More IBC Inspiration

After I made my last card, I kept flipping through the Idea Book and Catalog, looking for other great ideas--it was so much fun!  (While I've known you can do this for a long time and recommended it to others, I've never actually sat down to do it myself--how silly.)  This 3x3 card was inspired by a framed gem on page 163, but I wandered pretty far afield from my inspiration piece.

Obviously what remains the same is the word collage done with Fabulous Phrases.  I have this set in clear mount, which really helps with lining up the words and seeing how they'll fit next to each other.  I started off with "fabulous" and worked out from there...only to realize that my collage was not centered on my original card.  So I punched the whole thing out with the Designer Label punch, since it just barely fit in those margins.

Next, I thought it would be fun to have a contrasting color, so I punched a piece of Wisteria Wonder and lined it up--I just love the shape that the two punches make together.  This is a perfect fit for a 3"x3" card of Lucky Limeade.  My finishing touch is two Antique Brads, with a little extra bling from two basic rhinestones. 

I can't wait to look for more inspiration in the IBC.  Any suggestions for what I should make next?
Cheers!
~Melanie

Stamps: Fabulous Phrases
Ink: Lucky Limeade, Calypso Coral, Island Indigo, Pool Party, Wisteria Wonder
Paper: Ivory Naturals, Wisteria Wonder, Lucky Limeade
Extras: Antique Brads, Basic Rhinestones

Inspired by the Idea Book

Greetings!  I'm away from home this week, so I only have a few things to share that I made before I left.  I felt like I was in a slump with my stamping, so I turned to the Idea Book and Catalog for inspiration, and wow did I find it!  There are so many great layouts, color combinations, and ideas--you should check it out for yourself.  It's on my sidebar and waiting for you.

If you flip to page 166, you'll find my starting point for this card on the bottom of the page.  I just loved the look of color on color with embossing to create a frame, and decided I could definitely recreate that look on my own, even if I didn't have the same stamps as the card in the book.  So I got out some Perfect Plum, cut a card base and a second piece for layering, then embossed that piece using the Big Shot and the Vintage Wallpaper folder.  I already loved the look, and knew I was on my way to a great card.

Next I cut another layer in White Naturals, and choose my sentiment from Happy Everything.  I wanted to use a green with the purple, but which one?  Time to consult the Color Coach, where I found that Lucky Limeade and Riding Hood Red are well suited to Perfect Plum.  I used the Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border punch to create a cotrast line of Lucky Limeade, and then got out my barely used Aviary stamp set for the fun bit.  I lined the birds up along the bottom, so they'd be evenly spaced, and then pressed one of my clear mount blocks over them to keep the placement I wanted.  I inked the birds in Riding Hood Red, and was very pleased with myself.

I still felt like the card needed something, but what?  My finishing touch is three Bitty Buttons with Pink Pirouette punches below them--I love how the Itty Bitty Shapes Punches coordinate with the Bitty Buttons, and now my card is ready to mail.  Or hand deliver, since I'm on the road myself. 

Cheers!

~Melanie

Stamps: Happy Everything, Aviary

Ink: Riding Hood Red, Lucky Limeade

Paper: Perfect Plum, White Naturals, Lucky Limeade

Extras: Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border punch, Itty Bitty Punch Pack, Bitty Buttons, Big Shot, Vintage Wallpaper embossing folder

Elegant Stocking

I'm still on my stocking kick--but I promise this is the last one I'll show you this week!  I just want to share how much you can change your product just by changing the colors.  For this stocking, I used Naturals White and Baja Breeze.  I embossed the stocking with the great new Snow Burst embossing folder--it's another sneak peek from the Holiday Mini!  Then I decided I wanted to add a little more sparkle, because you can't have enough sparkle at the holidays, so I sprayed it liberally with Vanilla Smooch Spritz, and it really shines in person.

For the stocking cuff, I used the Pewter embossing powder again (I'm still in love) with the Gifts of Christmas stamp.  I hope you'll like this as much as I do; leave a comment to let me know.

Cheers!
~Melanie

Stamps: Gifts of Christmas
Ink: VersaMark
Paper: White Naturals, Baja Breeze
Extras: Big Shot, Holiday Stocking die, Pewter embossing powder, Vanilla Smooch Spritz

What's in your Stocking?

