Category Archives: digital design

Posts in this category contain information, techniques, and projects incorporating MDS (My Digital Studio)

Shaped Card – The Open Sea

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The Open Sea shaped hybrid cardThe current MDS Monday challenge is to create a shaped hybrid card. I needed a couple of graduation cards and decided this challenge was the perfect time to get these cards made. I chose to use The Open Sea stamp brush set (124112) for this project. I opened an 8 1/2″ x 11″ portrait blank scrapbook page and added this image to the work space. I then set the dimensions to 5 1/2″ wide and colored the image. I added Very Vanilla cardstock to the background although I really didn’t need to since I was going to print it out on Very Vanilla card stock.

Since I wanted two cards, I copied and pasted the image on the same page. I printed it out on Very Vanilla card stock. This gave me my card front. For the card base, I folded an 8 1/2″ x 5 1/2″ sheet of Very Vanilla card stock in half and oriented it landscape way. I held up this folded piece of card stock and the card front to a window so I could position the fold just at the top of the sails and taped the two together. I then cut the image out through both the card front and the card base. All that was left to do is glue the two together.

I created the greeting on the computer and printed it out on vellum paper. I adhered it to the card with tape designed for adhering vellum. Sorry but all the information on the roll of take is that it is scrapbook tape. I have had it a looong time and forget where I got it.

I really love the way this card turned out. I challenge you to make a hybrid shaped card using MDS for your image. If you do, send me a photo of it and I’ll share it here. You could say that you had been published. :o)

Supplies:
MDS software digital download (130646), MDS software disc (130647), or 30-day Free Trial of MDS (130910)
Stamp brush set – The Open Sea (124112)
Paper – Very Vanilla card stock and Vellum paper (retired)

#WeLoveDS Day

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Digital card for #WeLoveDS DayToday, demonstrators across the country are spreading cheer and love on the wonderful people who work in the Demonstrator Services department of Stampin’ Up!. They are THE go-to people when demonstrators have questions, and problems with orders. They are the voices at the other end of the phone line who are always so cheerful and helpful. My thanks go out to them not just today but every day.

Supplies for this digital card:
MDS software digital download (130646), MDS software disc (130647), or 30-day Free Trial of MDS (130910)
Stamp Brush Sets – Gorgeous Grunge (137939) grunge 5 colored with Tempting Turquoise and Taken With Teal, Fantabulous You (129920), Sweet Details Alphabet and Numbers (125745) letters colored with Not Quite Navy
Embellishments – Today Starts Here Photobook Template (137120) Square Grid recolored with Baked Brown Sugar

Digital creating with MDS is perfect when you need a quick card and especially when you need to send it digitally so it arrives in time. To create this card traditionally with paper, ink, and stamps I would first have to clean off my stamping desk to have a flat surface on which to work. Yes, I know I should clean up after each project and then the desk would be clear for the next time but…creative minds are rarely tidy! Right?!

I encourage you to give digital scrapbooking and card making a try. MDS provides all the wonderful art and color Stampin’ Up! is well-know for and the program is easy to use. Click on one of the MDS links above to order your copy. I’m right here to help you get started and answer any questions you may have. I post digital projects to this blog often so take time to check out my various posts. There is a tab at the top of the page which links to all the digital projects to help sort them out.

Terrific Tuesday – Terrific Paw Parade download!

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Paw Parade KitWelcome to Terrific Tuesday. The elements of this scrapbook page come from one of today’s new MDS downloads, Paw Parade Kit (138037). The kit has stamps for many breeds of dogs but not dachshunds. :o( It is a darling kit though and I really needed it! Besides wonderful designer series papers, it has wonderful dog stamps. Check them out!

stamps from Paw Parade Kit

Here are the two downloads for today. Click on the links for more details and to order them.

Today we also get new Weekly Deals. Check them out, then click on the links to order. All the items this week except for the MDS download are on the retirement list and will sell out quickly, especially at this reduced price. Order them TODAY! Remember…we get FREE SHIPPING this week! Use the hostess code YQWQG7E4 if your order is less than $150.

Easter Blessings!

