Tag:

pretty postmarks

Feminine Collage Card with Melissa

by Betsy February 21, 2025

written by Betsy

I love the look of collage-style cards and today tried my hand at my own version of one. I began with adding script across the upper right and lower left of my A2 card base using the Pretty Postmarks stamp set. I added a postal image using this same set as well.

At this time I added a bit of stenciling using the Snowflake Prints Stencil, adding a bit of color and pattern in the lower right and upper left corners.

Next I brought in a soft yellow oval where I layered on my beautiful BotaniCuts Roses and Big Branches Baby’s Breath die cuts. I used a watercolor effect on my flowers and leaves adding some splatters of Distress Spritz and Stickles Glitter at the end.

I stamped my sentiment (from the Pretty Postmarks set) on PreText Banners die cut and tucked it under my flower petals to finish.

This was so much fun to create and I loved bringing in bits of different elements and images to create my scattered, collage-style card!

February 21, 2025 23 comments

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TGIF – Postal Collage Valentine with Melissa + Save the Date!

by Betsy January 6, 2023

written by Betsy

Happy Friday! Melissa is here with a fun project to kick off your weekend, but before we get to it, I wanted to share some info on our first release of 2023!

We have some new products coming to the shop on Tuesday, 1/17. We’ll be showcasing everything from our new Have a Heart collection here on the blog on Monday 1/16, with some sneak peeks to precede. I hope you join us for the fun! 🙂

Now let’s check out Melissa’s beautiful project for today’s TGIF…

I love the mixed media/collage look and The Greetery has so many versatile and creative products that work with this style. I pulled out some of my favorite stencils and stamps and got creating! I began with the Color Spots Stencil, overlapping my squares in soft pastels. I then added a few droplets of water to activate the ink and cause some beautiful pooling of color.

Next came the Pretty Postmarks set, specifically the scripted font that was stamped across the entire front of my card in a lighter shade of ink. I added a postmark from this same stamp set in the upper right of my card, and a diecut from the Postal Frames set. A couple of Hearts from the Signed & Sealed with a Kiss stamp set were placed in the center of my card followed by one tiny flower from the Floral Arches set.

I added a simple sentiment to the bottom of my card using the Mini Boxwood Heart stamp set to finish.

Thank you so much for joining us today!

January 6, 2023 21 comments

TGIF – Nature Shadowbox with Wanda + Save the Date

by Betsy July 29, 2022

written by Betsy

Hello and happy Friday, friends! Wanda is here today with the most amazing project that I can’t wait for you to see! We’ll get to that in just a minute, but before we do, I wanted to let you know that we have some new products coming to the shop next week!

Our new Wild Elegance collection will hit the shop on Thursday, August 4. We’ll be sharing some sneak peeks next week along with one big day of reveals, projects, and a blog hop on Wednesday, August 3. Laurie will also be hosting an Instagram live on Wednesday as well at 11am central, noon ET. I hope you’ll join us for the fun!

Now on to Wanda’s amazing project! I know first hand how amazing this project is because it arrived at my home a few days ago. Wanda surprised me with this wonderful work of art. It’s sitting right next to my desk where I can admire it every day (thank you, Wanda!). She’s here to share all of the details with you…

Hi crafty friends! Wanda here! I’m so happy to be joining you today on The Greetery Blog for TGIF! It’s always my pleasure to share a project with you! Today’s project is not a card! And, it’s something very special, that I actually made for Betsy! When the new Jumbo Curiosity Dies came out recently, this project idea came into my brain like a flash, and I couldn’t wait to make it. And, luckily, it turned out exactly as I hoped it would. It has safely been received at The Greetery HQ so now it’s time to share! I hope I inspire you to make different projects besides cards with your beautiful Greetery stamps and dies!

Today’s project is a botanical/entomological shadow box frame, filled with bugs and plants and wonderful things from nature…. Only it’s all paper! The shadow box frame is 9″x9″ and I bought it at Michaels. I used dark kraft tags as the basis for the scale, and amount of things to put into the box. It worked out perfectly to make eight different tags. I used loads of dies from The Greetery curio collection, and pretty stamps and labels. I used the new Honey Bees and Honeycomb Corners Dies for one of the tags…and two of my other favorites – the Toadstools and the Mighty Oak!!

