You're Invited

Next up in our featured invitation week are invitations for a party I hosted back in October.  I got the idea for a "fall feast" from a former roommate and her college friends, and it was a success.  But this is just about the invitation.

When the 09-10 Idea Book and Catalog came out, I was immediately drawn to the set Compliments to the Chef.  Kiran, however, raised the practical question--when in the world would I use a silverware stamp?  Yes, it looks nifty, but silverware isn't exactly a greeting card staple.  How did I convince Kiran that this was a good way to use my stamping dollars?  Two words.

Silver embossing.

Kiran's eyes lit up, and she abandoned all resistance.  Why?  Because sometimes you have to see things differently than they initially appear...and as elegant as the silverware sample looked in the catalog (a menu with the silverware stamped in Soft Suede), it didn't fit the "I can use that more than once" bill.  But silver embossing is a whole different story.  Combined with one of my favorite Big Shot dies--Leaves #2--this was the perfect combination of fancy and fun for a Fall Feast Invite.  Especially once I discovered that "you're invited" and "bon appetit" fit on those leaves.  The final touch was sponging around the edges to make the leaves look real

The script on this invite--as with all of those we've made--was done in a word processing program and then printed directly onto colored cardstock.  I wasn't doing a lot of invitations, so I didn't worry about using up a ton of my printing ink (but you can get things printed cheaply at any office store, in case you're having a big bash).  To make the Pumpkin Pie side match the fun reverse, I borrowed the retired set With Gratitude from Kiran, and stamped the small leaf in Versamark for a watermark effect.

So there are two lessons here.
1. Think outside the box and you'll find any number of ways to use a stamp set you like.
2. When you like--really, really like--a stamp set that is retiring, you should get it!  I keep kicking myself that the lovely leaves of With Gratitude are not in my collection.

Cheers!
~Melanie

Stamps: Compliments to the Chef, With Gratitude (retired)
Ink: Versamark, Really Rust
Paper: Chocolate Chip, Pumpkin Pie, Summer Sun
Extras: Big Shot, Leaves #2 Die, Sponges, Silver Embossing Powder