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Easter memeI took this photo of some of the beautiful tulips growing here in the Skagit Valley and wanted to share this Easter meme I created with MDS. I also wanted to share that, for me, Easter is much more than Easter Bunnies, new clothes, Easter Eggs, and big family dinners…all great things. I truly believe that because He lives, I can face tomorrow! Have a Happy and Blessed Easter everyone. :o)

Terrific Tuesday – Hello Spring

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Hello Spring stamp brush setHello Spring (138039) is one of the new digital downloads for MDS that has been released today, Terrific Tuesday. Don’t you just love this pansy? I changed the color of the stamp from Basic Black to Concord Crush and then used the Freeform brush to add a paint layer of Crushed Curry. I see this color combination often in pansies and it always catches my eye. I added a few Garden Green leaves from the Bright Blessings stamp brush set (127404). The grosgrain ribbon has been recolored with Concord Crush.

You know me…I like to have some texture to my backgrounds so I used the wrinkled pattern 4 of the Downtown Grunge Designer Series Paper (part of the Downtown Grunge Photobook Template – 126056). I recolored it with Wisteria Wonder. You can’t recolor designer series paper when it is added as the background nor when you fill a punch with it. To get the recoloring option, you have to add the designer series paper as a page layer. Don’t ask me why. It seems to me that you should be able to recolor it any way you add it but MDS doesn’t seem to work that way. Maybe in the future it will. Check out these great new downloads for MDS and then click on them to order the ones you want.

Remember that Tuesdays are terrific also because we get new Weekly Deals. Here are this week’s deals. Snap up these great deals by clicking on the links to order them.

MDS Monday – Fabulous Phrases

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The challenge for today’s MDS Monday is to choose a designer series paper for your card and then color all the rest of the elements on the card using the color picker to choose colors in the designer series paper. We are also to use a diagonal feature. Here is the sketch:

MDSM62 SketchAnd here is my version:

Diagonal digital birthday card using the Fabulous Phrases downloadI love the font in the Fabulous Phrases stamp brush set! I guess so much that I used the word ‘happy’ over and over again…LOL! I really, really want the recipient of this card to have the happiest birthday ever! :o)

Using the color picker tool to color elements on my projects is a technique I use all the time. I particularly like to use it to pick up colors in a photo I am using but also use it often as in this case to coordinate the colors with the designer series paper. I had originally created this card with the gold sequins that are the download. When I read the challenge again and saw that we were to use the color picker for all the elements of the card, I went back and re-colored the sequins with one of the colors in the orange butterflies. I was really surprised how beautiful the sequins turned out. They almost look like bronze or copper. Then I had to go back and change to color of the bow to go with the sequins. The Tempting Turquoise I had used for ‘birthday’ was not from the color picker either so I picked it’s color from the re-colored sequins. After all the adjustments I made from the original card, I have a card that far exceeds what I had originally planned!

Does that ever happen to you? Do you have to make adjustments like adding a layer, an embellishment, or a label to cover a goof? Or do you have to change your colors out because you don’t have enough ribbon to match what you had planned and then the end result is so much better than your original idea? Happens to me all the time! Sometimes the project takes on a life of itself.

Below are the supplies I used in this project. Click on the links to order them for yourself. Remember that most of the elements have been recolored.

Terrific Tuesday – Throughout the Years

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Throughout the Years Photobook Template pg 2 Throughout the Years Photobook Template pg 3

 

 

 

 

 

It’s Terrific Tuesday with new MDS digital downloads and new Weekly Deals for us. Before I share them with you, I want to share this first 2-page spread of Ron and my Throughout the Years 8″ x 8″ book I am creating for our 50th wedding anniversary celebration the end of July. Two weeks ago I shared a card with you that I had created using this photobook template. You can see the card here and here are pages 2 and 3 of the photobook. The only changes I made to the designer pages were to change the colors to my wedding colors and to add journaling and a couple extra photos to pg 3.

Using MDS to create scrapbooks is so much faster and cleaner than traditional scrapbooking! I can change colors without wasting any paper, change the size of photos without destroying any photos, and….there is no clean-up afterwards! Triple score!!! Give it a try for yourself. I am here to help you learn and discover the pleasure of digital scrapbooking. Click on one of the links for MDS below to get started!