To start this project, I die cut everything out of watercolor paper first. I really wanted an illustration type of feeling. And watercolor paper always looks so rich. I laid out all the plain pieces on the tags to decide which items to use. Once I had my layout set, I used my favorite watercolor paints to color all the elements. It was really fun to paint all the die cuts, and bring them to life! Every tag has a bit of green on it to tie everything together.

I set the painted elements aside to dry and went to work on the tags themselves. I splattered on some black and white paints. I used Pretty Postmarks, Destination and Curio Labels stamp sets to stamp on the tags and also stamp the small banners. I let everything sit overnight to dry, and finished the project the next morning.

I used foam tape to attach the bugs and plants and other pretties to the tags. I also used foam tape to attach the tags to the shadow box backing piece. I added a few clear drop embellishments onto some of the tags and also a few bits of twine.

So I’m laughing because I want to say “think outside the box” but I literally made A BOX! Ha. If you don’t want to make a shadow box, you could definitely make some of these watercolor tags and put a few on a card front, or into a scrapbook, or tie onto a gift!! Have a wonderful day, and happy crafting. From my studio to yours!

GREETERY SUPPLIES:

Curio Summer Findings die
Curio Spring Findings die
Curio Autumn Findings die
Curio Divider & Details die
Curio Divider & Details II die
BotaniCuts Toadstool Garden die
BotaniCuts Mighty Oak die
Honey Bees die
Plucked die
Honeycomb Corners die
Rustic Twigs die
Curio Sentiments Stamps
Crimped Circles die
Pretext Banners die
Pretty Postmarks stamp set
Sentiment Suite Basics die
Destination stamp set
*****(might have been easier to say what products I DIDN’T use! LOL)

OTHER SUPPLIES:

9×9 Shadow Box Frame (Michaels)
Kraft Tags (Michaels)
Mijello Mission Gold Watercolors 36 set
Clear Drops
Paintbrushes
Black Ink Pad
Adhesive
Watercolor Paper

July 29, 2022 54 comments

All TGIF

TGIF – Vintage Winterberry Postcard with Wanda

by Betsy October 29, 2021

written by Betsy

Happy Fri-yay! It’s promising to be a gorgeous fall weekend here, but Wanda has me dreaming of Christmas with the beautiful project she’s created for today’s TGIF post! I’m so excited to share this with you…I hope you enjoy! 😊

Hi there, Greetery friends! I’m excited to be up on TGIF this week with you! Like most of you, I fell head over heels with the new Christmas release this month. Today I’m sharing another idea for using the Winterberry Stamps, Stencils and Dies. It is such a beautiful suite of products and it makes my retro loving heart happy. My card was inspired by old postcards and Christmas cards from the 50’s and 60’s so I used lots of glitter and classic Christmas colors.

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My finished card is a horizontal A2 sized card made from red cardstock. I layered woodgrain cardstock and then cream cardstock. I created the background by ink blending shades of yellow Distress Inks. I also stamped over the ink blending with these stamps: Pretty Postmarks and Christmas Time in the Country. I inked the edges of the Postal layer with Distress Ink also.

I used the Winterberry Stamp/Stencil Combo to ink up that pretty floral spray and die cut it out with the matching die. I added lots of glitter! The sentiment is from the Snowflake Soiree Dies set – and I die cut it from silver glitter cardstock. A few pearls were added for dimension and embellishment. I made postage stamps using the smallest ornament from the Curio: Ornaments die set. I thought I needed some vintage postage stamps for this project!

I hope you have a very happy weekend! Happy crafting until we meet again!

