Hi everyone! We've had a few really beautiful, spring like days recently in Boston and it's gotten me super excited to create with bright florals. You know that feeling when you can finally crack the window in your craft room/space and let the fresh, warm air in? It just feels more inspiring, am I right? Well, today it's 38*F and the windows are closed but thats not stopping me! I'd love to share this Floral Frame card that I crafted using just three lone stamps and some creative masking. 

I have to admit, masking is not my favorite activity. I know it's a lot of work but the pay out always seems to be well worth the effort. I also decided to pull out my watercolors for this card and I'm so happy I did. Something about watercoloring on a summery card gives it that extra fresh appearance, I think.

I'm just about fully in Spring mode so I hope you're interested in seeing more florals! Have a wonderful day. I'll see you soon!

SUPPLIES USED:

--- Stamp Set: https://www.amazon.com/Stampendous-Cling-Build-Bouquet-Stamp/dp/B00QV4W37W/ref=sr_1_1?s=arts-crafts&ie=UTF8&qid=1519651231&sr=1-1&keywords=stampendous+build+a+bouquet&dpID=51oJQKSAuHL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

--- Label Stamp Set: https://altenew.com/products/label-love

--- Smile Die: https://shop.catherinepooler.com/products/smile-die

---Watercolor Paper: https://www.amazon.com/Strathmore-361-9-Watercolor-Press-Sheets/dp/B0027AAIS0/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1519651023&sr=8-4&keywords=strathmore+cold+press+watercolor+paper&dpID=51FRDav57RL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

--- Watercolor Palette: https://www.amazon.com/Kuretake-MC2036V-Gansai-Tambi-Color/dp/B00KERVO72/ref=sr_1_sc_2?s=office-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1519651071&sr=1-2-spell&keywords=gansia+Tambi

--- Brush: https://www.amazon.com/Royal-Langnickel-Close-Taklon-6-Piece/dp/B008BSY6NA/ref=sr_1_9?s=office-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1519651126&sr=1-9&keywords=royal+and+langnickel+5

Happy Friday crafters! Today I have this fun playable maze card using the Neat and Tangled Maze die and the A-Mazing sentiment stamp set. (I also used a teeny fish from the Beavers Eh stamp set also by Neat and Tangled)

The A-Mazing Sentiment set is perfect for use with the maze die and has sentiments for use with any occasion. I decided to use the You'll Find Your Way sentiment which can be used for a friend down on their luck or maybe a teenager off to college. I love this little fish from the Beavers Eh stamp set so I decided to have him finding his way back to the water. I used Alcohol Ink to create the sea and used Distress Oxide Inks in Squeezed Lemonade, Fossilized Amber, Picked Raspberry, and Seedless Preserves to blend a sunset sky. 

It took quite a bit of foam tape, but I was able to make the maze itself playable by placing a small sequin in the maze and a piece of acetate on foam tape between the two layers of the card front. 

Supplies Used:

Neat and Tangled Maze Die

Neat and Tangled A-Mazing Stamp Set

Neat and Tangled Beavers Eh Stamp Set

Distress Oxides

Hey there! There are new challenges over at Stamp Nation and we're kicking it off with this sketch challenge. I hope you'll join me! 

More about Stamp Nation : http://catherinepooler.com/stampnation/

See you there!

Hello there! I'm starting this week off with one of my current favorite stamp trends happening right now; watercolor brush stamps. These stamps are made to look like a watercolor brush swipe using only ink. Since the stamps are basically just 'lines', it can be a little confusing when deciding how and where to use them on a project. 

                            

Today I'm using the brush stroke stamps included in the Eat Sleep Create stamp set that is part of Catherine Pooler's new Zen Garden Release to suggest two different ways that you can easily use these types of stamps. 

For my first card I used the brush stroke stamp as a contrasting background to the floral stamp from the Hello Lovely set by Concord and 9th. This example uses dry ink on the stamp and then stamped onto a piece of Catherine Pooler Premium White Card Stock. By doing this I created a pattern to add interest and design to my card stock.

My second card uses a wet "watercolor stamping" technique. It's works so beautifully with brush stroke stamps because you can't tell the difference between this and actual watercoloring. 

By spraying water onto the inked up stamp on your acrylic block, you're basically creating watercolor so long as you're using dye ink. In this example I used a spectrum of green inks to create a bit of an ombre look as a background for my "thanks" sentiment. 

