Thank You from the Bride

Ah, summer.  The season of sun, beaches, and WEDDINGS!  So far, I'm dodging the wedding bullet this summer, but next summer is a very different story.  Three of my best friends got engaged IN THE SAME WEEK (um, what were they drinking?) and so I know I've got quite a few celebrations in store for me.

I got to visit one of these brides-to-be a few weeks ago, and we found the dress.  You know the one--it's perfect in every way, makes all your friends gasp, and even inspires a woman walking into the room to spontaneous tears.  I kid you not; it is that one.  Too bad you only get to wear it once; a little everyday glamor of that sort could be nice.

On the other hand, the dress on this card can be used over and over again.  How perfect!  The bride asked me to make some cards for her to send to her bridesmaids, thanking them for joining her in all the planning and festivities, and this is what I came up with.  Her wedding colors are cornflower and sunflower, which I converted to Marina Mist and Daffodil Delight.  I'll wait until I hear back from her to know for sure, but I think these colors are PERFECT for what she has in mind. 

It's also a very simple card.  I borrowed For the Bride from Kiran, who keeps this set in her perfect paisley stash.  You can't find it in the current catalog, but it is still available!  Get in touch if you'd like to have one of your very own.  The sentiment, in my favorite script, is from Thank You Kindly, and I used the Stamp-a-majig for perfect placement.  The final touches came from the Scallop Edge punch and the Corner Rounder.  I hope these cards will bring a smile and some excitement both to the bride and her wedding party.

Cheers!
~Melanie

Stamps: For the Bride, Thank You Kindly
Ink: Marina Mist, Basic Black
Paper: Marina Mist, Daffodil Delight, Whisper White
Extras: Scallop Edge Punch, Corner Rounder Punch, Stamp-a-majig

Three Little Owls

Here it is--my first card with my #1 item on my new catalog list...the two-step owl punch.  Aren't those owls just adorable?  I didn't realize I was a fan of these feathered friends until now, and these little guys remind me of Tootsie Roll Pops and Wise Potato Chips in one quick glance.

They also could be perfect for ANY card.  For this one, I was just playing around with the new punch and came up with an assortment of owls.  I couldn't bear to leave any of them out of the fun, so I had to find a way to fit them all on to this card.  Those little branches, which I bet are too thin to actually hold up the weight, came from the two-step bird punch, as did the wings for the middle owl.  Everything else is just paper and glue, with a couple more punches to take care of details--the Scallop Edge Punch for that double border (where absolutely any sentiment might go!) and the Ticket Corner punch for the corners of the owl scene.

So tell me, what do you think?

Cheers!

~Melanie

Paper: Pink Pirouette (base), Baja Breeze (card bottom, owl background), Wild Wasabi (branches), Chocolate Chip (center owl body, wings, and eyes), Creamy Caramel (outer eyes), Close to Cocoa (right and left owl bodies), assorted DSP packs  Note:  Creamy Caramel and Close to Cocoa are retired!

Extras: Two-Step Owl Punch, Two-Step Bird Punch, Ticket Corner Punch, Scallop Edge Punch, Dimmensionals

Sensible Woman

I like to think of myself as a sensible woman; don't you?  I was quite happy to see the Favorite Thoughts stamp set in the Summer Mini--it's full of great quotes for all the strong, fun, and wonderful women in your life.  I'll definitely be using this one often!

I also adore the bike from Pedaling Past (also in the Summer Mini), though I haven't figured out all the best ways to use it yet.  I'm trying though!  For this card, the bike is stamped with VersaMark, for that perfect watermark effect, and the quote is in Night of Navy.  The base is So Saffron, with a slim strip of Night of Navy and then a great embossed section of Pear Pizzazz.

Do you like that embossing?  I am a huge fan of this one, the Vintage Wallpaper embossing folder.  It's going to get a lot of use in my Big Shot, that's for sure.