I'm checking in with a big Holiday Mini sneak peek today, and I hope you'll love it as much as I do.  Stampin' Up! is all about stockings this year, and I couldn't be happier, since stockings feature prominently in my Christmas celebrations.  When I was little, I had stockings at both of my grandparents' houses for Christmas--lined up on a couch (and overflowing) at Grandma Esther's, and hanging from a fireplace that magically appeared only at Christmas, so Santa could get into Grandma Helen's house.  And they always, always, always had at least one candy cane peeking out the edge--just like the one I made for today.  So how could I not love this great Holiday Stocking die and coordinating Stocking Accents die for the Big Shot?

Now that we're older, Christmas has changed, but the stockings remain.  A few years ago, we changed format so that stockings are the main event, and we don't pile presents under the tree.  It was supposed to be a trimming back of the holidays, but as piles appeared under everyone's stocking, a third way was found--and we've traded our simple stockings from long ago for jumbo versions that are nearly as tall as we are.  Ok, maybe that's an exaggeration, but the point is that stockings loom large in my holiday celebrations, and they easily can in yours too!  Sneak peek number two is this great new embossing powder in Pewter, which is available in the Holiday Mini.  It's a little richer and more golden than silver and I am IN LOVE.  Who knew that I could prefer another over silver embossing, my old standby?

Finally, you might remember the flowerpot cards that Kiran and I had so much fun with a few years (!) ago--so long ago that I can't even find them on this blog.  As soon as I saw these dies, I knew that I wanted to "stuff" my stocking with a holiday card, the way we had "planted" a flower card in the pots.  So I adhered two stocking dies together on the sides, and if you pull the candy cane out of the stocking, you'll also get this card that's ready for a holiday message.  I won't be writing those messages for a few months still, but I can start getting them ready now.

I have more great ideas for these stockings, so keep coming back for more.  How would you incorporate the stockings into your holiday celebrations?

Cheers!
~Melanie

Stamps: Four the Holidays
Ink: VersaMark
Paper: Cherry Cobbler, Garden Green, White Naturals
Extras: Holiday Stocking die, Stocking Accents die, Big Shot, Pewter embossing powder

Flowers in Sunshine

Why hello there!  I had no idea I'd be away for so long.  The big news is that Kiran is married, and her special day was absolutely wonderful.  The sunshine was bright and warm, the guests were excited and happy, and love was evident.  All those little details that Kiran and G had been working on for so long came together to create a beautiful setting for the celebrating, and celebrate we did!  (Kiran promises to share some of those details here soon)  Add in a little travel and some visiting family for me, and you can see where our blogging silence originates!

But we're back, and I'm very excited to share some brand new things with you, since I received my first order from the new IBC, as well as some preorder items from the Holiday Mini.  So exciting!  And to make up for our long absence, today's post is a double header, with two ways you could make the same card.  I love it!

At the top of this post, you see a clean and simple card that features the new background stamp Sweet Floral.  TIP:  For even inking on a background stamp, use your brayer!  I brayered this stamp with Concord Crush, and stamped it onto Wisteria Wonder, which I'm pretty sure is my new go-to shade of purple.  I love it!  Once I had my main attraction ready, I used my Color Coach for this great set of colors: Wisteria Wonder, Cherry Cobbler, and Pink Pirouette.  The sentiment, a great quote from Emerson, is from the new stamp set, Pursuit of Happiness, and it's one that I plan to use often.

Version two of this card is a little rougher around the edges, since I wanted more texture.  I used my brayer to ink my favorite background stamp, En Francais, in Wisteria Wonder and layered that over the Simple Floral.  Then I tore away an edge, to do a little reveal of the sentiment below.  The texture of the Cherry Cobbler layer is an old but favorite technique of mine, crumpling the paper into a ball, and then smoothing it out again.  With all our great embossing folders, I'd almost forgotten this quick and easy way to add some dimension!  I sponged the crumpled paper with Concord Crush, to "age" it a big, and then used Thank You Kindly for the sentiment.  To complete the rougher look, I strayed from a geometric placement of layers, and I just love the result.

Which card do you prefer?
Cheers!
~Melanie

Stamps: Sweet Floral, Pursuit of Happiness, En Francais, Thank You Kindly
Ink: Concord Crush, Wisteria Wonder
Paper: Wisteria Wonder, Cherry Cobbler, Pink Pirouette