Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps August Release Blog Hop

Hello and welcome!  So glad you could join us for some inspiration by the SNSS design team with the new sets!  Don't forget the Virtual Stamp Day at Splitcoaststampers for some fun chat and challenges with an opportunity to win some prizes - it all starts from 10:00 am with a new challenge being posted every two hours.  Hope to see you over there!
And remember, all the new sets are available from Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps immediately.

My first card uses two of the new sets, Script Sentiments and Grunge Borders...I used the wood grain border aiming for a sea washed wood look to add to my ocean theme - it may have ended up looking more like water since I stamped in blue, but hopefully that's okay too!  

I sponged the Sizzix die-cut sea shells and layered them over some long grass - the stems of grass end up slightly curled when cut with a paper cutter.  It's not evident in my photo but the card base has a pearlescent sheen and I sponged around the edges with SU's Creamy Caramel.

Supplies include:

Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps Grunge Borders

Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps Script Sentiments

Sizzix From the Ocean dies

Stampin Up Baja Breeze, Blushing Bride, Creamy Caramel, Pool Party ink

Stampin Up Lucky Limeade cardstock

Memento Tuxedo Black ink

Here's another one using Script Sentiments - I wanted to show the versatility of this set - you can use these large sentiments with virtually any die-cuts or images that you already have.  I used a Memory Box branch and bird die and added some leaves cut with a Marianne Design die.

Supplies include:

Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps Script Sentiments 

Memory Box Nestled Bird die

Memory Box Woodland Branch die

DCWV Citrus Stack

Stampin Up Lucky Limeade cardstock

Twine

Button

Sewing machine

Stampin Up Soft Suede ink 

And here's another one using the fantastic set Grunge Borders - I stamped the grunge dots twice for a wider border along the bottom of the card.  This fun set not only has the woodgrain strip and the dots strip but a chevron strip and a diamond pattern strip as well.  I used Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps New Beginnings stamps and matching dies to create the butterfly and the sentiment is from Poppies and Greetings.

Supplies include

Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps Grunge Borders

Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps New Beginnings 

Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps New Beginnings Butterfly dies

Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps Poppies and Greetings

Cheery Lynn Designs Fanciful Flourish die

Twine

Stampin Up Yoyo Yellow ink

Button

MFT Simply Scallops Die-namic

Thanks for joining us today and here's a list of everyone participating in today's hop so you won't miss anything.  

Remember - one randomn commenter on a randomn DT members blog will win two sets of their choice from the release.   The comments must be by 8:00 EST today.  Good luck!

If you're following along, your next stop is with the very talented 

Taylor Usry!

Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps Blog

Monika Davis

Jessica Fick

Cathy McCauley

Mary Faus

Kim Singdahlsen

Bridget Finlay

Taylor Usry

Dina Kowal
Lee Murphy

Kim Schofield

Ceal Pritchett

Giovana Smith

Jennie Harper

Korin Sutherland

Sailboat Sunset

I created this card for an older man who's just gone through heart surgery...he lives by the sea along a beautiful harbour here in Northern Ireland and I know he'll find this sentiment very encouraging.

We just took my parents and sister on a sightseeing trip along the north coast of Northern Ireland and we stood on the stone formation of the Giants Causeway for a few hours, just taking in the vastness of the ocean and being amazed by it's Creator!

Today's Featured Stamper at Splitcoaststampers is Sophie LaFontaine, a very talented and friendly stamper and artist.  I was inspired by a card in her gallery with a sail boat theme found HERE.

I used the Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps The Sea, and sponged the sky using a Papertrey Ink cloud die and a Nesties circle to mask the sun.  I then added the sentiment on a cloud die cut and some black and white twine to finish.

Supplies include:

Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps The Sea

Papertrey Ink cloud dies

Memento Tuxedo Black ink

SU Cool Caribbean, Night of Navy, Baja Breeze, Yoyo Yellow, Barely Banana ink

Twine

Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps Christmas in July Blog Hop

Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps is celebrating Christmas in July!   I'm so glad you could join us for some inspiration and for a jump start on your 2012 holiday cards!  I'm going to showcase a fun set called Cozy Friends.

This cute little polar is all bundled up in a hat and scarf so I thought the card needed some die-cut snowflakes and an  icicle border!  This is one of my favorite color combinations and I tried to leave a bit of white space for the look of a an artic background!

Supplies include:

Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps Cozy Friends

Marianne Design Snowflake dies

MFT Icicle border Die-namic

SU Baja Blue seam binding

SU Real Red ink

Lilybee Designs Double Dutch, Handmade dp

SU Real Red cardstock

Brads

Bells

Twine

Copics

Both of the animal images in this set are easy to color and cut out - 

here's one I made using the sweet penguin.

The color combo is a bit retro so I used copics and distress inks to soften the stark white on the image and disress inks to sponge the edges of the dp.  I made a tag for the sentiment and attached it using twine. 

