Sneak Peek: "Hope Grows" and "Candles on your Cake"

Day 2, welcome back! Tonight we start with Theresa Momber's newest set "Hope Grows". I love the magic and fluidity of these images, you will love creating fantasy gardens with the flowers, leaves and butterflies that look like they might just shape shift and grow before your very eyes! No DP on this card, I created the background simply stamping the the different leaf silhouettes in Vivid Brick, Lime, Aqua and Butterscotch inks on White Pure Luxury. I stamped the white twill ribbon in the same colors to coordinate with my background, they aren't quite as vivid as they are on on the paper but I still like the look, gotta love the possibilities of white ribbon! Not only is it wonderfully matchy-match, but it's like the pattern is magically moving from the paper to the ribbon, hee hee! Then I added a few wave flourishes punched from the new Grass Green Pure Luxury to further bring my pattern to life and matted them onto Black Onyx and Ocean Mist.
The butterfly is colored with Copics, cut out and popped up, then highlighted with Sakura Glitter pens. I used markers to ink up the different parts of the greeting and stamped it onto die cut Classic and Large Scalloped Ovals. This card just makes me happy!

Next up, we have my newest set: "Candles on your Cake". Although I've included many birthday greetings and images in previous sets because birthday cards are what I you probably need to send out most often, I've never devoted a whole exclusively to birthdays and celebrations, and I wanted to be sure when I did I could use that one set would work for my husband, friend, or young kids. It can be hard to find images that will work for everyone's specific hobbies and interests, but everyone loves cake, so I am thrilled with how this set turned out! It is jam packed with age appropriate greetings and elemental birthday images you can use for a variety of techniques and the many bold images are perfect for kissing or two step stamping.

Here I used the huge candles that work well as a focal point or border, see the different patterns? I inked them up in different colors to match this beautiful DCWV "Citrus" floral paper and pieced one candle with a striped sheet from the pack. Depending on the colors and embellishments you use, these images will work with any patterned papers, vintage to whimsical, include stars, hearts, flowers and more. You also have several different shaped flames to choose from to make your card more cutesy or masculine,which is really fun! This card is about as "girly" as can be but I will be sure to show you lots of guy cards with this set in the next few weeks! :) (and hopefully we'll spot a few in our hop today)

I don't always remember to find time to decorate the inside of my card, but this set makes me want to , like a surprise party inside! The large solid cake was inked up in yellow, and then I swiped a black marker around the bottom to color the platter outline, and stamped. Next I stamped the little groups of spots in red to decorate it, and then stamped the row of small candles in red with the flame toppers in orange(that is one image). I added a bit of stardust gel pen for sparkle. The Big Scalloped and Classic Ovals* frame this image up so beautifully! Base is Red Hot and scalloped border is the new Pure Luxury Wild Dandelion.

In the past I've often handwritten the "happy birthday song" in my cards to send to people far away like I'm really there to celebrate by singing, so I can't tell you how excited I am have to have the song now in rubber! I left a little space for you to add the name you need, add there are so many fun ways to do this: write it in your own script, use stickers, alphabet stamps, letters cut from a magazine "ransom note style", be creative! Here I used these 1/4" clear Alpha Bubbles I found at Jo-ann's on clearance, then punched out circles of the Pure Luxury colors to put behind them to make it even more festive!

I know you will reach for this set again and again when you need a cute birthday card in a flash! :) Hope you enjoyed today's peeks!

*Notice I used the Big Scalloped Oval Large dies on both cards, would you like to win a brand new set of these versatile dies? Leave a comment below telling me approximately how many birthday cards you make/send out each year, I will choose a winner and post tomorrow! (BTW, I'm not just going with the person who says they do the most, so be honest in your estimation, everyone has a chance LOL!)

For more samples with the stamp sets being previewed tonight, check out these Designer's Links:

• Gina Krupsky




• Theresa Momber * illustrator of Hope Grows




• Melanie Muenchinger * illustrator of Candles on Your Cake (you are here!)




• Jessica Fick




• Carolyn King



• Cathy Tidwell




• Lee Murphy



• Donna Baker




• Lynn Mercurio



• Emily Giovanni
  
  
  
• Erika Martin



• Kurtis Amundson




• Bev Gerard



• Kay Simmons *May's CenterStage Spotlight Team Member!*

Please make plans to attend our Release party this Thursday night, May 27th from 7-10 central time which will be held at StampTV. There will be contest questions, challenges, samples from several designers and lots of chatter all leading up to 10pm central, when all the new products and stamp sets previewed this week on our blogs become available online through GinaK Designs store!