WINNER: Get Sketchy Challenge #3

Hello everyone! Joni here with the winner of the Get Sketchy Challenge #3. 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 Rema! 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 November 8th, 2015.

Throwback Thursday #7 - Pretty Patches & Country Charm + a Winner

Before we get started, we have a winner to announce!

PURE COLOR with Kara #3 Winner

Congratulations entry #12 - Anita in France!

Please email 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)

Ready for another challenge? After taking a month off, I'm back with another Throwback Thursday Challenge! This month we are revisiting the adorable "Pretty Patches" series and Country Charm.

The Pretty Patches stamp sets are adorable and affordable at only $6 each. Each set has an image and two sentiments, one can be used on the inside and one for the outside. The beginning stamper can quickly build up a supply of products for many different occasions by purchasing the Pretty Patches stamp sets.

Usually I would begin with the first card I made and make my way to the last, but because these are seasonal cards, I feel like I should begin with Pretty Patches: Apple!

Wplus9 Supplies:

Stamps: County Charm, Pretty Patches:  Apple, Backgrounds & Borders 1 // Ink:  Cranberry Crush, Nautical Navy, White Pigment Ink // Cardstock:  White, Nautical Navy, Kraft// Dies:  Clear Cut Stackers:  Pinking Squares, Love Shower Layers Die, Pretty Patches Apple Die
 

All of my cards today feature the Love Showers Layers die as the focal point. I began this card by stamping the Ikat background on Kraft card stock. Next I die cut and inlaid a Nautical Navy Pinking Square. The apple was die cut and stamped with Cranberry Crush ink then adhered to the card with foam tape. I stamped the double line border in Nautical Navy ink on the top and bottom of the card base. I love the way that finishes off the card.

On this next card, I stepped up the design a bit by adding an extra layer. I stamped the tag again with the Borders & Backgrounds 1 stamp set, then just added the one border from Country Charm. I love how that grounds that stamped label.

Wplus9 Supplies:

Stamps: County Charm, Pretty Patches:  Pumpkin, Backgrounds & Borders 1 // Ink:   Flamingo, Wild Mango, Appletini, Beanstalk // Cardstock:  White, Nautical Navy, Kraft// Dies: Love Mom Layers Die, Gift Card Layers Die,  Love Shower Layers Die, Pretty Patches Pumpkin Die

And finally, this is my favorite of my cards today. I used the Country Charm stamp set to stamp my own plaid paper. It was so easy and just a great way to personalize your cards.

Wplus9 Supplies:

Stamps: County Charm, Pretty Patches:  Tree // Ink:  Cranberry Crush, Sweet Gelato, Last Leaf, Appletini // Cardstock:  White, // Dies:   Love Shower Layers Die, Pretty Patches Tree Die

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 #6 Winner

• #3 - Rema T.

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 #7 Entries

An InLinkz Link-up

Get Sketchy Challenge #3

Hello Everyone, Joni here with another installment of the Wplus9 Get Sketchy Challenge.

The sketch will run from September 8th thru September 29th and we will announce the winner on September 30, 2015. We only ask that you use ONE Wplus9 product on your wonderful project to be eligible for the prize of a $20 store credit at wplus9.com, which you can use however you wish. But of course, you may use as many Wplus9 products as you'd like!

For my take on the sketch, I stamped the images from the Wplus9 Smart Kitty stamp set and colored the images with Copic markers.

After coloring with markers I adhered the ombre patterned paper from My Mind's Eye Market Street "Ashbury Heights" 6x6 paper pad. Then I stamped the sentiment, also from the Smart Kitty stamp set with Versamark ink onto a brown scrap paper and heat embossed it with white embossing powder to help it stand out on the top panel.

To finish off the card I added some Pretty Pink Posh sequins in Tangerine and Sparkling Clear.

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 September 30, 2015.

Happy Crafting and Good Luck!

Get Sketchy #3 Entries

An InLinkz Link-up

Pure Color With Kara: #3 Stamping Text Over Stamped Images

Hello! I hope your are enjoying the last bit of summer. I am soaking up every minute.  This is Kara and I'm here today to share another PURE Color Combination inspired by a beautiful scarf that belonged to my mother-in-law.  Take a peek at my Instagram feed for a look at the inspiration piece.  The feather pattern on the scarf includes colors very similar to Fairy Dust, Silver Lining, Wild Mango, Pumpkin Spice, Bo Peep, and Nautical Navy.