I hope I've given you some ideas on how to use these brush mark stamps on your projects. Let me know if you've decided to give these techniques a try and make sure to tag me on instagram @ashlea_crafts so that I can see your creations!

Supplies Used:

Catherine Pooler Premium White Card Stock: 

https://shop.catherinepooler.com/products/premium-white-card-stock-8-5-x-11

Eat Sleep Create Set:

 https://shop.catherinepooler.com/products/eat-sleep-create-stamp-set

Concord and 9th Hello Lovely: 

https://concordand9th.com/products/hello-lovely

Thanks Die: 

https://shop.catherinepooler.com/products/thanks-die

Catherine Pooler Inks: 

https://shop.catherinepooler.com/search?type=product&q=inks

Acrylic Blocks: 

https://shop.catherinepooler.com/search?type=product&q=acrylic+blocks

Nuvo Crystal Drops in Copper Penny:

https://www.amazon.com/Nuvo-Crystal-Drops-Grande-60ml/dp/B074ZSNF46/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1519132064&sr=8-1&keywords=Nuvo+copper+penny

Copic Markers: 

https://www.amazon.com/Copic-Marker-Sketch-Markers-Black/dp/B001QWZUE2/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&qid=1519056343&sr=8-12&keywords=copic+markers

Ink Blending Tool: 

https://www.amazon.com/Blending-Tool-1-Round-Replacement-Foams/dp/B016NQQL02/ref=sr_1_2?s=arts-crafts&ie=UTF8&qid=1519056419&sr=1-2&keywords=ink+blending+tools

Hey everyone! Today I am bringing you one of my favorite techniques to try out for yourself. Alcohol inks are very "in" right now and there are endless techniques that you can do with them to make beautiful projects. Marbling is probably my favorite of them all and I'd like to show you how easy it is. 

Be sure that the room you're in is well ventilated. Open a window or turn an oscillating fan on. The fumes from these inks can get strong.

Supplies You'll Need:

- Alcohol Inks *Try colors that blend easily together if you're new at this.*

- A piece of white card stock *Regular card stock will work just fine with this technique.*

- A shallow container that will fit your piece of card stock with enough water to submerge your paper.

- Pencil / Paintbrush / Straw *To swirl inks in water* (optional)

- Craft Mat *To lay paper on to dry.*

- Gloves

Steps To Take:

1. Drop some alcohol ink into the container of water. I like to drop quite a bit of mine all around so that I get two uses from the same water. More on that later.

2. Drop another color (darker or lighter) in the water as well.

3. To achieve the "swirly" look of marble, use the end of a paintbrush or pencil or straw to move the inks around the water in long continuous swirls.

4. With your gloves, submerge your card stock under the water by sliding it in top end to bottom end. 

5. Once in, remove the paper from the water slowly. Carefully put to the side to dry.

Here are a few others that I did while playing around with colors for this technique. To continue the water-y look of it all, I decided to watercolor this little walrus and add a hat for him to keep warm. :)

I hope you'll join me and try out this new obsession of mine. The backgrounds are gorgeous and can be used for pretty much anything you can think of. Happy Crafting!

The walrus and hat I used is from a set no longer available. The walrus in the Frosty Friends set is the same.

Products Used:

                                 

Happy Friday everyone, Ashlea here! I hope you're all ready for a DAM good weekend!

Neat and Tangled has come up with the the cutest most pun-tastic set and I just had to share it with you today. This is the Beavers Eh stamp set and it is chock full of adorable beavers and a hilariously sassy pun including the word "dam". With the sentiments included in the set you can make "DAM I love you", "DAM I miss you", and "DAM You're a good friend". 

My fiancé is a carpenter so the wood puns are right up our alley. This was his Valentines Day card and I just can't get enough of the cleverness of it all.

I used Distress Oxide inks in Faded Jeans and Salty Ocean for the water and Wild Honey for center of the sun with the brand new Squeezed Lemonade for the outermost part of the sun. I colored my beaver friend with Copic Markers, stamped the sentiment with my MISTI for a perfect impression, and added some Sea Breeze Nuvo Jewel Drops to the outside of the circle die cut.

I hope you've enjoyed this card as much as I have! I must say it quickly went into my list of favorites. I can't wait for another occasion to use this set and another of the beavers :) Happy Crafting!

