CP's Zen Garden Release and Blog Hop Day 1

Catherine Pooler's new release is avalable today. She keeps blowing me away with her products and this release is amazing! We're celebrating with a blog hop and prizes too. Leave a comment at each stop along the way to increase your chances to win.

All the cards I'm sharing today use both the Chevron Cheer and the Zen Feather stamp sets and the coordinating dies.

My first card uses the emboss resist technique. I stamped the circle images with versamark and heat set them with white embossing powder. Next I used ALL 8 of the new inks you see in the photo above and sponged them on starting from the bottom. Be sure to wipe off the panel with paper towel or a cloth when you're done sponging so as to remove any ink off the embossed areas. For the sentiment I masked off the 'you' that is just below 'being' on the stamp and then using the ink pads I lightly touched them to stamp in the same order as I sponged the panel and added it to the card using craft foam. I die cut the you out of white card stock and craft foam. I sponged the you with Polished, Rose Petals and Sugared Lavender and added that to the card. For some more dimension I stamped a few of the circles on some scrap paper, heat embossed them with white powder and then mimicked the colors on the panel. I die cut them with a coordinating die and placed them on the panel with some craft foam.

My second card uses Shea Butter, Seafoam and then Skylight inks stamped to give a varigated look to the feathers. Next I partially inked the feathers with versamark ink, heat set them with some gold embossing powder and used the coordinating die to cut them out. I added two of them directly to the card base and one with craft foam for dimension. The sentiment is stamped with versamark and heat set with gold embossing powder.

The background piece for my next card is done on Smoke cardstock. I used black Jack ink to stamp the flowers and to partially sponge the Split Chevron Stencil. I die cut the oval out of white, stamped the thank in Black Jack and did inlaid die-cutting with smoke card stock for the you. Last I stamped on a few flowers and leaves using Shea Butter, Sugared Lavender, Rose Petals, Polished, Seafoam and Spruce inks and then added that to the card panel with craft foam.

I used the flowers again for this next card but went with a more watercolored look. The card base and first panel are the Smoke and Mirrors cardstock - two great greys. I stamped the large flowers and the sentiment with Midnight ink onto watercolor paper. The 'happy' is stamped with Rose Petals ink. I masked the flowers off and stamped the smaller flowers and leaves using Shea Butter, Rose Petals, Skylight and Seafoam. I pressed some ink onto a block and used a water brush to color in the larger flowers. A few splatters of watered down ink and then adding it to the card base with craft foam finishes this card.

My last card uses the feathers again - love them! I stamped them with versamark ink onto vellum and then heat set them with gold embossing powder. I cut them out with the coordinating die and adhered them to the card only at the top and a little in the middle. I tied a bow with the linen thread and added it to the feather. I used Icing on the Cake for the sentiment but stamped it in sections so I could have it in a line across the bottom. The happy is stamped with versamark and heat set with more gold powder. I distressed the edges of the panel with some scissors for some more texture.

Can you tell I had a blast with these products? I couldn't stop making cards! 

Next on the hop is Ingrid  but if you've missed any along the way, I've linked them all below for you.

Don't forget, you need to COMMENT for your chance to WIN your own set of the Zen Garden inks or if you already own one then you can win a $45 gift certificate to Catherine's store. 

Catherine Pooler

Kristie Goulet

Ardyth Percy-Robb

Ilina Crouse

Justine Hovey

Kelly Martin

Jen Carter

Susan Powell - you are here

Ingrid Blackburn - go here next

Dana Joy

Happy Stampin'

and thanks so much for visiting!

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