Ranger just released a new set of limited edition Spring Distress Inks – Peacock Feathers, Squeezed Lemonade and Shaded Lilac. When I saw the colors, I knew I needed in Peacock Feathers. But I wasn’t sure on the other two colors. Until I played with them…

So Peacock Feathers it the perfect teal color. A little more green than Broken China. A little more blue than Evergreen Bough. To me, it is the color of the Caribbean ocean. Just perfect. (More on this in a moment.)

Then Shaded Lilac. I thought I could pass on this since I am not huge on purple. But I was wrong. It has a lovely blue tint to it. It is like a happy indigo that makes me want to color easter eggs. A fun color.

And finally Squeezed Lemonade. Yes, we all need a happy sunshine yellow and this fits the bill. A great color that will be great for watercoloring.

So, yes, we need these. We all need these…

And for those of you who emailed asking how the Peacock Feathers compares to the other blues and greens in the Distress Ink family, here you go… (fancy inking I did for you here, huh? ha.)

Told you it is perfect. The color difference is a bit more intense in real life.

And if these new colors weren’t fab enough, Ranger also just release reinkers for all of their special edition sets. First, they have reinkers for the Spring set above. I am over the moon thrilled about reinkers for the previous limited edition sets as I love Gathered Twigs from the Autumn set and Evergreen Boughs and Festive Berries from the Winter set. Yay for reinkers!

So there you have it. Love these inks. Oh, and I love to share. So…

Let’s give a set of the Spring Distress Inks away! Just leave a comment here by Wednesday at 11:59pmEST telling me your favorite Distress Ink color for your chance to win. Good luck!

We have some winners! The winner of Creative Chemistry 101 with Tim Holtz is Pat C and the winner of the Silhouette class with Kerri Bradford is Diana Waite. Yay!

One question I have been asked more than any other lately: “When will the new Studio Calico + Hero Arts stamps be available?” Well… now is the time! It is in stores. If you are looking for the stamps, go HERE. My favorites? Lattice and chevron!

There are also a few new 6×6 Studio Calico paper pads, which you can get HERE… including the 6×6 Abroad, Classic Calico and Take Note.

Happy shopping.

I also saw that the sweet folks at Paper Smooches have a new set out called Little Lady. Sweet, isn’t it? Love. And be sure to check their blog tomorrow for a few chances to win the set and for other surprises…

Enjoy! I will be back soon with something more to share. Gotta get some rest.

I wanted to pop in with some good news.

Due to the great excitement around Tim’s class, we will be moving open registration up to tomorrow – Saturday the 25th. If you were already an Online Card Classes newsletter subscriber, you should have received a few emails with links to a discounted class price for pre-registration. If you got one of these, be sure to do it right away! When it opens for registration tomorrow, the class with be the normal fee of $35. And no worries, everyone. The class will not fill – so if you can’t sign up right away, you can always sign up next week, next month, next anything. It will be fun! Just go HERE to sign up starting tomorrow.

There is a new product that I wanted to share with you. I love it!

I bet a lot of you out there are as addicted to foam dots as I am. They are a great way to add dimension and interest without a lot of bulk for mailing. And if you are like me, sometimes you find it hard to cut  white foam dots small enough so that the white doesn’t show around the sides of a small piece.

Well, this product solves that. They are Kool Tak Clear Foam Dots and Foam Tape. That’s right – no more seeing the white from the sides. Yay! I really like these. They are super strong and aren’t too bulky, which is nice. (But if you want thicker, you can layer two.) You can cut the pieces in half – the adhesive is so strong you don’t need to use much.

I will still be using my favorite white foam adhesive (EK Success 1/16″ and American Crafts 1/8″) for most of my crafting. But for small pieces or special cards, I will be using this new clear. You can find the Clear Foam Dots HERE and the Clear Foam Tape HERE.

Enjoy!

So I asked Heidi at Simon Says Stamp to let me know when she had all the new Hero Arts in stock. And not only did she let me know, but she offered a discount code for my readers. Sweet, isn’t she? Just head HERE and use the code “JMSpring12″ for 10% off ALL Hero Arts products. (Code is good until 2/29. Remember that shipping is free in the US for orders over $75.)

I thought I would let you know what a few of my favorites are. I was hoping to create a card today but was in one appointment after another and was unable to. But I promise to share some soon.

If you want to see all of the new product, you can go HERE.