Supplies include:

Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps Cozy Friends

Cosmo Cricket Baby Jane dp

SU Taken with Teal cardstock

Brads

Twine 

Copics

Sewing machine

Memento Tuxedo Black ink

Ranger Distress Scattered Straw

Lots of great things are happening at Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps during these pre-holiday festivities!  ALL Christmas clear stamps are 20% off through Wednesday, July 25.  Three new holiday sets are in stock early, for a fun pre-release, and they you can get them before they are released in September and October... if you buy them now, you can take advantage of the sale price!

Every order of $25 in Christmas clear stamps will receive Gingerbread Man, a darling new 2" x 2" mini clear set.  And as always, all clear stamp orders of $50 or more get this month's free w/ stamp set, Christmas Candle (while supplies last).

Here's a full list of the Design Diva's and friends of Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps taking part today so you won't miss out on any of the fabulous inspiration.  If you're hopping along, your next stop is with Jennifer at Just Jingle, and you don't want to miss out on her cute card!
Take a look and be sure to read on, for information about how you can join in on this hop  and win some prizes:

Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps blog

Kim Singdahlsen

Bridget Finlay

Jennifer Ingle

Taylor Usry

Monika Davis

Cathy McCauley

Mary Faus

Ceal Pritchett

Giovana Smith

Lee Murphy

Jennie Harper

Kim Schofield

Julie Ranae
Jessica Fick

Korin Sutherland 

And what's the best part about Christmas in July?  We want YOU to play along with us!  Just link up your Christmas project using Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps below and join in our Customer blog hop.  You have until Sunday, July 22 at 11:59 PM EST to play along.  One randomly selected participant will receive their choice of one Christmas clear stamp set!

He Knows and Cares

I've got a card to share with you using what's become one of my favorite sets, 

New Beginnings.  I just can't get enough of those butterflies, especially with the matching dies! 

 I've used the layout from the Sketch Challenge over at Splitcoaststampers today, Taylor gave us such a fantastic one to play with this week!

I used this sentiment from the set Elegant Blessings because these two facts have been 

especially meaningful to me over the past few months -

God knows what I'm going through, and He cares about every detail of my life.

  Though I don't have anyone in particular in mind right now to send this card to, I know that there will be someone who will need God's gentle and loving reminder as much as I have recently.

Supplies include:

Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps New Beginnings

Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps Elegant Blessings

Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps New Beginnings Butterfly dies

Papertry Ink Fancy Flourishes

Cheery Lynn Designs English Tea Party doily die

Spellbinders Nestabilities Circles 

Sewing machine

SU ribbon

Button

Brads

Lace

Memento Tuxedo Black ink

The Heavens Declare

I love this beautiful verse from the Psalms and wanted to stamp it over a blue sky filled with fluffy clouds.  I used a Papertrey Ink cloud die-cut and SU's Cool Caribbean to create the sky.  I added some tiny punched flowers and butterflies to a Memory Box Summer Border die-cut to create a little meadow scene.

The CAS challenge at Splitcoaststampers is to use twine...hoping this counts as clean and simple as I sponged clouds over most of the "white space"!

Ever since I made this card the words of this song have been ringing through my head:

All heaven declares,

The glory of the risen Lord.

Who can compare,

With the beauty of the Lord.

Forever He will be,

The Lamb upon the Throne,

I gladly bow the knee,

And worship Him alone.

Pink Magnolias

Today's Featured Stamper at Splitcoaststampers is Cynthia, aka StampinAK - I chose her beautiful card found here to CASE.

I kept the pink and green color scheme since it's a favorite of mine and went with magnolias from Flourishes, another lovely birthday gift from my Mom.

I kept Cynthia's layout, but added a wide strip of lace with pearls for accents.

The magnolias are colored with copics and popped up on a white doily.

The sun is peaking out today here in Northern Ireland - we've had rain nearly every day for weeks, and about ten days ago we had flooding in our street.  We sandbagged the door and managed to keep the water out of our house, and in the end we only lost the use of our boiler for heating.  

Wish I could send some of this rain to areas where some of you are experiencing severe water shortages due to the heat!

Supplies include:

Flourishes Magnolias

Cheery Lynn Designs French Pastry die

Lace

Pearls

Copics

Memento Tuxedo Black ink

Sewing machine.

Wreath of Love

Today's Inspiration Challenge at Splitcoaststampers takes us to Sugar Chic Baby and I chose the flower hair clips found here and here as my inspiration for this card.  My parents are visiting us from Alaska for the month of July and my Mom brought me some stamps as a gift...I had to try out a new Flourishes set here.

I sponged around the wreath with SU's Blushing Bride and added some pearl accents, otherwise this card was just a case of coloring flowers.  We've been visiting some beautiful flower gardens as we take my parents around Northern Ireland to do some sightseeing.  It really does inspire me to come home and start coloring flowers!

Supplies include:

Flourishes Mothers Words of Wisdom

Lifestyle Crafts Inverted Squares nesting dies

SU Blushing Bride ink

Memento Tuxedo Black ink

Pearls

Copics

SU Lucky Limeade, Purely Pomegranate cardstock