SUPPLIES:Winterberry Stamps, Stencils, Dies
Curio Attic Ornaments die
Postal Frames Dies
Pretty Postmarks Stamps and Dies
Christmas Time in the Country Stamps
Snowflake Soiree Dies
Blender Brushes
Unicorn Stickles
Rock Candy Glitter
Red, Cream, Woodgrain, Silver Cardstocks
Pearls
Distress Inks

October 29, 2021 18 comments

All TGIF

TGIF – Vintage Pinwheels & Postmarks with Wanda

by Betsy June 19, 2020

written by Betsy

I hope you’re ready for a beautiful summer Friday! We have some inspiration for you today as we head into the weekend. Hopefully you’ll be able to sneak in some creative time! Wanda’s beautiful project is going to make you want to pull out those postmarks and pinwheels…

Hello and Welcome to TGIF here at The Greetery! Wanda here, sharing a vintage inspired card for this Summer Friday! I like a good vintage project, and getting my hands inky! One of the many things I love about The Greetery stamps and dies is that they can be adapted to any crafting, card-making style. Everything is so creative and flexible to make your style shine. The stamps I used for this project could be used just as easily is bright bold tones, or soft pastels, or warmer hues… Today I’m using one of my favorite products from the last release: The Pinwheel Party Dies and Stencils. I wanted to use them again with a retro look… I combined them with lots of previously released goodies and Distress Inks. Thanks for joining me today!

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My finished card is an A2 sized card base in dark brown paper. I started by creating a cool, old paper looking background. I used watercolor paper, a water brush, and brown and blue Distress Inks. I kept layering the inks until I got a nice, worn paper look. Then I used stamps from the Pretty Postmarks Stamp set (the beautiful text and the circular postmark) and stamped them over the background. I sprayed the stamping with water to make it soften. I love text stamps!

For the tag, I used the Speed Tagging Die Set and die cut the scalloped tag from watercolor paper. I used Distress Inks and the Oopsie Daisy stamp set to stamp the two daisy flowers onto the tag. I used a water brush to soften the edges of the stamping to mimic water coloring. I splattered inks over the flowers and also added a bit more of the text….

I die cut pinwheels using the Pinwheel Party Dies – some from watercolor paper, and some from text paper. I used the matching Pinwheel Party Stencils to add blue and brown stripes. Then the pinwheels were inked around the edges with a sponge dauber…

I stamped and die cut a pretty postage stamp to add to my collage. The sentiment was die cut from the awesome Sentiment Starters word dies set. My finishing touches are a bit of twine and a few gold enamel dots. The main elements were attached to the card using foam tape.

Thank you for spending some time with me here on The Greetery Blog today. Wishing you a beautiful weekend full of happiness and creativity! Take care friends. XO

Don’t you just love seeing how this beautiful project came together? So many details to delve into!

Before I go, just a quick update. We’re getting shipping notices on restocks! We’re expecting most out of stock items to be back in stock by the end of next week. Last week I mentioned we had something fun planned…don’t worry, we haven’t forgotten. Stay tuned!

Have a wonderful weekend!

June 19, 2020 16 comments

All TGIF

TGIF – Sending Sunshine & Tropical Vibes with Kelly

by Betsy April 3, 2020

written by Betsy

Are you craving some warmth and sunshine? Kelly has just the thing for you today…her projects for today’s TGIF post are like warm sunshine wrapped up in card form, filled with delicious colors and details. Take it away, Kelly…

Hello and welcome! It’s Kelly here today with this week’s TGIF post! If you saw my projects from the latest release, then you will know that I’ve really been enjoying adding some “postal” details to many of my designs! I just can’t seem to stop, so you will see that continue with today’s cards! I think many of us wish we were headed away somewhere fun and exciting, or maybe some of you have had some cancelled plans. I decided to bring a little joy and sunshine into my cards today with sunny yellows, cheery sentiments, and tropical flowers!

Just because you may not be going anywhere tropical doesn’t mean that you can’t send some warming cheer to a friend or loved one! That is what I was imagining as I created my first design using the BotaniCuts Lily.

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These flowers are so much fun to create; each one its own little masterpiece. When I first used these BotaniCuts, I had Easter in mind, but couldn’t wait to expand their usefulness by adding them to cards like I’m sharing today! I like to die cut each piece out of white cardstock (I kept my dies connected so I can easily send them through my machine in one pass). Once that was done, I used ink and blender brushes to add the different colors. I also added the black splatter by using a Color Spritzing tool and a black marker. I also spritzed each bloom with some Shimmer Spray. I used some of the different splatter pattern as a guide for placement of the Crystal Glaze. It helped me achieve a more organic feel to the droplets.

