...Gina K Designs DT Blog Hop, Day 2

Welcome to another fabulous blog hop celebrating the new stamp sets from the July StampTV Release Party! We hope to inspire you with some beautiful card projects as you hop along to each of the designer’s blogs! Today, we are featuring stamp sets by Beth Silaika and little old me, Claire Brennan. I have over 20 photos to show you - so you need to pop off right now and get that mug of coffee/tea - whatever will sustain you through the following inkfest.

Bella Elephant

The first set we are featuring is Bella Elephant by Beth Silaika. Beth has created a super cute set with the sweetest images and matching sentiments to make the perfect card project!

I thought the Bella images would be perfect to decorate some baby blocks - and I made up a little template for the blocks. I am trying to get the template ready to giveaway as a download and I may or may not have that ready by the time this post goes live - watch this space. ED - The template will be available here tomorrow, I'll put up a new post for it, it was too much for today's post! So pop back tomorrow for the free download!

The blocks are made of card and they are hollow, I created mine with room decor in mind, and sealed them shut, but when you make these, you could easily leave them open-able and put little gifts such as baby socks or little washcloths or pacifiers in them.

I stamped Bella and coloured her using copics and then added thin frames and the A, B and C - these should be included in the download so you can replicate what you see here exactly if you wish - it's super simple. I coloured my little elephant yellow and used some patterned papers from the  Sending Love paper pad to create my colour scheme.

I made up a matching card to present along with my blocks. Simple assembly, stamping and colouring, and what a neat set you will have to present to your next mum-to-be.

Next up are my sets, sure hope these tickle!

Petite Patisserie

A brand new set featuring a large store stamp with two 'dressable' windows and all the little bits that you need to dress this up as a cake shop, an ice cream parlour or a cafe, and all with a little European flair. Even teeny curtains! After all, why say 'Cake Shop' when you can say 'Petite Patisserie' lol! I love this set.

This tip sheet shows you how the accessory stamps (in orange) can be used with the main store image (in black) - there's a multitude of options!

This set can go as simple or as fussy as you like - let's start with fussy shall we? This Patisserie features cakes - these could be birthday or even wedding cakes,
depending on your need.

The idea is simple - stamp and colour - but if you look close up, you can see that I have cut out the windows and then added some curtains in behind. I cut out the curtains too, because I wanted the cakes to be 'behind' the curtains - I had such a load of fun with this set. ALL of the lines that you might want to cut are very simple on purpose, there are no awkward lumps or bumps protruding anywhere that you might want to cut! Just simple clean lines. You can achieve a really detailed look with simple trimming. I used a craft knife, it's way easier than scissors for cutting out internal shapes.

Create a Coffee Shop, below - I simply trimmed the windows and added curtains behind and then the tables and chairs behind that. I would love to show you how easy this is and I'm planning a how-to post in the next day or two where I show you the behind the scenes on how to put a card like this together.

You may have seen this Version already, I shared it at the party:

Of course you don't always need to use the full store when you make cards with this set, the smaller images work well with the sentiments also!

So Cool

Something a little simpler now - the So Cool set. Another brand new set!

A super clean, super simple, ice cream and lolly set. A selection of faces is included for folks who enjoy the kawaii look, and indeed these are terrific for adding meaning to your card - take a look at this card below. I stamped some of the small images in two rows and added the sentiment 'you're the coolest ever' together with the word 'dad'. I was able to add the little moustachio-ed face to the orange lolly to reinforce the masculine element.

A super simple, single layer, masculine card, AND you get to use all the bright colours that you sometimes don't associate with 'man cards'! win win!

Or what about this - for the 'coolest ever coach' - reinforce the idea of a 'team' by adding tiny faces to the little triple ice cream cone - I love this so much!

I included some vital words in this set such as 'dad' 'mom' 'nurse' 'doctor' 'teacher' 'friend' 'coach' - these can all be added to the larger sentiments to create specific cards in case you want to make something jolly for the important helpers in your life.

Sweet Thing

 The next set up is Sweet Thing, another brand new set. This is a cupcake builder set and I believe it to be the most versatile cupcake builder set that I have ever seen.

This is what the set looks like (click image to make it bigger), below is a tip sheet that shows examples of what you can create with these stamps.

