Happy Monday, friends! Today I am excited to share that our Holiday stamp & die release is LIVE in the Pinkfresh Studio store. This release includes (5) 4x6 stamp sets, some with coordinating dies. It also includes (2) new standalone diecut sets. This release is festive, modern, and full of heartfelt holiday sentiments!

I've got SO much to share with you in this post! We have an amazing blog hop line-up full of so much talent, it makes me smile! We've got TONS of GIVEAWAYS and INSPIRATION!

Here is a look at all of the new products:


I will get to the giveaway & blog hop info at the end of my post, but how about we get to my cards first? I've got 5 cards to share with you today using these amazing new products.

Up first, I've used the Classic Holiday Words and Layered Wreath standalone dies on this card. There are so many amazing options with these two die sets, and the great thing about the Layered Wreath is that you can use it for every season! We've included flowers & berries, so you can change up the accents. Switch out your colors, and you can create a wreath for every season.

HOW TO CREATE:
1. Diecut the largest Stitched Rectangle die from white cardstock, then adhere to a cashmere A2 card base with foam adhesive.
2. Diecut the wreath twice from gold & white glitter papers, then diecut the wreath accents from gold paper 6 times.
3. Diecut the bow from gold glitter paper and assemble.
4. Layer & adhere the wreath together with mixed media adhesive, then accent with Essentials: Jewels Mix.
5. Layer the wreath to the card front.
6. Diecut the sentiment (3) times: once from rose gold glitter paper, and twice from white cardstock. Diecut the shadow from vellum.
7. Stack & adhere the sentiments together, then adhered to the vellum shadow.
8. Adhere the sentiment to the wreath middle to finish.


Up next, I kept with the rose & golden tones, and used the gorgeous Season's Greetings stamp & diecut set. This is our first stamp set designed by Alex Syberia, and she has done an amazing job! The wreath is so lovely & delicate, and will make for very easy coloring! You can also ink blend in place of coloring, or leave it as is for gorgeous simplicity.

HOW TO CREATE:
1. Stamp & heat emboss the wreath in white to a white cardstock panel.
2. Ink blend the panel with Delicata Golden Glitz ink, then diecut with the largest Diagonal Stitched Rectangle.
3. Diecut the wreath, then add a little extra gold ink blending to the outer edges.
4. Layer the gold panel to a white panel, then stamp the sentiment to the middle in onyx black Versafine.
5. Adhere to a cashmere A2 card base with a full panel of foam adhesive.
6. Stamp & heat emboss the ribbon in white to Strathmore Bristol cardstock.
7. Color in the ribbon with Zig markers in shades of pink, then diecut.
8. Adhere the wreath to the front with foam tape, then color in the flowers with the same Zig colors used above.
9. Adhere the ribbon to the wreath, then finish by accenting with the Essentials: Jewels Mix.


Up next is a stamp set I am SO excited about! It is ADORABLE, and I love anything that has mountains...this card features the Skiing By stamp set and coordinating dies. Our Christmas critters have returned in 2019, and this year they are skiing...how CUTE is that? The set of dies not only includes coordinating dies to cut out the critters & trees, but also a mountain & hill for amazing scene building! These scene building pieces would also be perfect to use with last year's Christmas critter stamp sets.

HOW TO CREATE:
1. Diecut all the scene building layers - the mountains from distress watercolor paper, the ski hills, snow caps and background panel from white cardstock.
2. Cover the snow caps in chunky glitter, then adhered to the mountain layer.
3. Paint the mountains with gray layers using watered down Licorice liquid watercolor.
4. Ink blend the snow drifts to the ski hills, then the cotton candy sky to the background panel.
5. Adhere the scene layers to a white A2 card base, popping just the tops up of each layer.
6. Stamp the critters & trees to Strathmore Bristol paper in onyx black Versafine, then color with Zig markers.
7. Diecut the critters, and adhered to the mountain scene, popping only their top half with foam dots.
8. Stamp the banner from Home for the Holidays, then the sentiment from Skiing By in onyx black Versafine.
9. Fussy cut the banner, then wrap & adhered around a clear topped pin. Poke it through a foam dot under the smaller snow cap to finish.


