National Coffee Day Blog Hop

Hi friends! It's Julee popping in with a super exciting blog hop today! We're so excited to be a Super Sponsor for the National Coffee Day Blog Hop. This is a traditional blog hop hosted by the Coffee Loving Cardmakers Blog with prizes for commenting. Each of the stops on the hop are hosting their own giveaway, so you'll definitely want to grab yourself a cup of something awesome and hop along!

We've got a few caffeinated creations to share, along with our giveaway info, so be sure to read to the end and comment for a chance to win!

It's no secret that I'm a huge coffee lover, so making this card was on the top of my list of favorite things to create this month! I think Korin loves coffee *almost* as much as me, so there are a number of coffee/tea/cocoa related sets in the shop. And most of them just happen to be included in our Sweet & Sentimental Sale going on through September 30! Hooray!

I started with the coffee cup from Jesus & Coffee, stamping in no line fade out ink and then coloring in with Chameleon Fineliners.  I then masked off the cup and added a background from Texture Tiles 2 as a table  for it to rest on.  The leaves are from the Give Thanks set and I watercolored them using Chameleon Fineliners, then fussy cut and slit a little bit around the coffee cup with an x-acto knife to tuck them in. This sentiment from Life & Lemons is one of my favorites, and I embossed it in sparkle gold, then finished off with some patterned paper.

This next beauty by Sheri Gilson also features our Jesus & Coffee set. I love that big bow, the classy color combos, and the coffee stamp border. So sweet!

And this darling card by Jane Bosi combines the sweet Cocoa's Cups set with our September Stamp of the Month, Donut Worry. (Our stamp of the month is FREE with a purchase of $75 in the month of September.) Donuts and coffee are the perfect pairing! She finishes off with a lovely sentiment from the Fill Me Up set and some textured circles from the Grunge Elements 2 set.

Korin shares a spot of tea with us featuring the adorable Tea for Two set and the Delightfully Delicate Background.

And Janelle and Stephanie from our Creative Worship team, share these fabulous pages featuring the Fill Me Up set.

Alright, now it's time for the giveaway! Please leave a comment below for a chance to win a $25 gift code to the Sweet & Sassy Stamps shop. Our giveaway will be open through 11:59PM Eastern on October 6. Winner will be announced here on the blog on Wednesday, October 9.

Thanks so much for stopping by! Don't forget to leave a little shout-out in the comments for a chance to win. Then hop along to the next stop on the host below. We're #5 on the link list, so there's still a whole lot of coffee goodness to go!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

April Release Blog Hop

Welcome to our April Release Hop! We're so excited about the new stamps available in the shop this month and can't wait to share the projects we've been working on with you! Read on for a few samples and a little walk through of our new release, then hop along to the blogs linked below for all sorts of papercrafting inspiration! Leave a little comment love on each stop along the way for a chance to win a $10 gift voucher to the Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps shop. Winner will be announced here on the SNSS blog, Tuesday, April 23.

Here's the official hop list. If something goes wrong along the way,

hop on back here to pick  up where you left off.

Julee Tilman

Cathy McCauley
Ceal Pritchett
Diane Zechman
Jane Bosi
Lucinde van Ballegooijen
Lyn Tomlin
Monika Davis
Sheri Gilson
Stephanie Serrano

The links to the Sweet 'n Sassy shop in this post are compensated affiliate links. At no cost to you, I'll  receive a small commision on orders placed through these links. Affiliates do not see who ordered or what was ordered, but we do get to see that an order was placed through our link.  It's such a blessing as designers to know that our creative efforts are helping this company we so dearly love! 

The card I'm sharing uses the new Delightful Daisies set, and just like the name implies, this set is DELIGHTFUL! Here I did a little two step stamping with the solid and outline images of the daisies. The outline images are stamped in black, then I filled in with aquas and purples in two colors of ink for the solid images to give a bit of depth. I loved the sentiment on this patterned paper, so decided to add the flowers in a pretty arrangement to show it off. To tie in with the shabbiness of the paper, I added a bit of lace, then cut some leaf shapes from book paper and lightly added some gesso and inks to "age" them a bit.