Here's how the tip sheet works - In the top left is a small image of the stamp set -  you can see that I have put numbers beside the various stamps in the set. On the right hand side and at the bottom I show you how to 'add' these pieces together to create the cupcakes featured. 

On this card below, I stamped the cupcake from the bottom right corner of the tip sheet (I added the little banner as an extra) and you can see what pieces go together to create it. Once you get the hang of this, the combinations are endless. I will be doing a dedicated blog post about this set soon also.

There are a ton of sentiments in this set also - I love this one:

 This is another cupcake combination from the set - there are plenty of options for birthdays, babies, weddings, and any other day that cupcakes are required. The little teddy, angel and rose can all be used on their own also.

When I got to the end of drawing this set I had a wee area of blank space and I hate to waste space! So, I drew up a little apron label type stamp - it has room for you to write your name and it's a little 'from the kitchen of' stamp - I love it, it's perfect for when you bake and you are giving out little informal gifts - like these jars of cookies - they are re-purposed salsa jars containing some homemade spice biscuits, simply dressed with a square of fabric and a little apron stamped tag - perfectly simple, the work of moments!

My Island

My Island is a grungy silhouette style tropical inspired summer set, I brought it with me to Gina's from WMS and I love it. Here are a few samples that long time WMS folks might recall, but other folks may not have seen! You will have seen this set featured in Gina's video at the release party.

It's been a long post, and thanks for sticking with me, I'm going to stop waffling, but if there's anything you need to know, just leave me a comment and I will reply to you - in the comments. I'll be posting lots of How-To's over the next couple of days, so when you have recovered, you might like to pop back! :)

Don't forget to comment on each DT blog for your chance to win a $20 Gina K Designs gift certificate! To see who won, check the Big News Forum at StampTV a few days after the hop.

After a small nap and some food, you might be ready for more awesome creations?! Just click on the links below for more from Gina and the Cast&Crew:

Gina K
Beth Silaika - illustrator for Bella Elephant
Claire Brennan (Me!) - illustrator for My Island, Petite Patisserie, So Cool and Sweet Thing
Allie Gower
Cathy Tidwell
Karen Hightower
Kendra Wietstock
Laurie Schmidlin
Melanie Muenchinger
Sean Fetterman
Sheri Gilson
Susie Moore
Theresa Momber

Don’t forget to pop over to the Gina K Designs Store and check out all of the new products available this month in the “What’s New” section at http://www.ginakdesigns.com.

Thank you for stopping by!

...Little Darlings Post two

Good morning folks -I hope you are enjoying the previews so far - I have some more vintage fun for you this morning and then later on this evening we'll be shaking it up with some sets of a completely different style. Scroll down for last night's post if you missed it.

The light is a bit brighter here today thanks to Mr G. Electric... and I've been able to take pics of this wee set. Feel free to pin and share these pics - lol, it's only the ones with grotty lighting that I am ashamed of...

I don't think there is much on the planet that is sweeter than a pair of baby shoes and so I set about learning how to crochet them on my week off - I lean towards home made gifts if I can do it well enough - I'll pass out jam like it's going out of style, but if the shortbread didn't work out you are likely to get something store bought... I made up these sweet little Baby Janes (pattern from these delightful gals at etsy) and I was very pleased - I think they are up to giveable standard.

Deciding how to present these was easy with the Little Darlings sets. All of the images are from the Little Darlings Image set and the Sentiments are from the Little Darlings sentiments set. I made up a card and taggy and then part covered a duo cupcake box with some of the patterned paper. The Cradle image on the card was stamped in a deep purple (SU elegant eggplant) and trimmed out with the matching die. I used the Picot panel for the sentiment - I'm finding that so versatile. I used a stitched tag die upside down to create a stitched panel on the card front - under the cradle and I stamped the round sentiment from LD sentiments in a blue shade to tone with the paper (Tilda).

The tag uses the Pram ( stroller US?) image and I cut that out with the matching die. The largest of the stitched tags was ut in kraft card and a wee strip of patterned paper just sets it off. Lots of sponging - because there are no other stamping techniques... :) Loving the small contrasting grommet die that comes with the stitched tags - it's all about the details sometimes.

The box was a find - it's a due cupcake box with those sweep-up-and-gather sides, I love it! - I covered the end panels in paper - a little sponging...for old times sake....