The final two cards have similar backgrounds, just done in different colors. I've created these backgrounds with our liquid watercolor, and they are quite easy! It just takes a little bit of patience.

For this first one, I've used Sapphire at the top and Aquamarine at the bottom. I start with using the color as is at the very top, then add some water for the rest of the layers. You just need to dry in between layers, and for this, I used my heat tool. It's an important step, or the colors will bleed A LOT. This card features the fresh & modern Sparkle With Magic stamp set. I'm going to be real, it does take a little bit of time to line everything up and get everything straight...but it is SO worth it. Just look at how wonderful & modern this Christmas card is!

HOW TO CREATE:
1. Paint the gradient background to Strathmore watercolor paper.
2. Diecut with the largest Stitched Rectangle, then cover with shimmer spray.
3. Once dry, stamp & heat emboss the design in sections. I used the image on the back of the stamp packaging as a guide.
4. Adhere the panel to a white A2 card base with a full panel of foam adhesive.
5. Accent with the Essentials: Jewels Mix to finish.


The background on this card was done exactly the same as above, except that I added a strip of purple tape to the middle to be sure that these colors didn't mix at all. Green & red make a brown, which I definitely didn't want on my card. I've used the Merry Days stamp set and coordinating die on this final card. Inspired by Scandinavian design, there are SO many ways to use this set. Place the diecut tree over top of the main image so they peek through. You can also stamp then diecut the images and use them separately. OR, use just the negative of the tree die to create a shaker card.


HOW TO CREATE:
1. Paint the gradient background to Strathmore watercolor paper.
2. Diecut with the largest Stitched Rectangle, then cover with shimmer spray.
3. Once dry, stamp & heat emboss the tree to the front.
4. Adhere the panel to a white A2 card base with a full panel of foam adhesive.
5. Diecut the tree from white cardstock, and adhere with foam dots & strips over top the embossing.
6. Stamp & heat emboss the sentiment to white cardstock, then trim into a strip.
7. Adhered the sentiment to the diecut tree, then trim off the excess on each side.
8. Accent with Essentials: Jewels Mix & self adhesive red jewels to finish.


Those are all the cards I have to share with you today! How about we get to all the info you need for this new release!

You have the chance to win a $25 gift card sponsored by Pinkfresh Studio from my blog {and all the other posts on the blog hop too!} - all you have to do is leave a comment!
You also have the chance to win the full release on the Pinkfresh Studio blog {linked below} and our Instagram feed. You have until Sunday, October 6th to leave your comments. The winners will be picked & posted to the Giveaway Page the Monday after, and you must follow the instructions on that page to claim your prize.

Happy Saturday, crafty friends! I wanted to pop in over the weekend and share this card trio that is full of fall vibes! I've picked a deep, jewel toned color palette, and used them to do some no-line coloring on all the florals! I wanted to be sure to get these on my blog this weekend, as next week it is going to be Christmas city over here with our new release on Monday!

I actually created this card set for a Practical Publishing ad that is hitting issues now, so I felt good about finally sharing them! Fun fact: a lot of the sets you will see on my blog end up in an advertisement. Lol! I have to make efficient use of my time with being so busy, so that is one way I help use my time effectively. :)

This first card uses the Floral Vase stamp set and coordinating dies, and the sentiment is from the Delicate Wreath stamp set. I've also used our brand new inks on the vase, which will be releasing in October! We are so excited about them!
HOW TO CREATE:
1. Stamp the vase layers in blue inks and the stems in green to white cardstock, then diecut.
2. Stamp the florals to Strathmore Bristol paper in Ink on 3 Fadeout Ink.
3. Color the florals with Zig Clean Color Real Brush Markers, using 2-3 shades of each color.
4. Diecut the florals, then trim off the stem piece.
5. Diecut the largest Diagonal Stitched Rectangle from white cardstock, then stamp the sentiment to it in onyx black Versafine ink.
6. Adhere the diecut panel to a yellow A2 card base with a full panel of foam adhesive.
7. Layer the vase and the florals to the right side, popping the top of the florals up with foam dots.
8. Accent with Essentials: Jewels Mix in blue, yellow & white to finish.