Next up is this beautiful card from our fearless leader, Korin, pairing Delightful Daisies with the Marquee Caps Alpha set. Don't you love those two toned rainbow letters? Squee! What a fabulous way to use this fun alpha. And her watercolored daisies make me do just what the sentiment suggests... SMILE! Those splatters finish things off with pizazz, don't ya think?

The next stop on the hop is my blog, Poetic Artistry, where I'm sharing a couple more cards with the new release. Before you go, here's a little look-see at the sets included in the APRIL release...

First up... the March stamp of the month, Doodle Florals, is now available to purchase! This is a beautiful collection of flowers and leaves perfect for all your spring projects.

Next up is the APRIL stamp of the month, Happy Day. Whimsical and cheerful, this set is so versatile. It includes lots of builder sentiments, lovely little posies, a few little accents and a darling butterfly. This must-have set is only available during the month of April as a FREE gift with a $75 or more purchase.

We also have a very special Stamp for a Cause set releasing this month. Surrounded in Prayer  is a heartfelt stamp set created in honor of our Creative Team member Jane Bosi and her recent battle with breast cancer for the purpose of raising funds for a cause that is dear to her heart. We’re thrilled to be partnering with Aspirus to raise funds for their Family House project which will support families while their loved ones undergo treatment. $10 from each Surrounded in Prayer stamp sold will be donated to the Aspirus Family House project. To find out more about this project visit their website: https://www.aspirus.org/family-house-at-aspirus

Delightful Daisies is the next set in our April lineup, and as I said before, this set is completely DELIGHTFUL. Whether you love to color or you prefer to let your stamps do the coloring, this set has it all. These beautiful daisy images illustrated by Nina Brackett make the perfect focal point for any card.

If you loved the patterns in the previously released Forever & Always set, you're going to flip for these darling hexies! With the Cheerful Hexies set you can mix, match, layer, and stamp to your heart's content with these trendy, modern shapes and patterns. Then add a little flair with some cheerful builder sentiments to send a little handmade kindness someone's way.

The next set in the spotlight is Walk Humbly. This is the first stamp set illustrated by Creative Team Member Colleen Gaddie. Themed around the Micah 6:8 scripture passage, this set includes two lovely women images, words from the scripture and some darling accents. This set lends itself beautifully to both cardmaking and bible journaling.

Last, but certainly not least, is the fabulous Marquee Caps Alpha Korin showed so beautifully in her card above. This set of bold alpha marquee letters is just superb. Such a bright way to spruce up a card or journal page. Each letter is approximately 7/8" tall, so perfect for focal points and titles.

Alrighty, that's the release in a nutshell! Thanks so much for hanging out with me as I reviewed this fantastic release. Now I'm wondering, what kind of colorer are you? Do you find sitting and coloring outline images relaxing, or would you rather have coordinating solid images for easy 2-step stamping techniques? Let me know in the comments!

New Stamps for May!

Good morning, Sweet 'n Sassy friends! 

It's been a while since I have posted here. I'm sure you are surprised to see me. ;) I am always around, just working behind the scenes while the Creative Team shares their amazing projects with you. Well, today, I actually have something to share, too....and not just the new stamps, either....I stamped, too! :D

First up is this gorgeous new set illustrated by Krista Hamrick. There are so many wonderful possibilities for using this set in your card making and Bible journaling!  The best part---this is just the 1st of many sets in this series of Jesus themed stamps by Krista!  

Good Shepherd

 I love the layout of the images in this set. Because they were created to fit in the margins of your Bible, they also work very nicely for bookmarks so I created this bookmark/tag with a large manilla tag. I stamped the Good Shepherd image first and then created a mask so I could stamp the scene behind him. I colored the whole thing in with my Copic markers (haven't used those in a while!!). I wanted to add some wording, too, so I used the fish tale banner from our Banner Dies and popped the words up with foam tape.

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Next is this wonderful script alpha. It was designed so you can stamp each letter to connect to the next to form complete script words! It is FABULOUS!  It even comes with numbers and extra doodles and icons all for only $15.95! Wow! A great find for card makers, scrapbookers and Bible journalers alike!

Classy Script Alpha

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This set by Rebecca Rios is SO FUN!  The "awesome" mix of lettering styles is very popular right now and no wonder! It's a fun way to get your thoughts across and this set will certainly help you do just that whether you are stamping a card for a friend, scrapbooking pics of your kiddos or journaling in God's Word.