So first up, this butterfly. It speaks for itself. So lovely…

This set of script images is awesome. Thing of the backgrounds and the subtle touches you could add with these. Oh my…

Anything zig zag rocks…

Check out THIS unique background…

THIS one would be good for masculine cards…

This Tartan Background stamps so amazingly well. Another good one for his or her cards…

I really like this Hero Arts + Basic Grey border set…

The Konnichiwa line is so sweet. Sweet  Konnichiwa Lantern and Japanese Garden…

The flowers in THIS set would be fun for coloring… and the heart is so sweet…

Have you sen the Add Your Message card sets? These box sets come with printed notecards, envelopes and 4 wood stamps. They are adorable for fast cards, or you can add some some extra embellishments, etc. I really like THIS bird set and THIS owl set…

Be sure to also check out the two new Basic Grey 6×6 pads. They are ideal for cardmakers. One is Konnichiwa and one is Plumeria…

And if you haven’t gotten all the new Mid-Tone Shadow Inks (you can see a video of them in action HERE), now is a chance to get them with the discount code…

Again, you can find these stamps at Simon Says Stamp. Just head HERE and use the code “JMSpring12″ for 10% off ALL Hero Arts products. (Code is good until 2/29.)

Oh, and I may just have an extra new goodie to giveaway…

Enjoy.

(BTW, the winner of the SSS card kit was Sue Alg.)

So over the years I have collected a bit of ribbon. Not a ton – I know there are some bigger ribbon hoarders out there – but I do have some. And I rarely tie a big bulky bow on my cards because each of them get mailed. (My bows never seem look as good after going through the mail!) But I do love ribbon.

This is one trick for using ribbon without bulk. See that jute background on this stamped piece? That is actually May Arts ribbon adhered in rows across a piece of cardstock. I then did a bit of sewing around the edges and trimmed it. You can do this technique with any ribbon. So versatile. Then I just added my stamp + die cut flower. (So easy.)

Oh, and I stamped the background with Frost White Pigment Ink on a Pool notecard. It will actually dry on there nicely… if you zap it with a heat gun.

By the way, I did this card for the Hero Arts + May Arts blog week. You can see all the other creations HERE. (See supplies in the thumbnails below.)

Warning – I also have a bit of enabling for you. There are just so many great new products coming out. Gotta share!

• Have you seen the new look of the Simon Says Stamp website? LOVE it.
• If you have taken any of my online classes, you know I adore the high quality products from Memory Box. However, sometimes they are hard to get your hands on! But lots are now in stock HERE. I especially love this 6×6 paper pad, butterfly die and tiny hearts die.
• Love love love THESE exclusive Studio Calico stamp sets – in stock! Move fast.
• All of the newest Tim Holtz stamps are in stock HERE. Some great ones there. My favorite is THIS one with the butterflies and script.
• Good news! There are new Copic Marker colors HERE. You can get the whole set HERE or pick and choose. All the colors are great, but Jasper makes my heart pitter patter the most.
• By the way, Simon Says Stamp has all their newest products (including things from CHA) HERE in one spot. Happy browsing.
• 2Peas has the newest Dear Lizzy goodies HERE. I adore this line.
• 2Peas also has Copic Sketch Markers 25% off right now HERE.

Oh, and a bit of enabling that won’t cost you a penny: Check out the great free fonts HERE.

Enjoy!

Many of the new 2012 Hero Art stamps were released today! And my friend Heidi at Simon Says Stamp has lots of the stamps and said I could give my readers a discount code!

Just go HERE to see all the new goodness. When you check out, use the code “hero12″ for 12% off the 2012 stamps!

Now before you shop, I wanted to let you know that I am spending the morning putting together links to my favorite new stamps. I will be back in a bit with those. (Couldn’t do it until the stamps were live. So hubby is out running in the 10 degree weather and Colin is with my mom so I can share with you!

So be sure to stop back in a few hours to see my favorites. See you then! Happy shopping.

I have been addicted to Etsy for a few years now. I buy 95% of my gifts there and adore the idea of supporting other artists in what they do.

A few months ago I found my new favorite Etsy jewelry shop, Urban Legend. I have since purchased many of her reasonably-priced necklaces and bracelets and have been amazed with her talent and service.

So a couple weeks back, I wanted a special gift for several special friends. So I ordered a bunch of necklaces… each a bit different… and was so impressed with them all…

Isn’t this one gorgeous?

Here are some other faves that I often wear:

Adorable, huh?

I wanted to share this Etsy seller with all of you. So I built up some courage and asked the owner, Kateri, if we could do a giveaway. And that sweet gal? She said yes.

Just leave a comment here by Sunday night for a chance to win a $25 gift certificate to Urban Legend – the perfect amount to get a necklace of our choice.

Also, she offered a free shipping discount code in case any of you feel enabled to get a necklace for yourself. Just use the code “FREESHIP” at her store HERE.