I channeled my inner Laura Bassen on this card, and pulled some jewel toned cardstock pieces in rainbow order. The concept of this card came first for the entire set, and it is how I picked the colors of the Zig markers for my florals! I've used the new Leafy Branch die, along with the Kelly Alpha Uppercase and Lowercase die sets. The heat embossed part of the sentiment is from the Abstract Builder stamp set.
HOW TO CREATE:
1. Trim colored cardstock strips into different widths, then adhere in rainbow order to 80 LB white cardstock.
2. Diecut the striped panel with the smallest Stitched Rectangle die.
3. Diecut the leafy branch and the letters three times from white cardstock, then stack & adhered together.
4. Stamp & heat emboss the word hello in Gilded to the left side of the wider yellow strip.
5. Adhere the striped panel to the middle of a white A2 card base with foam adhesive.
6. Layer the letters next to the heat embossing, then adhere the leafy branch in the upper right corner.
7. Accent with Essentials: Jewels Mix in blue, gold & white to finish.


This third card is the simplest of all three, but probably took the longest due to all of the coloring. I ended up not loving how I colored the orange flower, but I wasn't about to waste all that time...so I decided it would be the perfect place for the sentiment. It covers up the area I'm not excited about, but you still get that nice touch of orange that gives you all the Fall feels. 
HOW TO CREATE:
1. Stamp the florals to Strathmore Bristol paper in Ink on 3 Fadeout Ink.
2. Color the florals with Zig Clean Color Real Brush Markers, using 2-3 shades of each color.
3. Diecut the floral piece with the largest Stiched Rectangle die, then add a full panel of foam adhesive to the back.
4. Stamp & heat emboss the sentiment in Gilded to a strip of 40 LB Vellum.
5. Wrap the sentiment around the floral panel, adhering it to the exposed adhesive on the back.
6. Layer the entire floral piece to a blue A2 card base.
7. Accent with Essentials: Jewels Mix in blue, gold & white to finish.


That is everything I have to share with you today! I am thinking about formatting my blog posts a little differently, and tested it out on this one. Feel free to share your thoughts (**nicely) in the comments! :)

Before you move along with your weekend, I wanted to invite you to follow me on social media. I would love to be crafty friends!

Happy Friday, crafty friends! I hope that you've had a wonderful week! Mine has been ridiculously busy, but I think that is just my new normal these days. Thankfully I have a job that I really love! I just wanted to pop in today and share Pinkfresh Studio's weekend promo, because it's a good one!

 This weekend you can get 40% off all our 2018 Holiday stamps & dies by using the code 40OFF18HDAY. This code is valid through Sunday, 9/29 at 11:59pm CST or while supplies last. Shop early for the best selection! You can find all the sets linked HERE.

I've used almost all of these sets in the past. You can see last year's Pinkfresh Studio Holiday Card Series, which was a week long series of holiday cards using these stamps & dies. This blog post has a card, and a video using Great Joy. You can also see the cutie Skating Bunnies in action again HERE.

There is one stamp set that I never got a moment to use, and that is Train Ride. So I whipped up a card for today using this set, and decided to go with a birthday theme, rather than Christmas. I love when stamps have versatility, and can be used for more than one sentiment!

Because these stamps have layers so you can mix & match colors if you'd like, I suggest cutting them out first with the Train Ride dies. Then you can use the panel that you cut them from as a jig, and stamp the layers in with either a MISTI or a clear block. I am not very good at lining stamps up, so I used my MISTI to stamp all the train pieces to their corresponding diecut.

I am giving you a peek at our brand new inks that will be releasing in October! We have been working on them for MONTHS, and we are so excited about how they turned out. I have created the smooshed background and done all the stamping with these inks - mostly using the lighter tones in our collection. Be on the lookout in mid-October for more information!

