It’s a Critter Celebration and we are super excited for you to join us in today’s Release in Review Party!  You may have noticed the fun little Party Elements: Critters set from the current release. Each designer has taken this set and created a whole host of parties. Hop along from blog to blog for a ton of fabulous party inspirations…

First party stop is for a little Bee-llini Brunch…

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Bee-llini Brunch

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While many are preparing for tonight’s Superbowl festivities, we thought we would start the day off by putting a fun twist on a classic Sunday Brunch. After all, you can’t have a brunch without a good bellini, so why not infuse a little honey into the mix for a fabulous Bee-llini Brunch.

We created a flat invitation with a simple, modern color scheme: True Blue Fan, A Blanc Check , Say Yellow to All Your Fans, and a small pinch of Dare to be a Diva Red. We used the Alpha Duo set to spell out the words for our custom themed party, printed the invite details, and added the headers from the Party Elements: Critters set. This set makes creating parties super easy and so much fun!

For our favor, each guest will take home a Party Favor 3 bag that has an added custom pocket to hold a single tea bag.  Inside of the favor is a mini jar of honey that was also altered and stamped with the honeycomb pattern from the Background Basics 1 set to coordinate with the theme of the event.

You can see more views of the Bee-llini Brunch Party by clicking on the photos in the gallery below.

WANT TO SEE MORE? Visit with the CSS design team for more incredible party ideas…

Lori Tecler

Tracy Schultz

Dana Grothaus

Laura Bassen

Kim Duran

Laurie Willison

Stephany Zerbe

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Bee-llini Brunch Gallery

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Looking for more inspiration?

Download the CSS Daily Papercrafting App {2.0} available on iTunes

Download the CSS Daily App, for more inspiration from the CSS design team

and view over {600} project ideas in the archives. Each day brings a new

project direct to your iPhone/iPad/ or iPod Touch for a bit of papercrafting on the go!

{You can download the CSS App from iTunes here}

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There is a new alphabet in town – Alpha Duo. These are not your ordinary alphabets. We’ve mixed open, outline letters with solid letters to create a versatile 2-in-1 alphabet stamp set.  We love how many fun options you have to create great projects.

All week long we will highlight products from the current release, featuring fun tips and tricks, new ideas, and an amazing celebration on February 5th.  So mark your calendars and come be our guests.

Now let’s take a closer look at Alpha Duo….

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Alpha Duo

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Alphabets can be used in many different ways.  We love to create cards and projects for special occasions, and many times alphabets are the best way to express just the right sentiment.

• STAMPS: Quotes II, Alpha Duo, Love Cupid
• INK: On the Catwalk Cream, Dish All the Dirt Brown
• CARDSTOCK: Kraft Like a Rockstar, On the Catwalk Cream, Dare to be a Diva Red
• RIBBON: Designer Mix Twill
• SIMPLE CUTS: Tags 1, Shapes: Hearts, Build-a-Critter: Owl/Kitty
• OTHER: Simple Adhesive, Dimensionals, Linen Twine, Wood Button

WANT TO SEE MORE? Visit with CSS design team members all week long for additional {Release in Review} inspiration from the current collection, starting with:

Stephany Zerbe

Tracy Schultz

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Review: Alpha Duo Gallery

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Looking for more inspiration?

Download the CSS Daily Papercrafting App {2.0} available on iTunes

Download the CSS Daily App, for more inspiration from the CSS design team

and view over {600} project ideas in the archives. Each day brings a new

project direct to your iPhone/iPad/ or iPod Touch for a bit of papercrafting on the go!

{You can download the CSS App from iTunes here}

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Everyone could use a little good luck charm. And with the latest release, we are creating fun projects with the new Lucky Charm set. At first, it may have you thinking St. Patrick’s Day, but if you take a closer look at the set you will unlock a few fab finds that expand your options while creating.

All week long we will highlight products from the current release, featuring fun tips and tricks, new ideas, and an amazing celebration on February 5th.  So mark your calendars and come be our guests.

Now let’s take a closer look at Lucky Charm….

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Lucky Charm

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Good Luck Card + Favor Box Supply List:

• STAMPS: Quotes II, Trendy Tags, Lucky Charm
• INK: Perfect Little Black Dress, Glamazon Green
• CARDSTOCK: A Blanc Check, Glamazon Green
• RIBBON: Glamazon Green
• SIMPLE CUTS: Tags 1, Party Favor 2
• OTHER: Simple Adhesive, Dimensionals

WANT TO SEE EVEN MORE? Visit with CSS design team members all week long for additional {Release in Review} inspiration from the current collection, starting with:

Kim Duran

Laurie Willison

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Review: Lucky Charm Gallery

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Looking for more inspiration?

