sentiments squared

Happy Friday! We have a couple of fun things for you today! Heather is here with a super fun trio of cards using a great product combo. But before we get to that, we have a sneak peek for you!

Next week our newest collection is coming to the shop! This collection is all about the ways we capture summer…from front porch views, to sunset snapshots and fireflies in jars, our Capturing Summer collection includes so many of my favorite things about summer.

I’ll be back tomorrow to share another sneak peek, and then we’ll have full product reveals and projects starting on Monday! The new Capturing Summer collection will go up in the shop on Wednesday, July 14 at 10am EDT.

Now, let’s hear from Heather and her fun projects for today!

I am always inspired by new products and was excited to use the new Opposites Attract Script dies that were released a few weeks ago. As I was pulling products out to create with, the Sentiments Squared stamp set ended up next to the dies on my desk and I knew I had to use these two sets together!

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Many of the script sentiments in the Opposites Attract stamp set coordinate with the larger words in the Sentiments Squared stamp set. I saw the sentiment combinations as a great way to add a few basic card themes to my card stash. The background for the cards are created with the Tartan Builder Diagonal stencil set. Even though the plaid design was designed with creating masculine projects in mind, a change of color makes plaid patterns versatile for a wide range of occasions.

The stenciled plaid designs are done in monochromatic color themes, using light and dark ink colors along with white ink on each one. The larger words from the Sentiments Squared stamp set are stamped using the same light and dark ink colors to match the different plaid backgrounds. You can play around with your favorite colors, choose a color to coordinate with a theme, use the card recipient’s favorite color, and more for the cards that you make!

This card trio makes a great addition to my card stash and it would also be wonderful to package together to give as a gift. Take a peek at the sentiment combinations and pattern options in your own crafty collection to put a trio of cards like this together – or even add the sets I used on my cards to your collection to expand the possibilities to what you can create!

Hello and happy Monday! We’re here to showcase a new collection of products coming to the shop TOMORROW! Our new Man Made collection is full of all sorts of fun things for the guys on your card making list! It will go up in the shop tomorrow – Tuesday, May 25th at 10am ET!

If you’d like to see all of the new products up close, Laurie will be hosting an Instagram Live presentation of all of the new products TODAY! – Monday, May 24 at 11:00am CDT, so tune in if you’d like to check it out!

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Let’s get to the product introductions for our Man Made collection…

Note: In an effort to simplify our release posts, all product details and descriptions will be viewable via the link below each product heading. Note that while the new products are viewable in the shop HERE, you will not be able tot add them to your cart or purchase them until Tuesday, May 25 at 10am EDT.

Dad Squared stamp set + die

Perfect for Father’s Day, birthdays, and more, you’ll reach for this handy little sentiment set to create projects especially for Dad! When used together, the stamps and dies offer some fun layering options!

Click HERE for stamp set details & info
Click HERE for die details & info

Sentiments Squared stamp set + die

This great sentiment set is full of style and features three different sentiments in a fun two-step block font. Combine these sentiments with our Text Box die to turn these sentiments into create eye-catching focal points!

Click HER E for stamp set info & details
Click HERE for die info & details

Text Box die

This great basic is designed to coordinate with both our Dad Squared and Sentiments Squared stamp sets. Fill the various spaces with the sentiments and icons from the stamp sets to create block-style focal point sentiments.

Click HERE for full details & info

Dad Jokes: Nailed It stamp set + die

Pound out some great guy cards with this set that’s perfect for your handy man! Your recipients will tell you that you nailed it! There are sentiments for dads and grandpas, as well as thank you, congrats, birthday, and even anniversary.

Click HERE for stamp set info & details
Click HERE for die info & details

Big Plans Background Stamp

Got big plans for creating great masculine cards? Our blueprint-inspired background is the perfect place to start planning out your next project!

Click HERE for details & info

Dad Jokes: High Steaks stamp set + die

Everyone knows guys like great steak AND bad jokes. 😊 This fun and punny set includes sentiments that cover lots of occasions including birthday, congrats, retirement, Father’s Day and more, perfect for dads or any steak-loving grill master on your card-making list!