And there it was, a lovely little bundle - I think it does justice to my crocheted efforts - I think handmade goodies should be presented properly - I think it alerts folks to the fact that you have made the effort and spent time creating a little piece of love. Don't sell yourself short all you knitters and crocheters by giving away your beautiful hard work all rolled up in a paper bag - present yourselves! :)

Hope it tickles - I'll be back this eve with Halloween!

...Introducing Little Darlings

Evening ladies - welcome to the second day of our previews for the August release. You will have guessed by now that we are now posting our previews at 7pm UK time, in line with the release day - hoping to make it just that little bit simpler for all of us!

I'm kicking off with this little card and I will be back later with more, but the light here is dreadful for taking photos, yada yada.... it's been like winter here all day!

Anyhow, this little card will serve as an intro to another one of the new Vintage Baby sets - there are 3 in total this release - you saw Vintage Baby Shower yesterday and today we are showing, Little Darlings - which is an image based set, and a sentiment set, Little Darlings Sentiments - specifically designed to go with vintage baby images. All three vintage baby sets are 6x4 inch sets. The Vintage baby shower dies are sold as a set, but I decided to do the dies for Little Darlings as single dies, that way you can pick your favourites.

The Bassinet (or Moses basket ) image used on this is from Little Darlings images set and the New Fangled parents sentiment is from the Little darlings sentiments set.

Also previewing today we have 'Tis the Season - a fabulously fonted Christmas set, I'm just easing us in gently... - pop off to see what the ladies have for you - I'll be back later, soon as I track down a daylight bulb...

Kelly, Renee, Becca, Karin, Teresa, Jeanne, Julia, Jen, Anya, Laurie, Sandie, Tosha

Just before you shoot off tho' I just want to show you another trick for that Picot Panel die from yesterday - if you look in detail at this card below, you can see how I have used the picot panel die on the plaid background to cut a space in the centre of the panel, I mounted the plaid panel onto the kraft cardbase with foam tape. Then, when I cut another panel in just plain white and discard the edge, I can pop it into the vacant space in the plaid panel and the kraft card shows as a neat border between the white panel and the plaid frame!

Chat later, c

...a little eggy goodness

 

You might recall this little card from later year's A Good Egg stamp set - well this week we had the matching dies come in and I am just getting them onto the store this evening! Yep, we are cutting it a little fine for Easter this year, but since we are shipping these from both the UK and USA locations, you just might have time to put something together!

The die set features an egg, a banner and two of the flower shapes from the stamp set.

Waffle
This is absolutely nothing to do with stamps, but you may indeed read on if you too are struggling with, how shall we put this... your own personal vintage. It was suggested to me the other night, by somebody who ought to know better, that I'm getting on a bit. How very dare he.

If you are a taut twenty something and we met at a 'function', it's just possible that you would be tempted to deposit me with your mum and take yourself off to where all the other young folks are clinking glasses and comparing the absence of cellulite, but I can still imitate a slim-ish woman for a whole 47 seconds (after which I need to breathe) and I have a most useful facial feature. I have dimples. Dimples are great, instant youthfulness guaranteed. All I have to do is remember to smile, and by crikey I smiled at the muppet who should have known better the other night.

Being the age I am with the children I have, I often bump into folks I went to school with, ferrying their offspring around to all the events that my own offspring also attend. Folks from your past, in particular old school acquaintances, often mistake ancient fraternity for recent familiarity and I have found that this especially occurs with the male of the species who was perhaps a bit stand-offish, or even cheeky as a pre-teen boy. If you are really unlucky, like I was the other night, you bump into one whose mother never told him that generally, a lady does not like to have her age discussed in public, especially among strangers. Nigel obviously never got the memo and thought it would be fun to introduce my incredible antiquity to the general chat among the group of daddies gathered with us in the foyer...

Time to engage the dimples. Lots of dimples, also raised eyebrows. Feigning complete surprise is always a good move. With dimples set to 'stun' I decided to throw in the anime eyes for good measure. Having sucked in my breath 42 seconds previously I also knew that I needed to be outside within the next five and so as I grinned a last a goodbye wave and wafted around the doorway out into the night the uncomfortableness ended at last when I heard one of the daddies say "Catch a grip Nige, there's no way she's as old as you!"