Download the CSS Daily Papercrafting App {2.0} available on iTunes

Download the CSS Daily App, for more inspiration from the CSS design team

and view over {600} project ideas in the archives. Each day brings a new

project direct to your iPhone/iPad/ or iPod Touch for a bit of papercrafting on the go!

{You can download the CSS App from iTunes here}

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We love creating with Little Critters. Today we are taking a closer look at using Background Basics 1 + Critter Sentiments. This fun project uses coordinating patterns and customized punny sentiments to create a Valentine gift set. All week long we will highlight products from the current release, featuring fun tips and tricks, new ideas, and an amazing celebration on February 5th.  So mark your calendars and come be our guests.

Now let’s take a closer look at Background Basics 1 + Critter Sentiments….

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Critter Sentiments + Background Basics 1

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Owl Only Card + Favor Supply List:

• STAMPS: Background Basics 1, Critter Sentiments, Taglines: Critters, Alpha Duo
• INK: Perfect Little Black Dress, I’m a Princess Pink, Say Yellow to All Your Fans
• CARDSTOCK: A Blanc Check, Kraft Like a Rockstar, I’m a Princess Pink, Say Yellow to All Your Fans, Dare to be a Diva Red, Perfect Little Black Dress
• SIMPLE CUTS: Shapes (Hearts), Build-a-Critter: Owl, Party Favor 1
• OTHER: Simple Adhesive, Dimensionals

WANT TO SEE MORE? Visit with CSS design team members all week long for additional
{Release in Review} inspiration from the current collection, starting with:

Kim Duran

Laura Bassen

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Review: Critter Sentiments + Background Basics 1 Gallery

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Looking for more inspiration?

Download the CSS Daily Papercrafting App {2.0} available on iTunes

Download the CSS Daily App, for more inspiration from the CSS design team

and view over {600} project ideas in the archives. Each day brings a new

project direct to your iPhone/iPad/ or iPod Touch for a bit of papercrafting on the go!

{You can download the CSS App from iTunes here}

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Take a closer look! We recently released our first collection of the new year, and we invite you to join us as we take a closer look. All week long we will highlight products from the release, featuring fun tips and tricks, new ideas, and an amazing celebration on February 5th.  So mark your calendars and come be our guests.

Now let’s take a closer look at Love Cupid….

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Love Cupid

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We love the versatility of the Love Cupid stamp set.  The mix and match sentiments allow for so many possibilities from Valentine’s Day, weddings and anniversaries, to a simple love note. We’ve paired the half damask image with the Quotes II background text for a delicate layered image on the die cut heart from the Shapes (Hearts) die cut combo set for the card’s focal point. We finished the card with a precious banner stamped with a sweet sentiment – perfect for a special loved one.

Download the CSS Daily App, for more inspiration from the CSS design team and view over {600} project ideas in the archives. Each day brings a new project direct to your iPhone/iPad/ or iPod Touch for a bit of papercrafting while on the go!

With All My Heart Supply List:

• STAMPS: Quotes II, Love Cupid
• INK: Perfect Little Black Dress, Paint the Town Pink
• CARDSTOCK: A Blanc Check, Kraft Like a Rockstar, I’m a Princess Pink
• SIMPLE CUTS: Shapes (Hearts)
• OTHER: Simple Adhesive, Dimensionals, Silver Pearl Gems

WANT TO SEE MORE? Visit with CSS design team members all week long for additional
{Release in Review} inspiration from the current collection, starting with:

Stephany Zerbe

Lori Tecler

Dana Grothaus

Laurie Willison

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Review: Love Cupid Gallery

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Looking for more inspiration?

Download the CSS Daily Papercrafting App {2.0} available on iTunes

{You can download the CSS App from iTunes here}

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Smitten

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We interrupt your regularly scheduled Style Watch issue for a special edition. This issue we are taking a moment for you to get to know Clear and Simple Stamps design team member, Laurie Willison.

Laurie is a SAHM mom and part time RN at a local clinic in her area. She has been scrapbooking for years but started stamping in 2007. She recently won PC magazine’s Stamping Royalty contest, and when you see her project today you we instantly know why! Laurie credits stamping as her stress reliever and that she is hopelessly addicted…

Laurie’s Blog: Soapbox Creations

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CSS: Hi Laurie! Thanks for joining us.  Let’s jump right in.  We are huge fans of your blog. For those who have not had the awesome experience to see your work, describe your stamping style for us?

LAURIE: Thanks. My style is mostly CAS, which is clean and simple stamping. But I do love all styles of card making.

CSS: CAS is not always as easy as it looks, right? If you could give 3-5 basic rules of CAS-style stamping, what would they be?