Awesome Thoughts

I decided to create a clean and simple card with this set to show you that it's not just for Bible journaling. I stamped the words and images from Awesome Thoughts with my Spectrum Kaleidacolor ink pad. The thought bubble was cut out (with scissors) and both pieces were popped up with foam tape. I stamped the little circles directly onto the kraft card base and then colored them in with my white Sharpie paint pen. Easy peasy!

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Finally we have a really amazing alpha illustrated also by Rebecca Rios that will coordinate nicely with her other stamps AND many of the stamps you already own. The letters are large so they will stand out in a crowd ;) and you'll enjoy coloring them in to add even more pop to your projects!  Did you see the amazing page Cathy made with this and some other new sets?  She shared it on the Creative Worship Blog this week. If not, you can check it out HERE. It is gorgeous!!

 Outline Alpha

Now this is a work in progress....I debated sharing it with you since I haven't added any color yet, but I thought, why not...it's fun to see the process of a project as it comes together.  This is sort of a silly page, but it fits my personality pretty well. I love cats and I love this verse in Philippians (my fave book of the Bible, in fact) so I decided to use my LOL Cats stamp set to illustrate the various needs I have that God supplies. I will be sure to share the finished page once the color is added. :D

In addition to Rebecca's Outline Alpha, this page also uses our new Classy Script Alpha and our Camden Market Alpha.

I hope you enjoyed today's little parade of stamps and samples. Watch for more samples from the Creative Teams throughout the coming weeks! We have lots of great stuff in the works to share with you!

Be sure to check out our website for more great stamps and don't forget about our Sweet 'n Sassy Cash Rewards Program AND our FREE shipping with your $75 US order!

Thanks for visiting today!
Have a blessed weekend!
Korin

Reminiscing...

Hello friends!

Korin here today with a different kind of blog post to share... 

I will be celebrating my 38th birthday this coming Tuesday so I have been doing a lot of reminiscing these past few days about how blessed I am to be where I am today. I don't typically get too personal in these blog posts, but I thought I would take some time to share some things that are on my heart as my birthday approaches. I hope you'll enjoy this little glimpse into my heart and life.

For those of you who may not know, I started Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps over 8 years ago, in November of 2007. My youngest son was getting ready to celebrate HIS birthday (5th to be exact) and I wanted to make him some special birthday party invitations. I was a stamper, after all. ;)

He was VERY much into knights, swords, & dragons back in those days so that was my theme plan for his 5th birthday party, but finding stamps that would work for that theme was proving to be impossible. At the time I was a Close To My Heart consultant (yes, that's how I came to fall in love with clear stamps) so I had plenty of connections and resources for stamps, but still could not find anything that suited a 5 year old's birthday party invitations. So I did something CRAZY. I sat down and drew an image...the image that started it all...

Hahaha! I look at this image (and card) and I just have to laugh! You know how we grow and learn and improve as we continue doing something, right? Well, I am almost embarrassed to share this card with you because I think it's AWFUL!! At least, it is to me NOW.

Back then, I thought it was pretty cute, and quite frankly so did many others because it was the star of our very first stamp set! I can tell you, I did NOT draw this cute little guy with the intention of creating and selling stamps of him, but that is exactly what happened! I shared this card and image on my blog (which has since gone by the wayside) and couldn't believe the comments and COMPLIMENTS I received. "You should make him into a stamp!" "He's so cute! I would buy him!" One after the other suggesting I turn this guy into a stamp. So I did what any other entrepreneurial-minded person would do and I started doing some research.

Google was my  BFF as I tried to find out just how in the world you have stamps made in the first place. I was fortunate enough to find a woman, who I am not sure is even still doing it, who made stamps in her home. I thought, wow, maybe I COULD make this guy into a stamp. So I started looking for reassurance from those original enablers ;) ...would they REALLY buy him if I made him into a stamp? The response was a resounding YES, so I resigned from Close To My Heart so as not to go against their policy, drew some more images to compliment this little guy and created my very first stamp set. Little did I know that small (yet BIG) step would lead to where I am today. God is SO GOOD!