Click HERE for stamp set info & details
Click HERE for die info & details

Reflections stamp set + die

For the outdoorsy guy on your list, our Reflections set will have them enjoying the view. Have fun playing with color combos and building a serene lakeshore scene with this set!

Click HERE for stamp set info & details
Click HERE for die info & details

Tartan Builder and Tartan Builder Diagonal Stencils

All the plaids in all the colors? Yes, please! These new Tartan Builder and Tartan Builder Diagonal stencil sets let you build plaid patterns in any color combo your plaid-loving heart desires. Each set includes 5 stencils and are designed to fit a standard A2 card front.

Click HERE for Tartan Builder details
Click HERE for Tartan Builder Diagonal details

I put together a video showing these stencils in action…

Ready for some projects to see these new products in action? Let’s get to it!

First up I have a couple of cards using our new Dad Squared and Tartan Builder stencils. This first one is a Father’s Day card that’s quick to put together, but has lots of fun details. I used the Tartan Builder Diagonal to create the background. It was stenciled in shades of brown and orange onto a kraft cardstock base.

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Over my background I layered some crimped banners cut with the Crimped Slimline die and that great sentiment from our Dad Squared set. I used a combination of stamps and dies to create the “best ever dad”. I love the layered look of the different fonts! I nested that great sentiment inside the new Text Box die, and added the smaller “happy father’s day” sentiment, also from Dad Squared. I also added the little star detail, which is from the Sentiments Squared set.

Next is another plaid dad card, this time a birthday card. I used similar elements to the previous card, except this time I used the straight plaid from the Tartan Builder stencil set. I stenciled it in shades of blue again onto a kraft base.

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The sentiment was again done with the Dad Squared set. This time I layered it over a circle that was actually a left-over from a card I’ll be showing a bit later in this post – it was cut with the Crimped Circles die from a panel done with the Shiplap Builder die.

My next few cards use our new Dad Jokes: Nailed it set. True to their names, our Dad Jokes sets are filled with puns. 🙂 This first card is perfect for Grandpa. I started with a Crimped Slimline base, stamped with our new Big Plans Background.

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I filled up my slimline base with lots of elements from the Dad Jokes: Nailed it set – hammers and the different nails from the set. I finished it off with one of the sentiments from the set.

Next I have a fun interactive birthday card using the Nailed It set! To create a hammer that moves up and down, I attached a diecut hammer with a brad at the end of the handle. Then I layered another diecut hammer over the top, with foam adhesive to allow for the thickness of the brad head. Super duper easy!

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I kept the rest of the card simple with just a sentiment from the set and a strip of plaid that was trimmed off the dad card up above. Note the punch line stamped on the inside! 🙂

Next I wanted to play around with our new Big Plans background to create a couple of simple cards. This first one uses a sentiment from Dad Squared layered over some Shiplap Builder planks.

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I kept it nice and simple so that background can shine.

For this one, I wanted to play around with creating a background that looks like a real blueprint. I started by heat embossing our Big Plans background with white embossing powder onto white cardstock. I then sponged over it with a couple of different Oxide inks – Blueprint Sketch and Chipped Sapphire. Blueprint sketch was a little bright on its own, so I toned it down a bit with the Chipped Sapphire.

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I again wanted to keep it simple and let the background do all the work. I thought the sentiment I used here (from the Dad Jokes: Nailed It set) was the perfect thing to pair with our Wood Slice Hearts die for an anniversary card. I stamped the sentiment onto a Sentiment Suite Basics banner

My next few cards use our new Dad Jokes: High Steaks set. I had so much fun playing with this set! These cards would be a big hit in our house – my guys love their steak! For this first one, I started with a black cardstock panel and stamped the “dads like you are extra rare” sentiment from the set and heat embossed it with white powder. I also added some lines with white colored pencil and white ink smudges to give it a chalkboard look.

