Hey there, Stampers!

Welcome to my blog!

I'm excited to share today's cards with you as part of a collaboration between Catherine Pooler Designs and WOW.

If you're not familiar with either the Catherine Pooler Designs products or the WOW products, you can head here to check out Catherine's shop and here to check out the WOW shop.

Today's cards feature a previously released Stamp of Approval collection from Catherine Pooler and some fantastic embossing powders from WOW.

I thought it would be fun to create a notecard set for today's project, so I trimmed down some white cardstock pieces to be a little smaller than a 4-bar size.

I stamped the images from The World Awaits set in Versamark ink on to my cardstock, and then used various colors of WOW Embossing powder. I heat set the images until the powder melted and then set them aside to let them cool.



To give some fun interest to the notecards, I used the Postage Stamp Dies to cut out my cardstock panels. I then cut a few standard 4-bar size cardstock mattes, and used an ink blending tool to apply various Catherine Pooler inks to the edges. I chose inks that coordinated with my embossing powders, and check out the match?!?! Couldn't have planned it any better!



I used a gray copic marker to outline and blend out the edges of my embossed images to make them pop off the card a little more. This is a great trick to have in your arsenal if you feel like your card is falling a little flat. Adding a cast shadow with your copics can step up the entire card quite a bit.



I then used the same inks and stamped a sentiment from the same set on to a cardstock strip and cut a "v" shape into the end, creating a banner. I popped that sentiment banner up with foam tape and adhered it down to my card. For the bright yellow card, I used a blank ink because I knew the yellow would be just a bit too bright with everything else going on in that card!


I glued the embossed card panels on to my larger ink blended panel, and then glued that whole assembly on to a cut and scored 4-bar note card.

Thanks so much for stopping by today! We have a some fun prizes lined up for you, so here are the details!



The winners will be chosen at random from the comments left on all the posts of this blog hop. Find out the details of when the winners will be announced over at Catherine's blog.

Welcome to my blog!

Today is such an exciting day, so I hope you're ready for another really great release! The newest Catherine Pooler products are available for purchase now! You can find the entire release here.

For our first card, I couldn't wait to break out that BEAUTIFUL patterned paper! Can we just take a minute to realize that I JUST CAN'T EVEN with this paper and the fact that it coordinates with CP Inks!! When I opened the package, I seriously said out loud, "You just shut your face with this stuff, Catherine." The products just keep getting better and better.



When you've got patterned paper that you're not quite sure what to do with, my advice is to go clean and simple--and that's exactly what I did for this card. I cut some square pieces of the patterned paper, mounted them with fun foam and then glued them down on to my 4 x 5.25 inch card panel. I then chose a sentiment and heart image from the Bon Voyage Stamp set (an item in a previous SOA collection also being released!) and stamped it in Grape Crush, one of the coordinating ink colors. I cut a 4.25 x 5.5 inch piece of the patterned paper and glued it flat on to a cut and scored 4.25 x 5.5 inch card base to finish it off.



For the next card, I incorporated one of my favorite techniques--foiling! I used some transfer gel on the Twisted Sunburst Stencil and then ran it through my laminator with a piece of foil once the gel had dried. I trimmed it down to 4 x 5.25 inches and then adhered it on to a cut and scored 4.25 x 5.5 inch card base.



I stamped some of the images from the Say It In Diamonds set with Grape Crush and All that Jazz inks and then trimmed them down. I also created some matte pieces to go behind the images by cutting out some scraps slightly bigger than my diamond images and applying the matching inkes on to the edges. I then popped the assembled piece up with fun foam and glued them down on to my card panel.



Now, on to the PRIZES!

Comment on each stop along the blog hop for a chance to win TWO free ink pads (and free shipping)! Winners will be announced Friday evening, June 22 on Catherine Pooler's blog.

Here is the lineup for today:

1. Catherine Pooler 
2. Josefine Fouarge
3. Jen Carter
4. Ashlea Cornell
5. Melissa Miller
6. Kelly Martin (you are here!)
7. Karen Baker (go here next!)
8. Illina Crouse

Thanks so much for stopping by and happy crafting!

