Guesting with Concord and 9th!

Good morning! I’m back today with another guest post for Concord and 9th! I could not be more thrilled to be one of their guests this month, amongst some very talented company… and the release this month was just incredible. Seriously. Love. Today I’m focusing on their new Cuddles and Hugs stamp and die set (which you can purchase individually or as a discounted bundle. Love that Concord and 9th gives you the option for either!). Now, I always love when I’m able to use just one stamp and die set to create an entire card. This first card uses just the new Cuddles and Hugs stamp and die set, with one small addition that is totally optional. Let’s get started!

I began my project by stamping the large heart image from the Cuddles and Hugs stamp set onto some masking paper and fussy cut it. I then stamped it again onto a panel of white card stock using aqua ink. I placed my heart mask over the top of my stamped panel, then used a foam blending tool and the same aqua ink to blend a very subtle halo around the heart, highlighting the shape and the adorable words within the heart. I die cut the large puffy “hugs” die twice, once from black card stock and again from silver foil card stock, inlaying the black within the silver. So elegant, don’t you think? The silver really makes it pop off of the page! I adhered it to the heart panel, then added the rest of the greeting (also from the coordinating stamp set) using black ink.

Now, I try to live by the Rule of Three when creating. If you’re going to have an element on your card, whether it is a color, a shape, or embellishment, try to have at least three of those elements on your project. (According to the Powers That Be, and for some reason that I can’t explain, multiples of three are more visually appealing.) I had two different elements of black on my card, so I decided that I would add some black to the card base itself to add a touch more interest. I pulled out my Stripe Builder stamp set, inked it up with black ink, and added it to my white A2 card base. I adhered some strips of coordinating aqua card stock to the white panel, then used dimensional adhesive to pop the entire thing up off of the card base. The final touch was to add three die cut hearts (included with the Cuddles and Hugs die set) that I covered with Wink of Stella glitter pen and Glossy Accents.(more Rule of Three!) Bold and graphic. Not my usual style, but I’m totally loving it!

For my next project, I wanted to show how beautifully the slim Hugs die works on it’s own. If you’ve ever looked at my blog before or followed me on Instagram, you know that watercoloring with my Zig markers is just about my most favorite crafty thing, and Concord and 9th has some of my most favorite images to color. Case in point: the floral spray from Hello Lovely. I seriously cannot get enough of this gorgeous bouquet. It even has artistic splatters that I seem to be incapable of creating haha! Anyway, I stamped and heat embossed it in white onto some Canson Montval watercolor paper, then colored it in some vintage-y, subtle shades using my Zig markers and a damp paintbrush.

The skinny “hugs” die is so delicate and beautiful… but, when you layer it up, as I’ve done here, you get a gorgeous dimensional embellishment. It certainly is capable of holding its own on a card front. I simply die cut it from some mauve-y pewter shimmer card stock once, then twice more from regular white card stock, adhered them all together, then added them to the front of my 4×5.25″ watercolor panel. I white heat embossed the “friend” (from the coordinating Cuddles and Hugs stamp set) onto some pale gray card stock and popped it up with dimensional adhesive. The last step was to adhered the entire watercolored panel to an A2 sized panel of the mauve-y pewter shimmer card stock. (Mauve-y pewter is the technical name for that color. Ha!) A completely opposite style and feel from the first card, but I love them both! This stamp and die set is so versatile!

Well, what do you think? Are you loving the new Concord and 9th release as much as I am?? Can’t wait to hear what you think! Thanks so much for visiting today! Have a marvelous weekend, friends.