LAURIE: Rule #1 would be…don’t be afraid of white space!  I love a simple card where the image and sentiment, combined with white space, pack a big punch.  Rule #2 would be don’t over think it.  Once you have your card laid out, just go with it.  The more you stare, the more you add.  Sometimes that is ok but sometimes simple is good.  Rule #3 is about placement.  I like to cut the card in 4ths, and then center my image accordingly.  I am a very “off to the side” type card maker, although I love symmetry.  Rule #4…when all else fails, add bling!  This could be pearls or even good ole’ stickles! Bling makes everything better!

CSS: Agreed – we love a little bling too. You also give a bunch of great tips and organizational ideas on your blog – What helps keep you organized with all your supplies?

LAURIE: Well, I keep everything grouped together and then organized that way.  All of my paper is together by color, from the full size sheets, to card sizes and then scraps.  My stamps are organized by company so I know right where to grab.  Everything has a home and if its not there, I don’t work as well.  So a clean work space works best for me.  Don’t get me wrong….it looks like a tornado went through by the time I am done! {Laughs}

CSS: I think we can all totally relate. Once you are settled in your crafting comfort zone and you are ready to create, does social media play a role on how you create?

LAURIE: Social media is a huge part of paper crafting.  Blog surfing, Pinterest, Twitter…you can find amazing color combos, challenges, inspiration from other card makers and even scrapbookers.  Paper crafting inspiration is everywhere.  I was even inspired by a lady sitting in front of me in church once.  It was a great color combo she was wearing!

CSS: Even in church – love it! Which social media is your favorite?

LAURIE: Pinterest is probably my favorite.  I love to see what cards people are pinning and can even find sketchs and color combos.  Thanks to my iPhone apps, I can find all kinds of inspiration.  The CSS Daily App is another great place!  Its fun to see what and who is being published each day!

CSS: As a published designer on the CSS Daily App, what do you enjoy most about the app?

LAURIE: I love having the surprise each day of a new card.  You can add cards to your “favs” and they are always there at your fingertips!  It is fun to have a real paper crafting app on my phone!

CSS: We’ve kicked off the year with a huge release, share a little peek at what should be expected from CSS in 2012?

LAURIE: I am going to say we should expect great things for 2012 - I love the direction things are going with all the coordinating stamp sets and die cuts! Each collection is so exciting.  This latest release was incredibly inspiring for me.  I haven’t stopped creating little critter creations and have lots more to share on my blog.

CSS: Like we said before, we are huge fans of your blog Soapbox Creations, as I am sure many others are too.  So glad you could join us today and chat.  Let’s take a peek at your super fun project you have today…

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I totally love these new Party Favors.  I know they are going to get a lot of use at my house!  This little Teacher Favor is the first thing I made when I got my design team box in the mail.  After I cut the box, I instantly thought…those handle pop outs look like apple slices!  I was so happy to find a leaf stamp in the Taglines: Critters set that looked perfect for the seeds. I just layered them with red cardstock and hand cut each apple peel.  Then of course I had to make a matching card.  To cut the white apples I just took small scraps of white cardstock from other Party Favors (that I am sure you will see pop up on my blog), this way nothing gets wasted.  It worked perfectly!

*all style board images {pinterest}

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Instructions and additional project images can be found on my blog: Soapbox Creations

Project uses Taglines + Thank You (limited edition) + Taglines:Critters + Party Favor 1

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Visit the Style Watch for more creative + crafty inspiration for your next project

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Hey Foxy Lady

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Love Bites

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I may be getting a little ahead of myself with today’s group of projects, but I simply could not resist a little St. Patrick’s Day crafting when I got ahold of this month’s release package.

Among the many newly released sets is the Lucky Charm stamp set, which is a much needed addition to my collection. I didn’t own any St. Patrick’s Day themed stamps before Lucky Charm, and this set totally fills in the gap…

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It’s full of adorable and punny sentiments, as well as, a rainbow image that goes perfectly with the pot o’ gold image included in the previously released Taglines set – don’t you just love that each release works so perfectly with one another.

Today’s project showcases a card and two treat packages. I got creative with my Build-a-Critters: Owl/Kitty and my Party Favor #1 die cuts to create a pot o’ gold treat bag that is simply “charming”…

Until later Loverlies,

Amber D

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DIRECTIONS:

Come visit me at my blog, Damask Love, for more photos and details about creating these fun treats!

SUPPLIES:

STAMPS: Lucky Charm, Taglines, Trendy Tags

INK: Perfect Little Black Dress, Green with Envy

PAPER: Perfect Little Black Dress, A Blanc Check

SIMPLE CUTS: Tags #1, Party Favor #1

OTHER: Baker’s Twine (Designer Mix), Markers

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Visit the Style Watch for more New Year, New Product Highlights as we explore all the fun ways to get the most out of your stamp sets and die cuts this winter season.

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