Kelly


Supplies Used:
Stamps: Say it in Diamonds, Bon Voyage
Stencil: Twisted Sunburst
Inks: Grape Crush, All That Jazz, Midnight
Paper: Catherine Pooler Premium white cardstock, Paisley and Peacocks Patterned paper
Miscellaneous: Thermoweb Deco Foil in Platinum, iCraft Deco Foil Transfer Gel

Hey Stampers!

Oh my goodness, can you FEEL THE EXCITEMENT???? We crafters are nothing, if not reeeeeally skilled at stringing out a moment, you feel me?!?! You've come to hear about the Stamp of Approval collection, so climb aboard the crazy train and let's go!

But before we get to the card, let's talk about the Stamp of Approval Collection. If you aren't familiar with it, the Stamp of Approval collection is an exclusive collection of crafting goodies that are boxed up in a fantastic package to keep you crafting for weeks and months on end! The items in the collection are designed exclusively for the package and are not available individually for many more months after the collection is released. Find out more about the Stamp of Approval collection here, and be sure to subscribe to the wait list to be notified of the sales link, because the collections sell out VERY quickly! AND....spoiler alert: Surprises!



Existing on this earth are only two kinds of people: Those who love surprises, and those who are wrong. And that is all there is to say about surprise items in the SOA collection. But back to the cards...

The first card uses the Suburst Die from the collection. Look at this die and tell me you don't immediately think of fireworks?? After cutting and scoring a 4.25 x 5.5 inch piece of CPD premium white cardstock for a card base, you'll want to set it aside and then cut a panel with the same measurements.


Don't you just love using old faithful card-making techniques like ink smooshing? Techniques like this will save your bacon every single day. You'll want to use a mystery goodie in the box along with your favorite Catherine Pooler inks for the background. Smoosh the inks on to an acrylic block, spray the block with water, and then use the block to smoosh the ink around on your card panel. Heat set the panel and then repeat the ink smooshing and heat setting process all over again until you get the layers you want.



Then, grab your Sunburst die to cut several pieces from Catherine Pooler premium white cardstock. Layer them up around the panel to create your faux fireworks. BONUS: These fireworks are so safe, even a baby could handle them! ☺Now take a deep breath cause the hardest part is over!
Use a few stamps from The World Awaits stamp set in the collection to create the sentiment panel. If you prefer a bolder sentiment, double stamp the sentiment and then die cut it with one of the small dies from the Postage Stamp die set in the collection. And now here's your chance to use up some odds and ends in your scrap drawer! I chose random enamel dots that matched the ink colors, but you could use sequins, Nuvo drops, or anything else that strikes your fancy! Adhere the panel to your scored card base.



Bear with me while I swoon over these hot air balloons!!! Have you ever been on a hot air balloon ride? Definitely a bucket list item for me. For the second card, pull out the Love Is In The Air stamp and die set. You'll want to grab your favorite Catherine Pooler inks again, too!



Cut and score your 4.25 x 5.5 inch card base and then cut a panel of the same dimensions. You'll want to mask off the bottom portion of the card and then use an ink blending tool and your favorite blue shade to create the sky. Then, stamp the hot air balloon images, die cut them out, and glue them to the panel. Die cut the clouds from the same cardstock and glue them to the panel as well, tucking them behind some balloons and then leaving them in front of some balloons. This will give you depth and variation to the panel. Choose a sentiment from the set and stamp it in the masked off bottom portion, and then finish off the card by gluing the panel to your card base.






Thanks again for stopping by for the hop. Be sure to hop along to the other designer's blogs and leave a comment at each blog for a chance to win the entire Love Is In The Air Stamp of Approval Collection, or a $100 gift certificate to Catherine Pooler Designs if you've already purchased your collection. One winner will be randomly chosen each day from that day's blog posts. The blog hop started January 6th and ends today, January 8th. The winner will be announced on Catherine Pooler's blog on January 10th. Here are today's posters:

1. Catherine Pooler
2. Lydia Evans
3. Cynde Whitlow
4. Laurel Beard
5. Lisa Harrolle
6. Kelly Martin--you are here!
7. Ashlea Cornell
8. Maureen Merritt

Good luck and happy creating!

Kelly