CSS Group Project! New Colors!!!

Good Morning!  I've been waiting for this day for quite some time, I'm finally able to share the NEW COLORS that  Clear & Simple Stamps is releasing today.  The design team is hosting a gift exchange and we are each focusing a NEW COLOR.  The color that I chose to work with is ROUGE RUFFLES.  It's red with a little brown mixed in, like an earthy red.  I love it!  

Here's a message from Clear & Simple Stamps regarding these exciting changes: 

Clear and Simple Stamps has made the choice to "go green" and revitalize the CSS current color line. You will see a few new colors and some vintage colors no longer being offered, in an effort to provide product made from renewable contents. All of the color coordinated products are made in the USA. The paper comes from mills that practice responsible, sustainable forestry while manufacturing the highest quality paper products on the market. These mills are powered by renewable energy sources, and our paper products are made of 100% recycled content with 30% PCW (post-consumer waste). We are very pleased to announce our commitment to incorporate environmental practices into our daily crafting.

These new colors don't just include card stock and ink, they also have coordinating envelopes (two sizes) and some have gift wrap.  Rouge Ruffles does not have a coordinating Gift Wrap, so I used the new Kraft Like a Rock Star gift wrap.  I love it!  The perfect weight for wrapping gifts and it accepts ink beautifully.  

(click here to download PDF)

Onto the details about my project:

For my card, I created two panels with a space in the center for some falling leaves using the stamp set Leaflets and coordinating dies.  I used Rouge Ruffles card stock to line the two panels, and Rouge Ruffles ink for some of the leaves and the sentiment.  The card is sitting on top of a coordinating Rouge Ruffles envelope.  I replicated some of the leaves along one of the edges so it would coordinate with my card.

Here's a close-up of the card.  You can see the subtle Distressed Linen background that I stamped using From an Anonymous Source watermark ink.  

I am the most excited about my present!  I replicated the background from the card on my gift wrap, just using Rouge Ruffles ink this time.   The bow that sits atop the gift was made using Rouge Ruffles card stock!  It's the first time I've ever made a gift bow!  It was pretty easy.  The trick to using card stock is to run each strip through your fingers to get it to curve on its own before you start manipulating it.

My tag looks like a sugar cookie!  This is a recipe I discovered last year when my kids and I made Christmas Ornaments.  Here's the recipe:  
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1/2 C. Salt
1/2 C. Warm Water
1 C. All Purpose Flour

Mix all ingredients, roll out dough.  Use cookie cutters to cut into desired shapes and use a straw to create a small hole to thread string through, transfer to a cookie sheet.  I like to roll my dough out directly on the cookie sheet so I don't have to worry about the dough getting out of shape when I move them.  If you want to stamp on your tag/ornament do this now.  You can also paint on them afterwards.  Bake at 250* for about two hours until they are hardened.
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You'll have to check out the following designers to see all the colors being released today!  Have fun blog hopping!

• Lori Tecler
• Jaclyn Miller
• Kim Duran
• Tracy Schultz
• Laura Bassen
• Laurie Willison
• Jennifer Rzasa
• Elena Roussakis
• Stephany Zerbe
• Denise January
• Amber Kemp-Gerstel
• Debby Hughes (guest)

• Clear & Simple Stamps

Have a great day!

{Thank You Gift Ensemble}

Stamps: Leaflets, Distressed Linen, All Occasions 1, Well Preserved Jars Extras (Clear & Simple Stamps)

Card Stock: Rouge Ruffles, Kraft Like a Rockstar, On the Catwalk Cream (CSS)

Ink: Rouge Ruffles, Dish All the Dirt Brown, From an Anonymous Source (CSS)

Dies: Leaflets (CSS) 

Accessories: Kraft Like a Rockstar Gift Wrap, Rouge Ruffles Envelope, Twine/Rafia, Foam Dots, Glue Dots, Salt Dough Tag

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CSS Release Day: Perfect Harvest

Today Clear & Simple Stamps is releasing some super yummy sets!  The collection is called Perfect Harvest and includes lots of fruits, veggies, sentiments, and coordinating dies.  As you can see from my project above, I really had fun with all those fruit images.  I made a card and tag combo!

Here's my card!  I used a new background stamp called Distressed Linen.  I die cut all the fruit before I stamped the images on them.  Most of these stamps are two or three step stamping, which allows you to add more color to your image easily.  For example, the pineapple is three stamps. Each color is a different stamp.  I love that!

Once all the fruit was cut and stamped, I arranged them on the card base using varying heights of foam dots.  The "platter" is a Word Window die.  The words "Organic Thanks" comes from two different sets (Trendy Tags 2 (older set) and Well Preserved (more details on that tomorrow).  The sentiment is stamped on a die cut circle that I cut in half.

I didn't want the tag to be match-matchy with the card, but I did want them to have similar elements.  I used the larger Labels 5 die to create the tag base, just cut two shapes and adhered the two at the top.  I used the same Distressed Linen background stamp.  I pulled the purple color from the grapes and the red inked sentiment from the apple of the card.  I also used a full circle, instead of the half circle on the original card.

 This is such a fun release day, I can't wait to see what my fellow designers created!  I hope you'll check them out too!

• Stephany Zerbe
• Kim Duran
• Elena Roussakis
• Laurie Willison
• Clear & Simple Stamps

Have a great day!

{Organic Thanks}

Stamps: Perfect Harvest, Trendy Tags 2, Label Frames 1, Distressed Linen, Well Preserved (Clear & Simple Stamps)

Card Stock: Kraft Like a Rockstar, On the Catwalk Cream, Dish All the Dirt Brown, VIP Purple (CSS)

Ink: Say Yellow to All Your Fans, Creamsicle Cardigan, Orange You Fabulous, VIP Purple, Green With Envy, Glamazon Green, Dish All the Dirt Brown, Dare to Be a Diva Red (CSS)

Dies: Mini Fruit, Word Window, Shapes: Circles, Labels 5 (CSS) 

Accessories: Corner Rounder Punch, Foam Dots

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