A silent prayer of thankfulness for the unknown daddy. Don't care whether he really believed it it or not, chivalry lives on.

...May new stamps at WMS, Join Us...

ED - the competition on this post is now closed. Thank you for playing along - the winner can be found here after 6:00PM my time today (May 1 2011)

Good morning (at last!! grrr, blogger is playing up and didn't publish my post on time!!) and welcome to the second day of previews for the May release. Our new stamps will be available on May 1st, and until then we are showing samples of our new goodies!!!

Previewing with me today are our fabulous DT ladies - did you see what they were up to yesterday? If you missed it be sure to scroll back on their posts:

• Anya Schrier
• Belinda Chang Langner
• Bonnie Sharp
• Carly Robertson
• Claire Brennan
• Jennifer Holmes
• Julia Aston
• Kate Whelan
• Laurie Schmidlin
• Lynn Mercurio
• Mona Pendleton
• Niki Estes 
• Sandie Dunne
• Sarah Martina Parker
• Tosha Leyendekker
•  
• Also - you might not have seen the announcement regarding our challenge - we're having a tea party to celebrate our 2nd Birthday - you have plenty of time to get ready - scroll down to my previous post to see the details!! And don't miss today's competition - details at the end of this post! 
• 
  

My first project today shows you another option on our cupcake template - which i am calling Cuppie Love...lol!! Today I made it up as a little tiny gift box - I'm using mine for a baby gift.

For the photos we put a little toy ducky in, because I liked how he peeped out the window!!! This little gift box would also be good for a pair of baby socks, a bib (not sure what you call them in USA...) a dodo (pacifier in US I believe) any of those tiny items that folks like to buy for new babies. the box will also make a nice little keepsake for a first curl or tooth.

It's the basic Cuppie Love template which will be available on May 1st. I altered it by cutting an aperture in the lid with a Spellbinders classic circle die template. I made a little frame for the aperture with a Lacey circles die template (also Spellbinders). I fixed a little acetate behind the aperture to make the window. There are some other little design tips that I will share in a later post - I am hoping to do a feature on putting the template together just after the release.

I used stamps from a new set - Join Us, on the little gift box - you can just make out the nappy pin used to make a pattern on the blue cuppie wrap, the mini flags are also from Join Us. The sentiment on the co-ordinating card is from Say it Loud - a set we will be featuring later on.

Join Us is a novel set - it is an invitation set with a difference. A quaint mixture of formal and casual. It lends itself perfectly to CAS cards like those above. A whopping 32 sentiment stamps and 8 motif stamps, this is one of those sets that I will get lots of mileage from.

I love the look of those formal invitations, the minimalist, classic lettering and plenty of white space, and yet somehow it felt right to add a touch of the casual - a little softening.

And so in this set, you will see that there are options for formal invitations, partnered with casual 'follow ups' - the example below shows what I mean - "Join Us for Christmas - you'd be most welcome."

I felt that this approach combined the significance of the occasion with a soft friendly encouragement to attend. It feels like something I would say when I especially wanted someone to accept an invitation.

I made up these little 4x4 note cards to illustrate some of the possibilities.

I used a classical font and paired it with a lovely handwritten style - the same font that was so popular in the Frame-It sets. It's a gorgeous font.

I paired my sentiments with clean sharp graphics. I absolutely ADORE that little snowflake. AND the flourish - which I have used top and bottom around the sentiment below.

As well as the Invitation sentiments the set also contains sentiments for after event thank yous and acknowledgements. I do think you will find it rather unique in approach. I cannot wait to show you the variety of sentiments, so may possibilities are covered!

Today's competition!
ED - the competition on this post is now closed. Thank you for playing along - the winner can be found here after 6:00PM my time today (May 1 2011)

So if you managed to make it to the bottom - here is your reward!!! leave a comment on this post - I know, blogger has been playing up - but this will be open until Sunday Night 5:00pm - two hours before the release.

I want to know what you think the future should hold for WMS - simple as that! LOL!! I'll be so interested to read your views (one comment each please!) that I will be picking one random commenter to win the complete May stamp release - 5 gorgeous sets!!!! The winner will be announced at 6:00pm my time on Sunday evening here on the blog!

Hope it tickles!!