My projects today both have backgrounds created by stamping text over stamped images.  I love the effect on both the masculine and feminine version.  This first card is a great encouragement card that would be perfect for a guy in your life.  The colors help create  a masculine feel, but as you will see below, they are gorgeous and unexpected colors for floral images as well.  I started by stamping one image from the Backgrounds and Borders 4 set repeatedly to create a pattern.  I would stamp several in one color and then switch to another color.  Make sure to clean the stamp well {and stamp off on scrap paper} in between colors.  If you stamp in order from light to dark, the amount of cleaning is minimized.  Once my background was complete, I stamped the text over top in black.

WPlus9 Supplies

Stamps: Backgrounds and Borders 4, Encouraging Words // Dies: Love Mom Layers, Banner Trio //Ink: Fairy Dust, Silver Lining, Bo Peep, Nautical Navy, Wild Mango, Pumpkin Spice, Black // Cardstock: White, Coal Mine

 

Using the Love Mom Layers large circle die, I cut away a circle from the front panel to reveal a coordinating sentiment stamped directly onto the card base.  I finished it off with a banner, from Banner Trio die, cut from Coal Mine cardstock and white heat embossed with a third sentiment from the Encouraging Words stamp set.

This second card mixes Watercolored Anemones with the new Grateful Greetings stamp set.  This stamp in particular has such a beautiful, feminine font that just works perfectly with any WP9 floral images you may have.  I stamped the panel the same way, images first then text.  I wanted to highlight the sentiment and also tone down the bold pattern.  To do this I used a piece of vellum with a die cut circle window to draw your attention to the center sentiment.  I used the same circle die that I used on the previous project.

WPlus9 Supplies

Stamps: Watercolored Anemones, Grateful Greetings, Hand Lettered Thanks // Dies: Love Mom Layers, Banner Trio //  Ink: Fairy Dust, Silver Lining, Bo Peep, Nautical Navy, Wild Mango, Pumpkin Spice, Black  //  Cardstock: White, Coal Mine 

 

Again, to add a secondary sentiment, I used the Banner Trio die to stamp and heat emboss a sentiment from Hand Lettered Thanks that really compliments the Grateful Greetings.

Play Along

Now it's your turn!
Use this color prompt 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 September 4th 11:59 p.m. EST, 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 #wplus9PureColor!

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.

Pure Color #3 Entries

An InLinkz Link-up

Thanks you so much for stopping by today! Come visit me on my blog for a look at the third project you see in the group photos using this PURE Color Combination.

August 2015 Release Day

It's Release Day! Every thing we've previewed this week is now available for purchase at wplus9.com as well as at many of your favorite retailers. I still have a couple of cards to share with you, so let's get to it.

There are some amazing crafters out there with ingenious ideas. For this pair of cards, I CASEd one of my favorites, Yana Smakula. She's amazing I tell ya.

I recently saw a couple of her cards where she used random solid images to "fill in" lined images and I immediately thought "holy crap, genius!". Quickly followed by, "This would be perfect for Greetings & Salutations stamps and die!"

I paired them up the new Wishing You stamp set and I have to say...daaang Yana, you're awesome! LOL

They were so easy to put together and yeah, they are my new favorite cards from this release. I just stamped out a full sheet in a color palette of Falling For Blue, Pumpkin Spice, Sweet Gelato, Last Leaf, Warm Wool and Black, and trimmed them down to several panels to use on multiple cards.

My other card for today was a spin off from a card I shared on Tuesday. I wanted to use the modern pattern and turn it into a more classic design. I paired it with our Grateful Greetings stamp set and the Gift Card Layers Die and I believe it did the trick.

Replace the sentiment with names and I could totally see these as place cards for Thanksgiving dinner.

I wanted to thank you all once again for your patience this release and for joining us this week and showing your support. I've said it before and I'll say it again...we have the best people in this industry!

August 2015 Release Week: Day 4

Hello! It's Day 4 of our August Release and you all have been so patient. But tonight is the night! All of the products we've been sharing will be available for purchase at wplus9.com as well as at many of your favorite retailers tonight at midnight.

If you are just joining us, you can catch up on Day 1, Day 2, or Day 3, and you will find a complete recap of all of the new products at the bottom of this post.