Products Used:

           

Hello everyone! Thank you so much for coming back for day 4 of the Zen Garden release blog hop! Today I have my two favorite products from the release to show you and I'm actually giddy. Ready? LETS GO!

Let's start with the most beautiful stamp set, probably ever. The Faithful Flutterings set includes a large butterfly and a smaller butterfly with three layers each that give depth, shadows, and highlights. For the above card I used the larger butterfly and decided to emboss a glitter embossing powder as the smallest layer which would normally serve as the deepest shadow. Since it's a rather simple card, I like the way it adds sparkle while being a piece of the butterfly and not a separate added element. 

This set also includes beautiful sentiments and a wonderfully inspiring quote. 

Enter to win your own set of Zen Garden inks (or a $45 gift card if you've already bought them)! Follow along with the blog hop each day and comment on each blog as an entry. Two people will be chosen EACH DAY! Today is day 4. Last chance! Good luck!

Last, but certainly not least from me is the incredible Stained Glass cover plate die. This is another product that can be used in so many ways. Here, I used it in a colorful rainbow pattern and combined it with the Create word die and sentiments included in the Eat Sleep Create stamp set. Finally, I put it all against the darker gray card stock from the Smoke and Mirrors card stock to really make it pop.

I hope you've gained ALL the inspiration you need to create with the new release. I am SO very excited to see what you create! Keep hopping along here!

Catherine Pooler

Cynde Whitlow

Justine Hovey

Iliana Crouse

Ashlea Cornell - THATS ME

Kelly Martin

Laurel Beard

Josephine Fourage

Kristie Goulet

Jenny Colacicco

Maureen Merrit

Products Used:

- CP Premium White Card Stock

- CP Smoke and Mirrors Card Stock

- CP Faithful Flutterings Stamp Set

- CP Stained Glass Cover Plate Die

- CP Create Die

- CP Eat Sleep Create Stamp Set

- ALL CP INKS USED -

- Sea Foam

- Skylight

- Sugared Lavender

- Sweet Sixteen

- Rockin Red

- Orange Twist

- Tiara

- Grass Skirt

- Something Borrowed

- Midnight

Hi again! This release week just keeps getting better and better, doesn't it? I couldn't let the day go by without sharing a little something using the Doodle Garden background stamp. Isn't it just so gorgeous?! Background stamps are the most versatile stamps allowing for so many different uses.  You could make panels, switch up ink colors for a completely different look, color it in, etc. I also love them for quick, last minute cards like this one.

I used three different purples; Sweet Sixteen, Flirty Fuchsia, and the new Sugared Lavender to create some shadow and highlights throughout the stamp. I die cut some sections out using a landscape die and pieced them together on my card based separated by a bit of space to add interest and design. 

Finally I used the new Thanks word die and cut it twice with white card stock and once with a metallic rose gold card stock for the top layer. I also stamped a labeled sentiment "Thanks A Bunch" but cut off the "thanks". And that's all. It took me about 10 minutes and I'm really happy with the card. The design of this stamp gives so much detail yet still leaves you with creative freedom to do whatever you'd like to show your style.

There is a hop going on today starting over on Catherine's blog. I'll be in the hop tomorrow so make sure to come back and see what we've got for you!

Products Used:

Catherine Pooler Doodle Background Stamp

Catherine Pooler Premium White Card Stock

Catherine Pooler Thanks Word Die

Altenew Labeled Love 

Catherine Pooler Inks Used

Sweet Sixteen

Flirty Fuchsia

Sugared Lavender

Midnight

Here is a card that I created using the Love Grows stamp set. This stamp set is an entire flower garden filled with outline stamps and fill in stamps so that you can use ALL of your new inks and live happily ever after. 

There are so many different ways to combine the elements of each of these flowers that you could make tons of flowers that are unique. Included in the set are also these gorgeous 'doodle-y' (technical term) leaves and different flower centers so you can play around with the look of the florals. The Love Grows stamp set is as fun to use as it is gorgeous on paper. 

Enter to win your own set of Zen Garden inks (or a $45 gift card if you've already bought them)! Follow along with the blog hop each day and comment on each blog as an entry. Two people will be chosen EACH DAY! Today is day 2. Good luck!

