Welcome to my stop on the May Wacky Watercooler Blog Hop! If you're new to my blog you've probably come over from KatheD's blog, and welcome! For those that are new to blog hops, you can go forward and backward using the water cooler buttons at the bottom of this post to check out the 15 lovely ladies around the world that have put up posts featuring some old and some new Stampin' Up! products and projects.
Each of my projects uses a mix of retired (or retiring) product, current product, and product that will be in the new 2014-2015 Annual Catalogue, available on June 2nd.
My first card features one of the new products I'm most excited about, Blendabilities! These alcohol based markers make colouring a breeze, and while I still love water colouring, I'm sure this will be a fabulous addition to my technique repertoire. The Blended Bloom stamp I used here (along with the new Memento Tuxedo Black stamp pad) is so much fun to colour, and a snap to fussy cut.
I also used a new hostess set for the greeting, and coloured a rhinestone with a matching Blendabilities marker (oh ya, you did know they did that right?).
I am however sad to see Summer Starfruit leave as an In Color. I loved all five of the 2012-2014 In Colors, but Summer Starfruit was just a great in between yellow-ey green-ey shade that I just couldn't get enough of.
Another product I'm sad to say goodbye to is the Watercolor Wonder card bases. I just discovered these right as they're leaving us, so luckily I still have a bunch, but they're so handy!
I used some matching colours on this one (Island Indigo, Gumball Green, Daffodil Delight and Real Red) and stamped the heart from the new set Something to Say a few times (including on the envelope). The ones I stamped on water-colour paper I punched out with the new matching punch (it comes in a pack with a super cute flower and star too) and popped them up on the card base. A quick sentiment in Memento ink, and in a few minutes time I have a thank you card done!
Last but definitely not least, this was one of the sets I was the most excited for! Traveller is going to be a go to set for me for masculine cards for sure. Here I paired it with sentiments from Gifts of Kindness, which is current and will still be available in the new catalogue. The Alphabet Press embossing folder I used on the front will also still be available! I'm so happy because I just got it, and am just finding fun ways to use it.
The button I used is long retired unfortunately, they were some of my favourites. The Natural Trim ribbon is another favourite that sadly is leaving us, though there are some other great ribbons we will be adding!
My biggest sadness about retiring products is also featured on this card. Core-dinations card stock was short lived, but so welcome in my craft room! I loved using it as regular card stock for a great texture, but also distressing it like I did here. I still have stacks and stacks of almost every colour, so I'm sure this won't be the last of it, but I'm very sad to see it leave the catalogue.
So now pop on over to the next blog on the hop (Buffy) and check out the rest of the stops along the way! If you'd like to buy any of the products featured in my, or anyone else's, projects, get in touch with any Stampin' Up! Demonstrator to place an order.