Cheers!
~Melanie

Stamps: Pedaling Past, Favorite Thoughts
Ink: VersaMark, Night of Navy
Paper: So Saffron, Night of Navy, Pear Pizzazz
Extras: Big Shot, Vintage Wallpaper Embossing Folder

Thank You Hydrangea

More new stuff!  But before I tell you about all the exciting things I used for this card (which may even get opened by someone today--it's in the mail), I have to tell you how thrilled Kiran and I are that we have a Stamping Sunday this weekend!  This is a full day marathon of fun for us--breakfast together, playing with stamps and colors, trying new recipes, more playing with dies and embossing folders, eating tasty treats, and playing some more.  You get the idea.  We're sure to be productive, so check back often!

The focal point of this card is from Because I Care, a lovely Level 1 Hostess Set (meaning--almost anyone can earn this!).  I used In-Color Markers to ink it with Concord Crush, a nice deep purple, and Pear Pizzazz.  These are two of the new in-colors, and they'll be sticking around for TWO full years.  Usually I don't warm up to the in-colors until it's time for them to retire, so their new longer shelf life will mean that I have far more colors in my arsenal than normal--and that's a good thing!

Does the hydrangea look like it's stamped on cloth to you?  It almost feels like it in real life, thanks to a trip through the Big Shot in the Square Lattice Embossing Folder.  The trick to this is stamping before embossing, and I very much like the look!

Final touches--that diamond pattern across the back was stamped in Pear Pizzazz, and it comes from Pendant Park, a set I recently received in a trade.  The sentiment, inked in Concord Crush, is from Because I Care.  The layout, which I'm very pleased with, happened by mistake.  I had everything lined up nice and straight, in accordance with my secret love of geometry, and then I accidentally knocked it askew.  And it was perfect!!  Once again, there's no such thing as a mistake when you're stamping.  :)

Cheers!

~Melanie

Stamps: Because I Care, Pendant Park

Ink: Concord Crush, Pear Pizzazz

Paper: Whisper White, Concord Crush, Pear Pizzazz

Extras: Big Shot, Square Lattice Embossing Folder

Squares For You

Here's another card made with the hostess set Cute By the Inch.  Did I mention that I like this set?  It has many uses.  I ordered this set in clear-mount, which does make it easier to see where you're stamping, but does NOT eliminate the need for the stamp-a-ma-jig.  It's the only way to ensure near perfect alignment.  You should see how many times I had to start over!  

More new things on this card are the COLORS.  I am in love with Cherry Cobbler and Marina Mist, the featured colors on this card.  If you haven't had a chance to check out Stampin' Up!'s new color line-up, you're missing out.  

More soon.  Cheers!

~Melanie

Stamps: Cute By the Inch

Ink: Cherry Cobbler, Marina Mist

Paper: Whisper White, Cherry Cobbler, Marina Mist

Extras: Stamp-a-ma-jig

Remember Us?

And we're back!  There is so much going on this summer, both in our regularly (over)scheduled lives, and in the Stampin' Up! world.  For starters, there's a new catalog, which means some new stamps and accessories.  But we've been so busy that we actually haven't had time to play with the new things, and we also haven't ordered that many...yet.  So we'll be phasing in new stuff, and all these great new colors, throughout the year.

Today's card is appropriate for our return post, and it is all new stuff!  The owls are from Cute by the Inches, a level-2 hostess set, which means you can't buy it, but I'd be happy to help you earn it.  All the images are great, and its nine squares that can be used in many ways...and you'll be seeing a few more soon.  The sentiment is a stamp from the Summer Mini, In a Word.

These also are new colors!  The base of the card, and the reddish paper are both In-Colors, and they'll be available for the next two years--a change that I'm very excited about.  The base is Peach Parfait, and the red is Poppy Parade (a new favorite of mine).  The dark brown you see peeking through is one of the new Core Colors, which means it's here to stay quite a while--Early Espresso.

So, what do you think of the new stuff?
Cheers!
~Melanie

Stamps: Cute by the Inch, In a Word
Ink: Peach Parfait, Poppy Parade, Early Espresso
Paper: Peach Parfait, Poppy Parade, Early Espresso, Whisper White