New Release Hop Day 2!

Hello and welcome to day 2 of our November New Release Hop!

If you joined us yesterday you saw that we've just released two awesome Cover Up Dies: Leaf Pattern and Swirls.

They are definitely a unique take on the Cover Up Dies we've previously released. They each have more of an organic or flowing pattern and are not the geometric or textual designs we've previously done. I do know that they are both equally gorgeous and I love the instant beauty these can each add to my projects. Cover Up Die: Leaf Pattern even has an extra neat little feature! Some of the negative cut leaves have our signature stitching detail and can be used in a totally different way! Love that!

We also just released the next in our Stitched Mats Series - Ovals! This is something that so many of you have written to me to request. I'm so excited that we were finally able to get them to you!

These were made purposely to be the absolute perfect sizes for A2 cards laid out horizontally or vertically and feature stitching on both sides of the main cut line just like our Stitched Mats Circles and Stitched Stars. Seriously, these are the BEST! With only four dies in this set the price point is pretty awesome too!

Modern Mehndi is the name our new stamp and die set. You've GOT TO TRY IT!!!! It's simply funky and stunning all at the same time!! The designs are inspired by henna tattoo or Mehndi celebratory body art. It doesn't get better than a fresh new take on a traditional concept such as a flower stamp set! Combine these stamps with their coordinating dies to make perfectly cut flowers and leaves. Or use the die set alone for fantastic flower shapes! I love love love love love this new set and I know you will too!

This last die.......well.....it simply blows my mind! To look at it you would think it's a standard stitched strip but when you start to play with it you'll realize that it's a little die that does BIG things!!

Now, I planned on having a video for you demonstrating our new On the Diagonal Die but I'm having some technical difficulties. I'm still planning to get this to you before the end of our hop so stay tuned. In the meantime you will have to use a little imagination and tolerate my exploding enthusiasm for this by reading my words in black and white :)

When used for it's most basic function, which is to just simply run this through your die cutting machine with any paper you will yield an angled, stitched strip. Here are some pictures to demonstrate. Their not exactly "customer quality" and were taken quick for the DT when this die arrived to me but they'll do until our video is ready!

This panel can be place diagonally across an A2 card base and used as a sentiment panel or image focal point like in the example seen here.

If you made this basic cut on a pre-cut A2 card base or mat you are left with two interesting panels each with a stitched border as seen here.

And these panels can be used as a card front which leaves an opening for pattern paper to peek through or for sentiment placement.

Here's where I think this die really shines! Start with an A2 card base and die cut the base with the largest mat from your Stitched Mats: Rectangles collection.

Now, lay your On the Diagonal Die over your stitched card base and die cut.

Now you have two panels with stitching all the way around!! 

(Just snip off any connected strands with scissors.)

Now you've made two stitched panels which can be used for a funky and trendy card front layout!!! Look how I began creating with them here.

Before I adhered my two stitched layout panels to my pink card base with foam tape, I simply laid them over my card base and penciled where my sentiment would go so that I could stamp it perfectly. Once my stamping was complete I erased my pencil marks and then used foam tape to pop up the panels leaving this neat little recessed area for my sentiment to appear. Cool right?

Here is the finished card using the example above.

I just love the way this turned out and I'd like to create a whole set of these in different colors!

In yesterday's post, I featured projects using our new On the Diagonal Die as well as our new Stitched Ovals and Modern Mehndi made an appearance as well. Today, I think I'd like to share some projects using our new Cover Up Die: Swirls!

Seriously, this die makes me incredibly happy!!

Here is the project I used as our Pre-Release Sneak Peek.

Here I die cut this gorgeous panel from rose card stock and laid it over a lavender card base. I think heat embossed a sentiment from our Snarky Lady Stamp Set, which I LOVE, onto lavender vellum and wrapped it around my card base which I secured in the back using my tape runner. I think this is a rather perfect way to let this die do all the talking!

I was inspired to make this next card when I saw something that Jen Carter loaded into our private team gallery. I kind of slapped myself when I saw her card. I NEVER thought of "puzzle-ing-in" different colored swirls. Have a look...(thanks, Jen!!)

Here I used Swirls three times on three different colored card stock; grey, yellow and aqua. I removed some pieces from the main, grey panel and replaced those pieces with yellow and aqua so I'm sort of showcasing or hi-lighting different swirled areas!

My finished focal panel was adhered to a white card base and I guess I'm sort of obsessed with heat embossing.....I heat embossed the sentiment, "True Friends Don't Just Write On Walls" from our Snarky Sentiments Stamp Set in neon pink embossing powder. Side note, gel manicures and heat tools don't mix! Ask me how I know! 

Is this another cool way to use this die. Again, thanks to Jen Carter for inspiring me!

Okay, okay! You WIN! One more for today :)

Here I used our On the Diagonal Die to create two stitched layout panels which I laid over a kraft card base. But before I did any cutting, I stamped the largest leaf stamp from Modern Mehndi in several different colors to create a pattern. OH MY UH GOSH this stamp is my FAVORITE in the set!!!! I then heat embossed the "Celebrate" sentiment from our Spot On Stamp Set and added some enamel dots as embellishment.

Whoa, this is a long post so I'm going to wrap it up and remind you that we have the awesome Tracey McNeely with us this month as our Guest Designer and be sure to leave her some love and say hi as you hop today and leave some love for ALL of our designers as you hop as we're giving away three $15 gift certificates to Lil' Inker Designs from a secret prize blog which will be chosen at the end of our hop. You'll have until Sunday, November 24th at 11:30 PM, EST to comment to be eligible to win a prize.

Go now to Alicia Thelin's Blog for more inspiration using our new goodies. I'll see you tomorrow for the final day of our New Release Hop!

Thank you already for all of your orders, comments and enthusiastic feedback for our new goodies!!!

BEFORE I FORGET, read all about our Design Team Call going on now through November 25th!