending tool. To blend the colors I just dipped my finger in water and rubbed over the inked areas. I absolutely love the way this turned out.

Such a simple card, but it makes me happy, so I thought the sentiment was appropriate.

Next up, I've been really yearning to try the whole shabby chic thing. Now if you follow me, you know it's just not really my style. Maybe that is why I am so determined to create a shabby chic card that I am happy with. LOL

And...I think it's a winner. I paired the "believe" sentiment with the Woodgrain Silhouette Bundle. I started by stamping several of the leaves onto the bottom of a Rustic White card (Papertrey Ink) in Spring Moss(Papertrey Ink) and Old Olive (Stampin' Up!). I added some butterflies in Lilac (Momento) and a Fine Linen panel stamped with the woodgrain background from Woodgrain Silhouettes.

For the focal point. I stamped the Crocus image in lilac and matted it with a scallop die (Spellbinders). I layered the "believe" sentiment directly over the flowers. To finish the "shabby chic" look, I used a dry paint brush and some white acrylic paint and brushed all around the edges. I love everything about this card, the sentiment with those crocus, the color combo, the composition. Swoon.

And last, a peek at one of the "hope" sentiments.

To create this background, I used a bunch of distress inks, and different stamps. I started by stamping the music score background stamp (Hero Arts) in Antique Linen (Ranger). To get the mottled background I used my blending tool with Walnut Stain, Broken China, Antique Linen, and Peeled Paint to add different areas of color to the background. I added a bunch of random images from Damask Frames, Woodgrain Silhouettes Additions, and All Occasion Tags.

A Spellbinder's label, my sentiment, and some seam binding finishes this one off.

Want to see more? Stop by to see what some of the Design Team has been up to:

• Elise Durenberger
• Hannah Craner
• Jinny Newlin
• Kerrianne Gwin
• Maile Belles
• Savitri Wilder

Want to win "Sweet Nothings"? Leave a comment by 11:59 pm EST November 29th and I will pick 1 random winner from the comments to win "Sweet Nothings". Winners will be posted here, be sure to check to see if you've won. I'll be back tomorrow with the full reveal and another chance to win! Thanks for joining us and hope to see you tomorrow!

December 2010 Release Day 1: So 80's

Welcome to Day 1 of the Wplus9 December 2010 Release! For those of you joining us for the first time, we will spend the next couple of days giving you some peeks at projects using the stamps from this month's release. All sets will be available for purchase at www.wplus9.com on December 1st.

We are introducing 2 new stamps sets this month. And both are sure to be a hit! First up, So 80's, is a set that I am personally in love with. It is different from anything I've seen out there.

So 80's

• is a 6x8 clear photopolymer stamp set
• contains 14 stamps; 8 sentiment builders, 5 background accents, and 1 image.
• will be available for purchase December 1st for just $19

This set is so much fun. It has a definite 80's pop art vibe and is a perfect set for really exploring your artsy creative side.

For my first card, I chose a vibrant colored patterned paper and used several of the images included in the set. I started by stamping one of the color half-tone background images onto white card base in red and added a scattering of stars also in red. I then stamped the "Awesome" sentiment in black on a 3.75" circle cut from transparency. I cut a 3.5" circle from the middle of my patterned paper, adhered the transparency to the backside and adhered the whole thing to the card base. I LOVE the font in this set, so fun and great for guys, kids, girls, and teens.

To finish this card, I added the "hope your day is" sentiment and a star, all included in the set.

For my next card, I used the same patterned paper, but wanted to show you another option for this set. These sentiments are perfect for masking. The font used, and large scale, make it a cinch to trim out. Here is a quick tip: Stamp each of the large sentiments onto a post it. Trim them out and store them on the back side of your stamp set. Now you have a set of masks that you can use over and over again.

Here, I stamped the "Rock" sentiment first. Then layed down my mask and stamped over it with the grungy paint stroke background accent from the set.

I added some circles with more patterned paper, inked all of the edges and added some white dashed lines. In the background I used another color half-tone image and stamped it randomly so that it would peek out from behind the patterned paper.

