Hello 2019 with Pinkfresh Studio & CardMaps

Happy New Year, crafty friends! I hope that you had a wonderful time ringing in the new year...or sleeping in the new year, which is much more likely in this household. Lol! It's hard to believe that it is 2019, as it felt like last year just flew by. And I don't think this year is going to be much different, so my plan is just to take it all in and be in the moment as much as possible. Oh, and be much more on top of all my commitments, because I will definitely NOT have all the last minute time available that I did last year.

Last year was a year filled with a lot of healing for me, and it is the first time in quite awhile that I am looking forward to a new time in my life. I will always grieve, and hurt because of what I have been asked to live through. But it's the first time in awhile that a new year doesn't feel like I am leaving something behind, because the truth is that Ellie & Layton are always with me. I will always speak of them, and miss them, and do everything in my power to keep their memories alive. I look forward to another year of creating with those two little ones as my inspiration.

I don't really do the whole resolution thing, and I don't put much stock into a word for the year. But I've been thinking a little bit about the new year, and the words love & light keep popping into my thoughts. So I think I'll go with that. Trying to give more love & light, see more love & light as it's given unto me...and just spreading more kindness into this world one card at a time.

I've created two cards for my post today, both featuring some of the Indigo Hills 2 collection from Pinkfresh Studio. January 1 is always a fun time at Pinkfresh Studio, because we are announcing our January-June design teams! I am extremely excited about the teams that Kinnari and I have chosen for the next 6 months, and you can view that announcement HERE!

For my first card, I have used the Hello With A Bouquet die, which I thought was just perfect for welcoming in a new year! I paired it with my favorite sheet of ombre paper from the Indigo Hills 2 6x6 paper pad, and numbers from the Be You puffy alphas. I've also used some beautiful glitters that my friend, Ivana (who happens to have made the Pinkfresh card team! Eeeek!) sent to me over Christmas time. I just received them the other day, and knew I had to use them right away! I think they are from Stampendous, but I'm not completely sure...I just know that they are GORGEOUS!

To start, I diecut Hello With A Bouquet 4 times - once from ombre paper and three times from cougar white 130 LB cardstock. I made sure one of them was cut neatly from a 4 1/4 x 5 1/2 block of cardstock, so that I could lay it back in the block. I typically just use a bit of washi tape along some edges to help keep it in place. Then I adhered a transparent sheet over the back using Scor Tape. This adheres things down WELL, so is perfect for adding that transparent window needed for shakers.

Next I layered the remaining diecuts to the front with a Zig glue pen, then added foam tape all around the backside in order to keep the glitter inside of my shaker card. I shook some of that beautiful glitter to the middle of an A2 cougar white card base, then adhered the shaker window layer over top. I pressed down all the side evenly to make sure I got a good seal on the foam tape. We don't want any of that beautiful glitter escaping!

 Next I added the rose gold puffy stickers to the front to finish the sentiment, and made it appropriate for the new year! I added some extra Zig glue to the back of each sticker just to give it a little extra hold. I've always felt that letter stickers don't attach to cards very well, so I always add a little bit of extra adhesive when using them.

To finish, I accented all over with my signature jewels. This card is really quite simple when you really look at it, and I feel like the extra bling just gave it a little something...extra!

Card #2 is actually a collaboration between some of us at Pinkfresh Studio, and Becky Fleck, the owner of PageMaps. We took on her brand new CardMaps, and you can see our fun little feature HERE (you just need to scroll down a few cards). I've known Becky forever, so I was really excited when she reached out to see if collaboration was possible! If you are ever feeling a little stuck or need some inspiration, grab one of her sketches! I've always thought they are a great jumping off point. We are also hosting a $25 gift card giveaway on the PageMaps Facebook page, so be sure to follow her commenting prompt for your chance to win! :)

This is the card that I've created using the CardMap she assigned me. So, I actually saw my friend Flora's styled photo before I took mine...and I LOVE that she included her phone with the sketch on it. So, I totally used her idea & did the same. Lol! I thought it was a great way to share the sketch! Once again, I am also capitalizing on my newfound love of my old border punches...I am so glad I didn't get rid of them!

To start this card, I punched the scalloped border to five strips of Indigo Hills 2 patterned papers. I trimmed a sheet of white cardstock slightly smaller than an A2 card, then layered the paper strips to the front of it with 1/8 inch Scor Tape and thin Darice foam adhesive. I wrapped May Arts ivory twine around the top of it, then adhered the entire block to the front of an A2 card base cut from Bazzill Icy Mint cardstock.

Next I stamped the sentiment to the top of the card base in onyx black Versafine. Then I added an Indigo Hills 2 chipboard frame to the left side of the card, over top of the twine. Then I tied a double bow from matching twine, and adhered it to the middle of the chipboard frame. Finally, I accented the middle of the bow with a chipboard & puffy sticker heart.

Next I fussy cut the flowers from patterned paper, and adhered them underneath the stamped sentiment. Then I added some shimmer to the flowers with my Tonic Aqua Shimmer pen.

Finally,  accented here & there with my signature iridescent jewels to finish.

I have a giveaway up on my Instagram feed today, just find this image, and follow the prompts in my caption:

Giveaway is open until Saturday, January 5th at 11:59pm. I will pick & post the winner by Sunday at 2pm CST.

Well, that is what I have for you today! I update my Crafty Sales page with the latest promos as I get them, so be sure to check it out throughout the week (although I don't think there are any current right now). Before you move along with your day, I wanted to invite you to follow me on social media. I hang out on Instagram a lot, and share my work in progress in my stories...along with REALLY cute photos of my dogs! :) And of course, I would love for you to subscribe to my YouTube Channel. My channel has been pretty quiet recently - but I just got my new lights dialed in yesterday, and my craft studio organization is almost complete! So, there will be a TON more videos in 2019. You can expect my first video during the second week of January!

INSTAGRAM | YOUTUBE | FACEBOOK

 

You are going to see a new option up there....Facebook. I go back & forth on this a lot, but I was looking through my personal FB page the other day...and it was cards for days. It doesn't leave room for what I want my personal FB to have on it - personal photos & such. So, I have created a FB page for Lea Lawson Creates again. I would love to have you join, and be sure to subscribe to notifications so you don't miss out on anything. I would like to make the page interactive, and a way that we can actually hang out...so if you have any ideas on that, I would appreciate it! 

I hope that you have a wonderful rest of your New Year's Day!

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