The background was created by stamping the beautiful new Fresh Floral Background stamp in a cheery yellow which is the perfect backdrop to add the flowers, leaves, and foliage. I stamped the sentiment, which is from the Fresh Air Stamp Set, in black at the bottom. I gave the BotaniCuts Palm die cuts the same treatment as the lilies, but omitting the splatter. I really love arranging the flowers and leaves on my floral designs, tucking things here and there until I get the arrangement that I like. I used a mixture of foam squares and liquid glue to achieve the dimension I was seeking. A few postal images stamped here and there finish off this tropical design.

My second card is a little more simple in design, but I love the sweet details that Betsy’s stamps allow me to add. I am BEYOND smitten with the Print Shop: Fresh Floral Stamp and Stencil.

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Once you have created one of these beautiful backgrounds, you will want to make a million more, and not to mention sit and stare at your background once you’re done! LOL! It’s embarrassing, but SO true! This darling kit makes the most beautiful backgrounds; the color combinations are limitless!

I used the Crimped Frame Die to cut the background so that I could give it the little border of yellow around the edges. I chose to use a color combination that would accent the first card I made so I chose yellows, corals, and pinks to bring the background to life. I chose the smallest crimped frame to add some extra details so as to not cover up too much of the background. I used the “hello” and the “just a note to say” sentiments from the Written in Ribbon set as well as a few postal touches (surprise, surprise) to finish off this cheery design.

These two designs will be popped in the mail ASAP so they can bring someone a little cheer! Thanks for joining me today and I hope you get a chance to create some cards to send out to those who could use some joy and happiness!

April 3, 2020 35 comments

All Make & Tell Tuesdays Project Ideas Video Tutorials

Make & Tell Tuesday – BotaniCuts Roses in a Jar

by Betsy January 28, 2020

written by Betsy

It’s time for a Make & Tell Tuesday video!

Today I’ll be filling up our Just Mason Around jar with a bouquet of BotaniCuts Roses. I’ll show you how easy these are to color using just some ink blending.

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The key to creating flowers with lots of interest is mixing the shades and values from layer to layer. Make your leaves and greenery more interesting by using lots of different colors – I blended several different shades of green, and even some blues and yellows. We’ll finish off the design with an easy watercolor background over some embossed script from Pretty Postmarks.

Here’s the video – I hope you enjoy!

January 28, 2020 25 comments

All January 2020 New Product Meet & Greet

Love Letters Collection Day 1: Pretty & Postal

by Betsy January 15, 2020

written by Betsy

Thank you for stopping by today – we’re ready to reveal some of the new products in our latest collection – Love Letters! I’m so excited to show you all of the details of what we’ve been working on…

All of the products being introduced on the blog this week will be available for purchase in The Shop, beginning at 10am EST on Friday, January 17.

Before we get to the product introductions, here’s a bit of fun news. We’ll be doing a live product showcase on our Instagram channel on Thursday, hosted by Laurie Willison!

Join Laurie at 11am CST on The Greetery Instagram to get an up-close look at all of the new products.

So now let’s meet today’s new products…

Signed & Sealed stamps & die

Cute as can be, you’ll want to put these little envelopes on every project! The petite envelope image from this set is perfect for tucking small notes, sentiments, floral sprigs and more. Have fun embellishing the “envelopes” with the patterned liners in two different prints. The mini wax seal adds a fun touch. Pair this set with the coordinating dies for lots of creative options!

This set comes on a 4″ x 6″ sheet.

Approximate sizes:
envelope – 2.9″ x 2.9″
wax seal – .8″ x .8″
label – 1.8″ x 1.2″
envelope liner – 2.4″ x 1.6″
just a note sentiment – 1.4″ x .4″

Sentiments include:
Just a Note
– to say hello
– to say I care
Hello
A gift for you

Signed & Sealed With a Kiss stamps & die

Signed & Sealed…With a Kiss! This stamp set is filled with images that coordinate wonderfully with the Signed & Sealed stamp set. Tuck the flower clusters, leaves, or hearts into the petite envelopes from the Signed & Sealed set. All of the sentiments included in this set are sized perfectly to fit on the label included in the Signed & Sealed set, giving you lots of creative options for weddings, anniversaries, Valentine’s Day and more. The images from this set work beautifully on their own as well!

