2017 Retiring products: Art with Heart Blog Hop

Today I am participating in a blog hop along with the super talented ladies in the Art With Heart Team. We thought it would be fun to share some projects using our favourite retiring products from both the 2016-2017 annual and 2017 occasions catalogues!

Select retiring products have discounts of up to 50% off but are only available until sold out. Be sure to place orders before the sun sets on these items on 31 May. You don’t want to miss out – ask me how!

This time of year is so bittersweet with the release of the retiring list! It’s so exciting to think that the new Annual Catalogue is just around the corner (and as Demonstrators we have already seen what is to come!!),  but we also have to say goodbye to some of our favourite products. We always try and guess which products it could be, or ones that would be missed personally, but sometimes they catch you by surprise.

So for today’s blog hop I wanted to use my very favourite products and use them to make cards for both female and male to show you their versatility. These products can be used and paired in so many different ways and if you have been thinking about them, then I wouldn’t hesitate. I can tell you I don’t think I can let them go out of my stash 😉

First up I have the female version of my card and treat holder. I had originally intended to share a project using some Occasions products that are retiring, but when I looked carefully at the retiring list and saw some old faithfuls on there I quickly changed my mind.

I started by choosing two of the 2015-2017 In-Colours that are retiring; Mint Macaron and Tip Top Taupe. I then paired them with Blushing Bride and Crumb Cake. I used the Falling Petals Textured Impressions Embossing Folder on the Mint Macaron cardstock. I then used the Gorgeous Grunge stamps (using the second generation stamping method) in the Crumb Cake, Blushing Bride and Mint Macaron. I also used these same colours to stamp and then punch the Petite Petals. To make the Petite Petals pop I placed them on a foam mat and used the bottom of my piercer to gently draw a circle and the petals curl up! I love to use this trick! I glued them down the bottom of the white card.
Using the Endless Birthday Wishes stamps I stamped the “happy birthday” and punched it out using the Decorative label punch. I then punch another Decorative Label with the Tip Top Taupe, cut it in half and glued it to the back of the stamped one to make a faux mat. I centered this embellishment on the white card and then mounted that on to the Tip Top Taupe mat and attached this to the Mint Macaron embossed piece using Dimensionals.

The inside also us stamped using the Gorgeous Grunge, like on the front of the card. I also used some left over Petite Petals in the top left and bottom right of the card.
The retiring products I have used are:
Mint Macaron ink
Tip Top Taupe card
Endless Birthday wishes stamp set
Petite Petals clear stamp set
Petite Petals punch
Decorative label punch
Gorgeous Grunge stamp set
Falling Petals Textured Impressions Embossing Folder

For the male version of the card I again started with the Tip Top Taupe as the base. I used a Pumpkin Pie mat. I must say that I always find male cards a bit more challenging than female cards, so this card changed a few times in the process of making. I made my own patterned paper by stamping a piece of Pacific Point card using matching ink, with “birthday boy” from the Endless Birthday Wishes set. I then used the Gorgeous Grunge set again on the Whisper White card, using second generation stamping. The “happy” is from the Hello You Thinlit dies. I die cut this in both Whisper White and Basic Black and slightly off set them to give the appearance of a shadow/ 3D. The word BIRTHDAY was stamped using Wild Wasabi ink and the Labeler Alphabet stamp set, I then used Dimensionals to attach to the card.

The retiring products I have used are:
Tip Top Taupe card
Endless Birthday wishes stamp set
Gorgeous Grunge stamp set
Hello You Thinlit dies

The last thing I wanted to share were my little treat holders! They were so easy and quick to make. I started with a strip of Tip Top Taupe, measuring 2″ x 8″. I scored on the long side, at 3.5″ and 4.5″. I then punched both ends using the Tag Topper punch.

For the female version I punched a window using the Decorative label punch and then cut a small piece of acetate to go on the inside of the holder. I decorated the holder using the Petite Petals again and a piece of Whisper White twine to hold it all together.

For the male version I ran the front section (up to the first score line) with the Lucky Stars Textured Embossing folder. I punched a piece of Pumpkin Pie card with the Decorative Label punch, and die cut a piece of Wild Wasabi with the ovals framelits and Whisper White with with Stitched Oval framelits. I glued the two ovals together and attached them on to decorative label diecut using Dimensionals, with a piece of white ribbon between. The sentiment is using the Endless Birthday wishes again in Wild Wasabi ink.

The retiring products I have used are:
Tip Top Taupe card
Endless Birthday wishes stamp set
Petite Petals clear stamp set
Petite Petals punch
Decorative label punch
Lucky Stars Textured Embossing folder

Thanks for stopping by I hope you have enjoyed my projects today using some great classics, the next blog in the hop is the very talented Catherine Proctor! Enjoy!

Thanks for stopping by,