Supplies:
MDS software digital download (130646), MDS software disc (130647), or 30-day Free Trial of MDS (130910), Throughout the Years Photobook Template (137902)

Now on to the new Weekly Deals. Here they are. Click on the links to order them.

MDS Monday Sketch 61- Using Rounded Photo Corners

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Using rounded corners on photoDon’t those two smiling faces warm your heart? They are two of our great-granddaughters and I had to use their photos on this scrapbook page for the MDSM61 sketch challenge. We were to round the corners of the photos in this challenge. Did you know that you can round them with just a click of your mouse? Right click on the photo which brings up a menu with several options, one of which is rounded corners. When you click on that, another screen comes up allowing you to deselect any corners you don’t want rounded. How cool is that?! Then click OK and you are done!

I wanted the title to resemble the colors in the dandelions so I used the color picker to choose one of the colors in the dandelions for the text. Then I changed the drop shadow to Old Olive and increased the opacity to 100% to get the soft green shadow.

I didn’t wander too far from the sketch. Well….maybe!

MDS Monday Sketch 61 - using rounded corners Dandelions are one of the first flowers??? to bloom in SE Alaska and are a sure sign that spring has arrived. What flowers signify spring to you? Create a scrapbook page or card with your answer and I’ll share it here on my blog.

Supplies:
MDS software digital download (130646), MDS software disc (130647), or 30-day Free Trial of MDS (130910)Background
Card Stock/Soft Sky
Punches
Basics/1.25 Square Punch,  Filled with: Be Yourself May Kit (133426) – Be Yourself Designer Series Paper – paper 4
Basics/1.25 Square Punch,  Filled with: Photo of dandelions

Say What?!!! You Must Read…

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Digital scrapbook page using the Fine Print Greeting Card Template…the fine print!

Today is Terrific Tuesday and one of the new MDS downloads is Fine Print Greeting Card Templates (137911). At first glance, these greetings are in-your-face unkind things to say. But…when you read the all important fine print they bring a smile to your face. When I read this particular greeting, I couldn’t help but think of our grandson and his family. It had to be used with this Halloween photo they took. I added a little stitching using the

This scrapbook page came together so quickly! Due to the wonders of MDS and digital scrapbooking, I basically had the page done in five minutes. I fiddled a little fine-tuning the elements…well maybe more than a little but I wasted no paper and made no mess to clean up when I finished. If you haven’t tried MDS yet, click on one of the links below to get started and contact me for help.

Scrapbook page suppliesMDS software digital download (130646), MDS software disc (130647), or 30-day Free Trial of MDS (130910)
Background
Card Stock/Soft Sky
Embellishments
Chocolate Simple Stitches & Corners (126025) corner 3 (re-colored) Color = BASIC BLACK
Stamps
Fine Print Greeting Card Templates (137911) – can’t stand when, Color = BASIC BLACK 19,27,29

This week’s New MDS digital downloads:

Don’t forget the New Weekly Deals: Be sure to get the ones you want before the prices go back up! Click on the links or visit my online store to order.

MDS Monday – Sunshine and Sprinkles

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Checkbook cover created with MDS and Sunshine & Sprinkles EnsembleDid you know you could use MDS to create a checkbook cover? With the Custom project option, you can easily make any size project you want up to 24″ x 24″! For my checkbook cover I chose a project size of 6.5″ x 7″. I added a square punch sized 6.5″ x 3.5″ to the bottom half my project and filled it with the Sunshine and Sprinkles Designer Series Paper – 15. After filling the punch I double clicked on it and clicked the minus magnifying glass 3 times to reduce the size of the raindrops. I also reduced the opacity to 80% so my printing would show up better. Then I copy, pasted, and flipped the rectangle and positioned it on the top half. This way the raindrops would still be falling when the checkbook cover was folded in half.

Back view of checkbookI grouped three of the umbrella embellishments from the Sunshine and Sprinkles Ensemble (130668) on the front of the checkbook and used the same umbrella to make a line of them on the back.  Then I printed the cover out on Whisper White card stock. I purchased the plastic checkbook cover from Stamp on This but I can’t find a website for them any more. Here is a link to another place that sells the clear plastic covers. https://www.cistamps.com/checkbook

I am so excited to be able to create this checkbook cover to match my Soggy Stamper branding!