This set comes on a 4″ x 8″ sheet and includes a full-color printed stamping guide.

Approximate sizes:
leafy branch – 3.5″ x 3.3″
lily of the valley – 1.8″ x 2.8″
single flower stem – 1″ x 1.5″
wax seal – .8″ x .8″
dotted heart – 1.2″ x 1.2″
be mine, valentine sentiment – 1.2″ x .5″

Sentiments include:
Be Mine, Valentine
sending
Lot of love
tucked inside
XOXOXO
on your wedding day
s.w.a.k.

Pretty Postmarks stamps & die

Pretty & postal, this set includes so many beautiful details to add to nearly any project. Mix and match the sentiments with the postal cancellation circles for options for a variety of occasions. The three script blocks are designed to be pretty backgrounds. Upon taking a closer look, your recipients will be delighted to find that the subtle text matches the card’s occasion! The scripts feature sayings appropriate for weddings/anniversaries, birthdays, and thank yous. The small icon images can be added to the centers of the postage stamp or cancellation circle. The postage stamp from this set also coordinates with the postage stamp quad die from the Postal Frames die set.

This set comes on a 4″ x 6″ sheet

Approximate sizes:
script blocks – appx 3″ x 1″
postage circles – 1″
cancellation lines – 1.1″ x .5″
postage stamp – .9″ x 1.1″
small icons – .4″ tall
thank you sentiment – 1″ x .4″

Sentiments include:
congratulations
thank you
happy birthday
with love
sent with love just for you (postage circle)
special delivery just for you (postage circle)

Postal Frames die

This die collection is perfect for cutting mats and frames with a pretty postal-style edge, perfect for layering over A2 cards. The die set consists of mats/frames in two sizes plus a postage cancellation, and a smaller rectangle that resembles a grouping of postage stamps. This smaller rectangle can be stamped with the postage stamp image from the Pretty Postmarks set.

Set of 4 dies
Approximate sizes:
large frame – 4″ x 5.2″
medium frame – 3.2″ x 4.4″
postage stamp quad – 1.8″ x 2.1″
postage cancellation – 2.2″ x 1″

Windowpane Plaid Background Stamp

Windowpane plaid is everywhere this season, from home decor to fashion, and now you can stamp it too. Sized just a bit larger than an A2 card, this quick and easy background stamp is sure to be a staple in your collection!

This is a single rubber cling stamp made from deeply etched quality pink rubber for a lifetime of crisp impressions.

Overall stamp size – 4.5″ x 5.75″

To aid in your list-making and planning, below you will find the prices for today’s products.

Signed & Sealed 4″ x 6″ stamp set – $15
Signed & Sealed die – $21
Signed & Sealed With a Kiss – $18
Signed & Sealed With a Kiss die – $31
Pretty Postmarks stamp set – $15
Pretty Postmarks die – $9
Postal Frames die – $28
Windowpane Plaid Background stamp – $15

I have so many projects to share, and just wait until you see what the Inspiration Team has created for you! Before we dive into projects, I put together a video showing some of the fun options with the new Signed & Sealed and Signed & Sealed With a Kiss sets…

So let’s dive into the project details! My first project is the one shown in the video.

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I loved filling this cute little envelope with wildflowers. Can you imagine all of the different color and flower combos you could come up with? Or all of the different seasons you could create them for? That postage cancellation die from the Postal Frames die set might be one of my favorite things from the whole release!

By mixing in some elements from the Signed & Sealed With a Kiss set, there are some super sweet options for Valentine’s day!

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Here I started with the largest die from the Postal Frames set and sponged it with pink/red ink. I layered another panel over the top, just trimmed down with my paper trimmer to fit inside the pierced border of the Postal Frames die, and stamped it with the new Windowpane Plaid Background stamp with black ink. Over that I layered one of the Signed & Sealed envelopes. The liner was cut from white cardstock and stamped with some hearts from the Signed & Sealed With a Kiss set. I finished if off with a sentiment from the latest in our Sentiment Suite series, which you’ll be seeing more of tomorrow! The little label from Signed & Sealed is tucked in the envelope, layered with a diecut/stamped sentiment from the Sealed With a Kiss set.