This one happens to be both of my boys favorite...so definitely a hit with the boys.

My last project today, is probably my favorite. I can see myself using this a lot for my friends, both guys and girls.

How much fun is that?! Paired with the other sentiments, there are a ton of occasions you can use this for. I started by stamping the paint stroke in Versamark onto pink cardstock and embossing with clear powder. I then used some Tim Holtz Distress Ink in Black Soot and sponged all over my tag. The embossed area resists the ink. I added some color half-tone patterns in white. To finish the background I added just a few stars.

To finish, I added the "Kick Ass" sentiment, paired with the "your so" sentiment and the star. This time I trimmed out "Kick Ass" and split it onto two separate lines. Love it!

Want to see more? Stop by to see what some of the Design Team has been up to:

• Elise Durenberger
• Jinny Newlin
• Kerrianne Gwin
• Maile Belles

Want to win "So 80's"? Leave a comment by 11:59 pm EST November 28th and I will pick 1 random winner from the comments to win "So 80's". Winners will be posted here, be sure to check to see if you've won. I'll be back tomorrow with a new set and another chance to win! Thanks for joining us and hope to see you tomorrow!

Save 25% - Black Friday Sale!

Shop Wplus9 this Friday AND Saturday and save 25% off your entire purchase!

Enter the following code during checkout to receive your discount:

blackfriday10

Spread the word! Happy Thanksgiving to all, I hope your day is filled with lots of love and family! I am truly thankful for each and every one of you!

All Eyes On...Distress Inks (video)

It's time for another All Eyes On...! And this month, we are focusing on my new obsession, distressing inks. I used Tim Holtz Distress Inks by Ranger, I absolutely LOVE these inks.

For today's project, I wanted to share my new favorite way to color images. I just love combining my Copics with these inks! The results are absolutely gorgeous.

And...I decided to create a little video to share the process with you. Ugh, hearing yourself on video is almost as bad as seeing yourself on video. LOL So please excuse the rambling, and the multiple "so"-s, apparently I was nervous. Sorry the quality is not the best, the camera is supposed to be HD, but maybe I didn't have enough light. Enjoy!

Be sure to visit the rest of the design team to see what they've created using distress inks.

• Elise Durenberger
• Jinny Newlin
• Kerrianne Gwin
• Hannah Craner
• Maile Belles
• Savitri Wilder

Project Supplies

Stamps: Ever After, Woodgrain Silhouettes Bundle, Mehndi Medallions (Wplus9)
Ink: Fired Brick, Antique Linen, Peeled Paint (Ranger); Copics
Paper: Rustic White cardstock (Papertrey Ink)

Color Cue {10}

Here is the inspiration photo for my colors. I used Kraft, Real Red (Stampin' Up!), and Plum Pudding (Papertrey Ink).

This month we have a treat for you. Each Design Team Member has also created their own personal color combos. You can pick one or play along with them all. Be sure to visit each of their blogs to see their samples and color equivalents by clicking on the appropriate color swatch.

Elise Durenberger

Hannah Craner

Jinny Newlin

Kerrianne Gwin

Maile Belles

Savitri Wilder

Details

Create a card, scrapbook page, digital layout, tag, whatever...just make sure to use the colors noted in the graphic. As always, black and white are allowed for neutrality and balance.

Create your project and post it to your blog or online photo gallery such as Flickr or SCS. Add a direct link to your project (not your homepage please) by clicking the "add your link" button below.

Deadline

You have until December 7th at 10:59 pm EST to play along. You will know the deadline has passed when the link to add your project is no longer available.

Bonus

If you have Wplus9 stamps in your stash, now would be the time to bust them out. I will be collecting lucky participants to feature as "On Cue with Color" here on the blog and at The Studio. If you don't have any yet...don't worry I still want to be inspired by you and you will still be featured here on the blog!

Now it's your turn!

November 2010 Release Week: Winners

Hey hey! It's Day 5 of Release Week. I have some bonus samples to show you...but unfortunately my computer has been holding them hostage! But, a successful recon mission has rescued them, and I will share them very soon. In the meantime. Thank you, thank you, thank you for all of your support and enthusiasm. The crafting community is really the best community of people, and I am so thrilled to be a part of it.