Now there are tons of other stories I could tell you about things that happened along this journey as a stamp company owner, but all of them would point to one very powerful truth. GOD IS GOOD. He was with me when I had NO IDEA what on earth I was doing starting a stamp company...selling homemade stamp sets on my personal blog. He was with me when I made poor choices and mistakes that brought me to my knees. He was with me in the celebrations and successes. He was with me as I learned and grew and met some of the most amazing people in the world! He was with me as those acquaintances turned into amazing, life-long friendships. He was with me as I struggled to make the right choices for my family and my business/ministry, which was actually His. He was even with me as my family struggled through some very rough times on a personal level, times when we often questioned whether He WAS there. But He was. He is SO GOOD.

Now let me back up a little more...bear with me...

As a child I grew up wondering if God really WAS there. And IF He was, I wondered if He really loved me...if He really cared. How could He to let so many bad things happen in my life? Divorced parents and all the hardship that goes with that, being basically rejected by our church, the loss of our home, depression that led to attempted suicide, hospitalization, two miscarriages by age of 19 and the list goes on... Ya know what? God WAS with me. Every step of the way. Just like He was with me during these past 8 years of business. He allowed those hard times to help be become the person I am today and I THANK Him for them.

As I look back over these past 38 years, all the heartache AND all the blessing, I cannot help but see how He carried me through and protected me!! From more trials, worse trials, consequences of my choices, and even DEATH! I am overwhelmed by His love for me! OVERWHELMED.

So as I prepare to celebrate 38 years on this earth, I thank my precious Savior for every breath I have been allowed to take, every undeserved blessing He has bestowed upon me, every mistake I have made, and every life I have had the amazing privilege of touching for His glory. I pray that He will use the next 38 years of my life (if He grants them to me) to bring good to others and glory to His name.

Thank you for spending this special time with me today. I hope in some way you were blessed by my story, but more than anything, I pray you join me in glorifying our Lord & Savior for Who HE is and how much He loves me and YOU!

Much love,
Korin

Note This!

Happy Friday, Sweet 'n Sassy friends!

We are thrilled to be bringing you another fabulous Bible journaling kit today! Keep in mind we have limited quantities of these available so they may sell out fast!

Check out what this month's kit includes...

Be sure to check out the Creative Worship Blog for more about our new kit! AND join us on Periscope later today for some fun featuring our new it!

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 Have you heard? Our NEW Seek Him set is in stock NOW! :)

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Have you snatched up our fabulous FREEBIES yet?

Rebecca Rios, one of our Creative Worship Designers has created this fabulous digital FREEBIE for you to enjoy with our new stamps! 

This gorgeous sheet of watercolor squares can be sized however you like and printed on cardstock for ENDLESS possibilities to create lovely cards, tags and Bible tip-ins! To download this item for FREE please add it to your cart on our website and enter code DIGITALFREEBIE during checkout. We promise you will use it again and again. :)

I am also excited to share another FREE download with you which was designed by myself and Rebecca Rios as a "thank you" for your support of Creative Worship.

 To download the free printable click here: 

PDF format or PNG format

The team has been so blessed by your enthusiasm for our new line of Bible Journaling stamps and your desire to dive into God's Word more fervently through this creative form of worship. May He continue to bless us as we seek to bring Him glory through our worship and our art. He is so worthy!

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Check out this list of stamps that are NOW BACK IN STOCK!! YAY! :D

Perfect Faith
Amazing God
God is Good
Prim Blessings
Serene Silhouettes
Shining Light
Tender Thoughts - Don't forget the matching dies!
Kindness - Don't forget the matching dies!
Sweet Sarah
Majestic Monarchs - Don't forget the matching dies!
Script Birthdays
Seek Him
Love Birds - Don't forget the matching dies!
Birthday Innies
Long Stem Silhouettes - Don't forget the matching dies!
Birthday Greetings
True Friend
Punny Fruits & Veggies
Thankful Innies
Sympathy Innies
God is Bigger
Beauty By the Sea - Don't forget the matching dies!
Jesus Paid it All
Inspirational Word Art 1
Nature Silhouettes

Thanks for visiting us today! Have a wonderful weekend celebrating our RISEN SAVIOR!!
~Korin

Happy New Year!