The Signed & Sealed and With a Kiss addition set gives you some fun new options for wedding and anniversary cards as well!

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I once again used the Windowpane Plaid background layered over a Postal Frames diecut. I also stamped and heat embossed one of the script backgrounds from the new Pretty Postmarks set. I filled the envelope with the lily of the valley and single bloom from the S&SWAK set, using colored pencils to add some extra shading to the images. I topped it all off with the cute faux was seal from the S&SWAK set.

I really wanted to experiment with stamping some fun patterns onto that cute little envelope liner, so for my next project I pulled out my Pine Blossom set and used some of the smaller individual images from that set.

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I used lots of bright blues, pinks, reds, and yellows for this cheery card. The sentiment I used here is from the new Pretty Postmarks set. I also stamped some of the script from that set onto the background watercolor paper, which was embossed with white powder before I did a bit of watercoloring over the top. Such a springy, cheery card!

Staying with my bright and cheery color scheme, I thought it would be fun to stamp a whole rainbow of colorful postage stamps from the new Pretty Postmarks set.

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In addition to the postage stamp from that set, there are also several small icons – some of them you might recognize from some of your favorite previously released sets, now in miniature! These little icons can be stamped inside the postage stamp, or the cancellation circle from the set. The matching die set has little dies for these so you can add them in layers for even more fun. The sentiment here was done with a combination of a few of the new things – the cancellation die from the Postal Frames set, the “Just a note” is from the Signed & Sealed set, and the circle text is from Pretty Postmarks. In the background, I watercolored a rainbow strip to layer my stamps over, which was done on a Postal Frames rectangle, cut from watercolor paper.

I just love all of the pretty little elements in these new sets, and they’re great for creating pretty clusters. So much fun to mix and match and just play with different combinations!

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For this pretty hello card, I created a postal-themed cluster by using the postage stamp and circle text from Pretty Postmarks layered over some script from that same set. I also tucked in that cancellation diecut again, along with a flower stamped with the S&SWAK set. That pretty hello sentiment also also new of course, and you’ll be hearing more about those tomorrow, but I couldn’t help sneaking a few of them in my projects today – they’re impossible to resist! Also take note of that pretty Windowpane Plaid tucked between my Postal Frames layers for just a bit of pattern.

All of the pretty elements in the Signed & Sealed With a Kiss set are perfect for tucking in those tiny envelopes, but they’re great on their own as well. I just love this leaf cluster from the set and wanted to make it the focal point for my next project.

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That two-step leaf image is simply to stamp and oh, so pretty. I stamped two of them here in varying color schemes. I used colored pencils to add a bit more shading to the berries to really make them look dimensional. The pretty watercolor paper background was cut with the largest Postal Frames die. The sentiments were stamped using the Pretty Postmarks set. I tied a bit of string around the frame to finish it off.

My final card for today is a very different take on the floral images included in the Signed & Sealed With a Kiss set.

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I stamped the lily of the valley and single stem bloom in neutral colors, again using colored pencils to add some shading. I arranged them in a unique layout which is made up of two lily of the valley diecuts and four of the single flowers. Over that I layered one of our new sentiments that you’ll see more of tomorrow. It turned out so striking on the black background!

That wraps up my projects for today, but there is still so much more! Now that you’ve gotten to meet all of today’s new products and see them in action, you can “greet” them for a chance to win a $50 gift card! Read on for details…

Comment here on the blog for one entry (one comment per person). What caught your eye today, and gets you excited to get creating?
Comment on our Inspiration Team Members’ blogs for more entries (one comment per person, per blog)
Comments close at Midnight EST on Thursday, January 16
Winners will be posted at 7am EST on Friday, January 17 here on the blog

You are in for such a treat! It’s time to see what our amazing Inspiration Team has to share with you today!
(click on the images to visit their blogs, or click HERE if viewing this post via email)

ANGELICA

DAWN

HEATHER

KAY

KEEWAY

KELLY

LAURIE

LIZZIE

NORINE

WANDA

Thank you so much for visiting and I hope you’re as excited about these new products as we are! We’ll be back tomorrow with more reveals and projects!

January 15, 2020 349 comments