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For the steak, I stamped in shades of red and pink for the extra rare theme, and then actually cut a slit so I could sink the knife from the set into the steak. I layered it over a few shiplap builder planks and added some garnish using the greens from the BotaniCuts Carrot die. The “spices” were done with some really cool glitter from Art Glitter’s Elements collection. The one used here is called Redland. So fun!! I also added a “tablecloth” using the Cozy Cup Coaster die, stenciled with our Tartan Builder stencil. To change up this card for other occasions, just swap out the “dads like you are” with one of the other sentiments from the set.

My next card uses the “well done” sentiment from the set. This time I used the fork from the set and stamped my steak in darker shades for a more well-done look. I used the same Redland Elements glitter, this time right on top of my steak to mimic the look of a well-done spicy steak.

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I had so much fun with the background on this one! I wanted to create the look of a chalkboard menu, so I once again used black cardstock and this time stamped small images from lots of different sets. I added lines and dots to create almost a grid between the elements, using a white pencil and ruler. All of the different sets I used for the background are linked in the photo above.

I love fun themed sets like this High Steaks set because they’re just begging to be used in fun, interactive ways. For this next one I created a birthday card that has a large shaker element on the front. I filled my shaker with “spices” using the Redland glitter.

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The birthday sentiment here makes me giggle. I stamped the first part on the outside and the punchline on the inside. The background on the front of the card was done with our Shiplap Builder die. My guys would love this!

My next couple of cards use our new Reflections set and are perfect for the outdoorsy guy on your card list. This first one uses Reflections to create a pretty sunset scene.

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I thought you might enjoy seeing the process of creating a sunset scene like this, so I put together a video for you…

This card is actually simpler to do than it looks! As I show in the video, I stamped the lake by sponging the stamp with the same ink colors used in the sky, and all of the other elements from the stamp set were stamped in black ink. The sentiment I used here is from the Caring Cross set.

My next one uses the Reflections set again, this time in a more traditional way.

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I always love adding colored pencil shading and details to my stamped images, and I did that here to add some extra shading to the trees as well as the lake shore and grass. For this one I used the matching die, which cuts just around the tree line and grass. I stamped and diecut two of them and layered them for an extra layer of trees and added dimension. I finished it off with a simple “thanks” sentiment from the set.

Last but not least, I have a couple of cards using our new Sentiments Squared set. This first card is a fun, geometric card that would be perfect for a guy birthday card. I diecut and stamped several of the “happy” sentiment from the set.

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I took a panel of white cardstock and used one of the line stencils from the Tartan Builder Diagonal set to stencil the angled lines. Then I used these as my guide for adhering all of those “happy” diecuts. I turned and rotated them to create an interesting pattern. I finished it off with some stars cut with our Pinwheel Party die and gold metallic paper. I also stamped the smaller “birthday to you” sentiment, also from the Sentiments Squared sets.

And finally, I couldn’t help but sneak just a few flowers in today’s post! I told the inspriation team ladies that I couldn’t believe I designed an entire collection without a flower in sight, but I’m sneaking some in here anyway! 🙂 Our Sentiment Squared set doesn’t have to be just for guy cards. It’s equally pretty for flowery feminine cards too.

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I built the sentiment focal point using Sentiments Squared and the new Text Box die. I stamped the “thanks” using a few shades of grey ink, sponging them for an ombre look, then heat embossed the layered detail with gold embossing powder. I dug into my scrap bucket for tons of flowers to cluster around my sentiment and I love how that turned out! I always have extra diecut and stamped elements lying around, and they come in handy for putting together a quick card. There are bits and pieces from lots of sets here – AlphaBuds Bold Floral Details, All Blessings Flow, Bigger Blooms, Always in Blooms, Merry Sprigs, and BotaniCuts Wildflowers.

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 prize! We’ll be giving away TWO $50 gift cards for today’s blog hop.

Read on for details…

Comment here on the blog for one entry (one comment per person).
Comment on our Inspiration Team Members’ blogs for more entries (linked below – one comment per person, per blog)
Comments close TONIGHT! – 11:59pm EDT on Monday night, May 24
Winners will be posted at 7am EDT on Tuesday, May 25, here on the blog

The inspiration team has been busy creating with these new stamps and dies! Hop along to see what they’ve been up to (click HERE if viewing via email)