Introducing Our Guest Creators & The Back-To-School Collection

Good morning, everyone! Welcome to our first day of our Autumn 2024 introductions. All of the new products will be available on Saturday, August 24th at Noon EDT and we have a few wonderful days of introductions to share.

I want to remind you that I will be going live on Instagram at 8pm EDT to answer any questions about today's new products. Now let's get to it!

First we're introducing the talented Guest Creators who will be helping showcase the release. So without further ado, let's say hello!

I sometimes poke around the internet looking for creative people that I think would be wonderful at showcasing new releases. That is how I came across Carol Hintermeier. She caught my eye with her clear attention to detail and bright and cheerful color schemes. I am so thrilled that she is joining us this month and I can't wait to see everything she has to share!

I was also lucky enough to come across Melody Rupple in my online meanderings. Her beautiful projects caught my eye and made me smile. Her lifelong love of crafting is evident in all that she creates. Her skills are truly an inspiration!

Today Carol, Melody, and I will be working with the Just Write and Jumbo Crayon Dies.

The Just Write Die (retails for $24) is first up today.

When it comes to back-to-school, this stout pencil is ready to hit the books! The Just Write Die includes a full pencil shape that you can use to add a name or initials along with a detailed interior die to make placing all of the layers a snap. Use a rainbow of felt, fabric, or cardstock to create colored pencils or stick with basic black for a classic #2.

And secondly, we have the Jumbo Crayon Die (retails for $20).

One of the most quintessential childhood art supplies are chunky, colorful crayons. This Jumbo Crayon Die celebrates those essential building blocks of creativity. Enjoy creating a vibrant array of crayons with ease!

We also have the new Playground Color Story (retails for $55) to introduce today (I've used it on both of my projects).

Inspired by the primary colors of elementary school, this Color Story is just as lively as the source material. The Playground Color Story evokes memories of classroom art projects and the ever-present scent of tempera paint. Included in this palette you will find Cardinal, Soft Jade, Satin Slipper, Daffodil, and Dewdrop felt.

Now that I've made the introductions, let's see what the Guest Creators have to share with you!

 Who says pencils have to be yellow? Not Carol! Her charming, autumnal pencil is perfect for this time of year. Check out her post HERE.

Melody's sweet ornaments would be a welcome addition to any creative space! The embellishments add a pop of interest and sparkle sure to delight anyone - whether they're on their way back to school or simply enjoying artistic time while young-at-heart. 

These ladies are so inspiring! Please make sure to visit them and see everything they have to share.

I have also been hard at work creating with these new dies. Let's dive in!

I want to start with a mini garland I made for Tilly.

Like many parents, we like to take a first-day-of-school photo and I thought this would be cute for her to hold up in the photo.

As I mentioned above, I used the new Playground Color Story (with a few neutral additions: Tundra, Chai, Inkwell, and Sterling) to create this garland.

The Just Write pencil is already a quick favorite. I used Daffodil for the body of the pencil, Satin Slipper for the eraser, Sterling for the ferrule, Chai for the wooden bit, and Inkwell for the lead. I added some interest with the sequins included in the Color Story. I also stitched my ferrule with short vertical stitches instead of longer, wider stitching to make it look more like the crimping on a real pencil.

On the back of the pencil (which I cut from Tundra), I used the Keepsake Dates Die to add the year and the Accessory Alphabet to add her "grade."

I pulled out a favorite die from last year, Autumn Apple, to round out the school-time theme. I used Cardinal, Soft Jade, and Chai with a little sprinkling of sequins for sparkle.

The Jumbo Crayon was cut from Dewdrop with a Tundra wrapper. I just love that chubby little crayon!

This garland is small and sweet and just perfect for Tilly to hold. 

My next project is a set of refrigerator magnets that I made with the Jumbo Crayon Die. I love a rainbow of colors, so it was a blast creating an array of chunky crayons to hang on the fridge!

I used the Sewing Kit Essentials: Scissor Keeper to add magnets to the back of each crayon (like these apples from last year). 

Once again, I used the Playground Color Story, but I paired the felt with additional colors to create each crayon. This pink crayon is Cheeky with a Satin Slipper wrapper. I spy a teenage heartthrob!

The yellow crayon is Daffodil with Sunlight. There are two magnets inside of each of the crayons. I recommend using 12mm x 3mm or 15mm x 3mm neodymium magnets to get a strong enough hold to be useful.

The green crayon is Pine Forest with Soft Jade. I also put a chipboard insert inside each crayon to give them some structure.

The red crayon may be my favorite - it's just so close to the real thing! That crayon is Cardinal with a Paloma wrapper. The blue is Blue Ribbon with Dewdrop. I really love these and so does Tilly. I can not overstate the number of times they have been rearranged on our fridge.

Thank you so much for joining along this week. We will have more inspiration to share tomorrow morning, so be sure to check back at 9am EDT. 

I also want to remind you that I will be going live on Instagram this evening at 8pm EDT to answer any questions you have about today's new products.