Summer Happiness

If you are looking for our July Release countdown post, we have been delayed. Our sneak peeks will begin on the 7th this month and all sets will be available for purchase on July 10th. It will be an exciting one too, with 3 new stamp set and 2 new steel rule dies! In the meantime, I've got a little something to share with you today.

What can I say? I'm on a shabby chic/layered kick lately.

I had so much fun with this one. I paired the lovely Thrift Shop collection patterned papers from October Afternoon, along with Flora & Fauna I and Spring Post stamps to create this vibrant, fresh and crisp summery card.

These little tags are perfect to have on hand. You can mass produce the same design with a couple of different sentiments and color combos. Use them on the front of a card, or to add to a gift bag when you need something quick. Hope your week is off to a great start, thanks for stopping by!

Project Supplies

Stamps: Flora & Fauna I, Spring Post (Wplus9 Design Studio); Wedding Wordprints (Hero Arts)
Ink: Real Red, Tempting Turquoise, So Saffron (Stampin' Up!); Versamark; Jet Black Archival Ink (Ranger); Frayed Burlap (Ranger Distress Ink)
Cardstock: Rustic White (Papertrey Ink)
Patterned Paper: Thrift Shop collection (October Afternoon)
Fibers: Ribbon, twine (Papertrey Ink)
Other: Border punch (Fiskars); Buttons (Papertrey Ink); Doily (Wilton); ink blending tool (Ranger); sewing machine and thread

Papercrafts Magazine: Meet Cristina Kowalczyk

Join me in congratulating our very own Cristina as she is spotlighted over on the Papercrafts Magazine blog. Our very own cover girl, Cristina, has 10 cards published in the current Stamp It! Cards issue, including the cover!

Congratulations Cristina! Be sure to head over to the Papercrafts Magazine blog where they are giving away Wplus9's Poinsettia Patterns stamp set to two lucky commenters!

The Anatomy of Shabby Chic

Don't adjust your monitors. Yes, I said shabby-chic. I have been trying to hone my shabbiness. After doing some studying of the anatomy of a shabby-chic card by way of the beautiful creations of the likes of Sarah Martina Parker and Jean Martin, just to name a few - I have come to this conclusion:

I used a ton of product on this little number and have to admit, I quite like it. It's not award-winning by any means...but it is definitely so far from my usual, that I just have to feel a little bit good about it.

So what have I learned?

• Color - color plays a huge part here. The colors can be contrasting or similar, but you definitely need something crisp to keep the colors from becoming too muddy. Trust me, there is a fine line between shabby and dirty.
• Soften The Edges - if the color is dark, soften it with white. If it is light, soften it with brown/tan. Use a paint brush to apply or a blending sponged, be random, no deliberate pattern here.
• Pattern - embrace the power of a pattern. Almost any pattern can be incorporated into a shabby chic card. Even if the colors seem to bright or the pattern too bold, refer to "Soften The Edges" and take it a step further and consider a spritzing with a Glimmer Mist to tone it tone a bit.

• Alternate Layers - layers are a huge part in shabby-chic. To keep it from becoming too busy, alternate your layers. Started with a bold tight pattern? Make your next layer a softer or lighter pattern. Or try a solid color for your next layer (but don't forget to Soften The Edges)
• Bring It Into Focus - Create a focal point with a group of smaller items that can be viewed as a whole - A die cut with a sentiment, a die-cut embellishment, and a tag perhaps. Just like with CAS, follow the rule of thirds, guide the eye, and bring it to the focal point.
• Embellish, Embellish, Embellish - this part can be tricky, you can quickly end up with something that looks like grandma's trunk just exploded on your card. Cluster your embellishments in groups of three to start - a ribbon, a button, and a twine bow. Or perhaps a ribbon, a flower, and a stickpin.

• Don't Forget The Lace - yeah, I don't care how you incorporate it - with a doily, trim, fabric, stamp it...just get it on there!

So there you have my - totally amateur - break down of the anatomy of shabby chic. Just my findings...feel free to add any pointers, I will take all I can get. Learning something new is always fun!

Project Supplies

Stamps: Flora & Fauna I, Filigreed Frames, Brothers & Sisters (Wplus9); Wedding Word Print (Hero Arts
Ink: Antique Linen distress ink (Tim Holtz by Ranger); Fresh Snow, Aqua Mist (Papertrey Ink); Chocolate Chip (Stampin' Up!); Sand Glimmer Mist (Tattered Angels)
Cardstock: Vintage White, Aqua Mist (Papertrey Ink)
Patterned Paper: Portrait Collection (Crate Paper)
Fibers: Seam Binding (Hug Snug); Jute twine (Papertrey Ink); Lace Trim (Simplicity)
Dies: All Occasion Label designer die (Wplus9); Mat Stack die (Papertrey Ink); Top Note die (Stampin' Up!)
Other: Mulberry Paper Mini Roses (Recollections); Doily (Wilton)

June - All Eyes On...You

Happy Monday all!

How was your Father's Day weekend? Ours was fantastic. I just have to take a small moment to say thank you to my husband -(cause I know he's reading) for being the most amazing father ever. We love you!

