Countdown to Create a Smile July Release!

**this is my 3rd post for the day! whew! be sure to check out my Newton's Nook Designs Shark Week post here! and also the Creative Chick 10th Anniversary Blog Hop Guest post here!**

this is such a fun week for Create a Smile stamps! it's release week! and all week there is AMAZING inspiration going on over on the Create a Smile stamps blog!!

there are 2 new sets being released this month, and they're PERFECT for any kind of celebration...especially birthdays!! love them!

since the set lends itself so easily to birthday cards, i really wanted to do something else with them! those little critters are just SO cute!! so i decided to make a few bookmarks!!!

the idea started out as some bookmarks for my little Mann! (he'll be 7 in August, and we're in the middle of a summer reading program at our library) I thought it would be a fun little gift to encourage him to keep it up! but then...while i was taking pictures i thought...those look pretty adorable in my planner! lol! oh well - i'll make more for me! :D

i colored the cute little animals with copics, and then adhered them to the bookmark. then i used my craft knife to cut along the bottom and side edges of the images so i could hook that over the edge of the paper! LOVE those little peek-a-boo bookmarks!!

i also added some embossing paste to them! it doesn't add too much thickness, and it makes them fun to touch! oh, and both of the bookmarks have some form of distress inks on them (Peacock Feathers and Twisted Citron). the little mole was blended distress ink and the fox has watercolored distress ink!

be sure to head on over to the Create a Smile stamps blog to see even MORE fun creations with these sets! 
enjoy!