Wave that pennant banner in celebration of crafty summer fun! Whether you’re jetting off to paradise with your craft room in a carryon or enjoying a staycation in the comfort of your home studio, you can look forward to a month of unique décor projects, glittering wearable creations, adorable softie dolls, and more within the pages of these fantastic publications. If these issues light your creative spark, take advantage of our FREE SHIPPING discount that we are offering exclusively to our blog readers.

Use Promo Code: BLOG0712*

The autumn issue of Somerset Life captures the magic of the pretty details that tie our life together. Our Blogs with a View department features Vanessa Valencia’s whimsical blog, A Fanciful Twist, and Susannah Conway shares her thoughts on embracing the unknown in her article, “Being Brave in Love and in Life.” Leslie Shewring is back with a delicious peach, raspberry, and mint green color scheme peppered with color-coordinating buttons, lace doilies, grosgrain ribbon and tiny fabric swatches. Artist Rae Missigman shares how to take a cue from your natural surroundings and complement your sunny décor with a brilliant shade of white. These and more creative living ideas are in store for you in this bountiful issue.

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Enjoy the Summer ’12 issue of Jewelry Affaire, a title adored for its glamorous, whimsical, and innovative jewelry pieces. Dive into a reef of jewelry wares with a striking necklace and earrings set, and add a touch of decadence with clusters of crystal and glass. Upcycle a golden chain of paper clips into a necklace, and get a handle on some vintage flair with authentic key and lock charms as well. From sea-inspired sparklers to more than a hundred scrumptious summer designs, this issue shines with handmade jewelry gems–and so will you!

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The darling Scottie plushie and his fashionable owner on this cover of Stuffed will tickle your cute bone and hopefully your creative bone as well. Maneuver through traffic and wave to the Hollywood sign as you visit the hometown of Jenny Smith’s L.A. Animal collection. Pop by the small coastal village of Olive and Ethan, two brothers who spend time exploring the island together. We welcome back Junker Jane and her dreadfully sweet dolls and are excited to meet Anne-Claire Regan’s cast of characters that perform under the Big Top. Step right up to this issue that is sure to entertain and inspire you to create with needle, thread, and felt.

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Fill your summer with this issue of Somerset Studio that will keep you crafting long after sunset. Join a group of artists who ban together to create a collaborative mixed-media quilt called The ART Harvest, and see how Michelle Montgomery transforms milk carton material into art. Go retro with our With One Stamp department, which showcases the innovative stamping projects created by various artists with a library card-inspired stamp. Creativity Coach Quinn McDonald walks you through the process of categorizing and capturing your many ideas to keep you from becoming overwhelmed with inspiration –if that’s even possible!

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This issue of Art Journaling proves to be another show-stopping hit, featuring articles and projects that combine emotion and words, creativity and paint. Amber Walker shares how returning to college as an adult inspired the use of spray paint in her journaling. Discover how Caiti Santa Maria rekindles her love of art with an online art journaling workshop with Elsie Larson and Rachel Denbow of Red Velvet. Stephanie Schutze presents her first art journal that expanded her scope of mixed media, a “world full of possibilities, endless inspiration, techniques, and styles.” These artists take their insightful, brave, and inspiring thoughts and translate them onto the page, bringing them to life with patterned paper, paint brushes, and hand lettering techniques that they cultivate along the way.

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Belle Armoire will delight the seasoned DIY artist and push the creative limits of new seamstresses. Retro-inspired hats, bohemian camisoles, and funky tie necklaces are all fun variations on classic clothing pieces. Artist Holly Lake inspires you to create without imitations and embrace a style that has been influenced by previous generations. Join Ruth Rae as she shows you how to combine free-motion sewing with marking techniques to form new lines, patterns, and textures in any work of art. Allow yourself to be whisked away to a prairie tea party, an enchanted forest, and a bohemian village with a variety of culturally-inspired wearable designs.

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Do you remember the very first art project you made in school? Chances are that it was with a similar watercolor crayon resist technique that this issue of The Stampers’ Sampler revisits with an ink-resistant adhesive called Teykol. Cards can come in all shapes and sizes, as Donna Bowman exemplifies with her petite 3-inch squares adorned with details like patterned tissue tapes, miniature filmstrips, and vintage buttons. Check out the submissions that were the cream of the creative crop in our Coin Purse Tempting Template challenge, and find out how our readers “put a cork” in their unique mixed-media artwork — all packed into this issue that will appeal to stampers of all ages and skill levels.

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Want to win one of these issues? Comment below with the title you’re most looking forward to reading! One person will be selected at random to receive their choice of magazine. Winner will be chosen and announced July 12th.

 

*Free shipping offer applies to U.S. purchases of the following July 2012 issues only: Art Journaling, Belle Armoire, Jewelry Affaire, Somerset Life, Somerset Studio, Stuffed, and The Stampers’ Sampler. Discount code does not apply to items purchased from The Shoppe at Somerset and expires 7/31/12. Contest is open to U.S. residents and ends 7/11/12 at 11:59pm.

Update: Congratulations Kate Blue, you are our winner! We will be in contact with you regarding the details of your prize. Thanks to everyone who participated! Want another chance to win? “Like” us on Facebook and follow our updates tomorrow morning for a surprise giveaway!