Winners for Days 1-4 have been posted here. Be sure to see if it's you, if you have not already.

And, because "Season of Giving" is upon us, and I am feeling very generous, I wanted to pick one more random winner from all comments to win the entire November release.

• Classic Christmas
• RetroGirly Christmas
• All Occasion Tags
• From The Kitchen Of

And the lucky winner is:

Christina who said:
What a great, timeless set! I love the fonts, too! I can't wait to try that Copic blender pen + ink technique. Thanks for the lesson!

Congratulations Christina! Contact me at dawn@wplus9.com with your address so I can get it into the mail for you!

Thanks again for joining us this month. I hope to continue bringing you new sets every month. I would love to grow and eventually offer a wider range of products. So if you love Wplus9, please spread the word.

November 2010 Release Week: Group Post

Good Morning all! It's day 4 of Release Week for all of those keeping count. If you've missed the previous posts, be sure to check them out. We have been having a blast showing you just some of the ways you can use the stamps released this month.

Are you ready for some "Homemade Holidays"? Today I asked the ladies to create (or buy) a treat and dress it up for holiday gift giving using the Homemade Holiday Bundle designed by the lovely and talented Hannah Craner.

OK, so I have warmed up much more to baking and cooking with age. There is actually a 9 or so year old joke running between my husband and I. One day early in our marriage he tells me about this "Cookie Party" that a co-worker of his is having and how she mentioned that I should come. You bake 2 dozen cookies and take them to this "party" and you all swap so you end up with 2 dozen mixed cookies. To which I responded, "Who do I look like, Betty Crocker?". Now I think this actually sounds like fun, but when I was 23 or so, it didn't sound like much of a "party" to me. LOL Now you may find the humor in my project below.

From The Kitchen Of: Betty Crocker. Ha! So every Thanksgiving it is my duty to bring my famous "Candied Pecans". (a recipe given to me years ago by my dear friend after I swore to never tell) I thought it would be a great idea to box up little individual portions and include a "knock-off" recipe card with them. This way they can have them anytime of the year they want...just not quite as good. But this recipe is very similar to what I create every year.

I used All Occassion Tags to dress up the Kraft box (Martha Stewart) and From The Kitchen Of to create the recipe card. One of the really great things about this recipe set is that because all of the pieces are separate, you can set up your recipe cards horizontally or vertically. Here I set mine up vertically and kept it one layer so the recipient can store it with the rest of their recipes. As usual, simple...but not short on style.

Check out what the rest of the team has been up to. Just click on the pics or names to visit their blogs and see their entire project.

Elise Durenberger

Hannah Craner

Jinny Newlin

Kerrianne Gwin

Maile Belles

Would you like to win the Homemade Holidays Bundle? Leave a comment telling me what your favorite edible holiday gift to give or receive is by Thursday Nov. 12th 11:59 pm EST.

I'll be back tomorrow with some bonus projects!

November 2010 Release Week: Day 3

It's Day 3 of November Release Week! If you are just joining us, we are spending all week getting down with design and celebrating in style with our newest stamp sets. All sets are currently available for purchase at www.wplus9.com

Today I have the honor of introducing our very own Hannah Craner's debut. We are so happy to have the very talented Hannah contributing to our fabulous line of stamps! And she does not dissapoint, with not one incredible set, but two!

All Occasion Tags

Details

Set of 22 high-quality photopolymer stamps;
1 tag, 1 label, 1 circle tag, 2 sets of journaling lines, 9 phrases, and 8 coordinating images
Full Set Dimensions: 6x8
Price: $19

From The Kitchen Of

Details

Set of 26 high-quality photopolymer stamps;
1 card frame, 2 sets of journaling lines, 6 complimentary recipe card building phrases, 1 section tab, 7 section titles and 9 coordinating section images.
Full Set Dimensions: 6x8
Price: $19

Both of these sets fill a void in my stash and they are fantastic. But they are even better together, so they are also available as the Homemade Holiday Bundle for just $33!