Supplies: (Click on the links or visit my online store to order any supplies you need.)
MDS software digital download (130646), MDS software disc (130647), or 30-day Free Trial of MDS (130910)
Embellishments
Sunshine & Sprinkles Ensemble (130668)- embellishments- umbrella multi
Punches
Basics/1.25 Square Punch,  Filled with: Sunshine & Sprinkles Designer Series Paper – 15 from the Sunshine & Sprinkles Ensemble

Terrific Tuesday – Throughout the Years

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Digital Baby cardSupplies: MDS software digital download (130646), MDS software disc (130647), or 30-day Free Trial of MDS (130910); Background – Card Stock/Daffodil Delight; Embellishments –     Chevron Ribbon (136719) – crushed curry bow; Stamps – Sweetness Unlimited (124461) – welcome baby, Color = BASIC GRAY 118,122,121; Punches – Basics/1.25 Square Punch, Fill Color = 255,247,211 (from color picker), Extras/Throughout The Years – punch – 7 from Throughout the Years Photobook Template (137902),  Filled with: Sunshine & Sprinkles Designer Series Paper – 3 from the Sunshine & Sprinkles Ensemble (130668)

Did you miss the Terrific Tuesday post yesterday? I apologize for not getting it posted. I spent the day finally getting all the data together to do our taxes. :o(   I’d much rather have been blogging or stamping.

It was difficult to choose which of the new downloads to purchase this week. I love them all but tried to be financially prudent (remember I was doing taxes) so only purchased the Throughout the Years Photobook Template (137902). This is a perfect photobook template for me because it chronicles 50 years in your life. The fifty years could be birthdays but I am going to make a photobook of our 50 years of marriage. We will be celebrating our 50th anniversary this summer and I think a photobook of our 50 years will be a treasured gift for our children. I will be sharing the pages on this blog so keep coming back to see them.

In addition, this template has some really cool punches and designer series papers included in the download. Like I often say, you don’t need to think a photobook download is only for scrapbooking. I used one of the punches to create the baby card at the top of this post.

Check out the new MDS downloads for this week, then click on the links for more information about them and to order them.

Blessed Easter Stamp Brush - Digital Download
Blessed Easter Stamp Brush – Digital Download

Price: $2.95
Easter Blessings Ensemble - Digital Download
Easter Blessings Ensemble – Digital Download

Price: $19.95
Happy Congratulations Stamp Brush Set - Digital Download
Happy Congratulations Stamp Brush Set – Digital Download

Price: $3.95
My Digital Class For The Home Ensemble - Digital Download
My Digital Class For The Home Ensemble – Digital Download

Price: $14.95
Purple Passion Kit - Digital Download
Purple Passion Kit – Digital Download

Price: $9.95
Throughout The Years Photobook Template (8 x 8) - Digital Download
Throughout The Years Photobook Template (8″ X 8″) – Digital Download

Price: $19.95
 

On Tuesdays we also get new Weekly Deals from Stampin’ Up! Check them out! Since these great deals are only for a week, snap up the ones you want by clicking on the links or visiting my online store.

Brights Core'dinations Cardstock
Brights Core’dinations Cardstock

Price: $23.95 $17.96
Cajun Craze 8-1/2X11 Card Stock
Cajun Craze 8-1/2X11 Card Stock

Price: $6.95 $5.21
Champagne Glimmer Paper
Champagne Glimmer Paper

Price: $4.95 $3.71
Silver Glimmer Paper
Silver Glimmer Paper

Price: $4.95 $3.71
Soho Subway Designer Series Paper
Soho Subway Designer Series Paper

Price: $10.95 $8.21
Subtles Core'dinations
Subtles Core’dinations

Price: $23.95 $17.96
This And That Epic Day Designer Series Paper
This And That Epic Day Designer Series Paper

Price: $10.95 $8.21
Wonderful You Board Book Template -- Digital Download
Wonderful You Board Book Template – Digital Download

Price: $14.95 $8.97

MDS Monday – Recoloring Designer Series Paper

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Seriously Teen Designer Series Paper recolored

Recolor designer series paper? We can do that with MDS? Yep… you can! Our challenge for this MDS Monday was to recolor designer series paper while following the sketch. There are two ways to recolor your designer series paper. You need to add the paper as a page layerso one way is to go to the Resource Palette, choose background papers and click on the box that says add as a page layer before adding your dsp. Then double click on the dsp you want to use. When it is loaded onto your page, the photo section of the Design Center opens and you can find to button to click to recolor the dsp. Be aware that the resulting color will be monochromatic with varying shades of the color you choose. In the example of my card above, this is what the card would have looked like if I hadn’t recolored things. What a difference recoloring made!