I decided to do something a little different for this card. The new inks used in these flowers show the beauty and sophistication the more muted colors bring. I used Midnight ink with the outline stamps for the flowers this time to give a bold outline. I wanted to make sure each flower was noticeable while still becoming a part of the larger flower they all create together. I have to be honest, this wasn't my intention when I began creating this card but I really love the way it turned out in the end. 

I kept the negative space very simple as there is a lot going on with the flower itself. 

Let me know which is your favorite color ink and which stamp/die set you're most excited to try! I can't wait to see your creations using Zen Garden! Keep hopping along here

Catherine Pooler

Laurel Beard

Chrissie Tobas

Jenny Colacicco

Ashlea Cornell - THATS ME

Melissa Miller

Tracie Pond

Karen Baker

Products Used:

- CP Premium White Card Stock

- CP Love Grows Stamp Set

- ALL CP INKS USED -

- It's A Girl

- It's A Boy

- Rose Petals

- Stone Blue

- Sugared Lavender

- Shea Butter

- Icing On The Cake

- Sea Foam

- Midnight

- Tiki Torch

- Grass Skirt

- Garden Party

- Tiara

- Orange Twist

- Skylight

It's here! Catherine Pooler's new Zen Garden release day! I don't think I've ever been so excited for a release. I was honored to receive the release beforehand and let me tell you, it's as incredible as everyone is saying!

Watch My New YouTube Video For The Release Here

Today, I'm showing off what I did with the Zen Feather Stamp Set and some of the new ink colors in the release. The ink colors are incredible as always with CP, but these ones especially are so rich and unique in color that they're really must haves in your collection. 

Embossing these feathers is honestly my new favorite hobby. They are SO detailed and give such a sophisticated yet carefree look to the card. 

I'm also a part of the release Blog Hop tomorrow with Catherine where she is giving away a set of Zen Garden Inks to a commenter EACH DAY! Whaaat?! So ya'll come back now! Tomorrow 9:00am EST.

Supplies Used:

CP Premium White Card Stock

--https://shop.catherinepooler.com/products/premium-white-card-stock-8-5-x-11

CP Zen Feather Stamp Set

--https://shop.catherinepooler.com/products/zen-feather

CP Zen Feather Coordinating Dies

--https://shop.catherinepooler.com/products/zen-feather-dies

Tombow Mono Permanent Adhesive

--https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000XAHF7S/ref=asc_df_B000XAHF7S5369703/?tag=hyprod-20&creative=394997&creativeASIN=B000XAHF7S&linkCode=df0&hvadid=216547229512&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=12481003529146333081&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9001965&hvtargid=pla-351174612381

Mini MISTI 

--https://drivebycrafts.com/products/my-sweet-petunia-mini-misti-laser-etched

Transparency Sheet

--https://www.simonsaysstamp.com/product/Simon-Says-Accessories-MISTI-GRID-TRANSPARENCY-mistigt-mistigtsss?currency=USD

Nuvo Jewel Drops in Pale Periwinkle 

--https://www.amazon.com/Nuvo-Jewel-Drops-30ml-Pale-Periwinkle/dp/B01N3OV0DV/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1518536289&sr=8-1&keywords=Nuvo+Pale+Periwinkle

CP INKS

Zen Garden Bundle

-----https://shop.catherinepooler.com/products/spa-collection-zen-garden-bundle

Sea Foam

Sugared Lavender

Rose Petals

Shea Butter

Skylight

Stone Blue

Spruce

Polished

CHECK OUT MY VIDEO HERE

Hello everyone! I am so very excited to be a part of the Save The Crafty YouTuber Video Hop. The incredible Justine Hovey put this event together to help those who are affected by the new YouTube monetization rules. The hop includes 55 crafts content creators and EACH VIDEO is a chance for you to comment and win a prize from these incredible companies sponsoring the event.

Let's get right into the card(s) I made for the event!

I decided to demonstrate how easily you can create bulk cards that are anything but. It's easy to consider bulk cards to be all identical but that's not always the case. I used The Stamp Market Ampersand stamp and die set to quickly and easily create 4 completely visually different cards that could be used for most any occasion. 

I'm really loving that tri-colored ampersand! I achieved the look by simply changing ink colors a third of the way down the stamp itself. 

All of the ink colors I used here are from Catherine Poolers new Zen Garden Collection. And guess what? You could win them just by commenting on the video!

Get more details on my YouTube Channel and join the hop for your chance to win!