From the looks of the comments, you all are really enjoying this release, especially the cute animals. I'm so happy to hear that because I still have more to share with you today featuring the Wishing You stamp set and die!

My first card features the Momma/Papa bunny and it's little one along with some Copic coloring in a softer style.

Copic coloring can be very bold, and usually is, but these images begged to be demonstrated with a softer, almost airy feel. To keep everything light, I used stippling to create my background. This is very easy and forgiving as you just lay in a light messy wash of your base color and then add dots of darker color. Isn't that sentiment from the "Wishing You Sentiments" set perfect. *Love*

These images also look amazing with a bolder color palette, like this next card. I was going for a sunset (or a sunrise), not sure that I nailed it...but I like it anyway. It uses the new Falling For Blue ink so I'm sold! ;o)

I masked off the hill and sponged on our Flamingo dye ink. I then came in from the top with Bo Peep, layered on Falling For Blue, and finished off at the very top with Nautical Navy. I used a Copic 0 Blender to lift some "stars" out of the sky and around the moon to give it a "glow". Yep, you can use Copics and our inks together and they will react similarly to each other - lift color, blend colors, you name it.

To finish the sky, I added some shimmer using our Shimmer Spray Mist and a few stars from the Starry Background Die. The sentiment was stamped onto our Basic Banners die and I added a little shadow to the folds for some dimension.

Now, if Copics and sponging are not your thing. These look amazing with a very simple wash of watercolor as well. And I do mean SIMPLE. Like 10 minutes - entire card from start to finish - simple.

I stamped my images onto some Arches Hot Pressed watercolor paper and used my Gansai Tambi watercolors to very crudely and quickly add washes of color. I used very little water. And didn't take any care to create smooth transitions. You can see on the bunny, it's pretty much dry brushed. I personally love this style as a fun and quirky alternative to the more traditional smooth watercolors.

And finially, if you just want to do some good ol' clean stamping. Hey, that looks awesome too!

To create these 4 bar cards I stamped each one out using our Black dye ink. Then I die cut each bunny from fun foam. Yes, that stuff we played with as kids and now use as a cheap sturdy alternative for foam tape.

I attached the fun foam bunnies to an acrylic block using a little tape runner inked them up with our PURE COLOR dye inks and stamped them on their respective images. Now the fun foam die cut will be slightly larger than the outlined image, so I simply offset my stamping. Again, love the quirkiness of it.

I stamped in Bo Peep above and our new Hayride below.

And the last one in Warm Wool. I've tried this several times and you can really change it up by stamping them full strength and intense, or try stamping off once or twice (or more) for a different look. I stamped each of these off once before stamping onto my card.

That is it for me today. But I do have more, so I will be back again tomorrow.

As promised, here is a recap the entire release.

August 2015 Release - available 08/14/15

Photopolymer Clear Stamps

Going Places
4x6" Clear Stamp Set
$14 USD

Autumn Leaves
4x6" Clear Stamp Set
$14 USD

Wishing You
4x6" Clear Stamp Set
$14 USD

Wishing You Sentiments
3x4" Clear Stamp Set
$6 USD

Grateful Greetings
3x4" Clear Stamp Set
$6 USD

Steel Rule Dies

Going Places Companion Die

$18 USD

Autumn Leaves Companion Die

$15 USD

Wishing You Companion Die
$15 USD

Starry Background Die

$15 USD

Gift Card Layers Die
$28 USD

PURE COLOR Dye Ink - available EXCLUSIVELY at wplus9.com

Falling For Blue
Dye Ink
$6 USD

Hayride
Dye Ink
$6 USD

Gala Red
Dye Ink
$6 USD

Warm Wool
Dye Ink
$6 USD

Last Leaf
Dye Ink
$6 USD

Pumpkin Spice
Dye Ink
$6 USD

Design Team Inspiration

Be sure to stop by and see what the design has been up to as well:

• Joni Nina Andaya
• Kara Vrabel
• Kelly Latevola

Giveaway Alert

Would you like to win a $50 store credit to wplus9.com? Just leave a comment below by 10:00 p.m. EST tonight, 08/13/15 to enter and I will select one random winner from all comments. Winner will be posted on our Release Winners page by 11:00 p.m. EST tonight.