I diecut the background panel with the Essentials: Stitched Rectangles die, then layered it to an aqua A2 card base with a full panel of foam adhesive. Then I layered the stamped train to the front, popping up some pieces with foam dots. I stamped & heat embossed the sentiment to blue cardstock, then cut out with a banner die. I wrapped the left end around a pin, then adhered it with strong adhesive. Finally, I stuck it into one of the foam dots popping up the front train car. To finish the card, I accented it with some Essentials: Jewels Mix.

Happy Monday, crafty friends! I hope you had a good weekend. We spent some time finishing up some training for our foster care relicensing. We also watched football, hung out with our neighbors at a neighborhood brewery and I got some cardmaking in!

So, last week I did a thing...I signed up for The Ton Craft Retreat in March 2020. Josh and I have been talking about taking a trip to Manhattan FOREVER. Little did I know, he wanted to do it for my 40th birthday, which is in January. We were on a walk and I mentioned Effie's retreat, and how it was taking place in a hotel in Times Square...which I was really excited about. He then told me to BOOK IT, because he wanted to plan a trip to NYC for us anyways! We are arriving on the Tuesday before the retreat begins, and will stay through the next Monday, so that we have some "just us" days in the city to explore, and see all the sights that I've always wanted to see. I am SO excited, friends!

I believe there are still spots left, and you can sign up HERE. I took a 4 hour class from Effie at {Stamp} JunkieFest this past June, and she is fantastic! I already know a lot of watercolor techniques, but I still learned so much from her. She is also engaging, informative and really good about making sure you get one on one time with her if you need it. I think it will be a really fun time with crafty friends, and if you are looking for a retreat to go to next year...I would love for you to join me! :)

I had some watercolor time this weekend, and created this card set using the Peony Laurel stamp set and coordinating dies from The Ton, and painted them with my Pinkfresh Studio liquid watercolor. You can purchase the full collection HERE, and get 10% off using the code WATERCOLOR10. I've also linked the individual colors at the end of my post in my full supply link list.


I've created my own custom colors just by mixing the liquid watercolor. Here is a simple recipe, but realize that you will need to adjust a bit to get the exact color you want.


To start, I stamped & heat embossed the main image from the Peony Laurel stamp set three times in Gilded to Strathmore cold press watercolor paper. This paper is nice & sturdy at 140 LB. The texture is not as beautiful as the Arches texture, but it is still lovely watercolor paper, and I don't want it to go to waste. Then I proceeded to color the images with my custom color. I did the floral first, then the leaves. I do a small section at a time, lightly dampening the paper within the embossed section. Then just lightly touching a paint filled brush to the center, and letting the paint move out with the water. It will get lighter as it moves, and then you can take a clean, detail brush in to finish the job. This is a super easy technique, and a great place for watercolor beginners to start!

I used one of the floral pieces, and turned it into a shaker card. The shaker circle was create using the Essentials: Inverted Stitched Scallop Circle die set from Pinkfresh Studio. Then I filled it with Essentials: Crystals Mix in pink, and the Candlelight confetti mix from HoneyBee. The sentiment was stamped & diecut from gold glitter paper using both the Peony Laurel stamp set, and coordinating dies.

I tried giving you a good peek at the shaker mix, because it is GORGEOUS. It doesn't photograph super well, but hopefully you can see how lovely it looks.

For this card I used the remaining 2 floral pieces, and just framed the sentiment with them on the card front. I did splatter some of the matching custom colors to the front, using the sentiment stamps as a "guard" to keep the paint from splattering on it. I accented this card with the Essentials: Jewels Mix from Pinkfresh Studio, using the green, light pink & white jewels.

I really love how these cards turned out, and I'm so excited to have used this beautiful stamp set! It' been in my crafty studio for awhile now, and I'm finally having the chance to break it out. I love Effie's floral stamps - they are some of my favorites, and they are perfect for watercoloring!

One last shot, hoping to show how beautiful the gold embossing looks on these floral pieces, and all the shine it gives to your card. I also added shimmer to the petals with my Tonic Aqua Shimmer pen, but I didn't really have the right light to show that the day I photographed. So, the florals have a beautiful shimmer when you see them in person.