Waffle Flower May 2020 Release Blog Hop

Hi everyone!  

Waffle Flower's May release is available today!  We are back this month with a full release of stamps and dies with something for everyone!  

This month we have the fun Tooth Fairy stamps and dies from illustrator Cassie Loizeaux.  We've also got another set in the Bouquet Builders series from Karla Jodoin.  Speaking of series, we've also got the Be a Panda die and Accessories dies which are die versions of the Big Bear & Bird Be Him stamps.  This month, we're also celebrating graduates with the Graduation Panel die and Sentiments set.  For Dads (and anyone who loves beer), we have Home Brew stamps and dies.  To coordinate with all our goodies, we've got the new Star Panel die and the Classic Frames dies.  Last but not least, we've got 3 new additions to the travel sets from Kamo.  This month, we're visiting Mexico, Russia, and Germany!

(Click here to see the whole collection)

For my projects today, it's all about Dads and Grads!  

When I designed the Graduation Panel Die and Graduation Sentiments, I never could have imagined what the 2020 graduations have become!  In a time when we can't attend any ceremonies or celebrate in person, I think a special graduation card becomes even more important. I don't know about you, but this year I'm planning on sending as many cards as I can!

I've always loved the idea of custom graduation cards.  I remember when I graduated from high school (back in the olden days, lol), I actually got 5 of the same Hallmark graduation card!  Not much selection back then!  So nowadays, I love the idea of using school colors to create something a bit more personal.  

For this card, I cut the panel in blue and backed it with yellow (maize for the Michigan fans;).  If you look really closely, you can see a layered trick with the raised panel.  I backed with the same panel in yellow but I flipped it over so only the top of the cap lined up.  This tricks the eye with a feeling of depth.  I also added a fun way to add $ to my card with a "tube" made from a rolled piece of acetate.  

For this next card, I used the little graduation caps left over from my last project.  I used them for shaker fillers using the previously released Shutters Panel Die.  

My last grad card is super customized with the help of the Go Girl dies.  I backed the panel in school colors again using stripes cut with the Horizontal Stripes die.  The graduation cap is just a hand cut rectangle and diamond shape.  In all my graduation cards, I used the new Classic Frames dies for the sentiments.  This die set has a variety of sizes and the stitching works so well with all the stitched panel dies.  

Now on to the Dads!  Actually the Home Brew set is for anyone who loves some beer, but it's especially apropos for beer-loving dads!  I used the Star Panel die to create a colorful  background for my sentiment panel and frosty beer!

It's hard to photograph, but I added a bunch of detail to the mug of beer by coloring with copics, adding some bubbles with white pen and Copic blender pen, and adding a foamy head with Nuvo drops (glossy solid white version).

The Home Brew set includes a bunch of sentiments for non-Dads too like this birthday one!  For this card, I used a negative die cut to create a blended background of bottles.  I also created a table scene with a couple bottles and a frosty glass.  

The bottles and the beer glass were cut from colored cardstock.  I added details to the bottles with some die cuts and some white pen.  Again, I dressed up the glass with some white pen and Nuvo drops.  To finish off the look, I added shadows to the bottles and glass with a bit of masked blending.

That's all for me today!  Next in the hop is the the awesome Keeway, but here’s the full blog hop list, so you don’t miss a thing! 

Waffle Flower (Nina) ~ Alix Davis 
Arjita Sepha Singh ~ Channin Pelletier
Elyse Robinson ~ Galina Filippenko 
Jeanne Jachna ~ JJ Bolton (you are here!) 
Keeway Tsao ~ Rebecca Keppel 

For today’s hop, Waffle Flower is giving away $25 gift certificate to THREE lucky winners. You can leave a comment on this blog and along the hop by 11:59pm EDT on May 10th, 2020 for your chances to win. Winners will be chosen at random from the comments left on any of the posts in this blog hop and will be announced on the Waffle Flower Blog on 5/12/2020.

We are also hosting a Instagram hop today at 12:00 noon EDT. Follow me at @ribbongirls and Waffle Flower at @waffleflowercrafts so you don’t miss out!

Thanks for hopping with us! 

Mahalo and aloha!

JJ

P.S.

A kind reminder from Waffle Flower:"We appreciate every order we receive but we also recommend at this time of uncertainties, reserve your resources and use what you have first! Stay positive and healthy!"

From now till 11:59pm EDT on May 10th, all orders at $50 and over, placed at waffleflower.com will receive a mysterious gift! 

For those of you who are new to Waffle Flower, they have a Last Chance section on their website that lists many goodies for 25% off until they are gone! This would be a great place to start your collection!