Seriously Teen Designer Series paper original color

 

The other way to change the color of designer series paper is to open a photo box and drag your desired designer series paper into the box. An advantage to this method is that not only can you change the color of the dsp but you can also change the scale of the pattern by clicking on the magnifying glasses after double clicking on the photo box. Notice that the edges of my dsp squares appear to have been torn. This option is available with both methods of recoloring dsp. Right click on the layer to open the menu. Part way down is the option Rip Photo Edges. Click on the square by the side you want to tear. Unclick and click again to see all the options.

Now it is your turn. Create a card using the recoloring function to recolor some designer series paper and/or embellishments, Share the before and after with me and your creation might just end up being shared here. :o)

Supplies:MDS software digital download (130646), MDS software disc (130647), or 30-day Free Trial of MDS (130910)
Background
Card Stock/Cajun Craze
Embellishments
Sent with Love  Designer Kit (132914) – embellishments/Sent with Love – tag (re-colored) Color = DUSTY DURANGO 215,105,82
Striped Grosgrain Ribbon (137451) – pacific_point_knot (re-colored) Color = CAJUN CRAZE 170,66,37
Stamps
Delightful Dozen (127597) – cheers, Color = CAJUN CRAZE 170,66,37
Punches
Basics/1.25 Square Punch,  Filled with: Textured Card Stock – pool party
Photos
Serioulsy Teen Kit (133475)- Seriously Teen Designer Series Paper- wasabi brick wall (re-colored) Color = REALLY RUST 199,113,80
Serioulsy Teen Designer Series Paper – midnight muse (re-colored) Color = TEMPTING TURQUOISE 75,196,213

Happy Absolutely Incredible Kid Day!

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Today is Absolutely Incredible Kid Day and we have a bunch of incredible grandkids and greats. This picture of our grandson Nathaniel and his three girls makes me giggle. I created the glasses frames with circle punches and a rectangle punch.

I invite you to grab a cup of coffee or tea and spend some time browsing my blog pages. If you like my projects, sign up for my mailing list and I’ll send you my monthly newsletter filled with projects, tips, and inspiration. Just fill out the form on the right. Be sure to respond to the email I will send you to receive a couple of free gifts for subscribing. Thanks! :o)

 

Terrific Tuesday – New Items For You

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Striped Grosgrain ribbon and Today Starts Here Designer Kit

Hey…it’s Terrific Tuesday and Stampin’ Up! hasn’t disappointed us. They offer us ttwo terrific options to feed our creative addictions.First up are the terrific new MDS downloads. I created the card above to showcase one of the new downloads the Striped Grosgrain ribbon (137451). It comes in this wonderful Pacific Point blue and in Summer Starfruit yellow. I added the greeting from the Today Starts Here Photobook Template (137120). Check out the new digital downloads below and either click on the links or visit my online store to order the ones that have your name on them.

Baby We've Grown Stamp Brush Set - Digital Download
Baby We’ve Grown Stamp Brush Set – Digital Download

Price: $4.95
Gold Silver Baker's Twine - Digital Download
Gold Silver Baker’s Twine – Digital Download

Price: $4.95
Hello Sailor Stamp Brush Set - Digital Download
Hello Sailor Stamp Brush Set – Digital Download

Price: $4.95
High Tide Designer Series Paper - Digital Download
High Tide Designer Series Paper – Digital Download

Price: $4.95
Striped Grosgrain Ribbon - Digital Download
Striped Grosgrain Ribbon – Digital Download

Price: $4.95
The Grad Life Ensemble - Digital Download
The Grad Life Ensemble – Digital Download

Price: $10.95

The next great option is the new Weekly Deals. Check them out here. Since they are available at these prices for a limited amount of time place your order right now!