It's hard to believe 2013 is gone.  What a year full of blessings we didn't deserve, pain that reminded us we can't do it on our own, friendships that brought us joy and laughter, trials that stretched our faith and helped us grow, love and compassion for others that came from the Father above.  What a year!  I pray 2014 brings us even closer to the Lord in our walk with Him.  May we remember that every good and perfect gift comes from Him and even the trials and sufferings we endure are for our good.  May our faith be strengthened, our joy be revived and our love be shared with all mankind. Welcome 2014! 

On a more personal note, did you know that when you shop at Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps you are being used by God to help put food on our family's table, get us to and from church, school, and home, put our boys through school, keep a roof over our heads, keep us warm, help pay for doctor visits, braces and glasses...and that's just scratching the surface? 

Thank you for being a blessing to our family in 2013. We are so thankful for you. May God bless you in 2014 as you have blessed us these last 6 years. Happy New Year!!

One more thing before I go...please take note of our January Release dates...

We're releasing 4 new stamp sets and 1 coordinating die that goes with a current stamp set in our line this month.

Our January Release Party is Thursday, January 9th at 8m EST in our SCS forum.  We'll be hosting 3 fun challenges with chances to win, sharing full reveals of our new release and chatting up a storm with our DT and friends.  The new products will be available at 10pm at the close of the party.

Then be sure to join us for 5 days of feature blog hops and more chances to win.  The DT always amazes with their fabulous cards and projects, so don't miss the inspiration!

Thank you again for being a blessing to us in 2013.  We appreciate you more than you know!

Just My Type

Happy December 1st to you!  I can't believe how fast this year is flying by.  What about you?  I trust you had a lovely Thanksgiving surrounded by those you love.  We had a great time at my mom's stuffing our faces with delicious food and laughing until we cried.  I cherish those times and the memories we make.

On to Sweet 'n Sassy...  :)

We don't typically do a release in December but this year I decided to change things up a bit so we'll be releasing 4 fabulous new stamp sets and 1 coordinating die set at the end of this week!  I have been having a BLAST playing with these new stamps and I am excited to share a sneak peek with you today. 

Wait till you see the rest of the release!!!  Eeeeeeeppp!!  It's so wonderful!

Until next time, have a blessed day in the Lord!
Korin

Christmas Blessings

Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps is celebrating Christmas in July and we have a ton of fun planned this week starting with today's blog hop!  

The design team and some special friends have been busy creating some amazing Christmas cards to share with you today, but before we get to that, check out the rest of the festivities....

Christmas SALE

ALL Christmas clear stamps are 20% off through Wednesday, July 25.  

NEW Christmas Stamps

We've pre-released 3 new Christmas sets from our Fall release...that means you can grab them now while supplies last at 20% off and then not again until they are officially released in September or October!

 Christmas Sentiments: $15

a 4"x 6" set of 6 large sentiments, measuring approximately 3 1/2" wide, perfect for your holiday cards

Vintage Ornaments: $15

a 4"x 6" set featuring 4 beautifully intricate ornaments & 5 elegant sentiments

Holiday Baubles: $24

a 6"x 8" set that packs a punch and includes 5 long images approximately 5 1/2" wide, a mix of 18 small baubles & stockings, and 4 sweet holiday sentiments

FREE Gift w/ Purchase:

When your order of Christmas clear stamps reaches $25 you will receive Gingerbread Man, a darling new 2"x 2" mini clear set for FREE!  

PLUS, as always, all clear stamp orders of $50 or more get this month's free w/ stamp set, Christmas Candle (while supplies last) 

Okay, now that we've gotten all of those goodies out of the way, take a look at today's blog hop line-up...(and be sure to read on for information about how YOU can join in on this hop and win some prizes!!)

Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps blog

Kim Singdahlsen

Bridget Finlay

Jennifer Ingle

Taylor Usry

Monika Davis

Cathy McCauley

Mary Faus

Ceal Pritchett

Giovana Smith

Lee Murphy

Jennie Harper

Kim Schofield

Julie Ranae
Jessica Fick

Korin Sutherland 

The best part about this fun Christmas in July blog hop...we want YOU to play along with us!  Just create a Christmas project using Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps and add your link below so we can enjoy it, too!  You have until Sunday, July 22 at 11:59 PM EST to play along.  We will randomly select one participant to receive their choice of one Christmas clear stamp set!