(Oh, and she isn’t paying me to to do this giveaway. I just wanted to pass on some fabulous talent to all of you.

(PS: The winner of the Lori print from the other day is Karin R. I emailed you.)

Enjoy!

So what did I do? I immediately contacted the talented, adorably sweet Lori McDonough.

I found Lori through Etsy and own several of her feel-good-about-yourself-and-life pieces. And I really wanted her to work her magic with this magical quote. Thankfully she said yes. Check THIS out…

I adore it. Perfect for a craft room, huh? I admire people who really USE their talents and make the most them. Think of Olympic gymnasts, Tim Holtz, my brother-in-law (who opened a dental clinic in Liberia), Sandy Allnock (Operation Write Home), teachers, etc. Whatever it is… I love watching it.

If you are interested in buying this print, you can find them on Etsy HERE. Oh, and while you are there, check out these that I have purchased and love, too… (Click the images for the link.)

My oh my, Lori has talent, huh?

And! I am giving one away. Just leave a comment here by Sunday night and I will pick a lucky winner of the talent print above.

Enjoy!

I am so excited to offer you another great discount today. My sweet friends over at Two Peas In a Bucket have offered a good one – free shipping! I have loved 2Peas for so many years. I still miss being a Garden Girl there (I was for many years) and am continually amazed by the many classes and features they offer. (HERE is one to check out – a chance to win big Hero Arts prizes.)

Between now and Sunday, use the code “SHIPJM” for free shipping on orders of $35 or more! Sweet, huh? LOVE free shipping.

Want some shopping ideas?

I have recently decided to switch to all 6×6 papers. I figure that if I want to scrapbook, I can piece pieces together. The patterns on 6×6 are just so much easier to work with! Check HERE for 6×6 paper pads. These are my weakness. My current fave? THIS gorgeous set from Echo Park. (BTW, Echo Park has the sweetest people – a great company.)

I also love THIS 6×6 from Memory Box…

Ah.. and check out the colors of THIS My Mind’s Eye 6×6…

The new Smash products are all the rage and fun for any fellow scrapbookers out there. I plan to get some of my teens, too…

Technique Tuesday has great made-in-the-USA-therefore-they-stamp-perfectly clear stamps HERE. I love THIS one…

You could always get some of the new Hero Arts holiday stamps HERE, such as THIS one…

Again, between now and Sunday, use the code “SHIPJM” for free shipping on orders of $35 or more. Here is the fine print: This is good on non-digital, non-phaseout domestically shipped product.

Enjoy!

Heidi over at Simon Says Stamp seriously rocks. First, she let me steal borrow her baby Abby while at CHA…

Then sweet Heidi emailed me to let me know she has the all new Distress Stains and the newest Hero Arts stamps in stock. Even better – she is giving a discount code to my readers. Just use the code “JOY” to give you 10% off your entire order until Midnight July 25 EST. Awesome enabling, huh?

First up? Check out these new Distress Stains…

You can get buy all the new ones HERE in a group… or all of the Stains both new and old HERE in another group. Or you can just buy them individually HERE. My favorites of the new: Picket Fence (it is white – so cool on kraft), Barn Door, Pumice Stone and Scattered Straw. My favorites of the old: Broken China, Peeled Paint, Antique Linen and Wild Honey.

Simon Says Stamps also has the new Hero Arts stamps in stock HERE. A few people asked about my favorites.

THIS one is amazingly delightful. It is fine-lined and perfect for a subtle background. It is supposedly a holiday stamp but can so be used for anything…

THIS next one is equally awesome. I think good Christian holiday stamps are hard to come by and this is perfection. I can imagine the nativity embossed in white with lots of inks resisted on top. So lovely. And the greetings? Perfection.

Next we have THIS oh-so-useful set. Could work great for holiday cards but also any card you send in the winter. (You can see a fab video by the fab Shari Carroll HERE using this set.)

Everyone needs a good holiday greeting set like THIS one. And I love these fonts…

Check out THIS musical background. So classy…

Oh… think of all the fun techniques you can do with THIS set! Love love love.

THIS guy has such pretty ornaments…

Can’t forget Halloween, too! THIS set is a hoot…

THIS Halloween set is cute, too. And that cloud? I will be using that all year round. The cat, too…

And this last bit of enabling makes me oh-so-happy. Hero now has Pool notecards, envelopes (with the unique flap), layering papers and designer patterned papers. L.O.V.E.L.Y.

Again, just use the code “JOY” to give you 10% off your entire order until Midnight July 25 EST. Awesome, huh?

Happy shopping.