It's the 20th of the month and that means it's time for another All Eyes On. I thought it was about time to turn our eyes to the Flickr Gallery for another edition of All Eyes On You! And Wow! There have been some amazing additions to the gallery. I had a blast looking through all of the fantastic projects while looking for one to CASE. I was in need of a Father's Day card, so I was drawn to this one by Wendy:

First of all, let me just say this is perfect just the way it is. Rather than trying to selectively edit it, I chose to use the concept as a starting point. I love her "waves" of torn paper and her minimal color. The paper origami boat??? To Die For! I decided to take it in a cute and fun direction (another difficult style for me) and came up with this:

I used Guiding Light and Woodgrain Silhouettes for the sentiment. I still much prefer her version, but was so happy for the inspiration...and Jason loves it. So mission accomplished. ;o)

Thanks so much for stopping by today, and be sure to check out the rest of the design team to see who they chose to CASE:

• Elise Durenberger
• Cristina Kowalczyk
• Jinny Newlin
• Kerrianne Gwin
• Lea Lawson
• Savitri Wilder
• Jean Martin

Color Cue {16}

Details

Create a card, scrapbook page, digital layout, tag, whatever...just make sure to use the colors noted in the graphic above. This month we are using Plum, Green, Aqua, and Red. As always, white/cream and/or black/brown is allowed for neutrality.

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 July 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.

One random winner will be selected to win a Wplus9 stamp set of their choice. Three additional honorable mentions will be selected by me.

Ready for a little inspiration to get you started?

Dawn Woleslagle

For my card, I wanted to focus on those fabulous bold colors. CAS/Bold & Graphic cards are my go-to style when dealing with vibrant colors. I find it easier for me to balance the colors with lots of white space. I used Design Basics: Backgrounds II to create the strips of vines in rainbow fashion. I masked off a strip about 2/3rds of the way down to add my sentiment from Funky Foliage. To frame the focal point, I used the dotted journal line from Pile It On.

Jinny Newlin

Lea Lawson

Cristina Kowalczyk

Jean Martin

Kerrianne Gwin

Elise Durenberger

Savitri Wilder

Now it's your turn. Can't wait to see what you come up with!

On Cue {14}

Hey guys! I'm back with the winners of Color Cue 14. The random winner of a Wplus9 stamp set of their choice is:

Amber

And the top three that caught my eye:

Congratulations Amber! Email me at dawn@wplus9.com with your choice of stamps!

Design Clips: One Layer Thank You

Hello bloggies! I hope you have all had a fantastic weekend. Ours was fantastic! Kerrianne and I were finally able to get together for a birthday dinner and movie. OMG, Bridesmaids was hilarious! If you like over-the-top female comedy...this is the one. We laughed so much.

I've got an elegant and simple one layer card and video to share with you. This layout makes a fantastic, fast and inexpensive card set.

Watch above or Watch at YouTube.

Thanks for stopping by today, hope your week gets off to a great start.

Project Supplies

Stamps: Filigreed Frames, Flora & Fauna I (Wplus9 Design Studio)
Ink: Fresh Snow (Papertrey Ink); True Black (Ranger)
Cardstock: Kraft (Papertrey Ink)
Other: Corner Chomper (We R Memory Keepers); Rustic Twine (Papertrey Ink)

June 2011 Release: Group Post

It's Release Day! Our June release is now available at www.wplus9.com. I know I've had a blast gettin' my party on with Pile It On. But the girls have been doing their share of partying as well. Oh how do I love these talented ladies? Let me count the ways:

1. Jinny Newlin

I love her use of Design Basics: Backgrounds I tucked behind that beautiful bow. The glittery icing and the vellum banner with the embossed sentiment is just the icing on the cake.

2. Kerrianne Gwin

I'm a sucker for the broken journaling line paired with the fun banner. The little bows are the perfect finishing touch. Kerrianne is always so fearless when it comes to color and patterns. Bravo!

3. Lea Lawson

I really love that every time I visit Lea's blog, I can count on finding something that makes me go "why didn't I think of that?!". Seriously. The little loopies in the twine paired with the detached "pennants" (which are really ice cream cones)...a fantastic touch that takes this from "been there, done that", to "gotta try that"! And did you notice here "exclamation point"? She's on fire!

4. Savitri Wilder

Savitri really has a way with simply chic. Love the way she's punched holes in the pennants to string her twine through, and the fact that she has intentionally layered and bunched them together. Her work always seems so effortless, kind of like that girl, you know the one...the one that rolls out of bed and without even trying, looks fabulous (cough, Kerrianne, cough).

5. Elise Durenberger

OK, I literally squealed when I saw this. If I were to be reincarnated, it would be as a stamp, and not just any stamp...a stamp in Ms. Elise's craft room please! The thought, the time, the creativity just oozes from everything she does. I can't believe she created this super fun collage using just Pile It On for all but 3 stamps! Can you find them, can you name the set they come from?

6. Jean Martin

First I am amazed at how Jean has taken this traditionally fun and graphic stamp set, and incorporated it into her shabby-chic style. I will admit, I feared that I might be throwing her a curve ball for her first stamp set on the Design Team. I didn't fear whether she could handle it, I worried that she would hate me. LOL But I have got to bow down and admire how amazingly well she has showcased just how versatile this set is. Did you see her samples yesterday? Amazing.

7. Cristina Kowalczyk

I am convinced that Cristina could craft with with her eyes closed and one hand tied behind her back! Her color choice is divine, execution is flawless, and the balance couldn't be more perfect. I especially love the fact that she chose black for her sentiment. The heavy color draws the eye down and keeps the design from feeling top-heavy.

If you've made it this far...CONGRATS! Sorry to ramble on, but the Design Team is so amazing and I don't always get to comment on their posts during the release. So I like to take a little extra time when I can and show them some love. Thank you so much for joining us for another fantastic release!

Don't forget to check if you were one of the lucky winners of our June Release on the Winner's Page