3 Inch Circle Originals Die
3 Inch Circle Originals Die

Price: $17.95 $13.46
Ahoy, Matey Ensemble -- Digital Download
Ahoy, Matey Ensemble – Digital Download

Price: $14.95 $8.97
Argyle Textured Impressions Embossing Folder
Argyle Textured Impressions Embossing Folder

Price: $7.95 $5.96
Chevron Textured Impressions Embossing Folder
Chevron Textured Impressions Embossing Folder

Price: $7.95 $5.96
Circles #2 Originals Die
Circles #2 Originals Die

Price: $15.95 $11.96
Dress Form Pop' N Cuts
Dress Form Pop’ N Cuts

Price: $21.95 $16.46
Peekaboo Frames Bigz L Die
Peekaboo Frames Bigz L Die

Price: $32.95 $24.71
Set Designer Frames Textured Impressions Embossing Folder Die
Set Designer Frames Textured Impressions Embossing Folder Die

Price: $8.95 $6.71

 

By All Means Do Not Do This!

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Another Great Year digital Birthday card

Supplies: MDS software digital download (130646), MDS software disc (130647), or 30-day Free Trial of MDS (130910), Another Great Year Stamp Brush Set (137359), Be Yourself Designer Series Paper – 8 from Be Yourself May Kit (133426), Labels Collection Punch 1 (129336)

Oh, my goodness! Let me tell you…do not change project size/type of a digital project if you have a paint layer on the project! What a mess! All I did was to change from a landscape to a portrait orientation. The stamped image became much smaller and the paint layer became much bigger! I was able to salvage my painting by resizing both the stamped image and the painting until they matched up again but it took a lot of trial and error to get the correct sizes.

I didn’t get my usual Terrific Tuesday blog post done yesterday. Ron had an eye appointment in Seattle so we took extra time to have lunch with out daughter who lives there. We had a great time visiting and catching up. By the time we got home, those who live on the east coast were already heading to bed. However…there were some terrific downloads for us from Stampin’ Up! I just love it that we can get new things on a weekly basis at a price point that is affordable on a weekly basis. I was excited to see the Another Great Year stamp set being offered in digital form. This stamp set was introduced in the Spring catalog in the traditional hands-on forms and I have grown to love it from seeing all the great examples being created with it.

Now it is available in digital form. Why is that so exciting? Well, for a couple of reasons. First, with MDS files, they don’t retire. They are available to purchase indefinitely. Secondly, this particular stamp brush set is a .svg file which means that it can be enlarged or reduced to fit any sized need. So, you could take the big Happy Birthday to You greeting and make it small enough to fit into a 1″ circle punch or you could enlarge it enough to be a banner for a birthday party. In that case you might have to take the file to a print shop that can print out posters or you could attach your computer to an e-cutter to print it and cut it out. With the traditional stamp you are limited to just the 2 1/2″ x 4″ size of the stamp.

See…MDS fits into traditional paper-crafting as well as digital creating. If you haven’t given MDS and digital crafting a try yet, you are missing out on a lot of fun and convenience. Contact me for more information and to answer any questions you may have.

Here are the new downloads from yesterday 3-4-14. Click on the links for more details and to order the ones you like.

Another Great Year Stamp Brush Set - Digital Download
Another Great Year Stamp Brush Set – Digital Download

Price: $4.95
Dropping You A Line Kit - Digital Download
Dropping You A Line Kit – Digital Download

Price: $9.95
Envelope Liner Punches - Digital Download
Envelope Liner Punches – Digital Download

Price: $2.95
Essentials Wooden Elements - Digital Download
Essentials Wooden Elements – Digital Download

Price: $3.95
Natural Chevron Ribbon - Digital Download
Natural Chevron Ribbon – Digital Download

Price: $2.95
Perfect Couple Stamp Brush Set - Digital Download
Perfect Couple Stamp Brush Set – Digital Download

Price: $4.95
Pomp & Circumstance Stamp Brush Set - Digital Download
Pomp & Circumstance Stamp Brush Set – Digital Download

Price: $4.95