I am so excited to show you today's project. I'll be focusing on All Occasion Tags. I am having so much fun with this set.

I created this gorgeous little set of matching tags and cards. I absolutely love how these turned out. And you will be blown away by how simple it is to create. The card is a 4x4" Kraft card base inked all around the edges with white craft ink. The sentiment is from RetroGirly Christmas, heat embossed with white detail embossing powder. Here is a close up of the cards.

Now the focal image is really the star of these cards. I used the same technique for the focal image as I did for the background on the tags. So here's how I did it. Nothing too special, but the results definitely have that "wow factor".

I started by stamping the tag outline with Versamark and heat embossing with White Pearl embossing powder (Stampendous). Then I came back in and stamped the snowflake with Versamark and again heat embossed them with White Pearl. I think this is seriously my favorite snowflake silhouette ever. Now here's the magic...a little bit of emboss resist.

I have recently discovered Ranger's Distress Inks and can not get enough of them. Here I used Broken China and a blender tool to apply ink all over the tag. I varied the amount of ink and pressure. Once it was all covered, I wiped off the embossed areas with a damp paper towel to remove any excess ink.

For the center of the tags, I stamped the circle tag image and snowflake and punched them out with a 1.25" punch. Here they are all assembled.

And here's one last shot all together.

With all of the images in this set, just think of all of the occasions you could reuse this layout for!

Be sure to check out what the rest of the Design Team has been up to:

• Elise Durenberger
• Hannah Craner
• Jinny Newlin
• Kerrianne Gwin
• Maile Belles

Want to win All Occasion Tags? Leave a comment by Wednesday November 10th, 11:59 pm EST and I will pick one random winner.

Be sure to come back tomorrow to see what the Design Team has up it's sleeve for the Homemade Holiday Bundle!

November 2010 Release Week: Day 2

Welcome back to Day 2 of November 2010 Release Week. I am so happy to hear how excited you guys are about the new sets. I love reading all of your comments. Remember everything is currently available at The Studio.

Today, I am happy to formally introduce you to Kerriane's newest addition to the family, RetroGirly Christmas.

RetroGirly Christmas

Details

Set of 5 high-quality photopolymer stamps;
2 images and 3 sentiment phrases
Full Set Dimensions: 3x4
Price: $6

These adorable images are both cute and sophisticated. I'm usually not one to turn to the cute and fun style, but this set makes it super easy for me to tackle. And I mean, come on...who can resist that sassy little thing? At just $6 it's a steal.

First up, I went for a classic retro vibe circa 1950. The Thrift Shop Collection was a perfect fit.

I used Copics to color her and paper pieced her shopping bags. Not much else was needed to finish this one. I just love the pops of red.

Next up a quick and festive gift tag. I started with my current favorite tag base, a label from Spellbinders, and stamped my background using Design Basics: Backgrounds I and Versamark.

I stamped the holly leaves in Versafine Midnight Black and colored them with Copics. I punched them out using a 1.5" circle punch and matted it with one of those trendy accordion folded medallion. For that little extra something, I added some Glossy Accents to the berries. For balance, I added a thin strip of red with white dashed lines to compliment the saddle stitched ribbon at the top. A great traditional holiday tag.

For my last card, I just had to return to my shopping buddy. The holidays are all about mass production here, so with that in mind I came up with an easy and inexpensive layout to create cards for all of my girlfriends.

I just love paper piecing those bags! Don't you wish all shopping bags had such fabulous patterns?! Since the layout was so simple for this card, I wanted to add a few little details that can make a huge difference. I popped the bags on dimensionals, used a N1 Copic to outline the whole image, and added some inking around the edges of my focal panel. All of these little things help to add interest and depth without the added bulk or expense. Win, win.

Be sure to stop by some of the other Design Team's blogs to see more

• Kerrianne Gwin
Jinny Newlin
• Elise Durenberger

Would you like to win RetroGirly Christmas? Leave a comment by Tuesday November 9th, 11:59 pm EST and I will pick one random winner.

See you tomorrow with more fun as Hannah Craner makes her debut!